Close Enough

by Jenn Faulk

Beckett Huntington has no idea what he’s doing. When his job sends him to Dubai, he quickly finds that he’s ill-equipped to understand the culture, function in a foreign country, and deal with all of the stress that has suddenly become such a huge part of his life. He needs help, and on the day that he meets Holly Collins, he’s certain that she’s the answer to a prayer he didn’t even know he was praying.
Holly Collins has been teaching in Dubai for several years, at home in a culture so far removed from her complicated past back in the States. As she’s living her life and doing her best to blend in, looking for opportunities to share the love of Christ with those she meets, she runs into Beckett and is immediately put off by his loud insistence that he needs her, until that same love for Christ compels her to do what she can to help him.
As they become unlikely friends, the present and the future forces them both to look at the past, to reconcile who’ve they’ve been with who they are, and to imagine a future that might be different than the one that either of them has imagined, as Jesus finds them both, as grace manifests itself more clearly in their hearts, and as they discover that God knows exactly where they are, even when they’re far from home.
Close Enough is a redemptive story about forgiveness and grace. While it is Christian fiction, the book deals with sensitive topics and details not often found in this genre and may make some readers uncomfortable.

Genres: Christian Fiction

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2019

About the author

Jenn Faulk is a native Texan who enjoys reading and writing chick lit. She's a pastor's wife, a stay-at-home mom, and a marathon enthusiast who loves talking about Jesus and what a difference He's made in her life. She has a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston and a MA in Missiology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

While all of Jenn's books are standalone novels with no cliffhanger endings, incomplete plots, or questions left unanswered, there is a suggested reading order that might be helpful as you get into the books...

Resolutions
Different Stars
Just Breathe
Best Day Ever
Even Still
Ready or Not
A Little Faith
Promises Kept
Beyond the Game
Just Friends
A New Tune
Pure Fiction
Home to You
Something Better
From Here on Out
Anywhere
Happily Ever After
Perfectly Pretend
Take Heart
So Like Us
Christmas Surprises
Tis the Season
The Plan
A Big Summer
Taking Chances
Destination Wedding
Crushed
Run (with L.N. Cronk)
Childish Ways
The New Girl
You and Me, Baby
Obsessed (with L.N. Cronk)
What a Christmas
Romance, Reality, and Blog Writers
Meet in the Middle
The Same Place (with L.N. Cronk)
Always
Lost and Found
Who You Know
The Mrs. Degree
You Again
Taken (with L.N. Cronk)
First Love
All My Days
Picture Perfect
Worth It
Wasted Time
Holiday Town
The One That Got Away
Meant To Be
All I Ever Wanted
Stuck on You
Pieced Together
Where You Are
Close Enough
All I Want for Christmas
Unexpected
Magical
Broken
Extraordinary
Wanted
Mine
More
Becoming Us (with Jaycee Weaver)
Maybe
Unmasked
Lucky
Called
Forever

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly and Beckett

I had a tough time learning to like Holly...for being a believer the majority of her life, and for living in the UAE to bring Christ to the Muslim people...she was certainly cold-hearted and not very nice to Beckett. What did she expect from a man who was pretty much an atheist/pagan? She didn't show him Christ, that's for sure. I almost stopped reading as she was such a hypocrite. So different from how she was in the stories of her sisters and Travis.

Thankfully, after Beckett comes to know Jesus, she became her previous sweet self and the tone of the story was so much better. I enjoyed the excursions and adventures they shared. Although, for someone who was terrified of heights, I don't know how Holly did what she did! I would have had a stroke!

[Amy Petrowich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different; not weird

As an avid fan of this author, I always get excited when a character is a Huntington. Beckett may be my new favorite Huntington and definitely ranks up there among my favorite heroes. He’s so clueless and skeptical and it is such fun to watch his transformation from annoying acquaintance to clueless friend to swoon worthy boyfriend to the hero Holly needs.
As with all Jenn Faulk books, you will feel like you’ve been in an intense bible study. Redemption and forgiveness run throughout this story.
I highly recommend this book to all fans of Christian fiction.

[Dana Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Message

Jenn Faulk is a master at weaving Biblical truths into her stories. This book reveals through a young man how Christ can reveal Himself anywhere. Even in dreams. If you have ever wondered what it is to become a Christian or how, then read this book. The author conveys the good news through her characters.I

This book is lighter on the romance than most of her stories but the message is clear and will leave your heart filled with happiness.

[Margaret Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this should be required reading for people planning to live in another culture, even for just a few months. Faulk does a great job protraying the brash, arrogant American who is clueless about the culture in which he's supposed to live for 6 months. She also does a good job on the gal who has adjusted there, but has secrets. I really enjoyed the book.

[Sue Peacock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly and Beckett

When Beckett Huntington first meets Holly Collins in Dubai, she is not impressed and he’s clearly desperate. Jenn Faulk uses the setting in Dubai, the different, but not weird cultural background, and the developing feelings between two Texans in the UAE to tell her story of coming to Christ and finding freedom.

[Sherry Deatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenn Faulk can write Christ centered romance novels better than just about any other author. She never fails to relate God's love and our need for it in our lives, yet it is not the in-your-face way.
I love reading about Dubai, the customs and about being a missionary there. I truly enjoyed this book and recommend it highly!

[Lori Jorgensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Nothing tells you what you don’t know faster then when you move to USAF. Dubai. Beck needs Holly. Holly doesn’t need Beck. They all need Jesus. You (the reader) need this book. Can Beck and Holly get to just liking each other and move into trust?

[PATRICIA CULVER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly good reading!

This an enjoyable Christian story a bit out of the ordinary as far as the setting. The characters are interesting and build as the story goes on. Truly delightful read.

[Anne M. Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful story!

I saw myself in both Holly and Beckett with knowing Jesus but living like the devil and feeling guilty over past choices and not forgiving myself. This story was so good I didn't want to put it down.

[Roger Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of her best

I always like Jenn Faulk’s books but I’ve always been curious about Holly’s story. This was a good one. Looking forward to the next one. Who will it be?

[Lisa Cater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, a fun read with an interesting resolution

[Jaycee Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun one. So many laugh out loud moments among the beautiful truths. Loved it, as always!