Molly: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sewing in SoCal Book 1)

I adore Sarah Monzon’s novels. When I pick one up to read, I know I’m going to get a story filled with realism, hilarity, and sweetness. I’m guaranteed a reading experience that is fun, contemplative, and wholly unique. Molly, book one in the Sewing in So-Cal series, may be Ms. Monzon’s best story yet! I enjoyed this book so much I devoured it in two sittings. I laughed, I cried, and I cheered. I cheered for Molly and Ben and Chloe. What fantastic characters! I was wholly engaged in the plot, and may have stayed up well past my bedtime finishing this story. This is one of those books where the pages fly by! I also appreciate the sweet romance that blossoms between Molly and Ben. The romantic tension is so well written and so palpable you could cut it with a knife. Wowzers! Are there some seriously steamy “almost” moments! I may have screamed, “Kiss already!” a time or two! And, yes, this novel also includes some excellent contemplative moments. Molly is an excellent story, and the start to what I am sure will be an outstanding series by Monzon.

I recently heard this amazing parable:

One day, a man walks through a forest. Ahead of him is a deep hole that he cannot see. The man falls into the hole. He cries out to God, “Please, help me out of this hole, Lord!” A couple hours pass by when a man walking down the path hears the man in the hole crying. He goes to the hole and cries out, “I will help you!” The man in the hole says, “No need to help. God will help me.” The man on the path looks at him credulously and asks, “Are you sure?” The man in the hole is adamant; his help will come from the Lord. So the man walks away. A few more hours pass, another man walks down the path and hears this same man crying out. He stops at the hole and declares, “Don’t worry! I will get you out.” The man in the hole says, “No! God will do it!” So this man leaves too. More hours go by and the man in the hole finally dies. He goes to heaven. The first thing he asks God is, “Why didn’t you save me?!” God says, “I did! I sent two men to help, but you turned my help away.”

Why am I telling you this parable? Because as I read Ben’s side of the story, this parable kept marching through my brain. Ben is a man in need of help. He is a resident working on finishing his MD degree requirements. He lost his beloved wife four years ago. And, he is the single father to the most adorable fictional daughter ever, Chloe. He believes he has been able to do everything on his own since the loss of his wife, but things really are beginning to slip through the cracks. He struggles a lot to get to work on time, he struggles a lot to pick his daughter up from preschool on time, and, once home, he struggles a lot to be the dad he wants to be because he is just too tired. Ben needs help. Ben asks for help. But Ben is incapable of seeing just how much help has been available to him the whole time. You see, Ben has been living under a fog for the past four years and he can’t see clearly. Isn’t that just like us, humans? Life hits us hard and our vision becomes foggy. We cry out to God for help, He sends us help, but it doesn’t look like what we expect, so we assume God isn’t there for us. I’ve been there. I’ve been there many times. And, in those times, it wasn’t until I could look back that I could see God’s footsteps near mine the whole time. Ben’s story and his revelations serve as an excellent reminder to us readers that we need to be less concerned with what we physically see and more in tuned to what our spiritual eyes are showing us. We need to stop being the man in the hole! We need to stop thinking we know all the answers. Instead, we need to clean off the lenses of our spiritual glasses and see all the ways God daily provides. And sometimes, we need to ask for help and accept the help in the form God sends even if it doesn’t appear to be the help we think we need. What a seriously fantastic and timely message for us readers today!

Coming in just under 200 pages, Molly by Sarah Monzon sure does pack an awesome punch! This story is super fun and has made quite an impact on me. I’m sad my time with Molly and Ben and Chloe is over. If you are looking for a well-written, excellently told contemporary romance, then I highly recommend Molly. You will love it!

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the author, Sarah Monzon, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Molly is the best kind of romance. The smile plastered across your face as you read can’t be helped, and the contented sigh upon reaching the perfect ending is completely beyond your control. Told from the perspectives of an earnest teacher whose classroom is taken away from her and a hardworking doctor whose most important job is that of single father, Sarah Monzon’s Molly captures the abundance of joy that exudes from the little girl who brings Molly and Ben together. Stitching together powerful backstory, effortless dialogue, and characters who deserve only the happiest of endings, Molly delights from beginning to contented sigh end.

Molly, by Sarah Monzon, is the first book in the Sewing in SoCal series. This novel is a delightfully special treat fashioned from words artfully sewn together into sentences, paragraphs, and chapters. With an undeniable talent for storytelling, Ms. Monzon weaves a charming, contemporary tale of love, hope, and second chances. Featuring endearing characters, genuine humor, and a refreshingly original story, this book is simply a pleasure to read.

Heartwarming and thoroughly enjoyable, this books introduces a variety of characters that are authentic and irresistible. These characters are well-developed and their dialogue is full of real-life wit and wisdom. They are very relatable and intriguing as they pursue their dreams, reflect on their goals, and soften their hearts to unexpected possibilities and priorities. And it is through these characters that the themes of friendship and purpose are explored. These relevant themes are sincerely heart-felt and deeply inspiring. From beginning to end, this novel finds the perfect combination of comedy, romance, and faith, making the story truly entertaining and unforgettable.

This novel is funny, surprising, and utterly uplifting. Page after page, it is thoughtful, engaging, and very well-written. I recommend it enthusiastically.

