Romantic Reads: When Valleys Bloom Again (book) by Pat Jeanne Davis

Welcome Pat Jeanne Davis to the blog today! 

She's here to share an excerpt from her story, When Valleys Bloom Again.

Happy reading!

~*~

Story excerpt from When Valleys Bloom Again by Pat Jeanne Davis

 

Chapter 13 

Spring 1942

            

            The train station teemed with soldiers and their sweethearts by the time Jim and Abby arrived. Her heart sank like lead under the weight of all the other goodbyes on the platform.

            Jim drew her near. “I can see your aunt’s ballroom full of soldiers for one of her events. I’m jealous already.”

            Abby tightened her grip around his waist. “Can’t foresee any competition.”

            He stroked her cheek. “Just don’t let them hear you sing, and don’t smile too much.”

            They went over the footbridge to the quieter side of the platform, keeping an ear out for the announcement of departure. She reached into her purse and handed him a small tinted photograph of them on her graduation day.

            Jim broke the silence. “This is more painful than in January when I left for training.”

            She nodded, the specter of separation hovering over them threatened to drain away the joy of the past ten days.

            The train whistle blew and she jumped, legs trembling. She’d hoped to be prepared for their parting. But she wasn’t. She hated the Japanese for taking Jim away from her.

            He snatched up his duffel bag and with his free arm grasped her hand. As they clattered up the metal steps and along the steel-walled gangway over the tracks, their footsteps echoed. Abby shrank from the cold, hard noise. A cloud of steam rose up and engulfed Jim. She tried to drag him back. He pressed on, pulling her behind him, his head turned away, as if heedless of the silent shriek inside her—please don’t go!

            They stood together beside the train. “I wish you didn’t ha-ha-have to go,” she said, clasping his hand to the side of her face. Setting his cap straight, she stepped back and flashed a mock salute, determined to be strong for the sake of others here, all brought together by the sorrow of parting—but especially for Jim.

            A tight, desperate embrace and a last kiss before Jim hopped onto the bottom rung. The conductor made an inspection of the platform before giving the “All Aboard.” Abby gripped Jim’s arm. Clutching his hand, she ran alongside the rolling train—taking him hundreds of miles away—until she fell behind and had to let go.

            The train wiggled out and away from the platform. Long after it had shrunk to a pale silver dot on the blank horizon, Abby stared down the track, hollow inside and unable to will herself away. The crowd dissolved into its melancholy components, and she flowed out with them to the exit.

            On her return home, she pulled the drapes across the window before dusk set in, then curled up in a chair, arms wrapped tight around the cushion. Had they made the right decision to wait until after the war to get married? Many of her former classmates were making wedding plans even now. Long after the first owl announced its presence and the chill of night settled in her body, Abby sat there. Not until the egg-yellow light of a new dawn filtered through the window shutters did she fall asleep.

~*~

Author Bio:

Pat Jeanne Davis has a keen interest in 20th Century United States and British history, particularly the period of World War II. Her longtime interest in that era goes back to the real-life stories she heard about family members who served during the war. 

When Valleys Bloom Again is a debut inspirational romance set in WWII. 

She enjoys flower gardening, genealogy research and traveling with her British-born husband.

She writes from her home n Philadelphia, PA. Pat has published essays, short stories and articles online and in print. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. 

~*~
Book Blurb for When Valleys Bloom Again:

As war approaches in 1939 Abby Stapleton’s safety is under threat. Her father, a British diplomat, insists she go back to America until the danger passes. 

Abby vows to return to her home in London—but where is home? With her family facing mortal danger so far away and feeling herself isolated, she finds it hard to pray or read the Bible. Did she leave God behind in war-torn London too? Then Abby becomes friendly with Jim, a gardener on her uncle’s estate.

Jim can’t get Abby out of his mind. Did she have a sweetheart in England? Was it foolish to think she’d consider him? He curses his poverty and the disgrace of his father’s desertion and drunkenness haunts him. Can he learn to believe in love for a lifetime and to hope for a happy marriage?

Abby couldn’t know the war would last a long time, nor that she would fall in love with Jim—soon to be drafted by the U.S.Army—or that she’d have to confront Henri, a rejected suitor, determined by his lies to ruin her reputation and destroy her faith in God’s providence. Will she discover the true meaning of home?

~*~
Review of When Valleys Bloom Again (posted to Amazon.com):

Erin S

4.0 out of 5 stars Great WWII novel

What a story!

