Husband Auditions (2021)

About the Book

Book: Husband Auditions

Author: Angela Ruth Strong

Release Date: August 17, 2021

Genre: Contemporary Romance

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.

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My Thoughts

I have ambivalent feelings after reading Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong. I enjoyed it, yet I struggled too. I thoroughly enjoyed watching someone put a 1950’s magazine article on “How to Catch a Husband” to the test. It was extremely amusing reading the various suggestions from the article. The oddest suggestion: “Hang out near the entrance to the men’s room.” This one just straight up made me laugh out loud. Gross! People were incredibly, frustratingly, hilariously odd when it came to suggesting how a woman could find a man. It’s strange to me how desperate other people were to foist women onto men for matrimonial purposes. And, yes, I know the article in this story was made up and not a real article from the 50s, but the suggestions are dead ringers for the many real lists I’ve seen in old magazines. Kudos to the author for accumulating such great suggestions for this story. They are pretty spot on to real life. I really enjoyed watching Meri prove these suggestions to be utterly ridiculous and silly, but I also loved how by doing these goofy things she came out of her shell and grew into the woman she was meant to be. This is my favorite aspect to this story. When we meet Meri she is stuck in a rut. She’s like a car trapped in mud with her tires spinning. But the more suggestions she attempts to complete from the goofy list, the more life she actually lives and the more she comes to realize who she truly is and what she actually wants. It was such fun watching Meri grow and change.

As much as I loved Meri and her journey to personal discovery, I struggled hard with Kai. I have a very difficult time with lazy people regardless of why they are lazy. I totally get that life hurls pain at us and we all deal with that pain uniquely. I get that, I really do! But I don’t get lazy. I will never get lazy. I applaud Ms. Strong for creating a very different kind of hero. I have no recollection of ever reading a Romance where the hero is unmotivated. It was a new experience for me. As much as I appreciate Kai’s personal hurts, he just frustrated me. I had a very difficult time believing that a woman would be attracted to a hero who doesn’t do much, and, when he does do things, it’s out of selfishness. I did enjoy this story, and I do highly recommend it, but for me I need a hero who doesn’t give up when life throws…well…life at him.

I purchased a copy of this novel in eBook form from Amazon.com on August 26, 2021, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.