I just finished Let it Be Me by Becky Wade. WOW! WOW! WOW! Let it Be Me is an amazing story. I appreciate that our heroine, Leah, is a math genius and sees the world in relation to math concepts. Sebastian, our hero, is a pediatric cardiac surgeon and fiercely devoted to saving lives. They both come from challenging backgrounds, but they are learning not to let that hold them back from being who God created them to be.

Honestly, Let it Be Me has it all in my book. It has romance, suspense, plot twists, humor, great kisses, fabulous dialogue, interesting characters, and a reminder of God’s sovereignty and goodness. Becky Wade’s ability to craft an amazing story had me from the first page. My biggest decision now is whether to reread it today or try to wait until next week. Either way, this is a story I am glad I have in my library, and I would recommend you add it to yours.

I received a copy from the publisher/author and was not required to write a review.

5/5 stars

Let It Be Me, the second book in A Misty River Romance, is beautifully crafted and interweaves faith, romance, and elements of mystery/suspense. This book can be read as a stand-alone; however, I would recommend starting with the prequel novella, Take A Chance On Me, and reading the first novel in the series, Stay With Me.

I absolutely adored this book! I adored it so much, in fact, that once I finished it I started rereading my favorite scenes again because I could not say goodbye to this fabulous story. Becky Wade exceeded all of my expectations and crafted a novel that I believe many will claim as her most exceptional work to date.

This story features Sebastian, a pediatric heart surgeon who is emotionally guarded, and Leah, a math genius who loves 80’s music (yay)! Becky Wade has a unique gift for creating original characters that are both likable and flawed. The characters' struggles with loneliness, control, and being able to trust in God's sovereignty and goodness are relatable and will pull the reader into the story. The banter between Leah and Sebastian was fast-paced and a highlight of the novel.

Readers of contemporary romance will not be able to put this book down! Let It Be Me incorporates a sweet love story, loyal friendships, and strong family bonds that will stay with the reader long after the last page. Leah’s search into her genetic history adds a fun and intriguing layer that does not detract from the overall theme. This novel was brilliant, and readers will be highly anticipating the third installment of this series.

"He'd once lost what he'd loved, so he would move mountains and oceans with his bare hands to ensure that she did not endure the same pain."

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions are my own.

One of the things that sets Becky Wade's books apart from other romances is her ability to draw you into deeper heart issues without making you feel like you're reading something other than romance. She seems to effortlessly balance romance, humor, and depth in each book she writes. This isn't just a love story between a hero and a heroine. It's a love story about friendship and family, and ultimately with God. Each of the characters draw you into the world of Misty River and encourage you to stay as long as possible. I always walk away feeling as though I've met my friends in a picturesque setting and walked away having learned something about myself and God and feel refreshed by it.

"Her truest identity, the only one that would last, was anchored in Christ and no one could take that from her."

Becky Wade's books are automatic reads for me. She has such a wonderful way of writing stories that touch you so deeply while also giving the readers delightful banter/dialogue between the characters. She touches on so many different struggles that people may go through and does a fantastic job of weaving in a strong faith thread.

I have enjoyed this series and all of the characters so much and am looking forward to Luke's story in book #3. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Christian contemporary romance. You will not be disappointed.

**Thank you to Bethany House Publishing and the author for this complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Let It Be Me gives us the story of Sebastian, one of the Miracle 5 that we met in book 1 of this series. I love Sebastian! He had a hard life growing up but didn't let that stop him from being a highly sought after pediatric cardiologist. He caught my heart with how he still sees himself as an outsider despite how great his professional life is. Sebastian is a loner. Never lets anyone close. With the exception of his best friend Ben Coleman and his family. They simply would not take no as an answer and include Sebastian in every family gathering. They see him as family, but he knows he really isn't. But, Ben is his best friend and that is why he can not and will not pursue any type of relationship with the girl who helped him last year when he was in an accident. Because that girl? She is the one Ben has liked for a long time now. Besides, Sebastian knows that Ben is the better man.
Leah is a mathematician (and says no one is bad at math; that is probably the only thing that I disagree with in this story...LOL) She was set to go to Princeton on a scholarship when life through her a curve and she became the sole caregiver of her younger brother. Now, she is a teacher of advanced math at Misty River High School.
But life is about to throw another curve ball at Leah and this one isn't any less life changing than raising her brother. This curve ball has her needing hospital records. And since she met Ben's friend Sebastian at a Coleman family get together, she knows just who to ask for help.
Becky Wade weaves spiritual truths into each story she writes and this one is no different. The truths are there, but not forced. She gives us strong, believable, likable characters that have struggles that all of us can understand. And then she weaves in those biblical truths and shows us that God is in control. That God loves us.

