Is the past too devastating to overcome Until I Met You?

About the book:

Title: When I Met You

Author: Tari Faris

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Release Date: September 8, 2020

When she hears that the small town of Heritage, Michigan, is looking for a new librarian, Libby Kingsley jumps at the opportunity. Little did she know the library is barely more than a storage closet stuffed with dusty, outdated books. What the community really needs is a new building. But the only funds available are those being channeled into the new town square, and the landscape architect in charge of the project wants nothing to do with her plans.

All Austin Williams wants to do is get the town square project finished so he can do right by the family business and then extricate himself from the town that reveres the brother who cost him so much. But the local media and the town’s new librarian seem to be conspiring against him at every turn. Will the determined bookworm find her way into his blueprints–and possibly even his heart?

Novelist Tari Faris invites you back to the small town with a big heart in this second book in the Restoring Heritage series.

Book Review:

As the second book in the Restoring Heritage series, I will say that Until I Met You can be read as a standalone but you will enjoy it more if you have already read book one, You Belong with Me. There’s background info on characters that comes in handy for book two and lends to the overall feel of Heritage.

Libby, Olivia, Austin, and Nate…what can I say except the double romance themes kept the pace and the plot rampaging forward. One an enemies to lovers and the other a friends to something more, both of which are among my favorite tropes, made sure I stayed engaged with the characters.

With a strong spiritual theme of forgiveness, all the characters have specific hangups and past issues to overcome that make them relatable. Every time one couple made progress, a misunderstanding would push them back apart. The constant tug-of-war made for some witty banter and sharp dialogue while the overall plot and setting gave of perfect small town vibes.

Love this series and the truths that came in with rapid one-two punches. As someone who has lived the scenarios Austin faces, it’s a powerful motivator to remember that forgiveness is not earned…it’s given.

I requested a copy of this book from RevellReads. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.