Angela Ruth Strong

“He’d become my hero when he came to my house to protect me…Is what brought him to me also going to separate us?”

Strong knocks it out of the park with Hero Debut!! The sequel to her popular rom-com Husband Auditions, this novel tells the tale of Barbie-like Gemma Bennet. Gemma enters Citizen’s Safety Academy looking for her screenplay hero, but she learns a lot in her disappointing search. Will her hero eventually emerge? Will she be prepared, or will they both cling to baggage of show more their perceived emotional pasts that threatens to draw the curtain early? I loved the title with its double entendre.

Written in 1st person POV, alternating mostly between Gemma and Karson Zeller, we traipse through a few weeks in the happy, but incident-prone life of Gemma. You’ll laugh uproariously all the
way through this faith-based rom-com that delivers serious truths. You will benefit from the lessons, whether single or married for many years.

Chock-full of quotes I will remember for a long time and pop references aplenty, I appreciated Strong’s outlook on life and even the rom-com category. She set the bar high for herself, then exceeded it, “Because the best romantic comedies have depth and meaning that make the humor poignant.”

I loved that Strong shows us that even the protagonists we are rooting for, are not perfect. Perceptions of the past affect relationships, and two people going through the same event can experience it differently. Bravo for pointing that out!

Gemma’s roommates Kai and Charlie are present as a great foil, as are some special children. Then there’s Karson’s jovial former partner, Drew Harris. “He’s his own spotlight.”

I can’t wait for Charlie’s story, coming next as Fiancé Finale!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I also received an ebook copy via NetGalley. Plus I pre-ordered my own copy to give away. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“If you’re going to write about police, don’t romanticize our job. We give out tickets, we arrest people, and we use our firearms when needed. We’re the ones who show up after a crime has been committed. Nobody wants to see us. Though we risk our lives to protect the public, they often attack us for doing our jobs.”

“We find what we look for... And I prefer to look for the beauty and joy in life. It’s out there.”

“There are three types of people in this world. Sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs.”

“Her eyes are on me, scratching the itch of my heart.”

“Nobody is a hero all the time. We’re just all in training.”

“I don’t know if you believe in God, but His love is the only perfect love. It’s the kind that redeems when the love we’d hoped to get from other people lets us down.”

“I’ve never been in this much trouble before. I make Ramona the Pest look good.”

“I really like this thing called gratefulness. It not only helps us endure situations we never would have planned for ourselves, but it enables us to turn our sorrows into joy.” show less

Hilarious!
“God was enough-everything else was a gift.”
Tandy and Marissa are at it again! Trouble just seems to follow these two best friends.
This has been such a cute and sassy series.
It is days before the wedding of Marissa and Conner but all stops as Conner is suspected of murder in the corn maze! Marissa, Tandy and their friends do all they can to prove his innocence. With less than favorite relatives in town for the wedding, and quirky residents of the nearby retirement village, show more chaos ensues.
The setting at Halloween/Harvest time lends to the hilarity with Scary-oke at the cafe the girls share, the corn maze and the door decorating at the retirement home. My favorite resident was Birdie, a retired spy with dementia who steals cookies, cell phones and your heart!
I love the way she handled Winnifred’s illness and gave her a joyful spirit and entertained us with belting out songs and naming her wigs.
It is hard to believe that Ms. Strong wrote this book in the middle of a cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The author can write comedy to a T. She embodies the grace of God and resilience. This book was certainly a highlight of my week!
*I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Mountain Brook Ink through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.* show less

Put your tray in the upright position, fasten your seatbelt, & get ready for a delightful adventure! Claire Holloway is Winging It is my first book by Angela Ruth Strong & definitely won’t be my last! I adored this funny, sweet, heart achingly lovely romcom. From all the awkward moments a flight attendant endures to the endearingly quirky characters to moments of faith & reflection, I loved every moment.

When Claire Holloway’s dreams of being a professional ballerina are crushed, she show more decides to take a job as a flight attendant. Her first moments on the job give her pause when she finds herself alone in Seattle trying to find her crash pad. But, the charming pilot who offers assistance becomes an instant friend & luckily lives just across the street. Claire’s practically engaged to Wyatt who lives in San Francisco, but the distance creates issues especially when he becomes jealous of the time she spends with her handsome neighbor, First Officer Nathan Stuart.

