I had a difficult time getting into this book, but it finally took off. To be honest, I wasn't a fan of the protagonist at all. I found McKenna to be self-centered and whiny. It was a fist pump moment when her mom finally took her out for an attitude adjustment meeting... Revisiting an old hometown through the pages of this story were the biggest highlights for me.

Such an enjoyable book, but the title didn’t really suit it. NY lawyer Mckenna doesn’t so much do-over her life, but makes changes after she is falsely accused of embezzling funds at her job. Leaving NY to go back to North Carolina and stay with her family while the investigation into the horrible accusations against her proceeds, Mckenna is sprung into the busy lives of her family - her oldest sisters life with her husband and children, her youngest sisters wedding plans, and strangely… the re-emergence of her high-school rival, Henry Blumenthal… who is looking might delicious these days. It was really sweet to see McKennas interactions with her family and her softening from a dedicated-one-track-mind-lawyer to family-first-girl with a heart of gold, rather than ice.

2.5★s
The Do-Over is the fifth stand-alone novel by American author Bethany Turner. Up-and-coming New York City attorney, McKenna Keaton was meeting with the board of Wallis, Monroe and Burkhead, expecting a promotion to senior partner, so the accusation of embezzlement from the partner with whom she’d worked most closely, and even harboured ideas of marrying, is a huge shock.

Forced to take unpaid leave while an investigation is conducted, McKenna sublets her Upper West Side brownstone apartment and goes home to her family in Durham, North Carolina. Erica, the sister she’s closest to, is the only one who knows the story; everyone else thinks she’s taking a well-earned break to attend her younger sister, Taylor’s engagement.

When she attends a function with her brother-in-law and encounters Henry Blumenthal, her academic rival at high school, she’s not prepared for the shy, nerdy boy to have morphed into the confident, urbane documentary maker now famous for his prolific work, Hank Blume. Not is she expecting the instant attraction, apparently reciprocated.

Henry’s interest in her father Scott’s family genealogy project uncovers a disturbing trend with the unmarried female members of the family. But then he proposes to include her family tree in his latest project, and suggests that McKenna helps him with the research. McKenna can’t resist.

Turner’s protagonist is not particularly likeable: a thirty-eight-year-old woman who often acts like she’s sixteen, she is so focussed on her career, she has not even visited her incredibly supportive family in three years, and she effortlessly throws out thoughtless remarks that wound the younger sister who clearly idolises her. Keeping her work situation from her loving family? Makes no sense at all.

Her attitude to relationships is rather cold and calculating: “her prospective ideal mate based on his LinkedIn account more than the consideration of any human emotions.”

In a story that is 95% romance and 5% intrigue, the revelation of the embezzler is no surprise; it’s a sweet but very predictable love story that drags a little towards the end. But don your disbelief suspenders: McKenna is supposedly a very smart junior partner in a prestigious law form who trusts an internal investigation to clear her name, and doesn’t bother with representation? Cue eye roll.

Does she get her ducks in a row and act to prove her innocence? Not really. Does she redeem herself with her family? Eventually, when she’s pulled up by others for her attitude. It’s Henry and McKenna’s family who save this from a lower rating.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction

McKenna Keaton had her life all figured out. She was going to study hard, get into law school, pass the bar and move to New York City. She achieved everything she set out to do. Now her job is in peril and she is on leave. She is close to her sister Erica but not Taylor. For once chaos is going to reign. Hank Bloom aka Henry Blumenthal is a documentarian. He is loved in there home town. Little did she know that Hank was really Henry. Over the next few days, there are memories surfacing. She doesn't believe in romance or love but things are changing. If nothing else, chaos has taught McKenna to find what is important in her life. Henry fits in perfectly!

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

I really enjoyed this book. The interactions between the characters were great and it was a fun read for me.

3.5, rounded up. It's always nice to read a romance in which the protagonist is older than 25--while the younger millennial fist-shaking got old (c'mon, McKenna, you're not ancient; you're 38 years old and in the same generation!), I appreciated that McKenna is already established in her career and her sense of self and that she's able to reexamine her values after her world shifts. I also loved McKenna's family and other side characters who support her as she heads back to Durham from NYC even after she keeps them at arm's length. Her relationship with Henry is a little insta-lovey but overall very sweet.

