How honest is too honest? This question is thoroughly explored in Sarah Monzon’s Molly. Molly has a problem. She cannot tell a lie (well, it’s more that she chooses not to lie). but truth-telling is not without consequences one of which is Molly’s job as an assistant teacher.
About Molly: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Sewing in SoCal Book 1)
Series: Sewing in SoCal
Publication Date: July 2, 2020
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Print Length: 264 pages
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I absolutely refuse to tell a lie no matter the consequences. So don’t ask me a direct question unless you’re prepared for a direct answer—that’s something my SoCal sewing girlfriends have learned the hard way.
But who would have thought my honesty policy would get me fired from my job at the preschool? Or that a desperate—and not to mention devastatingly handsome—single father of one of my (now-former) students would hire me that same day as a nanny for his daughter?
I’m an education professional. How hard can taking care of a four-year-old and her over-stressed, over-worked father be?
My Review of Molly
When Molly is fired before the father of one of her students, embarrassment is her only response. Until he hires her to be his daughter’s nanny. Dr. Ben Reed is struggling to be a single father as she completes the final years of his medical residency but is he ready for the impact Molly will have on his household and his heart?
The Characters in Molly
What a refreshing cast of characters! Molly was fun, quirky, and had one of the most diverse cast of characters in think I’ve ever read in a book. I liked Molly’s honesty and the way she and her friends talked in puns….come to think of it, the whole cast had a love of punny, funny statements.
But don’t let the fact that this is a romantic comedy fool you into thinking serious issues weren’t discussed as well. Some of the characters have issues they are passionate about like the fair treatment of women and the need for racial equality and they’re not afraid to step into a soapbox and let you know how they feel.
Ben was a great character as well. His love for his daughter Chloe shone through the pages and you couldn’t help but empathize with this single dad who was trying to do his best for his daughter in spite of a boss who seemed determined to have him quit or sacrifice his family.
The passion between Ben and Molly was the slow-burn kind and a lot of it was wrapped up in their mutual love of four-year-old Chloe. I liked how the chapters alternated between Ben’s viewpoint and Molly’s so you knew exactly what was going on in each character’s head.
The Themes in Molly
One of the major themes in Molly was the importance of telling the truth. Molly had been lied to in her past and so she made the pledge to herself that she would also be truthful. Ironically, she found that there were consequences to telling the truth and that there were some situations where persons would have preferred it if she had lied.
The question we’re left to ask ourselves is how important is the truth to us? In what situations do you think it is okay to lie? Can telling the truth be too much?
This was a sweet, clean romance that had threads of faith running through it and there were some laugh-out-loud moments too. I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publishers through Just Read Tours; a positive review was not required.
About Sarah Monzon
A Carol Award finalist and Selah award winner, Sarah Monzon is a stay-at-home mom who makes up imaginary friends to have adult conversations with (otherwise known as writing novels).
As a navy chaplain’s wife, she resides wherever the military happens to station her family and enjoys exploring the beauty of the world around her.
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