Have you ever read a book by two authors and wondered who wrote which bits?
I have. Well… I tried. 😂
I’ve read almost all of Mandi Blake’s books, so I’m very familiar with her writing style. When I picked up The Emma Special, the first book in the new Kiss and Tell series she’s co-writing with Tasha Hackett, I tried to spot those familiar Mandi Blake nuances. However, there was one slight problem: Tasha Hackett is a new-to-me author.
While I recognised little touches that seemed rather Mandi Blake, Tasha Hackett’s writing style was foreign to me. This made their collaboration fascinating to read.
Naturally, my author brain couldn’t resist trying to work it out. Was this a Mandi chapter? Perhaps Tasha wrote it? Who authored this scene? Surely one of them wrote this POV…?
Eventually, I gave up… probably a good thing. 😂 Once I stopped analysing the writing and settled into the story as a reader, I fully enjoyed Emma and James’s romance.
The Emma Special is a Christian romantic comedy between larger-than-life-but struggling-in-many-areas Emma and oh-so-serious-lawyer-man James. While it fits well into the romcom genre, this isn’t a lightweight romance. The story has its share of serious realities, flawed people and emotional situations woven throughout, with plenty of sweet moments amid the harder themes. It’s very much my cup of tea.
The combination of humour and heart kept me engaged from the first page. After struggling to feel invested in several romances I didn’t finish reading over the past few weeks, I was more than ready for a story that pulled me in.
I appreciated how unapologetically Christian this story was, another thing I love about Mandi Blake’s books. The faith element wasn’t tucked into the background but woven naturally through the characters, their choices and their journey, while still allowing plenty of room for romance, humour and those smile-inducing sweet moments.
While Tasha Hackett’s a new-to-me author, this collaboration piqued my interest in her other books, so I’ll be looking into her contemporary romances on Kindle Unlimited.
As for Mandi Blake, well, she remains an auto-read for me. No surprises there. 😉
This romance is not only a lovely introduction to the Kiss and Tell series, but a fascinating example of two authors blending their styles into something that feels cohesive, enjoyable and faith-forward.
If you enjoy Christian romcoms with plenty of heart, quirky characters, genuine faith and a little more depth beneath the humour, The Emma Special is well worth adding to your TBR. I’ll be waiting for the next instalment of the Kiss and Tell series.
Until next time,
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