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Convenient
“Have you ever thought about marriage?” Mark asked conversationally.
When Amelia Winger finds herself in need of a new place to live in the middle of a pandemic, her friend Mark proposes an unconventional a legal marriage that would give Amelia a place to live and allow Mark to prove to his father that he’s “settled down” enough to inherit the family practice.
Knowing their friends and family would frown on such reasons for marriage, they agree to pretend to be in love for everyone else’s benefit. But as they begin to share the challenges of work, family, and life in 2020, the lines between pretense and reality become more and more difficult to distinguish.
When Amelia Winger finds herself in need of a new place to live in the middle of a pandemic, her friend Mark proposes an unconventional a legal marriage that would give Amelia a place to live and allow Mark to prove to his father that he’s “settled down” enough to inherit the family practice.
Knowing their friends and family would frown on such reasons for marriage, they agree to pretend to be in love for everyone else’s benefit. But as they begin to share the challenges of work, family, and life in 2020, the lines between pretense and reality become more and more difficult to distinguish.
219 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 11, 2020
2020 has been a year of unexpected trials and challenges, but things are about to get even more interesting for Amelia Winger. She’s always had a turbulent relationship with her parents, but she thought they’d give her a bit more warning about moving to a smaller home. Now she must find a new place to live or stay on her parents’ couch.
Amelia is running out of options when her friend Mark proposes a solution that would help them both. A marriage of convenience may sound great on paper, but will Mark and Amelia be able to make this arrangement work?
I loved how well-rounded this novella felt. The author did an excellent job including vivid details to add to the realism of the story. From mask issues, California wildfires, recognizable fandoms, and even simple mentions of the local restaurants, these additions made the setting and the situations vibrant and relatable instead of vague and generic. Her characters were dynamic, and their reactions to the circumstances in various scenes also felt authentic. If you’ve ever been part of a church small group, you’ll definitely feel right at home throughout this delightful little story.
There were a few minor details in some of the character histories and day-to-day recaps that felt a little underdeveloped and made it more difficult for me to understand why a particular character was as upset as they were. Overall, however, the main story was easy to follow, and as I learned more about Mark and Amelia, I found myself cheering on their romantic relationship despite their determination to remain friends only.
I truly appreciated the clean romance and the Christian aspects of the story. The author presented prayer and communication in a relationship which was refreshing and felt like a natural progression of Mark and Amelia’s relationship. I’d recommend this book to fans of Hallmark movies and happy endings, especially since this book starts in the fall and ties up on Christmas. This might be a nice quick read to give you a little hope amid COVID, and if nothing else, it will remind you that you’re not alone in the oddities and inconveniences that made up a large portion of this year.
There are a few mild swear words in some of the dialogue, and the rest of the content is mild. The author does mention emotional abuse and suicide, but there is no graphic depiction of either issue.
I received a free copy of the book, and I am leaving a review voluntarily.
Amelia is running out of options when her friend Mark proposes a solution that would help them both. A marriage of convenience may sound great on paper, but will Mark and Amelia be able to make this arrangement work?
I loved how well-rounded this novella felt. The author did an excellent job including vivid details to add to the realism of the story. From mask issues, California wildfires, recognizable fandoms, and even simple mentions of the local restaurants, these additions made the setting and the situations vibrant and relatable instead of vague and generic. Her characters were dynamic, and their reactions to the circumstances in various scenes also felt authentic. If you’ve ever been part of a church small group, you’ll definitely feel right at home throughout this delightful little story.
There were a few minor details in some of the character histories and day-to-day recaps that felt a little underdeveloped and made it more difficult for me to understand why a particular character was as upset as they were. Overall, however, the main story was easy to follow, and as I learned more about Mark and Amelia, I found myself cheering on their romantic relationship despite their determination to remain friends only.
I truly appreciated the clean romance and the Christian aspects of the story. The author presented prayer and communication in a relationship which was refreshing and felt like a natural progression of Mark and Amelia’s relationship. I’d recommend this book to fans of Hallmark movies and happy endings, especially since this book starts in the fall and ties up on Christmas. This might be a nice quick read to give you a little hope amid COVID, and if nothing else, it will remind you that you’re not alone in the oddities and inconveniences that made up a large portion of this year.
There are a few mild swear words in some of the dialogue, and the rest of the content is mild. The author does mention emotional abuse and suicide, but there is no graphic depiction of either issue.
I received a free copy of the book, and I am leaving a review voluntarily.
August 10, 2021
If you are looking for a fun, cute, clean romance and if it isn't too soon for you to be reading about the year 2020, then try out Convenient.
I enjoyed the growing love between Amelia and Mark. The romance was sweet without being over the top or all about the physical which I personally appreciated. I love their friend Hope and how blunt she was too. The characters in general were fun and unique. I liked Marks family a lot, probably because I am from a big family myself. I also really like Mark and how supportive and kind he was.
