This book definitely had me at the first line, wanting know more and took me through lots of laugh out loud scenes and swoon worthy moments.
Sam and Kim though opposites in every way somehow seem to compliment each other so well if they can let go of their pride and just communicate.
Past mistakes hold them captive and their mule headed personalities nearly keep them from realising that they need each other. I love the way the author draws them together although the conflicts seemed too much for a while but I also enjoyed how she pointed out God’s plan for then on the midst of all the chaos surrounding them. The secondary plot too was a delight to read about.
From laugh out loud moments to swoon worthy situations this book is a romantic comedy delight.

”Samuel Payton was an idiot. ” What a great opening sentence to A Girl’s Guide to the Outback by Jessica Kate. Kimberly Foster and Samuel Payton may work together, but they seem destined to be each other’s number one antagonizer.
Wow, this is the rom-com book to pick up for something light, yet with a message.
I liked and disliked all four main characters by turns, depending on whose point of view examined them. Kimberly, Sam, Jules, and Mick all have lots of personalities but the lies they believe often cause them to act as if there is only one possible trajectory for their lives. When their eyes see their own weaknesses, it tends to be through magnifying glasses that so enlarge their weaknesses and fears they can’t move forward. They have trouble viewing themselves in light of God’s Word, based on their own experiences or others’ perceptions of them.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone interested in a lighter, clean rom-com with spiritual overtones.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit and NetGalley. This is no way affects my opinions for which I am solely responsible.

This was more of a romantic comedy than the author's previous story (Love and Other Mistakes), which I appreciate. The previous book was good but it was pretty heavy with everything that happened to the characters. This story had lower stakes for the characters, but was also fun and there was good tension with both of the couples that are highlighted. The romances are both sweet.

My favorite thing about this story is the setting!! I love the Australian dairy farm. I love the way the characters are shown actually doing the farm stuff. Like milking the cows and unloading hay bales, etc. I love love love that the story also shows the difficulties involved in an industry like farming and just how much weather and unexpected things can make farming more difficult.

I also think the family dynamic is really well done here. There is initially tension between Kim and Sam's mother, and it isn't the good kind. Kim is an outsider where this tight-knit family is concerned, and watching her interact with Sam, his mother, and his sister Jules was really fantastic. Part of the family accepts her from the very beginning and part of the family is much more skeptical of her intentions with Sam. I'd love to see these characters again in the author's future work.



Thank you to Thomas Nelson for sending me a free digital copy of this book for review via NetGalley! I was not required to post a positive review. These views are my own!

"Don't let fear stop you."
I loved how funny this was. It was a perfect contemporary rom-com and cleverly written. The antics between Sam and Kimberly made me smile and laugh multiple times.
Sam and Kimberly were polar opposites in a lot of ways. Sam was the epitome of caution and worked within his comfort zone. Kimberly wanted to push and stretch to reach a larger audience through Wildfire, the youth drop-in center they both worked for. When unforseen circumstances take them both to Australia, they each experience personal growth and learn that the other just might be what they need in order to succeed in dreams for their future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is a cute Christian Inspirational romantic comedy about American risk-taking business developer, Kimberly, and risk-averse, Australian youth pastor, Sam, and how these on the surface, polar in personality opposites, are actually pretty similar in their self-doubt and fear and yet have to work together to save Sam’s sister’s farm in Australia.

There’s also a secondary second chance romance plot in this featuring Sam’s sister, Jules, and his best friend, Mick, so you kind of get a two-for-one with this. I think that was both bad and good- good because I don’t think I would have wanted to read a completely separate book for Jules, but bad because it took away a bit from the focus on Sam and Kimberly. There are also multiple perspectives in this book- we get the story from Kimberly’s, Sam’s, Jules’, and Mick’s perspective and for this reason, urgency in one conflict is sometimes lost when the story is taken on by a different character with a different conflict. This relay style of story telling and flashing to other storylines in the middle of someone’s plot and conflict, read more like a tv miniseries, than it did a novel and I could definitely picture this as a film or miniseries. I also think that the relationships as they are written would have transferred better on film than they did reading them- I didn’t feel like there was enough of a “why” for the romantic relationships.

