Leaving Oxford

By: Janet W. Ferguson

Narrated by: Naomi Karez

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's Summary

Escaping home to Oxford, Mississippi, seemed like a good idea. Until it wasn't.

A year after a tragic accident in Los Angeles flipped her world upside down, advertising guru Sarah Beth LeClair is still hiding away in her charming hometown of Oxford, Mississippi. And she may well be stuck there forever. Suffering from panic attacks, she prays for healing. Instead, her answer comes in the form of an arrogant football coach and an ugly puppy.

Former celebrity college quarterback Jess McCoy dreamed of playing pro football. One freak hit destroyed his chances. Although he enjoys his work as the university's offensive coordinator, his aspirations have shifted to coaching at the highest level. His plans of moving up are finally coming together -- until he falls for a woman who won't leave town.

As the deadline for Jess's decision on his dream career looms, the bars around Sarah Beth's heart only grow stronger. But it's time to make a decision about leaving Oxford.

©2016 Janet Ferguson (P)2017 Janet Ferguson

Excellent story and narration

Leaving Oxford is an excellent production, both in terms of the story and the narration. Engaging and layered, the story held my interest from beginning to end and Naomi Karez's narration was smooth and easy to listen to. With plenty of emotion, romance, and depth present in this beautifully told tale, Karez provides a nuanced and believable narration for both male and female characters, which is no easy feat. I will be seeking out Janet W. Ferguson's backlist and highly anticipate future works from this narrator.

Rel of Relz Reviewz

2 people found this helpful

Beautiful Story!

Where does Leaving Oxford rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is one of my favorites.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Leaving Oxford?

Well, I know for sure which moment was completely memorable and it made me gasp aloud...but that would be a major spoiler for me to write it out here.

Have you listened to any of Naomi Karez’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any other books that she has narrated.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were quite a few. That memorable moment that I referred to from above. And I loved the development of Sarah Beth and Jess' relationship.

Any additional comments?

This was a delight to listen to.

1 person found this helpful

Leaving Oxford

This was a well written, clean Christian book. The book was good and the narration was very well done. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy by the author, publisher or narrator.

1 person found this helpful

A Breath of Fresh Air!

This is the first book I listen to by Janet Ferguson, and I was delighted! I hope she is writing more! It’s a book that brings all kinds of emotions and many people can relate to its characters and their experiences in life. Above all it gives you hope!!!

Naomi Kaez has a very pleasant and clear voice and her narration is excellent.

I received this audio-book free for an honest review by the author, narrator, or publisher. Thank you!!!

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1 person found this helpful

Strong Christian Message in a Sweet Romance

If you could sum up Leaving Oxford in three words, what would they be?

Uplifting. Redemption. Southern.

What did you like best about this story?

Probably the best parts of the story are the parts where Sarah Beth influences other people to trust in God. I must say, though, that I really liked the setting. Janet W. Ferguson does a great job describing the Mississippi climate, with humidity that is "air you could wear." I've been to Mississippi a few times, and my husband interviewed for a job in Gulfport not long before Hurricane Katrina. I remember the area well, though I've never been to Oxford.

Which scene was your favorite?

When a friend of Sarah Beth's gives their life to Christ.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I both laughed and cried. I am not a football fan, but I actually really liked the character of Jess, who is a college football coach and Sarah's close friend. Their romance was slow growing and realistic.

Any additional comments?

I normally veer away from strong Christian message novels, preferring instead novels with a Christian worldview. However, this one is worth making an exception for! Leaving Oxford is the story of a prodigal daughter who was raised in the church but went her own way during college. She realizes she needs God in her life, but living right after a long time of living wrong can turn one's life upside down. However, Sarah Beth LeClair is one determined woman, and she manages to show God's steadfast love to others, even when they don't understand her decisions.

The narrator was good. The only complaint I have is that her southern accent was not consistent. Sometimes it was light and sometimes strong in the same character. Sometimes -ing endings were enunciated, and sometimes the -g was dropped. For example, Sarah Beth says somethin' and workin' but also branding and blessing. Of course, I'm from Texas, and as I said those words out loud, I wasn't consistent either! So maybe it's pretty accurate after all.

I received a copy of Leaving Oxford from Janet W. Ferguson for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

2 people found this helpful

Sweet story of faith and love

Leaving Oxford combines realistic characters facing difficult pasts with a layered plot of finding new faith and hope for the future. With a sweet, clean love story, Ferguson offers an endearing novel of dealing with anxiety, loss, and life’s troubles with a touch of humor and a lot of prayer.

Breath of fresh air

What a wonderful sweet story! Not too sappy to be ridiculous and shows that God’s children have their troubles too

Story about Trust

This is the first I've read of author Janet Ferguson. I enjoyed how this book sets up the full cast of characters for this series. This is Christian Fiction and I enjoyed how Ms. Feguson uses this platform to share the message of Christ with others.

This story focuses on Sarah Beth and Jess. We really get to know each of them personally and I like how the romance wasn't rushed. Great story and nice set up for future books in the series.

This is also the first I've heard Narrator Naomi Karez. She has beautiful diction, clarity and pacing. There were a few times some dialog fell flat (little emotion), but it didn't take away from the overall story. There were also some different pronunciations of a handful of words, but again, no biggie.

Overall, I really enjoyed book 1 and look forward to book 2. It's fun to guess who will be the focus.

This audiobook was given to me by the author. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Leaving Oxford

Leaving Oxford
: Janet W. Ferguson

This first book in Southern Hearts Series is a clean Christian romance that shows the listener that real people can and do make mistakes. They can also be forgiven. Sarah Beth has had devastating events in her past that have caused problems that she may not overcome. Several men show an interest but she isn't interested in a relationship..... or is she? Her back story develops slowly, but this allows us to get to know the secondary characters better. This was enjoyable with suspense for those of us that like to guess what's next.


The narration was well done. The characters were well portrayed by Naomi Karez.



I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

All things work together for good

I loved this book. I really liked listening to the trials that Sara Beth went through and how she struggled to be where she was. I liked her strength and seeing that others saw it in her even with her debilitating anxiety. I loved how the author addressed this very real mental health issue. I liked seeing her perspective on christians using medications to deal with the issue. I liked how it was shown that even when we struggle, God can still use us. The narrator did a great job reading this story. I had a hard time focusing on doing anything else while I was listening to this book. I highly recommend this story to anyone looking for romance and seeing how God can use the bad things in life for good.