Off-Limits Love in Shenandoah by Olivia Hope McCarthy: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

He’s her brother's best friend. 

She’s seven years younger. 

They’ll never work. 

So why can’t she get over him?

Lynette Manns has a go-getter personality and a determination to achieve her goals.  Now, she’s ready to dive head first into the world of sports psychology — once she lands her dream job. But when Lynette’s job search causes her to return to her childhood home, she discovers that her longstanding crush on Benjamin Painter has also come home to roost. 

There are two problems with her crush. First, as her brother’s best friend he’s super off-limits, and second, after a failed kiss attempt years ago, Lynette is positive that Ben is very much not interested.

Eager to forget him and put her new psychology degree to use, Lynette sets out to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. It’s the perfect plan, until Lynette encounters trouble on the Trail, and who should come to her rescue? Benjamin Painter himself.

As they tackle the trail together, Lynette begins to wonder if her attraction to Ben isn’t as one-sided as she thought.

One thing is for sure — Lynette and Ben aren’t meant to be. Right? 

Off-Limits Love in Shenandoah is a kisses only romantic comedy with Christian themes set in and around Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. 

The Author

Olivia Hope McCarthy writes contemporary romantic comedies for adults with Christian faith themes, no explicit scenes, and no swearing. Her overactive imagination used to cause her chronic anxiety, but then she decided to use the gift of imagination for good. Now she spends her free time dreaming up love stories with humor, heart, and faith.

As someone who likes to stop and smell the roses, take pictures of interesting bugs, and look for beauty in nature, you'll find that each of Olivia's stories is heavily inspired by places you can actually visit, like Marquette, Michigan, and New River Gorge, National Park.

Book Review

Know what I love just as much as a good brother's best friend romance? A super protective MMC. So, a book with both PLUS some good 'my wife' moments (when they weren't even married!) and beautiful faith themes weaved into the story effortlessly? Needless to say, this one was truly impossible for me not to fall in love with right from the start. Lynette and Ben had such a great chemistry between them... but as his best friend's younger sister, she was completely off limits giving us all the pining we could ask for. And let me tell you, it was some GOOD pining. The national park setting had me wanting to hit the trails and take up hiking myself... which for someone as indoors-y as myself is quite the compliment! This was truly such a beautiful romance with so much heart and humor, but one that wasn't afraid to touch on harder topics either. If you love faith-filled romances and a protective MMC that will have you swooning, this is one you'll definitely want to experience for yourself. 

Off-Limits Love in Shenandoah is a closed-door romance with kisses only on page and no language. It is the second book in the National Parks RomCom series and while you may see some familiar characters, I do think this could be enjoyed as a standalone as well. 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4rW3MLf