After reading the first book in the series by Tari Faris, I had high expectations for the next book - Until I Met You did NOT disappoint. This book checked off all of the boxes for me - small town setting, a librarian as the main character, and a storyline that warms your heart. The small town of Heritage is charming and full of surprises - like the moving statue. The theme of family, forgiveness and second chances is woven throughout and you can feel the emotion as you read. The characters are relatable and some more likable than others. The story follows four main characters - two brothers, Austin and Nathan, who have tension between them and two friends, Libby and Olivia, who get brought into the middle. I really enjoyed Libby's character and her love of the Carnegie libraries - one of the best parts of the book - wink, wink! 

I could say so much more, but it's really a book you should read for yourself. With that being said, I do recommend reading this series in order, as they build off of the previous book. If you like Rachel Hauk, Denise Hunter & Susan May Warren, then you will find Until I Met You to be an excellent read!

I loved the story lines. Liked the characters for the most part. I did find most of them to be needy or whiney in the beginning.

A small town face-lift, brings conflict, restoration, and love for two estranged brothers.

I loved returning to Heritage, and seeing many familiar faces as the community comes together to inject new life into the town square. This story follows two brothers, Austin and Nate, who both have had their struggles in the past, some of which have put them at odds with each other. Nate is now a preacher, while Austin is the architect in charge of the town revamp. I loved how there is a lot going in this book, with multiple relationship dynamics at play as we follow the two brothers, as well as Olivia, a journalist, and Libby who is the new librarian.

An engaging read, that hooked me from the start, I found it even easier and more enjoyable to return for a visit after already being familiar with the town and some of the faces. I admired Libby's innovative thinking and her passion for making the library more accessible for the townspeople. There is strong character development and interaction, as well as solid faith. I admired who both of the men had become.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, it felt like it was over far too soon, I loved every minute of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

***ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.***
I really enjoyed this story. You learn about a young lady who’s been through a traumatic event who spent a great deal of time trying to get her life back. As you work your way through the story you learn about the relationship between her and her brother and her new sister-in-law as well as her relationship with the new town she just moved to. As you learn about her, you learn the town story too. All of the characters have their own unique relationship with God which is a center focus of the story. I look forward to reading more from this author soon.

I enjoyed this story that took us back to the charming town of Heritage. I liked getting reacquainted with the wonderful characters, especially as we got to revisit what was hinted at in book one with Nate and Olivia. I liked that we saw more of his past and what made him tick, even though I was a bit frustrated with his stubbornness. I also enjoyed getting to know his brother and he was also incredibly stubborn as he was dealing with his unforgiveness toward Nate. I have to admit the boys drove me a little nuts with how they acted. I felt for Libby and a trauma she went through that gave her anxiety and a distrust of men especially. I admired her courage and how she worked to make things right. She hadn't trusted God since her brother Luke was kidnaped when they were children and I loved that she read 'The Hiding Place' and learned from Corrie Ten Boom's faith. I also liked Olivia and her straightforwardness and determination. There were some wonderful romantic moments. It works as a stand-alone but I'd recommend the first book as it was amazing and Luke and Nate feature prominently in that one as well. I'd recommend this story if you like romance

I received this ebook free from Revell. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.

Faris’s second novel in the Restoring Heritage series continues in the same vein as the first, with small-town charm providing the backdrop for a story that delivers a double serve of romance and a healthy scoop of family drama. Not only does Libby and Austin’s story play out over the pages of this story, but Austin’s brother Nate, who readers may remember from the first book in this series, also plays a central role, both in his own romance and in the family drama that unfolds as Nate and Austin work through the grievances and misunderstandings that lie between them. And yes, that means there are four point of view characters in this novel—hence the double serve of romance!

Faris handled the balance of the four different points of view well, and I particularly enjoyed having both Austin’s and Nate’s perspectives on the falling out between them. The downside for me was that I could see the stage being set for each situation that reinforced the conflict between them, and I sometimes felt as though events were being manipulated specifically to perpetuate the conflict. I often found the same to be true of the romantic tension, which tended toward the usual misunderstandings and stubborn clinging to false narratives about themselves and others. As a result, I didn’t find this read as engaging as I would have liked; however, the themes of trust and grace are prominent throughout the story and will please readers who enjoy a strong faith thread in their contemporary romance.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Reads. These are my honest thoughts.

