Sera and Connor have been divorced for a year when they both—independently—decide to try out a new online dating app, Blinde. Instead of swiping left or right based on photographs, Blinde matches based on an algorithm of compatible personalities and shared interests, and would-be couples have to get to know each other via in-app emails (because love is blind-e).
Sera matches with a guy called Jack who seems great. For starters, he can actually write, and he manages to communicate without saying anything sleezy or inappropriate. What Sera doesn’t realise is that Jack is none other than her ex-husband, Connor. Connor knows right away that he’s messaging his ex-wife, but chooses not to let on (which we al know is setting up some tension: what’s going to happen when Sera finds out? Because we know she will.)
Yes, this is a modern Christian take on You’ve Got Mail, except it’s a reconciliation rather than a romance.
And for the reconciliation to work, we have to understand why the marriage broke in the first place, and we have to see the characters do the work to ensure they have changed sufficiently they can have a successful relationship.
When We Blinked shows the relationship broke up because Connor had an internet addiction to the kind of websites he shouldn’t be looking at. While this was a challenging topic to deal with in Christian fiction, Stephanie Mack addresses it well. I especially liked the fact it was made clear this was a Connor problem—there was nothing Sera did to lead to the problem, and there was nothing Sera could have done to help Connor beat his addiction. This clearly places responsibility where it should be placed—with Connor—and doesn’t try to make excuses for his sin.
I was initially a little puzzled as to when the book was set. It’s due to be published in November 2026, so I naturally assumed it was set now. But that didn’t fit with the dates–Sera and Connor were in college in 2005 yet had apparently ben married only ten years. So either they dated for a decade, or the novel was set in around 2018 or 2019. I then found out the novel is a reprint and was originally published in 2021, which means my 2018/9 guesstimate makes sense. (It also means the book is set before TikTok became *the* influencer platform).
Overall, When We Blinked is a compelling second-chance romance with You’ve Got Mail vibes and some deeper messages around the downsides to addiction. Recommended.
Thanks to Tyndale Fiction and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
About Stephanie Mack
Stephanie Mack is an author with a passion for storytelling—on the page, on the mic, and beyond. Her novels blend women’s fiction and romantic elements with meaningful insights for readers navigating the complexities of modern life. Stephanie lives in Orange County, California, with her husband, three daughters, and beloved mini Bernedoodle.
Find Stephanie Mack online at:
Website | Facebook | Instagram
About When We Blinked
Newly divorced Seraphina Jones has returned to the corporate world after four years as a stay-at-home mom. She loves her job at prestigious Hamilton Hotels & Resorts, but the transition from playdates to boardrooms has been tricky, leaving her little space for anything else as a single mom.
Encouraged by her friends to start dating again, Sera tries a wildly popular new app built for people exhausted by swipe culture. Blinde is photo-free, designed to spark meaningful conversations. With renewed confidence―and a groove in co-parenting with her ex, Connor―Sera decides she’s ready to explore romance. Suddenly, there are several contenders: Graham Hamilton, the gorgeous young heir to his family’s hotel empire; Jack, the irresistible match on Blinde whose messages feel like fate; and Connor himself, who still stirs up feelings she wishes her heart would forget.
But while Sera thinks she’s juggling three different men, there are really only two. Jack is actually Connor, who was shocked to be matched with Sera on Blinde and is secretly hoping to connect with her all over again. When the truth comes to light, Sera is forced to ask herself: Is love at second sight truly possible, or is it finally time to move on from her failed marriage?
Set against the backdrops of sunny Southern California and the whimsical mountains of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, When We Blinked provides a modern portrait of love in all its messy, hopeful forms and the power of redemption to turn any ending into a new beginning.
