Title: Not My Bachelor
Author: Tricia Heggeness
Publisher: Olympus Story House
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 978-1-968069-44-5
Pages: 186
Reviewer: Margie Olson
Hollywood Book Reviews
In this enchanting and tastefully racy romance Not My Bachelor, author Tricia Heggeness’ storytelling appeals to the millennials in an entertaining and thought-provoking manner. Heggeness’ characters teach us many lessons in such a short but inspiring read.
Told from the perspective of two star-crossed lovers Rina and Marcus, Not My Bachelor, tangles up quite the cast of characters. As the book progresses, love triangles emerge and two families come to collide. Eavesdropping is a common comedic element Heggeness employs, and in the end – eavesdropping leads to heartbreak. This interesting motif nods to Shakespearean elements of drama, which is such a timeless literary device whether readers recognize it or not.
In addition to creating such a beautiful and captivating love story – what Heggeness does well is incorporate a variety of modern topics – including reality tv shows, the tragedy of 9/11 and how this impacted so many American families, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. While reading Not My Bachelor, readers process their own life experiences, the story provides cathartic relief to the trauma they faced related to these events.
Inarguably, these historic events are some of the most significant things that occurred in the lives of millennials – Heggeness doesn’t stop there. Nearly all the characters in the story struggle with important topics such as loyalty and truth and wrestle with the theme – how do we stay loyal to ourselves, as well as our loved ones? When do we follow our heart, and when should we stay planted in what we know? In Heggeness’ story, we see the main character Rina fight with this question. Her loving sister guides her along the way while together they learn that their own mother chose to follow her heart even when it was difficult. Ultimately as Rina’s mother passes, Rina takes the torch and chooses to follow her heart, even if it means abandoning a part of herself and causing pain to others in her wake.
I recommend this book to millennials who love romance stories but appreciate something a little closer to pg-13 rather than R-rated. Heggeness takes a very tasteful approach to romantic moments that give readers a fun, warm and fuzzy feeling while also causing our hearts to race. This is Heggeness’ debut novel, and I look forward to seeing more from her in the future.