A Charming novel, easy to read, pleasant plot. Would read more from this author.

I'm not a fan of very many "reality" shows and I have no respect for anything remotely connected to the various shows like The Bachelor (well, except that single season fake fiancee one that made me cringe and laugh all at once). That said, this ended up being the perfect late-night "I just can't sleep," up-until-2am read. Light, bordering on fluffy, and fun with a small cast of characters. An easy to follow plot line, with forces working for and against the young couple, contemplations of their faith and a touch of character development.

Now, Hanna and William, the young couple in question, are easy to root for in the relationship department but hard to take seriously. Especially in William's role as a big-wig corporate type, it just didn't ring very true. This is probably a side effect of the rather shallow, quick treatments given to their backgrounds. But this is easy to look past if approached as a delightfully frothy romance with a bit of angst over their treatment by the media and corporate intrigue thrown in for variety. Somehow, the villain of the story comes off as more believably corporate than the hero. Hmmm.

The characters I most enjoyed were Hanna and William's parents. The scene where the fathers meet had me smiling, and I could so easily picture this and the reactions of all the characters that this brief scene stands out as a favorite.

So, for literary value this rates a "meh" but for entertainment value I'd say it is worth picking up. Though fake engagement is not a new plot device, the author kept it from feeling overdone or cliche. The writing keeps you tripping along, with a few laughs and a bit of dramatic tension, but nothing to disturb or challenge the reader. A charming little piece of fiction for those who enjoy a sweet contemporary romance, and a light, quick read.

This review refers to an e-galley read, courtesy of the publisher, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

'The Engagement Plot' was absolutely delightful. While there were elements of fun and a theme relative to current events, there was a beautiful balance with values, faith and that which is truly important in life. Watching the growth of Hanna and William was memorable, and there was an element of suspense thrown in that was engaging. I highly recommend this book, and would love to hear more, possibly a story about Emma.

I enjoyed the book's take on how we need to be close to God in order for our relationships to work well. Hanna is a good Christian girl who enters a competition, not dissimilar to the Bachelor, and meets William. But you soon realise William has said something that has deeply damaged Hanna - both emotionally and practically when she loses her job because of it. The story itself feels fresh, there aren't many modern Christian romances that I have enjoyed this much!

RomCom at some of its most charming, Krista Phillips's The Engagement Plot weaves the author's trademark humor with a story that is full of heart. I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. First of all, while I've read a couple of reality show-based novels, I'm not familiar with their real-life counterparts. I'm just not a reality show kind of girl. That said, I AM a romance kind of girl - one that had previously enjoyed Phillips' Sandwich with a Side of Romance. So I jumped at the chance to read this one.

The Engagement Plot is ripe with more depth than you might expect after reading its synopsis: it's not all drama and paparazzi. Instead, this novel takes you into a world where morals are held, judged, and end up crashing down -- in short, it's a small picture of the real world. The novel offered a refreshing look at what it means to be held to a high standard, and how it feels when you fail (or are perceived to fail) at holding that standard. Krista Phillips provides a great glimpse into what it means to try to walk the line, to make mistakes as you do it, and to get confused about the voice you feel yourself hearing.

If you pick this one up, be prepared for a very contemporary feel (it revolves around reality tv and tabloid news, after all) but you can also expect to be surprised by its depth and emotion - the very real wrestling we do as we try to get things "right" as we live.

I enjoyed the story of forgiveness. It just took Hanna (our heroine) a long time to see her way clear to do it. Will (our hero) is a likeable character who made a huge mistake. The rest of the story is how Will tries to reconcile with Hanna (for less than stellar reasons in the beginning of the story). I will look forward to reading other stories by this author.

The Engagement Plot is such a good book. The book is well written and has a great plot that will keep you laughing and cheering on the main characters. I couldn't put this book down. You can't miss with this book.

This is an easy-read, a light hearted novel by a Christian author. It's set around two people , William and Hanna, who seem to spend their lives in a muddle. On a reality dating show, William gave the untrue impression with a wink and a nod, that Hanna was less than pure. Silly man.
To protect Hanna's reputation they apparently need to get together publicly to show that they are still a loving couple.
Personally , although I am a Christian, I would have sent William further.
I did find the book a little irritating in that none of the characters seemed to have any real strength of purpose.
Thanks to Net Galley for an advance copy. Amazon is not yet taking reviews.

The Engagement Plot had me laughing out loud throughout the entire book. It was exactly what I needed to read at the time. The old saying "laughter is good medicine" is so true. The banter between the hero and heroine was so fun and also being in their heads was too. I really enjoyed the book and I hope there are more to come in a series.

I ADORED this book.
I was honestly saw it on Netgalley and skipped over it because I must be the only woman in America that HATES shows like the Bachelor.

Barbour reached out to me to ask if I would like to review so I thought I would give it a shot. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I read it in 2 hours. I loved it. I loved Hanna and William. I liked seeing them grow.

I have one minor complaint- I find it hard to believe that Hanna's dad could just look up William's dad's number and chat before the show started filming. Not in today's day and age that is. Weird. But like I said, its a minor complaint.

Wish I would have gotten an epilogue!

Thanks Netgalley and Barbour for the E-Arc! :)

A delightful story about the family and sharing life together. It was refreshingly different and captivating.

