Why Not? Because I Said So Book Reviews and Author Interviews. : Almost By Design By Jenny Erlingsson-Contemporary Christian Romance Review

Saturday, September 12, 2026

Almost By Design By Jenny Erlingsson-Contemporary Christian Romance Review

Book Synopsis

A botched promotion, an awkward reunion, and a fake-dating scheme they never planned to fall for.

Kenya Stewart is so close to getting her dream position at an event agency. When a scheduling blunder risks her promotion, she hopes an upcoming pitch will allow her a second chance. Then an accident at her cousin's wedding sends her to the emergency room in the care of another wedding guest, Solomon Anruchi, the handsome doctor who ghosted her after their first date.

Solomon's parents are eager for him to find a business-savvy wife and make the move to New York to take over a recent acquisition by their family's company. But he needs to buy more time to finish his residency and convince them that staying in Hope Springs is the best path for him. He realizes that Kenya is the perfect person to help, and she needs his connections to land a high-profile client and save her career. Their solution? A fake-dating relationship.

As attractions increase amid their ruse, secrets they've kept from each other and the weight of others' expectations begin to unravel their scheme. Will their carefully constructed plans crumble when the truth comes out?

This charming Southern contemporary Christian romance features humorous banter, second chances, faking dating, and neurodiverse characters in small-town Alabama for fans of Toni Shiloh, Pepper Basham, and Courtney Walsh.

Book Details

Publisher: ‎ Revell
Publication date: ‎ June 2, 2026
Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance
Language: ‎ English
Print length: ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0800747755
****I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, NetGalley, book tours, and/or authors. A review was not required, and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.****

My Review

I picked up Almost by Design looking for a fun rom-com, and I was pulled in almost immediately. Jenny Erlingsson delivers a sweet, faith-filled story set in small-town Alabama that strikes the perfect balance between humor and heart.

The story follows Kenya, an ambitious event planner trying to save her career after a scheduling blunder and an embarrassing accident, and Solomon, the handsome physical therapist who previously ghosted her. When a chaotic accident brings them back together, they enter a fake relationship to help each other out; Solomon needs to appease his parents, and Kenya needs his professional connections to further her career.

There were many fun and unique characters in this novel, including Solomon's and Kenya's parents. I thoroughly enjoyed every interaction with both families! What made this book special for me wasn’t just the excellent banter, but the depth of the characters. Kenya’s journey with dyslexia was written with so much empathy, and I loved learning about Solomon's family dynamics and Nigerian heritage.

It’s a beautiful story about trust, family expectations, and finding your path. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves clean romance with genuine emotional depth.

****Meet Author Jenny Erlingsson ****

Jenny Erlingsson writes romantic fiction and creative non-fiction to encourage deep faith in every age, stage, and season. She makes her home in both Alabama and Iceland and loves encouraging and working with writers from around the world. When she’s not ministering with her Viking husband or mothering her adorably feisty kids, she can be found writing and reading in the margins, with a side of Icelandic chocolate.