Oh my goodness! This book completely exceeded my expectations. I read it in about a day and I couldn't put it down. I really shouldn’t have started it before I got something done because I didn't get anything done. Let It Be Me is the second book in Becky Wade’s Misty River Romance series. I loved the characters and the whole book.
Sebastian had me from the beginning, he was such a kind guy. He truly cared for the children who were brought under his care. He is a pediatric heart surgeon. I really enjoyed reading about his history and his life. I felt so bad for him and I don't know what else to say, but I loved him. I also really enjoyed his relationship with Ben, Sebastian’s best friend, and Ben’s family. Sebastian had to learn to forgive God for his past and to see how blessed he was.
Leah was so cool, she was a math prodigy. However, she was also down to earth. She had wanted to pursue a PhD in mathematics, but she put her dream on hold to raise her brother. I liked how she cared for her brother and her growth as a character. She tried too hard to control her life, but she had to learn that God was ultimately in control. I loved the way she thought and how direct she was.
Leah and Sebastian were brought together when Leah receives interesting news when she was tracking her ancestry. They work together to find the answers to Leah's past, but as they spend time together they start to fall for each other. Sebastian liked Leah from the beginning, but because of his best friend's feelings he steps to the side. However, the more time he spends with Leah the more he falls for her. Leah wasn’t looking for love, but as Sebastian helps her she finds herself wishing for more with the handsome doctor.
I liked the progression of Leah and Sebastian’s relationship. I didn’t feel like it was forced. And I was relatively happy with the decisions that the characters made. I wanted them to find their happy endings, but I also understood their feelings. I really enjoyed seeing Ben, Sebastian’s best friend, and his family interacting with Sebastian. Leah’s brother was also a lot of fun.
I couldn’t put Let It Be Me down! I read it so quickly, and I would definitely recommend it! There were so many twists and turns. And it was so interesting to read about Leah’s past and the results of her tests. I can’t wait for the next book and I am so excited to see who it is about!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

Let It Be Me
by Becky Wade
Book 2 in A Misty River Romance series
Rating: 4.5/5

Ready for a swoon-worthy romance with sass and banter? Becky Wade delivers her second installment in Misty River that does not disappoint. Reading in order is recommended but not necessary.

"As a rule, Sebastian didn't form attachments. One, he didn't like to rely on people. Two, he didn't want the fear and potential loss that came with loving people."

Despite his difficult and miraculous past, Sebastian Grant has become a successful pediatric heart surgeon. Although he is a dedicated surgeon, he still struggles with feeling like he belongs and opening up to people. When someone comes along who he decides might be worth becoming vulnerable with, he discovers that she is off-limits since his best friend, Ben, is already in love with her. Sebastian is devastated but tries his best to push the lovely Leah Montgomery into Ben's arms.

While Leah values Ben's friendship, she does not feel anything more for him; however, there's something about his friend, Sebastian, that draws her in. She doesn't want to ruin a friendship, but she cannot get over how different she is with Sebastian - how much she can be herself with him. However, the math prodigy who sacrificed her Ph.D future to care for her younger brother has a bigger problem - Leah's genealogy DNA results are back and disturbingly different than she anticipated. Leah seeks Sebastian's help to discover what happened on the day that she was born, but can she keep her distance from the one man who actually stirs her heart and excites her more than algebra?

Not only does Becky Wade weave an interesting mystery into this story but she is able to incorporate her faith in a very meaningful way. Leah and Sebastian both have their issues and insecurities but the banter they share is irresistible and will make the reader smile (or laugh out loud). I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Leah and Sebastian and their story. I appreciated the work that the author did to make her characters believable. I'm not the greatest fan of love triangles, but I really liked how the author dealt with this love triangle in a very realistic way.

"The day they'd met, he'd thought she had the face of a world-weary angel, but he hadn't known the half of it. He'd had no idea then of her quickness, feistiness, fairness. He hadn't known what it felt like to kiss her. Or how one look from her blue eyes could set his world on fire."

Highly recommend this Christian contemporary romance with sass and mystery.

My thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

'The safest course was to depend on himself. So why had he strayed from that?'

Every so often I read a book that just resonates so loudly in my heart that I have a difficult time sitting down to compose a review adequate enough to do the book justice. This was that book. Becky Wade absolutely never fails to pull me deep down into her stories. The characters she creates are not just people walking across a page in a book. No, not by a long shot. They are people slipping inside my head and heart and taking up residence there.

Wade takes us back to Misty River for the second in her series and tells us Sebastian and Leah's story. And what a delicious story it is. An extremely guarded pediatric heart surgeon with enough hurts to cause him to never feel much emotion finally finds the woman who came to his rescue when he had a car accident in the closing pages of last book. Leah Montgomery is a math prodigy, math genius, math teacher who is absolutely no nonsense. She doesn't believe in romance, either. She is too busy raising her teenage brother and trying to figure out the issues involved in a recent DNA test to engage in a relationship with Sebastian Grant.

Once again, Becky Wade proves she is indeed incredibly masterful at plumbing the absolute depths of the human heart. I wanted to read to the end but hated to finish it because I knew I'd feel bereft because it ended. Wade gets inside these characters and then pulls everything out of them in a way that leaves her readers gasping at the realness of it all. Every single word in a Becky Wade book is a treasure.

'God, her spirit howled, where are you?'

As always, Wade is not one bit shy of proclaiming Christ in her books. That's one thing I love about her. She puts Him first. God's goodness shines through every page. The spiritual theme of this one was powerful and ministered to a situation in my own life. I can highly recommend this one. Bravo! Well done!

My thanks to Bethany House Publishing and the author for a copy of this book. I received no compensation and the opinion in this review is expressly my own.

A heart-wrenching, perfectly inspiring addition to Becky Wade’s Misty River Romance series! Let It Be Me is rich with Wade’s signature relatable characters, profound lessons in faith, and love.

One of my favorite things about Wade’s books is her characters. Each one is unique and interesting, yet relatable and magnetic; they just draw the reader in and don’t let go, without fail. Sebastian and Leah are well-written and impactful. I always appreciate the cast of minor characters, who make me laugh and cry, and add another intriguing layer to the story. Readers will love seeing past Misty River characters, and the little peek at Luke’s character makes me utterly, wonderfully impatient for his story.

Readers will adore Wade’s latest masterpiece. Her writing makes the reader swoon, laugh, cry, and feel completely inspired. Don’t miss this excellent series! 4.5/5 stars

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