A Contemporary Christian RomanceOlivia Donovan fell for her brother’s best friend, Jax, years ago and thought the feeling was mutual. How wrong she’d been. He’d invited her to meet him at the oak tree at her parent’s house, and then never showed up. She avoided him for years and moved on with another boyfriend.On the day of her move to a new city, Olivia’s brother informed her that he wouldn’t be … brother informed her that he wouldn’t be available to help, but not to worry, he set up a replacement. When Jax Hunter showed up at Olivia’s door, she was determined not to like him. After all, he was the stereotypical bad boy from her high school days and she wanted nothing to do with him.
But when a colossal event took place, relationships were tested and character revealed. Truth always has a way of rising to the surface. Will Olivia be able to trust God to make the biggest decision of her life? Or will she let the fear from her past hold her back?
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Wow, very inspirational and thought provoking. Olivia had a plan but God had His best plan for her already mapped out. Their second chance is really touches the heart.
This is a wonderful well written beginning to a very promising series. The author weaves a beautiful story of two individuals Olivia and Jax that have know each other for years and because of a promise kept and a misunderstanding their relationship was never able to develop. This is a clean inspirational story of a God’s timing and the importance of having a relationship with Him.
It was short but sweet.
4.5 Stars.
(1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= Yes, it was Okay; 4= I LIKED IT A LOT!; 5= A favorite, IT WAS GREAT!!)
SHAKEN is a novella (<15 Chapters) and bk #1 in Evangeline Kelly’s Santa Clarita series. Jax Hunter has been Olivia’s brother’s best friend since high school. Olivia had a crush on Jax at that time but he hurt her feelings and she never understood why. That was years ago. Now her brother, Noah, and Jax share an apartment and Olivia has just moved across state to be closer to her boyfriend and her family, so Jax is back in Olivia’s sphere. But when Olivia’s plans begin falling apart she finds herself re-examining feelings, choices, and goals for her future.
SHAKEN was a sweet 2nd Chances romance story that brought back memories of old high school crushes. Sometimes, it’s not a matter of something being wrong, but simply being the wrong time. SHAKEN is a inspirational story about choices and looking to God for direction. I sometimes prefer novellas because I can read them quickly (before bed), but oftentimes it seems like the story was rushed or parts were left out. I didn’t sense that with SHAKEN, perhaps because all the characters had history together and that aspect came through successfully. This was an enjoyable read from a new author for me; I have already purchased #2, Matchmaker and look forward to reading it. SHAKEN could be read as a standalone title; there were no Cliffhangers and it has a HEA.
READER CAUTIONS - Recommended for all readers who enjoy Clean or inspirational romance with 2nd Chances trope, and a sweet HEA.
Violence - None.
Profanity - None.
Sexual Situations - None. Simple sweet kisses.
Definitely a sweet, clean, happy-ever-after romance — perfect for a rainy afternoon read. The author is very skilled at developing her characters. They are realistic. I loved their honesty, sense of humor and I was pulling for them as they struggled. Their happy ending did not come easily. I enjoyed every page of their journey!
I really love second chance romances, they are so much more believable than the insta love ones so why didn’t I rate this one higher than 3 stars? I have enjoyed binge reading this author’s books because of the clean, easy read, light and fluffy style she has going on but I have to admit I was a little let down by some of the content in this one. As a woman who is beyond what is considered the perfect weight by American standards yet comfortable with it, I didn’t appreciate the constant references made. It kinda felt like the author was having a go at over weight people and used too much of the cliche phrases. This is also the first one that felt preachy and judgmental. I have to say I found this author and really I am so glad I did but this one just hit me wrong and that is all on me. I will keep reading this author because I love her style and have enjoyed most of the books I have binged on so far. This one for me was just okay enough to finish but not great enough to be a favorite.
A nice, clean “life” and romance story. I enjoyed the characters and storyline of this title. It’s Christian, clean, and left me with a great “ahhhhh” feeling.
Good, clean read. Enjoyed the chemistry between Olivia and Jax.
“We were created by Love, in love, and for love.” Tim Tebow, Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’s Storms
I received this book through a free offer. Rating: clean, faith-based, Inspirational Christian Romance: less than 100-pages. Book 1 in the ‘Santa Clarita Love Stories.’ The views expressed are my own.
Olivia Donovan was moving to Santa Clarita to an apartment next door to her brother Noah. She had quit her job and had taken a new job at a lesser pay scale in order to be closer to Harrison, her boyfriend of 5-years. Everything was falling apart. All her volunteers that were scheduled to help her move bailed. Her boyfriend suddenly had to go in to work on a Saturday, her brother’s European trip was rescheduled to leave at an earlier time and he waited until the last minute [calling her from LAX] to tell her he was sending a replacement… her ex-heartthrob and bad boy from high school… Jax Hunter. Olivia had had a crush on Jax since she could remember. He had broken her heart and now she was to see him after six years.
“Regardless of how your life will impact others and what that will look like, I just know that when your identity is grounded in God, when you trust in Him, you become part of a bigger picture. And you begin to live out this wonderful poem He has written for your life. This is the truth when life is smooth sailing, and this is the truth when storms come.” Tim Tebow
This was a story of faith, redemption, forgiveness and accepting God’s best plan for one’s life. Olivia was in a bad relationship and couldn’t or wouldn’t see that her pride and stubborn will was getting in the way of true love. A love that God first… had for her, and second… a love planned for her. The characters were charming, delightful and the author made us care about them.
The faith presented was Christian with mentions of Jesus and His saving redemptive power. We have characters choosing to follow Christian Biblical principles as they openly discuss prayer as a way of communicating with and seeking guidance from their Heavenly Father. In times of trial, our characters had to rely on their faith in God, as things began to fall apart. This was not done in a preachy manner, but simply expressing the experiences of a character as he received a new life in Christ. We also watched characters embrace foreign missions as a way of serving God both financially and by the volunteering of their time. It was well done and I enjoyed the story and would recommend it to others.
Book 2: Matchmaker: continues with the character Noah.
5 Stars
Sweet and Clean Christian Romance
This is a novella length second chance romance. It is sweet, clean and faith filled. It is a good story that captures your interest from the start. Another quality story from this author. I bought this book and this is my honest review.