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: 👍
Labels:

Comments

  1. Liwen Y. HoJune 18, 2024 at 10:49 PM

    Thank you so much for this thoughtful review!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christian ShelvesJune 19, 2024 at 11:14 PM

      You're welcome! Congratulations on your upcoming release 😊

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Christian as a Genre

I've always found it interesting that Christianity as its own genre can be used across music, film, books, and virtually most forms of artistic or creative expression. While most secular items tend to be labelled by their style, works produced by Christians tend to get labelled by the faith of the one producing it. I remember seeing an article years ago about how the Grammys  put Christian artists under the genre of Gospel and Contemporary Christian who would then be further separated out by their musical style, such as Gospel, Bluegrass, Rock, Pop, Country, etc. I can't recall the specifics of the article, but I believe that the author of the article thought it was both a little unfair that artists would be lumped together in a giant pool despite varying styles or backgrounds, and that it was also a label that didn't really tell audiences what they would be getting, other than Christian content. I wish I could remember a bit more, but as I read it in passing, the only thou...
2 comments
Read more

Review: Doting on His Best Friend - Christmas at Redemption Ridge #11

It's been lovely to pick up some more Christmas titles as the weather changes! Doting on His Best Friend by Liwen Y. Ho has been fun to read as I can picture myself being by a fireplace with hot chocolate and playing board games with my best friend, my husband. What a great start to the season! I am grateful to the author for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis Can two best friends overcome their age gap and the past to become something more? Phoebe Cordle moved to Redemption Ridge after experiencing loss and was grateful to find a ranching town where she could start her own equine therapy practice. She also found a confidante in a handsome and generous man nine years her junior who's captured the attention of all the single ladies in their community—including her own. However, after zero signs of interest on Milo’s part for the past six years, she’s given up hope and decides to help him find love instead. Milo Gibson wa...
3 comments
Read more

Review: The Darkness Deepens - The Day Draws Near #2

If you've read  The End Begins , the first book in the  The Day Draws Near series (previously The Seven Trilogy) by Sara Davison, The Darkness Deepens takes you further as this sequel further delves into Jesse and Meryn's story. I wouldn't say that this book is a standalone book as it builds upon the previous one, but I would say that reading the first book will certainly whet your appetite for this one as you find out what's next. I am grateful to the publisher,  Mountain Brook Ink , for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis Their secrets protect them... but secrets are hard to keep. No one in the army can find out that Captain Jesse Christensen has become a believer. He and bookstore owner Meryn O'Reilly are forced to meet in secret, facing imprisonment-or worse-if they are found together. As their relationship deepens, so does Lieutenant Gallagher's hatred for the Christians in their city, putting all be...
2 comments
Read more