Stories where people fall in love in unusual ways can be so fun, can't they? The concept of falling in love over the phone is what attracted me to Sincerely Yours.
What if you fell in love with a man you’d never met?
When marketing coordinator Liberty Dryden tries to help radio station owner and DJ Tom Higgs attract new listeners and advertisers, she hits a roadblock. He refuses to meet with her, and she has no idea why.
Tom has an affliction that’s plagued him his whole life—a painfully crippling stutter. On air, he can speak to thousands, but in person, he stumbles to find every word.
After a woman stalked him, he’s convinced his fame and fortune are all women want. He’s unable to tell Liberty why he won’t meet in person. How could he explain his unfounded doubts and his own issues?
Without her, disaster looms for his station. But, meeting her might prove he’s right about women.
Liberty takes matters into her own hands and calls into his radio show… using an assumed name.
She never expects to hit it off with him. If she reveals her secret, it will put her new relationship and her job at risk.
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Release Date: July 26, 2019
Sincerely Yours is a novel that I was very eager to read after seeing the blurb—it absolutely sounded like the kind of Hallmark- or You've Got Mail-esque story I'd enjoy. Unfortunately, I didn't feel like it quite lived up to its potential, though it had the makings of an excellent story.
When I started reading the book, I felt like I'd been dropped into a story that was already in progress. I even went to Amazon to see if this was truly the first book in the series. (It is, sort of—apparently Liberty was a minor character in one of the author's other books.) It took me a while to get my footing because of the feeling of joining into the story midway. But after a while, I got the gist of it and settled into the story.
I think my favorite aspect of the book was the phone calls between Tom and Liberty/"April." The conversations felt real to me, and I enjoyed seeing how each made the other think and grow. I also appreciated the authenticity of both Tom's and Liberty's loneliness; I think everyone feels lonely sometimes, and it was nice to see that be a focus of a Christian novel.
The Liberty/"April" plot had a little bit of a You've Got Mail feel to it, with one important difference: Liberty knew who Tom was the whole time and purposely contacted him as someone else. That made the whole relationship feel duplicitous to me, and I completely understood Tom's reaction when he discovered the truth.
I didn't find Liberty to be a sympathetic main character, and I think that's why this novel didn't work for me. On top of her duplicitous contact with Tom, she seemed rather immature—always needing to be "needed" and viewing relationships through that lens, while not acknowledging that she herself needed others. I suppose she did make a little progress in that area by the end of the novel, but I don't think she ever realized just how toxic her view of relationships was.
All that said, this wasn't the book for me. I really did feel it had potential, but it ultimately didn't satisfy me. Maybe others won't view Liberty as I did, and the book does have its good points; I have a feeling others may enjoy this book much more than I did. It's available on Kindle Unlimited, so I'd certainly recommend checking it out that way if you're a subscriber. 2-1/2 stars.
Buy the book (affiliate link). (Free on KU.)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Kari is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and signed copies of Sincerely Yours and Winter in Wonderland!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/fe33/sincerely-yours-celebration-tour-giveaway
Follow the tour:
Texas Book-aholic, July 24
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 24
Inklings and notions, July 25
For Him and My Family, July 26
deb’s Book Review, July 26
Older & Smarter?, July 27
Through the Fire Blogs, July 28
reviewingbooksplusmore, July 28
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 29
Wishful Endings, July 30
Rebecca Tews, July 30
Britt Reads Fiction, July 31
Life, Love, Writing, July 31
Christian Chick’s Thoughts, August 1
Read Review Rejoice, August 1
Locks, Hooks and Books, August 2
Captive Dreams Window, August 2
Book of Ruth Ann, August 3
Pause for Tales, August 3
Godly Book Reviews, August 4
Livin’ Lit, August 4
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, August 5
Batya’s Bits, August 5
Artistic Nobody, August 6 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
A Modern Day Fairy Tale, August 6
Kari Trumbo is a bestselling author of Christian historical and contemporary romance novels. Her books are known for characters who feel real, settings you could move to, and faith woven between the pages. She makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband of over twenty years, two daughters, two sons, and never enough time.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
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This sounds like a really good read.
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