First Date by Krista McGee

Once again, I have read one of those books where an ordinary girl catches the eye of a celebrity, in this case the President's son, and they basically fall in love and live happily ever after with lots of ponies prancing around. Or something like that. Of course, I liked it a lot. (Especially when the title is First Date!) 4 out of 5 stars!

First Date by Krista McGee
4 out of 5 stars
Published in 2012
Recieved from Netgalley
Summary from Goodreads: Addy Davidson discovers God's unexpected plans for her life when a reality TV show turns her quiet existence on its head.

The orphaned daughter of missionaries, Addy is quite content to stay in the shadows and never draw attention to herself. But when she's selected for a reality TV show to try to become the President son's prom date-a show she didn't audition for-she's suddenly in America's spotlight.

The lights, the make-up, the competitions, and the blogs discussing every move she makes all make Addy incredibly uncomfortable. But through her time at The Mansion, Addy comes to realize that first impressions aren't always right, that hiding out may not be what God had planned for her life, and that her faith should affect everything she does. It may just be that her selection wasn't random at all and that she's on this show "for such a time as this."

I am kind of confused as to how I truly feel about First Date. At times, I felt as if the writing was stiff and unbearable, but I still was sucked in by it. I was addicted by the overdone writing, which totally does not seem possible. The third-person was a terrible choice, as it was written terribly, but I still kept on reading and reading because I could not stop! That situation is not supposed to happen, but it totally did! I guess I can't complain about that; it is my own inability to decide if I truly like the writing or not.

One major thing to note about First Date is that it is a Christian novel. However, even non-Christians can be hooked right away without feeling uncomfortable. I'm a Christian, but I don't tend to read strictly Christian novels. With this book though, the religious part was pretty light and not too forced. I like how people of all religions can read First Date. In other words, it's a jewel for everyone!

Addy was okay.... actually she was more than okay. At first she was kind of annoying and fake at parts, but eventually she realized her mistakes and patched them up and APOLOGIZED FOR THEM. She developed quite a bit throughout the book, both in character and in faith. While she was not the most realistic teen, she was definitely an enjoyable one. I hope to read another story about her.

As for the setting, that's the first time where the main character is on a reality show. I have no idea if reality shows are actually like how they were described, but if they are, I can't believe they are that catty! (Well, I guess that's Hollywood!) Anyways, I like how the reality show helped to tie in with Addy's relationship with God. All in all, well done. I kind of want to be on that reality show now...

Since First Date is a Christian novel, the romance is clean, and there are no swear words. I am so glad to find a light, refreshing read that does not offend anyone. If you want a nice, fresh Christian read, be sure to check out First Date! It will not make you bash your head into a wall. At least I hope not...