I want to but …
I am an avid Chautona Havig fan. Some of her stories have been guiding lights in the middle of some very dark times for me (Aggie Series to name one). The connection between a few of my struggles and that of the characters makes the storylines more believable for me. It is very rare for me to find something that I cannot relate to in a Chautona Havig book and I love it.
Oh, Gracious! did not do any of that for me, and that makes me sad.
Don’t get me wrong, there were funny moments as well as touching ones, but I felt nothing. I waited for the chemistry between Grace and Nolan. I waited for a personal connection with their plights. I waited for something that said, “You must have this in paperback so you can brag that you have it.” Sadly, none of that came.
Now, this does not mean that the book was poorly executed or that the characters were not well thought out–no way. This story was well written and plotted and much care was taken in the development of it. For all I know, it could be something as simple as my head just wasn’t in it or exhaustion at the end of the day hindered me from truly enjoying one of my favorite authors. And I think I can safely say that we have all been there.
At the end of the day, I would still encourage anyone to pick up this Chautona Havig book, and here is why. Just because it isn’t a favorite of mine or I didn’t fall head over heels in love with it, doesn’t mean you won’t. There may be something about Grace’s determination to make it as a “Single homemaker” that will resonate with you. Or that Nolan’s decision to be picky about the kind of woman he wants to spend his life with that will encourage you to make your own “list”. You could be looking for a book that is calming and simple to enjoy on your back porch this summer with a glass of tea. Whatever your case may be, please don’t completely turn away from this book because I couldn’t get into it.
**I was given a copy of this book from the publisher through CelebrateLit Publicity. The views expressed are entirely my own. A favorable review was not required. Only a honest one.
About the Book
Book: Oh, Gracious!
Author: Chautona Havig
Genre: Christian fiction, contemporary Romance, woman’s fiction
Release Date: March 31, 2020
Life is too short to settle for just anyone.
Grace gave her whole heart to Jesus, but now he wants a part of it.
All she ever wanted was to be a homemaker.
Sure, she has a degree in physics. Yes, she could have a lucrative job in Rockland, but Grace Buscher enjoys her life as a single homemaker. As they say, it’s her choice.
As a successful business owner, a handsome guy, and heir to a small fortune, it’s no wonder Nolan Burke is one of Rockland’s most eligible bachelors. The problem is, he hasn’t met anyone who isn’t looking for a “trophy husband.”
Don’t family-centered women exist anymore?
Grace isn’t exactly eye candy. Nolan is a bit blind. So when an “accidental meeting” forges an unlikely friendship, it becomes obvious to everyone that it’s likely to become more.
But is Grace ready to give up the life she loves for the man she loves?
Find out in this completely updated, revised, and improved version of Chautona Havig’s first novel, Noble Pursuits.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.
More from Chautona
Wow, My Beloved First Book Was a Hot Mess
On my blog, I sometimes answer readers’ questions, and one of the earliest ones was, “Since you zip out your books so fast, do you ever later wish you had done something differently with them?”
My answer today is the same as back then—usually. No. Yes, I sometimes regret not being able to tell a supporting character’s story because the book has given away that person’s past and/or future. Still, most of the time, I tell the story as I want it.
But in that post about “regrets,” I said that as I learn, I definitely wish to improve sentences here, and others there. I did this already with Argosy Junction, the second book that I published. The first two or three books were experiments where I made many serious mistakes. Took bad advice. Didn’t know the right things to research. All the mistake-ness.
Total transparency here. I chose Argosy Junction to revise first because I made fewer mistakes on it. Still lots, but not as many as my first book, Noble Pursuits.
Bad editing advice, horrible cover design (twice), and just basic writing craft stuff that I didn’t know when I started this whole journey all culminated in a book I both loved (the story) and hated (the final result). Many reviewers said the same thing, too. That poor book has the worst reviews of all of my books combined.
And for good reason.
But it’s a good story—one I love, as I said—and it has some strong fans. Some readers were able to look past the problems and see the heart of what I tried to do with it. And that was a beautiful thing. Those readers, actually, are the ones I’ve rewritten this book for.
Yes, I rewrote Noble Pursuits. While every sentence isn’t completely rewritten, enough are that I considered it a new book, not just a revised one.
A few readers have panicked to see the title changed, the story rewritten. They’ve asked if I took out this or even that. I took out and added nothing that 99.9% of readers would ever notice. And it’s a better book for it.
I am updating the original Noble Pursuits file with the new text. I’m doing this in hopes that those who already own that book can go into their digital content on Amazon and get the updated version. I don’t know if it will work, but I pray it does.
Meanwhile, for those who’ve asked why they can’t buy the first book on my Suggested Reading Order list, well… now you can!
Oh, Gracious! has been a long time coming, but she’s here with a new title, rewritten content, and even a lovely new cover by the brilliantly talented Perry Elizabeth. It took what seems like forever to settle on a title, but we finally did. Why we chose Oh, Gracious! however, is a story for another day.
Blog Stops
Among the Reads, April 24
Wishful Endings, April 24
Truth and Grace Homeschool, April 25
The Meanderings of a Bookworm, April 25
Inklings and notions, April 26
deb’s Book Review, April 26
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 27
Texas Book-aholic, April 27
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 28
Kat’s Corner Books, April 28
Aryn The Libraryan ?, April 29
Cultivating us, April 29
Through the Fire Blogs, April 30
For Him and My Family, April 30
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 1
The Collaborative Press, May 1
Connect in Fiction, May 2
Spoken from the Heart, May 2
Read Review Rejoice, May 2
She Lives To Read, May 3
Books I’ve Read, May 3
Emily Yager, May 4
Captive Dreams Window, May 4
Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, May 5
Back Porch Reads, May 5
Lots of Helpers, May 6
As He Leads is Joy, May 6
Artistic Nobody, May 7 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
Pause for Tales, May 7
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize package of one paperback copy of each of the 3 fully revised novels: Oh, Gracious, Argosy Junction, and Thirty Days Hath…!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/f8f7/oh-gracious-celebration-tour-giveaway