Overall, I did enjoy this. It’s a little slow-going in parts because it was a little hard to stay in the story sometimes with all the voice-switching. What I did love were the themes of letting things go and trusting God, and the difference between the identity we give ourselves and who we think we are, versus the identify God gives us and who he says we are. I think the author did an amazing job blending the Christian part of the messages in with the plot really seamlessly so it never came across as separate or forced. For a Christian reader who prefers a completely chaste romance or wants to buy this for someone who does, there is quite a bit of kissing/making out in this. It’s never anything beyond PG or PG-13 but just to keep in mind if this is not something you want to read. This was my first book by this author and I would read her again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Financial whiz Kim is working her dream job… helping a youth ministry grow and help troubled and underprivileged kids. She’s got plans to do more, but is thwarted by Sam, the ministry’s charismatic pastor who has an inexplicable aversion to growing the ministry. When Sam takes off for Australia to help his sister on the family farm, the ministry’s board gives Kim an ultimatum; get Sam back and get him on board with the growth plan, or the ministry’s closing down. Which is how Kim finds herself thigh-deep in mud on a Queensland dairy cattle farm, avoiding Australia’s legendarily lethal wildlife and battling an inexplicable attraction for the man whose fault it is that she’s in this mess in the first place.

There’s a major subplot with Sam’s sister struggling to keep her farm afloat. Kim lends her expertise to try and figure a way out of things, and I have to say I really didn’t expect the eventual outcome here; it fits romance’s definition of a happy ending for the concerned parties, yes, but it didn’t have the feel-good conquering adversity message I expected. What we got was actually more like what happens in real life, when things don’t always turn out the way you thought you wanted, but maybe that’s not actually such a bad thing after all. It was pretty deep and meaningful, and there’s a lot of that in this book, actually; a lot of soul-searching by all the major protagonists.

This is Christian fiction and the romance goes no further than kissing (doesn’t even hint at more, except for doggy romances!) and Sam’s career as a youth pastor makes a certain amount of religious references obligatory. Unlike a couple of Christian fiction books I’ve read recently, though, this one didn’t come off as evangelising at all. The faith expressed by the characters was deeply personal, never obtrusive onto others. It’s subtle and well done, and I think a lot more authors could learn from this author’s light touch on the topic.

At some 368 pages, this is pretty long, and yes, there were a few scenes I thought could have been cut entirely or pared back a lot without affecting the story. Being a little long-winded was about the only critique I really have here, though, so I’m going to give this one a solid four stars.

I thought of this book as a Hallmark movie. Girl is desperate to get guy back to help her with her ministry plans. A sister is in dire need of someone to help save the family farm. Stuck in the middle of the two problems is guy who wants to help his family but is also too stubborn to help girl who wants him back in the states. Well that sums up what the book is about but wait. There is so much more to this little story. For the record, I love Hallmark movies.

The author sets the majority of the story in Australia. I would love to go there and explore the land and listen to the accents of the people. We get a glimpse of life in Australia as Samuel goes home to try to help his sister keep the farm. His abrupt departure from the states has left a void in Kimberly’s plan. I loved getting to know the characters and see inside their heart. It was interesting to read the different words that are used by the Australians. They have funny sayings, but I’m sure they think we do as well.

There are quite a few funny moments in the book as Kimberly tries to maneuver around the farm and get use to Australia. You can feel the tension between Kimberly and Sam. He didn’t want her to come at all and it will take a lot of work to gain his trust. Sometimes I thought Sam was being stubborn and perhaps he didn’t want to believe that Kimberly really has great ideas.

Through trials and errors we see characters change , hearts softened and romance that is swoon worthy. I have not heard of this author before but now that I have; well let’s just say that she can write a story that stirs emotions like never before. I can’t forget to mention the faith element that is nicely scattered throughout the story.

