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cobaltbookshelf's review
2.0
What made pick this up was cover and description but unfortunately story didn't pan out to be a quite interesting for me as I hoped. Overall flat read.
turquoiseavenue's review
3.0
Known for her pop culture references and wit, Bethany Turner writes fantastic inner dialogue in my opinion and that is ultimately what keeps me coming back to her novels. Upon reading The Do-Over, I was expecting a romantic comedy that would have me laughing out loud and that wasn’t exactly what I found…
What I Enjoyed : The second chance at love trope, an adorable, sweet guy who’s actually a genius and outgrown his shy teen years, a fantastic kissing scene in NYC, a dad with a cool hobby and some great family connection moments.
My Thoughts: McKenna, while incredibly driven and smart at age 38, was hard for me to relate to with her deep cynicism and self-centered focus. I did not love the things she thought about her younger sister, Taylor, and expected better of a grown adult. Turner redeems that quality later though, thankfully. Regardless, McKenna was simply unrelatable for me.
I wanted to toss the book across the room when McKenna chose to make decisions that did not satisfy my desire for a deeper, richer romance in this story. I found my heart going out to Henry over and over. He was by far my favorite character, so very sweet and for the life of me, I don’t know why he fell for McKenna. Ha! He was perhaps the one reason I decided to see this novel through to the end.
The secondary characters were cute and I liked them, enjoying their family connection and Mr. Keaton’s hobby. The dual setting was fun, with parts of the story taking place in rural Durham, NC and other scenes in the excitement of NYC. The pop culture references were somewhat lost on me (there were many) but I also do not watch a lot of television and am certain other readers might find that more relatable. The beginning of the story as well as the romance were a very slow build that almost lost me (again, expecting an instant rom-com with laugh out loud scenes) but I hate to not see a story through and give the author a chance to win me over.
In Summary: I’m giving this read three stars with an OKAY/GOOD rating. I liked the book enough to finish it, found a couple of reasons to enjoy it and I think that, as with most books, the story is relative to the reader who is reading it. I know others will like this story more than I did and I believe it is worth a recommendation to those who want to dive into a clean romance read, especially one with characters who are “older” and like a second chance at love.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts below are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. THANK YOU to the publisher and author for allowing me to read this book!
What I Enjoyed : The second chance at love trope, an adorable, sweet guy who’s actually a genius and outgrown his shy teen years, a fantastic kissing scene in NYC, a dad with a cool hobby and some great family connection moments.
My Thoughts: McKenna, while incredibly driven and smart at age 38, was hard for me to relate to with her deep cynicism and self-centered focus. I did not love the things she thought about her younger sister, Taylor, and expected better of a grown adult. Turner redeems that quality later though, thankfully. Regardless, McKenna was simply unrelatable for me.
I wanted to toss the book across the room when McKenna chose to make decisions that did not satisfy my desire for a deeper, richer romance in this story. I found my heart going out to Henry over and over. He was by far my favorite character, so very sweet and for the life of me, I don’t know why he fell for McKenna. Ha! He was perhaps the one reason I decided to see this novel through to the end.
The secondary characters were cute and I liked them, enjoying their family connection and Mr. Keaton’s hobby. The dual setting was fun, with parts of the story taking place in rural Durham, NC and other scenes in the excitement of NYC. The pop culture references were somewhat lost on me (there were many) but I also do not watch a lot of television and am certain other readers might find that more relatable. The beginning of the story as well as the romance were a very slow build that almost lost me (again, expecting an instant rom-com with laugh out loud scenes) but I hate to not see a story through and give the author a chance to win me over.
In Summary: I’m giving this read three stars with an OKAY/GOOD rating. I liked the book enough to finish it, found a couple of reasons to enjoy it and I think that, as with most books, the story is relative to the reader who is reading it. I know others will like this story more than I did and I believe it is worth a recommendation to those who want to dive into a clean romance read, especially one with characters who are “older” and like a second chance at love.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary e-copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts below are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. THANK YOU to the publisher and author for allowing me to read this book!
nadiatrotwood's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Not my cup of tea
lanayagraham's review
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A cute, clean rom com. Clever, relatable writing, I laughed out loud a few times! But something was missing 🤔 the characters reminded me somehow of Nora and Charlie in Book Lovers, but it was a bit slow.
vibeke_hiatt's review
3.0
So many things I want to say about this book. The most important, though: McKenna and Henry are doomed.
Many parts of this book were enjoyable. It was easy to get into. The family relationships were fun. Turner is occasionally witty. At some point, though, the pacing slowed down and I found myself choosing to read different books instead. McKenna's career complications were more interesting than the romantic aspect of the book, and finding out what happened at the law firm drove me to finish it.
What bothered me most was that McKenna didn't trust Henry enough to tell him what was going on in her professional life. She enjoyed the physical relationship, but did nothing to pursue an emotional or spiritual one. I know that it's important for characters to make mistakes, but there comes a point where they need to stop making those mistakes. In her determination to solve her problems on her own, McKenna neglected a willing and powerful ally. That is not how a strong relationship is built. Trust and communication at least are necessary. At the end of the book, McKenna and Henry still lack that.
Many parts of this book were enjoyable. It was easy to get into. The family relationships were fun. Turner is occasionally witty. At some point, though, the pacing slowed down and I found myself choosing to read different books instead. McKenna's career complications were more interesting than the romantic aspect of the book, and finding out what happened at the law firm drove me to finish it.
What bothered me most was that McKenna didn't trust Henry enough to tell him what was going on in her professional life. She enjoyed the physical relationship, but did nothing to pursue an emotional or spiritual one. I know that it's important for characters to make mistakes, but there comes a point where they need to stop making those mistakes. In her determination to solve her problems on her own, McKenna neglected a willing and powerful ally. That is not how a strong relationship is built. Trust and communication at least are necessary. At the end of the book, McKenna and Henry still lack that.
almond's review against another edition
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Sweet, clean romance with believable characters. Resonating with me in my angst over how much "softness" a strong, Independent woman is allowed.
ookirkpatrick's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
anjleo's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
shirleytupperfreeman's review
A light romance featuring two over-achievers who competed with each other in high school and re-meet twenty years later. Henry/Hank is a world-famous documentarian and McKenna a high-powered attorney close to making partner when a situation threatens to derail her career plans.