First, the cover captured me. It is wonderfully done and really made me want to read the book. Once I started the book I couldn’t put it down as it was just as wonderful as the cover. Jim and Abby are wonderful characters who really draw you into them and make you think you’ve always known them. While Henri makes you love to hate him. That’s the best way to have a villain type character.

WWII is one of my favorite time periods to read about. It intrigues me and I can’t help but read everything I can get my hands on about this time period. This book really piqued my interest because of that but also because I liked the unique storyline. It’s not often you get characters being sent from England to the United States because of the war. I enjoyed this part and seeing what the years right before the US took to war were like here. I thought the inclusion of doubt and questioning God was a good touch as so often I do find myself in those same thoughts over life. It’s good to see that even fictional characters have those doubts.

This is a wonderful debut novel by an author that I am definitely going to be following for more. I highly recommend you give the book a read.

~*~
Connect with Pat Jeanne:
Website: https://www.patjeannedavis.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pat.j.davis.7
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patjeannedavis/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18797403.Pat_Jeanne_Davis
Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/patjeannedavis
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pat-jeanne-davis-34290422/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/patjeannedavis/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/when-valleys-bloom-again-by-pat-jeanne-davis

Romantic Reads: A Girl’s Guide to the Outback (book) by Jessica Kate

Welcome Jessica Kate to the blog again! 

Today, she's here to share an excerpt from her second book, A Girl's Guide to the Outback which was published after her debut story, Love and Other Mistakes.

Happy reading!

~*~

Excerpt from A Girl's Guide to the Outback by Jessica Kate:

This was a terrible plan.

Kimberly twisted the strap of her handbag as she stood by a park bench and flickering streetlight and watched the bus that had deposited her here roar off into the night. Though maybe the old diesel engine’s struggle into third gear only sounded like a roar compared to the utter lack of other noise. The town of Burradoo at 3:00 a.m. had about as much life in it as the lump of pungent roadkill that lay next to the town’s welcome sign.

She scanned the main street in both directions. Lit by a full moon, Burradoo appeared to consist of single-story tin-roofed buildings scattered along both sides of a minor highway, with two notable exceptions: the sprawling two-story pub in the center of town and the twenty-foot-tall fiberglass orange located opposite.

Kimberly blinked at the gigantic fruit.

Yep. It really was a massive orange, topped by a short stem and one leaf. It rested beside a dilapidated shack with the optimistic sign Tourist Information Centre. Yikes. Could there be any explanation for this phenomenon besides an abundance of spare time, a lack of amusement, and possibly something nefarious in the water?

A rustle stirred in a bush nearby. Kimberly dragged her eyes from the orange and scanned the park behind her. She’d made the mistake of watching Wolf Creek last week as part of her learn-Aussie-culture-via-movies initiative and now had a phobia of strangers who offered to help stranded travelers.

No further rustles. Probably just a bird, not a deranged serial killer. Or a lunatic obsessed with oranges.

She wiped wet palms on the legs of her jeans. Even at this hour, she was sweating. But surely Sam wouldn’t leave her stranded here till morning. She’d sent her estimated arrival time when she boarded the first bus back in Brisbane twelve hours and two transfers ago.

But who was she kidding? Sam would probably love nothing more than to leave her perspiring on a chewing-gum-covered bench for a few hours. He certainly hadn’t sounded enthusiastic about her arrival. But whatever. She should be immune to his jabs by now.

She huffed and wiped her hands again. It had to be at least eighty degrees, and every breath she took carried the weight of humidity. This kind of weather in the final days of November was obscene.

She checked her phone. The Australian SIM card she’d purchased in the airport had worked earlier, so that couldn’t be the issue. No service. Terrific. She was in the middle of town, for goodness’ sake.

She dropped the phone back into her bag.

Headlights swung onto the road a hundred yards away. Kimberly’s stomach performed a triple pirouette. Maybe her overactive sweat glands had more to do with a disgruntled Australian preacher than this un-Christmassy weather. She fought the urge to sprint after the long-gone bus.

Eighty yards.

There was no way this could work. Sam had made his feelings pretty clear by resigning. Apparently leaving the ministry he founded was preferable to working with her and her expansion plan. Maybe she should have taken that hint.

No. Think positive.

Fifty yards.

Perhaps in a different setting, such as his home turf, she could figure out what it was that made them clash so much. Maybe they’d work out a permanent truce. Maybe he’d remember everything awesome about Wildfire and come back to where he belonged.

A pinball of fear pinged around her consciousness. Or maybe he’ll confirm that I was the problem all along.

