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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Take a Romantic Vacation to Key West in This Compelling Book

by Chautona Havig · 1 Comment

At first, I wasn't sure I'd like Island Charm, but well, you could say it charmed me. Great characters, beautiful setting, sweet story. A delight. via @chautonahavig

While in the middle of writing my own island novel, I was given the opportunity to review Island Charm by Audrey Wick and snapped up the free review copy lickety-splickety!  Okay, so I just put in my request and waited for the day to read it to arrive.  Would I like it?  Would I love it?  Did I find a new, must-read author?

Well…

Island Charm

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Take a Romantic Vacation to Key West in This Compelling Book

Okay, going to be honest here. Then again, when am I not?  Still, here’s the deal. Island Charm has several things that shouldn’t work for it. Conflict–almost none. Expected romance “misunderstanding?”  Yep.  Predictable and yet… not. Instant attraction?  Absolutely.  It’s all here.  The good, what should be the bad, and… oh so much more.

Here’s the deal. I should be writing that this book was a miss for me.  Seriously, as I got through the first few pages, I thought, “Oh, no…”

But something interesting happened as I read. Audrey Wick drew me into island life the characters’ lives and even the side characters’ lives.  I wanted to be sure Jack was taken care of. I wanted to be mad at Anna (of the palindrome) for not just going over and talking to Gunnar.

Oh and I totally expected to be complaining about the sensuality in the book.

And yet here I am oddly satisfied with a perfect read for a day at the beach (or by the kiddie pool on the patio surrounded by cornfields. I’m flexible). What threatens to be a fluffy read oddly has a few deep roots that holds it firmly in place and just allows things to sway where they should go.  Kind of like a palm tree.  Interesting.

Even the one hold-out complaint that I had fell flat at the end of the story.

You see… there’s basically nothing in the story that made me see it as Christian fiction. It’s clean (unless mention of wine offends you).  It has less sexual and sensual content than some of my favorite Christian authors, even.  I expected to argue that this book is actually clean and wholesome or sweet and clean romance.

But then the book finishes off with scripture and discussion questions that when you read them, you see a thread through the whole thing–a thread I hadn’t expected.

Bravo, Ms. Wick.

Would I have preferred to see it play out in the lives of the charcters?  Sure.  But what she did there was a lovely bridge between my favorite kind of Christian fiction and general market… a way to open a conversation about Jesus and His Word whenever the reader is ready for it.  I have to give kudos for that.  And yeah, I’m grateful for the free review copy I received.  I’m even more grateful that I ended up really liking it.

Best part of the book for me is the personality of Gunnar.  Something about him is just crazy endearing.

Recommended for lovers of contemporary romance, clean reads, and beach reads.  If you’re looking for deep, spiritual nuggets… well, you might like it anyway.

island charmAbout the Book

Book:  Island Charm

Author: Audrey Wick

Genre: Christian Contemporary Beach Read

Release date: May 14, 2021

An imposter in paradise.

When Anna Worthington’s twin sister gets jilted by her fiancé, Anna steps in with a plan for a girls’ Key West getaway instead of a honeymoon trip. Yet when her twin has her own crisis of commitment and doesn’t board the plane, Anna finds herself on a romantic getaway that she’s forced to navigate alone.

A vacation romance with an expiration date.

Gunnar Lockhart, whose specialty is island tourism, is the perfect match for helping Anna complete her vacation bucket list, but time together forges a connection more personal than either anticipates. As they make island memories, Anna has to untangle her mixed emotions. Are her feelings toward Gunnar real? Or like her sister’s wedding day, has this connection been doomed from the start.

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Comments

  1. Audrey Wick says

    June 23, 2021 at 11:28 am

    I really enjoyed reading your review, Chautona. Thank you! I especially appreciate your comments about the characters you enjoyed and the way you saw certain threads woven together. So glad you read ISLAND CHARM, and I am grateful for you featuring my novel! Best wishes for more great summertime reads.

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
byChautona Havig

Before I began the interview with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel’s Song, I kind of went crazy and left it in to give you a chuckle. But Naomi and I chat about her upcoming release, why she chose to write about Ezekiel, and what areas she focused on. Listen in and hear her heart for the Word and for stimulating readers to love it and live it.

Oh, and that song I couldn’t remember? Well, I found it after a BUNCH of hunting on YouTube. Here you go!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

Has Ezekiel Always Confused You? How about a Little Fictional Clarity?

There’s SO much to write about in Ezekiel, but after talking to Naomi Craig, I feel like I got a pretty good grasp of where she’s taking this book without feeling like I don’t need to read it now that we chatted, and that’s always great. Naomi shows service in the temple, how Ezekiel could have had a mentorish relationship under Jeremiah, and even what kind of woman his wife might have been.

