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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

Why Hope Is an Excellent Theme for this Series

by Chautona Havig · 1 Comment

That Certain Hope offers a different approach to marriage--focused, determined, and love at first sight. Add in difficult pasts and things get dicey. via @chautonahavig

Series often have a theme, and the trilogy of books I’ve ready by E. C. Jackson’s is obvious—hope.

She chose her theme well, and the books reflect it in obvious ways.  Still, it’s not trite.  Jackson kept the layers of hope in her stories subtle when they needed to be and overt when they didn’t.  As a whole, this is the element she did best with the series.

But what about That Certain Hope? 

Of the three books I read, this one was both my favorite and my least favorite. I like the concept, the basic plot, and many of the peripheral characters.

However, I did find the suspension of disbelief almost impossible in this one.  Add to that a “romantic hero” who I cannot like, no matter how hard I try, and it’s a disappointment on many levels.

What I did like best is that the author didn’t hide the fact that such instantaneous “love” was unusual, difficult, and crazy.  Because frankly, if she hadn’t, that I’d requested a free review copy wouldn’t have mattered this time.  I would have refused to finish it.

I think That Certain Hope would be enjoyed best by people who like to see unusual plot lines carried out in expected ways.  That sounds contradictory, but it’s exactly what I mean.

The faith elements in these books offer the thing the series focuses on most—hope.  We see hope in what the Lord can redeem, hope in where He will guide us, and hope to someday understand what we can’t today.

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

that certain hope

Book: The Certain Hope 

Author: E. C. Jackson

Synopsis:
Love at first sight. It’s every girl’s dream. But Tara Simpkins is finding out it’s not as easy as it seems. Is this truly the man God sent to be her husband, or is she just desperate to escape her loneliness?

The recent loss of both parents has left her reeling, and close friends don’t think she’s in any position to make major life decisions. She and her new-found love are convinced they can live happily ever after in the home of their dreams. His family thinks he’s moving way too fast and might disappoint the kind-hearted woman he’s fallen head over heels for.

And then there’s Leah.

Leah is supposed to be part of his past, but what if she decides she’s his future? Tara’s match made in Heaven may be over before it truly begins.

About the author:E.C. Jackson

E.C.Jackson began her writing career with the full-length play Pajama Party. For three and a half years she published the Confidence in Life newsletter for Alpha Production Ministries, in addition to writing tracts and devotionals.

Teaching a women’s Bible study at her church for eleven years naturally led to her current endeavor of writing inspirational romance novels and teen and young adult fiction. Her mission: spiritual maturity in the body of Christ through fiction.

Purchase The Certain Hope here.

Other reviews in this series:

The Gateway to Hope

A Living Hope

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Comments

  1. E C Jackson says

    July 11, 2019 at 9:06 pm

    Chautona, thank you for reviewing by books. I appreciate your time.

    Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
byChautona Havig

Christian dystopian thrillers are too few and far between, but author J. A. Webb has a great one for us. Listen in while we chat about his Seekers Series and the second book, Inheritance.

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

Mix a corrupt secret society along with a priest on the run, and you’ve got a great mix. This series promises to be full of amazing twists and turns. 

  Inheritance by J. A. Webb

 A Dystopian Thriller of Deception, Faith, and the Fight for Truth

The Order has been betrayed. The hunters have been loosed.

Father Curtis has forsaken his vows. He has left the Order and joined the Seekers, a hidden rebellion dedicated to uncovering the truth long buried by the global church. But walking away from the Order does not mean escaping its reach.

When word spreads that a copy of the True Text — the original thirty-nine books of the Creator — has surfaced on the far side of the world, Curtis, Professor Reuel, and Phillip embark on a desperate mission. If they can retrieve the artifact, it could change everything. If they fail, the truth will be lost forever.

But the Eye of the Eternal, the secret police of the Order, has already mobilized. Their assassins are relentless. Their power is absolute. And they will stop at nothing to silence the truth.

Outnumbered and hunted, Curtis and his allies must risk everything to defy an empire built on deception. But against such overwhelming darkness, is faith enough? Or will their inheritance — humanity’s true past — be erased from history once and for all?

The war for truth has begun. And the Order will not suffer heretics to live.

A Gripping Tale of Power, Deception, and the Courage to Seek Truth

🔥 Perfect for fans of dystopian thrillers like 1984, Brave New World, and The Da Vinci Code—but with a Christian twist!

⚡ A suspense-filled journey into a world where illusion is law and questioning it means death.

📖 If you love stories of faith, defiance, and the battle against unseen tyranny, this is the book for you.

The Order has ruled from the shadows long enough. Are you ready to see the truth?

Learn more about J. A. Webb on his WEBSITE and follow him on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 429:  A Chat with J. A. Webb
Episode 429: A Chat with J. A. Webb
May 12, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 428: A Chat with Janelle Leonard
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Episode 426: A Chat with Dell Vans
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Episode 425: A Chat with Bethany Klassen
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Episode 424: A chat with Demi Griffin
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Episode 423: A Chat with Hope Toler Dougherty
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Episode 422: A Chat with Becca Wierwille
April 19, 2025
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Episode 421: A chat with Chawna Schroeder
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Episode 420: A Chat with Jeremiah Friedli
April 12, 2025
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