The Do-Over by Bethany Turner

Bethany has a unique writing style so I never know what to expect. But I must say that I really enjoyed this one!
It began with a telling of McKenna' s life up to this point. It was helpful even though a little lengthy.

McKenna is an all business no frills type of girl with her eyes on the prize, which to become a senior partner in a prestigious law firm in NYC. She is accused of embezzlement and must take a leave of absence from the firm during the investigation. While at home, McKenna sees an old school chum who has become famed documentarian. Sparks fly and she is blown over by Henry. And Henry it seems fells the same, even admitting to having a crush on her for years. Now McKenna must rethink her life choices in light of this new relationship and job situation. What will she do over, now that she gets the chance?

I love the romantic scenes in this book! It is a fun book and one of my favorites by this author.
Thanks you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.

From the description, this book sounded so good, but it didn't have me gripped and I found myself losing interest regularly and had to force myself to keep going.for me, it just didn't hit the spot.

This was just OK for me. I didn't love it but it was something i was still able to read and not have to DNF but its honestly not one i think i would broadly recommend.

This was so-so for me. I liked the characters well enough and the story was okay enough thatI finished. It just didn’t have a hook for me. It wasn’t bad, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it.

After an incident at work, where McKenna is wrongly accused, she heads home to stay with her parents.

Whilst there, she reconnects with Henry, who she knew from school. Will they have a chance once it is time for her to her life in the city?

McKenna Keaton is on track to become senior partner at the firm she's been with for more than a decade. But an internal investigation derails those plans and she's put on unpaid for suspension for at least six weeks. McKenna goes home to North Carolina to spend time with family after three years. Just in time for her little sister's engagement party. While she's there, she reunites with her high school friend, Henry Blumenthal, who is now globally-known documentarian, Hank Blume. McKenna barley recognizes her high school friend and rival, but new feelings creep in that she wasn't aware she could ever feel for someone. As the two reconnect and reminisce on their high school memories, it's clear that Henry has some hidden feelings about their friendship/rivalry.
The Do-Over is a charming friends/rivals to lovers story. One of my favorite tropes is childhood friends who lose touch and reconnect years later, only to fall in love. Henry has grown into a confident and rugged storyteller that McKenna can't imagine he was the same teenager she argued with in debate club. They're both easy to fall in love with, but I felt that the tone of their story made them seem younger. Both of them talked/acted like they were younger than thirty, and McKenna's sister (who is in her late twenties) acts like she's still in high school. Her matchmaking and squealing started to irritate me.
I loved the touch of family history and how the Keatons naturally fall into investigating their ancestors' pasts. It was a nice twist to a contemporary romance and felt a bit like Practical Magic as McKenna researched her single women ancestors. The story was definitely "'tis the damn season" by Taylor Swift written on the page and I adore that song. As a whole, I really enjoyed it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book had a bit of everything. Romance, personal growth, family and professional relationships and drama.
Even though I would have liked the romance part to be explored a bit more in depth (at the end felt like the main character’s relationship was a bit rushed) I still really enjoyed it.
The main character has kept same goals and ideals since she was in high school which has made her lost sight of whats truly important.
Now at 38, by being forced to take a leave of absence, she goes through a self-discovery journey filled with forgiveness and growth were she finds love, learns to bring down barriers, and mends family relationships that had long been hurting.

I just can’t get in to this book. I am at about 33% and I just have to give up. It’s not bad I just can’t get it to catch my attention. I’ll come back to it at a another time and give it a try again. No rating, I don’t feel like I got enough of it to give my opinion one way or the other. If this sounds good to you don’t let my comments keep you from reading it. I picked 3 stars because I can’t leave it blank.

THE DO-OVER by BETHANY TURNER is a really witty and fun read with an undercurrent of seriousness as McKenna Keaton deals with an unfair accusation of misappropriation of funds from Wallis Monroe and Burkhead, the prestigious law firm where she was hoping for a promotion. The only person she has told the real reason behind her arrival home on leave is Erica, her older sister.
McKenna has always been an over achiever and workaholic and this time away from work gives her time to think about what she may have missed in life.
With her loud and loving fsmily, her younger sister’s upcoming wedding, her father’s obsession with history and the family tree he is researching, life at home is never dull. Things get even more interesting when an old school friend and fellow nerd, Henry Blumenthal, reappears in her life as the successful and extremely attractive Hank Blume.
How long can she keep her secret, will she have the same fate as her unfortunate ancestor Marilla, and do the unusual feelings she has when she is around Henry mean she could be in love?
The story is told by McKenna, with much humour and with all her feelings on display. It is a most enjoyable read and one I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Thomas Nelson. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This book is fine. McKenna has always known what she wants. And now at 38 she is a hoping to make senior partner at her high-end law firm in new york. Instead she is accused of embezzling $300,000 from her law firm and is suspended while an investigation is done. Returning to her family's home in North Carolina, McKenna is too embarrassed to reveal what she is doing home to anyone but her older sister.
Her first night back home she meets an old high school friend who is now a world famous documentarian. Of course he was in love with her in high school and picks right back up with that.
Honestly I think this book was fine. The romance was maybe a bit quick with McKenna and Henry just kind of succumbing to teenage emotions (though McKenna did not have a crush on Henry in high school). There isn't much build up or wooing, just full speed into romance which is immediately ruined my McKenna lying about her current work situation (how she thinks being on a leave of absence because she thought she was going to marry her boss is less embarrassing than being falsely accused of embezzling is something I'll never understand).
I would have liked more build up to the romance and more McKenna trying to find the truth about the embezzling sub-plot which is unsatisfactorily wrapped up in a couple of paragraphs.