“You get to choose if [your past] defines you now.”

This book was like a warm hug on a wintry night, and I think the biggest reason is that it encapsulated the theme from 1 Corinthians 13:5, which states (in part) that love “keeps no record of wrongs.” This has been one of my favorite verses for going on five years now, and I love how a fictional book could so beautifully bring out the gritty truth of what this verse looks like when applied to a person’s life.

Until I Met You by Tari Faris is a messy (in a good way), beautiful story about relatable characters that go through everyday problems. They hold grudges and make mistakes. They’re able to discuss things in real ways instead of skirting around the issues, yet they sometimes let their anger, bitterness, frustrations, and definitely their assumptions get in the way of following through on other conversations. These things reflected real life to me, and I could so easily relate to so many things about this story. Not just the negative things either. There was a ton of good stuff too, all easy to understand and “get.”

While we’re on the topic of assumptions, though, I want to say something. I sometimes make assumptions about people. I think it’s a thing we humans do. Based on our own personal experiences and knowledge, we assume we know what’s best for people or what someone meant by something they said just because of their tone. But I wonder, how many times do we misread the situation? How many times do we not see the hurt behind the tone, that the person had a bad day prior to that moment that gave out that wonky tone that pushed our own buttons to make an assumption? I know a lot of times I can have other things on my mind when I respond to people and don’t realize that the words and tone and intention didn’t all match up to indicate what I really meant. How many times could it be the same for other people too?

This book made me think about that. Among other things, of course, but that was a big one, probably because it was such a huge theme in this story.

Okay, so we’re moving on to the fun stuff about this book.

Danielle was amazing for what few pages she was there. I really hope this gal gets her own book, because I totally want to know more. Like, right now. *cheesy grin*

The Carnegie thing… Y’all, if the only reason you read this book is to find out why this Carnegie thing completely melted my heart, do it. It melted me, I’m telling you.

This line made me laugh so hard: “This library didn’t need to be reopened. It needed to be resuscitated.”

This line spoke to me in a profound way: “I do the only thing I can when faced with a lie. I hold on to the truth.”

The recurring thread involving a bag of coins was priceless. (See what I did there? Wink, wink.)

I adored the way that phobias were represented. I’ve had a phobia or two in my past, and this book showed them in a realistic way. It was made clear how debilitating they are yet how freeing it can be when one finds that “twenty seconds of insane courage,” as We Bought a Zoo says. (Yes, I was absolutely thrilled that this line was quoted in this story. It fit so well and was a great nod to one of my favorite movies, of which there are many, naturally.)

Libby was so adorable! I had trouble picturing her as the cute blonde on the cover. While that gal is adorable and the cover is charming and one of my favorites this year, the personality that immediately popped off the pages to me was so reminiscent of the leading lady from the movie This Beautiful Fantastic that I could only picture Libby as Miss Jessica Brown Findlay portrayed Bella in that film. If you’ve seen that story and read this one, please tell me you see the resemblance! The quirkiness, the library job, the awkwardness, the charmingness, the utter romance and never-give-up attitude… Y’all, I’m telling you, when that personality popped so clearly at me, I had no choice but to envision Miss Findlay. So sorry, Miss Model on the Cover! I don’t know your name, but you did great work for the cover of this book. Maybe next read I’ll picture you as Libby. *hopeful smiley face*

Olivia was spunky and adorable, and I related to her right away. However, I again couldn’t picture her as blonde (way late in the book I found out she was supposed to be white-blonde; who knew?). Most of the Olivias I’ve known in person have been olive-skinned and dark-brown-haired. *shrug* I’m sure the comment in the story about how her sister took after her mom’s Italian genes (dark-skinned, dark-haired) while Olivia took after her dad’s Scandinavian blood (fair-skinned, light-haired) was supposed to help cement that pale-hair, pale-skin image in my mind. I immediately flashed to the comment Alicia Vikander once made about how, when her skin was lightened with makeup for a role in which she portrayed a Scandinavian woman, she said that she was the "only Scandinavian in the whole film" and that her darker skin tone was her "natural color" rather than a tan. So yeah. I pictured Olivia as olive-skinned and dark-haired, though I really did try to find a white-blonde, light-skinned mental image to attach to her. *shrug* Preset images attached to names are tricky to overcome sometimes.