Thirty yards.

She gritted her teeth and kicked a bottle cap into the street. Stuff Sam and his opinions. All she’d ever done was give Wildfire the best she had to offer: her brain and determination. If he had a problem with that, then she didn’t give a flying purple baboon. And if she’d spent the week after he left watching every sci-fi series in her collection, then that was just a coincidence.

Five yards.

Time for Prayer of Desperation #23. Oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God.

The pickup truck crunched to a halt on the loose gravel scattered at the roadside, and a familiar figure stepped out of the vehicle. Kimberly squinted. The darkness and then intensity of the headlights as he crossed in front of the vehicle obscured his expression.

Time slowed as he paused in front of her and the yellow light finally illuminated him. Him, his moleskin pants, and the cotton shirt that flexed over his folded arms. He could’ve passed for Hugh Jackman’s younger brother in the movie Australia. Her breath left her in a rush.

She’d manage to convince herself in the last six months that, taking into account his irritating personality, she would no longer find the disarray of his hair endearing, his open expression trustworthy, or his ready smile comforting.

She’d been an idiot.

And if that triple threat wasn’t enough— “Welcome to Australia.”

Oh, that voice. A shiver danced between Kimberly’s shoulder blades. It was enough to make a girl throw her passport into the Pacific.

 ~*~

Author Bio:

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 (official podcast of Reading Is My Superpower!) 

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 released July 2019, while A Girl’s Guide to the Outback hit shelves in January 2020.

Receive her sassy shorts "The Kiss Dare" and "The Kiss Thief" for FREE when you sign up for her newsletter at jessicakatewriting.com.

~*~
Back Cover Blurb for A Girl's Guide to the Outback:

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. 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 looms, will Sam find it within himself to take a risk that could lead to love? And will Kimberly trust God with her future?

~*~
Book review by Tabitha on Amazon about A Girl's Guide to the Outback:
5.0 out of 5 stars Rom-com at its finest
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2020

How should you read this book?

Well, first, cancel all your plans because once you open the book, you’re done for.

Have plenty of snacks and something to drink nearby. Because, again, you’re not going to want to stop reading long enough to do things like cook or make coffee.

I want to say, prepare yourself, but I’m not sure that’s possible. There’s so much going on within these pages, so many beautiful proses and broken people finding their hope.

I’m not a mushy person, but experiencing Kimberly’s moments of rejection and seeing how deep her wounds ripped her heart made me a little teary.

The enemies-to-lovers trope was well executed and the rom-com hit all the high points at just the right times to pull everything together into a perfect bundle. I could go on and on about what I loved, but I’ll leave it here. Rom-com at its finest. An excellent portrayal of two people finding their strength and learning how to love.

~*~

Buy Jessica Kate's book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Christian Book

~*~
Connect with Jessica Kate:
Facebook and Instagram: Jessica Kate Writing

StoryNerds podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at www.storynerds.podbean.com.

The McLeod’s Daughters Podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/the-mcleods-daughters-podcast.

Romantic Reads: Sing A New Song

Welcome Candee Fick to the blog!

She's here to share an excerpt from her book, Sing a New Song.

Enjoy!

~*~

Excerpt from Chapter 3 of Sing a New Song by Candee Fick:

“Gloria? We need a rope to hang across this wall as an extra clothesline so we can spread out in here.” Brittany propped her hands on her hips and surveyed the cluttered dressing room.

“You want me to go buy a rope?” Gloria shook the wrinkles out of a red blouse and slipped it onto a plastic hanger.

“No, silly.” Brittany rolled her eyes. “Since you know the janitor, I thought you could go ask him.”

Seriously? She did not just go there.

Brittany tried for an innocent look, but her smirking lips gave her away. “After all, you know where he keeps the mop bucket, so maybe there’s some rope in there too.”

The reminder about her accident with the mop bucket had been deliberate.

And catty.

“Oh, and while you’re there, ask him for a new light bulb for over the makeup mirror. I noticed one burned out.”

Don’t react. Pretend it doesn’t matter. Gloria hung the blouse onto the rack with more force than necessary, lifted her chin a bit, and attempted to glide out of the room.

Once in the hallway, she hurried toward the office area as her temper rose with every step.

After two weeks of rehearsals, she should have earned the respect of her fellow singers and overcome her bedraggled first impression. Gloria might have a few more solos or featured choreography spots than Brittany, but Brittany had been given the responsibility for their costumes.

