I was not expecting this one to hit my emotions so strongly, but Turner crafted an infinitely relatable character in McKenna Keaton and I was invested in what happened to her from the very first chapter. Everything from her career woes to her drifting away from her family to the uncontrollable crush on her old high school friend/rival made me want to cheer for her as she stood up and faced each challenge without giving up on what she knew she wanted from her life. It also helps that Henry is a charming and interesting character himself and it's easy to see how great they are for each other, so the romance angle is on point. Plus, the family relationships and interactions are interesting and all feel very natural, so seeing McKenna slowly find her way back to being comfortable with all her family members was great.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the emotional read!

I have so much love for this book, I don’t even know where to start. So I guess I’ll just throw it out as the thoughts come to mind. But before I begin, let me first state that I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. So please note the following review reflects my honest opinion of this book and was in no way affected by the advance read I was offered by the publisher.
Now, with that covered, let’s go…

First, I loved that this is a Romance with the protagonist being an unmarried woman by choice at almost forty years old. This isn’t a woman who’s unfortunate in appearance and has been pining away for “Mr. Right” while suffering through a list of bad dates. This is a woman who has been career-driven with no “need” for a man to define her existence. When she’s reunited with an old high school friend and sparks fly, they catch her completely off guard and she has to decide whether she wants to redefine her goals in life. Does she want a signifiant other? Does she want to get married? And, if she gets married, does that mean she must have children? I won’t tell you if all or any of these questions are answered, but they’re natural questions every woman should be asking before jumping into marriage anyway.

Another thing I loved about this book is that it was a romance novel with absolutely no sex. Now, don’t get me wrong…I love a good romance novel with an amped-up love scene that catches my breath. And there’s nothing wrong with romance novels that give the reader an almost voyeuristic glimpse into the bedroom. Those books are perfectly okay, but that’s not what this one is and I love that about this one. I love that I can offer it to my mother-in-law or my teen son’s girlfriend without worry about whether my husband’s mom is shocked at my reading material, or my son’s girlfriend’s jaw would drop open and I’d embarrass her. This is a truly wholesome book about two people who find a connection, fall in love, and the trials and misunderstandings that potentially block their path to Happily Ever After.

I loved the family dynamics in this book. As the fourth of five children, I loved that the main character was roughly the same age gap as I am with my next older sibling, and I felt like the “differences” in the relationships between siblings because of that age gap were well-written. There’s something about that age gap between older and younger siblings that forever keeps the younger siblings just a smidge “out of the circle” of the ones who grew up together while not feeling excluded. I guess it’s just having different relationships with each sibling.

And finally, I loved the cover. How beautiful is that green cover and tiny white flowers with the couple, arm in arm, looking out over a New York skyline? I’ve been known to purchase books based entirely on the cover and, while that was not the case this time, it could’ve been. I would absolutely purchase this book based entirely on the cover and without reading the synopsis.

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed and then parts that I....didn't! This is the first book I've read by this author and overall, I liked it and will most likely read a book by her again. I liked her character development and her writing style. The whole book was written in the first person, so we only get McKenna Keaton's viewpoint throughout the story. It would have been fun to get a little perspective from Henry or someone else! One thing that annoyed me some was how "wordy" it was. Sometimes, there was just SO MUCH conversation going on inside McKenna's head that it was hard to follow the scene and what was going on. When you are trying to follow the actual dialogue and McKenna's thoughts too (which were lengthy much of the time), it got exhausting! It felt like a tennis match at times where your head was going back and forth constantly, trying to make sense of it and follow what was happening!
I absolutely loved Henry's character and wish he had been in the story more. He was delicious! He'd had a crush on McKenna since he was in high school and now that they were approaching 39, that "spark" for him was still there! However, McKenna had never had a spark because she was so laser focused on career and other dreams that when she suddenly "felt" a spark, it was almost immediate for her, and I had a hard time believing that. Anyway, I loved McKenna's family and all the other secondary characters! I did NOT like that fact that McKenna lied to everyone around her about pretty much everything going on in her life. I never once connected with her character throughout the book. I kept waiting to feel something for her, but I just couldn't. I liked all the other characters though so that is what made it a 4-star review for me!

