When Meri’s roommate marries, she gives Meri a copy of The List. The List is 101 tips on catching a husband, from a 1950s issue of Sophia Magazine (as an aside, I didn’t think some of the ideas were particularly 1950s. According to the Author’s Note, she couldn’t use the original 101 ideas so had to come up with her own. That explains my confusion).
But now Meri has to find somewhere else to live.
Her filmmaker brother is about to head to Ecuador for three months, so she moves into his house with his two tenants—gorgeous Gemma, the screenwriter who keeps getting offered acting roles, and laid-back Kai Kamaka, digital editor for a local late-night news show.
The List has apparently helped all her nursing-school friends find love and marriage. Meri is unimpressed, and thinks the idea is ridiculous. Kai suggests filming Meri following the ideas and posting the clips to YouTube to show what a stupid idea The List is. He can then use the footage for his demo reel, to try and get a better job.
The ideas on the list range from sexist to ridiculous.
Fortunately, Meri and Kai go for the funny, starting with trying to lasso a guy (no, I can’t see that in a genuine 1950s list). Their show takes off, people start watching and commenting, and asking if Meri and Kai area dating in real life. They’re not, but this is a romance novel, so … and the exposure brings its own problems.
The story is told in first person, with chapters from Meri and Kai’s points of view. I enjoyed this, although I did occasionally get lost as to which point of view I was reading (their voices were very similar considering their characters were supposed to be almost opposite. It seems I’m not very good at noticing the big clue i.e. the character’s name at the beginning of the chapter).
So this rom-com has elements of opposites attract combined with enemies to more (although Meri and Kai were never really enemies). The idea of The List and going viral on YouTube was original and interesting. It’s what got me interested the story, and it definitely delivered on the promise.
As such, Husband Auditions was a typical fun rom-com. What lifted it from average to excellent was towards the end, and was a message that doesn’t often come through in Christian romance:
We can be godly without being married.
Kai points out that it sometimes feels like the church has made an idol of marriage. If that’s true, the Christian fiction industry perpetuates the idol (and I say that as someone who loves reading Christian romance).
But the novel also shows that getting married and being married are two different things, and there are some strong lessons on marriage from friends and relatives. I particularly enjoyed the sermon in the middle of the novel. Unlike most sermons in Christian fiction, this one added to the plot and had an important lesson.
The characters were great, the writing strong, and there are two single characters (Gemma and Charlie, Meri’s brother) so I hope that means two more books in the series (hint hint).
Thanks to Kregel Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Angela Ruth Strong
Angela Ruth Strong sold her first Christian romance novel in 2009 then quit writing romance when her husband left her. Ten years later, God has shown her the true meaning of love, and there’s nothing else she’d rather write about. Her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been optioned for film, won the Cascade Award, and been Amazon best-sellers.
She also writes non-fiction for SpiritLed Woman. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she teaches as an expert online at WRITE THAT BOOK.
You can find Angela Ruth Strong online at
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About Husband Auditions
How far would you go to find the perfect husband? All the way back to the 1950s?
In a world full of happily-ever-after love, Meri Newberg feels like the last young woman on the planet to be single, at least in her Christian friend group. So when she’s handed a strange present at the latest wedding–a 1950s magazine article of “ways to get a husband”–she decides there’s nothing to lose by trying out its advice. After all, she can’t get any more single, can she?
Her brother’s roommate sees the whole thing as a great opportunity. Not to fall in love–Kai Kamaka has no interest in the effort a serious relationship takes. No, this is a career jump start. He talks Meri into letting him film every silly husband-catching attempt for a new online show. If it goes viral, his career as a cameraman will be made.
When Meri Me debuts, it’s an instant hit. People love watching her lasso men on street corners, drop handkerchiefs for unsuspecting potential beaus, and otherwise embarrass herself in pursuit of true love. But the longer this game goes on, the less sure Kai is that he wants Meri to snag anyone but him. The only problem is that he may not be the kind of husband material she’s looking for . . .
With droll comic timing, unbeatable chemistry, and a zany but relatable cast of characters, Angela Ruth Strong has created a heartfelt look at the reality of modern Christian dating that readers will both resonate with and fall for.
You can find Told You So online at
Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong
Ruth is desperate for a fresh start, but a body in her shed, an inconvenient romantic attraction, and a secret childhood reputation as a ‘harbinger of death’ get in the way.
Emily Dana Botrous lives in San Diego, California with her husband and their four children. She lived in 10 states before she settled on the West Coast where she plans to stay for awhile. She started writing short stories at age 10 and studied English in college. The only thing she enjoys more than writing is motherhood.
Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over fifteen inspirational romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hero of a hubby, two total-opposite young daughters, a vast collection of coffee mugs, and an impressive stash of Pickle chips. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored in Christ. When she’s not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can usually be found somewhere in the vicinity of a white-chocolate mocha–no whip.
