I Can Handle Him

by Debbie K. Lum

Quinn Corbin’s got nothing to lose – except her life. She’s finally got the attention of the man she’s always loved, Nick Allen. But Nick has a reputation for trouble. And after a car explosion killed his last girlfriend, many people in San Antonio, Texas think Nick got away with murder. But Quinn, a 24-year-old elementary school teacher and bubbly optimist, believes Nick is innocent. So does her best friend Tory, a law student and sarcastic realist. Soon Quinn and Nick find their relationship growing when suddenly their world upends. Now Nick is in major trouble again and Quinn may have made the biggest mistake of her life. With incriminating evidence mounting against Nick, Tory works to prove his innocence. But Nick finds himself in a bigger battle when he must fight to protect, and win, his true love.

Genres: Fiction

362 pages, Paperback

Published March 17, 2018

About the author

DEBBIE K. LUM is an unlikely author, a non-reader who was inspired by a self-esteem ad campaign encouraging little girls to dream big. Her romantic suspense novels feature fun, flawed characters with steamy and complicated relationships (and plenty of surprises!) In 2018, Lum released I CAN HANDLE HIM, which was called "A fresh, enjoyable tale." by BlueInk Reviews. Reviews for the book have been published in Booklist Magazine and Kirkus Review Magazine. Her 2017 novel, THE DOCTOR, THE CHEF OR THE FIREMAN, was called “A quick, satisfying romantic mystery.” by Kirkus Reviews. In 2016 she debuted PLEBEIAN REVEALED, PLEBEIAN IN DANGER and PLEBEIAN REBORN, a series about a married woman who finds sudden fame with her ex-boyfriend.

Debbie splits her time between Florida and Georgia and drinks more unsweetened iced-tea than she probably should.

Reviews

[Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a romantic suspense book that is set in San Antonio, this might be the book you want to check out! There were twists and turns that surprised even me.

The characters in this book are a good mix of crazy, good, evil, strong, caring, and smart. I could probably throw in a few extra adjectives but this about covers it, I think! The one character that tends to steal the spotlight is Daniel. He is Tory's best guy friend, is funny, and has an obsession with tacos. But who can blame him there, tacos are quite tasty! Perhaps the author will give him his own book.

Nick has had the cards stacked against him and several incidents have put an X on his back. It seems like many are out to get him and blame him for things that are not his fault. As the story unfolds, and especially at the end, you understand the reasoning for the actions of others. But it is based on emotion and not fact. It isn't surprising considering the events that occur during the first half of the book between Nick, Quinn, and Tory. No, it isn't a love triangle! Quinn and Tory are best friends and Nick is one good looking man that Quinn has crushed on for years. True love does win out in the end, but not without some consequences.

The suspense portion of the book pointed me down many different avenues but not to the truth until it was revealed. I'm still not 100% sure how Tory made the connection but once all is revealed it makes sense. I don't want to reveal too much because that would ruin the story for you! This is one of the twists and turns I never expected to be revealed.

While this story has romance and suspense, there is also some Christian/faith moments that lead one to wonder if there really is a spiritual plane.

I know there is a spin-off from this book that involves Nick's brother Frank. Frank is an FBI agent and happens to be in town and comes to Nick's rescue when he needs it the most. I enjoyed getting to know Frank and will have to check out the Plebian Trilogy

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a GoodReads giveaway win.
I thought this book was pretty great with some year jerking moments.
Nick seemed to be the luckiest person in Texas, woman seen to die when with him. The whole town was sure he was at fault for the death of Sienna. Tory and Quinn came back to town and was sure Nick was innocent, no matter what everyone else said. Quinn always had a crush on Nick, but new he was ready for more than a friend yet. Quinn decided she could be his friend.
This story is a lot like a small town, everyone talks and seems to share the same opinions. Also like a small town, there are deeply buried secrets. This story is about believing in someone, sticking to your own beliefs. It's about loyalty, friendship, family and finding love after great loss. This has some of everything, the story of 2 people finding each other and the mystery of who is behind all the chaos.
This book does have a happily ever after, but the plot twist of "who dunnit" was a surprise. I just have to add, Daniel was my favorite character even though he wasn't heard from often.

