Fellow Australian, Jessica Kate, launched her debut novel this week, Love and Other Mistakes, and from what I hear a dramedy with some humourous moment but also a heavy hitter with some of the relationships and subject matter it deals with. Jessica is super fun – one part of the fabulous Story Nerd girls – and I’m thrilled to see this book hit shelves and into readers’ hands. I loved her free novella, The Kiss Dare, and will be diving into Love and Other Mistakes soon. For now, I’m sharing the first line for Hoarding Books‘ First Line Friday!

First Line

Now, if only they were peanut butter M& Ms….! Ha!

Jessica has some great authors saying great things about this 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

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.

Australian author Jessica Kate writes inspirational romances with wit, sass, and grit. Jessica is a screenwriting groupie, co-host of the StoryNerds vlog and podcasts, and her favourite place to be-apart from Mum and Dad’s back deck-is a theme park. She has travelled North America and Australia, and samples her favourite pasta wherever she goes – but the best (so far) is still the place around the corner from her corporate day job as a training developer. She loves watching sitcoms with her housemates and being a leader in a new church plant. 

Relz Reviewz Extras
Visit Jessica’s website and blog
Grab The Kiss Dare free
Buy at Amazon: Love and Other Mistakes or Koorong
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