DELIGHTFUL!

GOOD MAN, DALTON by Karen McQuestion is absolutely delightful! It is a story of family with wealth few people can ever imagine. With that wealth comes both responsibilities and challenges. It also comes with choices of how you want specific members of your family to be portrayed in the public. For the Vanderhaven’s daughter, CeeCee, her public perception is totally opposite of her private views. It takes a visit from her cousin Greta to help her see that there is so much living to be done in the “real world.” A chance encounter with a homeless man changes both of their lives. The homeless man teaches them to look beyond what you see on the outside and look deeply within to see their soul. You never know what kind of good man may hiding there! This book is full of twists and turns and a sweet love story. It is a lesson in taking time to stop and truly listen to people and pay attention to subtle changes in their personalities. I was provided an ARC of this book by Lake Union Publishers and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

Dalton Bishop has decided that life has more to offer than what he’s seen so far. Disillusioned by the lifestyle he and his friends live, he decides to go incognito and live as a homeless person to see what it is like to walk in the shoes of someone who has nothing but the clothes on his back. He quickly meets a homeless man who shares his story, one that intrigues Dalton, and he tries to follow the man to learn more from him, but loses him.
Greta Hansen is a good girl who lives a quiet life in a Midwestern town. She is given the chance to go to New York to spend the summer working for her cousin Cece, who is a huge pop star and someone Greta has always idolized. Greta can’t believe her good fortune. But when she gets to New York, she learns that life with Cece isn’t as easy as she thought it would be. Cece’s parents leave town, leaving Cece’s managers in charge. Then she wakes up to find that they have left in the night, leaving her responsible for Cece and all of her scheduling and details. Somehow Greta has to make things work or face the wrath of her aunt.
I’ve never read anything by this author before, but her writing was a delight to read. The storyline flowed and was very interesting. I enjoyed the characters and found them to be believable. I would recommend this story and I will be on the lookout for another story by this author.

Good Man Dalton is the latest novel by Karen McQuestion. College senior Greta Hansen is advised to find a summer internship to make her competitive in the tight market for business majors. Her mother’s cousin happens to be married to wealthy businessman Harry Vanderhaven, making her second cousin to media sensation Cece Vanderhaven, owner and designer at First Daughter, Inc.

Greta is offered an internship with the Vanderhavens for the summer, as well as lodging with the Vanderhaven family in their luxury Manhattan penthouse. When she arrives she is greeted by her mom’s cousin Deborah and learns her internship will be with First Daughter, Inc. and that Deborah and Harry are leaving for Europe early the next day. She is also told that Cece’s right hand gal, Katrina, will present her with the nondisclosure statement, contract, and duties the next day.

Meanwhile, Dalton Bishop, black sheep son of the industrialist head of the Bishop Corporation, sets forth on his two week homeless experiment. Dalton’s degree in philosophy and masters in social psychology does not impress his father any more than his proposal for a new direction for the Bishop Foundation did. He will complete this experiment to improve his proposal to help the homeless.

When Greta discovers the truth behind the Cece facade and her media “best friends” Katrina and Vance take off in the night leaving Greta in charge, the story takes a very different turn. Then, when the paths of Greta and Dalton cross, there is quite another twist.

This is an interesting read with a dramatic New York City setting, and a meaningful underlying story of the tragic homeless veteran situation. It juxtaposes wealthy and homeless, naive and worldly, weak and strong. The characters are well developed, quirky, and likable. And the ending begs for a sequel. I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

Greta goes to New York thinking she will be interning with her distant and wealthy relatives' company. She's excited to meet her cousin, Cece, who is a social media darling. When she arrives, things definitely aren't they way they have been portrayed.

Dalton Bishop has gone "undercover" as a homeless man in an attempt to better understand what leads people to end up that way. In reality, he comes from a wealthy family himself but has been drifting. He is struggling to figure out where he fits into the picture. He takes on this "social experiment" in an attempt to not only understand how people become homeless, but also to better understand himself.