If I had to choose a favorite character it would be Sam. I just love his humble heart. He has no idea how passionate he is when he shares Jesus. People listen to him and he is able to reach people in the midst of their struggles. I have nothing but good things to say about a book that fascinated me, drew me into the story with vivid details and characters that I really liked. My advice is to get comfy, forget everything around you and get lost in a story that has all the makings for a good movie. Well done Jessica Tate. You have captured my attention with you charming characters, details of a place I want to visit and faith that fills the pages with hope.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

This is the first book I've read from Jessica Kate and I'm looking forward to going back to read her debut novel, Love and Other Mistakes. I enjoyed the story being set in Australia and the slang terms that we learn while reading. The comedy was fun and the romance was quite enjoyable. Sam and Kim have great chemistry. I enjoyed their story together as well as each of their personal journeys. Quite an enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a cute rom-com book and brought me back to memories of trips to Australia. I felt the focus was a little too much on religion for someone who isn't religious, but given that the story was funny, cute and characters had strong funny banter. I didn't really feel a spark between Sam and Kimberly but was entertained by the story.

I enjoyed this romance mostly set in Australia. For much of the book I wasn't sure there was going to be a romance. The first half of the book is more character development and stage setting. We get to know a bit about farming in Australia and see the insecurities of the characters. There are certainly obstacles to romance, the four people in the two couples are so different. They have to work out many internal issues for either of the couples to even begin to make a go of it.

I appreciated learning some of the slang and customs of Australia. I would have liked a little more description of the scenery. In that respect I felt the scene structure and settings were lacking. I like it when I feel I am mentally transported to the location and that never happened. I appreciate the farm activity involved but I was puzzled about the financial aspect. That the farm was in dire financial straights yet the mother planned on an expensive cruise just did not make sense to me.

This is a good book for readers who like a Christian romance centered in a distant location and involving deep character struggles and transformation.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Kimberly Foster is an ambitious business woman, still hurting from her painful childhood. She gets involved with Wildfire Ministries, working with numbers and helping start ups is her job, but Youth Pastor Sam Preston feels like she is turning the ministry into a business. He feels unqualified to be at the head of what the ministry is turning into, so he goes back home to the family farm to help the struggling outfit make turn a profit.



Kim and Sam couldn't be more different, but when Sam leaves Kim will do anything to win him back.



A fun contemporary romance spanning continents, where opposites attract, and sparks fly. Kim and Sam couldn't be more different, Kim specializes in helping start ups, while Sam is more conservative and would prefer to minimize all risks. As the story progresses we see more of who Kim and Sam really are, and the vulnerabilities behind their strengths. I liked the sunny setting, as well as Sam's sister Jules who feels torn between her duty to the family farm and her heart.



A modern rom-com for fans of tales when opposites attract. I loved the little tastes of Australia, from the details about the weather to the flourishes of Australia lingo. I liked how the different ways that Kim and Sam connect with others are highlighted and celebrated. Enjoyable read from beginning to end.



I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

HOLY OY!! What a fabulous story!!! Ms. Kate has knocked it out of the park in her debut novel! She’s absolutely an author to watch for in the future!
Right from the start, Kimberly and Samuel are oil and water, fire and ice. But opposites attract, right?
Both with their own issues, each thinks the other unbearable. With the slight complication of their mutual attraction. But as iron sharpens iron, so too do Kimberly and Samuel sharpen and complement one another, grating nerves and tear and all.
The mix of family, of personal issues, heartbreak and first kisses, the reality of life makes this a believable story; I felt as though I was among friends, rooting for both Kimberly and Sam, as well as Jules and Mick.
The setting was a particular favorite for this reader; I’ve an affinity for Australia—something to do with the accent. That Ms. Kate included colloquialisms (and their meanings) was a delight! That she threw her characters into one tail spin after another was a roller coaster gone wild! And her plethora of clever turns of phrase was entertaining. The “…prickliness of a porcupine with PMS” was priceless!

