The Designated Date by Drew Taylor: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

A chance to experience dating my hot boss without commitment? Let’s call it “book research.”

Lucy

“Last Woman Standing” is a title I’d never thought I’d don, but when my sister moves to another country to marry a crown prince, it’s bestowed upon me without my consent.

To make matters worse? My hot playboy boss won’t stop pestering me to go out on a date with him. When all the stars align and I begrudgingly owe him a favor, he whisks me away to his hometown as his fake girlfriend where I… Have the time of my life.

So when he asks me to continue playing pretend with him for a list of future events, who am I to say no? Will I go down in a heap of burning flames? Probably.

Will it be worth it to escape dreadful, lonely boredom? You already know, babe.

Stone

The fiery lioness is making this the most drawn-out fight of my life, but I’m used to winning. The victory blow is a result of a plate of crabs, for which I have never been so thankful for.

Except I begin to falter on my no-commitment policy as she flirts and sasses her way into tearing down my expertly crafted walls. With every touch, kiss, and witty attack, I realize I’ve grown to care about and respect the woman I’ve been playing pretend with, but the past is a haunting devil, constantly reminding me of who I truly am.

Can I continue to fake-date Lucy when I know she’s falling for me? No.

Am I able to be the man she deserves when I carry more baggage than she does on a weekend getaway? I want to try, but I don’t know if it will happen.

The Designated Date is a sizzling closed door fake-dating rom-com with themes of redemption, restoration, and revitalization.

The Author

Drew is on a personal mission to bridge the gap between “Christian” media and “Secular” media. She believes objects and concepts cannot be Christian, only people can be. She loves to tell engaging and sizzling romantic stories that are wrapped in reality, humor, and wit without the open doors or on-page cursing.

Drew is from south Mississippi but now resides in Alaska where she attempts to engage 15 and 16 year olds in classic world literature. When not teaching or writing, she enjoys reading, Bookstagram, baking Christmas goodies (even in the middle of June), researching random history facts, watching K-dramas, and spending quality time with the people who mean the most to her.

Follow Drew:

Instagram: @authordrewtaylor

Facebook: Drew Taylor, Author

TikTok: @faithfilledromance

Pinterest: @authordrewtaylor

Book Review

The Designated Date is the fourth book in the Designated series. While those who have read the previous books will enjoy seeing some familiar characters, I do believe this could be enjoyed just fine as a standalone as well. 

This book... was so much more than just a romance. Yes, of course, it was that too and I absolutely adored Stone and Lucy together. Their story was filled with chemistry and emotion and all of the things that I adore in a good romance, and I couldn't help but root for them to get their happily ever after. But beyond that, it truly was more so a story about redemption and healing. In many Christian romances, we get characters that are almost too perfect. They tend to be either saving themselves for marriage OR if they do have a past, it's something that happened before they were Christians and not something they struggle with in the present... mostly not even going near the topic of sex at all. There's definitely a place for those books too, BUT I think for those that DO have their struggles, it can make them feel even more isolated. This story is not that. These are characters who a Christians, but who fall short and struggle with sexual sin throughout the story (all off pages, of course, but it's a very clear theme). It doesn't shy away from this tough topic and feels very raw and genuine... and truly allows us to see God at work in these characters' lives in such a beautiful way. I think the author did such a wonderful job of handling this topic with grace. While I definitely think that this book will help readers who have fought these same battles, I also think there's a beautiful message in there for ALL readers--- a reminder that no matter what our personal struggles are, we can always hand it all over to God... and that that's not necessarily a one-time thing, but a continual process. This certainly isn't your typical Christian romcom, by any means, but it is real and honest and absolutely beautiful. Certainly one worth reading. 

You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3XokcPW