Review: "His Love Revealed" by Cynthia Herron

I just love books set in small towns, don't you? There's just something so "Hallmarky" about a small-town romance.

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Will revelations of the past hijack their future?

Since childhood, Ida Mae Hoscutt, the beloved proprietress of the Come and Get It Diner, has loved Charles “Chuck” Farrow from afar. Now on the eve of her thirty-ninth birthday with no marriage proposal in sight, Ida Mae mourns past mistakes and contemplates a makeover. When a radio commercial wrenches Ida Mae’s heart, will a sudden turn of events sabotage her chance for happiness or will a long-held secret be the answer to love ever-after?

As Ida Mae’s right-hand man at the Come and Get It, Chuck yearns to shift gears and start over. He’s ready to shelve bachelorhood and blunders in favor of possibilities and new beginnings. When he prepares to move forward, two things challenge his objective. One is the father who walked away and never looked back. The other? A decades-old question that only Ida Mae can answer.

And Ida Mae isn’t talking.

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His Love Revealed tells one of my favorite types of stories - friends to more. Ida Mae and Chuck were childhood friends who, for a variety of reasons, never became more than friends (even though at least Ida Mae wanted to). But events set in motion by Ida Mae's 39th birthday party lead Chuck to be open to the possibility of a future with Ida Mae. Both have major regrets, and Ida Mae has a whopper of a secret, but they slowly takes steps toward a romantic relationship.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story! It was nice to read about characters close to my own age, especially ones who had never been married before. I felt like Ida Mae's 39 was pretty accurately described 😉. I also really enjoyed the resolution with both Chuck's father and Ida Mae's secret, and I even teared up a few times near the end of the story.

I did find myself skimming the pages at times; I loved the story, but I wasn't captivated by it. And some of the descriptions of other town people became repetitive, especially in relation to the couple who will be the focus of the next novel in the series. But I definitely enjoyed this novel, and I'll be looking forward to more from Herron. 3-1/2 stars.

Buy the book (affiliate link).

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Cynthia Herron writes Heartfelt, Homespun Fiction from the beautiful Ozark Mountains. A hopeless romantic at heart, she enjoys penning stories about ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. Her Hope Discovered, her début novel and the first in a three-book series, released December 2018 with Mountain Brook Ink.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book 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 this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and make a purchase, I may receive a small 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."