Anyone But Him by Theresa Linden

Genre

Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Audience

New Adults, Adult

Author’s Worldview

Catholic

Year Published

2018

Themes

Relationships, Communication, Marriage, Abortion, Honesty, Trust

Reviewed by

M.S. Ocampo

Buy the eBook

This book is a part of Catholic Teen Books

Click here to find out more.

Buy the Paperback

Buy the Hardcover

What if you woke up one day and didn’t recognize the person you were sleeping next to? It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but that’s exactly what happens to Caitlyn in Anyone But Him, a story that feels more mystery-thriller than comedy. Caitlyn finds herself married to Jarret, a guy who had a bad reputation in her high school days. This totally freaks her out because in her eighteen-year-old mind, she wanted to marry Jarret’s brother.

There are two mysteries that Caitlyn must solve: How did she end up married to Jarret? And how did she lose her memory? One of the answers ties into her job as an investigative reporter. Caitlyn’s investigation of an abortion clinic becomes a potential lead to solving her own mystery.

The romance between Caitlyn and Jarret is refreshingly realistic. It’s not a picture-perfect marriage, given how jealous Jarret gets and their lack of communication. However, once Caitlyn starts regaining her memories, the truth of the relationship is revealed. Their love developed over time. Best of all, Jarret became a changed man through his relationship with her.

I’ll admit that I found the “culprit reveal” a little out of nowhere, but I love the legitimate suspense and the overall mystery.

Fans of “Lifetime” romantic suspense movies will find this book to be a major upgrade because the main love interest isn’t the bad guy, even though readers might think so initially. Catholics and non-Catholics alike will enjoy the realism of the marriage that Caitlyn and Jarret have and how the two of them renew their love for each other. Abortion and the shady ways clinics skirt the law are brought up, but in a way that works with the plot and doesn’t feel “ripped from the headlines.”

Saint Magnus: The Last Viking by Susan Peek

A young Viking Prince evades a warlord while finding his own harrowing path to sainthood.

Infernal Affairs by Declan Finn

St. Tommy finally comes face-to-face with the warlock that has been behind the events of the previous two books while fighting off hordes of everything from gangsters to vampires.

680 Miles Away By Tara J. Stone

Will Evie run away for good, or will she fight for Finn?

The Haunted Cathedral by Antony Barone Kolenc

Xan is finally bringing his parent’s killer to justice, yet his guardian monk insists he must forgive the murderer

Zeal & Zest: Where to Begin with Hillaire Belloc

Belloc was known as a Catholic polemicist with a vicious talent for skewering his opponents. Anyone struggling to persevere as a Christian in the fields of journalism or media should read him. His children’s books have an acerbic humor that will appeal to bored veterans of political correctness, especially teens.

City of Shadows by Declan Finn

St. Tommy uncovers a group of elites using an ancient artifact to destroy London.

Defend the Tabernacle by Deacon Patrick Augustin Jones

Catherine and Bernard get whisked away to do battle on the Soulscape, where the true nature of things is revealed.

Revelation by Flannery O’Connor

Flannery O’Connor takes us into the mental experience of one of those people Jesus condemned.

Love, Treachery, and Other Terrors by Katharine Campbell

This quirky, fairytale fantasy is a fun and amusing read with a serious moral backbone.

The Light by Jacqueline Brown

Even as the world & nation she knew winks out of existence, Bria discovers family secrets that leave her questioning everything.

Absence by Kaye Park Hinckley

Absence will chill you with the stark reminder that human beings are not just bodies, but souls whose spiritual influence cannot be suppressed, even when the bodies have gone missing.