Let It Be Me hooked me from page one and refused to let go after The End. I adored everything about this book. It’s quintessential Becky Wade with all the feels, a broody hero that makes you want to find out what makes him tick, and a heroine that you want to cheer for and add to your squad.

Sebastian has intrigued me from book one and Becky Wade delivered in spades. Y’all, I was swooning and wondering if I should jump on the book boyfriend craze. He was perfection.

And Leah! It’s rare that I feel such an affinity for Leah but I adored everything about her. She’s a great person and I’m sad she’s not real. But I’m grateful that I can reread this book whenever I like, because it’s that good and I have to visit these two again.

If you haven’t read it or feeling on the fence, please add it to your TBR pile. It’s book 2 in the Misty River Romance series but I believe can totally be read as a standalone.

Happy Reading!

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. My review was not required nor influenced.

Leah has never been an average, ordinary girl. Being a math genius teacher and raising her teenage brother. Until she received some shocking news that had her questioning everything about her life and who she is. Sebastian Grant hasn’t been the same since he survived the earthquake along side four other friends. When Leah asks Sebastian for help with a situation, he graciously helps, and as the two spend time together, sparks begin to fly.
Will Leah be brave enough to try romance and will Sebastian open up to her?
This truly was a wonderful romance. While reading it, I felt like I was watching it as a movie in my mind and couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

I graciously received an advance e-copy from netgalley for review. All opinions are my own.

Super interesting plot line. Very unique. I found myself wanting to know more of the story when I finished the book. There could definitely be another entire book written about these characters and it would be great, I’m sure. I couldn’t put it down. It reads quickly. Flows nicely. References to Christian content aren’t in your face and excessive. Tasteful and added to the story well. I loved the practical messages that seem so appropriate for our world today. Well written. Overall great book.
I received a digital copy from NetGalley. I was in no way required to write a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Upfront, I love Becky Wade’s writing and have never gotten anything that I didn’t love so I start reading with that bias. Also upfront I am not a fan of love triangles, they rarely end well since most authors vilify one character to make the other the better choice. Not realistic. Not cool and a huge pet peeve for me.
I’m happy to report that Becky Wade continues to write books that I love and if more love triangles are handled this well I just might become a fan of them. Sebastian actually ‘met’ Leah in the first book of this series but if you haven’t read it that’s okay you’ll still follow along nicely, but go read it because it’s great (pretend my previously mentioned bias does not exist here). Both characters are guarded and trying not to become involved. They each had less than normal childhood experiences that affected how they approach relationships but I also feel amplified their sense of loyalty. They have great chemistry with each other even when they aren’t trying to and there is a natural effortlessness to their friendship and connection that comes through in the writing that really pulls you into the story. The mystery, I don’t want to give spoilers but you probably already know that DNA tests results are involved. I can say I was totally blindsided but it made sense. It wasn’t just a filler to flesh out a romance you can see the pieces falling into place. I appreciate that I also got a sneak peek at the next in the series without taking away from this storyline. I am at the edge of my seat waiting for it while still sitting in the glow and re-read of this one.

“Since the day we met,” he told her, “all I’ve wanted is to be with you.”

Oh. My. This book is so incredibly good!!! Wade is a master at weaving life issues, faith questions, attraction, heartache and love into the most beautiful mosaic of emotions.

Sebastian Grant is the one that all other heroes are going to have to live up to from this moment on. He is the quintessential wounded hero. He’s guarded, loyal to a fault, and uber focused in his career as a pediatric heart surgeon. Throw in the added perk of him being tall, dark and handsome, and yep, not sure any other character is going to live up to Sebastian. 

Leah Montgomery gets the shock of her life when she receives her DNA results and it is on from there with such a compelling aspect to this story. She’s a genius mathematician so the way she goes about dealing with the news and ferreting out the truth of what happened kept me glued to the pages.

There are many great characters in this story. Wade has truly raised the bar with this one. Let it Be Me is destined for my Top Reads in 2021!

I received an advanced and unedited copy from the publisher through Netgalley. No compensation received.

This is the second book in the Misty River Romance series. I read the first to know what was going on and I liked this book better. Leah and Sebastian are perfection. She is a quirky breath of fresh air. She’s brave and honest. Sebastian is the essence of strength and love. Both of them come from a place of brokenness which is woven into their relationship. This book combines a sweet romance with a family mystery. I really enjoyed this book and all the details.

Thank you Bethany House for the ARC.

It isn't often I pick up a book where both of the main characters are brainy but Sebastian and Leah are both very academically minded.

It was hard for me to connect with Leah at first since she so adamantly didn't believe in love, but once she opened her eyes to her interest in Seb I started to like her more.

I loved Sebastian. He has plenty of faults so there were times I wasn't happy with him, but his determination in all aspects not his life was incredible. I really liked some of the creative ways he got Leah's attention.

