My review of The Guy I'm Not Dating by Trish Perry

At first, I didn't get the meaning of the title, but after I finished the book, it made total sense to me. The title fit the theme perfectly!

Kara Richardson is a personal trainer at a gym. Gabe Paolino is a new deli owner in town. Both are Christians and drawn to each other. But they have a problem. Kara was burned in a prior relationship and promised herself she will stop dating men and be friends first. Then if the Lord leads...

Gabe is a fairly new Christian who attracts women like bees to honey, but he’s only interested in one woman, Kara. The concept of not dating intrigues him so much he buys the book Kara references. Then he decides he likes the idea and they resolve to be friends. Friends who see each other A LOT. Friends who travel together with several teens, two hilarious old ladies, and one conceited woman who won’t leave Gabe alone. Friends who share their hopes and dreams and discuss matters of the heart.

The laugh-out-loud adventures of Gabe and Kara, who are so incredibly attracted to each other, lead to some pretty tense, but poignant moments in this novel. So many times I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for one of them to grab the other. LOL! Great romance here, but also very clean! Well done!

An innocent desire to know each other more drives a lot of Gabe and Kara’s behavior, but it tortures Kara that she’s so attracted to him. However, she realizes there are traits Gabe has that have nothing to do with his looks, but have made him totally endearing to her. Like putting other people's needs before his own. That speaks volumes to Kara. Gabe is truly the ultimate hero. I loved him!

In case the reader missed that point about beauty not being as attractive as character, the author portrays it again in Tiffany, who is completely into herself and thinks of no one else's needs...ever. The author shows how being Christ-like can attract people to Christ, though in this story not every soul is saved. But that's real life.

The elderly women, Addie and Lurlene, added a lot of charm to this novel. I guess when you’re as old as dirt you can tell it like it is, and those old ladies had some real zingers... especially with Tiffany, the character most readers would love to hate. And sweet Addie was practically senile, making for some very humorous situations.

In this novel there were some very touching and insightful moments that I think every Christian should experience. And the ability the author had to make you care about the characters was truly amazing! This book was not only fun (though it was hilarious), but it also caused me to think differently. I’m very impressed with the underlying theme in The Guy I’m Not Dating, and I highly recommend it. The Guy I'm Not Dating is published by Harvest House and was released in August 2006.