ROBIN’S FEATHERS
FOUR FEATHERS

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was under no obligation to read the book or to post a review. I offer my review of my own free will. The opinions expressed in my review are my honest thoughts and reaction to this book.

#Blogwords, Tuesday Reviews-Day, #TRD, Book Review, A Girl’s Guide to the Outback, Jessica Kate, Celebrate Lit

I heard about this book on a podcast the other day and immediately wrote it on my TBR. I was so happy to receive this book and it didn't disappoint! I love the story and it just keeps you wanting more!

I was so excited to see a new book from Jessica Kate! I enjoyed her debut novel, Love and Other Mistakes. This one serves as a follow-up novel but completely works as a standalone. We are introduced to Sam and Kimberly in the first novel, but this is their story and you don't need to have read LOM to understand this one. Of course, I always recommend reading all of the books in a series for maximum enjoyment!

This one took me a little bit longer to get into than the first book. But once I got into it, I enjoyed it. Kimberly is strong and amazing at her job, but suffers from a lot of anxiety and an overbearing mother who didn't really seem to want her in her life. Sam is one of the best youth directors ever, but his dyslexia gets in the way of him pursuing many of his dreams. And he is very dedicated to his older sister Jules. Jules is super spunky and stubborn and would make an amazing best friend.

Sam goes back to Australia to help his sister who is struggling with the family farm. Jules has heard all about Kimberly and hatches a plan to have Kimberly come overseas to help figure out how to save the farm while also trying to get Sam to help find his perfect replacement at the youth center he left behind in the US. Jules also has some slight ulterior motives because she knows that the two of them belong together.

I like watching Sam and Kimberly going back and forth, continuing to spar but then learning to appreciate each other, becoming friends, and developing a slow burn of a relationship. Secondary in this story is the relationship between Jules and her ex-boyfriend Mick. All four of them have so much to work through, and together it seems more possible.

And I especially loved having the Australian setting for this one for something a little different in my reading.

I'm looking forward to Ms. Kate's next novel!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a review copy via NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Posted to my blog at Uplifting Reads, Goodreads, and pending approval from various online booksellers.

A Girl’s Guide to the Outback is a hilarious, inspirational rom com, and you’re going to love it! I’m a sucker for Australia…except for all of the wildlife that want to kill me. I mean Australia has the Sydney Opera House, beautiful beaches, Chris Hemsworth… You get the picture.

Kimberly Foster has a head for business, and Sam Payton has a passion for reaching youth who are hurting and need Jesus. Together they’ve made the Wildfire ministry a success. But for two people who work so well together, they sure don’t like each other. Oh, it’s not that they don’t respect each other – they just don’t understand each other. They’ve never taken the time to really get to know each other either.

When Sam leaves the ministry to head back to help his sister, Jules, with the family farm that’s in danger of going under, Kimberly is tasked with finding his replacement. Wildfire quickly realizes that Sam is irreplaceable, so they send Kimberly off to “woo” him back. Sam makes a deal with Kimberly. He agrees to come back but only for six weeks to help train a replacement youth pastor. In exchange, Kimberly will comb the farm’s financials for a way to help save the farm from going under.

I’m not going to spoil this completely adorable book for you because I know you will love it, and I want you to discover all of the swoon-worthy, heart-wrenching, heartwarming, and inspiring moments yourselves. Not only are the main characters well-developed, but the supporting characters also are. My favorite supporting character is Butch who works at the farm. He barely talks, but he listens. He and Kimberly form a real bond during the course of her time in Australia. She was able to open up to him in a way that she couldn’t to others. You’ll find out why when you read this yourself!

A Girl’s Guide to the Outback is a Christian romance book, and I found moments of deep wisdom within its pages.

This book challenges my faith, makes me laugh, and makes me cry. If you love Christian romantic comedy, I highly recommend that you read A Girl’s Guide to the Outback soon!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of the book. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise.