I love how Wade incorporated a little mystery into this book and especially how it helped Leah and Seb connect. The love story alone had me hooked and the mystery was just a bonus.

The first kiss in this book was pretty amazing. I felt like since both characters were so cerebral everything was described differently and the way they assessed their emotions gave this love story a different vibe. I really enjoyed it. Sometimes in it is nice to read a book with a different view on life.

Many of the characters in this book were put through the wringer. But I love how Wade drew us back to God's faithfulness even in hard times.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review.

Let It Be Me has everything I've come to expect from a Becky Wade book. Unique plot points, page-turning tension, interesting dialogue. A hero and heroine I immediately care about, surrounded by fleshed-out, charming friends and family who support them in their quest to heal. And a resolution that both inspires me and satisfies my story-loving heart. I was glad to spend time in Misty River. Sebastian and Leah drew me into their charming story, and my only disappointment was that it was over too soon! 5 stars for this must-read inspirational romance!

"She typically got lost in her own mind while navigating labyrinths of pure math. This was the first time she'd become lost in the rubble of a genealogical bomb" (location 60). I learned a lot about how to go about searching for answers about your ancestry. It raised the question "What would you do if you found something shocking in your DNA?" What price are you willing to pay to find out the truth?

Leah is a math genius. Forced to raise her brother from the time she was 18, she has no time for romance. Sebastian is one of the "Miracle 5." He dreams of meeting the woman who helped him when he was in a car wreck only to find that his best friend is in love with the same woman.

For as nerdy and unaware as Leah is, she is wonderfully quirky and funny. I love her interactions with her brother and with Sebastian. I also enjoyed getting to know Ben's family a little bit. The way they embraced Sebastian as a hurting kid and enveloped him into their family was beautiful.

This was a great read. I'm enjoying getting to know each member of the "Miracle 5" and am already looking forward to the next installment. Thank you to Bethany House for providing me with an e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

🌸Let It Be Me🌸
🌸Becky Wade🌸

🌸I’m going to trust in you with all my heart and lean not on my understanding. In all my ways, I’ll acknowledge you. Please make my paths straight.🌸

🌸Sometimes words aren't enough to convey how you feel and giving control to the Maker might be hard at times but remember that it's totally worth it! We see Leah struggling with handing over the reins to even God!

🌸She loses her identity in one single email that says that her DNA doesn't match with her mother's and that single email shatters her entire system, she is a math prodigy and has high level intellect but the answers to the email doesn't come handy when she does the math....

🌸Leah has been taking care of her brother since her mother gave her full custody of him to her when she was 18

🌸Sebastian has had a hard life but now that he's settled in life he still feels restless and unable to let people in. He's only ever trusted the Coleman's and wouldn't let anyone penetrate that circle but who knew it would be a good thing when he crashes his car.

🌸Watch these two limbo and find their identity in Christ and figure out who they are and how to trust when trust seems like a hard thing to do.

🌸This book is a masterpiece of Christian Fiction!! I love the way she writes about spiritual battles and how it too affects our real life and leads us in the same spiritual journey of rectifying ourselves and falling in love with her characters is inevitable!

🌸Becky Wade is an author who writes beautiful Christian Fiction and her plots are really unique and yet relatable, her characterization is perfection itself, and her climax scenes and romance scenes are off the charts!! This is a book that would stay with you a long time after you read it!

🌸I've been highlighting a lot from the book and so you may expect one or two posts in the future of the quotes 😉

I was so looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint. The characters of Leah and Sebastian are relatable and it was such a joy to read about their journey together and their journey individually with God.
Leah is a math prodigy and sees the world in mathematical ways. Being a math person myself this was a very fun character to read about. Sebastian is pediatric surgeon who lived a hard life as a child. Together their romance story is beautiful. The journey that Becky Wade takes us on through these characters is wonderful and something to not be missed.

There are SO many wonderful elements in Let It Be Me by Becky wade that I started, then restarted, then restarted AGAIN this review because I’m having difficulty what to gush about first. I won’t apologize for my forthcoming excessive fangirling, but I will give you a warning. Brace Yourself. There. With that out of the way, let’s begin.

I got a glimpse of Sebastian Grant in Stay With Me (Book One in the Misty River Romance series) but I kinda underestimated him. In Let It Be Me, he takes center stage, and oh what a view it is! He’s a pediatric heart surgeon. Friends, the dude saves kids’ lives! He has a penchant for Sinatra music – if I wasn’t already a big fan, that alone would seal the deal. Can’t go wrong with Ol Blue Eyes. But with all his awesomeness, the man has flaws. He was raised a foster kid and grew into the habit of keeping others at arm’s length. Another huge challenge that arises is that he’s fallen in love with his best friend’s crush, Leah Montgomery.