If you're looking for a lighthearted romance centered around family, childhood crushes, and pop-culture references, this one might be for you.

McKenna Keaton mapped out her career path at age seven. Her dream? Return to New York City, become a lawyer, and make senior partner in a law firm as quickly as possible. Just when her last dream seems within reach, McKenna gets put on unpaid leave while the firm investigates an embezzlement allegation. A crime McKenna would never commit.

To economize, she flies back to her hometown of Durham, NC, to stay with her parents and try to put herself back together with the tender ministrations of her older sister. And if she happens to be around for her little sister’s engagement party, McKenna doesn’t mind. Too much. Especially when the subject of a date for the party comes up.

An unexpected encounter with her high-school rival for valedictorian, Henry Blumenthal, rocks McKenna’s already tipping boat. Nerdy and shy no longer, Henry remade himself as Hank Blume, producer of documentaries. A fact McKenna somehow didn’t know, even though she’s watched and re-watched every documentary by Hank Blume.

When Henry drops by to see her father’s ancestry research, he discovers an alarming pattern. All the Keaton women who fail to marry by forty, die before they turn 41. McKenna doesn’t know how to feel about this, but she does know how she feels about Henry. He makes her sizzle and spark (in a good way).

But living a lie (only her sister knows the real reason she showed up in Durham), and telling a few more to keep her story plausible, is no way to start a relationship. What will it take for McKenna and Henry to get a do-over? And what will happen if they do?

What I Loved About This Book

McKenna narrates the book, and her internal dialogue will keep readers smiling. While I’ve never been a type-A personality, I can still relate to McKenna’s compulsion to follow rules and not break laws.
While romance and comedy play a central role in the story, ultimately, the Do-Over is about family. The messy parts of our relationships with our siblings and our parents, and how our understanding of what happens during our childhoods must change if we want to move forward. Tender, sweet, authentic, and funny, the Do-Over will inspire readers to reevaluate their own family of origin. And maybe, just maybe, ask for a do-over.

Fans of Emma St. Clair and Melissa Ferguson will enjoy this book.

This book was a slow start for me, I didn't understand McKenna at all, I wanted romance so the focus on anything but was a struggle for me, I was so invested in Henry that I wanted him to be on every page but sadly, he wasn't. But, this book had the best ending I've read in a while. I am so here for it and everyone needs to read this so they can experience the joy that is the ending. By the end, I wanted everything for McKenna that she wanted. Truly. A career? Yes, please. A husband? You do you, boo. New York? Yeah, it sounds awesome. Maybe Durham? Girl, what makes you happy makes me happy.
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Jared and Erica were so good. Taylor was a sweet little sister. McKenna's mom had a serious mic drop conversation with McKenna that made me want to literally cheer. Her dad, guys, he was so adorably geeky about family history which was so fun.

Bethany Turner’s The Do-Over is a lighthearted romantic comedy brimming with pop culture references.

McKenna Keaton has always known what she’s wanted: a successful career, a life in New York City, and to maintain her high school over-achiever status for life. When she is falsely accused of embezzlement and forced to take a leave of absence, she goes back home in more ways than one. Finding herself in her childhood bedroom with her younger sister clamoring for her attention, McKenna is struggling to keep her career nosedive a secret and also not throttle the moony-eyed sister she’s never had a close relationship with. When her need to escape her family lands her in front of popular documentarian Hank Blume, she’s just as flustered to be in the presence of her favorite filmmaker as she is to learn he is actually her high school academic rival, Henry Blumenthal.

The Do-Over is full of enchanting descriptions of New York as a testament to protagonist McKenna’s lifelong obsession with the city. As she bounces back and forth between New York and North Carolina, we see McKenna switch between her confident career persona and who she was when she lived with her parents. Her shifts in personality demonstrate how easy it is to fall back into old patterns.

One of my favorite components of this novel are the wonderful supporting characters. McKenna’s family and Henry are all well developed, full of humor, and just plain lovable. I had a harder time connecting with McKenna, as her treatment of her family grated on me. I loved seeing her growth as the novel progressed, but some moments in the beginning are particularly hard to swallow.