The main female character, McKenna, is a work driven, dream attaining, nothing else getting in the way type of woman. Henry, the main male character, is a former nerdy classmate that has reinvented his life. They have a complicated relationship throughout the story. I loved McKenna’s two sisters and how their communications with McKenna developed over time and revelations were revealed.
The backstory of a relative from the very early 1800s added an element of mystery and questions from the family as well.
What I did not care for were the many movie references during the story. I had seen one or two and understood the significance but not the others. To me it kind of distracted from the story. Others may enjoy it.
Overall I enjoyed reading this novel. I’m a sucker for romance and happy endings.
I received a complimentary ebook copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley but was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.

3.5* I've been struggling to decide how to rate this book. Overall I enjoyed it, but I was not always a fan of McKenna. I struggled relating to her and her motivation/decisions. Henry was a wonderful character and I am grateful he was patient with McKenna, but also didn't let her push him around. Her family was a little crazy at times, but also very loving and supportive. I wish she would have trusted them more.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Gah, I just loved this story so much! McKenna Keaton has her whole life in New York City planned out until it comes to a screeching halt. Accused of embezzling money from the law firm she works for, McKenna heads to her hometown in Durham, North Carolina to ride out the investigation, positive her name will be cleared. But reconnecting with her family and a rival from high school has her questioning if her dreams are really still her dreams.

McKenna was a very unique heroine and at times, really hard to relate to. She could be very frustrating, but honestly, it was all of this that really made me love her in the end. I made this realization when McKenna makes her own and probably most important realization in the story — she spent so much time convincing herself that no one could understand her that she occasionally lost sight of trying to understand other people (Thank you, Erica!) When you really try to understand McKenna as the character she is, all the stuff she does, though maddening at times, makes sense. I really enjoyed as she worked through things and grew as a person. I love how she bonded with her family, especially her sister Taylor.

Then there was McKenna’s reconnection and chemistry with Henry. Their first meeting was awkward and hilarious, but then they settled into a beautiful rhythm. Henry always saw McKenna for who she was and while he was super sweet, he had a backbone. I like that he allowed McKenna to work out her problems on her own. He didn’t force her trust and while this made for a lot of angst, it made their ending realistic but still super romantic.

Bethany Turner’s writing is so poetic, and I can’t help but look at NYC differently now. The way things ended with McKenna’s law firm was satisfying and the cherry on top to this wonderful story! I highly recommend this if you’re looking for laugh-out-loud moments, family drama, second chances, beautiful character growth and sigh-worthy romance!!

Bethany Turner does again. A witty book with entertaining, engaging characters that make a book difficult to put down.

I loved McKenna so intelligent but so not when it comes to personal relationships. Even saying that I loved the relationship that she has with her older sister and brother in law. She was not totally hopeless at relationships since she also had the imaginary one that came with a future step-daughter whose name that she could never remember.

Now the hero of our story, Henry. Wow. You read about or see a movie with the nerd turned hunk. Our hero is so much better, he's still very much a nerd just with better packaging. I loved his interactions not just with McKenna but her entire family. As well as their interactions with him.

The family. Talk about a great supporting cast. The mother. The father. The older sister. The brother in law. The younger sister. The future brother in law. The niece and nephews. There is too much to say about each and their role but I loved them all especially the brother in law.

The growth of the characters, the lessons they learned and put into practice made this a great book.

All her life, McKenna's known exactly what she wants in life and thrown everything into achieving it. So when she's suddenly accused of embezzlement and put on leave, everything comes crashing down around her and she heads home to Durham to recover. But when she meets an old schoolmate who she discovers is now a documentary-maker she loves, the attraction she'd always refused to feel flares to life. Hank has her re-thinking everything she's ever wanted. Once everything is straightened out at work, should she - can she - go back to life without him? Or will she make a mess of things before they even really get a chance to start anyway?

