Beyond Her Calling Blog Tour!

Hey, all! Welcome to my first blog tour of 2022! Like I mentioned in my TBR post, one of my first reads for the year was Beyond Her Calling by Kellyn Roth. I've seen this series (The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy) around for literally years and so was super excited to get my hands on a copy of the latest book!

Proudly displayed ;) 

There are so many wonderful posts on this tour, like, "Why Christian Fiction is an Important Genre"; interviews with the author; and a more in-depth look into the lovely land in which this book takes place. For a complete look at the schedule and a little more information, you can check Kellyn's kickoff post on her website or scroll to the bottom of this post to see where you are in the tour. :)

Back? Fantastic! On to the book itself...

Series: The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, Book 4

Genre: Christian Historical Romance / Victorian Romance

Setting: Scotland, late 1881

Amazon Link

Link to author's website

Blurb:

Ivy Knight feels that her life may never start. Though her loving family assures her that her place in the world is close to home, she still feels a push to move out of her comfort zone. Hoping against hope, she travels to her old friends at McCale House, seeking a purpose.

Jordy McAllen has just returned to Scotland after his education in London. He fears that what everyone has always said about him may be true: he can’t be a good doctor, let alone a good man. Determined to prove himself, Jordy snatches up the opportunity to become the doctor in the village of Keefmore near his parents’ farm.

When an old friend decides to travel to Keefmore and visit a relative, Ivy follows. She soon finds herself drawn to Jordy, but as their attraction grows, they both face doubts. A relationship between the two of them feels improbable—and might just require a step of impossible faith.

What I Loved:

After I read the blurb, I had the distinct feeling that I was going to relate a lot to Ivy, both her character in general and her general stage of life (anyone else hardcore feeling that late teens/early twenties struggle to find your place?). And the story did not disappoint! Not only did I feel for her struggles, relate to her fears, and experience her emotions, I also was able to soak in the lessons that she learned. Ivy has several conversations with other characters, talking out her confusions as she navigates her unique path, listens for God, and tries to find her footing in each next step. I loved that these discussions felt so natural. Sometimes, when the author is trying to teach the character and/or the reader, talks like these may come off stunted or forced. However, in Beyond Her Calling, most of these conversations felt quite real, as though I was simply sitting in for tea, listening as Ivy, her friends, and role models talked about life. I enjoyed the different perspectives, and I even came away with a few good nuggets of truth for myself.

What I Learned:

Apart from the life lessons I mentioned above, I also learned that it is possible to write accents accurately in a novel! I think we've all read overdone dialects that leave you completely confused about what half of the characters are saying. However, Kellyn crafted her characters' sentences such that they remained straightforward and easy to understand, even through the thick Scottish brogue. I only had to refer to the glossary a handful of times and I may or may not have started doing Scottish accents quietly in my room when no one can hear me. By studying the accent of that time and people, then putting sentences together in a logical way (rather than stuffing as much of the dialect into the dialogue as possible), the Scottish accents added texture to each conversation and never slowed down the narrative.

What I Thought Was Lacking:

I wrote in the first section about how I enjoyed the conversations on calling and empathized with the deep soul-searching and wrestling Ivy had to do--all true. However, there were a few monologues in Ivy's head that went on a bit too long. In these instances, they started to sound less like thoughts to me and more like an author's note.

Altogether though, Beyond Her Calling was very sweet, and I loved that ending. 💕

And now the part we've all been waiting for....

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME:

First, the Scavenger Hunt Giveaway

Ze Rules:

• Begin at Stop #1 (here) and continue to the Final post (here). At the end of each post, you’ll find a CLUE and a LINK to the next stop. Progress to each stop in order.

• Collect all the clues and submit the full phrase at the last blog stop via the linked form to enter the giveaway.

• While you’re at each stop, be sure to comment, as each comment wins you another entry.

• Deadline for entries is Monday, January 31st, at 10 AM Pacific Standard Time.

I am stop number 19, and the word clue is "LULLED." If you've made it this far, you're almost at the end, here is the link to the final post!!!

If you're a little lost, here is the Full Schedule,  

Saturday, January 22nd

1 — Kickoff Post by Kellyn Roth @ Lilacs and Reveries

2 — “Why Christian Fiction is an Important Genre  — Guest Post Written for Jane Mouttet @ Library Lady’s Kid Lit

Sunday, January 23rd

3 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Hannah E.M. @ Precarious Bookstacks

4 — Interview with the Author by Grace A. Johnson @ Book Nations

Monday, January 24th

5 — A Post about Ivy & Jordy by Kellyn Roth @ Lilacs and Reveries

6 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Jane Mouttet @ Library Lady’s Kid Lit

7 — Interview with the Author & Review of Beyond Her Calling by Esther Jackson @ The Lost Review of Odd Books

Tuesday, January 25th

8 — “Handling Tough Topics with Respect to Historical Accuracy— Guest Post Written for Michaela Bush @ Tangled Up in Writing

Wednesday, January 26th

9 — A Post about My Other Characters by Kellyn Roth @ Lilacs and Reveries

10 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Grace A. Johnson

Thursday, January 27th

11 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Vanessa Hall

12 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Hannah Killian @ The Writerly Worm

Friday, January 28th

13 — A Post about Scotland by Kellyn Roth @ Lilacs and Reveries

14 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Marguerite Martin Gray

15 — “Why Christian Fiction CAN End with a Kiss” — Guest Post Written for Grace A. Johnson

Saturday, January 29th

16 — “My Least Favorite Christian Fiction Tropes" — Guest Post Written for Merie Shen @ Imperial Scribis

17 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Megan Jones @ Why I Read

18 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Katja L. @ Old-Fashioned Book Love

19 — Review of Beyond Her Calling by Alexa Mintah @ Thus Far You are here!! Word Clue: Lulled.

20 — Final Post by Kellyn Roth @ Lilacs and Reveries Next stop here!!

Monday, January 31st

Wrapup Post by Kellyn Roth @ Lilacs and Reveries

One final giveaway before you go, don't forget to enter the Blog Tour Giveaway as well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you enjoyed this stop on the Beyond Her Calling tour train! Best of luck in the giveaways!

Note: I received a free digital copy of this book and gave my honest opinion on the work.