This is a witty and humorous/light-hearted and fun read. The characters are — specifically Meri and Kai, but also Gemma — are immediately likable.

What I liked about this book was how real and raw it was, mixed in with the humor. I loved how Strong wasn’t afraid to be blunt about issues of marriage without being crass or crude. When the subject of sex in marriage was broached, it was done so in a mature, natural, and to the point manner without descriptions or any kind of detail. In other words, there are zero sex scenes in this book, making it very clean; but the subject was discussed in a very appropriate way.

Strong also knows how to get in the head of a man and show how clueless they can be sometimes. I know. That sounds super sexist but let me explain. Men and women are wired differently (obviously). Men don’t often sit and debate issues in their heads to death like a lot of women do. Men just go do things and figure it out later.

That’s not always bad, but sometimes, like Kai in this book, it is. I love the differences between men and women and too many female authors write their male characters like they are women — emotional, sentimental, dramatic.

That’s not realistic.

Strong wrote a realistic man in this book, which is why there are many women who aren’t going to like him. I, for one, did. I don’t know if I agreed with some of the ideas that he or Meri had that led to the ending of this book, but it has me thinking and I don’t see that as a bad thing.

I see women reviewers write things like, “I didn’t connect with HIM”, about books like Strongs all the time. The reason for that is because the author wrote a realistic male character, and most female readers want to read a book where the man thinks and acts like a woman. That’s just weird. If I’m not confused by the male character, then I know the author doesn’t know how to write from the point of view of a man.

Bottom line, this was a fun and easy read that I needed and one I have a lot of other people need these days. Yes, it featured some deep thoughts and challenges, especially for Christians, but those deep thoughts aren’t enough to pull the book, or reader, down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

A great Valentines book if you need one! This story has lots of romcom vibes. 🥰

1. A YouTube channel
2. A list from the 50’s of ways to get a husband
3. A camera man in need of a demo reel

These 3 things lead to all kinds of absurd situations in Husband Auditions. This story centers on Meri who is desperate to get married and Kai who is too lazy to work towards anything. As they travel around Portland filming and trying to catch Meri a husband, their YouTube channel takes off. Yet the more they film the more their audience believes Meri already has the guy she needs right there. I really enjoyed listening to this book and hearing about all of the crazy situations Kai and Meri found themselves in. This is a very fun and light read.

If you’re looking for a fabulous, hilarious, contemporary rom-com, here you go. Husband Auditions is Strong’s best work and one of my favorites.

I received a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I could not get into this book.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Kregel Publications through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Husband Auditions is a contemporary Christian romance with rom-com and chicklit vibes. I'm not going to lie--there were times I laughed out loud while reading it (by some crazy coincidence, I was all alone each time, thank goodness ;)). The "list" was SMH-worthy; the situations it got our MCs into were amusing.

It was easy to foot for Meri and Kai--they definitely have solid chemistry--even as the alternating POVs of the book also made their hesitance to actually start a relationship with each other understandable. I started to get a bit concerned that they would actually be able to get to an HEA by the end when I was around the 90% mark and things weren't remotely close to being resolved--and that was before I knew that the entire 101-item "list" is included at the end of the book. In fact, Ms Strong gets her characters to more of a promise of an HEA than an actual one--the ending is very optimistic, but our two MCs are not exactly riding off into the sunset...yet.

Husband Auditions is definitely a modern Christian romance--Meri, Kai, and everyone else close to them here are looking not only to live their best lives for themselves but are also trying to get closer to their God as they do. The book does feel a bit preachy at times especially when it talks about relationships, but it's not quite as judgy and in-your-face as other books I've read in recent years. Though characters do talk about sex occasionally, nothing more than kissing happens, either on or off the page.

Husband Auditions was a light and fun summer read from a new-to-me author.

Rating: 4 stars / B

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I just finished the audio version of this book from the library. It is AWESOME!! Equal parts hilarious and very serious. Meri and her circle of friends ALL have some growing and maturing to do. And for the most part, they do very well.

There are things to forgive, and some real forgiveness, There's choosing between "What we want now, and what we want most" which happens to be something I'm working on with myself and my kids, so that was fun.

