The second book from Bethany Turner is a must read for any sports fan OR romcom lover! I really enjoyed Turner's first book, "The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck" and knew to expect a funny, honest and vulnerable read. "Wooing Cadie McCaffrey" is similar. Turner has a style all her own in the genre of Christian fiction, and I appreciate it. *And could we have a cuter cover? Look for all the rom com nods there!*

Cadie McCaffrey works at ASN, a sports network. She's madly in love with one of her co workers, Will Whitaker. It's fun to watch a crush develop into a romance, told between the present and flashbacks. Cadie is an accountant at the network, organized and detail oriented. Will is the happy go lucky guy who has stolen her heart, but has lost perspective in their relationship. Or maybe Cadie is the one who's lost perspective? The reader learns early on that each character has the tendency to overthink.

After several years together, Cadie and Will make a decision that will alter the course of their relationship. Will Cadie continue to let Will sweep her off her feet, or has the chance passed for their relationship to blossom?

Flanked by the host of sports giants that work at ASN alongside Cadie, her best friend Darby and a few supporting characters, Will decides he's not going to lose Cadie easily. He's willing to fight for what they have, and he's wiling to go to ridiculous lengths to do it. Every woman loves the moments in romantic comedies where the hero gets vulnerable and does the unexpected, right? Surely this plan is fool proof....

Filled with characters that you will fall in love with, a fun list of romcom tropes one man must live up to, disapproving parents, works stressors and spiritual discussions, this book packs a punch. How do we return to what we believe when we have walked away from our relationship with God? What do our personal choices have to do with how we relate to others? Are we simply overthinking everything? How do we become supporters in a relationships--not just takers?

Once again Turner has delivered a novel that makes you laugh, cry and truly take stock of the choices we make and how those choices affect all aspects of our lives. Cadie is all at once a character that you want to help guide but also remain frustrated with, just as you feel for Will for being so daft that he misses important clues on how to reconnect with Cadie. Life is often messy, and I love the fact that Turner addresses this. We don't have to seek perfection, but we do have to live and interact with those we love honestly.

I was extremely excited to win an early reader edition of this book from #LibraryThing. I was not required to leave a review, and all opinions are my own. Bethany Turner has cemented her place in my favorite authors list for contemporary books and I can't wait for that list to continue to grow. These are well done, grown up reads that challenge and encourage the reader! ( )

Wooing Cadie McCaffrey is a smart, funny romance novel. The writing is crisp, the dialogue snappy and laugh-out-loud funny more often than not, and the characters are engaging. When a BIG misunderstanding sets the very strong-willed and determined (for better or worse) Cadie down one path, and her misguided but well-meaning boyfriend Will bungles it all, over and over, it sets the stage for big fun.

And while yes, there are some big laughs here, there are also moments that have real depth and feeling to them, too. This is a story about finding your worth, about trust, and about what chaos can happen in a relationship when you don't communicate with one another.

This IS Christian romance, but it's edgy. And then it's not, and that's the only bit that hung me up. I love the Christian romances that Revell finds because as a whole, they aren't heavy handed or preachy, and that *mostly* holds true here with one exception. I found the plotline where they were saving themselves for marriage, and then broke that promise, and then the heavy shame and browbeating that Cadie experienced following it was handled awkwardly. And while that aspect was uncomfortable and awkward, the rest of the story made up for it.

Turner's side characters are as delightful and quirky as the main characters. I think this is one area where she really excels in her writing.

If you can be forgiving of how the "saving myself for marriage" storyline was handled, this is one romcom that will delight. ( )

"I made the commitment to love her forever. That commitment doesn't go away just because she's not in on the plan."

What a cry-out-loud, laugh-out-loud romcom. Bethany Turner has perfected how to pull your heartstrings and make you fall in love with her characters through their mountaintop and dark valley experiences, while cracking up at the hysterical moments and dialogue.

