Book Review: The Right Design

By Sara Steven

Carrie Newman has everything she could ever wish for, and more. An amazing boyfriend. The perfect job. A close relationship with her sister, as well as her friends. Everything is going according to plan, right up to the fateful moment where she decides to surprise her love with an impromptu romantic rendezvous at home. Only, he’s already started without her. Seeing her boyfriend with another woman completely shatters everything in Carrie’s world.

In The Right Design, we get a good look into a woman’s psyche after she’s been betrayed, and watch as she works on picking up the pieces. Carrie makes tough decisions, moving from Texas to Florida and leaving behind everything she’s ever known. After securing a fantastic job in Palm Beach, it’s time to settle in and look forward to new beginnings. Only, she never imagined her first client, Brad, would be someone she’d picture starting a new beginning with. It’s hard not to. He’s intelligent, good-looking, funny, he’s got a lot to offer a woman, but he doesn’t want to settle down, could care less about being in a relationship and prefers to live life by the seat of his pants, vs. putting down roots like Carrie plans to. What’s a girl to do?

I thought The Right Design was a lot of fun, and easily relatable. Most of us have dealt with a broken heart at one time or another, or have chosen to do some pretty insane things all in the name of love. I’m sure it’s easy to identify with the need to start fresh, and while we don’t always find a Brad waiting for us around the bend, it’s always nice to live within our own anticipations. Having moved thousands of miles for my own loved ones in the past, I understand Carrie’s choices, knowing there will always be pros and cons with every decision made.

Will Carrie and Brad end up together, or will fate throw Carrie another curveball? Have we heard the last of her ex-boyfriend? Isabella Louise Anderson has done a great job of combining all the right elements for this sweet read!

You can also read Melissa A's review over at Goodreads.