Review: "Until I Met You" by Tari Faris

Last year, I was completely charmed by Tari Faris's P.S. Goodbye and You Belong with Me, so Until I Met You immediately went onto my "must read" list. I ended up devouring it in one day ... and now I can't wait for my next opportunity to return to Heritage, Michigan!

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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 Little did she know the library is barely more than a storage closet stuffed with dusty, outdated books.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.

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No sophomore slump here—Tari Faris's second full-length novel is even better than the first! From the moment I began reading Until I Met You, I was completely swept up into the story.

This book focuses on the Williams brothers: landscape architect Austin and Pastor Nate. They have a prodigal son vibe going on, with Nate being the reformed prodigal and Austin being the older brother. I definitely wanted to shake some sense into Nate a time or two (seriously, how difficult is it to pick up a phone and shoot off a text when plans change?), but there's a strong focus on grace and forgiveness intertwined in his story (both for others and for yourself) that will resonate with most readers.

Also, this novel provides two romances for the price of one, as each Williams brother finds love. Libby and Austin were just delightful—I loved how Libby came out of her shell around Austin and wasn't afraid to confront him. They truly brought out the best in each other. And, after watching Nate and Olivia dance around each other in previous books, I loved seeing their romance play out here.

Until I Met You is another solid entry in the Restoring Heritage series. I highly recommend it to fans of small town romance! 5 stars.

Note: While this is the second book in the series, you can enjoy it without first having read the prequel novella or book one. But I do think the book will be more meaningful if you have that background information.

Buy the book (affiliate link).
Read my reviews of P.S. Goodbye (4-1/2 stars) and You Belong With Me (4-1/2 stars).

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Tari Faris has been writing fiction for more than 10 years. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers and My Book Therapy, she works for My Book Therapy, manages learnhowtowriteanovel.com, and is a 2017 Genesis Award winner. She has an MDiv from Asbury Theological Seminary and lives in the Phoenix, Arizona, area with her husband and their three children. Although she lives in the Southwest now, she lived in a small town in Michigan for 25 years.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, I will receive an affiliate commission.I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."