Series ✦ Penny’s Take
Starting Over
Laura Hayes · 2018
63/100
👎 Skip It
The faith-positive redemption arc and likable protagonists give this a warm, inviting feel, and for readers who want clean Christian romance in a small-town setting it ticks the boxes. But the recurring complaint that the book ends just as the story gets interesting is a real problem — at its length, the emotional investment barely has time to form before the story wraps. Experienced romance readers especially will feel the thinness. Best suited for a reader new to the genre who does not mind leaving wanting more.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
Faith & family safety96
Substance / usefulness55
Craft & writing60
Originality55
Evidence & accuracy70
Hype vs delivers65
Age-fit85
👁 Human-eye gut-check60
Penny’s verdict63
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