This is quite a good book that has twists, turns, and unexpected events, but I am not sure what the title has to do with the plot of the book. Maybe I just missed the point. Who knows?

McKenna Keaton is a driven woman working in a high stress, high profile, New York City law firm as a junior partner. In a meeting where McKenna believes she is going to be promoted, she is accused of embezzlement. She is placed on administrative leave until the whole situation is cleared up. At one point, she is told the investigation found out that she did embezzle the money, even though she knows she didn't.

McKenna's youngest sister is getting married soon and is going to have an engagement party as well as having her sisters fitted for their bridesmaids dress fittings. McKenna hadn't been sure she was going to make it for the weekend, but the loss of her job coincided with Taylor's weekend.

McKenna has decided not to tell her family why she has really come home. She just lets them believe that she's there for all of Taylor's events.

Her brother-in-law was invited to a benefit for Hank Blume, a documentary producer, and took McKenna along, because McKenna's oldest sister wasn't feeling up to it. McKenna finds out that Hank Blume is actually a classmate, Henry Blumenthal. Sparks fly.

The Do-Over is highly entertaining. The story between McKenna and Henry is sweet, the relationships of McKenna and her family underwent a number of changes and cleared a lot of air with some humor thrown in for good measure. The characters are believable, the settings are totally enchanting, and the movement of the plot is satisfying. Bethany Turner has done a masterful job in putting words to paper to make an enjoyable story for her readers.

Four Strong Stars.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This was such a cute book! I loved the tension of not knowing what was going to happen with her career, but I also loved the fact that it didn't take over the story. Great supporting characters and a dreamy love interest. Can't wait to read what Bethany Turner writes next!

Full review will be up on pop-culturalist.com closer to pub date. "Sometimes dreams come true. Other times, the best outcome begins with an epic fail." McKenna Keaton is a headstrong, career-oriented woman who devotes her time to her law firm. Henry Blumenthal was McKenna's high school nemesis. He goes by Hank Blume now and is famous. Yet he remembers her as the girl "Most Likely to Succeed." THIS IS SO FREAKING CUTE!

Three and a half stars.

McKenna Keaton think she has been summoned to the boardroom in her swanky New York law firm to pitch to become a senior partner, instead she is put on administrative leave without pay accused of embezzling over $300,000 from the firm. In an attempt to salvage her pride (and conserve money) she leases out her apartment and returns home to Durham, North Carolina.

McKenna has always had a life plan, when she was very young she decided to be a lawyer and she has been 100% focused on that goal ever since. Even at school she chose her dates based on whether they would want more time than she was willing to give. In fact, it would be true to say that McKenna is so focused on her career that she misses some pretty big things, like the fact that her nerdy high school rival Henry Blumenthal is now renowned documentary maker Hank Blume and he looks mighty fine all grown up. One look at Henry (sorry, but Hank is such an old-fashioned name in the UK I can't believe Henry chose it in order to make him sound younger!) and McKenna is reduced to a gibbering idiot, something that has never happened to her before in her thirty-eight years.

This book sits uneasily for me on the boundary between slapstick comedy, rom-com, and women's fiction with a side order of pop-culture infusion. On that last point, in my opinion pop-culture allusions really work bets either when they are so iconic that everyone understands them even if they have never seen the film/read the book etc, or where they are so achingly hip that the reader just feels more cultural for having seen them. This fell between the two stools, referencing films and people I'd never heard of or couldn't remember.

Also, a pet peeve, McKenna is thirty-eight but reads like twenty-eight (or younger), it's as if the author wanted her to be pushing for named partner promotion but realised that could only happen in her late thirties so change McKenna's age without giving her maturity, and don't get me started on her youngest sister Taylor!

Overall, I felt it stalled in the middle and I had no idea where the book was going, I'm not even sure of the relevance of the title TBH. It picked up towards the end but relied upon a lucky coincidence (been deliberately vague) to achieve resolution.

I liked it but I didn't love it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for this fun eARC!

I read The Plot Twist Bethany Turner and really enjoyed it!.
So I knew The Do-Over had to be on my list of reads!


This book was written in such a new and unique way! 
It's complex, inventive, playful and made me smile on more than one occasion.
This is more a contemporary romance and it was done in such a unique way and style
that made the romance even more excellent and fun...
A light, easy, charming read it was a fabulous book to get lost in for a while.
I am glad I picked this one up because the characterisation was on point, the plot was very well paced.
McKenna and Henry are the greatest characters I've had the pleasure getting to know more of!
This author has a way that draws her readers into the story and won't let them go until the gorgeous conclusion!
If you enjoyed Plot Twist you'll love The Do-Over!

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Thank you again for this wonderful ebook copy!
I will post to my platforms closer to pub date!

McKenna Keaton has spent her life in pursuit of a prestigious New York law career...to the exclusion of all else. Even in high school, her boyfriends were just placemarks for the important events like prom and homecoming, requiring little attention from her. But her life goes up in flames when, instead of being named senior partner at her law firm, she's being investigated for embezzlement. She returns home to Durham, North Carolina in shame, only telling her favorite sister what happened. But when a face from her past reappears, she has some hard decisions to make about her future. Henry Blumenthal, her nerdy friend from high school, is now Hank Blume, a celebrated and successful documentarian, and he admits to his massive crush on her in high school.
I liked how down-to-earth Henry was despite his success. And his excitement for the mystery in the Keaton genealogy was fun to read. I didn't really connect with McKenna's character. So many of McKenna's troubles could have been solved by telling the truth! It seemed like her whole family was so warm and loving toward her and she really treated them all badly.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.