Four-Thirty Girl

by C.S. McKinney

Joshua Gladstin wanted nothing more than to be single, all while keeping Beehives Bookstore running in the background. Having promised himself to never fall into darkness over a woman again, he would be satisfied keeping the books while his sage friend, Ms. Debbie, ran the sales desk. But no matter how hard he tries, Joshua finds keeping promises more difficult than they appear.

When Ms. Debbie becomes ill, Joshua is left to man the store alone and face the basic bookworm he has been avoiding. With each encounter, he begins to question not only this mysterious Four-Thirty Girl but also the peculiar life of Ms. Debbie. However, when one mystery turns into two, Joshua discovers that he is not the only one with an unresolved past.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 15, 2024

About the author

Writing stories about the unspoken and sometimes off-putting aspects of dating, romance, and life is my passion. With each book, I envision the stories that feel familiar or connect with the reader on a certain level. By taking on the tough topics, I hope to inspire others to find a life of love and happiness without having to make the same mistakes as the book characters.
When I'm not writing, I enjoy competing in triathlons, playing music, and hiking.
For more information, be sure to visit www.csmckinney.com.

Reviews

[Mary Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author at a festival. His writing style is as warm as he is. I loved this book from start to finish ! Great book for any time of the year! His characters are interesting with a sense of mystery! Loved this book and look forward to reading more of his work !

[Alison Beechner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romance with a mystery.

The pacing was great (oops I stayed up all night again reading), the editing was perfect. The ending was not predictable (but it is HEA safe).

I usually have a prejudice against reading male authors since from the very small sample size I have read, they don't do romance right. But this book was perfect with it, and I enjoyed reading a romance from the male's POV.

Do people really put mustard on biscuits??

Only negative: It took me a little extra effort to get into this book initially, as occasionally the sentences setting up scenes or explaining how Joshua is thinking weren't quite how my brain processes information so I would have to read the sentence a couple of times to comprehend, which isn't usual for me. It's hard to explain.

Warnings: abuse, mention of rape, nudity/foreplay/talk of sex but no explicit scenes.

[Danika Ford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute, low-spice romance with a mysterious twist! This was actually my first romance novel written by a male author, which I found fascinating. The story is told entirely from the MMC’s POV, and I found myself giggling quite a bit because Joshua is so blunt and straightforward.

I even read a few passages out loud to my husband, who laughed and said, “That’s exactly how the male brain works. We just take things as they are without overthinking them. If the girls is hot, that is just fact.” That made Joshua’s perspective feel even more authentic.

After having his heart broken by another girl, Joshua is pretty bitter toward the mysterious “Four-Thirty Girl” at first. Watching those walls slowly come down as he got to know her was sweet and satisfying.

Overall, this was a cute, fun, and quick read with just the right mix of romance and mystery. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you CS McKinney for giving me access to the Audio book for this review.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met CS McKinney at a book event and picked up Four-Thirty Girl. This was my first book by a male author and I was intrigued. I started the audio and finished it in 2 days! I loved the mystery aspect along with the romance. The characters are easy to fall in love with, even grumpy Joshua.

I will definitely be reading more from him.

[Reeca Ratcliff · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.S. McKinney is a wonderful beginning author and I love reading his books each one seems to get better and better! Enjoyed the romance and mystery in this one!