Leah is a math prodigy and high school teacher. With dreams of becoming a professor and with the reality of raising her teenage brother, she has no plans of romance. Besides she’d already given her heart years ago to Han Solo. But she never factored in the very real, very persistent Sebastian Grant into the equation.

Brimming with the signature witty banter we’ve all come to adore in Becky Wade’s novels, this story will make you laugh one second and swoon the next. Add in a twisty mystery along with a solid faith message, and you have a five-star book worthy of your keeper shelf. Highly recommended!!!

**I received a copy from the author. All opinions are completely my own.

“God never left you alone.” Ben spoke with calm certainty. “I understand why you felt that way, but sometimes our feelings are liars."

4 1/2 out of 5 stars for his fabulous, compelling romance story that had me hooked from the start, kept me reading way past my bedtime and had me tearing up with happy tears by the end of the book. Such a fabulous story! The romance was great, the tension was there, and the mystery investigative element that was present in the Bradford sisters series is shining through in this story as well and let me tell you, I did not see a couple of those twists coming towards the end of the book. Such a great story and definitely leaves me wanting the final book in the trilogy. I need to hear more about Isabella, Ben and obviously get to know Luke more in book three.

“Still wearing the Susan B. Anthony T-shirt?” she asked.
“No. It was so tight I had to use a vacuum attachment to suck it off me when I got home.” “The idea that ‘we, the people doesn’t mean we, the white male citizens’ has never been a comfortable one for men to wear.”
He laughed. “True.”

Becky Wade's Let It Be Me tells the love story of pediatric heart surgeon Sebastian Grant and math- prodigy-turned-teacher Leah Montgomery. Several obstacles stand in the their path to true love, however; Sebastian's best friend has been in love with Lead for months, Leah, herself, professes not to believe herself capable of romance or attraction, Leah finds herself distracted by a quest to discover how and why she was evidently switched at birth, and Sebastian admittedly holds himself apart from others as a result of his troubled childhood. In the end, predictably, the problems resolve and the happy couple waltzes off toward the Georgian horizon.
After reading in the afterward that Wade is a fellow Baylor Bear, it pains me to profess that I am not at all a fan of this book. Before you accuse me of disliking the novel because it isn't historical fiction, bear in mind that there have been several contemporary romance series from Bethany House that I've enjoyed, like Liz Johnson's Prince Edward Island Dreams, Susan May Warren's Montana Rescue, or Irene Hannon's Hope Harbor. First, there were simply far too many unrelated plotlines. The love triangle issue and the whole "switched at birth" saga were unnecessary, distracting, and borderline bizarre. Second, I may have been able to overlook the first issue if I had found the love story compelling or even believable. I'm honestly not sure why either Leah or Sebastian managed to even like each other. Despite physical attraction, which Wade described at one point as "a pleasurable menstrual cramp," the characters didn't seem to have anything in common or any reason to find themselves in love. Sebastian, despite being a rich, handsome heart surgeon, regularly deliverers cringe-inducing lines like, "I want to make out with you" and sometimes behaves like a maniacal stalker. Which brings me to my final point, the characters' actions simply don't make sense. Sebastian goes to great lengths (mostly spending inappropriate amounts of money) to get Leah to go on a date, but has no intention of maintaining a long-term or serious relationship with her. If it weren't Christian fiction, I'd assume he just wanted to get in her pants then dump her. It was all very confusing. I won't be reading any other Misty River books.

I received a free copy from the publisher. No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.

This story is very God centered ( which it should be - it is Christian fiction ), but not preachy. The romance moves really slowly - almost too slowly. It kept repeating their thoughts of how they liked each other, but the relationship did not advance for some time. I did like how direct Leah was with Ben. I didn't even realize this book was part of series, so you can read this alone( I did! ).

Leah figuring out her parentage was very interesting. It felt like a mystery thrown in with the romance. It was a nice balance of relationships with Leah's parents, her brother and Sebastian. All the relationships are the center of the story.

The ending answered the questions Leah had about her history. It also left things open for the next book. I do wish Ben would have his own story.

Let It Be Me is an exceptional contemporary romance with great characters and an engaging plot.

I haven’t read every Becky Wade book, but every book of hers I have read, I’ve enjoyed immensely. Let It Be Me was no exception. The characters are raw. Not in a could’ve-been-more-fleshed-out kind of way but rather in a so-well-written-they’re-almost-real kind of way. And they truly felt real.

Sebastian is so much more than your typical brooding hero. He feels deeply but also fears deeply, and his fears are so real, I found myself relating to him more and more. Leah isn’t your average beauty but not your typical intellectual either. She’s anxious and driven and straightforward. When these two characters come together on the page, it’s magic. Not just because of their chemistry or their banter but the way they draw each other out and highlight each other’s best qualities.