[Denise Levendoski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Debbie K. Lum and Goodreads.com I won this book in a Giveaway.

Fresh new story with lots of twists and turns. Keep me interested and definitely a page turner. I did have some trouble keeping up with the girls and first person, third person view points until I got to know Debbie's style of writing. Loved the surprise ending !

[Smashlybookalicousreviewingchicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Can Handle Him is my first read by this author and I think I about dropped my coffee with a few twists in this book. So not where I saw this story going, but fate had other plans and the Lilies were wanting to bloom in a different garden is how to best describe it to as to not give away any spoilers. Nick has a horrible record with cars and girls and this small town is out to prove he’s guilty. Quinn and Tori (BF) are back in town and in for a ride of their live they did not expect- A small town mystery. As the story unfolds my heartbreaks for Quinn and Nick, but Tori or T is the sarcastic law student and Quinn’s BF and friend to Nick, so she’s determined to prove Nick’s evidence and innocence.
I love coffee and if I had to choose between Indigo and Faze, my spot would be Faze. We meet Frank, Nick’s brother who is an FBI agent and Plebian band security in his next phase of life, so it makes me wonder if this leads to a spin off, which I would totally read. I loved Tyler and Gigi and wanted to hit Blaine and Reed numerous times throughout this story. I’m sure you will agree as you read this book. Daniel is hilarious and loves tacos AKA Socats. That’s awesome cause I never realized this and would totally mess up my order if I had to do this. Tongue twister or pig Latin anyone? Oh boy, the next story though just screams Read Me, maybe forgiveness is out there for some! We shall see over some tacos and coffee.

[Sara Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, so this book features two girls who fall for the same guy. One friend (Tori) graciously bows out so Quinn can have her chance with Nick. Nick is an up and coming coffee shop entrepreneur with quite the reputation, his last girlfriend was killed in his car and everyone thinks he has gotten away with murder. When the second accident happens so close to the first one, it seemingly confirms everyone's suspicions and that's where Tori steps in. Tori is a second year law student and she enlists the help of her dad (also a lawyer) to clear Nick's name. As more details come out his innocence is getting harder and harder to prove but Tori really doesn't believe that Nick has done anything wrong.

All during this process, Nick and Tori get closer and it looks like things could turn romantic but all Tori can think about is Quinn and how this feels like she's betraying her best friend.

Overall? I'm giving this one 4 stars. There are a few conversational areas of the book that don't read correctly, they don't sound like anything a person would say in real life. Additionally, there are a few scenes that you know would never play out that way in real life and it was hard to believe it, even if it is a book. Overall I really liked it. It's romance without sex so it's a clean romance if that's your jam. The ending was actually kind of predictable but that's OK because the route to get there was fun and leaves you craving cookies.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mystery and a Small Town Romance

Quinn and her best friend Tory are attending Al’s retirement at the Indigo, his coffee house where both girls worked before graduating from college. Quinn is now a teacher and Tory a law student. They’re both hoping that Nick, a good friend, shows up. He’s been through a lot. His girlfriend was killed in an auto accident some people in San Antonio think he caused. Quinn and Tory don’t feel that way. In fact they’d like to get to know him better.

Another problem for Nick is that he runs a competing coffee shop, Faze. Al’s not crazy about the competition. He wants his son, Blaine, to take over the Indigo and worries that Nick will be too successful and that will hurt Blaine.

The book starts rather slowly with the budding romance between Quinn and Nick. We get lots of small town gossip about why Nick is trouble. As with many small towns there’s a lot of righteousness and back biting. However, the story speeds up when Nick gets in more serious trouble. Now the action focuses on how to prove his innocence.

