Review: Review from Closed the Cover
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 10 9, 2013
What a sweet romance!  By Proxy, the debut romance novel by Katy Regnery is, in a word, adorable.  Jenny Lindstrom and Sam Kelley meet after agreeing to stand in as proxies for a by proxy marriage for Ingrid (Jenny's longtime best friend) and Kristian (Sam's cousin).  They start off on rocky ground as Sam arrives at the courthouse late and they miss their marriage appointment.  The judge won't return until Monday; over the next three days Jenny and Sam find themselves falling in love.  It's a classic simple romance - predictable, sweet and easy to read.  For a warm-hearted holiday read By Proxy is a great choice.Jenny and Sam were great characters.  At times they were a bit cliché as Jenny was the wholesome and innocent country girl while Sam was the finance executive who lived large in the big city.  It seemed very stereotypical, as did the portrayal of the people in Gardiner, Montana and the people in Chicago, Illinois.  The intent was most likely to build a sense of appreciation for the country in the reader while building a distaste for busy city living.  With this feeling in the reader's mind it is much easier to hope for these two to find their way together in Jenny's hometown surrounded by loving friends, family and neighbors.  Really, it's easy to pull for these two anyway as Jenny and Sam are very compatible and play off of each other so well it is a true pleasure to read their scenes together.  The supporting characters in the novel played minor roles and were not as developed as I would have preferred.  It did not weigh down the novel in any way but I would have liked to feel a deeper connection with Ingrid and Kristian or Jenny's brothers.  The novel ends with an obvious set-up for a sequel based on Jenny's brother, Erik.  We meet Erik in By Proxy; I would love to get deeper into his story and meet more of the Lindstrom family.There is a very large amount of internal dialogue in this novel.  It feels as though the main characters (Jenny and Sam) are continually talking to themselves.  They will be conversing with each other but there are side quotes inserted as the reader is then privy to each character's internal dialogue.  It is great to have this extra insight into their thoughts and feelings but it becomes cumbersome after a while.  There are other writing techniques which could have accomplished this same goal without interrupting the sweet scenes between the two characters.The story itself is unique in that it includes a "proxy" marriage and it is set in Montana.  How often do you find a book set in the gorgeous wild of Montana?  Regnery captures the natural beauty of Montana very well.  She has a great strength in her ability to appeal to all five senses through her writing - I could see, hear, smell, taste and feel the content of her novel.  It was a beautiful read and the reader is easily transported into the lives of these characters and this wilderness.  Pick it up this winter, grab a cup of hot cocoa and snuggle up for a sweet By Proxy romance.Review by Ashley LaMarClosed the Cover