Runner Up

by Leah Banicki

Hannah Parker was about to escape for a romantic world tour when she became a contestant on the hit reality TV show, SOULMATE. Last year's runner up was the 'good guy' heart throb Anthony Capriccio, who won over every good girl's heart when he showed off his sweet nature and his stunning good looks. Though successful in her career as a professional photographer, Hannah had been a flop on the dating scene. Would the lights and drama of a TV crew, twenty-five beautiful woman, and one good looking guy be too much? From the hearth of a Scottish castle, to expansive Australia, to the busy streets of London, Hannah Parker will find out if she is up to the task of catching her very own Prince Charming.
-Appropriate for young teens and older-

Genres: Romance, Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Love, Relationships

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 14, 2012

Reviews

[Patricia Strefling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leah Banicki writes with a quirky sense of humor while underneath lie stories of real-life relationships. From the first page I loved Hannah’s sense of humor and her ability to be herself through the tumbles and turns she experiences. Her life accelerates into high gear as she travels the world with twenty-four other women, competing in a reality TV show. Hannah’s wit keeps her sane for the most part until things began to unravel. Then true reality…her own life…begins to settle in. Hannah must decide who she is and who she wants to be with. I was totally immersed in the story. I will definitely be reading more from this author!

[Cherie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was ok but there were some slow parts. My main problems with this were the characters and the dialogue. I didn't really feel like any of the characters were fully developed and the dialogue never really rang true to me. Some of the phrases and wording just didn't flow or feel like how real people would say things. There were also quite a few formatting and editing problems. I generally don't detract from a rating for these things for self-published authors but I know some people have a huge problem with this so I mention it.

[Chandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS IS THE BEST BEST INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE THAT I HAVE EVER READ IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Should be a BEST SELLER

AUTHOR: I read a lot of fiction and I have never ever read an Inspirational fiction book as wonderfully written as RUNNER UP. How can an author write Inspirational fiction so awe inspiring? Leah Banicki can. How can an author write a book of fiction so well that it is hard believe that the book is truly fiction? Leah Banicki can. How can an author write so well that at the end of each chapter you hope and pray that there is a chapter that follows? Leah Banicki can. You do not want to pass this one over.

GENRE: Inspirational Fiction.

SETTING: Modern day New York and Indiana

CENTRAL CHARACTERS: Hannah is a talented photographer; not so lucky in relationships but loves God. Anthony is willing to "wait" for intimacy until after marriage and loves God. Jackson is a talented author that understands the problems of life and loves God.

SYNOPSIS: One man and 25 contestants vying to become his chosen mate on the Soulmate show. Twenty five contestants and what they have to go through to become his mate. Moments of soul searching, anxiety and depression.

SEXUAL EXPLICITNESS: A few gentle kisses are as explicit as it gets.

WHAT I LIKED: Encouragement for those that have had struggled through having a broken heart. A light at the end of the tunnel. I have always wanted to know what contestants went thru when competing for one man or woman's attention on Bachelor/Bachelorette shows. Now I know.

WHAT I DID NOT LIKE: Chrissy. Did she really have to do that?

I give this book (5++++++) stars because I have never ever read a book that was so fantastically written that I truly questioned whether or not it was fiction. Not reading this inspirational fiction book will be the worst move you could ever make.

Note to author: Thank you for your willingness to pray for your readers.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story! Hope to see a continuation of these characters

I stumbled across Leah Banicki on a random Facebook post. Then read this through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

I am not typically a romance reader, but I did enjoy this book. It is not a sappy romance. I really enjoyed watching Hannah grow as a character. She is a girl that stands with her morals, even when the public eye doesn't agree. She has a support network of family. She does fall into a bit of mainstream media pitfall - but comes through it all stronger!

I plan to seek out any and all of Leah Banicki's other books. This is definitely a book that the character is rooted in faith, but it is not a goody goody, throw it in your face I'm better than you, kind of story. It is a real character, with real struggles, and I like it.

The only thing I hated, was the book ended. I hope that there will be more to Hannah's story in a future book

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had some difficulty with the need for editing. Some things did not make sense, and I had to imagine what the intent was. I was able to overlook it but it still did not draw me in as much as I would have liked because of it.
The Reality show was difficult to get through especially in the end.
the 2nd part of the book was easier to take in. There were some good things there and some characters developed towards the end.