Through an ironic twist of fate, Greta, Cece and Dalton meet. The adventure continues from there as they discover more about themselves and one another. Through this story, you come to realize that things definitely aren't always as they appear, especially when portrayed on social media. The old adage that money doesn't lead to happiness really is true. When you least expect it, you may just find your "someone."

Good Man, Dalton is a sweet and clean romance. This makes it suitable for a wide range of readers. Overall, I thought this was a cute story. Unfortunately, it was slow start for me and I don't know that I ever truly connected with the characters. There were a lot of issues thrown in and I felt like the author was always explaining things and I never had a chance to "feel" them. I had to push myself to get through it in parts. I do think that many people will love and connect with this book. Sometimes, things just don't work for a particular reader. I really did like the ending and how the author wrapped things up for the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Laugh Out Loud Yet Thought Provoking. This book can be read as a straight fish out of water romantic comedy, and it works well in that regard (and the back half of it is mostly just this). But where its true power lies is in the questions it provokes in the separate paths our leads take to meeting each other by chance halfway through the book. Greta's front half is an examination of the reality of social media and reality TV, particularly for those who are hyper=focused about monetizing it. The titular Dalton's front half poses some intriguing looks at the realities of homelessness, specifically as it relates to New York City but even, it seems, as a more general concern. Overall a truly exceptional work that can be read in multiple ways and still work well no matter what your particular focus is on. Very much looking forward to future work from this author.

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Good Man Dalton” by Karen McQuestion, Lake Union Publishing, March 12, 2019

Karen McQuestion, Author of “Good Man Dalton” has written an enjoyable, entertaining, delightful, and heartwarming novel. The Genres for this story are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Romance. The time-line for this story are present, and goes to the past when it pertains to the cast and characters. The author describes her characters as intriguing, fun-loving, and likable.

Greta Hanson will be interning for her wealthy family in New York City ,and looking forward to seeing her cousin Cece, who she hasn’t seen in years. Greta comes from a more modest home, and has no idea what she is in for. Dalton Bishop is also heading to the city, but with a secret. He has decided to try out a social experiment. Dalton comes from a well to do family.

Dalton unexpectedly helps both Greta and Cece, when they run into some mishap.Is this the start of something special? I appreciate that the author discusses happiness, love and hope, instead of materialistic things. I would highly recommend this enchanting novel for those readers who like a Happily Ever After, and feel- good story. I received an ARC from NetGalley.

Greta orders Chardonnay on the trip to New York.She is flying first class on someone else's bill.She has landed an internship at the Vanderhaven corporation and will be staying with her cousins family.I liked Greta from the beginning but Dalton was my favorite character.She is set to look after her 23 yr old famous cousin CeCe.Dalton is doing a social experiment to prove a point to his dad and get over his ex by pretending to be homeless.To prevent from driving over to his ex's house or calling her. She left him for another man.I can understand the need to not look desperate for your ex.Dalton meets a homeless veteran with PTSD and wants to help him.Dalton has an instant attraction to Greta when first sees her through a window.

This one hooked me from the start! Witty dialogue and a very interesting storyline pulled me in from the beginning. I instantly connected with not only Dalton and Greta, - but even CeCe, once you dive deeper into her character.

Not too long ago I was hanging out on social media and was in a group of avid bookreaders like me. Someone made a comment and then someone else, and I'm honestly not sure exactly how it went down but an author -- the author of today's book, Karen McQuestion, made some sort of comment writing books or something similar. I really don't remember the details of how the conversation continued, but I remember heading over to NetGalley and doing a search of this author, and her new book, Good Man, Dalton, popped up. I requested a review copy and was approved. Originally I didn't think I had ever heard of Karen McQuestion, but apparently back about a year ago, I read and reviewed Half A Heart.

Good Man, Dalton weaves the story of Greta Hanson and her cousin, CeCe Vanderhaven, who are two women with a close connection but lives that are worlds apart, and the life of Dalton Bishop, who is a young man from an affluent family, but with a lot to prove.

Greta, having just finished college lands an internship with her wealthy second cousin, CeCe's family business where CeCe has her own clothing line. Greta and CeCe really only know each other through annual family Christmas cards. Greta arrives in New York at their huge apartment and realizes quickly that her internship isn't at all what she had expected it to be. She also realizes everything she knows of her cousin based on social media is nothing like it appears.

