In his bestseller, “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry,” John Mark Comer suggests that a Christian can best celebrate the joy of “Sabbath” in two delicious ways. First, the family must bake a foot-square chocolate-chip cookie, smother it with ice cream, then joyously devour said cookie. But I love Idea #2: curl up on Sabbath afternoon with a great novel. I assume he means winsome adventures where the protagonist has heaven as their ultimate goal, and the Body of Christ as their highest passion! Which is where these Bangkok love stories come into play.

Chloe Gainsborough is England’s fearsome weapon on a volleyball court. But Dad accepting an assignment as deputy ambassador to Bangkok severely disrupts both her collegiate and competitive dreams. Is she up for finishing her grueling degree in Pharmacy when all the lectures are in Thai?

Her new life in Asia is a funky blend of classes, part-time volleyball coaching at Bangkok Christian School, and fending off the romantic overtures of BCS’s colorful agnostic and misfit, Benjamin Cey. She also makes the team at Chulalongkorn University and has a shot at representing Thailand in next year’s prestigious Asian Games – except for the fact that Team Chula’s lead scorer bitterly resents this light-skinned newcomer.

What follows is a stirring thrill ride through the mean streets of Bangkok and then off to the Games, where a brutal surprise will test Chloe’s ability to love and forgive her enemies. It’s great to have you along; I’m hoping it can turn into a fun ten-book adventure for you, zipping out to the lovely locale where my three brothers and I grew up in the 1960s. If you didn’t get to hear “Love in a Distant Land,” that recording is by my superstar friend, Tonya Foster Yancey. I love how she brought that debut story to life. She took to the streets of Bangkok like a pro, capturing the flavors and diesel roar of the tuk tuks that careen their way around Petchburi Road where I used to indulge in mischief.