The Basics

Title: Love and Other Mistakes by Jessica Kate

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: July 30, 2019

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: 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

This book wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I had heard it described as a romantic comedy, and although there were some funny moments, it dealt with some pretty heavy issues. There were a lot of storylines and characters introduced at the beginning of the book, which was a little confusing at first. Everything did end up coming together and making sense, but it felt like there were so many stories going on, we didn’t get much detail about any of them.

Some of the side characters were actually my favorites: Lili and Nick’s friendship was really well written, and baby Olly provided some fun moments too. The overarching themes of forgiveness and finding your worth and purpose were what redeemed the book for me. Overall, I enjoyed it and I will read the next book in the series when it comes out next year!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.