Becca KinzerReseñas

I quite enjoyed this book. It's full of misunderstandings which I always find really fun. There are a lot of funny parts that made me laugh out loud. I found the quirky characters in the small town really fun. It was a bit predictable at times but I think a lot of romances are. I didn't find the romance too heavy, there was enough other things going on.
A really fun book.

I really enjoyed Love in Tandem. It has a clever story line that was always surprising me with imaginative and humorous twists. It made the read fun and an adventure. I appreciated the clean romance with a touch of faith. If this sounds good to you, I totally recommend Love in Tandem as a delightful new rom-com.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title. I can't wait for the next book from Becca Kinzer!

Charlottes life is a disaster. Her fiancé dumped her two years ago and he is now getting married on the same weekend that she was supposed to be married on. Her job as a music teacher is hanging by a thread and her mother and father are acting strangely. Charlotte worries that her mothers cancer might have returned. Somehow she gets wrangled in to being the maid of honor in her Ex's wedding party and pretends to be the new girlfriend of her Ex's brother Zach. It's all a bit much to take in. In order to raise money for her family and job she and Zach enter a 500 mile tandem bike ride challenge and take off together camping and biking across the country. Unfortunately the adventures they have on the ride were not believable for me. Zach and Charlotte fall in love on their ten day bike ride but at the end it takes them many weeks to actually decide to get together. I'm sorry to say this story just did not do it for me and the second storyline of Sophia, Charlottes sister in my opinion was unnecessary. 2.5 stars.

I was happy to learn this author had another book out since I adored Dear Henry, Love Edith, her debut novel. Her new book caught my attention from the very first line. “It’s a terrible thing when a teacher survives an entire school year only to die the first minute of summer vacation.”

I found it intriguing how Charlotte got caught up in a tandem bike race. I wondered where the author would lead us next. Oh, the locations we traveled, adored every minute of the ride, and the people the author added to the mix were fun. What made me admire this story was learning the author went on a similar adventure with her fiancé.

I enjoyed the author’s notes where she shared how she biked from Nashville, Tennessee, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on a tandem bicycle borrowed from good friends. Neither one of them had ridden tandem before. They quickly got the hang of it, “(The author states, “Well, after we crashed into a bush at our very first stop,…) “..we knew one thing for certain – we were ready to pedal through more of life’s journeys together.”

This is a delightful diversion with lots of adventure, entertaining characters, and a deeper-than-expected plot. I adored it, and you will too!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher, and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

This is my first Becca Kinzer book and now I must go read Dear Henry, Love Edith since I loved this book so much. I immediately fell in love with Charlotte's over-the-top, slightly hysterical, and absolutely adorable third person voice. She has such a heart of gold but trails of near disasters follow her everywhere. And Zach - what a wonderful hero. Somewhat broken, a bit confused, yet loyal with a big heart, he captivated me from the moment he showed up in the story. They have great laugh-out-loud moments but deep, thought-provoking moments as well. I enjoyed their faith journey and loved witnessing the reconciliation and discovery of purpose and calling. I didn't expect a second romance sub-plot nor a mystery sub-plot, but Charlotte's younger sister Sophia provided both and her story tied nicely into Charlotte's story.

If you're looking for an incredibly funny, sweet, witty, and heart-warming romcom, look no further.
I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Tyndale via Interviews & Reviews and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

I'm certain that there are readers out there who will love this book; however, that reader is not me. I found the humor off-putting and the couple to be annoying. And don't get me started on the townspeople, who managed to be unrealistic, unintelligent, and to remind me why I no longer live (or have any desire to live) in the small town I grew up in.

First sentence: Henry grimaced, not sure which irritated him more--the persistent ache in his knee or the relentless voice in his ear.

Dear Henry, Love Edith is a premise driven contemporary romance. Is it merely clean or is it distinctively Christian? It is published by Tyndale, a Christian publisher, but I think it falls into merely clean. (I do enjoy reading clean romance novels. It's a GOOD thing, but, from a Christian publisher I expect a slight bit more. Again, nothing wrong with the novel as is. So what is the premise of this premise-driven novel? Edith is coming to stay with a stranger; she thinks he's an older gent, being the uncle of one of her acquaintances (online perhaps?). Henry reluctantly has agreed to play host at the behest of his niece; he thinks the woman, Edith, is an elderly widow. They meet early on but don't exchange names. He thinks she looks like Goldie Hawn, I believe. She thinks he looks like Paul Newman, I believe. There's instant attraction but they don't know each other or even how to get to know one another. At the house, these two don't meet for quite a long time. They don't keep the same hours. They just write chatty notes back and forth. (Each thinking the other is elderly and that there is a BIG age gap between them).

Of course there is conflict in this one...which allows for some pretending and such.

I definitely enjoyed this one. I would say I loved the beginning, enjoyed the middle, and was indifferent to the end. The last fifty pages or so was a bit of a let down--personally. But I definitely enjoyed almost all of this one.

I found myself smiling as I read the first page, where readers meet a nurse named Edith, who is excited to finally go on an adventure to South Africa. She’s waited for this trip her whole life. The only thing slowing her down is her passport. While she waited, Edith pit stops at a small-town in Illinois. She will be volunteering at a crisis nursery. Lodging plans change at the last minute and Edith ends up staying at Henry’s Hobbs house. Henry and Edith don’t meet each other because they had originally set things up and communicated through Henry’s niece. It also didn't help that Edith worked the night shift and Henry works days. So, they start leaving notes on the kitchen table for each other to read.

They strike up a friendship through these notes, hoping to meet sometime soon. Surprising and fun, situations arise that made me smile. I loved the witty dialogue that made me laugh out loud. I enjoyed the mistake in identity, as they come to grips with the truth and what they will do about knowing it.

Furthermore, I loved this charming romance filled with heart, and a community of fun-loving characters that make you want to go live there. Likewise, I felt that the town’s people were just as much a character in this crazy, loving, humorous novel that talks about genuine love, friendship, forgiveness, second chances and shows two people getting brave enough to chase their dreams.

I enjoyed every minute I spent with Henry, Edith, and the local folks. You don’t want to miss this heartwarming story or this author. She’s one to watch.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/