All that being said about these ladies, I cherished their stories so much. Their journeys were relatable and fun and engaging. They faced real problems and had real hopes and dreams. It was such an adventure journeying with them through this book.

Okay, so let’s talk brothers. I don’t have any brothers, but I imagine the Williams boys are a good example of the crazy dynamics that can come with brotherhood. They were handsome, charming, a little lost, and definitely lacked in the communication department. I liked that they attempted to overcome their past mistakes and regrets in order to chase their futures and their dreams with everything they thought they had at the time. Can I just say that the dates these guys (okay, that Mrs. Faris) thought up were fresh and exciting and super adorable? It’s been a good, long while since I read such a great fishing scene in a romance book. Thank you, Mrs. Faris!

One last thing: I greatly enjoyed the reflections of the Prodigal Son parable I found in this story. From the rebellious brother to the dedicated brother to the father who loved them both… there was so much to truly cherish about this story.

I can hardly wait to find out what happens next in the Restoring Heritage series (if it continues, which I hope for so much).

Content: tattoos, one gambling reference, one sexual term, one drug joke

Until I Met You by Tari Faris is Book 2 in the Restoring Heritage series.

It tells the story of a small town in Michigan that is trying to be revamped by a giant cast of main and secondary characters. Libby moves to town for a new start, to be closer to her brother, and to be the town’s new librarian. She soon meets her neighbor, Austin, who is trying to save his family’s business and complete the town square’s overhaul he’s been hired to do. Libby’s big ideas for the library derail his plans. Also his brother (Nate) is the town pastor and, despite Nate’s checkered past, everyone loves him. This really angers Austin since he sees Nate as just a big screw up. Austin’s not wrong, but he needs to let some things go. The story goes back and forth between Libby and Austin’s love story and Nate and his love interest.
Unfortunately, Austin is so angry all the time about a lot of things and I was disappointed Libby didn’t tell him to take a hike. The nice things he did for her didn’t outweigh his temper, in my opinion.
Nate also was frustrating since he kept leading his girl on and then acting like she was too good for him. Too many mixed signals.

This would make a decent Hallmark movie- fun, clean, and modern... but they would need to change Austin’s attitude first!

A Sweet, Enchanting New Romance…
New-to-me author Tari Faris welcomes readers to her fictional small town where the townspeople come together to bring a delightful, simple story of romance, togetherness and faith.
I enjoyed this story for the personal struggles and faith based elements that Faris wove throughout.  Each character is working to overcome something from their past that is affecting their current situation, making them relatable and life like. The application of faith was inspirational and heartwarming which was refreshing and done well.

The romances between the main characters were very sweet and touching, but also passionate. I loved that the author didn’t stray from the very real feelings these characters had for each other and gave us a in-depth look into the characters' thoughts and struggles.

For me personally, I so wanted to love this book more. There were just a couple of things that held me back from a four star rating… In the beginning, I struggled with the fact that I hadn’t read the first book in the series and a lot of characters were introduced with backgrounds that I knew nothing about. I felt like I’d missed a lot. It wasn’t until half to three quarters of the way though that some of the puzzle pieces were revealed, connecting book one and two, and I began to grasp the characters a little better. Also, at times, it felt like the story became a little repetitive and was fairly predictable. It had the small-town convenience where everyone knows everybody and everything that’s happening. Lastly, I really wanted to like Olivia, Nate and Libby, but I wasn’t able to connect with them on a personal level. Perhaps they’re meant to be younger characters and still growing into themselves (I’m in my early 30’s) so some of their struggles felt a little shallow. My favorite character ended up being Austin, all though I will admit his attitude sometimes pushed that favor.

