Take a romantic trip to Australia... A Girl's Guide to the Outback by Jessica Kate (Review) @Celebrate_Lit

Thursday, February 6, 2020 - Leave a Comment

Welcome to my tour stop! I've been looking forward to this one, especially
after enjoying Love and Other Mistakes. Read my review below...

A Girl's Guide to the Outback

By Jessica Kate

Christian Contemporary Romance

Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 368 Pages

January 28th 2020 by Thomas Nelson

Summary

How far will a girl go to win back a guy she can’t stand? This funny, sweet, and romantic story proves that opposites do attract—and that God has a sense of humor.

Samuel Payton is a passionate youth pastor in Virginia, but below the surface, he’s still recovering from the blow of a failed business and insecurities he can’t shake. His coworker, start-up expert Kimberly Foster, is brilliant, fearless, and capable, but years of personal rejection have left her defensive and longing for a family. Two people have never been more at odds—or more attracted to one another. And every day at work, the sparks sure do fly.

When Kimberly’s ambitious plans for Sam’s ministry butt up against his risk-averse nature, Sam decides that obligations to family trump his work for the church. He quits the ministry and heads home to Australia to help his sister, Jules, save her struggling farm. As Kimberly’s grand plans flounder, she is forced to face the truth: that no one can replace Sam. Together they strike up a deal: If Kimberly comes to work on Jules’s dairy farm and lends her business brains to their endeavor, then maybe—just maybe—Sam will reconsider his future with the church.

As Kimberly tries her hand at Australian farm life, she learns more about herself than she could’ve ever expected. Meanwhile Sam is forced to re-evaluate this spunky woman he thought he already knew. As foes slowly morph into friends, they wonder if they might be something even more. But when disaster strikes the farm, will Sam find it within himself to take a risk that could lead to love? And will Kimberly trust God with her future?

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My Review

A GIRL'S GUIDE TO THE OUTBACK is a story of finding self worth not in others, but in the God who loves you, and being willing to let go of fear in order to let God work in your life. The setting is rugged and charming, with characters who struggle with self-doubt and loss, but who find friendship, family, and love. Highly recommended to inspirational romance fans!

This story was a roller-coaster ride of humor, friendship, struggle, disaster, faith, family, and romance that pulled on all my emotions. I laughed and cried, smiled and swooned. The characters were all easy to relate to and I loved them so much! I also liked that there were two different romances. Sometimes that can be a problem for me in a story, but it worked for me here. I loved all the banter between the love interests and the ribbing between siblings and friends. These characters, particularly Sam and Kim, have some deep heartache and fears to work through. It really broke my heart watching them deal with their hurts, both from the past and during this story. However, it made the sweet and happy moments that much sweeter. There was one thing that tied things up maybe too perfectly having to do with Kim's mom that could have been left out, but that was a small thing. Otherwise, I enjoyed every minute of this story.

In the end, was it what I wished for? With a charming Australian setting for most of the story, wonderful characters, sweet romance, and an emotional journey that will pull on the reader's heart, there's much to love. Grab this one if you're an inspy contemporary romance reader! I thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to see what Kate writes next!

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Australian author Jessica Kate writes inspirational romances with wit, sass, and grit. Jessica is a screenwriting groupie, cohost of the StoryNerds vlog and podcasts, and her favorite place to be—apart from Mum and Dad’s back deck—is a theme park. She has traveled North America and Australia, and samples her favorite pasta wherever she goes—but the best (so far) is still the place around the corner from her corporate day job as a training developer. She loves watching sitcoms with her housemates and being a leader in a new church plant.