Book Description:
A botched promotion, an awkward reunion, and a fake-dating scheme they never planned to fall for.
Kenya Stewart is so close to getting her dream position at an event agency. When a scheduling blunder risks her promotion, she hopes an upcoming pitch will allow her a second chance. Then an accident at her cousin’s wedding sends her to the emergency room in the care of another wedding guest, Solomon Anruchi, the handsome doctor who ghosted her after their first date.
Solomon’s parents are eager for him to find a business-savvy wife and make the move to New York to take over a recent acquisition by their family’s company. But he needs to buy more time to finish his residency and convince them that staying in Hope Springs is the best path for him. He realizes that Kenya is the perfect person to help, and she needs his connections to land a high-profile client and save her career. Their solution? A fake-dating relationship.
As attractions increase amid their ruse, secrets they’ve kept from each other and the weight of others’ expectations begin to unravel their scheme. Will their carefully constructed plans crumble when the truth comes out?
This charming Southern contemporary Christian romance features humorous banter, second chances, faking dating, and neurodiverse characters in small-town Alabama for fans of Toni Shiloh, Pepper Basham, and Courtney Walsh.
Narelle’s Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading Almost by Design, a delightful small town contemporary romance set in Alabama. Kenya is an events manager who’s on track to secure a work promotion until she’s forced to take leave to recover from an accident at her cousin’s wedding. Solomon is a physical therapist at the hospital who had previously ghosted Kenya after their first date. Their meet cute at Kenya’s cousin’s wedding is an embarrassing disaster for Kenya and they end up visiting the hospital.
Solomon needs a girlfriend to discourage his parents from finding him a bride. His Nigerian immigrant parents have worked hard to build a business empire for their adult children to run. Solomon wants to pursue a physical therapy career but he’s torn because he’s the eldest son with family responsibilities.
Kenya has a complicated relationship with her mother and often feels like she disappoints her mother. Kenya is dyslexic and she tries to hide her dyslexia due to past hurts and unresolved childhood issues.
I enjoyed journeying with Solomon and Kenya as their fun and sweet fake relationship moves into friendship territory and starts to feel real. When their secrets are revealed, they’re forced to deal with their emotional baggage and feelings for each other. Trust issues, the importance of honest communication, the fear of rejection and pride issues are explored in the story.
I recommend Almost by Design to contemporary romance readers who like second chances and fake relationship small town romances with romcom story elements, neurodiverse characters, family drama, Nigerian cultural influences, and relevant faith threads in the story.
Many thanks to Revell and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Buy at Baker Book House (40% paperback preorder discount)