Though I loved the setting descriptions and supporting cast, I don’t especially feel that this was a good match for me as a reader. However, there are still many positive and wonderful aspects of this book. Just because it wasn’t necessarily a good fit for me doesn’t mean it won’t be for you; reading preferences are as individualistic and subjective as we are! There were clearly many positives in this book, or I wouldn’t have had anything to include in the review. I adored the family and their genealogical studies, the writing flows well, and the supporting characters are likable.

Overall, this lighthearted romance has an emphasis on family. The themes of accepting yourself and others for who they are, and not who you want them to be, is delivered clearly and without judgement. I appreciated the frank conversations between characters on topics like judging women based on their decisions — the classic independent child-free career woman (and the constant barrage of when will you settle down and have a family) AND those who choose the opposite. Turner thoughtfully shows both sides how judging women based on their life choices demeans and devalues all involved.

Thank you to Bethany Turner, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy such that I could write this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bethany Turner is known for her witty rom-coms, and The Do-Over is another great book to add to the collection.

McKenna is nearing 40, still single, and finally about realize her dreams as a senior partner in a high-end law-firm far from the town she grew up in. When she's accused of embezzling and placed on leave, she returns home to lick her wounds--while hiding the real reason from her family. A chance meeting with her old school rival, Henry (now known as Hank; the famous producer of documentaries), brings an unexpected twist. Turns out, the shy skinny kid she used to know has turned into quite the head-turner...and the crush he used to have on her doesn't seem to have gone away. The Do-Over is a second chance at not only love, but at life. When everything has been stripped away, McKenna is forced to learn who she really is and what is actually important in life. Through it, she just may get another chance to find the love of her life.

I really liked the premise behind this novel, but really struggled with McKenna. I wished she had learned to communicate earlier on, with both her family and Henry. The book still would have been fantastic, but I think I would have liked her better as a character. She also seemed quite selfish and even immature in how she dealt with things off and on. Thankfully, she did end up doing some growth so that redeemed her storyline for me a little. Henry was swoon-worthy and definitely my favourite character. McKenna's family was also fantastic and easy to love.

I would give The Do-Over 3.5/5 stars. If you enjoy Bethany Turner's novels or just like a quick easy-to-read rom-com, you will probably enjoy this one.

*I received a complimentary copy of The Do-Over through the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. My positive review is not required.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Do-Over by Bethany Turner is a fun and sweet romance.

McKenna has never wanted or looked for love. Sure, a marriage on the horizon might be a logical step but it won't get in the way of her career as an attorney. And living in New York City means she can't see her family in North Carolina as often as she likes, but she's pursued her career and is completely fulfilled. Until disaster strikes in the word EMBEZZLEMENT. The truth has to come to light, right? Her entire life is based on finding the truth.

In comes Henry (now known as Hank), who has succeeded in his career, is gorgeous with aqua eyes, and sees McKenna like no one else ever has before. But does she want to see where this will lead? Then Henry uncovers a family curse! If embezzlement charges were not enough, now she must worry over a curse that will only effect her, not her sisters.

There is a moment when McKenna questions if she's been selfish—I wanted to yell YES! Not because she wanted to succeed, but because she kept her family at arm's length without even realizing it. I was so happy to see her world get shaken up. (I happen to like stories surrounding lies.) And even happier to see how everything played out. This story focuses a lot on her journey—which is why I liked seeing her change. As for the other characters, her sisters are great as well as her parents with unique characteristics. Henry is charming and interesting because of his line of work. I love the scenes with McKenna and Henry. I wanted about four more lines at the very end to wrap it up—something that showed the final moment of McKenna's transformation.

This is a feel-good story about a woman's journey in her life. And there is romance! And some kissing!

I highly recommend it for all romance readers!

