Fiction. Christian. Romance. With a side of chick lit for snarky attitude of the heroine. Except she wasn't too snarky. I liked her. And she certainly wasn't my favorite "too good to be true" type heroine. Maddie Buckner has a past filled with not-so-good choices.
But she made a great one just months before the book begins — let Jesus be Lord of her life.
The gist of this romance is that our hero, Reuben, causes Maddie to get fired on the first day of her "new life" in Sandwich. She insists he make it right. He does so by hiring her himself — which eventually leads to a suitable job as his assistant. Reuben is in need of organizational help at his restaurant, so it's win-win.
Except that Reuben has a steady girlfriend.
And Maddie and Reuben kind of fall in love even while trying not to.
Sandwich with a Side of Romance is cute and funny and walks deeper with Jesus as the story progresses. The theme of being willing to accept help as well as give it is seen in the lives of both the main characters, and through the secondary characters of Reuben's girlfriend and Maddie's brother. Plus, I love it when a book ties aspects together — like Reuben's name, his profession as a restauranteur, and the town's name of Sandwich.
Maddie's personality is delightful. Though she's had a tough life, she's not one to cry, "Woe is me!" and expect help. I think her great work ethic is part of what makes her so likeable. She's a bit brazen in the beginning, but don't let that put you off. She's just desperate, and her attitude gentles as she sees more opportunities open for her.
The romance is subtle as the circumstances call for that. The secondary characters play their roles well — those who are good are loving and those who are bad are quite ornery. An all round sweet romance that lingers after the read.