I loved the journey through New York City and loved Cadie's first person voice in the present. Will's third person voice in the past, through flashbacks, and in the present is honest and so lovable. Clueless about everything outside sports but so tender and persistent, Will is a swoony hero! Tons of misunderstandings and misinterpretations of actions and words place their relationship at odds but how they learn to move forward is heart-warming and charming.

This is a book that needs to be made into a movie! I received the book from the publisher via LibraryThing and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own. ( )

Enjoyed this one tremendously! I did not want the story to end! This is a must read for all lovers of 80's and 90's rom com movies!! All the movie references were such a fun stroll down memory lane. Looking forward to reading more Bethany Turner books in the future! ( )

Thank you in advance to JustRead Tours, Revell Books, and Baker Books for providing me with an advance copy to review. A positive review was not required.

“Wooing Cadie McCaffrey” is a Christian themed romance so those looking for steamy sex scenes will be disappointed in it. Those looking for biblical references might be disappointed as well. It is the characters themselves that live with their “devotions” as well as their beliefs, which they try (unsuccessfully) to lead them into making the right choices.

Cadie McCaffrey has been with Will pretty much since her 30th birthday, some four (4) years earlier. They’re both madly in love with each other. So, what’s wrong? According to Cadie, apparently she doesn’t feel like Will loves her enough for a “forever after” – basically marriage.

After a series of mistakes that Will inadvertently makes, Cadie breaks up with him firmly convinced she’s right.

Will, who loves Cadie dearly and with all his heart (she’s the only woman he wants), will stop at nothing to win her back. With Cadie’s assistant providing him a favorite list of her movies to “guide” him along, and Will’s co-workers to help, he doesn’t see what could go wrong as he tries to “woo” Cadie back. However, each step forward is almost two to three back for Will, but he keeps trying.

But, despite missing him, Cadie is trying to make things work without him, and each misstep convinces her she’s right. She also has some misconceptions about what is going on in his life. His persistence eventually wins out, albeit almost too late.

This story is about reading into things the wrong way, not taking time to communicate, our own stubbornness, and about our own religious observances. It tells a loving story about how we sometimes want to be better than we have to be because we feel we’re not enough. It is in that pursuit we almost lose ourselves as well as what we’re fighting for.

Some reviewers had a problem with Will asking permission from Cadie’s parents for marriage – no, he didn’t have to. However, given his own beliefs, he felt it was the right thing to do. That’s where a lot of readers will have a serious issue. I think the gesture shows a great respect to Cadie, her parents, and God to ask for her hand in marriage, YES EVEN IN 2019. Would I have a problem with a man going to my mother before me? No. It is a sign of respect and in some ways, inclusion of
the family. If it is how he feels, who is the reader to disrespect that – or make fun of it?

As far as the issue with sex – again, remember … this is a Christian themed novel. While some Christians have no issue with pre-marital sex, some will. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to it. Whatever works for that person or the couple, is what works for them. Obviously it was important to Will and we cannot invalidate his feelings over it. That is where the romance in this novel is – loving and respecting each other to see past our own desires. To act with respect for the person we love, not act on desires. Apparently Cadie was just as upset by the event.

I’m surprised a LOT of reviewers haven’t attacked Will’s persistent “wooing” of Cadie as a #MeToo moment. Not that I see it as such. Although I am sure there might be others who could.

Will and Cadie love each other, they both wanted to be with each other. It was a series of mistakes and missteps that caused the separation. It wasn’t an outright rejection of him – so much as Cadie wanted a commitment. I am surprised (pleasantly so) that I haven’t really seen a “#MeToo” comment about his relentless pursuit and not taking a for an answer.

I was a little ticked at Cadie that she rebuffed him so many times when it was clear he had made a mistake (which wasn’t 100% his) as later revealed. Had they talked, it might have cut 100 pages off, but still been a cute read. Let this be a lesson – talk things out. Don’t assume. Don’t let insecurity read something into nothing.

Overall this is a cute read, given the subject and some of the more “questionable” parts. Despite being utterly irritated with Cadie’s attitude at times, I still couldn’t put the book down and managed to read it in about two (2) days. ( )