And Wade has an amazing ability to cut right to the heart of a character, including their spiritual lives. I loved how she explored our identity in Christ and our ability to trust and depend on Him.

There’s so much more I want to say about this book, about the subplots and the supporting characters, but I’m still in a bit of awe. All I can think to say is…WOW. So I think I’ll just leave it there.

(Blog will go live May 7 at 12 p.m. EDT)

Let It Be Me continues Becky Wade's Misty River Romance series with a wonderful story full of mystery, heartache, faith, family, friendships, and love. Common to all of Ms. Wade's writings, Let It Be Me brings to its readers deeply developed and relatable characters, unexpected plot twists, as well as genuine lessons of faith, patience, forgiveness, and love. Ms. Wade has a special talent for creating characters that are genuinely unique and each character brings specific lessons to her readers. I truly enjoyed these main characters and the struggles they faced in this book. The self-doubts, past heartaches, unexpected life changes, major life decisions, and many more struggles faced by the main characters in Let It Be Me are what make this book relatable to every reader.
I appreciate Ms. Wade's focus on bringing relatable and down-to-earth characters into her literary realm. I absolutely enjoyed the two main characters of Sebastian Grant, a pediatric heart surgeon, as well as Leah Montgomery, a math prodigy and teacher. Neither Sebastian or Leah have an ordinary background or history, but their strength developed from past tragedies and overcoming difficulties makes them a good match. However, before Sebastian has a chance to do more than meet Leah, he discovers that she is the one woman off limits to him. Sebastian's best friend Ben has been good friends with Leah for a while and has been working towards a relationship with her.
Sebastian is devastated to not be able to pursue Leah, but he tries to be a good friend to Leah while not getting in the way of his friend Ben. Leah has always dreamed of obtaining her PhD in mathematics and has put her dream on backburner as she raised and supported her younger brother. Now that Leah's younger brother is nearing college, Leah can finally fulfill her dream. When Leah gets shocking results from a DNA test for her family's genealogy she turns to the one medical person she know for help: Sebastian. Deeply conflicted, Sebastian can't refuse to help Leah with her search for the truth, but he is also concerned with maintaining a healthy distance from Leah to protect his already broken heart from completely shattering. Can Leah discover her true identity? Can she reconcile the discrepancies in her family history? Will she be able to pursue her dreams? What will become of Sebastian and Leah? Can Ben and Sebastian still maintain their friendship even if Leah and Ben don't work out?
Along with excellent characters, Ms. Wade also cleverly weaves her plots full of conflicts, triumphs, doubts, and many twists and turns, leaving her readers interested up to the last page. I appreciate how Ms. Wade brings faith into the storyline without it seeming forced or fake. I appreciate the genuine love, friendships, and true sense of family that she brings into her storyline. I absolutely loved how Sebastian had an "adopted family" in his best friend Ben's family and how well Ms. Wade portrayed the relationships in the non-biological family. There are many reasons to read any of Ms. Wade's writings, but I hope that I have convinced you to pick up Let It Be Me with only a few reasons I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend Let It Be Me and hope that you have the chance to enjoy it as much as I did. Happy readings!
Disclaimer: Bethany House Publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and part of an unbiased review.

Thanks to Bethany House for the free review copy.
What an interesting, sweet book this was. Leah was such a developed character, and I loved the detail the author put into her. This romance is a love triangle in the beginning, and I thought it was done so well, especially since Ben and Sebastian are such great friends. I also liked how the story glimpsed in on characters from the previous book and novella. Sebastian was also fleshed out, and I could feel his closed off-ness radiating from him throughout the novel.
This book is super busy, and I sometimes found myself getting lost. There are a lot of subplots. I wished there had been more time devoted to the romance, especially after the revelations at the end.
However, I did love the exploration of a sibling raising a younger sibling. She was able to highlight the highs and lows of this complex situation well. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. It will be so fun to come back to Misty River.

I loved, loved, loved this book! The first book in the Misty River series, Stay With Me, was one of the best books I've read in a long time, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this follow-up novel. However, in true Becky Wade fashion, it was delightful!

In addition to the great chemistry between Sebastian and Leah, I was quickly pulled into Leah's search for her biological family and I loved how she learned to rely on other people throughout the book. No spoilers, but I loved the way that storyline was resolved.

The tie that binds these books together, the story of the Miracle Five, is powerful and I already can't wait to read what happens in the next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House for providing me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion!

This has been such a beautiful story that I’m sad it has come to an end. The characters were very relatable, both struggling with their own issues. I love how Becky Wade writes such realistic personalities that deal with real life trauma and sorrow, ultimately finding hope and help in God. There were so many moments that made me cry, and I love books that stir my emotions. This was so good and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.