Skip to main content

Review: Her Surprise Vacation Date - Unexpected Dates #1

Her Surprise Vacation Date book cover on blue background

This is a new series from Liwen Y. Ho that sounds like it will be full of the unexpected, including the first book titled Her Surprise Vacation Date.

I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Synopsis

I was supposed to go on vacation with my best friend… not my best friend’s little brother.

It was going to be a fun girls-only trip to Solvang, CA… before it turned into me dressing up like the Michelin Man, getting a call from my bestie telling me that she’s too sick to come, and losing my luggage.

Now I’m at the airport waiting for my best friend’s little brother to pick me up. After all the unexpected twists and turns of this morning, you’d think nothing would surprise me, that is until nothing turns out to be a six-foot-tall hazel-eyed man with a beautiful smile.

Wow.

Shane Morgan’s grown up a lot since I last saw him in high school. A hunky EMT now, he’s still sweet and funny, but also a lot bolder and charming… to the point where I wonder if he might be flirting with me. But that can’t be possible, right? He’s just an old friend. An old friend who makes my knees go weak when he leans à la While You Were Sleeping and has me regretting ever going on a dating sabbatical.

Ugh.

How am I ever going to survive my surprise vacation date without falling for my best friend’s brother?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

I love that in this book, Hope and Shane are able to reconnect after all these years, and discover a new side to each other after growing up. It's encouraging that Shane is upfront and clear in his communication, minimizing any potential misunderstandings. Instead, he is honest and truly trusts God to guide him in this relationship. Hope, on the other hand, is really struggling with her self-worth, which makes Shane's truthfulness even more endearing. I appreciate that he is willing to learn all about book tropes from Hope and that he is a good sport about it.

Even though their vacation together is quick, it builds on a lot of shared history. The two characters are largely respectful in how they interact with each other, and the light bouts of humour make the story even more fun to read. Though I'm not a fan of the one-bed trope, all of the other tropes, such as best friend’s brother and younger man, are done well. If you're looking for a light summer read that is filled with funny incidents, touches of Christian faith, and overall charm, Her Surprise Vacation Date is a breezy escape.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📱
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍

Comments

  1. Thank you so much for this thoughtful review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome! Congratulations on your upcoming release 😊

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All the Cheese

I've been coming across content within the past several weeks that has stereotyped Christian books (and other mediums) as being cheesy on Christian accounts. While this isn't a new label or even a new topic, what has surprised me somewhat has been seeing more Christian authors jump into this conversation who wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Although some authors will name others whom they believe are writing non-cheesy fiction, I feel as though the damage has been done by repeating this blanket statement. While readers have freely been engaging in this type of commentary for some time, it's been interesting to see authors chime in, where in some cases, there seems to be an emphasis on self-promotion over reflection. I'm not stereotyping and saying that all authors or even the authors I'm connected to respond with this tactic (because I really don't think they do!), but there are a few out there from my limited experience who seem to respond to this disc...

Fallen

This is a post that I wish I didn't have to write. Please understand that I recognize that we are all fallen; therefore, everything that we create is marred, imperfect, and tainted due to sin. What I'm exploring is what happens when there are authors or other creators who have acted in a way that harms others and there is little-to-no news of repentance or reparations being made. I'm not writing anything investigative as many skilled and brilliant Christians are already doing so. I'm more writing as a bystander who is grieved at some of the news that has come up and attempting to process it all. The first news that really impacted me was learning about the passing of Jennifer Lyell, former Lifeway Vice President, whom headlines have also called a Southern Baptist Convention abuse survivor . This hit close to home for a multitude of reasons even though prior to yesterday, I hadn't heard of her story. One of the reasons it affected me was because the professor who was...

Diverse Stories

One of the things I've been challenging myself to do this year has been to read more Christian books written by authors from other countries. I love that the body of Christ spans the four corners of the world and that we get to benefit from hearing so many different perspectives. I've also appreciated getting to know some amazing authors and readers online from other nations and continents as it's enriched my understanding of how Christians experience life. It helps me realize that the views I take for granted may only be limited to where I am situated, geographically and culturally. I haven't read all of the authors below yet, but here are a few Christian fiction authors who write from outside of North America if you're interested in reading more: Africa Ivy Emerson Enewerome Anna Jensen Tope Omotosho Asia Joanna Alonzo Joy Crain Australasia Narelle Atkins Liz Chapman Iola Goulton Jessica Kate Bessie Le Couteur Carolyn Miller Jennifer Mistmorgan Honey Stone Jessica...