Nick, Tory and Quinn are likable characters, but my favorite was Daniel. He’s quite amusing. This is a clean romance. No sex, but lots of romantic interplay between the characters. The story is filled with twists. Some of the plot was easy to guess, but parts were a real surprise.

I received this book from PR by the Book for this review.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to state that for about the first 75-100 pages of this book, I was underwhelmed. Everyone except for Nick, Quinn, and Tory were rude, judgemental, and made me less than excited about reading this. However, I was soon completely wrapped up in this mystery about what had really happened, who was trying to frame Nick, and why. Although I hated the things that Nick was enduring, the author managed to balance the novel with numerous themes, rather than just the accidents that Nick had been involved in and the way people were treating him as a result. Nick was creative and driven, despite the things that had happened in his life. Quinn was happy, non-judgemental, and tried to bring the best out in others. Tory was more cynical than Quinn, but still smart, driven, and committed to those that she cared about. 

I Can Handle Him has several twists and turns, romance, and plenty of villains that you will love to hate. If I'm being vague about the actual plot, it's because I don't want to spoil anything, but a good way to summarize this one would be a "whodunnit" novel full of friendships, past ghosts, learning out who people really are, and finding love. I highly recommend this one, especially those that like a little romance mixed in with their mystery and suspense!

 *Many thanks to the author and PR By the Book for providing this novel in exchange for my honest review!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the beginning, I was not feeling this book. I struggled to find my footing with the characters and the story. Yet, after the first few chapters; I did find that hold. This is a good book. The main characters for me were Quinn, Nick, and Tory. The other characters were kind of a turn off to me. They were judgmental towards Nick; which the more I got to know him, I found that their anger was not warranted. Luckily, Nick had two people on his side in Quinn and Tory.

While, I did like this book and found the three main characters enjoyable; I still felt like something was holding me back from fully embracing them. Thus, I was reading the story but it didn't strike a cord in my heart. The romance in this book is sweet with a dash of mild heat. I would read another book by this author.

[Debbie Lum · Rating 5 out of 5]

How far would you go to help an old friend in trouble?
I thought about that while writing I CAN HANDLE HIM and decided to put the two main characters – best friends Quinn and Tory – through some tough choices.
Is helping a friend worth your safety? Or risking your job? Both Quinn and Tory face those decisions while helping Nick, a former co-worker who they both like. A lot.
As much as I LOVE Nick, Quinn and Tory, my favorite character has to be Daniel. Writing his role was fun, because he is such a loyal friend to Tory, yet he ends up on his own journey of discovery. And his lines were hilarious to research and write.
I hope you enjoy I CAN HANDLE HIM, and I hope my descriptions of tacos, exotic coffees, cinnamon rolls and oatmeal raisin cookies don’t make you too hungry.

[Judy Tulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn’t ever read any books by this author before, nor had I ever heard of her. After reading the books description, I knew I wanted to read this book. So I entered the giveaway and surprisingly won. I’m so happy I did. This was a well written book with a well developed plot and characters. The twists and turns really held my interest throughout this fantastic story and continuously kept me guessing what would happen next. I loved it! I can’t wait to read more by this author! This is one book I HIGHLY Recommend!

[Lorie Briggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a little different from my usual selection and therefore a little difficult to get into, but after the first few chapters I found myself flipping the pages quite easily. It’s an enjoyable, easy read that I finished in 24 hours while sitting on the beach and by the pool. It was fun to read and the author does a great job adding in unexpected twists and turns.

[Russell Howen · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I Can Handle Him" by Debbie K. Klum provides romance and mystery for the reader to enjoy as well as anticipate in its 351 pages. There is sadness and joy in the story of friends and the not so friendly. It's well worth the reading time.

[Steve Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this ebook in a Goodreads Giveaway. It was a good romantic suspense novel with an rich supply of possible villains. Some very neat twists. Good reading. Recommended.

