Thursday, April 13, 2023

A NOVEL PROPOSAL by Denise Hunter, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

"Come on, God. I need an idea. And since there's three of You and You did create the entire universe, I'm sure it's within Your skill set to give me just one tiny idea."

Summering along the beautiful South Carolina coast was supposed to supply fledgling novelist Sadie Goodwin with some much needed inspiration. So far . . . zilch, zero, nothing, nada. She was not and never had been a romance writer, but her publisher was throwing her a life line . . . come up with one. Who would have guessed that the handsome, broody, grunted-responses-to-her-chatter neighbor might provide exactly what she needed, in more ways than one . . . along with a book and its tiny compartment.

Romantic, comedic, opposites attract and the girl-next-door vibes are all over this story. They say "all's well that ends well", but Sadie hardly imagined experiencing a broken heart to prove it. Sometimes the most enjoyable stories are the most predictable, and in this case, that sentiment certainly rings true.

*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.


BackCover Blurb:
When novelist Sadie Goodwin is forced to stop writing westerns and charged with penning a contemporary romance novel to rescue her lackluster sales, there’s only one tiny problem: She’s never been in love.

Desperate to salvage her career, Sadie begins devouring romance novels. Knowing she must devote herself to this confounding genre, she accepts an invitation to hole up at her friend’s beach duplex for the summer. Where better to witness love in bloom than on the beautiful North Carolina shore?

However, once ensconced in the charming ocean-front home with her sweet maltipoo Rio, she finds many ways to procrastinate. First there’s the beach, right outside her backdoor, with all its interesting visitors (research). Then there’s the free library she decides to build and set up by the back deck (She has to do something with all those romance novels). To say nothing of Sam Ford, the grumpy neighbor on the other side of the duplex . . . who she can’t seem to stop annoying.

A social butterfly by nature, Sadie soon gets to know all the beach regulars—sunbathers, walkers, and surfers alike. The free books draw a crowd right up to the house for nice little book chats, which further irritates her reclusive neighbor, to break up her “writing.” But things take an unexpected turn when Sadie opens a recently-placed novel to find a secret compartment—and tucked inside is a beautiful engagement ring. To whom does the ring belong? Sadie is convinced she needs to find the owner and save the man’s proposal from certain doom.

She draws a reluctant Sam into the project, and slowly their connection begins to develop. Are these weird fluttery feelings the first stirrings of love? Has Sadie managed to stumble upon the very subject about which she must write—and wouldn’t Sam make the perfect alpha hero?

Will Sadie find the ring’s rightful owner? And will she manage to pen a career-saving romance novel by summer’s end?

Thomas Nelson Publishing, March 2023
Available in digital ebook, paperback, library binding, and audiobook:

 

 


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