Jessica Kate

Sam and Kim are coworkers who have yet to get along and eventually their differing ideas cause Sam to return home to Australia. The problem is that their ministry is failing without the presence of Sam so Kim takes it upon herself to convince Sam to return. What follows is a delightful story with many laughable moments.
As mentioned, the best part of this story is the humor. Jessica Kate has a rare talent of being able to lighten up serious moments with a well-timed quip. So many times throughout this novel, I found myself bent over, trying to stifle a laugh.
The one thing that I wasn't fond of was all the drama. The couples had their issues and did not figure out how to discuss them like mature adults, instead acting like middle-schoolers. It was overwhelming at times and I just wanted to skip to the end of the book.
While this novel had some downsides, overall, I am glad I read it and can't wait to see where Jessica Kate goes next. I would recommend this novel to fans of V. Joy Palmer and Melissa Ferguson.

Rating: 4 Stars
Content: 5 Stars

*I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own.… (mais)

Oh wow, I loved this book. The characters were priceless and the humor was perfect.
I loved the split perspectives that this story offered. They really gave the reader insight into each character in different ways. The characters were funny but they also showed their real emotions in very true ways and I felt for what they were going through.
I was snickering my way through this novel and it really brought a smile to my face. I recommend this to anyone looking for a novel with lighthearted moments that will make the reader laugh. I am eagerly awaiting more novels by Jessica Kate.

Rating: 5 Stars
Content: 4 Stars

*I received a complementary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required.… (mais)

I've borrowed this at least twice before and never got far, with the audiobook. This time I finally finished it and enjoyed it thoroughly because of the fun the author had in using Australian-isms and explaining them, adding humour to the book.

I wondered who Jessica Kate is - is she American or Australian? - is she having fun as an observer of Australian ways, or as a native, sharing the love of the idiosyncrasies?

Haven't found anything yet, but I see her one other book listed in LibraryThing is set in Charlotte, so probably not Australian.

The Christian basis of this book is evident up front, but it isn't intrusive. I'm not used to religion in my novels but I'm open minded to trying everything.

This is the story of Kimberly, and Sam, an Australian farmer and wannabe youth minister.… (mais)

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

Well not bad. I just didn't realize when I got this via NetGalley this was a Christian romance. I tend to stay away from that genre because I just don't enjoy it at all. It didn't help that I realized half way through that this was a sequel to another novel with some of the same characters. This was cute though and I just gave it four stars though it didn't wow me that much. A very solid romance that I can see readers who enjoy Christian fiction enjoying.

"A Girl's Guide to the Outback" follows Samuel (Sam) Payton a youth minister living in VA. Plot reasons cause Sam to quit his job at the church and return to his family's farm in Australia to help out his sister Jules. Sam's coworker Kimberly chases after Sam in order to get him to come back to the ministry with an agreement that if she manages to help the farm become profitable he will return. Sparks fly.

Honestly I didn't find Sam or Kimberly that gripping, they had some hilarious banter and they are obviously attracted to each other. Everything is very PG-13.

There's also a side romance story going on with Sam's sister and their neighbor Mitch. When did we start doing that in romance books? Can we get back to just focusing on the leads and that's it?

The writing was okay and the flow was too.

The setting was fun though since I have only read a handful of romance books that have taken place in Australia.… (mais)