About the Book:

After four years with her boyfriend, Cadie McCaffrey is thinking of ending things. Convinced Will doesn’t love her in the “forever” way she loves him, Cadie believes it’s time for her to let him go before life passes her by. When a misunderstanding leads to a mistake, leaving her hurt, disappointed, and full of regret, she finally sends him packing.

But for Will, the end of their relationship is only the beginning of his quest to figure out how to be the man Cadie wanted him to be. With the dubious guidance of his former pro-athlete work friends and tactics drawn from Cadie’s favorite romantic comedies, Will attempts to win her back. It’s a foolproof plan. What could possibly go wrong?

My Thoughts:

I’m torn. I want to tell you that I love this book and its great and everyone should read it, but at the same time it uses words that I am opposed to (i.e. crap) and the movies that are mentioned are PG-13 and R rated, movies that I would not watch myself and I would definitely not recommend others watching. I have only seen a few, such as Serendipity and Sleepless in Seattle. If you are a rom-com lover, you will enjoy all the hidden (and not so hidden) references.

Call me a fuddy-duddy or old-fashioned, I don’t care.

I will say this. Mrs. Turner is a wonderful storyteller, especially in the first-person. I’m not a big first-person fan, but in her books, I think she tells her stories best that way. Wooing Cadie McCaffrey is a nice blend of the funny and the serious. It’s considered a comedy, but it’s not like laugh out loud or rolling on the floor humor. It’s the kind of humor we chuckle and smile at mostly because we can see ourselves doing the same thing. Ms. Turner’s personality shines through the narrative and that alone will make you chuckle.

I will also say this. While WooCam does involve premarital sex, it is done completely behind the scenes and is handled in the right way. Both characters know they have sinned and ask God’s forgiveness for the wrong that they committed. It is in no way glorified or gratuitous. The book does mention the word “sex” several times.

If you are tired of the same old/same old in Christian genres and are looking for something new, you will enjoy this book. If you are perfectly content with the way things have always been done, you will probably not enjoy this book. It’s edgier than most Christian novels and pushes the envelope about what is considered acceptable in Christian literature.

If you are entertained by PG-13 rom-coms, then you will absolutely enjoy this book. I think this book could also be a valuable tool to teach older teens about the consequences of 1) engaging in fornication and 2) not having open communication. Parental discretion is definitely advised for anyone under the age of 18.

In the end I decided to give this book four stars because it is so well-written. The characters journey will touch your heart. You will find yourself rooting for Will and pulling your hair out at Cadie. You will laugh when his sweet attempts at being romantic blow up in his face. It has some amazing advice for dating couples in our millennial era, including waiting until marriage to be intimate, not placing yourself in tempting situations, and being open to listening and talking about problems rather than hiding them or keeping them to yourself.

About the Author:

Bethany Turner is the award-winning author of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck, which was a finalist for The Christy Award. When she’s not writing (and even when she is), she serves as the director of administration for Rock Springs Church in Southwest Colorado. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Colorado, where she writes for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight.
For more, visit http://www.seebethanywrite.com.