Wooing Cadie McCaffrey

This delightful sophomore novel from Turner (The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck) features a mash-up of rom-com clichés cleverly strung together as a last-ditch effort to save a relationship. Thirty-year-old Cadie McCaffrey meets Will Whitaker during her disastrous birthday party, a meet-cute that develops into a four-year relationship. But after four years, Will keep stalling on getting engaged. Cadie is determined to end the relationship, and Will, in his desperation, promises her a special night. She gives him one more chance, but the night goes horribly wrong when things turn physical and Will’s expectation that they’ll sleep together makes Cadie uncomfortable. While Cadie prays for guidance and believes she must cut things off, Will is determined to win back her affection. A friend suggests that he research romantic gestures by watching Cadie’s favorite movies, and so, with cues from Big Fish, Juno, and Never Been Kissed (among others), Will goes to elaborate lengths to recreate scenes from the movies, but his plan fails when Cadie realizes what he is doing. Turner digs into issues of faith and personal comfort as Will and Cadie work to know one another more deeply. Ostensibly an homage to romantic movies, Turner’s moving inspirational romance is also a powerful investigation of regret and forgiveness. (May)