I had to explain Gemma's duct tape scene to my nine-year-old because I couldn't stop laughing.

I could probably talk about this one for hours, but without spoilers? Nope. So I'll just leave you with a very high recommendation to Read It!

I was offered a NetGalley copy of this book but missed the download deadline somehow. These are my honest opinions based on a library copy.

Husband Auditions
Angela Ruth Strong

Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Review

A fun light hearted read, the book starts off on a normal pace but picks up steam as things move forward.
Meri is the last in her gang yet to get married and not dating anyone puts a damper like no other so her friends give her a list from the 1950's on how to snag a man it's from a magazine at that period and when she decides to give it a go it becomes a reality show and she's somehow instantly famous as one date after the another starts to suck but hey the YouTubers have fun with it and TRP is important for a new channel right only her camera guy and her brother's housemate who's now her housemate is looking attractive day by day somehow!!

The book was well written, the characters were likable, the humor was there to make me giggle here and there, the plot was steady and growing oh-so sweetly! Overall lovers of romcoms should give it a go!!

I'm not sure how I ended up with this book on my Netgalley list... probably from a publisher event, or due to the many librarian email lists I am on. Either way, it ended up being a worthwhile read, so I guess I lucked out. It's fun, and generally lighthearted, and even though this is a Christian Romance, which is not my thing, it wasn't so overbearing that I couldn't stand it. The author does a solid job working faith into the plot without being too overhanded with it, and the antics and general levity of the story makes for a solid read.

Rom-com between the pages is a great way to describe the story and it would make for a hilarious movie. With delectable tension between Meri and Kai, you know when they finally “discover” each other it is going to be an ambrosial moment.

Strong writes with precision and spunk, never allowing a moment of boredom. I highly recommend Husband Auditions to fans of contemporary romance. It’s laced with wit, charm, love, and an all-around feel-good vibe.

Fantastic concept and some wonderfully smart moments. Readers of Nicole Deese and Courtney Walsh will be absolutely delighted by this talented voice to watch.

The premise of a modern single woman following dating advice from 60 years ago is unique and so fun. The plot was quick and funny, but while I loved the ending, the event right before the ending felt out of place.
Meri and Kai were interesting and well developed.
I also appreciated the insight into singlehood that the book shares. It's one much needed in Christian culture.
Overall, this is a quick, fun read. There's a lot of humor and a bit of food for thought.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Independent Publishers Group & NetGalley for a digital reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

If you're looking for a sweet, feel-good rom-com, this is the book for you. Thirty-one-year-old Meri Newberg is the only one still single in her group of Christian girlfriends. As a lark, she and her brother's slacker roommate Kai decide to follow the advice of a 1950's magazine article: 101 Ways to Find a Husband. Meri will act out the items on the list, and Kai will film her and post on YouTube, on a program they dub "Meri Me." They have lots of laughs as the videos go viral, especially since the two of them are a good foil for each other. But will Meri ever find a husband? Or does Kai's goal to use the video as a demo reel to get a cameraman job backfire when he discovers he has feelings for Meri? This could have been silly, but was actually a well-written, entertaining novel with believable characters that I wanted to spend time with.

Two things I especially liked about this novel were the realistic use of social media (Instagram, YouTube, cell phones) and the inclusion of the characters' Christian faith. There was no "preaching" to the reader, and their faith was a natural part of their lifestyle.

I recommend this light-hearted, satisfying, and enjoyable quick read.

This book was very boring to me. The only time that I was actually interested was at the beginning of a new chapter when I could see the new advice for it. It was until the end I realized I could’ve just read the advice all at once instead of reading each chapter and getting pieces of advice at the beginning. Since the first chapter I could already guess how it was going to end up so the build up wasn’t as great as I was expecting. Meh.

"I love a good RomCom and yet I find truly great ones are hard to come by. Not that many authors don't try - it is just that there is a delicate balance between humorous and ridiculous. And given that a good story needs conflict, they also need a balance between conflict and humor, keeping things real without making the gulf between them too extreme.

Husband Auditions has found a perfect balance between these elements. It combines the cute situations with Meri attempting to find a husband using the YouTube channel Kai created with life-changing spiritual lessons they learned.