This was the first book I'd read by this author and I wasn't sure quite what to expect. And to be honest, the prologue had me slightly regretting asking for a review copy. But as I kept going, the characters gradually pulled me in until it was hard to put the book down when I could no longer put off doing other things. So I guess my summary would be that this is a great book but that the start is a little slow. Not being in any way such a driven person as McKenna, I might have expected to find it hard to connect with her, but I really did feel for her - though I was glad to see her finally being willing to accept that maybe what she'd always fought for wasn't the best thing for her and changing her goal to something better. Funnily enough, I particularly appreciated the development in McKenna's relationship with her sister Taylor. And the proposal scene was hilarious. All in all, recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

She's done it again. With THE DO-OVER, Bethany Turner has written a story that grabbed me by the heart and wouldn't let go until the I finished the last lines. A mega-successful attorney in New York returns to her home and family in the limbo of an internal audit and soon finds herself bungling and addressing the life and people she left behind to live her dream, including the boy she knew as Henry who is now a mega-successful documentary maker known as Hank. I laughed, I gasped, and enjoyed all the feels of this smart, fast-paced, well-written story--a marvelous escape in the hands of an accomplished rom-com writer. I received an early copy of this novel and these opinions are my own, unbiased, thoughts.

Bethany Turner knows how to turn out romcoms. McKenna’s journey of discovering herself and new dreams outside of corporate litigation law will make you laugh out loud, cry crocodile tears, and choke up from the beautiful romance. McKenna’s first person perspective is quirky, funny, and slightly off-kilter as she navigates false accusations at work and is forced to re-evaluate her existence. Her interactions with her family members are hilarious, heart-warming and sweet. Her maturation from self-absorbed martyr to self-aware, vulnerable, compassionate woman is satisfying. The high school experience that McKenna, Jared, and Henry had was eerily familiar; walking down my own memory lane of teenage memories alongside McKenna and her crew was delightful. Henry is absolutely swoony and sigh-worthy. Wow. Just wow. His flirting will cause palpitations and his sweet, tender, sincere love and romantic gestures will have you wishing for a fan.

I received the book from publisher via NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

Title: The Do-Over
Author: Bethany Turner
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Do-Over" by Bethany Turner
My Assessment:

'The Do-Over' presented a slow start in the beginning. Still, it did pick up, giving the reader an exciting and enjoyable read about the lives of McKenna Keaton and Henry Blumenthal by the end of the story. These two had been childhood schoolmates' friends and had grown apart after growing up. McKenna displayed some downright negativism in how she handled her life, especially when it came to her family in North Carolina and not being honest with them after her return.

On the other side of the scale, Henry was very much likable as he comes into the story...with a name change [now Hank Blume] and with a fascinating job of being an acclaimed documentarian who had liked McKenna in HS. So, it seems like we have two opposites that will come together and give the reader an exciting read.

The author also gives the reader some very well-developed secondary, well-defined, and even adorable secondary characters that add so much to the story. How will the story play out as McKenna has now returned home in NC because her powerful attorney had been accused of embezzlement over $300,000 from her job in New York? What was going on in the relationship with the Keatons...especially with the sisters and the mom? And how will Henry come into all of this as the situation plays out? The reader will have to pick up this good read and see how well this author brings it all out to get it all. However, in the end, it seems like the story was somewhat cut short, but all in all, it was a good read.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

“The Do-Over” by Bethany Turner /15 March

“But in the face of all of that, my beloved brother-in-law had been the one to deliver perhaps the harshest blow of all. The truth. The unflappable McKenna Keaton had a major, major crush on a boy.”

What a delightful read! Bethany Turner charmed me again with her whit and humor in the midst of this childhood friends to more storyline. McKenna took time to warm up to, but her character fit well with how she felt like the odd duck as she pursued her goals. She was often clueless about how others felt, but her pursuit of justice and intelligence level made her a good attorney. However, how she handles false allegations at the workplace was a little off putting. That being said, the story definitely fit with the whole going back home vibe and this was how she met Henry who I adored. I loved how much he recognized the insight she had and treated her as the intelligent woman she was. It was also wonderful seeing her reconnect with her family and work through some of the issues they had. This was a wonderful story of reconnecting, forgiveness and overcoming miscommunication. It also spoke as to how much we judge one another just because we’re different.

