Love and Other Mistakes

Title: Love and Other Mistakes

Author: Jessica Kate

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Source: Library

My Review:

Love and Other Mistakes is Jessica Kate's debut novel.It was published in 2019. The good thing is that it does not read like a debut novel.

Having read Jessica's second novel, A Girl's Guide to the Outback first, I went into this novel with the wrong expectations. I was expecting it to be more of a romantic comedy because that is the vibe her cover gives off and her second book very much is. It wasn't. Because my expectations were wrong I didn't enjoy this book as much as I expected to. 

Love and Other Mistakes is a second-chance romance. I loved the character development of Natalie and Jem throughout the book. I also enjoyed secondary characters, Lili and Nick, with their beautiful friendship. I appreciated the brief spurts of humor and the witty dialogue that kept the story moving along.

What I did not enjoy was how many subplots there were. While they were seamlessly woven together it was just too much to keep up with. I did not care for Lili's parents, their lies, and what they put her and Jem through. With their drama, the entrance of Jem's ex-girlfriend, and Natalie's father's health, it all just made the book a much heavier read than anticipated. 

Overall, this story is a great debut novel for an author. It is well-written, engaging, and realistic. The dialogue and emotions flow naturally and are not contrived. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good love/hate/second-chance romance with a bit of a meatier feel to it. After you read this one, I would recommend you go and read her second as well. It carries on Kimberly and Sam's story (both minor characters to this story).

★★★/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

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.