Release Blitz + Review: "Blind Date" by Monica Murphy

I'm delighted to take part in the release blitz celebrating "Blind Date" by Monica Murphy, book #7 of the Dating series. Originally published as a novella in 2020's "Tis the Season for Romance" anthology (no longer available), it has now been expanded into a full-length novel. Also, while characters from the previous books in the series appear in this one as well, it does read as a standalone.

Still coming to terms with the end of a toxic long-term relationship, 26-year-old Amelia Lee is having a tough time getting into the Christmas spirit. Her friends think getting back out onto the dating scene will help improve her grumpy attitude, but Amelia isn't sure she's ready. However, her friend Candice is convinced that she knows the perfect man for Amelia, so she secretly arranges a blind date for her at her upcoming wedding. Surprisingly, Amelia and Isaac hit it off, though Amelia believes that the 21-year-old is too young for her. She decides to give him a chance, but is their relationship just a rebound or could Amelia and Isaac have a real future together?
 

I really liked Isaac and Amelia as a couple. In addition to their excellent chemistry, their personalities balanced each other nicely; while Amelia was sometimes a bit rigid, Isaac was better able to go with the flow. Also, while I completely understood Amelia's concerns about their age difference (21 seems so painfully young to me now that I'm in my late 30s!), Isaac seemed pretty mature for his age, if a bit lacking in direction. However, his insecurity was an issue, and he sometimes let other people's opinions have too much influence on his actions. For example, at one point he tried to push Amelia away mainly because one of his co-workers told him she was out of his league.

Overall, I enjoyed "Blind Date" and would recommend it for all contemporary romance fans. It was a sweet, charming story with the perfect touch of holiday magic. I hope Murphy will find a way to revisit Amelia and her friend group in the future! I'm really going to miss them.

 

*Review copy provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.  

 

 

About "Blind Date"

Amelia Lee is in desperate need of a change.

Finally free from her controlling ex-boyfriend, she's not looking to date someone new, even though all of her friends are encouraging her to do exactly that. One in particular believes she's found the perfect guy for Amelia. So she sets her up on a blind date.

At a wedding.

Amelia has no idea the guy she bumped into at her friend's Christmas tree farm is the same one she's been set up with at a wedding reception. Isaac Jones is a nice guy. A good looking guy. A much younger guy. No way could they be compatible - they have nothing in common.

The more time Amelia spends with Isaac though, the more she realizes he just might be perfect for her. He makes her laugh. He's a complete gentleman. And they're definitely compatible between the sheets...

But is he only the rebound guy? Or can they actually make this newfound romance work?