“If she hadn’t wanted to slap the smug expression off his face, she might have been tempted to kiss it. Best friends really shouldn’t be allowed to be that good-looking.”

In her debut novel, You Belong with Me, author Tari Faris creates a heartwarming contemporary romance featuring a close-knit group of friends and family members who reside in the beloved small town of Heritage, Michigan. Hannah Thornton and her best friend Luke Johnson call the town of Heritage home, although former foster kid Luke still struggles with a sense of belonging. Readers will be treated to two different love stories in this novel, similar to the style of Susan May Warren’s novels. After breaking Hannah’s heart years earlier, there might still be a future for Hannah and Luke if their secrets and differences don’t destroy their second chance at love. Last year, Hannah’s brother Thomas abruptly ended his relationship with the love of his life Janie, although unanswered questions and unresolved feelings linger.

Readers will fall in love with the town of Heritage and will look forward to the rest of the series. Tari Faris gives readers hope for the future and shares the message of God’s never-ending love for us. I love her writing style and the way she incorporates bits of humor throughout the romance storylines.

You Belong with Me is recommended for fans of contemporary romance and for readers who enjoy novels by authors such as Denise Hunter, Becky Wade, Courtney Walsh, Melissa Tagg, and Susan May Warren. P.S. Goodbye, the prequel novella to her Restoring Heritage series is currently only available to her newsletter subscribers, so readers can sign up for her newsletter at http://www.tarifaris.com and be introduced to many of the characters who will play an important role in her Restoring Heritage series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

FTC Disclosure: Revell Reads and NetGalley gave me complimentary copies of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.

With a delicious cover that sparked up my whimsical, creative side, this debut was entertaining, light, and a quick read. The small-town drama was fun, and I especially loved the quirkiness that was present throughout the novel. The premise was good, and I liked the surprises that cropped up along the way to flesh out the story.

The hippo was one of my favorite parts of this story. I still don’t understand how it works exactly, but I’m hopeful that this will be a thread strung throughout the entire series. Maybe eventually the secrets will be revealed, but I’m not even sure if I want them to be. It’s a fascinating aspect to the story, and I can see how it could play a huge role in each of the Restoring Heritage novels.

The search for belonging someplace was poignant and well written. This is such a relatable topic to a wide variety of people (the entire human race, perhaps?), and Mrs. Faris showed great skill for pulling out different nuances of this topic with each of her POV characters. It was beautiful to watch those threads unfold and see those characters dig deeper and deeper into their issues the further along the story went. That journey they each took was what kept me charmed beyond the initial discovery of how cute and fun this story was going to be. When all those storylines around that theme came together toward the end (and I won’t reveal how, because it’s too sweet to spoil), my heart felt the crescendo and tears washed my face. It was such an emotional finale for me, which I absolutely love in a novel. I’m hoping for more of this type of thing from this author as she grows in her writing journey with each new book.

Most of the characters were loveable and relatable, but there could have been more depth to Derek, the main antagonist. He was a stereotypical bad guy, but he would have become more relatable (even as a baddie) had he displayed some personal issues or motivation beyond greed. I understand greed as a motivation in a character, but it was never revealed why he was so greedy. I wanted to better understand what made him tick rather than just being presented with this guy who hated the leading characters just because.

The love triangles (yes, there were two different ones) felt unnecessary to me. Both were the typical “one love interest is really good, the other is really bad, and I’m not sure why the person is even interested in the latter” sorts of triangles. If even one triangle had been presented with two good options, I would have enjoyed this aspect better, because it would have made those leading characters who had to choose seem more intelligent and easier to root for. I still liked Hannah and her brother, Thomas, but they both showed poor decision-making skills at times where love was concerned. This plot device made me roll my eyes at times, but, surprisingly, it didn’t hamper my reading experience to the degree it normally does. I think this book just hit me in the right mood to overlook how irritating love triangles can be.

What was Hannah’s job? It was claimed she was a Realtor, but this was hardly shown at all. It was mentioned a couple of times, but she never once showed a house or sold one (at least not that we saw). It really seemed like neither she nor Luke had jobs that paid the bills, because they were mostly volunteering their time to things. I’m not sure what Luke’s money-making job was, because he worked on fixing up his house and volunteering as a firefighter… and that was all that was focused on job-wise for him, though it was said that he had a job; I’m just not sure what it was as I never saw him do it at all. Thomas and Janie were clearly working at the diner, so it was obvious where they got their money, so they were the more well-rounded characters, even though they were supposed to be side characters or secondary leads. They nearly outshined Hannah and Luke simply because the former couple had a more-filled-out life on-page. I’m hopeful that Mrs. Faris will strengthen up this aspect of writing leading characters with her next couple of books.

One thing had me big-time confused. A prom dress still fit a lady seven years after prom even though it was stated that the lady wasn’t still that same size. Say what?! That was too unrealistic for me, so the pizzazz of a special moment was stripped away. I wish that moment had been a bit more thought out (maybe she had the dress altered or perhaps she went on a diet to fit back into the dress or something that we ladies who aren’t still our high school sizes can relate to, since that’s supposedly where this character was coming from), because the romance in that moment had the potential to be spectacular.