And then there's Dalton, who arrives in New York planning to live as a homeless person as part of an experiment to see what it is like to actually be homeless in New York City. As you can guess, the author seamlessly brings the two story lines of Greta and Dalton crashing together.

I enjoyed the the use of social media seemingly right out of today's world. The characters were well written and I enjoyed the way the book ended. A light and easy read for that beach day or if you don't live in Florida like me, a snow day!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my review. A positive review was not required and my views are my own.

I'm going to be the odd person out on this. It's nicely written and perfect for those looking for a sweet fairy tale set in modern day Manhattan. However, and this isn't going to be an issue for most people, all of these characters- Greta, Cece, and Dalton- are so privileged that, well, I wanted to take away their credit cards and send them out to do real work. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is perfect escapist reading.

Loved this book from the first page, I did not want it to end! Author Karen McQuestion has her readers falling in love with Greta Hansen and Dalton Bishop from the very beginning of their life changing journeys.
Greta Hansen lands an internship of a life time with her very famous cousin Cece Vanderhaven. Along this journey Greta learns that the life she has always dreamed of may not be as glamorous as she once believed.
Dalton Bishop is a weathly young man looking to make a difference. He sets out on his journey to homelessness on the streets of New York City. Along the way he meets many amazing people who provide him with insight on the whys and hows of their homelessness.
Through their journeys Dalton and Greta meet feeling an immediate connection. Will their connection and short night together allow them to find eachother again?

I actually finished this book last night, let me see what I can remember. It was fairly good but not outstanding. Was Greta the star of the story or was CeCe or maybe even Dalton? It was country mouse goes to meet her city cousin to the extreme. Greta has just finished college and needs to do an internship. CeCe her second cousin just happens to be from a much wealthier family and has her own clothing line finds a place for her. The story gets a little unbelievable and the characters follow along with it. I did enjoy the last third of the book and wished the rest of the book had been written as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review.

Enjoy this book very much. The plot is fast paced and easy to get involved with. Loved the story and the characters. Thank you Karen McQuestion.

Good Man, Dalton was a delightful and inspirational story full of fun, romance, and so much more! I loved the characters and enjoyed the way that the characters were portrayed with humor. Greta has been approved to be an intern at her wealthy cousin’s family business. When Greta arrives in New York at their huge apartment, she soon realizes that her work will not be what she expected. And she realizes that her cousin’s life is nothing like it looks on social media. At the same time, Dalton arrives in New York to stay for two weeks in a homeless state as an experiment to see what it is really like to be homeless in the city. Somehow Greta and Dalton’s paths cross and they end up in the middle of a fun adventure together! The characters are all facing changes in their lives. The story ties the characters together in a way that makes the story wonderful!

I thought Good Man, Dalton was a good read. It is definitely not one to be missed it. I give it three and a half stars.

This is the second of Karen McQuestion's books I have read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it,

It was an easy read, and entwines the story of Greta Hanson and her cousin CeCe Vanderhaven, two girls with a close connection but lives worlds apart, and that of Dalton Bishop, a young man from a well to do family, but with much to prove to his family.

I love how the story gives a subtle warning about how overpowering Social Media can be, and tackles the issues of Military Vets returning home without adequate support - a problem that is worldwide, not just in the US of A.

This is definitely a book I would happily give my daughter to read, as a young adult too.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Lake Union Authors, Amazon Publishing and Karen McQuestion for an arc of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher’s description: “Greta Hansen has arrived in Manhattan to intern with the Vanderhaven Corporation, a company owned by distant and very wealthy relatives. But she soon realizes she’s actually been hired to keep watch on their capricious daughter, social media celebrity Cece. No last name required. Why bother? The entire Twitterverse already watches every fabulous move she makes. Including an unfortunate shoplifting mishap when Cece decides to go off script. It’s then that a handsome—and homeless—stranger comes to the rescue.