Despite my mediocre feelings regarding this story, I feel certain other readers will enjoy it immensely for it’s small town charm and happily-ever-after motif. For readers who enjoy television series like Hart of Dixie or Hallmark movies, and for readers who enjoy series where characters mix in throughout the books, then this is a great series for you! I encourage readers to give this novel, and series, a read! It is my recommendation that you read the stories in order though (*wink). Appropriate for readers 16+.

“No, but a life without grace for others’ mistakes ends up being a pretty lonely life.”


This was such a wonderful visit to heritage I loved every minute of it and can I gush about this book a bit, I loved this book so much, I had laughter, I had tears, I had moments where i thought over and over certain aspects of the story.
It was fun getting to know more about Nate and Austin and Libby and Olivia. I lov d the themes of forgiveness and second chances. Most times forgiveness is more for ourselves when we let the hurt fester and refuse to forgive it eats us inside making us bitter. I keep going back to the parable of the Prodigal son as I read about Nate and Austin. We have all messed up in one way or the other we are lost but we are always welcome to come back to the father no judgement but we also have to learn to forgive ourselves. This was Nate's struggle. I loved Olivia for loving him through it all and constantly remaining him he was worthy of being loved, he had been forgiven. Libby and Austin too, although they started off on the wrong foot, I enjoyed reading about how their relationship blossomed and brought out a better part of them.
It was an awesome visit to Heritage and I'd definitely be wanting to go back soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All opinions expressed are solely mine.

Title: Until I Met You
Author: Tari Faris

Ch: 19

Pg: 336

Series: Retoring Heritage

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: Revell

Until I Met You by Tari Faris is the second book in the Restoring Heritage, and I loved this one than the first one in the series. Just like the first book in the series it focuses on two couples which I hadn’t found in any other books. The main characters Librarian Libby Kingsley and Austin Williams. Along with Nate and Olivia. Since book one I had been wanting to read Nate’s story and I now get the chance.

I loved that Nate story is told along with his brother Austin’s because it works at adds more to the story. This book not only gives us two love stories and romantic relationships we get a sibling relationship.


Libby was a girl after my own heart determined to give her new town a real library. Not to mention her hobby of wanting to visit every Carnegie library. That’s on my bucket list. I also love the awesome first date one of the heroes takes the heroine on is a date I would love.


The main theme of Until I Met You is forgiveness and it’s something that applies to all of the characters and even the reader can learn from.


This book had some of my favorite quotes in it. I look forward to the next book in the series as well as anything else Tari Faris writes.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher a part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.



I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Okay, this book had me with the library. In Libby, I found a kindred spirit. From her introverted ways to her getting excited about visiting different libraries, I loved watching her get used to her new home in the town of Heritage.

Now Austin was a little harder for me to like. I understood why he was a grumpy guy and even why he took it out on Libby, but after a while, I got tired of his high standards and jumping to conclusions. The romance between them was sweet when he wasn’t doing his Grinch impersonation. Full review is at my website.

I received this book complimentary as a participant in the Revell blog tour. I was not required to give a positive review. All of the opinions I have expressed here are my own.

I enjoyed being back in the small town of Heritage, Michigan with broken characters I can relate to and learn from. In this novel we get an up close and personal look at Libby Kingsley who is the new librarian in town. She has ideas for the library. Not everyone is excited about them. The character giving grief is Austin Williams who is the one doing the renovations on the square. These two butt heads about many things but especially about what needs to be done to the library. I enjoyed how they went about finding a way to work their differences out.

I adored Olivia who has been assigned to write an article about current dating habits. Olivia says, “Why on earth would people voluntarily sign up for speed dating?” It sounded crazy to her, but she’d try it out. She was up for the challenge. She wanted to prove she was a good writer.

This author does a wonderful job of helping readers escape the cares of this world with her stories. Sit back, relax, and take in the small-town feel, the humorous situations mixed in with the serious issues. This book would work for your next book club pick. There is much to discuss. Looking forward to the next installment to this Restoring Heritage series.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog www.bookfun.org

I really wanted to like this book but I found that the unrelenting forgiveness, which seemed to be the main them of the book, overshadowed the rest of the story. I wanted the author to move beyond that and give me more!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary copy. The opinions are my own.