*I was given a copy of this book by the author. A review was not required. The review I have written is voluntary and contains opinions that are entirely my own.

MOLLY is a laugh-out-loud delight sure to tickle your funny bone. Be careful where you read this one, because you’re likely to release some giggles.
Characters: Molly (surprise!) is the female main character who is a little too honest for her own good. She’s sweet, sensitive, and just the right bit of quirky. Ben is a compassionate but over-tired medical resident who is struggling to keep up as a single dad. He’s pretty awesome. And his daughter is just hilarious. I loved her so much!
Setting: Southern California near San Diego. I really liked this because I live there. I haven’t read any other Christian fiction books set in this local, so it was really neat to read about characters in places I’ve been in my ordinary life. The author did a great job researching locations and getting the vibes just right. Well done!
Plot: I hate spoiler reviews, so I won’t say much. I loved the ending. Unicorns. I will say no more.
I truly loved the brilliant internal thoughts of the characters and how it moves the plot along at the perfect speed. The dialogue is super snappy, and the faith is woven in beautifully so that it is not in-your-face but still integral to the character development. Speaking of which, the development of the characters happens so subtly you barely notice it until the end when yo realize how significantly both have changed from what they were to what they needed to be. When an author can accomplish this without being obvious, she knows what she’s doing.
Disclaimer: I was gifted with an advanced copy of this book by the author. This review is my honest opinion that I wrote voluntarily.

What a wonderful lighthearted and fun story! I completely enjoyed my time with these engaging characters. Chloe stole my heart with her 4-year old zest and personality. Absolutely adorable and completely realistic, she reminded me of my nieces.

Molly & Ben have the bet met-cute. I especially enjoyed their witty banter and their growing friendship. Right from the very first chapter, this story captured my imagination and kept my attention all the way until the last words on the page. This story got me out of my reading slump.

Do yourself a favor and snag a copy of this entertaining story to enjoy today!

(I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including Netgalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own.)

Molly is a fun introduction to Sarah Monzon’s new romantic comedy series, Sewing in SoCal. Readers who are familiar with Sarah Monzon’s Carrington Family time-slip novels will enjoy this series, even though it is a different genre of Christian fiction than her previous novels.

Molly is such an entertaining character, and Sarah Monzon creates many laugh out loud moments in the story as Molly is so honest that she refuses to tell a lie. I’m sure many of us know someone in our lives who is like that…with no filter, but genuinely trying to the right thing by being honest no matter what. The close friendship that Molly has with her sewing girlfriends is heartwarming, and I can’t wait for more of these friends’ adventures as the Sewing in SoCal series continues.

As I was reading this novel, the only difficulty I had was that the main characters, Ben and Molly, both had their stories told in first person. Although Ben and Molly’s first-person stories were in different chapters, I had several interruptions from my own young children as I was reading and I would forget who was telling that chapter of the story…Ben or Molly.

Even though the tone of this novel is light and fun, Sarah Monzon does touch on some topics that are extremely relevant to our current times, such the beauty of diversity and renouncing prejudice and racism. I look forward to reading Jocelyn’s story in book two of the series! Well done!

Molly is recommended for fans of inspirational romantic comedy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

This sweet romantic comedy was a fun listen. The moments with this little girl, her father and her new babysitter made me laugh out loud. The scenes with the small group of friends displays that they certainly care about each other. They enjoy teasing but also talk through life issues together. The narrator, Stevi Incremona, did a good job with character voices and had a pleasant voice. It was a well researched contemporary quick listen that kept me company while getting work done. I was given a copy of this audio book by the author. All opinions are my own.

A swoonworthy romance with both fun and depth!

Molly was such an enjoyable and entertaining book!! The characters are quirky and fun and seem so familiar like you know them. Love that!

The romance was at once delightful and deeply emotional. This story packs a punch with comedy and quirk coupled with heart and hope with threads of faith woven throughout its back and forth girl-guy perspective. This series is going to be amazing! PLUS love her hat and hair!! lol

Thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Monzon’s most recent release, Molly: A Sweet Romantic Comedy, the first in the series Sewing in SoCal.

Molly is student teaching, finally the last hurdle to graduation and a classroom her own. When her penchant for telling the truth, always the truth, gets her in hot water with the director of the small Montessori school, gets her fired, she finds herself unexpectedly hired as nanny for one of her preschool students by a devastatingly handsome resident, she soon finds herself deeply embedded into their lives.

As Molly and her four year old charge begin to enjoy and love each other’s company, the widowed father struggles for awakening feelings he has forgotten since the death of his wife four years earlier.

Molly soon finds herself falling in love with her young charge, and with the handsome resident doctor; but neither Molly or the doctor are willing to examine their feelings despite a four year old’s hilarious attempts at matchmaking.

I highly recommend Molly, and am looking forward to the next release in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Just Read Tours, and am under no obligation to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions therein are solely my own, and freely given.

I really enjoy reading Sarah’s books. She’s quirky and funny. I love to pick up her books when I need a lighter read that also has some thought provoking elements as well. I enjoyed Molly as a character. I also liked all of her friends in the sewing group. I liked how they were all really different but were still great friends. I enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I recieved this book for free. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.