RomCom at some of its most charming, Krista Phillips’s The Engagement Plot weaves the author’s trademark humor with a story that is full of heart.
From the Publisher:Six months ago, William stole Hanna’s heart and 
shattered it in front of millions of people on a reality TV dating show. And now the big-wig CEO is back on Hanna’s home turf in Minnesota and wants her to forgive him? Fat chance of that. But life is swirling around faster than snow in a blizzard, and despite her objections, teaming up with William seems like the only option to rescue her reputation.
William has never regretted anything more than the day he gave that ill-fated interview for the reality show, The Price of Love. But while he can’t change the past, he’s determined to fix the future. He just needs to convince Hanna to forgive him—and pretend to be engaged with him. Simple, right?
When the media erupts with even worse accusations, teaming up and pretending to be engaged seems to be the only way to salvage their reputations. Despite the media frenzy that swirls around them, an attraction neither of them can fight off begins to surface. Could this love run deeper than a scandal, or will old wounds tear them apart once and for all? When all seems lost, it’s only with help from above that Hanna and Will may find their happily-ever-after.
My Take:I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. First of all, while I’ve read a couple of reality show-based novels, I’m not familiar with their real-life counterparts. I’m just not a reality show kind of girl. That said, I AM a romance kind of girl – one that had previously enjoyed Phillips’ Sandwich with a Side of Romance. So I jumped at the chance to read this one.
The Engagement Plot is ripe with more depth than you might expect after reading its synopsis: it’s not all drama and paparazzi. Instead, this novel takes you into a world where morals are held, judged, and crash — in short, it’s a small picture of the real world. The novel offered a refreshing look at what it means to be held to a high standard, and how it feels when you fail (or are perceived to fail) at holding that standard. Frankly, if I disregard dating myself here: DC Talk’s “What if I Stumble” would make a great theme song for this book.
What if I stumble, what if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble, and what if I fall?
Krista Phillips provides a great glimpse into what it means to try to walk the line, to make mistakes as you do it, and to get confused about the voice you feel yourself hearing. If you pick this one up, be prepared for a very contemporary feel (it revolves around reality tv and tabloid news, after all) but you can also expect to be surprised by its depth and emotion – the very real wrestling we do as we try to get things “right” as we live.
The Engagement Plot is scheduled for November 1, 2017 release – from Shiloh Run Press.
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