Despite the appearance Kai presents to the world (a lazy ""skater"" without enough ambition), he didn't want to exert himself, primarily due to fear of failure and rejection. I love, love, loved his lightning-strike moment when he saw himself through God's eyes and realized that pleasing Him and loving others is so much more than avoiding breaking the Ten Commandments.

Meri was delightfully cute and naive. Her concern over being the last single woman among her friends is one all too many women experience. So her motivation for accepting Kai's challenge made perfect sense. Her innocence made her execution of the plan quite humorous and sweet! While it is hard to pick a favorite attempt, it is hard to overlook the lasso incident and the car buying adventure as candidates.

Enjoyable Christian fiction with a strong spiritual message combined with swoony, sweet romance, and humor, make Husband Auditions an entertaining read. You'll thank me for telling you about it!


I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own."

Angela Ruth Strong’s delightful new release is the perfect end-of-summer read. It’s a charming, funny, heartfelt love story that you are sure to adore. I absolutely loved the characters; they made me laugh, cry, and melt all throughout the book . And boy howdy, did the message of LOVE pack a big punch in this book – What does love look like with God in the center of it? This book will definitely be on your mind long after the last page is turned. It’s everything that you want a romantic comedy to be, and I highly recommend it. Especially if you’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places!

This book was one of the best rom coms that I have read lately. I loved the storyline and the details the author uses as they tell everything that is occurring. This hilarious book about “how to get a husband” using an article from the 1950’s is a great addition to a person’s to be read pile. This was the first book by this author that I have read, but I will be reading more from this author. The main character is Meri and she is a funny, authentic person, but she just wants to settle down and start a family (once she has met Mr. Right, of course). She decides to try out the ideas in the article especially after her brother’s roommate, Kai, asks to document her completing each task. Together, they embark on a journey completing each task and creating a very popular online show. I really can’t say enough about this book! It is a definite MUST-READ! I highly recommend this book and know you will not be disappointed!
***I was given a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher. This is my honest opinion. Even though I received this copy free, this is my own opinion.

I loved the characters and the sweet storyline. I have already looked at other books by Angela Ruth Strong to purchase for our library. Romcoms nowadays are too formulaic. This book will appeal to those who want to chuckle and be swept away by the core of what marriage truly that is sorely lacking in most stories about superficial couplings. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book early.

Oh my goodness, y’all! Husband Auditions has it all – hilarity, heart, faith, friendship, and super swooniliciousness. There were moments I laughed out loud. Moments I wiped a few tears away. And moments when I had to remind myself to breathe from the crazy-romantic tension combusting through the pages. Mostly, though, I just grinned the whole adorable way through this story.

Meri is instantly lovable, and many women will relate to her dreams and dismays. Even if you can’t relate, you’ll want to just reach in the book and hug her because she’s just so darn fun. The ‘ways to get a husband’ list she’s given from the 50s is romantic comedy gold, and it definitely leads to a lot of laughs and cute scenes, especially the more natural Meri becomes with the popular YouTube show it generates. Kai takes a bit longer to embrace, but readers will soon be swooning over him as much as I did. Having every other chapter in his perspective (versus Meri’s) gives us faster insight into his motivations and his growing feelings for his roommate’s sister, the one he’s roped into helping him land his dream job – roping being a key word here.

Strong achieves the perfect balance between zany hilarity, breathless romantic tension, and heart-touching depth, and there is a lot to be gleaned here on how to make sure you’re entering into a marriage with the right priorities and the right expectations. I was touched by the deeper discussions, though Strong keeps the romcom tone in mind and doesn’t ever let it get too heavy or preachy, and I’m so glad the author addressed the topics that she did. Meri & Kai’s respective character growth throughout Husband Auditions is realistic and honest, and I liked the candid way we are able to watch it unfold.