Why would the other girl want to knock her down?

Must be jealousy.

Which meant Gloria still held the upper position. So as long as she continued to act professionally and did her job well, it really didn’t matter how petty Brittany wanted to behave in return.

The only one who would look bad would be the underling.

Feeling marginally better now that she had a strategy, Gloria approached the supply room. The sooner she found what she needed, the sooner she could return and prove that Brittany’s words had no effect on her.

The door to the office next to it opened, and an old woman in a dull, gray-colored maid’s uniform stepped out, followed by Nick. Once again, the janitor was dressed in jeans and a company T-shirt instead of the expected coveralls.

“Gloria. Didn’t expect to see you here. Allow me to introduce you to—”

“I need a light bulb and some rope.” 

His eyes widened at her interruption. 

“Oops. Sorry.” Her eyes drifted from Nick’s faded smile to his protective hand on the back of the woman who looked a bit like Aunt Bee from fictional Mayberry. Of course, the man would have to be nice to everyone.

The shorter woman grinned, showing gaps between her teeth. “Call me Granny. They all do.”

Gloria eyed the embroidered name on the woman’s uniform: Rose. Wasn’t there a line in Romeo and Juliet about a rose by any other name smelling just as sweet? Well, she caught a whiff of something, and it wasn’t a rose. Probably body odor.

Over the woman’s shoulder, Gloria caught a glimpse of Gavin Sherwood coming down the hall, talking to someone on his phone. He paused beside them, grinned, and spoke to the older woman. “Hi, Granny.” Then, with a squeeze of Gloria’s shoulder and a wink, continued past them toward the backstage area and the dressing rooms.

Where she should be. 

Instead, she had been sent on an errand, and it seemed she couldn’t complete it until she had been properly introduced to a maid. 

Gloria forced a polite smile as she stuck out a hand. “I’m Gloria.”

“Pleased to meet ya.” The woman’s handshake was as firm—and as sweaty—as her Southern accent was thick. 

“Now, Princess, what was this about a light bulb?” Nick’s voice held a sharp edge, almost as if he were jealous of Gavin’s harmless flirtations … or frowned upon her stilted acknowledgment of the old maid.

Never mind what he thought. She had a job to do. “One of the bulbs is burned out in the women’s dressing room. And Brittany wants some rope to hang along one wall as a clothesline to hold more costumes.”

“How many costumes do y’all have?” He frowned.

“I haven’t counted them yet.” She pointed back down the hall. “I left the others still pulling things out of bags.”

“Hmm.” The rest of Nick’s opinion remained a mystery as he ducked into the supply room to fulfill her request, leaving her alone with the other woman.

A hideous hippie outfit beat an embroidered maid uniform any day of the week.

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business?” Granny’s archaic yet elegant words seemed so out of place near shelves holding boxes of toilet paper.

“Is that Shakespeare?”

The maid shook her head then pointed to the door Nick had opened. “He shall stand before kings. He shall not stand before mean men.”

Sure, the janitor was diligent and did his job, but that didn’t translate to royalty status. Perhaps Granny’s mind slipped away from reality now and then. Gloria had heard it could happen when people got up in years.

“Here you go.” Nick’s deep voice interrupted her thoughts as he handed her a light bulb. “I’ll bring the rope along with my tools in a few minutes, after I walk Granny back to the hotel. I figure you girls might need help so it doesn’t fall down halfway through a show.”

“You don’t have to—”

A raised eyebrow interrupted her words, allowing the truth to sink in. As the janitor, he had likely had to fix things after previous groups used the dressing rooms and therefore didn’t want them to create more work for him later.

“That’s probably a good idea.” She swallowed her pride. “I’ll tell Brittany you’re coming.”

~*~

Author Bio:

Candee Fick is a multi-published, award-winning author. 

She is also the wife of a high school football coach and the mother of three children, including a daughter with a rare genetic syndrome. 

When not busy writing, editing, or coaching other authors, she can be found cheering on the home team at sporting events, exploring the great Colorado outdoors, indulging in dark chocolate, and savoring happily-ever-after endings through a good book.

~*~
Back Cover Blurb for Sing a New Song:

The pampered diva is about to meet her match.

Songbird Gloria Houghton has always needed to be the center of attention, but the spotlight has shifted. Seeking fame and a fresh start, she finds a new stage in Branson, Missouri…only to risk being replaced by a manipulative rival. If Gloria can’t be the star, who is she?

