About the Book
Title: Bernadette
Series: The Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue #8
Author: Jennifer Lynn Cary
Publisher: Tandem Services Press
Released: Aug. 4, 2025
Genre: Christian Historical Romance
She’s supposed to be a small-town girl…
…He’s billed as America’s biggest heartthrob.
What could possibly go wrong? How about everything?
Tiny Bernie Sawrey is perfectly happy fixing carburetors until her stepmother ambushes her with a blind date. The catch? It’s with movie star Garrett Lomas, Bernie’s secret celebrity crush and the reason she’s haunted the drive-in alone her entire adult life.
There’s just one teensy problem: Bernie’s about as Hollywood-ready as a rusty muffler.
But when her dad’s garage faces financial ruin, suddenly playing Kokomo’s answer to the girl-next-door doesn’t seem so impossible, if it will help. How hard can it be to fake being normal for a few weeks?
Meanwhile, Gabe Lomas thought being his identical twin’s stunt double only involved driving race cars—not impersonating him at charity events in small-town Indiana. But when the movie studio execs set up the deal and Garrett’s fiancée says no way, Gabe trades his helmet for a fake smile and a very real problem.
The problem? Bernie Sawrey, all five-foot-nothing of her, with enough quirk and innocence to charm the grumpiest producer. That’s the problem.
Gabe is falling for her hard, only she thinks he’s his famous brother.
And she just might be falling for him too.
Now he’s caught between protecting his brother’s career and protecting his own heart. Because telling Bernie the truth might send her racing away—but not telling her guarantees he’ll lose her when she finds out.
Return to 1973 Kokomo, Indiana, where the cardinal in the sycamore knows that love—like a good engine—runs best when all the parts are genuine. A sweet, hilarious tale of mistaken identity, small-town charm, and finding love when you’re not even being yourself.
You will enjoy this sweet, quirky tale of secret twists, because sometimes the best love stories start with a little white lie and maybe a bit of motor oil.
Get your copy here!
About the Author
Historical Christian romance author Jennifer Lynn Cary likes to say you can take the girl out of Indiana, but you can’t take the Hoosier out of the girl. She is also a direct descendant of Davy Crockett, which along with her Indy upbringing, adds fodder to her sweet/clean books. She and her husband make their home in Arizona where she shares her tales of heritage and small town life memories with her grandchildren. You can contact Jennifer via her website http://www.jenniferlynncary.com
My Impressions
“In this business, things look a lot different from what they are in reality. It’s all about the show, the magic, and the misdirection.”
I just love reading each successive novel in the Weather Girls Wedding Shoppe and Venue by Jennifer Lynn Cary. I think I enjoy each one even more than the last. All the books are set in Kokomo, IN, in the 70s. Now we’re on book #8, Bernadette, about a young female grease monkey who poses to strangers as a male for safety and acceptance reasons. After all, women are not supposed to be interested in automobiles and their innards, how they work, and to beat all, how fast they can go around a speedway!
Our unorthodox car mechanic meets the race car driver of her dreams, Garrett Lomas, a Hollywood movie star. He and his entourage come to Kokomo to produce his newest racing movie, since Indy is close by. With a mind of her own, Bernie resents her “distant” step-mother’s insistence that Bernie help the town image by appearing at several public events with the movie star.
Just as Bernie has her secrets, so does Garrett. Garrett’s secrets don’t just belong to him, however. They’re shared, and the keeping and the revealing will surely hurt more than just himself!
This mental drive back into the 70s was so much fun. I tried hard not to sing along to “Bad, Bad, LeRoy Brown” with Jim Croce ( and failed, of course)! How Cary keeps coming up with new 70s references always amazes me, but they’re always spot on and bring such warm fuzzies on remembrance! Here’s looking at you, HoJo’s!
What really makes me love this book and Cary’s others, is the spiritual depth. “If God is in it, there’s no such thing as a little thing. He can make the amazing and astonishing even out of the tiniest offering. Just trust Him.” So says Roberta, Bernie’s stepmother. Roberta truly does care about Bernie, which Bernie begins to see as she lowers her defenses and listens.
Certainly, our two main characters must trust God to guide them, many times out of troubles of their own making. Many times each prays earnestly for guidance in their confusing circumstances.
Overall, I loved this novel. It has a great spiritual growth arc and is basted in historical romance and sprinkled with humor.
I received a copy of the book from the author through JustReads. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.
Notable Quotables:
“ ‘Bernadette, you are a breath of fresh air.’ But how would she feel if she learned what a phony he was?”
“…he’d told the truth, but all in an arena of lies.”
“…the only place she felt valued and understood was her dad’s garage. Everyone there accepted her. No one expected her to get all girly.”
“You are who you are. No mistakes.”
“This was Benjamin Franklin with the kite and the key level of electrical excitement.”
My Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Superior! I am loving each of these 70s historical romances even better than the ones before!
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions 