BLURB
Mysterious strangers, a Scripture verse, and a threat.
“Reids never give up.” The words once held so much truth. But at eighteen, Jayne Reid is beginning
to wonder if she can live up to that standard.
When puzzling strangers appear and odd things start to happen, Jayne and her two younger sisters
must find a solution—or lose everything.
What mystery lurks in the shadows of the Australian bush? Who is the man in town who thinks he
can buy and bully anyone he wishes? And is it all somehow connected to their new farmhand?
Journey with Jayne as she struggles to change fear into boldness and boldness into a trusting
relationship with her Heavenly Father. What adventure lies ahead?
ABOUT THE SERIES
The JOY Series follows three sisters on a quest to keep their parents’ legacy and dreams alive.
Loaded with 19th century Australian adventure, it’s a series full of intrigue, adventure, and faith for
ages 12 and up!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lauren Compton lives in Australia on a sheep farm—surrounded by mountains and plenty of Aussie
wildlife! From a young age she has loved books and writing-related things (yep, that includes
spending ages in the writing supplies department!). Now she has embarked on a mission to write
books that both entertain AND encourage. Her desire is to weave stories that point readers to her
Heavenly Father while at the same time being a whole lot of fun!
MY REVIEW
Jayne's Endeavour, like I mentioned, was a quick read for me. While the first couple of chapters were a bit slower in pace, the plot picked up nicely and presented several realistic challenges that Jayne and her sisters, Olivia and Yvonne, had to face on the Australian ranch land that their parents left them. One character in particular left me guessing up to the last second when his true identity was revealed, and suffice it to say, my guesses were wrong and I was very pleasantly surprised! Compton does an excellent job of weaving inconspicuous hints into the story that you easily recall only after the truth has been pointed out -- a writing device that I'm a big fan of!
The characters show a lot of growth through the story, and were realistically written. Additionally, the struggles that they face form and mature them, and they're important lessons for readers as well! Great themes of turning from fear and growing close to God are embodied in this novel. It's a nice, clean read for readers who enjoy historical fiction, a bit of mystery, and a clever ending that has somewhat of a cliffhanger.
As an aside, I also found it absolutely fascinating to read a book set in Australia. I don't read books set in Australia very often (although I've noticed a growing number of them on the market and a few are definitely on my TBR), and it was just so interesting to read about the different wildlife and trees - it's something that definitely kept my attention throughout the story, and Compton's descriptions are pretty clear as well. I mean, Jayne mentions kangaroos as natural wildlife! (Okay, so as a little kid, I was completely and perhaps unhealthily obsessed with kangaroos, so maybe I just got excited because of a little leftover zeal...) At any rate, I had an absolute blast reading this book and I can't wait to read the second book in the series!
GIVEAWAY
Of course, what would a blog tour be without a giveaway? Click HERE to enter the awesome giveaway for Jayne's Endeavour -- two prizes to boot!
Thank you so much for your lovely review, Michaela!! :D I very much appreciate your help with my book release and the time you spent putting together this post. It was such an encouragement to read your kind words and a blessing to know that the theme of turning from fear and growing closer to God stood out to you! And I'm glad that you're so excited for the next book in the series! :D :D Haha! I had fun being able to write about kangaroos, so I'm glad you enjoyed reading about them!!
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure reading Jayne's Endeavour! Thanks so much for the opportunity to help spread the word about your lovely book!
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