Well, this novel certainly kept me turning pages! I really liked that there were two developing romantic relationships going on in this book. There was also the turbulent relationship between the brothers, Nate and Austin, which showcased a very broken family relationship.

These two brothers…what burdens they carried!

Austin had deeply rooted bitterness in his heart. The unforgiveness toward his brother that he held onto impacted his developing relationship with Libby. It caused him to react in anger quite a bit in this story. Austin had a lot to learn about forgiveness and trust in this book.

Nate was an intriguing character from book one and I was very interested to see how things worked out for him. The burdens he carried around were all related to the mistakes he had made as a young man. Even though he knew that God had forgiven him, he was unable to totally forgive himself. And even though he loved Olivia, he kept pushing her away because of the man he had been. He had to learn to forgive himself and look to the future instead of the past.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This Until I Met You is a continuation of the Returning to Heritage series. It's a good Christian romance book for when you're in the mood for a little spiritual along with your romance.

For the most part I enjoyed this story. It follows four people and their complex relationships with each other - two romances happening and actually dependent upon each other at the same time. I loved some of the witty banter between the characters and some of the quirks associated with each character. I do have to say, though, that the males portrayed in this book are less like typical alpha males and more like males with issues. There were a few times that I just didn't like the way the female characters were treated by the males, which I suppose was part of the whole point for them to redeem themselves in the end.

Overall, I'm going with 3.5 stars mainly because I did enjoy the book overall, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I gravitated towards this book because the plot sounded really interesting, but I didn't realize it was more geared towards Christian romance and wasn't really in the mood for this type of romance.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to review this advanced reading copy!

Thank you Netgalley and Revell Books for gifting me a copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️💫 2.5/5 Stars
Genre: Christian Romance

When I read the synopsis for this book I was excited to see that the main character was a librarian, my little bookworm heart was so excited! This is the second book of a small town romance with interwoven characters (which I love in a series). What I didn’t realize was that Libby & Austin would not be the only couple in this story, they shared the spotlight with Austin’s brother Nate & Olivia. Along with the budding relationships between these two couples is the tension between two brothers that can’t seem to move on from past mistakes.

I HIGHLY recommend reading this series in order. Most series I’ve read with a location/town as the main building block can be read as a standalone with interwoven characters. Unfortunately I instantly felt lost in the story since events from the prior books were mentioned without explained. I wonder if part of my view of this book would have been different if I’d read the other books prior to this one. I also felt that the romance between the two couples was very watered since both romances shared the same book. We were never able to really experience the building of the deep connection between either couples, it felt more like to novellas interwoven to form a full story.

Overall this was a sweet Christian romance, but I recommend starting with the first book of the series before reading this one.

An inspirational, romantic small-town story from Tari Faris! Sometimes the story and characters are a bit stressful (I’m looking at you, Austin and Nate), but it is always engaging and well-written. The stubbornness of the two main male characters is softened by their thoughtfulness, and their relationships with the two heroines were wonderfully balanced. Usually, I like books to focus on one couple, but Austin’s and Nate’s stories definitely needed to be told simultaneously, so having two heroes and heroines worked well for this story.

Readers will love seeing familiar faces in Until I Met You! Since life is busy, I was unable to read the first book in this series (You Belong With Me) before reading this one, though I did enjoy the prequel novella (P.S. Goodbye). As I eagerly anticipate book three, I’m excited to go back and read book one. Fans of Becky Wade and Denise Hunter won’t want to miss this addition to the Restoring Heritage series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Was super happy to know there was another book in the series. Libby the librarian pulls your right in and her determination to do right by the community pulls at your heartstrings.

It has been a thing now to read a Tari Faris book over Labor Day weekend. What a treat it has been the last 2 years! Humor, heart, realistic flawed characters; this book has it all! The worst part for me was when I was expecting 27 more minutes with these characters and I finished the book! I was so sad! My Kindle app totally fooled me! It all wrapped up satisfyingly, so it was nothing like that. I was just watching the remaining minutes and was so looking forward to that so I was so sad it was the end. It was so fun to read about Otis again too! I feel like this author’s style is her own, but comparable to a mix of Melissa Tagg and Becky Wade. I received an ecopy to read, all thoughts are my own