💍 💒 💕 "Her Surprise Engagement" (City by the Bay Stories) (2020) 💕 💒 💍 - Book Review #HSEPrism
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Her Surprise Engagement
(City by the Bay Stories #6)
By Cari Lynn Webb
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages
July 1, 2020 by Harlequin Heartwarming
By Cari Lynn Webb
Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages
July 1, 2020 by Harlequin Heartwarming
Teach each other to trust again
To impress the executives buying her app, Nichole Moore enlists the help of old friend and pro quarterback Chase Jacobs. A pretend marriage is the perfect ruse: Chase’s celebrity status will impress the executives, while likable, hardworking Nichole could fix his fading career. But as their fake relationship plays out under the glare of the public eye, Nichole realizes her feelings might be the real deal…
(Affiliate links included.)
Other Books in the Series
About the Author
Cari Lynn Webb lives in South Carolina with her husband, daughters and assorted four-legged family members. She's been blessed to see the power of true love in her grandparent's 70 year marriage and her parent's marriage of over 50 years. She knows love isn't always sweet and perfect, it can be challenging, complicated and risky. But she believes happily-ever-afters are worth fighting for. She loves to connect with readers. Visit her at her website.
Tour Schedule
Ends July 22, 2020
My Review
Thank
you in advance to the author, Cari Lynn Webb; along with Prism Book Tours for
providing a complimentary review copy. A positive review was not required or
requested and all words are my own.
This is
the second “City by the Bay Stories” book I’ve read by Webb. The first one was
“In Love by Christmas”.
Even
though these are technically a series, they are EASILY standalone titles. I was
able to open this one and get through it without wondering who was who – what
the connections were. With some “series”, the reader – at least I do – wonders
about every one’s connection. With these books? I don’t usually have to worry.
If there’s one I’ve missed, I know it won’t be a big deal. Though, honestly, I
do prefer to have the entire collection.
Anyway
…
The
great thing about Harlequin’s Heartwarming line, besides being larger print?
They’re absolutely clean reads. No foul language or descriptive sex scenes. While
these are categorized as “hope and inspiration”, they do not have Christian/or
Faith themes in them. For those who are looking for a cleaner romance read
without the Christian/faith tones – these definitely suit the need. They really
are wholesome stories with a lot of goodness in them.
This
latest offering in the “series” involves a tricky little plot. My take? Fake
marriages are my least favorite plot device. Right off there is an intent to deceive
to get something, and it REALLY kills the romance.
Now,
with that said …
Webb
really tries to make this work with her candid and realistic writing style –
and for the most part, she does. So, how can we not want to grab this book and cheer
for a happily ever after for this sweet, Hallmark-like couple on the front?
Especially with this couple knowing each other since high school? I really
wanted to see how this was going to play out, and for the most part I liked it.
I like where Webb took the story and it was easy to see Chase and Nichole as a
couple.
Getting
to the characters …
One
that makes an appearance from “In Love by Christmas” is Josie. Her boyfriend
Theo doesn’t make an appearance until the end of the book. There is no
information regarding their relationship or how it is progressing since that
novel. As far as the others? I haven’t
read the other books in the series to know how they connect.
While
seemingly on the outside, Chase looks like a wild guy, he certainly is the hero
of the story for me. His antics really didn’t seem so bad at all, and add in a
kitten rescue … this guy could be perfect. Well, except for the mind always on
football deal.
It was
interesting how much he did care for Nichole, and the history they had played a
great deal into the fake marriage deal. I loved how Chase wanted to step right
up and be all the things he was pretending to be, especially a father for
Wesley. Wesley’s father was briefly mentioned and that was a bit of a sad tale
in this otherwise happy story.
I
didn’t like Nichole’s parents at all and thought what happened to her was
pretty sad. They don’t even make an appearance at the end, so I have to say
that Nichole was honestly better off without them. I was a bit peeved with Nichole
who started the ruse then seemed to get upset when Chase went with it. I
would’ve liked to have seen her be a bit more appreciative of what Chase was
doing since the scam marriage was her idea, in addition to how much he’d been
there for her in high school.
While I wasn’t sure what to make of Chase’s “Nonna”, I dearly loved Nichole’s
grandparents more. I have a special place for “Grandma Marie”. My name Marie is
from my grandmother’s middle name. Incidentally, it is Nichole’s middle name as
well.
Webb
realistically writes about Chase’s injury and age factor in football. One
really doesn’t consider their age until something happens. Today’s 30+ isn’t as
old as it was in say the 1970’s, yet that is what Chase is facing – old age and
an injury that will take him out of the only life he’s known. I have to
honestly say this is a jarring fact that some of us don’t realize.
Watching
Chase and Nichole navigate the fake marriage is at times fun and other times,
for me, heart-breaking. It was interesting to see if they were both going to
get what they wanted from the fake marriage. It was also interesting to see
that most of their friends went with the ruse, and some didn’t even bother to
question them on the details.
I
would’ve liked to have known more about Nichole’s app “IN A PINCH”. I’m not entirely tech savvy, but I would’ve liked
to have seen more to what it was supposed to do. It would’ve also been nice to
see it come to fruition.
I loved
the message of seeing beyond appearances, as well as loving harder, and love is
always enough in this sweet, feel-good read. Webb clearly knows how to write a
story that touches on what we all want from life – whether it be a career or
family, even a second chance.
There
are a lot of football terms, but I am sure that fans of the author and the
series will likely enjoy this book.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal
Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
Comments
Post a Comment