WOW!! I have always enjoyed reading books by Bethany Turner, but I believe The Do-Over is her best story yet. McKenna Keaton is a highly driven lawyer living in New York City who has known the path of her life since she was age seven. Henry Blumenthal makes documentaries and happens to be the guy from high school who she studies with and was competing against to be valedictorian. They have not seen each other since high school and meet again when she is home involuntarily. (I found a little of the TV show Family Ties and a touch of Jane Austen’s Persuasion running through this. )

I LOVED this story. It was delightful and held my interest from the first page. I connected with the amazing secondary characters who made me laugh. The twists and turns of the subplots added depth to the story while keeping it interesting. The romance was delightful and I am now team #HenryBlumenthal. (Long sigh)

The Do-Over shared life lessons with sweet romance, wonderful characters, and humor to make a memorable story. The perfect book to brighten up my week. I highly recommend this book!

I was given a complimentary copy of the book and not required to write a positive review

This book was actually a sweet one. I know this would be a great movie if its created into one. We meet McKenna, who is overly ambitious, this woman doesn’t give up, she works hard she is an overachiever with all of the trimmings. All of this causes her to neglect her family, until she needs them again, and also she fears telling them about her situation at work, her reasons to why she doesn’t want to tell them is so weird especially with her being 38 years old. She goes home and then sees one of her childhood friends named Henry who actually did very well for himself. Anyway I’m loving the chemistry and also this whole genealogy thing her dad is into that that Henry is also into. Anyway, I love character growth and I see that in the McKenna, she gets to iron out all of her issues, and things that she is avoiding. I loved that about her. The book is a quick read everything happens so fast and it goes by fast. I like the plot but the characters were hard to like, the McKenna and Henry thing? I didn’t feel the connection, I am the type of reader that loves when the characters connect, the plot isn’t enough for me, but overall aside from that the book was good.
Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I have very mixed feelings about this novel. The premise did not appeal to me as I’m not interested in the career woman finally falls in love plots so I would have skipped this if it hadn’t been for the author. I was completely charmed by her last book, Plot Twist, so I had to read this. I’m sure there is an audience that will love this book but if you choose this for a fun rom-com novel you might be disappointed. Unfortunately it’s very light on the romance which is a real shame as Henry is such a great character. For me it started off weird as it was a very long winded look into McKenna in her natural habitat as a very driven attorney. That put me off and worried me about the story but eventually she finds herself back home where she has the chance to find herself. Again these plots aren’t really for me because I find the career driven protagonist irritating a lot of the time. She’s been basically neglecting her family who are loving and kind and obviously deserve better.

If we ignore her obvious faults and hope for the meet cute to turn things around be prepared for a rocky ride. The novel devotes large amounts of page time to everything but romance. Aside from her work issues there’s a lot of family stuff. There are her sisters who have been ignored by her and have their own stuff going on for us to hear about. There is her father’s genealogy project and other random stuff that factors into McKenna realizing how much of her life she’s been neglecting. There’s just unfortunately very little of the story that actually Involves Henry. Personally I also found it very unlikely and annoying that the level headed attorney suddenly falls in love basically at first sight and has what amounts to a teenage fixation. The story also does a quick wrap up ending that felt way too rushed. It’s a very readable story but more about her journey than romance. It’s more of a finding herself than a romance. Plot Twist had a journey story too but I think it was a lot more satisfying and unique than this one. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hooked from the prologue! Bethany did such a good job of setting up a wonderful story line.

McKenna (I also dig this name!) walks into this meeting with the "higher ups" thinking she's about to be promoted when her entire life crumbles and she's accused of embezzlement! Using her sisters engagement party as the ruse to get from NY to NC, she takes a leave of absence.

The storyline between McKenna and Henry is *chefs kiss* - I do love an old love story come modern again.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This was the first book I read from this author, and it sounded like a fun rom-com to read. Unfortunately, the editing was so off, that it was hard to follow the story lines and figure out who was talking to whom. I struggled to get past those errors as I really wanted to finish the book. I didn’t like McKenna as I found her to be very 1 dimensional and her story line was not very believable. I realize you need conflict in a story, but her reasons for lying to Henry made no sense at all. The issues with her law firm seemed to clear up magically, so that too was very unrealistic. Unfortunately, I struggled to finish this book.

