About the Book

Book: Her Part to Play

Author: Jenny Erlingsson

Genre:Contemporary Romance

Release date: June 18, 2024

Desperate for extra income after her mother’s passing, Adanne accepts a last-minute job as a makeup artist for a movie filming in her small Alabama hometown. She’s working to save her parents’ legacy and help her brother, but the money hardly seems worth having to face the actor who got her fired from her last job in Hollywood.

John Pope has made his share of mistakes over the years. But after turning his life over to God and enduring a messy breakup, he’s ready to start rebuilding his career. Imagine his surprise when the woman called in to cover for his usual makeup artist is a quiet but feisty newcomer on the set–and definitely not a fan.

Sparks of tension–and could that be attraction?–fly between them, but Adanne hates the spotlight, and John’s scheming manager has bigger plans for him than to end up with the humble makeup girl from the small-town South. Can these star-crossed lovers find their way to happiness? Or will the bright lights of Hollywood blind their eyes to what’s right in front of them?

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My Thoughts:

What a sweet, romantic read from a new to me author. I enjoyed the characters and their growth throughout, and that ending, sigh worthy.

Here we have a story of fame versus small town, genuine love versus the copycat wannabe, and of two lives changed for the better after their less than perfect circumstances and past loss.

Adanne, a makeup artist, has needed some extra income as she tries to keep her beloved late parents dream alive. She is trying to achieve all of this on her own, as her brother and his little family are in the middle of long battle for their little boy. And for whatever reason, Adanne thinks she needs to do this all on her own without family or even community help. She gets this job that due to circumstances, push her more and more into one of the actor's way. Specifically, one she would rather not have to deal with. Especially since he was a pain to deal with three years ago.

John Pope doesn't recognize her or remember any of the past they share. He was very self-centered before his horrible breakup with his ex-girlfriend, but he has turned over a new leaf now. He has had some eye-opening moments and has been working hard to not just live for himself. During the filming of his newest movie in a small-town in Alabama, he finally finds his heart. He just has to convince her.

This was such a fun story, especially since there is a movie being filmed in my small town. Talk about real life coincidence. I look forward to more of this author's wonderful stories in the future.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Jenny Erlingsson is an author and speaker of Nigerian descent. After 12 years working in junior high and women’s ministry, she moved with her family from Alabama to Iceland. When she’s not running after her four kids or ministering alongside her husband, she can be found writing romantic fiction and creative nonfiction to inspire deep faith in diverse settings, as well as encouraging other writers. Her other writings have been featured on (in)courage, Live Original, Velvet Ashes, and more. And in the margins, you might find her reading five books at a time with a side of Icelandic chocolate.

More from Jenny

Sometimes it can be easy to underestimate the significance of our part to play in God’s story, especially when it’s something behind-the-scenes. I wanted to portray that in the story that unfolds between my characters Adanne and John. In Her Part to Play, readers are introduced to a make-up artist who had dreams of becoming successful in her career, but she sacrificed that to take care of her dying mother and ended up getting fired in the process.

This idea actually developed while I watched behind the scenes footage of The Chosen. Like any industry, profession or product, what we see is only a small part of the process. There are details that we don’t consider when we are being swept away in a story.

On the surface, working with the actor who got her fired was not the way Adanne wanted to earn much needed income. But there’s so much beautiful redemption that can be found in hidden places and that’s what John finds as well. Every day that Adanne works on his face to get him ready for his scenes, God starts working on both of their hearts. A beautiful transformation is carried out through someone who may not have seemed valuable in the grand scheme of things, but who was a very important part of the process.

Her Part to Play gives a glimpse of that through a charming romance between two people with different roles and from different cultures, but they both have a core need to be known and loved for not just what they do, but for who they are.