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!

My Thoughts

Chautona’s books are well known for little/light romance. As a big kiss lover, I’m sometimes at odds with this approach, but Oh, Gracious! struck the right note for me. While it’s not filled with toe curling kisses, it is filled with a real relationship and two people trying to honor God as they walk along their path. Chautona balances the sexual tension with faith building in a sweet romance for readers from teens on up.

It takes all types to run the world, but I was alternately in love and frustrated by all the characters. While I related to aspects, I had a hard time relating to one specific character all the way.

Grace is a canner. Woot! I’m all for that. I wish I could do more in our tiny apartment. Applesauce is one I do every year along with jams. She is very resourceful and has learned to budget to the nth degree. While I admire her frugality, it is also her downfall. I related to her exhaustion, struggle to be healthy, and frustration of not being able to do as much as she wants. Like Grace, I have a chronic disease and tend to want to do everything and push myself too far. It’s been a hard lesson to learn that my body can’t sometimes. I wanted Grace to learn that relationships are give and take, but she insisted on doing everything herself and that grew defeating after awhile.

I liked that Chautona goes more into depth during the engagement season. So often romance books skip over this period to the “happily ever after,” but any of us that have planned a wedding know it’s not that easy of a jump. I like the authenticity of the stress and struggling how to do this couple thing that Chautona creates, but their big argument (without giving it away) seemed like huge overreactions. However, I can’t talk because hubs and I got into the BIGGEST argument during our wedding planning about whether carrot cake should be our top tier and whether or not it should have raisins. I was so mad. I sobbed. We didn’t talk for THREE DAYS. #relationshipgoals #sarcasm

One overarching theme to me is the importance of communication for a successful relationship. There are many things that should be talked about prior to marriage and I think Chautona shows how it can be an issue when you don’t have those conversations. For example: finances! I know it’s a big struggle for most couples, and I myself have been in plenty of arguments over ours. But, I wish I saw more movement from both Nolan and Grace on this issue. In the end, they start to find their way forward and I know this is just the beginning of learning how to compromise.

Nolan – at first, I was a little ruffled about his approach to finding a wife, but then it started to make so much sense. Nolan is an older character for typical romance and has clearly not sparked with anyone yet in his life. So, instead of looking online, he moves! It sounds odd to us today in the world of online dating, but I like how his friend Mel supported him and brought perspective on intentionally seeking a wife. But, I also got frustrated with his search for perfection. While I didn’t have a problem with his list, it seemed like when someone didn’t live up to his expectations, he really struggled.

I liked that he wanted a down-home girl who like being female. Some may struggle with this aspect of the book; that Nolan knows what he wants. Some may see this as Nolan wanting a woman who’ll cook and clean and therefore have less worth. But, I encourage you to stick with the book. Nolan does not believe it’s subservient to be a homemaker and Chautona does a great job of getting this across.

To me, this is feminism – the balance of the fact that I love being a woman. I can dress up and look pretty and be smart and intelligent. But, I love that hubs takes out the garbage and cleans the toilet. Can I do all of that? Absolutely! I adore that it’s a way I can let hubs live out his manhood – because those are gross and he doesn’t mind gross stuff. When Nolan takes out the mouse for her – some variation of this has happened in our house many times. Feminism is knowing I can chase that mouse and kill it and clean up the body, but that I don’t have to and I’m comfortable with that.

I also think while Nolan kept saying “I have money, don’t worry,” he didn’t really open up about it. I kept thinking if they sat down and had a real conversation of just what that meant, that it would’ve been much smoother. I still think there would have been struggles on both sides to learn how/when to spend money versus save, but I just wanted to lock them in a room until they talked about it.

In summary if you’ve kept reading my long thoughts, I think Chautona brings a real relationship to life. While there is some manufactured drama, I know some of the stupid arguments I’ve gotten in (the latest over a bag of tater tots), so it’s still realistic as well. She brings her humor and squeaky clean romance together to illustrate how a bond for a long lasting marriage is formed.

I received a complementary copy of this story for the purpose of this tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

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

Happy fall! ALMOST. I officially changed out my more door decoration and have started to imagine fall bookstagram photos full of leaves, mums, and fun decorations.

Today I’m linking up with blogger friends to share reads we’re looking forward to. I was supposed to pick fall AND winter, but there were too many greats, so this selection is Sept-Nov releases.

Be sure to check out Read Eat Repeat and For the Love of Christian Fiction for their fall/winter reads!

Contemporary

The close of the intense Montana Marshalls series and then a comedy to lighten it up.

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Historical

I especially enjoy listening to Elizabeth Camden’s books in audio. I’m just waiting for my pre-order to show up! And I can’t say no to a Kristi book.

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Best of Both

Baby girl Carrington all grown up! After watching her grow, over the series, I can’t wait to read hers.

Just out of Nov 30 cut-off

So close and I’m too excited for this new author not to share. I met Melissa this past spring and she’s awesome.