A Girl’s Guide to the Outback is my first Jessica Kate novel. The premise pulled me in immediately. A youth pastor butts heads with his co-worker and ends up heading home to Australia. She goes after him to try to convince him to come back. And they butt heads all over again. But this love-hate relationship trope isn’t your usual Pride & Prejudice knock-off. Instead, these are two people whose insecurities have affected their view of the people around them. Including each other.
Jessica Kate has managed to create a romance of witty banter, misunderstandings, poignant revelations, and a perfect homey feel. While Australia is a new setting to me, her descriptions immersed me in the country. I appreciated the way Kate interspersed Australian slang with little sidenotes for us American readers. She executed this in such a way that it didn’t take away from the overall story but rather added to the characters’ musings.
The insecurities of both main characters are so relatable, you can’t help but root even more for them. Not just that they’ll overcome their differences and fall in love, but also that they’ll recognize who they are in Christ. And with this comes some amazing quotes that stick with you long after you close the book.
Overall, this is an incredible read that you cannot miss! Jessica Kate is forever on my TBR list.
More Information
A Girl’s Guide to the Outback releases on January 28. You can click the image to pre-order it on Christianbook.com. And for more Jessica Kate, check out her website and sign up for her newsletter. You can also follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
If you love contemporary Christian fiction, check out my review for Waiting for Jacob by Cole Smith.
Note: I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