‘“Now, where were we?” she asked, and I yawned. I couldn’t help it. She had a gift. “We were thinking about Robert Redford and setting women’s rights back a generation or two.”’

I really loved how much Turner walked her readers through the struggles McKenna had when she started having feelings for Henry. There were some pretty hilarious moments around the relationship that brought humor to the story. There were some heavy moments too, but overall, I really loved how the story played out.

If you love romantic stories with depth and humor, I think you’ll love “The Do-Over.” With a different perspective from the leading character and the man who always saw the real her, this was an enjoyable romance. It was also fun with a throwback of pop-culture and movie references.

I was given a copy of this book through NetGalley by the publisher. All opinions are my own and have been given honestly.

I am going to say, this is my favorite of Bethany Turner's books. I just loved it. I am not a huge fan of romance books, but for some reason Turner's books are a joy to read. Maybe because she includes threads of things that are so important to all of us. She freely talks in her books about issues that most romance authors don't include.
McKenna always knew what she wanted to do with her life. (The story of the flow chart she did to tell her family so is hilarious) She wanted to be a lawyer and live in New York City and she made it happen. If fact it is going so well that she is about to walk into a meeting to make her partner, or well maybe not.
What happens after this is what makes this a great read. Nothing ever goes as expected. Have you ever made plans? Even vacation plans go sideways. Turner reminds us of that through out this story. She reminds us that have to remember to think about why we do things and how we need to make sure that throughout of life we need to not be so focused that we miss out on life.

Thanks goes out to #netgalley and #thomasnelson for access to this ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This book will be coming out tomorrow!!

I do have to admit I read this book back in the fall at a time when I couldn't formulate the words for a review but with publication day being tomorrow, I'll give it a much better shot now.

I was beyond excited to be able to read this book, The Do-Over by Bethany Turner, shortly after having read Plot Twist as I needed more of her writing in my life. Bethany Turner has a gift with character development that I am a big fan of and this one definitely didn't let me down.

Our heroine, McKenna, is a very Type A New York City lawyer, put onto unpaid leave from her firm while they investigate to see if she might not be as squeaky clean as initially thought. With this suddenly unexpected time off, she goes home to visit her family in Durham, North Carolina, only to realize that her high school nemesis, Henry Blumenthal is now all grown up. Was he who she should've been with this whole time?

I loved Bethany's choice to use older main characters. As a newly 36 year old, sometimes it gets old reading 20-odd year old characters finding their happily ever afters, leaving me wondering if I'm just never going to find mine. I loved meeting Henry and seeing just what a quality, salt of the earth guy he is. Coming to you from Thomas Nelson, should be no surprise that it's a squeaky clean read but I really didn't feel that anything was affected negatively by that. I was overall just really impressed with this book and will be giving it a 4.5/5.

This is the second book by Bethany Turner I got to read and I am grateful for the complimentary copy I received from Thomas Nelson and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

The Do-Over follows McKenna Keaton an aspirant millennial whose day is turned upside down on the day she thinks she will be named partner. She discovers she is in fact being investigated and moves back to her small town. There she gets entangled with a curse, the man from high school and family. I enjoyed this read and felt it had a balance of both serious issues and lighthearted ones. I loved it!

The Do-Over is a charming romance of high school friends who reconnect many years later. Henry has forever crushed on the girl, and she was unaware the whole of their youth.

McKenna has lived her life on her own terms in NYC, and she refuses to answer questions about marriage and kids at the age of thirty-eight. Forced home to NC after some hiccups in her plan, she crosses paths with Henry and begins to question her thoughts on love. This novel is a slow-burn romance that is an easy, heartwarming, enjoyable read.

Thank you Thomas Nelson for the advance reader copy.

I enjoyed this story of family dynamics, long-lost loves, and law (well, an attorney job).

The main character, McKenna, is a successful attorney in New York City. She left behind Durham, North Carolina, as soon as she could, praying she wouldn’t give up her dreams like her mom had. However, she’s accused of embezzling money from her law firm, and now she’s back and trying to remind everyone why she left in the first place.

It’s a fun read as we see McKenna begin to fall head over heels for her high school enemy, Henry. But was he really ever her enemy?