Jack-of-all-trades Nick Sherwood is just one leaf on a vast family tree that includes a restaurant chef, hotel owners, and even the headline act at a family-owned theater. He’s seen how fame can blind a person with jealousy and is more than content to stay in the background thank you very much. If only he wasn’t so fascinated—and irritated—by the newest addition to the staff.

After a disaster of a first impression and financial difficulties land Gloria in the humblest of jobs—with Nick as her boss—it might be time for her to learn to sing a new song.

If you like strong families, country music, and redeemed villains, then you’ll love this next chapter in The Wardrobe series by Candee Fick. Pick up Sing a New Song and step into the spotlight for yourself.

~*~
Buy Candee's book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble

~*~
Reader Review of Sing a New Song on Amazon:

4.5 stars

Oh how I loved Gloria’s much-awaited-by-me story. She’s the character we want to purse whomp in the first two books and in book three we just want to give her a hug. To Gloria, her identity is all wrapped up in being the star of whatever show she’s playing in … until life knocks her down a few pegs and introduces her to what truly satisfies, the Source of true worth, and more belonging than she could ever have dreamed. The journey is humbling – for Gloria and even for those of us reading her poignant, sweet, witty, and romantic story at Fick’s talented pen.

As I read of Gloria’s Branson adventures with the Sherwood family, I couldn’t help but hum the tune to accompany the Reckless Love lyrics that remained in my mind through the greater part of the book. I thought of it as “Gloria’s song” from beginning to end. In a way it’s Nick’s song too … but I’ll let you discover that part on your own

Speaking of Nick, he’s a swoony hero whose twinkling eyes and teasing grin had me falling for him faster than Gloria trips over that mop bucket. His tenderness toward her as she navigates one hurdle after another with a new humility is equally swoonworthy – as is his faith in God. And his family is a mix of absolute adorable, fun characters and a couple that need to get their priorities aligned more clearly. Speaking of fun characters, y’all will love Granny!

Bottom Line: Sing a New Song is a love song to music shows (a la Branson or Gatlinburg), family, grace, and of course God who rejoices over us with singing. Gloria and Nick have a simmering chemistry right from the start and it only gets better from there! I’ve loved all the books in this series so far, and I think this one is the best yet!

~*~
Connect with Candee:
Website: https://candeefick.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Candee.Fick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CandeeFick
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candeefick/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/candee-fick
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Candee-Fick/e/B0056B94VE/

Romantic Reads: Love and Other Mistakes (book) by Jessica Kate

Join me in welcoming Jessica Kate to the blog! She hails from Australia! 

I met her at a Christian writers conference five years ago. Since then, she's become a published author! We're featuring an excerpt from her debut book, Love and Other Mistakes on my blog today. 

Happy Reading!

~*~

Excerpt from Love and Other Mistakes by Jessica Kate:

The squeak of rubber soles on the court echoed around Natalie as she froze in the doorway of the recreational center’s basketball court, two weeks after leaving Jem on the hospital sidewalk.

Three guys raced toward the far end of the court, chasing their opponent, whose long legs propelled him down the court at a lightning pace.

Jem.

After another depressing day of job hunting, the last thing she’d wanted to do on her Friday afternoon was play in the weekly social basketball league. But Mom had convinced her to get off the computer—she’d been researching weird M&M flavors to buy—and instead run off the stress, all with a twinkle in her eye Natalie hadn’t quite deciphered.

Now she recognized it—the cunning of a woman determined to get grandchildren. Mom had been single minded toward that endeavor ever since Natalie made the mistake of telling her why she missed the head-office rep meeting.

But if the dream involved Jem, it had to die.

Cheers swelled from the handful of bystanders as Jem leapt through the air and dunked the ball. Even the opposing team members clapped.

“Way to go, Jem!”

The corners of her mouth lifted. She’d practiced with him for countless afternoons till he mastered that move. From that day on, every time he nailed a dunk his eyes would search her out, whether she was beside him on the court or cheering in the stands. His lips would pull into a grin that seemed to combine Did you see that? with Couldn’t have done it without you, babe.

Her mind landed back in the present at the same moment Jem’s gaze locked with hers.

She froze.

He grinned. Did you see that?

The corner of her mouth twitched upward.

Another thought slammed into her mind. He has a baby with someone else.

She whirled and headed out the door. How could he grin at her, like the last seven years hadn’t happened?

Her ire built with each step, threatening to spill over into frustrated tears. He had a baby. She’d felt sick each morning when she woke and remembered that the man she’d thought would raise her children now had one with someone else. And the fact it bit so deep dragged her self-esteem down another three notches. He’d obviously not missed her at all, and here she was still affected by him. After seven years.

