Leaving Oxford (Southern Hearts Series, Book 1)

Sarah Beth’s brother, Mark, has moved her to Oxford following a horrific accident. Now that she is here, living in her grandmother’s home, but because of the severe anxiety attacks she suffers she finds it impossible to leave Oxford. These attacks are linked to the car accident she had the year before. She tries using her faith to overcome this obstacle, but it doesn’t seem to be working fast enough. Then she meets Jesse, the head football coach at Oxford. He hasn’t gone to church in years, but he admires Sarah Beth and her faith. He has some hard decisions before him and decides that maybe having a little faith is exactly what he needs. Sarah Beth leads him on his journey and he helps her, little by little, to get further away from Oxford.

This is a beautifully written Christian book that never gets preachy. The characters are genuine and could be one’s next door neighbors. They are in real situations that take depth to work through. Although temptation is there, no one ever tosses their values aside for an evening of carnal pleasure. Sarah Beth is particularly likeable with her use of mixed clichés such as “don’t put all of your apples in one basket”. There are many comedic moments to balance those hair-raising times when Sarah Beth has a panic attack. This is a fun little gem that deserves to be in everyone’s library.

Belinda Wilson