Unfortunately I couldn't get into this book. It was well-written and the plot interested me, but I found the characters boring. I think this was all down to personal preference and my current mood, someone else would probably love it.

I am not one that watching "reality" TV. So this was probably an odd selection for me to pick. But this story is more about what happens after the camera stops rolling. The story was well thought out and moved at a steady pace. I read the book pretty quickly because I wanted to know how it ends. I actually liked the book and found it entertaining. Still not going to watch "reality" TV.

The Engagement Plot is sweet and funny at times but deep and serious at others. It is the story of two real people who are trying to right a wrong that has hurt them both.
Hanna met Will on the reality television show, The Price of Love. She was dubbed Holy Hanna because of her faith. Will chose Hanna out of the other contestants but messed up by implying that they had an intimate weekend. Hanna was so hurt that she gave back the ring and told the show that she was going home. The whole show was a publicity ploy by Will, CEO of a cosmetic company, and his company to raise sales. Will's unfair implication appears to have made sales go lower so he has been told to make amends; he is to approach Hanna a plan to try to help him and the company and also give Hanna a chance to save face. She has been treated ugly by many people, including many Christians. She even quit her job as a teacher because parents didn't like her. Will's plan is to pretend that they are back together. With her father joining forces with Will to convince her to give it a try, she agrees to the arrangement. To make it legit, they agree to do an interview on a talk show.
They encounter ugly fans along the way. Some are unhappy with Will for how he treated Hanna and some are ugly to Hanna for being a fallen Christian. I liked both of the characters for all that they had been through and for who they actually are in spite of the TV personas. There is a great cast of supporting characters as well. Hanna's BFF, Carly, is a wonderful Christian friend who tells Hanna how she sees things that Hanna can't see but is there for her. Emma, Will's assistant, covers his back while he is away. Will's parents are loving and supportive to them. Hanna's dad is supportive to both but with a warning to Will. But the elephant in the room is faith. Hanna is a Jesus loving person who has made mistakes. Who hasn't? Will is estranged from God even though he grew up in a Christian home. He holds God responsible for not saving his little sister. Can they develop a real relationship? What will happen to Will's job? Will God work in Will's life and Hanna's as well? This is a sweet journey that shows where our meaning in life should be, not in a job or what others think about us but in a relationship with God. Awesome read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read! Even though I do not watch shows like the Bachelor I really enjoy this book. Hannah has a broken heart and reputation after William, who had picked her and asked her to marry him on The Price of Love, led everyone to believe that he went further than Hannah was willing to go. So she leaves the show and tries to hide back home in Minnesota. William comes to see her during a blizzard and tries to win her back. Then all the fun begins as they try to fix there reputations through a fake engagement. Can trust be repaired? Lots of laughs and angst.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher for my honest review.

The Engagement Plot by Krista Phillips is a funny, romantic, Christian novel you won’t want to miss.
Kindergarten teacher, Hanna Knight, agrees to compete on the reality show The Price of Love and is quickly dubbed Holy Hanna due to her Christian morals. CEO, William Preston, is the “prize” and has agreed to do the show to improve his company’s sales of cosmetics. Once taping is complete and William has chosen Hanna there are interviews and this is where William messes up big time by insinuating that Holy Hanna is not so holy. It destroys her life in many ways. As the story begins William shows up in a blizzard to beg forgiveness and ask to renew the engagement. Is William sincere or is this a plot to further his career? Will it Hanna or make her life crazier?
I loved this book! The plot is really a farfetched but funny and focused on an outcome. The characters act as some people would in this situation but at times I wanted to shake Hanna and tell her to stop and think before she acts. She at times forgets to pray and it does cause her some trouble. Will has turned his back on God and doesn’t think God is listening anymore. The author does an excellent job of showing the feelings of all the characters so you can understand their motives. There are times of laugh out loud scenes and those that are more serious and somber. I rate this book 5 of 5 stars and recommend it to everyone who enjoys a good Christian romance.
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book sounded so good to read and with a cute cover. I had not read from this author previously so I wasn't sure what to expect. I think this had so much potential but was not for me. Its not that I didn't like it, there were parts that were good. It bothered me that "Holy Hanna" was claiming to be Christian but was completely judgmental towards Will and all his faults. He is human just like the rest of us and can be forgiven as well. But heavens sake, practice what you preach! IF you are gonna judge someone, wait, you shouldn't judge anyone! Period. Hanna as a character really bothered me as you can tell. She liked Will, didn't like Will, liked Will and didn't like Will and so forth. There wasn't really that connection with Hanna and Will. She was so angry with him most of the book. Lesson of this story. Forgive and move on. SO this was not for me but thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

The Engagement Plot was a little too silly and unbelievable, unfortunately. The chance meeting of Hanna and Will in a snow storm, after a public humiliation event, piqued my interest at first. But by the 15% mark, I sensed that the story was a little too light to really hold my attention. I abandoned the book. This story may be more of interest to readers of young adult literature.

The author has a nice writing style but it’s not my type of book. I suppose if I had watched the Bachelor show it would be a more interesting read. I was a little turned off by the main characters snarky attitude towards men - I believe moron and idiot were her descriptive words. Other reviewers have really liked this book so I’m going to chalk it up to preference give it a 3/5.

Sweet, cosy romance. The bachelor meets a Christian girl and turns his world into a tail spin.
Will leave review on Amazon under name of Connie