[Leslie Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent quick read with twists and turns just when you thought you were on the right track!

[Amy Ingalls · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

It took me a long time to get into this book. I kept picking it up, reading a few pages, then dropping it for other stuff. However, once it got to the night of the concert, I became invested in the story and characters and finished it that same afternoon. I found the different threads of the investigation interesting, and I like Tory, Nick, Frank, and Daniel. A bit of a predictable ending, but that is okay-- sometimes you just need a happy ever after.

I love the way this book handled the issue of sexual trauma and its aftermath. The author also did a great job showing what true consent should look like.

One pet peeve-- if Frank and Nick have the same father, they are NOT stepbrothers. They are half-brothers (a stupid, if correct term)-- in my family we just call each other brother and sister.

And now I want tacos.

[Vivian · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5-star read

I received a print copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Quinn Corbin, Tory Taylor, and Nick Allen are reunited at the retirement party for Al Thomas, their former employer and owner of the bookstore/cafe the Indigo Exchange in San Antonio. All three have moved on with their lives, but have fond memories of Al and Indigo Exchange. Quinn has finished graduate school and has been hired to become an elementary school teacher, her dream job. Tory is following in her father's footsteps and is in law school. Nick has decided to become an entrepreneur and take what he's learned from Al and open his own cafe/bookstore but includes an in-house bakery. On the surface, it looks as if everything is great between these three and Al, but a recent car accident that resulted in the death of a girl has Al's son's best friend and his family out-of-sorts. This family wrongly blames Nick for Sienna's death, especially since Nick wasn't driving the car -- Sienna was -- and the investigators found that the car had a faulty gas tank that raptured after the accident. But trouble seems to follow Nick. His parents died in a car accident when he was only 18 years old (he wasn't in the car and had nothing to do with the accident). He was then in an accident where he hit and killed a beloved family pet (he tried to make amends). Now the incident with Sienna. But Quinn and Tory both know that Nick has a kind heart and isn't the bad guy everyone seems to make him out to be, so Quinn decides to befriend him once again. Her plan seems to work until she invites him over to her parents' home for their annual fiesta and he's disinvited because of rumors and bad feelings. But Quinn refuses to give up. When the opportunity presents itself to make amends for this slight she takes it. Little does she know that this opportunity may well be her last. Tory loves Quinn and is also a staunch advocate for Nick, so when a devastating accident occurs she does the only thing she knows how and that's become his legal ally. Can Nick and Tory find out which enemy has it out for him before he ends up behind bars permanently?

I didn't particularly enjoy the first portion of I Can Handle Him, as I found it to be a bit slow. However, the pace picked up after a few chapters and the story sucked me in. I was just as invested and Quinn, Tory, and Nick into finding out what had happened, why it had happened, and who was behind it. There's a lot going on in this story, there's the death of Sienna, the rivalry and antimony between Sienna's brother and Nick, the business rivalry between Faze (Nick's business) and Indigo Exchange (Al's business), another prominent character's death (no, I'm not telling you who but it is pivotal to the story), the investigation into that death and subsequent arrest of Nick for vehicular manslaughter, family drama (Nick gets reunited with his long-lost brother), and romance. My only wish for this story was to get to know the San Antonio area a bit more (I can say I'm craving tacos now, thank you Ms. Lum), but enjoyed reading the scenes set on the Riverwalk area. For those of you that are fans of New Adult stories, Romance, or Romantic-Suspense, I encourage you to grab a copy of I Can Handle Him to read while lounging on the beach, camping, glamping, flying to your vacation destination, or during your staycation.

This review originally posted on 07/15/2017 at http://www.thebookdivasreads.com/2018....

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was very hard for me to get into this book. It just wasn't my style of book. I did finish it, but, it took me awhile.

[Amber Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway. Although I finished the book, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It was too predictable and somewhat cheesy with the romance.

[Lavender]

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I won this book via Goodreads Giveaways.