Bethany Turner once again gives her readers a fun romance novel in her newest, The Do-Over. McKenna is a New York City lawyer who thinks that she she is going to reach her career goal of becoming partner, but instead her career does a 180 and she is accused of embezzlement. She goes home to North Carolina to be with family and attend her sister's wedding activities and becomes reacquainted with highs school nerd friend Henry who has become a world famous documentary maker. McKenna unfortunately hides her career issues from Henry and family and it catches up with her after their romance has blossomed. She needs to find out the truth of her job and what she wants for the rest of her life.
I enjoyed The Do-Over and found it a fun read. It's always frustrating when the heroine is making poor decisions and I felt that in this book.

3.5 stars out of 5; rounded up to 4.

This read is a super-fun way to spend a sunny (or rainy, or snowy, or any-weather) afternoon. It's witty, charming, and full of literal LOL moments! (And, I loved the insight into documentary making--yes, really. Henry frankly would have been a welcome addition as an additional narrator; he truly stole the show in nearly all his scenes.)

And omw, New York! I utterly adore Manhattan, and loved every scene set therein. Central Park! "You've Got Mail" references! Zabar's (which also features in "You've Got Mail")! The Plaza Hotel! All the places--so much love. I might have fangirled a bit.

Turner does a great job at infusing the read with humor. We can always use more laughter in life, and "The Do-Over" definitely fits the bill!

Note: There are a plethora of pop-culture references, many of which I love--especially being of a similar demographic to McKenna. (Hellooooo, Savage Garden, a band I haven't thought about in years but loved back in the day!) And yet, I would not necessarily say all shows, in particular, referenced have carte-blanche approval of clean content; "Outlander" and "A Star is Born" in particular. I personally have not seen either one and don't plan to. That's me/my decision; you comparatively may be fine.

I also wish McKenna had owned up about her troubles at least to her family, beyond her sister, sooner than she did. It served a plot point, but ... but. There were other ways to create dramatic tension. And, faith didn't really play a role in the albeit clean read, a bit of a surprise being published by Thomas Nelson. A few kisses are rather descriptive, as well.

I _did_ appreciate McKenna's defense of the single life and not marrying for the sake of marrying or meeting a societal demand. She and her mother had a really interesting discussion on this front and I actually would have enjoyed if the convo had been fleshed out a bit more; it felt a bit rushed.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I’m a fan of Bethany Turner’s novels for their unique storylines and witty dialogue. The story is frenetic at times with a lot of jumbling emotions from the heroine but the reader gets a front row seat to McKenna’s life ambition and dreams unraveling to a new awareness of herself and what is truly important. I loved the line from her older sister, Eric and it impacted me and made me think about my own relationships. “Sometimes I think you just spend so much time convincing yourself that no one could ever understand you that you occasionally lose sight of trying to understand other people.” I liked Henry a lot and who doesn’t like to see the nerdy guy become a successful person who gets the girl he loves in the end.

This was a good read which is about a woman who goes home on an unpaid leave where she has a reunion with Durham's favorite son. This book had a good storyline but I have to say that I didn't really enjoy the characters as much which I will get to later. The author's writing for the story was great as I enjoyed the conflict between the characters where one of the MC had to go back home. I enjoyed the setting of this book taking place on the east coast of the US which sounded relaxing to me. The pacing was also great from the starting to the ending. The writing for the story was great but it was the characters for me.

The main characters in this book are McKenna and Henry. McKenna is in her 30s who is really into her lawyer job but doesn't care much of her family and doesn't have a life. I have to say that she kind of annoyed me and acted more like in her 10s than she did in her 30s. Then there is Henry who is her formal rival and is back in town to premiere his masterpiece. I enjoyed his character more than McKenna. Both had character developments in the book but they weren't the best. There are amazing side characters in this book like McKenna's family who brought the family drama into the story. I love how the story also focused on family relationships as McKenna was strained with her family so seeing that development grow strong touched my heart. Though the romance in the book was kind of an oof as it was super rushed and felt forced. It was a childhood frenemies to lovers / "I had a crush on you" romance with 1/5 level of seaminess.

The ending was good with a happily ever after. I think this book could have been so much better if the characters were revisioned. I just didn't enjoy McKenna's character and if you don't enjoy the MC, then it's hard to get into the rest of the book. Also I'm a huge romance fan and it lacked in this story. Other than that I enjoyed the storyline of the book and the family relationship growth.