Her Part to Play by Jenny Erlingsson Review

 Happy Monday Sweet Friends :)

Wherever you're reading from today, I pray that your week is off to a great start, and that you're trusting Him no matter what circumstances you may find yourself in.

Today is one of my usual days off from work, and I'm unfortunately still recovering from a nasty virus that doesn't seem to want to go away completely. Last night we had a birthday celebration for my nephew, and today I'm relaxing and catching up around the house. Being sick is never fun, but sometimes it does cause us to take a step back from the busyness, and appreciate the many splendid things that God provides for us on a daily basis.

For me? I was just worried not that long ago that I wasn't finding enough time to keep up with my review commitments, and now I no longer have that problem since I was able to finish several while I was under the weather.

One of those titles I'm here to review for you all today, and I hope you'll all keep reading down below for a fun review from a debut author.

Her Part to Play by Jenny Erlingsson:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Publisher as Part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: June 18th, 2024

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary

Synopsis:

Desperate for extra income after her mother's passing, Adanne accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie filming in her small Alabama hometown. She's working to save her parents' legacy and help her brother, but the money hardly seems worth having to face the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood.

John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years. But after turning his life over to God and enduring a messy breakup, he's ready to start rebuilding his career. Imagine his surprise when the woman called in to cover for his usual makeup artist is a quiet but feisty newcomer on the set--and definitely not a fan.

Sparks of tension--and could that be attraction?--fly between them, but Adanne hates the spotlight, and John's scheming manager has bigger plans for him than to end up with the humble makeup girl from the small-town South. Can these star-crossed lovers find their way to happiness? Or will the bright lights of Hollywood blind their eyes to what's right in front of them?

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Her Part to Play is a lovely faith based and slow burn romance from debut author Jenny Erlingsson. As someone who has long been a fan of the "famous person falling for the regular person" trope, I was excited to dive into another one of these type of stories within the Christian fiction genre, and was hopeful I'd find a new favorite along the way.

Readers follow makeup artist Adanne, who hasn't had the easiest time of life lately. Her parent's deaths have shook her more than she thought possible, her adorable and brave nephew is fighting a horrible disease, and the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood is the same actor she's just been assigned to as his primary makeup artist on her new movie set. John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years, but all that's changed now that he's determined to make Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. He feels an unexplainable pull towards his new makeup artist, but she doesn't seem to want to trust him with either her heart or her reasons for her aversion to him.

What follows is a sweet and swoon worthy romance that showcases the ups and downs that can happen when two people fall for each other from drastically different worlds. I loved how realistic the romance was, and how it felt like the reader got to be there for every single step of Adanne and John truly falling for each other. Surprisingly, however, my favorite part of the story ended up not being the romance or either of the main characters, but the surrounding characters, and the big heart they have for Adanne and the tremendous amount of work that her and her family has done for the community. In particular, I loved Aunt Justine, and Adanne's pastor, as I thought they added a lovely dimension to the story.

While I wouldn't say this one ended up being a new favorite, it was clean and faith based, and would be one I'd recommend if you're looking for a sweet romance this summer season. I ended up feeling like I wished there had been a bit more to the story, and that the main characters had been a bit more likeable, but overall a pretty good debut novel, and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a story from this author again in the future.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much to Revell for allowing me to read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Revell) as part of the Revell Reads Blogger Program. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)