I think it was mostly too soon for me to be reading something from 2020, so I didn't always appreciate the politics even though they were accurate to what the media represented. I also thought some of the conflict in Amelia's family was a bit dramatic. And lastly, I read the updated version of this book, so I think there was less swearing, but as other reviewers mentioned, it is there and I honestly found it unnecessary.
While this is a Christian book it was more light on the Christianity. So the marriage at least at the beginning was more about convenience and economy, while I think they could have still been married and also thought about it more Biblically. However, I did appreciate how much they supported and encouraged each other.
Overall, it was a fun clean romance and I finished it in only two days.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
I enjoyed the growing love between Amelia and Mark. The romance was sweet without being over the top or all about the physical which I personally appreciated. I love their friend Hope and how blunt she was too. The characters in general were fun and unique. I liked Marks family a lot, probably because I am from a big family myself. I also really like Mark and how supportive and kind he was.
I think it was mostly too soon for me to be reading something from 2020, so I didn't always appreciate the politics even though they were accurate to what the media represented. I also thought some of the conflict in Amelia's family was a bit dramatic. And lastly, I read the updated version of this book, so I think there was less swearing, but as other reviewers mentioned, it is there and I honestly found it unnecessary.
While this is a Christian book it was more light on the Christianity. So the marriage at least at the beginning was more about convenience and economy, while I think they could have still been married and also thought about it more Biblically. However, I did appreciate how much they supported and encouraged each other.
Overall, it was a fun clean romance and I finished it in only two days.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
December 29, 2020
2.5 stars
The idea for this novella is wonderful, the cover adorable, and the romance sweet. I would love to recommend this novella... However, there were many words such s sh-t, da-n, and taking God's name in vain, therefore I do not recommend this book.
It was funny and I would read more if it weren't for the cursing.
It is somewhat clean fiction but I wouldn't say it is Christian fiction.
The idea for this novella is wonderful, the cover adorable, and the romance sweet. I would love to recommend this novella... However, there were many words such s sh-t, da-n, and taking God's name in vain, therefore I do not recommend this book.
It was funny and I would read more if it weren't for the cursing.
It is somewhat clean fiction but I wouldn't say it is Christian fiction.
December 12, 2020
4.4 Rounding up to 5
I'm not gonna lie, I enjoy a good romance--but usually only when it is part of a larger story (The Lord of the Rings, North and South, Bleak House). I rarely branch out into books that focus solely on the romance of two characters, and almost never modern romance. I made an exception for "Convenient" and it delivered a lot of heart.
The problem with a lot of contemporary romance movies or rom-coms is that the characters are often caricatures who live lives that most of us can't relate to. Jones makes her characters real and relatable. Amelia is a gentle and reserved teacher who cares deeply about her students and invests in hobbies like embroidery. There's nothing flashy about her, which is one of the reasons I love her. On the other hand, Mark is candid, brusque, and doesn't seem to care what people think. But he does care deeply for the people he represents in the courtroom. I swear I have met Mark before. He was so real I felt like I could reach out and touch him. I understood Mark from the beginning, but Amelia has a harder time making sense of him and Jones does an excellent job of bringing the audience along for the journey.
The setting is incredibly real and grounded. The secondary characters are familiar and easy to visualize. And Mark and Amelia's relationship develops with subtly and depth. It's fun to watch them learn how to share lives, be vulnerable with each other, and bear each other's burdens. They have such a real, respectful friendship which is incredibly refreshing. The grace that they give each other when the messy, darker parts of their families and lives comes to the surface is just beautiful. And it pairs perfectly with the slow build-up to Christmas.
If you love wholesome romance, you have to give this a try. Sometimes it's just nice to read a happy ending.
(I received a free copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own)
I'm not gonna lie, I enjoy a good romance--but usually only when it is part of a larger story (The Lord of the Rings, North and South, Bleak House). I rarely branch out into books that focus solely on the romance of two characters, and almost never modern romance. I made an exception for "Convenient" and it delivered a lot of heart.
The problem with a lot of contemporary romance movies or rom-coms is that the characters are often caricatures who live lives that most of us can't relate to. Jones makes her characters real and relatable. Amelia is a gentle and reserved teacher who cares deeply about her students and invests in hobbies like embroidery. There's nothing flashy about her, which is one of the reasons I love her. On the other hand, Mark is candid, brusque, and doesn't seem to care what people think. But he does care deeply for the people he represents in the courtroom. I swear I have met Mark before. He was so real I felt like I could reach out and touch him. I understood Mark from the beginning, but Amelia has a harder time making sense of him and Jones does an excellent job of bringing the audience along for the journey.