“Dalton Bishop has a secret. A man of privilege, he’s been living on the streets as a social experiment. Now, in gracious payback for his chivalry, Cece invites him to an elegant fund-raiser called the Forgotten Man Ball. It’s Greta he’s taken with, however—and to Greta’s surprise, she’s taken right back. But Dalton has one more secret up his tattered sleeve. For right now, though, he’s just happy embracing the woman of his dreams. It’s only the beginning of a romantic and revealing adventure that will take them to a place where money, class, and fame matter far less than true love.”

Karen McQuestion’s “Good Man, Dalton” is a feel-good clean read with two story lines that come together with a romantic spin. It’s a quick read, and I would classify it more as young adult fiction than women’s fiction. There are too many pieces of the story that I found unbelievable that I think a teen reader would let go. I found myself thinking this very early on in the book, not knowing until after I finished that this author is also known for writing books for kids and teens. I just don’t think this sounds like women’s fiction, explained in the spoilers below.

***SPOILERS***

Take Dalton’s social experiment, for example. His plan is to live on the streets of Manhattan for two weeks with less than $30 to start with and a tattered backpack. He has a harmonica he plays posing as a panhandler, but he only knows two songs. Oh, and he has an emergency alert button in case something happens. Yet we see Dalton spend $8 on a sandwich, and every morning he goes to McDonald’s for a breakfast sandwich. He consistently thinks about the fact that he’s spending money “he doesn’t have,” but it really feels inauthentic. Dalton DOES have a home, he DOES come from a wealthy family. Granted, at the end of the book, the purpose of his experiment is played out in a business plan for a charitable foundation to help homeless vets, but he didn’t really experience their daily life. He slept outside for a few nights....literally like three nights. He washed up in a public bathroom. I understand that we had to see him go through something to get to the end, and we do see that he IS a good man, but I didn’t buy his “suffering” one bit.

In regard to Cece and Greta’s situation, I found it hard to believe that Cece’s parents hired actors to be her friends who basically ran her life as a socialite and couldn’t get out of their contracts until Cece found a new best friend. And Cece didn’t know? She’s a 23-year-old woman, she’s not mentally handicapped in any way. And the shoplifting incident where Dalton come to the rescue portrays her as not knowing that she can’t just walk into any store and put a purchase on her account? Really? I know that the super-wealthy are sometimes not in touch with the common man, but they still know you have to pay for things. Again, I just didn’t buy it.

As I said, I think this would be great in the Young Adult category, but as Women’s Fiction, it’s a “maybe” for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This title is scheduled for publication in March 2019.

I was given an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest opinion.

There are so many good things to say about this story it is hard to know where to start. The thing that stood out to me is how it capture the next generation. In recent years I have seen the desire of people to make a difference in the lives of those around us. Making a fair wage is important but there is a desire to leave the planet better and to help those in need.

I loved that Dalton struggled with how he could help people. His education did not seem to align with his highly successful family business. Greta is a college aged girl reaching out to her extended family in New York for an internship. Cecelia her cousin is a highly successful business woman running her own company, which is tied to her families very successful business.

Dalton decides to go to New York and be homeless for 2 weeks to get a better understanding of what are the true needs of those struggling. Greta arrives to start her internship with her second cousin only to find that the internet sensation is a well script part she has been playing for years following an accident. When Cece’s hired best friends decide to leave putting Greta in charge, everything does not go according to the script.

This story is great in how they become part of each other’s lives.

This was a very enjoyable book to read.

This was such a fun, insightful read ! The author shows two opposite lifestyles.
We have Greta, from the Midwest , who gets an internship with the cousin she never met, the extremely rich Cece.
We meet Dalton , who is giving up his privileged life to live as a homeless person for 2 weeks to get some insight into truly trying to help out homeless people
This was easy to read Ruth characters I will remember for a long time !

I honestly simply adored delving into the lives of Greta, Cece and Dalton. It is extremely refreshing to come across a book that is so light and heartfelt. I was asked to read this by another author I follow and I am so glad that I did. Dalton and Greta are imbued with kindness and true spirituality… human characteristics that I would hope we all aspire to be more like. I am looking forward to reading more by Karen McQuestion.