[Paula Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Corny, in a good way

This was an okay book. I'm glad that the main character was taken in the direction she was. Tough and painful things in our personal lives can make us stronger and more Godly if we let them.

[Diane Rohde · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic read!

Such a good read! Very clean romance! Leah is a very talented writer and can sweep you right into her stories as though you are there!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this free from Amazon years ago. I still love it and reread it but it could’ve used a better edit. Lots of typos.

[Laura Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book had a good plot, real characters, and real struggles. It was interesting although a little predictable. I just cannot get past the glaring editing and grammar mistakes. I'm not sure if it was self-published, but it was more than book-to-ereader mistakes. It was also overwhelmingly cheesy at some points, but that's probably normal for this type of book.
I appreciated her covering tough topics like depression and anxiety. And I can appreciate the difficulty of creating realistic tv show scenes, and dealing with the media.
Overall it wasn't bad, but it could have been better with more editing.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt a bit slow until halfway through, but I think that's just because it was obvious from the title that something was going to happen to upset Hannah's romantic dreams and it was hard to know how much to invest in the characters until whatever and whenever the turning point in the story happens. After the fake reality is over, I began to enjoy the book more. I don't care much for "reality" TV because it doesn't feel real and I think the author captured how I imagine the aftermath would be pretty well.

[Cindy DeLong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It slowed down in the middle but I was glad I finished it. The many typos were annoying (especially after the character proofread for someone else,) but they weren't bad enough to detract from the story. The shift in tenses and point of view made the reading awkward, at times. Plus, every time the characters winked at each other, I cringed, thinking about the verses in proverbs that warned of the lack of trustworthiness of a person who winked. If you ignore those little quirks, you'll probably like it too.

[Sherry Haynes · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started this book, I actually wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. Don't get me wrong but even though I liked how the synopsis read, it still left me wondering if it was going to be completely predictable and non-realistic. In a great many ways, this story was predictable but still offered enough of a twist to keep the reader turning the page. There was enough drama to not be boring. While I haven't read any books by this offer before, I will definitely read her again. Her writing made me enjoy reading the book in its entirety and not skip parts.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never in my life read a book from this angle and I've read so many so this that's saying something. It's amazing the way it gives you a look into what it would be like to be "famous". The relationship she builds with Jackson is also so sweet and he is so charming. If anyone asked me what to read this would be one of the first ones on the list. I LOVED IT

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unexpectedly great

I got this as a free book and delayed starting it because I had low expectations. I ended up enjoying it immensely and finished it within a day of starting it. deals with some great issues, it was a feel good, clean romance. Will look for more from this author!

[Cassandra Smith Hector · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating

This book is drenched with inspirational and motivating circumstances along with an understanding of how life's downturns can send us in spiralling parallels. A must read for persons who are seeking their soul mate but met closed doors just when you thought you had it right...

[Sunny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book, it was clean, romantic, and dealt with real issues. Two things bothered me though: the writer's voice seemed to bounce from present to past, from first person to third and back again, also the ending seemed rushed and jumbled, which was frustrating. I liked the storyline though!

[Mindie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had great possibilities, but it just fell flat. At times it seemed to drag abdcat other times it seened too rushed. The thing that bothered me the most was the kack of editing that was done. So many grammer errors that at times it was frustratibg to read.

[Lindsay]

Amazon Freebie 11/9/2012

[Michael Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page turner. I loved it, it was hard to put down.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book. A bit dramatic at times, but a sweet story of coming back from heartache.

[blondemummy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5* an easy quick fun read

[Cici · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good story. The modern Bachelor behind the scenes. The true nature of relationships. The real love story has great chemistry!

[Karen Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved the insights into the "fake-ality" of the "reality" tv world. Wow! A deep, insightful book that was also lots of fun.

[Soumyashri Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually it was fun reading this book.I had never really read anything like this one.Its very refreshing and entertaining.I enjoyed it thoroughly :):)

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book surprised me in a lot of ways, but I think it provoked some good thought overall. It's one you need to be in the right mindset for...I wouldn't pick it up idly to be entertained.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is a great book to read

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book....nice twists and turns that kept me reading until the end.