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lizbusby's review
4.0
Honestly, I expected this book to be totally cheesy. I am not a romance fan, by any stretch. Don't mind some romance sprinkled in, but not a dish I eat on its own.
But I really enjoyed this one. It's cheesy in a self-aware way. It knows it's over the top and sticks to that. And in between Ned's outrageous stunts to discredit his would-be son-in-law, there are some really tender points about how to strive for righteousness without being self-righteous and the difficulty of moving on to new relationships at 50+.
Is it Jane Austen? No. But is it worth the (short) time it takes to read? Definitively, yes.
But I really enjoyed this one. It's cheesy in a self-aware way. It knows it's over the top and sticks to that. And in between Ned's outrageous stunts to discredit his would-be son-in-law, there are some really tender points about how to strive for righteousness without being self-righteous and the difficulty of moving on to new relationships at 50+.
Is it Jane Austen? No. But is it worth the (short) time it takes to read? Definitively, yes.
readerturnedwriter's review
4.0
This was a fun read. An LDS romance about a man whose wife died a couple years ago and is now struggling with starting to date again and with watching his daughter fall in love, it brought up a lot of touching thoughts about my own marriage and children. I loved the father-daughter closeness portrayed throughout, even when they had disagreements. I loved the tenderness he felt for his wife and how real his difficulty with dating again felt, even though he knew it was the right thing. There were silly parts of the book, but the characters felt they had some depth to them. I also love LDS books written by Dean Hughes because he seems to be able to bring up some of the things members of the church struggle with and some of the parts of LDS culture that are negative, but in a way that still allows the reader to see the truthfulness of the gospel and how a person can reconcile those things.
ncrabb's review
2.0
Ned Stevens is busy putting the pieces of his life together after the death of his wife. Most of the kids are grown, but Liz is unmarried and a student at BYU. That's all about to change one fateful Thanksgiving when Liz announces that she's bringing a guy home. Dear old Dad is anything but happy about this. He realizes, with help from the voice of his deceased wife that plays in his head, that he has become hugely dependent on his unmarried 20-year-old daughter, and he's not anxious to see that relationship change.
Ned initially takes a dislike to David almost from the start. The kid is just too perfect; he's spiritual, he runs like a champion, plays golf like a pro, and on goes the list. Much of the book focuses on Ned's determination to break up the almost-engagement. But in so doing, he discovers things about himself that may allow him to love again.
I get that this book was supposed to be funny and a light read. I just never much liked any of these characters, and much of the so-called humor here didn't evoke even much of a smile. This was a quick read, but it was also a rather forgettable one.
Ned initially takes a dislike to David almost from the start. The kid is just too perfect; he's spiritual, he runs like a champion, plays golf like a pro, and on goes the list. Much of the book focuses on Ned's determination to break up the almost-engagement. But in so doing, he discovers things about himself that may allow him to love again.
I get that this book was supposed to be funny and a light read. I just never much liked any of these characters, and much of the so-called humor here didn't evoke even much of a smile. This was a quick read, but it was also a rather forgettable one.
caleb_m's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
thehlb's review
3.0
This was a fun read, not to be taken seriously. I was surprised the local library had it, since it seems pretty geared to Utah audience. Dean Hughes is my favorite LDS author, but his Children of the Promise and Hearts of the Children series are much better.
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