This is an older title that I picked up as a free download in the Valentine’s Day Stuff Your Kindle promotion. I’m glad I did!
What Makes a Home is a romance featuring party-girl artist Jobie (short for Jobanna) and beige computer programmer Caleb. Caleb decides it’s time to adult up so he buys a do-up house, which happens to be just down the street from his old friend Jenna and Jobie, her hot roommate.
There were three things I loved about What Makes a Home.
First, Jenna’s natural faith.
Jenna and Jobie have been roomates for at least three years by the time the story starts. Although it’s clear from Chapter One that Jobie is not a Christian, it’s equally clear that Jenna has overtly judged her for her lack of faith. That opened th door for my second point:
Second, I loved Jobie’s conversion to Christianity.
Okay, so this could be considered a spoiler except that What Makes a Home is categorised as Christian romance, and good Christian romances do not have couples who are unequally yoked. I loved the natural way Jenna shared her faith with Jobie. And I loved the way Jobie took that on board and reflected it back to Jenna in her time of need.
And third, Caleb was a wonderful hero.
Sure, he has been accusing of being vanilla (and his taste in decor does tend to beige). but he has a good heart an is a perfect gentleman … even if he is a little slow to pick up on the fact Jobie is interested in him.
The other thing I liked about What Makes a Home was the realistic portrayal of physical attraction. No, there was nothing inappropriate (although it is clear Jobie has a history), but it was good to see both Caleb and Jobie acknowledging the temptation of physical attraction.
Overall, What Makes a Home is a wonderful example of a realistic Christian romance that focuses on friendship first. Recommended.
About Jaycee Weaver
When New Mexico resident and USA Today bestselling author Jaycee Weaver isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys dates with her brainiac hubby, crafting, pretending she’s a nature photographer, and making her daughters cringe.
She considers herself a recovering perfectionist and regularly battles the ADHD squirrels. Jaycee appreciates humorous books with banter, characters facing adversity, and guaranteed happy endings, so that’s what she writes. She does her best to live her faith in action, being open, honest, and authentic; letting God be Lord over the good, the bad, and the ugly even when it’s hard.
Find Jaycee Weaver online at:
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About What Makes a Home
An artist looking for love in the wrong places. A bored engineer searching for purpose. Can a fixer upper teach these opposites What Makes a Home?
Jobie Everett has built her life around teaching art to senior citizens, living green(ish), social media trends, and wild pursuits that inspire her muse. When her roommate introduces her to a God who personifies a love she’s never known, she discovers how full life truly can be.
Surely there’s more for Caleb March’s lackluster life than work and computer games. Desperate for change, he buys a run-down house near an old friend and her pretty roommate. Ready for more than “just friends,” Caleb will first have to reconnect with a God he’s been ignoring for far too long.
As Caleb and Jobie bond over renovations, a new development forever changes her and pulls the rug out from under him. Jobie needs a godly man who will support and pursue her. Can Caleb become the man she needs in order to finally give her heart a home?
Becky is the Carol and Christy award winning author of heartwarming, humorous, and swoon-worthy contemporary inspirational romances.
Carrie Walker lives in Michigan with her husband and seven children. From her ten years serving as a high school youth minister, adventures around the globe, and raising a family, many stories have been knit within her heart.
Sara Beth Williams is a published author of Contemporary Christian romance, an ACFW and CIPA member and freelance writer. She has a background in freelance publicity, blog managing, newspaper journalism and nine years in the field of education. Two of her three novels have been nominated for a Selah Award. A Worthy Heart (2020) and Anchor My Heart (2022). She lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters. When she’s not held hostage by the keyboard, she enjoys playing guitar, reading, gardening and spending time with her family.
Kristy Werner is an award-winning author originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, the setting of her Tulsa Town Romance series. She aced her art and drama classes in high school, has a hard-earned bachelor’s in Zoology from Oklahoma State University, and now works at her local bank producing an extreme amount of paperwork.
Working through the disappointment of a teaching career that isn’t what he expected it to be, Mason Hayes’ otherwise cushy life gets turned upside down by the sudden loss of both parents in a car accident, leaving him with no one in the world. Until, that is, a half-sister he never knew existed shows up.