Almost Like Being In Love – Beth K. Vogt – Howard Books – Published 28 June 2016
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Synopsis
Winning an all-expenses paid Colorado destination wedding might seem like a dream come true for some people—but Caron Hollister and her boyfriend Alex Madison aren’t even engaged. How is she supposed to tell him she’s won their wedding and honeymoon when he hasn’t asked her to marry him? Being “perfect for one another” seems like the absolute best reason to get married. But what if their supposedly faultless relationship is merely a safe place to protect his secrets and a way to keep their families happy? After quitting her job, Caron accepts her best friend’s offer to visit Colorado. She needs to catch her breath. Who knows, maybe visiting the destination wedding site will make a future with Alex seem like a reality.
Kade Webster just landed the biggest deal of his life with his company, Webster Select Realty, participating in the Colorado Springs Tour of Homes. He never imagined he would run into the woman who broke his heart—Caron Hollister—right when his career is taking off. Seeing her again, Kade can’t help but wonder why Caron walked away from him years ago, leaving him with no explanation. When Kade learns his home stager won’t be able to help with the Tour of Homes, he vaults past all the reasons he should stay away from Caron, and offers her a temporary job helping him on the project. This time, their relationship is purely business.
Spending time with Kade has Caron questioning everything. The man intrigues her—at times infuriates her—and reminds her of what she lost. Has she been settling for what everyone expects of her? Just because others believe she and Alex are an ideal couple, does that mean they should get married? And how can Caron say “I do” to one man when she’s wondering “what if?” about another?
My thoughts
Almost Like Being in Love is a fun romance, with many strong themes of second chances, learning to stand up for one’s self and coping with everything from an alcoholic parent to job security. It mixed humour with serious issues, along with plenty of romance and sweet (and swoony) kisses.
Have you ever put yourself in the hands of another, tried so hard to please them, arrange your life to suit them? Well, Caron has. Her whole life has been dedicated to pleasing her father with her choice in career, boyfriend, and even her pastimes. It takes a shakeup at work for her to realise that maybe she is looking for approval in a place she may never get it.
We first met Caron and Alex in A Crazy Thing Called Love (Caron is Logan’s sister). Caron and Alex have been dating for two years. Everyone says they are the perfect couple, but Caron’s personal life also takes a hit when she quits working for her father and takes up a job offer with her ex-boyfriend, Kade. Winning a destination wedding and springing a ‘let’s get married’ on a reluctant Alex, doesn’t help much either.
Caron has two love interests, but it’s pretty clear from the summary who she is best suited to. Without giving away too much of a spoiler, I particularly liked that Alex isn’t made out to be some bad guy who is wrong for Caron. Instead he is a really nice guy dealing with some heavy burdens. I actually enjoyed the chapters from Alex almost more than Caron’s story, and as a result readers are treated to a two-for-one deal in the romance story department.
There are some great side characters in this book, including Kade’s best friend and fellow real estate agent Mitch and Caron’s bossy, bride-to-be-gone-slightly-nuts best friend Margo. The strong cast perfectly compliment Caron and Kade’s love story. Almost Like Being In Love is the second book in this series and has character crossovers, but can be read as a standalone.
Overall, Almost Like Being In Love was a fun read. I can’t wait to see what Beth Vogt writes next.
The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
More information
Category: Fiction
Genre: Christian contemporary.
Themes: Family. Marriage. Romance. Second chances. Weddings. Real estate agents. Father-daughter relationships.
Published: 28 June 2016 by Howard Books
Format: Paperback, ebook. 306 pages.
ISBN: 9781476789804
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