After believing his ex fiancé cheated on him, Nathan’s determined not to be the other man. Though he falls hard for the quirky, delightful Claire, he knows she’s taken & tries to keep their relationship well within the bounds of friendship. Their frequent flights together, hikes & excursions on layovers, & shared faith only make their bond grow. But, can he continue to keep his feelings in check when Claire tries to set him up with her friend & it’s clear Claire’s boyfriend may not be the best choice for her.

I loved this story! Ahh, the yearning. Nathan definitely falls first & hard, but is such a gentleman. He never tries to force their relationship to be more than friendship. Claire’s bubbly, fun, & a delight. I enjoyed all her flight attendant mishaps. From difficult passengers to many hilarious scenarios, I gained a new appreciation for the hard working men & women of the airlines. I also enjoyed all the endearing side characters who offer wisdom & guidance just when it’s needed. While I was cheering the whole time for Claire & Nathan to be together, I loved the way their relationship progressed naturally from friendship to more with no cheating involved.

Highly recommend! Can’t wait for more! I received an advanced copy from the publisher with no expectation of a positive review. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily. show less

“That’s when it helps to see God as the control tower. He could be protecting you from something. Or even leading you somewhere better.”

I can count on an Angela Ruth Strong book for unpredictable, raucous laughter, hilarity, and a bit of mayhem. ( I may or may not have had to stuff a sock in my mouth late at night so as not to wake a sleeping hubby!) I can also count on Strong to slip in Biblical-based Truth that has me evaluating if my life matches my words.

Claire Holloway is Winging show more It had my attention from the first sentence. I was cracking up every other sentence, it seemed like. Claire has lost one dream, so she decides to embark on a new career. Problem is, she is sure she will fail and we all know how self-fulfilling prophecies work!

From Claire’s first unsuccessful airport encounter to her meeting helpful, good- looking pilot Nathan Stuart, Claire stumbles through belly-laugh inducing situations. While believer Nathan is determined to win Claire over, Claire has to deal with her absent ,distracted, and jealous boyfriend back home.

The story flows well. Strong tells it in her unique voice, using first person POV, alternating back and forth between labeled chapters for Claire or Nathan.

I loved the camaraderie that we see develop between Claire, Nathan, and Vincent and his wife, Desiree. Vincent and Desiree add plenty of humor, but they also speak Truth into both Nathan’s and Claire’s lives. Desiree starts small with Claire, by empathizing. “It’s hard to have your life reflowed.” Strong lets us see inside the back curtains of the flight world as she deftly weaves in the message that God has a plan for each life, though it may be different than what we were aiming for.

Vincent and Desiree are runaways for fave secondary characters. They are so funny, so kind, and speak the Truth so well! “Truly loving someone means you’re more afraid of harming them than losing them.” Ouch, that is a Truth Nathan doesn’t want to hear!!

I must say, though, Angel is a most interesting character. I had to wonder if I would have judged her as “less than” in real life. But when she learns spiritual lessons, she’s no faker!! I loved her! “Rather than take away our pain, Jesus joined us in it.” Angel shares this Truth, and Claire thinks of a flight “real-life example” she experienced. Suddenly, I too, was thrilled to feel I finally understood a Truth I could never quite wrap my head around!!

I received a copy of the book from the author and publisher via NetGalley. I also bought my own copy for the trophy shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“It’s my job to make passengers happy.” “It’s never your job to make anyone happy.”- Claire, Nathan

“Fear is like gravity in a topsy-turvy world.

“That’s when it helps to see God as the control tower. He could be protecting you from something. Or even leading you somewhere better.”-Desiree

“You’ve got to take the good with the bad and trust that the smaller sacrifices are worth the greater good.” - Desiree

“Loving someone is never a mistake. Even if it hurts.”- Vincent

“But rather than place blame, we could focus on how we don’t have to bear our pain alone.” - Angel

“I think maybe God is the light, and we have to draw close to Him to see the difference between our false judgments and our true discernments.” - Claire show less