The Do-Over by Bethany Turner

About the Book

Title: The Do-Over
Author: Bethany Turner
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: March 15, 2022

Sometimes dreams come true. Other times, the best outcome begins with an epic fail.

Career-driven McKenna Keaton has devoted her life to attaining the senior partnership at her law firm. So asking a man on a date should be nothing. But the past four days have been the worst of her life and have called everything she thought she knew about herself into question. Besides, she can’t remember her last real date—one that didn’t involve using a blind date as an opportunity to get a stranger’s perspective on effective cross-examination techniques. (It’s like sharing fondue with a jury!)

But a real date? And with shy, nerdy Henry Blumenthal—McKenna’s high school rival for valedictorian who once took three hours to beat her at chess? Scratch that. He’s Hank Blume now, the famed documentarian, Durham’s darling son, who has attained all his dreams and more. He also happens to look like he stepped out of an Eddie Bauer catalog.

Whereas McKenna is a disgraced workaholic from New York on unpaid leave, accused of a white-collar crime she would never commit, succumbing to panic attacks, watching her dreams unravel. At age thirty-eight—and destined by the family curse to die before she turns forty, it appears—it’s absolutely the wrong time to have a major crush on a man. Especially one who treasures his memories of McKenna as the girl Most Likely to Succeed.

Grab your copy here!


About the Author

Bethany Turner has been writing since the second grade, when she won her first writing award for explaining why, if she could have lunch with any person throughout history, she would choose John Stamos. She stands by this decision. Bethany now writes pop culture-infused rom-coms for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight. She lives in Southwest Colorado with her husband, whom she met in the nineties in a chat room called Disco Inferno. As sketchy as it sounds, it worked out pretty well in this case, and they are now the proud parents of two teenagers. Connect with Bethany at seebethanywrite.com or across social media @seebethanywrite, where she clings to the eternal dream that John Stamos will someday send her a friend request. Text her any time at (970) 387-7811.

Connect with Bethany: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube


My Review

The Do-Over
by Bethany Turner
Rating: 4.5/5

“You know . . . You probably won’t actually die if you’re not married by forty.”

Wow. Bethany Turner does it again! I can’t believe I devoured this book and read it in one day. I couldn’t stop LOL.

First, the cover is stunning. I LOVE the cover. It is eye catching and beautiful with whimsy.
Second, Henry Blumenthal is my favorite. He is smart and artistic. I fell in love with him as McKenna was re-falling in love with him. The author is so good with her characters and the chemistry between him and McKenna was well written and believable.
Third, I loved all of the pop culture references that the author always incorporates. She is so creative in the way she weaves them throughout the story in such unique ways that make you laugh and sigh. She has a true gift that I’ve come to expect in her stories but I feel like this one goes above and beyond.
Fourth, the author really puts you inside McKenna’s head and it can get intense but it’s so worth it. I sort of wish she did dual POVs so I could get inside Henry’s head too.

Highly recommend if you enjoy a swoon worthy hero and a fiercely independent heroine on a journey back to each other.

PG-13.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.


More from the Author

Read my review of Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish here.

Read my review of Plot Twist here.

Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn

About the Book

Title: Malicious Intent
Series: Defend and Protect #2
Author: Lynn H. Blackburn
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: March 1, 2022

Book cover of Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn

Dr. Ivy Collins, founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company’s cutting-edge prosthetic. Her work has been heralded by government, medical, and advocacy groups and everyone hopes the device will be a success. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose–and how far will they go to get what they want? 

Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can’t believe he’s finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he’s found her again, Gil intends to spend the rest of his life with her. But it will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy’s life’s work, her own life, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.

Perfectly balancing chilling suspense and uplifting romance, award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn delivers a story of revenge, greed, and overcoming that you won’t want to put down no matter how late it gets.

Grab your copy here!


About the Author

Lynn H. Blackburn loves writing romantic suspense because her childhood fantasy was to become a spy, but her grown-up reality is that she’s a huge chicken and would have been caught on her first mission. She prefers to live vicariously through her characters and loves putting them into all kinds of terrifying situations while she’s sitting at home safe and sound in her pajamas! 

Lynn’s titles have won the Carol Award, the Selah Award, and the Faith, Hope, and Love Reader’s Choice Award. Her newest series kicked off in March 2021 with Unknown Threat, Book 1 in the Defend and Protect series. 

She is a frequent conference speaker and has taught writers all over the country. Lynn lives in South Carolina with her true love and their three children. You can follow her real life happily ever after by signing up for her newsletter at LynnHBlackburn.com and @LynnHBlackburn on Bookbub, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.