This story was a quick read that had all the sweetness of reuniting with your past, and finding out what you wanted all along was a bit different than you anticipated.

I’m rating three stars as it wasn’t entirely my favorite book, but the plot was fun, we saw the characters grow, and the story ended happily. Ultimately could we want more? I could see many people enjoying this as a weekend read.

McKenna Keaton has her life figured out. She's known since she was young and has had a plan mapped out to get her there. So when she goes in to a meeting expecting to be made a senior partner and is instead accused of embezzlement, she's more than a little discombobulated.

I found McKenna difficult to relate to or even like at times. She is very self-focused. She struggles with believing that "being human is not a weakness." She ignores and lies to her family and friends. I found her most endearing when she was struggling to come up with a coherent sentence when she meets up with a high school friend, Henry, and finds him utterly captivating. The good thing is that McKenna grows and learns. She's not the same person at the end as she was at the beginning.

I found the research Henry was working on to be fascinating. It changed the way I look at documentaries or docudramas. I also appreciated McKenna's family. Even when she wasn't behaving well, they loved her unconditionally and supported her.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. I'd recommend it. All opinions are my own.

The Do-Over is another perfect example of Bethany Turner doing what Bethany Turner does best! She can take a very deep/serious topic, add in just the right amount of humor and light-heartedness, and they balance perfectly.

To sum up this story, all I really need to say is Henry Blumenthal, right!? Of all the sweet, handsome, charming heroes...Henry is enough of a reason to pick up this book! But then you have McKenna Keaton. Her world has been turned upside down and she has to figure out how to fight for what she really wants in her life. I loved the dilemmas that she faced and the road that life took her on to bring to light the truth inside her. She has some things she needs to deal with and her circumstances are exactly what she needs to do just that. Isn't that just how God teaches us some things in life. We may not always understand the whys and hows, but if we just trust Him, He'll bring us to what we need to learn.

I really enjoyed this story, from the first page to the last. I think you will too!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Resenha em português mais abaixo 🇧🇷

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

3,5 out of 5 stars

I loved the premise of this book, as I’m a sucker for childhood friends/acquaintances to lovers. I was unfortunately a bit disappointed with the story.

McKenna’s character was very likable and relatable, and I could see why she fell for Henry throughout the book. But I felt that some parts of the story were just thrown in and not well developed by the author.

In the first half, the ancestors’ story and Henry’s research were the main focus while the romance wasn’t shown at all. Then, all of a sudden the romance was in the center and the research wasn’t even mentioned. It all felt confusing and it was difficult to care for each part of the plot. Even the embezzlement took a step back in many moments, it was as if the author had forgotten her own story.

My favorite thing about the book was how McKenna’s relationship with her family grew, specially her sisters. It really was a joy to see her opening up to their love.

Overall it was a good book, but it fell short in a few moments. I still would love to read something else for the author.

🇧🇷:

Recebi uma cópia desse livro da editora Thomas Nelson por meio do NetGalley em troca de uma resenha sincera. As opiniões expressas aqui são minhas apenas.

3,5/5 estrelas

Eu amei a premissa desse livro porque amo romance entre amigos/conhecidos de infância. Mas infelizmente me decepcionei um pouco com essa história.

A personagem principal McKenna é alguém fácil de se gostar e fácil de se identificar, e eu consegui entender porque ela se apaixonou pelo Henry ao longo do livro. Mas ainda senti que algumas partes da história foram jogadas e não bem desenvolvidas pela autora.

Na primeira metade, a pesquisa do Henry e a história da família da McKenna era o foco principal enquanto o romance mal aparecia. Então, do nada o romance era o centro e a pesquisa sumiu. Ficou tudo meio confuso e eu achei difícil ligar para cada parte do livro. Até a situação de desvio de dinheiro sumiu por um momento, como se a autora tivesse esquecido a própria história.

Minha parte preferida do livro foi como a relação da McKenna com sua família cresceu, principalmente no caso das suas irmãs. Foi muito legal ver a mocinha se abrindo pro amor delas.

No geral foi um bom livro, mas decepcionou em alguns momentos. Ainda tenho interesse em ler outras coisas da autora.