If the jobs had been shown in action a few times and if the sex appeal and physical body stuff (cleavage, kisses, muscles, wide shoulders, long legs…) had been scaled back, this would have easily been a four- or five-star book for me. I enjoyed the majority of the book, but there were a few things that interrupted that enjoyment a little. One thing in particular that jarred my peaceful reading was that the worse form of “forsaken” was used a couple of times. In Christian fiction, this is inexcusable as it takes the Lord’s name in vain. I hope this will be remedied in future books in the series.

Overall, this was a light, easy read that showed promise for a rising new author in the Christian fiction romance genre. The quirky town and just-as-quirky characters charmed their way into my heart, and I look forward to returning to Heritage for the next Restoring Heritage book.

A delightful debut! Tari Faris takes the tried-and-true tropes of a small-town romance and makes them unique with witty dialogue, well-developed characters and multiple plot twists. I was pleasantly surprised to discover two romances intertwined in this novel. Thomas and Janie's story was just as enjoyable as Luke and Hannah's. Pastor Nate's ability to offer spiritual truths in a relatable style gave this book a solid inspirational message as well.
I was disappointed regarding all the details/secrets the characters kept from one another. That was a lot to absorb since it seemed every main character was hiding something from someone they cared deeply about. Secrecy and deception became a bit overused as a plot device.
I enjoyed reading You Belong with Me and I look forward to more from this author.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions stated here are my own.

This is such a fun, feel good book with real, likable characters in a small town atmosphere where everyone knows each other and gives their support when it is needed. Heritage, Michigan is dying a slow death but Hannah Thornton wants to do something to save it. In fact, Hannah feels the need to fix her friend, Luke, but he doesn't want to be fixed. The two have been friends since middle school and even came close to being more but something happened. Both have backgrounds that have caused them pain. Hannah's mom left her family after stealing ten thousand dollars from the city of Heritage. Luke grew up in foster care after his father died in an accident. Luke always wanted a family and felt inferior because he didn't have one. Both care for each other but just can't seem to get it together because of lack of communication and making assumptions without knowing the whole story. Will they make it? Is there more to Luke's background than anyone knows?
Hannah's brother Thomas broke off with his girlfriend Janie a year ago. She just returned from six months in Paris but Thomas is engaged to someone else. Thomas has a secret that caused him to break up with Janie. What will happen to them?
Tari Faris has a great new author and I look forward to reading more about the wonderful characters of Heritage. Pastor Nate is a great mentor at just the right time to everyone who seems to need to hear his GP or "grace points" and biblical stories. Expect romance, funny times, life choices with faith threaded through and God moments. And an ending that brings on a smile.
I received a complimentary ARC from Revell through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

You Belong With Me
By Tari Faris
Book 1 of Restoring Heritage series
Rating: 5/5
Release date: Sep 3, 2019

Wow! Just wow! What a debut for an author! Talk about a grace point. As a reader, I can tell there was so much love and wisdom poured into this story. I’ve lost some sleep and cried tears. I’ve laughed and awwwwed with the best of them. Take me back to Heritage!

Hannah is trying to be a realtor but keeps wanting to prevent her sellers from selling to a certain town developer. She’s obsessed with making up for her mother’s past and abandonment. Her best friend Luke is trying to make the small town of Heritage his home but as a foster child, he still feels he’s never belonged even after many years. That kiss from senior year in the tree house didn’t end up bringing happily ever after but the attraction is still there.

Back fresh from Paris after a year, Janie is convinced she’s still trusting in God’s plan. All those plans made with Hannah’s brother, Thomas, got shot down when he dumped her with no real explanation. Now she’s back and Thomas is engaged! What’s a girl to do except take a temporary baking job and end up working with Thomas in the diner for a few months?

A small town has its quirks and two couples struggling to keep their secrets from one another. A romantic comedy that is both satisfying and heartfelt while geniusly weaving in God’s power to redeem and heal His children. Such a great message and such a fun read any time of year!

Highly recommended!

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

With central issues of abandonment, loss of faith, and infertility, this novel strikes many sensitive spots for readers...but it does so in a way that invites them to muddle through it and find grace. There are two central couples featured in the story, each who has a past and must work toward a potential future. A homey town, interesting contest, and some surprise endings round out this story as a solid five stars! Hoping to see a follow up with some of the minor characters in future books.

Hannah loves winter and it's beauty despite the cold. The town of heritage is near lake Michigan although,a bit run down.her best friend is Luke although trying to avoid kissing him again.thomas , her brother gets engaged to an upright snob. I didn't feel a connection to the characters.

Very good book!! Loved the story and the passion behind it. Definitely a must read!! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Hannah Thornton struggles with selling houses, so when a developer announces their plan to demolish some historic homes in Heritage, Michigan, Hannah sets out to stop them. But will her plan tear the town apart?

Luke Johnson has never felt like Heritage was his home, so when his past starts to unravel, he struggles with staying in the small town. Can he leave his best friend Hannah when he secretly wants more than friendship?

Hannah and Luke need to deal with their pasts in order to move on with their lives. Can they do it and also make their relationship work?

You Belong to Me is this author’s debut novel and I have to admit . . . I was hooked from the first page! Well done! The storyline kept my interest and I fell in love with the characters. They were well-rounded and their arcs were beautifully woven into the plot. The faith element was organically written into the story.

The imagery the author used put me right in the middle of Heritage and I could picture everything.

I can’t wait to see what happens in the next story from this fresh new voice in Christian fiction.

I give You Belong With Me five stars. It’s one debut that will grab you by the heartstrings and leave you with wanting more!

**I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in exchange for my honest review.