My Review

Malicious Intent
by Lynn H, Blackburn
Book 2 in the Defend and Protect series
Rating: 4.5/5

“Ivy Collins was the girl who got away. The woman who had haunted him for years. The mystery he needed to solve. It was time. He was going to get answers. Today.”

As someone who enjoys heart-pumping Christian romantic suspense books, I was excited to read this new book from Lynn H. Blackburn. I don’t believe I’ve actually read a lot from her before but I am now a big fan. Though this is the second book in the series, I had no problems picking it up and reading as a standalone novel. I will be going back and reading the first one because this book was very good.

First, I am always a big fan of intelligent, independent female protagonists. Dr. Ivy Collins is an inspirational character and I really identified with her. She has her tragic past but she is resilient and only wants to leave a lasting legacy.

Second, I really liked how Gil acknowledged that he went to therapy after all that happened. I am a big fan of therapy and removing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Third, the chemistry between Ivy and Gil was beautiful and realistic. They had to get to know each other again after being apart for many years. They still had that spark but had to learn to love one another as adults (and adults with baggage at that).

Fourth, the entire mystery was fascinating and kept me on my toes as I tried to figure out what was happening and who was behind it all. There were definitely some red herrings in the story. 😉

Highly recommend this adrenaline packed Christian romantic suspense with characters who are not afraid to rely on God’s plan and provision.

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.


More in this series

Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill

About the Book

Title: Counterfeit Love
Series: Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age #1
Author: Crystal Caudill
Genre: Christian Historical Fiction
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Release Date: March 15, 2022

Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves—or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?

After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.

After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancé is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.

They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.

Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!

Purchase your copy here!


About the Author

Crystal Caudill is the author of “dangerously good historical romance,” with her work garnering awards from Romance Writers of America and ACFW. Counterfeit Love is her debut published novel.

Caudill says that reading and writing are part of her soul and have been since she first held a crayon. While she considered writing to be an escape from challenges and struggles and a way to keep her sanity, Caudill would come to recognize that God used it as a teaching tool. “The stories came through my fingertips, but they were marked with His fingerprints,” she shares.

As she delved into history and crafted her own stories of hope through danger, Caudill would answer the call to pursue writing as a career after her first writer’s conference. “My stories are still filled with danger, struggle, and history, but they are also permeated with the hope and love of Christ. I hope they are dangerously good. Good for the heart and for the soul.”

She is a stay-at-home mom and caregiver, and when she isn’t writing, Caudill can be found playing board games with her family, drinking hot tea, or reading other great books at her home outside Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Find out more at crystalcaudill.com or find her on Facebook (@crystalcaudillauthor) and Instagram (@crystalcaudillauthor). You can also join fellow readers in Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends group on Facebook.


My Review

Counterfeit Love
by Crystal Caudill
Book 1 in the Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series
Rating: 4.5/5

Wow. Crystal Caudill’s debut novel is anything but ordinary. Her writing has well developed mystery and action all with a swoon worthy hero and a strong heroine who fights for what she wants.

First, the cover is gorgeous. Who doesn’t love a mysterious cover with the striking woman in the forefront. The color tones definitely make you think of a mystery to be solved.

Second, the story is very well thought out and developed. The story has many layers to it that keep the reader guessing. (I may have guessed some of the ending but there’s no way I guessed everything). The author incredibly thorough and creative with this story.

Third, the two main characters were super interesting and made you root for them. Theresa’s background story is believable and admirable while Broderick’s career choices are relatable. Their chemistry together is undeniable and yet, there are realistic obstacles to keep them from being together.

Fourth, as a Christian I really enjoy when the author is not afraid to incorporate her faith into a novel and clearly demonstrate what forgiveness and redemption looks like when you are a believer. I empathized with how the characters struggled to forgive and trust. How often do we have trouble trusting after we’ve been hurt or betrayed by others close to us?

“Fear not and trust pounded in her head as if God Himself were determined to carve the words into her brain so she’d stop forgetting them. Would she ever learn to trust the One with all the answers?”

Honorable mention for creating characters that are written to be unlikable – the author was not afraid to go there and I admire her for that.

Highly recommend if you enjoy Christian historical romance with action, mystery and daring adventure!

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.


More from the Author

When you hear the words “Secret Service,” what do you think? The men in suits strategically spaced around the President of the United States, right? Did you know that the original purpose of the Secret Service was to catch counterfeiters and thwart their schemes to make money at the cost of the nation’s economy? It would be more than three decades before the agency would protect their first president.

When author Crystal Caudill first read a story and learned that fact, she became hooked on the fascinating history of the Secret Service. In fact, that fascination became the inspiration for her debut novel, Counterfeit Love (Kregel Publications/March 15, 2022), and she hopes her readers are lured in by the history as well.


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