Books Read in 2016: ‘Diamonds or Donuts’ by Lucie Ulrich (3 stars)
Diamonds or Donuts
by Lucie Ulrich
My rating: 3 stars
Book Summary:
Sarah Alexander’s marriage to millionaire Logan Montgomery is put on hold when Logan is offered the opportunity to go on an extended archaeological dig in Egypt. Though not happy with his decision, Sarah supports her fiancé, despite the fact she’s already given up her apartment and teaching position.When Sarah’s best friend, Pippa, suggests Sarah move to Sunset Cove, she figures a new town, new job, and new friends are just what she needs to help her through the separation. If she’d known one of those friends would turn out to be kind-hearted, good-looking, and well-built Officer Kevin Jenkins, she might have figured a little harder.
Though Sarah goes out of her way to keep her relationship with Kevin on a friends-only basis, it’s clear their feelings for one another are teetering toward something more. Now Sarah must make the most important decision of her life. Will she go for diamonds or donuts?
My GR Status Update(s):
08/18. . .marked as: currently-reading
08/18. . .19.0%
09/19. . .marked as: read
My Review:
I knew going into this book that it already had one strike against it—that being the premise of a heroine who is already engaged to one man entering a new romance with another man. This may be my least favorite of all contemporary romance tropes. But I decided to give it a try because it did sound cute.
I didn’t know going into this book that it’s sweet/borderline inspirational romance. The characters live a lifestyle in which praying and going to church are normal activities, but it’s not bashed over the reader’s head, which I really appreciate, as that’s the type of writing that I try/like to do myself.
Because of the way the book is structured (i.e., because of the viewpoints chosen), there’s never a doubt which man Sarah will end up with. Unlike most books that start with one of the main characters already deeply involved in another romantic relationship (to the wedding planning stage in this book), the reasons why she would choose to leave the one she’s already “in love with” to be with someone else aren’t necessarily as clear-cut. He’s not abusive. He’s not mean. She’s just not his main priority. And she doesn’t really fit into his family/lifestyle all that well. I just find it hard to believe that she wouldn’t have figured this out long before they got to the wedding-planning stage. It was interesting that the biggest conflict for Kevin, a.k.a., Mr. Donuts, is knowing that she’s engaged to another man and not wanting to hone in on someone else’s fiancée—something that isn’t seen very often in stories like this and which made me like Kevin a lot.
All in all, a cute read . . . but it took me a while to finish because I kept forgetting about it. But not so forgettable that it would keep me from trying other books from this author!
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My rating matrix:
5 STARS = one of the best I’ve ever read
4 STARS = a great read, highly recommended
3 STARS = it was okay
2 STARS = I didn’t enjoy it all that much, not recommended
1 STAR = DNF (did not finish)
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