4.5 Stars

I enjoyed Jessica Kate’s debut novel, but she’s outdone herself in The Girl’s Guide to the Outback. Kate’s sophomore release felt much more rom-com to me than her first book, yet there was still some wonderful depth to the story amidst the humor.

Sam and Kim are complete opposites, former coworkers, and inexplicably attracted to each other. When Kim flies to Australia to convince Sam to return to the ministry he left, often time hilarious, sometimes dangerous situations arise. Yet, even more than that, as these two struggle alongside each other (with Sam’s sister Jules) to save his family’s farm, both of them are forced to take a hard look at their stubbornness and those parts of their lives they believe they’ve failed at.

I adored that there are two romances in this book (Jules and Mitch are the second couple) and the peek into a lesser-known side of living in Australia. Here’s hoping Kate returns us to the continent in future books.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

The story of Kim and Sam's relationship is intricately woven with Sam's obligation to his family, Kim's issues with her mother and their combined love and fear for the ministry they both work for.

When Kim decides to spend a month on Sam's family farm, she experiences a series of disasters from a number of broken equipment to natural disasters...but if that is what it means to run a farm in Australia everyone who does it deserves a medal.

I enjoyed Kimberly's personality. Her sometimes prickly sometimes cold exterior masks a world of hurt and is the perfect foil for Sam's more effusive personality.

At the same time, Kim balances Sam's reserve and forces him to step outside of his comfort zone.

The fact that the two are so different mean there's also a lot of challenges and maybe that accounts for how long it took them to get together but I wish there had been more of their relationship on-page instead of implied in the space between the book and the epilogue.

I'll admit that Jessica Kate has some really funny and interesting similies but at times it became distracting because it was just too much.

Know God--like us, both characters professed a relationship with God, they knew what the Bible had to says about certain things but they had difficulties internalizing and applying the lessons to themselves.

Know yourself--from the very beginning, Kim admitted that her brain was one of her greatest assets yet she had to learn that there was more to her than just a knack for business. She had to explore all of her personality to fully embrace the person she was created to be.

Sam had to learn to see himself beyond the limiting beliefs that had been placed on him when he was a young child so that he could fully become the person God created him to be.

Run your race--while each of us is a part of a larger picture and may have a role to play in our families, at some point we have to venture into the world and make our own choices. Sam and his sister had to learn that while their family legacy was important, they had to leave their own mark on the world and it had to be more than just keeping the status quo alive.

I received an advanced reader's copy from Celebrate Lit; a positive review was not required.

I want to begin by first thanking NetGalley and the publisher, Thomas Nelson, for providing me with an early edition of A Girl’s Guide to the Outback. This book was my first introduction to Jessica Kate, and while I was happy to find a novel without profanity or explicit scenes, this review will be one of mixed emotions.

Summary: A Girl’s Guide to the Outback is a story about a youth pastor, Sam, who is afraid to take risks, and a start-up expert, Kimberly, who has a passion for looking at the big picture. Together, these two could not be more different and are continually going head-to-head when it comes to making decisions for the youth ministry they work with called Wildfire. However, when Sam gets a call from his sister, Jules, saying that their family’s dairy in Australia is in danger of shutting down, Sam leaves Wildfire to return home to help.

Free from Sam, Kimberly feels like she can finally accomplish her work with no more fighting, but she soon realizes that Wildfire is nothing without Sam. Willing to do anything to get the youth pastor back, Kimberly is surprised to get a call from him asking for her help. Could flying to the country Down Under be the perfect opportunity to win Sam back, or will their conflicting personalities be too much to form an alliance?

A Girl’s Guide to the Outback takes on the classic story of enemies to lovers; however, while this novel is an endearing love story where loyalty runs high and Australian slang is plenty, many things were lacking in this novel.

When writing a Contemporary Christian book with a protagonist as a youth pastor, you’d think God would be a lead in the storyline and that the Bible and prayer would play a role in the characters making decisions; but, this was not the case in this narrative. I was more than half-way through the book when one of the characters talked about God’s guidance for the first time! There was maybe one Bible verse reference, and the characters were so wrapped up in their feelings and own fleshy desires that there was no space for God to move!

