Review & Giveaway: Wooing Cadie McCaffrey by Bethany Turner

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

After four years with her boyfriend, Cadie McCaffrey is thinking of ending things. Convinced Will doesn't love her in the "forever" way she loves him, Cadie believes it's time for her to let him go before life passes her by. When a misunderstanding leads to a mistake, leaving her hurt, disappointed, and full of regret, she finally sends him packing.

But for Will, the end of their relationship is only the beginning of his quest to figure out how to be the man Cadie wanted him to be. With the dubious guidance of his former pro-athlete work friends and tactics drawn from Cadie's favorite romantic comedies, Will attempts to win her back. It's a foolproof plan. What could possibly go wrong?

Bethany Turner is back with more of the heart and humor readers love. Anyone who enjoys a good romance or binges romantic comedies on Netflix will devour this delightful story.

My Review

This was an interesting book in many ways! We start at the end of the relationship between Cadie and Will- with a few well-placed flashbacks to help us feel the romance of their early relationship as well as experience some critical stages of decline. They seem so in sync, yet the miscommunication of such vital topics as expectations, marriage, and the future cause a rift between them- and they think it is for different reasons. I felt so badly for Will who is pretty much blindsided by the breakup, but admired his fortitude and determination to keep her in his life. The corporate setting brought a dynamic to the story showing how the professional lives of Cadie and Will intersect with their personal relationship. Powerful themes of regret, forgiveness, faith, and devotion are woven together with fun pop culture references, specifically from romantic movies, that make cameos as Will fights for the love of his life.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

I'm giving away a print copy of Wooing Cadie McCaffrey! Enter in the Rafflecoptor below and email me if you have any trouble commenting on this blog post.

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Review: The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Becoming a Christian is the best and worst thing that has ever happened to Sarah Hollenbeck. Best because, well, that's obvious. Worst because, up to this point, she's made her very comfortable living as a well-known, bestselling author of steamy romance novels that would leave the members of her new church blushing. Now Sarah is trying to reconcile her past with the future she's chosen. She's still under contract with her publisher and on the hook with her enormous fan base for the kind of book she's not sure she can write anymore. She's beginning to think that the church might frown on her tithing on royalties from a "scandalous" book. And the fact that she's falling in love with her pastor doesn't make things any easier.

With a powerful voice, penetrating insight, and plenty of wit, Bethany Turner explodes onto the scene with a debut that isn't afraid to deal with the thorny realities of living the Christian life.

My Review

I loved this book for the humor and the various perspectives on modern mainstream Christian life, from the new convert (Sarah), to the lifelong member (Piper), to the young pastor (Ben). It was written in a way that had me hooked to not just the story, but the characters, and how they dealt with  the drama in their lives. The romance between Sarah and Ben developed quickly but I enjoyed the time we got to spend *in* the romance, not just leading up to it, and all the great and important conversations and interactions that took place. A great debut novel!

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)