Personally, I love the “Darcy-ish” meeting where he totally insults her and accuses her of being an idolatress. Let me tell you something. I cannot wait to read that! Seriously!

God had Ezekiel do a lot of weird things, and I always wondered how he managed some of it, but Naomi brings out possibilities by focusing on this wife that we don’t know much (anything) about. How cool is that?

Naomi also gave us a couple of glimpses into what’s coming next!

She’s #TeamBlue in the Keeping Christmas novella collections, writing about Herod’s palace and the wise men’s appearance looking for “the King of the Jews.”  And… from a scribe’s perspective!  How cool is that?

Also… next up is a book about a woman in Ephriam’s lineage who built three cities. A woman credited with the building of these cities!  I cannot wait! I love how Naomi focuses on how strong Biblical women were. So often we think of them as downtrodden and little more than cattle, but God shows how much He loves His daughters in the Word, and He definitely allows them to shine. We saw that in Naomi’s debut novel Rahab’s Courage.

Ezekiel’s Song by Naomi Craig

A prophet’s heart broken, a woman’s joy gone. What does Yahweh have planned for His people?

On the brink of Jerusalem’s demise, devoted priest, Ezekiel, sees the insincerity of Judah’s worship. Despite his efforts to call the people back to true worship of Yahweh, priests, artisans, valiant warriors, and royals are exiled to Babylon. When God gives him messages of continued judgment for the people in his homeland, his heart breaks. How can he minister to the people from so far away?

The presence of the Lord is tangible when Shiriel sings in the temple, and her voice prepares the hearts of many to worship. When she is exiled to Babylon, her faith is shaken. Does the Lord’s presence extend beyond Jerusalem and His holy temple?

Ezekiel is struck mute and paralyzed as he begins his prophetic ministry, and Shiriel devises a plan to get the Lord’s message back to the unfaithful people of Judah. Shiriel struggles with discontentment as serving the Lord looks nothing like she’d imagined. Can she provide for her family and carry out her husband’s ministry when her joy is gone, and her own dreams are placed on hold?

How will Yahweh save His people from themselves? Find out in Ezekiel’s Song!

Ezekiel’s Song is available at 30% off paperback and at a discount for Kindle, too through release week, so visit Naomi’s WEBSITE for more information.

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Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
Episode 163: A Chat with Naomi Craig about Ezekiel's Song
August 12, 2022
Chautona Havig
Episode 162: A Chat with Author, Nancy Naigle
August 9, 2022
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Episode 161: A Chat with Christian Women's Fiction Robin W. Pearson
July 26, 2022
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Episode 160: A Chat with Liz Johnson about The Last Way Home
July 22, 2022
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Episode 159: A Chat with Biblical Fiction Author, Mesu Andrews
July 19, 2022
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July 12, 2022
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Episode 157: A Chat with Historical Christian Fiction Author, Lynn Austin
July 8, 2022
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July 5, 2022
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Episode 155: Chatting with Heather Day Gilbert & Jen Cudmore
July 1, 2022
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Episode 154: A Chat with Romantic Suspense Author, Sami A. Abrams
June 28, 2022
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Reposted from @tabithabouldin Reposted from @Sarah Reposted from @tabithabouldin Reposted from @Sarah Monzon The entire Carrington Family series is on sale for only 99¢! (Free with #kindleunlimited ) 

Split-time romances with high stakes and even higher rewards! 

#splittime #romance #booksale #kindlecountdown #bookstagram #christianfiction #readmorebooks #read #books #ebooksale #boxset
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Harper Brevig has two skills—picking out snarky bookish t-shirts and alienating customers. 
Oh, and racking up bills out of thin air. Make that three skills. She loves the elderly and the very 
young—except the ones who destroy her beloved books. You could say she doesn’t have a very nice 
“book-side manner.” 
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#amwriting
#amreading
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Reposted from @mwardwellwrites A mother/son road t Reposted from @mwardwellwrites A mother/son road trip isn’t always fun, but it was a bonding experience for Liz and her son, Matt.

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Fascinating moon tonight. Fascinating moon tonight.
If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing wit If only owning a bookstore didn't mean dealing with people.
Harper Brevig has two skills—picking out snarky bookish t-shirts and alienating customers. 
Oh, and racking up bills out of thin air. Make that three skills. She loves the elderly and the very 
young—except the ones who destroy her beloved books. You could say she doesn’t have a very nice 
“book-side manner.” 
Milton Coleridge and his parrotlet Atticus (not Finch) come to the rescue… but is it too late to 
save this bookstore?
Twice Sold Tales: the first full-length novel in the Bookstrings Series releases on November 2, 
2022. Link to more information is in my bio! 
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#amreading
#bookishbooks
#bookstrings
#comingsoon
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