Pathetic.

Natalie rounded a corner and pulled her keys from her pocket. She needed time with Jeremy Walters about as much as she needed a cockroach under her pillow.

“Nat! Wait up!” Jem’s voice echoed down the hall.

The open door to the sports equipment storage room presented the perfect hiding place. She flew in and dove behind a pile of dusty gym mats.

“Natalie?”

She fought a sneeze as his footsteps approached, then paused.

“Your foot is sticking out.” Laughter rumbled in his voice.

She wriggled her way upright, brushing a monstrous dust bunny from her blue-and-gold uniform.

“I was just, uh, looking for something.” Like peace and quiet.

He nodded. “There’s a dead moth in your hair.”

“Blagh-eek!”

“Just kidding.” He smirked.

Trying to claw back some dignity, she crossed her arms and surveyed him. How was it fair that, even after so long, those mischievous blue eyes and boyish freckles hadn’t lost one ounce of their charm? Time to go on the offensive. “What are you doing on my team? Don’t you have an article to write or a baby to take care of?”

“Didn’t realize you owned the team. Or still played.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Is it a problem?”

Rats. No good way out of that one. “Of course not. You’d better be able to pull your weight, is all. You’ve got a bit of a dad bod going on.” An utter lie. Curse his physique.

He slapped a hand on his stomach. “Didn’t know you’d been checking my bod out.” The words were laced with laughter, but Natalie just stared. Not going there.

The mirth drained from Jem’s expression under the weight of the silence. “Okay, I can’t do fake nicety-nice with you.” He ran a hand down his face, pulling his cheeks. “I talked to your mom.”

The air left her lungs.

“She told me about Phil. I’m sorry, I knew he was sick, but I didn’t know how bad.”

She flinched at the mention of Dad. He’s in remission. She fought the urge to shout the words. Yes, technically he was in remission. But the writing was on the wall, and barring a miracle, they all knew what the future held. The question was when.

“And she said you can’t find a job and will have to move back in with them.”

Natalie sucked in a deep breath, pressure building in her brain. “Why would—”

“I need someone to take care of Olly.”

She gaped at him. “Have you lost your mind?” The man had told her he loved her. Asked her to marry him. Dumped her and disappeared for seven years.

And now he wanted to be her boss?

~*~

Blurb for Love and Other Mistakes:
Jessica Kate’s heartfelt and romantic debut proves that love always comes in God’s own time.  

           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.

~*~

Review of Love and Other Mistakes by Erin S. on Amazon.com:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tackling some Hard Topics

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2019

My Thoughts on Love and Other Mistakes:
Love and Other Mistakes is a fast reading cute novel. While it’s a romance it adds other aspects as well that allow for deep thinking.

When I first picked up this book I thought it was just going to be a romance. A cute story about how this couple finds each other after years apart and a broken engagement. Then they realize they’re still in love, a few bumps in the road, and they get married. Cute and sweet mostly.

But instead, I got this book.

It’s. . . wow.

This book is so much more than that.

Here you have this book and yes it’s a romance, but it’s also so much more. Within the pages of Love and Other Mistakes you’re going to see a single dad, an affair, an out of wedlock pregnancy or two, hidden sins, hard lessons learned, lies, and so much more. It’s so much more than a romance book and I think you should read it.

I read the book in an afternoon/evening. It was so good I didn’t want to put it down. So many twists and turns that I was not expecting and so much good food within the pages.

Have you ever struggled to forgive? I know I have. And then I know that forgiving isn’t forgetting as well as forgetting isn’t forgiving are some key things that I’ve thought on before so it’s nice to see a character in a book struggle with this too.

Definitely a new to me author that I’m now wanting to read more from. This is one to watch!

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Author Bio:

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 (official podcast of Reading Is My Superpower!) 

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 released July 2019, while A Girl’s Guide to the Outback hit shelves in January 2020.

Receive her sassy shorts "The Kiss Dare" and "The Kiss Thief" for FREE when you sign up for her newsletter at jessicakatewriting.com.

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Buy Jessica Kate's book, Love and Other Mistakes on 

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Christianbook 

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Connect with Jessica Kate:
Facebook and Instagram: Jessica Kate Writing

StoryNerds podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at www.storynerds.podbean.com.

The McLeod’s Daughters Podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/the-mcleods-daughters-podcast.