Bottom Line: My grin feels permanently in place after this delightful read! Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong is a completely entertaining blend of hilarious fun and superb romantic tension (that builds into some toe-curling kisses), as well as spiritual depth and sincerity. Watching Meri & Kai’s reluctant friendship morph into authentic affection & respect and, eventually, love is an experience I’m going to have to repeat more than once, earning it a spot on my comfort re-reads list. Adding to the pure joy of this story is an eclectic mix of supporting characters, including Meri’s family & friends in various relationship stages and her other roommate Gemma (who is a quirky screenwriter with her head in her stories). This is everything I want in a romantic comedy, and I wasn’t ready for it to end!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

When Meri’s roommate marries, she gives Meri a copy of The List. The List is 101 tips on catching a husband, from a 1950s issue of Sophia Magazine (as an aside, I didn’t think some of the ideas were particularly 1950s. According to the Author’s Note, she couldn’t use the original 101 ideas so had to come up with her own. That explains my confusion).

But now Meri has to find somewhere else to live. Her filmmaker brother is about to head to Ecuador for three months, so she moves into his house with his two tenants—gorgeous Gemma, the screenwriter who keeps getting offered acting roles, and laid-back Kai Kamaka, digital editor for a local late-night news show.

The List has apparently helped all her nursing-school friends find love and marriage. Meri is unimpressed, and thinks the idea is ridiculous. Kai suggests filming Meri following the ideas and posting the clips to YouTube to show what a stupid idea The List is. He can then use the footage for his demo reel, to try and get a better job.

The ideas on the list range from sexist to ridiculous. Fortunately, Meri and Kai go for the funny, starting with trying to lasso a guy (no, I can’t see that in a genuine 1950s list). Their show takes off, people start watching and commenting, and asking if Meri and Kai area dating in real life. They’re not, but this is a romance novel, so … and the exposure brings its own problems.

The story is told in first person, with chapters from Meri and Kai’s points of view. I enjoyed this, although I did occasionally get lost as to which point of view I was reading (their voices were very similar considering their characters were supposed to be almost opposite. It seems I’m not very good at noticing the big clue i.e. the character’s name at the beginning of the chapter).

So this rom-com has elements of opposites attract combined with enemies to more (although Meri and Kai were never really enemies). The idea of The List and going viral on YouTube was original and interesting. It’s what got me interested the story, and it definitely delivered on the promise.

As such, Husband Auditions was a typical fun rom-com. What lifted it from average to excellent was towards the end, and was a message that doesn’t often come through in Christian romance:

We can be godly without being married. Kai points out that it sometimes feels like the church has made an idol of marriage. If that’s true, the Christian fiction industry perpetuates the idol (and I say that as someone who loves reading Christian romance).

But the novel also shows that getting married and being married are two different things, and there are some strong lessons on marriage from friends and relatives. I particularly enjoyed the sermon in the middle of the novel. Unlike most sermons in Christian fiction, this one added to the plot and had an important lesson.

The characters were great, the writing strong, and there are two single characters (Gemma and Charlie, Meri’s brother) so I hope that means two more books in the series (hint hint).

Thanks to Kregel Books and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

She's feeling desperate to be married, he's looking for the path of least effort to attain his dream job. So temporary roommates Meri and Kai, with the occasional assistance of a third roommate, take a 1950's magazine list of 101 ways to catch a man and start a YouTube channel. They both have some growing up to do.

Such a fun premise for a story! The adventures Meri and Kai have with the list and each other are not to be missed - while there are deeper elements, as Meri learns that marriage isn't the fairy tale she has long imagined, and Kai begins to work on his fear of rejection and becoming the man he wants to be.
Angela Ruth Strong has created engaging characters and an equally gratifying story, full of humor and charm. I loved that Meri and Kai are both 31, the story threads of the secondary characters, the Portland setting (including one of my favorite restaurants), the character arcs for Meri and Kai, the 1950's list and viral videos as plot devices, the lack of a cookie cutter ending, and that a pivotal point is a sermon on marriage.

While many contemporary romantic comedies leave me cringing from the situations the characters find themselves in, with Husband Auditions, those situations felt plausible and humorous at the same time. And beyond the making of their videos, and the comments from viewers who see their potential as a couple before they do, the personal growth they experience make this an entertaining as well as a thoughtful read. Highly recommended.

This review refers to a temporary digital galley that I voluntarily read via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.