I was also really disappointed at how obsessed the characters were about kissing one another because while they were passionate about one another when it came to their relationship with God, it was on the surface and only seemed to become important when life was at a crossroad. As I read, I became upset at how little Kimberly, Sam, and Jules seemed to trust in God and how much they relied on their feelings. This is how many Christians are living their lives, and it makes me sad to think that teens/young adults will read this book and get affirmation that it’s okay to be obsessed with the physical side of relationships and only talk to God when you need help.

I hope that by writing this review, people will not see it as hateful or spiteful. Instead, I pray that it will open people’s eyes and get writers to start creating books where God is a central character and not just a centerpiece on a storyboard. A Girl’s Guide to the Outback had lots of potential with essential life lessons sewn within the storyline, but for me, it was missing too much for me to give a rating above three stars.

One thing I love about Rom-coms is they are fun and light. That's one of the things that sometimes bothers me too. But The Girl's Guide to the Outback doesn't only include lightness and humor, it also contains a meaningful vein of faith, trust, dealing with fear, and following God's path for our life.

Another thing I enjoyed about this story, a huge part, was the Australian setting. It adds so much to the story and gave me a glimpse of a place I rarely visit in my readings. The language jargon was fun and the ambiance is a nice perk to the story.

Characters are usually the strongest pull for me in a story. I love when I connect, root for, and sympathize with the main character. That was the case in this story, but it took me a little longer than I prefer to fully 'get' and have more concern than frustration for Kimberly. I was able to connect with Sam much sooner.

This slow-burn romance is a mixture of sparring fun and uplifting change and put me through many emotions. I was most pleased with the thread of inspiration it instills.

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

Full of Aussie slangs and humour, this delightful book will have you laughing and crying as the characters wade their way through major life decisions and romantic entanglements (and a whole heap of cow muck).

Kimberley does everything she can to keep Wildfire, a youth drop-in Center, surviving. She even has big plans for expansion, if she could just get founder and youth pastor Sam on board. But instead, they constantly butt heads. When Sam up and leaves the program after rejecting her expansion plan she has no choice but to follow him to his family dairy farm in rural Australia in the hopes of winning him back. While in Australia, Kim falls in love with Sam’s tenacious sister and the family history that is wrapped up in the farm - everything she’s never had. But as she and Sam form a tenuous truce to start working together, the sparks start to fly as each reveals a hidden side of themselves. But can their relationship last if their plans fall apart?

While I enjoyed the story of youth ministry start ups, big dreams and a dairy farm to save, it was the characters that I really fell in love with. Kim is so outwardly strong and confident. But I could relate to the quivering, hurt mess she is inside. She has never felt like she belonged, never felt like she was worth anything, constantly striving to be good enough for her demanding mother. And Sam, through his blinded fear, has contributed to that. Sam, for his part, has been burnt from past failures and from misplaced criticism. His fear drives him, leaving him constantly at odds with Kim’s ambitious plans. While their new plans succeed and fail, it is the mending of the heart that drives this story. Kim and Sam start, not quite as enemies, but with plenty of shared hurt and past inflicted wounds. As they work together on Sam’s family’s farm - and Kim doesn’t hold back, jumping straight into the messy work- they share more of themselves and learn to really listen to each other. Their growing relationship is slow to start and certainly doesn’t jump from enemies to attraction. But once that spark does creep in, whoa boy, talk about chemistry.

Alongside Kim and Sam’s stories, is Sam’s sister Jules. She is committed to saving the farm and keeping her ex, vet Mick, at arms length. I’ll just say, there is a fantastic bonus romance to enjoy.

There is pretty much every Aussie slang referenced in this book, but it’s not too over the top. And it’s written for a USA audience, with the explanations for the sayings, words or objects woven into the story (and for the record, Vegemite is awesome).

A Girl’s Guide To The Outback is a fun and funny romance with plenty of heart.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.