The setting is incredibly real and grounded. The secondary characters are familiar and easy to visualize. And Mark and Amelia's relationship develops with subtly and depth. It's fun to watch them learn how to share lives, be vulnerable with each other, and bear each other's burdens. They have such a real, respectful friendship which is incredibly refreshing. The grace that they give each other when the messy, darker parts of their families and lives comes to the surface is just beautiful. And it pairs perfectly with the slow build-up to Christmas.
If you love wholesome romance, you have to give this a try. Sometimes it's just nice to read a happy ending.
(I received a free copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own)
June 28, 2022
My feelings for this book are a bit up and down. I liked the characters for the most part. Was intrigued to watch Amelia and Mark's relationship evolve. While I understand 2020 / COVID are a part of our world and will be included in books, it was a bit forced and awkward to me. I also had issues with some of the family relationships.. especially Amelia's with her dad. I definitely thought he was rude and self-centered, but I had a difficult time seeing it as abusive or that she wouldn't be able to stand up to him.
Amelia needs a place to live.. Mark has the solution. Move in with him. But both, as Christians, do not believe in living together outside of marriage, so he suggests a marriage of convenience. And she accepts. Does that truly happen in 21st century America? And it happens fast! They are barely more than friends and then boom.. they are married. Just a bit much for me.
This is the only book I can find by this author. I believe she has potential and will watch for any future books she may write.
Amelia needs a place to live.. Mark has the solution. Move in with him. But both, as Christians, do not believe in living together outside of marriage, so he suggests a marriage of convenience. And she accepts. Does that truly happen in 21st century America? And it happens fast! They are barely more than friends and then boom.. they are married. Just a bit much for me.
This is the only book I can find by this author. I believe she has potential and will watch for any future books she may write.
January 10, 2021
3.5
It was a slow slow burn Christian romance, light on the romance. It was very heartwarming and dealt with a lot of very real issues.
It was pretty slow initially but it got better as I went on. It was entertaining, but not necessarily funny.
It does talk a lot about Covid-19 and brush fires and abuse, just in case any of those are triggers for you.
There was more swearing then I thought there would be but it wasn't extreme.
Overall, sweet book that I'm glad I read.
It was a slow slow burn Christian romance, light on the romance. It was very heartwarming and dealt with a lot of very real issues.
It was pretty slow initially but it got better as I went on. It was entertaining, but not necessarily funny.
It does talk a lot about Covid-19 and brush fires and abuse, just in case any of those are triggers for you.
There was more swearing then I thought there would be but it wasn't extreme.
Overall, sweet book that I'm glad I read.
August 3, 2021
Good read!
What a sweet story. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book was so religion oriented, but it worked so well with the story content. It was so refreshing to read a good, clean book that was also a romance based on a fake marriage. This arrangement, with the right people, might actually work!
What a sweet story. I was pleasantly surprised to find this book was so religion oriented, but it worked so well with the story content. It was so refreshing to read a good, clean book that was also a romance based on a fake marriage. This arrangement, with the right people, might actually work!
September 25, 2021
Religious
Disappointing , I did not see any mention in the blurb that this was a religious tome so all the praying and church was extremely distracting from the story which was very mundane!
Disappointing , I did not see any mention in the blurb that this was a religious tome so all the praying and church was extremely distracting from the story which was very mundane!
August 2, 2021
Married for convenience to bring in love.
1st book about 2020.
Family issues impact on new couple
1st book about 2020.
Family issues impact on new couple
August 6, 2021
Sweet Romance
This is a wonderful book that takes you from friendship and courtship to the wonders of a real marriage. I loved it!
This is a wonderful book that takes you from friendship and courtship to the wonders of a real marriage. I loved it!
August 8, 2021
Needed a sweet story to read to fall asleep …. Cute tale … no surprises … easy read to fall asleep …
August 21, 2021
Waiting
Inside these pages you'll find inspiration, faith, friendship, trust, hope, and love. It's a heartwarming story I think we all need these days.
Inside these pages you'll find inspiration, faith, friendship, trust, hope, and love. It's a heartwarming story I think we all need these days.
August 21, 2021
Adorable!
Such a sweet story with wonderful characters. It took awhile to get to know each other, their families, and their quirks, but it was a lovely story about falling I love.
Such a sweet story with wonderful characters. It took awhile to get to know each other, their families, and their quirks, but it was a lovely story about falling I love.
November 30, 2021
Perfect
This is a sweet romance that gets better with each page. I couldn't put it down. Her problems are real. He is the perfect husband for her.
This is a sweet romance that gets better with each page. I couldn't put it down. Her problems are real. He is the perfect husband for her.
March 5, 2023
good storyline, but…
I really liked the story, but I found some of the anecdotes about Covid posturing off putting and they pulled me out of the storyline. Maybe just too soon?
I really liked the story, but I found some of the anecdotes about Covid posturing off putting and they pulled me out of the storyline. Maybe just too soon?
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews