Hero Debut by Angela Ruth Strong: Review + Giveaway

**I received a complimentary copy for consideration. All opinions are my own.

Hero Debut JustRead Blog + Review Tour

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for Hero Debut by Angela Ruth Strong, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Hero Debut
Series: Love Off Script #2
Author: Angela Ruth Strong
Publisher: Kregel
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

"Another sparkling feel-good romance, brimming with perfect doses of heart and heat!"-- Bethany Turner, award-winning author of The Do-Over

Gemma Bennett is the leading lady of her own life, and her true love is writing screenplays. With her trusty pink notebook in hand, she signs up for the Citizen's Safety Academy to research her newest blockbuster hope, a rom-com with a police officer as the hero. And the fact that the handsome and heroic Lieutenant Karson Zellner is the one leading the training? Well, who can blame her for wanting to spend evenings with the man she swooned over months ago when he responded to a call at her apartment?

Karson already has his fair share of problems before Gemma shows up, and he's not exactly a fan of the ditzy blonde who can't seem to stay out of trouble. The last thing he needs is a damsel in distress to rescue; there are plenty of people in real need of his help. The fact that she seems to think his job makes him a superhero is just one more strike against her. This isn't a movie, and he feels like the furthest thing from a leading man.

Gemma can't seem to stop doing the worst, most embarrassing things at just the wrong time. And as time goes on, Gemma begins to realize that the scripts for a perfect screenplay and a real-life happily-ever-after are two very different things. Can she step out of her own way to find the hero her story needs?

Book Review

Hero Debut is the second book in the Love Off Script series. While we were introduced to many of the characters in this book in the previous, I think it could definitely be read as a standalone as well. I had personally read the first around two years ago, so my memories of it were fuzzy at best, and I found it didn't impact my enjoyment of this one at all.

And oh, how I enjoyed it! As I said, my memory of the first book is vague so I didn't actually remember Gemma and Karson's initial meeting... which may have made it even better because I could laugh about it just as much the second time around! I won't repeat it so as not to spoil anything, but oh my goodness... it's so good and not one I'll be forgetting again! Since that initial meeting, Gemma has been borderline stalkerish, while Karson wants absolutely nothing to do with her. When she signs up for a citizen's safety course he is teaching... oh, let the laughs and the banter begin! I absolutely could not stop smiling at all the perfect RomCom-y moments throughout this story! The humor was done absolutely wonderfully!

And while I definitely love the humor that romantic comedies provide, I love it even more when it's balanced well with real life issues... and this one truly had just the right blend. Both Gemma and Karson had their baggage they needed to work out, and I really appreciated watching their growth throughout the story. There's a lot of talk about comparison and holding on to anger and hurt, which I think many readers are going to relate to as well. The story is definitely very pro-police but I like that it didn't really glamourize the job either and even poked fun at the unrealistic portrayals of rescue workers in film/TV... because no one ever gets rescued by a shirtless hero... right? There were also several Bible references mentioned throughout that really brought another great layer to this story. Yes, the humor might be what drew me in... but it is all those additional layers and how beautifully it all balanced out that made this one that's going to stand out... and I loved absolutely every single minute.

About the Author

Angela Ruth Strong

Angela Ruth Strong is an expert on Write That Book, blogs on inspyromance.com and How to Write a Novel, and is the founder of IDAhope Writers. She is the author of the Resort to Love series and the CafFUNated mysteries. Angela lives in Meridian, Idaho

Connect with Angela by visiting angelaruthstrong.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive signed copies of Husband Auditions & Hero Debut and some book-themed items that play a role in the plots of each book!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 28, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on September 4, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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