Love and Other Mistakes
By Jessica Kate
Christian Contemporary Romance
Paperback, Audiobook & ebook, 352 Pages
July 30th 2019 by Thomas Nelson
Jessica Kate’s hilarious, romantic debut novel proves that some mistakes—including love—are begging to be made again and again.
Natalie Groves once had big dreams. But soon after her fiancé, Jeremy Walters, inexplicably broke off their engagement and left town, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Now tasked with keeping her family afloat, Natalie’s grand plans have evaporated . . . and God feels very far away.
Fast-forward seven years, and Jeremy is back in Charlottesville with an infant son and years of regrets. When his niece, Lili, lands on his doorstep in need of a place to stay, Jeremy needs help—and fast.
An internship opening finally presents Natalie a chance at her dream job, but she needs a second income to work around it—and the only offer available is Jeremy’s. They could be the solutions to one another’s problems, provided they don’t kill each other in the process. When they join forces, sparks fly. But they both know there’s a thin line between love and hate . . . and that love will turn out to be the best decision—or the biggest mistake—of all.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this story of love, forgiveness, loss, and compassion. The characters are complicated and the author does a great job of describing them, how they are feeling, and moving them forward in a positive way.
The main characters are Natalie and Jeremy. They have history. Their story is full of pain and good times. They have a lot to overcome in order for forgiveness to happen. While they are experiencing their own drama, there is a ton of it happening to the people they love. I found this story to be believable because life is full of ups and downs. I appreciated how they came back to their faith and trusted God to help see them through.
This is the first book that I have read from this author. I will look for more books from her in the future. This book contains infidelity, kissing, and Christian themes.
Rating: I give this book 4 of 5 stars!
What was an unexpected benefit from writing a book?
Creating fictional lives gives you an outlet to deal with real-life emotions in a safe space. Natalie felt like she was missing out on her purpose in life, and when I started writing the book, I did too. Lili (the hero’s niece, who gets her own subplot) is questioning everything as she watches adults in her life make choices that contradict the beliefs they taught her. To a far less dramatic extent in Lili’s life, I’ve felt some of those emotions. So it was great to bring about a hopeful resolution in fiction as God did the same in my real life.
My thoughts: I really enjoyed this story of love, forgiveness, loss, and compassion. The characters are complicated and the author does a great job of describing them, how they are feeling, and moving them forward in a positive way.
The main characters are Natalie and Jeremy. They have history. Their story is full of pain and good times. They have a lot to overcome in order for forgiveness to happen. While they are experiencing their own drama, there is a ton of it happening to the people they love. I found this story to be believable because life is full of ups and downs. I appreciated how they came back to their faith and trusted God to help see them through.
This is the first book that I have read from this author. I will look for more books from her in the future. This book contains infidelity, kissing, and Christian themes.
Q&A with Jessica Kate!
What was an unexpected benefit from writing a book?
Creating fictional lives gives you an outlet to deal with real-life emotions in a safe space. Natalie felt like she was missing out on her purpose in life, and when I started writing the book, I did too. Lili (the hero’s niece, who gets her own subplot) is questioning everything as she watches adults in her life make choices that contradict the beliefs they taught her. To a far less dramatic extent in Lili’s life, I’ve felt some of those emotions. So it was great to bring about a hopeful resolution in fiction as God did the same in my real life.
Praise for the Book
“A stunning debut . . . This tale of love and redemption will stay with you long after you've closed the book. A must-read.” —Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress
“Witty. Charming. Heartfelt. I could go on and on about Jessica Kate’s debut novel. From its highly relatable characters to its pitch-perfect dialogue, Love and Other Mistakes is a delightful, romantic read filled with just the right amount of sass. I lost count of the number of times I laughed out loud as I watched Natalie and Jem navigate their relationships, careers, and faith. Definitely one of the most enjoyable books I've read lately, and I can't wait to see what’s next from Jessica Kate!” —Melissa Tagg, Carol Award–winning author of Now and Then and Always and the Walker Family series
“Love and Other Mistakes wraps a poignant and warm look at relationships within a smart, sly, and knowing comedic voice. Readers of Sally Thorne and Bethany Turner will be immediately at home with Natalie: an all-too-real heroine who balances whip-smart agency with an endearing vulnerability and whose intersection with long-lost Jeremy helps her forge a path to confidence and discover the woman she was always meant to be. Kate’s unputdownable debut recognizes that all human relationships—familial, friendship, romantic—are worth the keen eye and clever insight of her talented pen.” —Rachel McMillan, author of the Van Buren and DeLuca Mysteries
“If you’re looking for a story with sass on top of style, or a fresh voice pumped full of fun, you need to read Love and Other Mistakes. Then after you’ve enjoyed this—and I’m confident you will—make a date with whatever this exciting new author writes next!” —David Rawlings, author of The Baggage Handler
About the Author
Australian author Jessica Kate is obsessed with sassy romances.
She packs her novels with love, hate, and everything in between—and then nerds out over her favorite books, movies and TV in the StoryNerds podcast. When she’s not writing or discussing fiction, she’s hunting the world for the greatest pasta in existence.
Her debut novel Love and Other Mistakes releases July 2019, while A Girl’s Guide to the Outback hits shelves in January 2020.
Receive her sassy short The Kiss Dare FREE when you sign up for her newsletter at jessicakatewriting.com. StoryNerds podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at www.storynerds.podbean.com.
Tour Schedule
So glad you enjoyed this one, Lisa! Thanks for being on the tour!
ReplyDeleteTressa @ Prism Book Tours
Thanks for reviewing Lisa! So glad you enjoyed it!!!
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