Poppy's Proposal by Tara Grace Ericson

About the Book
She vowed he would never hurt her again.
He hides his pain behind a campaign smile.
Harrison Coulter is in the spotlight. Rumored to be the next candidate for governor, there is just one problem – the people won’t elect the most eligible bachelor to the state’s highest office. He needs a wife, but he isn’t looking for love. There is one woman from his past though…
Poppy Bloom has roots as deep as the produce she grows on Bloom’s Farm. When her livelihood is threatened and she finds herself helpless to make a difference, Poppy agrees to a proposal she never saw coming.

Old feelings blossom into something new, but their individual goals clash with the promises made to each other. How will God use this marriage that was strategized instead of starry-eyed to open them both to the power of love?

My Thoughts
Every installment of this series makes me fall even more in love. Contemporary romance is my favorite genre and Tara Grace Ericson perfectly encapsulates everything I love about it. Like the previous two books in this series, Poppy’s Proposal was a light read that I thoroughly enjoyed. But even though it was light there was still heart to the story that kept it from falling into the fluff category.
I liked both Poppy and Harrison and enjoyed seeing them reconnect and fall in love. I am always a sucker for a marriage of convenience story though modern day ones can be a little tricky. But Ericson handled it well giving it an authenticity and not making it feel contrived. The romance was a little bit more of a slow burn but the fact that they had been friends for years previously allowed for them to skip a lot of the get to know you stuff. And even if it started a little slow there was definitely still chemistry and anyone could see that they were falling in love.
I really fun aspect of this series is how the books overlap some with events and I think the author has done a great job of keeping the scenes that appear more than once from feeling stale and giving the reader a different perspective on something they have already read, while also giving enough information so that if you haven’t read the previous books you aren’t lost!

All in all a charming addition to the series and I am already looking forward to Lavender’s book!

Meet the Author
Tara Grace Ericson lives in Missouri with her husband and two sons. She studied engineering and worked as an engineer for many years before embracing her creative side to become a full-time author. Her first book, Falling on Main Street, was written mostly from airport waiting areas and bleak hotel rooms as she traveled in her position as a sales engineer. She loves cooking, crocheting, and reading books by the dozen. Her writing partner is usually her black lab - Ruby - and a good cup of coffee or tea. Tara unashamedly watches Hallmark movies all winter long, even though they are predictable and cheesy. She loves a good “happily ever after” with an engaging love story. That’s why Tara focuses on writing clean contemporary romance, with an emphasis on Christian faith and living. She wants to encourage her readers with stories of men and women who live out their faith in tough situations.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.