Hero Debut

"If laughter is the best medicine, then jokes are the Band-Aids." How is it possible that I have not read a full-length novel by Angela Ruth Strong until now? I need to gobble up all of her backlist and be on the look out for her future works; this book has made me a devoted follower. Every chapter had me crying tears of mirth but the latter chapters also had me crying tears of heartache. With surprising depth and meaning, this story of Gemma and Karson is quite poignant and thought-provoking in addition to being hilarious and witty. I loved the pop culture references to movies and enjoyed all the quotes about heroes ranging from Rick Riordan to Fred Rogers to Eleanor Roosevelt to Bob Dylan. The faith thread blossomed and grew throughout the story and the main characters' growth was satisfying, particularly with Karson. If you love romcoms, you will absolutely adore this book. Gemma was flighty but so funny, sweet, intuitive, curious, bubbly and endearing as the sunshiny heroine. She is definitely not perfect, as she carries lots of insecurities of comparing herself to her twin, but she was absolutely lovable and believable as high school English teacher and part time screenwriter. Karson was the cynical, overly cautious, bitter, and angry police officer but his dry sense of humor and his devoted love and loyalty to his family made up for his grumpiness. They must overcome jealousy, envy, and unhealthy anger as they battle their pasts. But as they do so, they give us a wonderful picture of what reconciliation and renewal looks like. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Kregel Publications via JustRead Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.