From USA TODAY bestselling author Tara RandelShe’s the love of his life… Derrick. She tells him she’s moved on and he should, too, but Derrick fears Hannah’s still in danger. He vows to protect her—even if that means betraying her trust…again.
Meet Me at the Altar series
The Lawman’s Secret Vow
His Honor, Her Family
Trusting Her Heart
Always the One
From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.
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Thank you Prism and the author for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Always The One
By: Tara Randel
*REVIEW*
I’ve become a fan of the Harlequin Heartwarming books. They are clean, charming, light and easy to read in a short period of time. Always The One fits the bill as another lovely Heartwarming story. Years ago, Derrick and Hannah were in love. One night, her entire family just disappeared. Not having any idea where she is, Derrick searches for years(plus, he’s now an FBI agent). Eventually, Derrick gets a lucky break and locates Hannah. It turns out, her family was placed into protective custody. Now, Hannah, known as Anna, is engaged and harbouring some ill feelings about Derrick. It seems that Hannah has completely moved on with her life, but Derrick wants Hannah back in his life. He sticks around, fearing possible danger to Hannah. Will Derrick win Hannah back, and is she in danger? This is a fast paced and well written story with a bit of romance and mystery. The characters are genuine and easy to like. I enjoyed reading Always The One, and I highly recommend it for romance readers. I look forward to more Harlequin Heartwarming tales!
Always the One by Tara Randel is a heartwarming story of second chances and new beginnings. The series features the Matthews family, four brothers all involved in some type of law enforcement or investigation, as well as their mother. Randel has done a great job at loosely connecting the stories in this series, while allowing each to stand alone. I’ve loved getting to know the family and seeing them progress with each story.
Always the One is Derrick and Hannah’s story, a perfect blend of appealing characters, romance, and light suspense. A gemstone gives Derrick all the motivation he needs to seek Hannah, now living in Nevada and teaching school after 17 years of silence – and recently engaged to an art gallery owner named Jonathan. The chemistry between Derrick and Hannah feels real and I enjoyed their relational journey as past misunderstandings are gradually revealed. I didn’t dislike Jonathan, but it was obvious he wasn’t a good fit for Hannah, in spite of the love for art that they shared. Jonathan needs to connect with someone who means more to him than the gallery.
Derrick is an appealing hero with a strong desire to protect Hannah. The story’s WITSEC theme (Witness Protection Program) was moving and shed light on what its participants deal with in exchange for protection from those who would do them harm – the suddenness of the break from all they’ve known, the inability to form real friendships, always having to look over one’s shoulder.
It was touching to see two secondary characters also find happiness in their own marital relationships – Hannah’s mom and Derrick’s mother. Questions about the man Derrick’s mom wanted to marry have worked their way through the series and it was great to see them marry in a church – a place for renewal to her way of thinking. Another of my favorite themes was how Derrick interacted and connected with children in Hannah’s class, especially Tommy.
“Sometimes we get a raw deal. It’s how we handle the tough circumstances that makes all the difference” … Difficulties of life are something that we can all relate to, and those words of Derrick beautifully express the essence of this story. I enjoyed Always the One very much and look forward to many more stories from the pen of Tara Randel. Recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Prism Book Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
A sweet romance full of mystery, memories and love everlasting! ALWAYS THE ONE is book four in Tara Randel’s Meet Me at the Altar series and brings us the story of FBI agent Derrick Matthews and the one that got away. The story line caught my attention quickly and I enjoyed watching them reconnect.
Derrick is easy to like and sympathize with as he reminisces about his first and only love. When he receives something in the mail that makes him think of her and wonder if it could be a clue of where she is, he is quick to set out on a journey to try to find her one last time.
Hannah is not so easy to like. She’s very cold and judgemental when he finally finds her because she blames him and his interference for the fact that her family had to run all those years ago. I had a hard time forgiving her for her attitude and how she strung him along, but eventually she mellowed out.
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet reunion story with a hint of danger and intrigue thrown in.
Always the one
Always the one is a romance with a little mystery. I enjoyed how Derrick and Hannah find each other again. They were childhood sweethearts that got separated. He finally finds her again but that is the mystery part. I never did guess who contacted Derrick to bring him back to Hannah.
This is part of a series but I have not read the other books. I want to read the other books sometime. I really enjoyed this book which can be read as a stand alone.
I loved how Derrick was so determined to find Hannah. Also how he wants to protect her. Hannah is very special and so caring.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author through Prism book tours. This book review is my own opinion.
Always the One may be my favorite second chance with your first love book I’ve read yet. The fact that Derrick has searched for Hannah and held onto her in his heart for so many years reminds me of why I love Jane Austen’s Persuasion. There’s something about falling so hard and deep in love at a young age, a love that stands the test of time and separation, that gives me all the feels.
Tara Randel ups the ante with a good bit of suspense, a reluctant Hannah, and the competition of her fiancé. Derrick has his work cut out for him whether he wins her back or lets go of her for good. And this story has plenty of ups, downs, and heated moments.
Throughout this series, I’ve enjoyed hanging out with the Matthews brothers. From the way they have each other’s backs to their love and protectiveness of their mothers, this family is fantastic., and Randel saved the best of their romances for last.
Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
I enjoy blogging because I get to read so many awesome book this one included. I love helping to support authors to get their books promoted and I feel that this was the Lord’s calling.
I enjoyed the story line and the wonderful characters that I got to make friends with.
Randal has pulled me into the story from the beginning to the end and I loved the suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out who done it.
I love a book that can keep me entertained all the way through. There wasn’t one thing that I didn’t like about this book. It’s a wonderful and clean read all the way through.
Hannah is trying to come to grips with everything that has happened past, present, and future.
She’s an amazing lady who has had a lot to overcome and somewhere along the way, she’s gotten the idea that she had to do everything and control whatever situation that she’s in.
I love how the author put Hannah through life. While I didn’t enjoy watching her struggle, I was rooting for her along the way.
I like to thing that when God closes one door He opens another. He might have closed that first door for a reason.
I really wanted to shake and tell her that she didn’t have to do that that there was One died on the cross just for that purpose. He died to save us from our sins and tells us time and time again to lay our burdens at His feet. ( Admittedly I have that trouble as well. But we’re all human. That’s where forgiveness comes in).
I admit it’s easier said than done especially when you feel like you’re the one who’s trying to do it all. I feel like that sometimes. Especially somewhere along the line that my husband thinks all he has to do is work and then come home go to bed, play on his phone.
Derrick is my kind of guy but someone doesn’t see that yet. She’s too busy holding onto the past.
He’s kind, caring and compassionate. I wish the cover would have showed his face lol. That way I can drool lol! I love that he’s interested in everything including life and how he digs his heels in so to speak.
And at last we’re to the mystery that is unfolding in the novel. I love that! It makes for an interesting plot.
Now last but least we get to Johnathan. I don’t trust him at all. He comes off as a shady and suspicious person of interest. Especially since he disappears all the time.
This is a book I highly recommend if you want an excellent read. It is chalk full of mystery, romance not too heavily overdone and second chances. I promise that it will keep you glued to wherever you are at until the book is finished. I sighed happily after it was finished.
Randel certainly can write a story that’s for sure!
My thanks to Prism Tours for a wonderful read. I was NOT required to write a positive review and all opinions are entirely my own.
What happens when you can’t forget your first love? Seventeen years later FBI agent Derrick Matthews still can’t move on in his love life without thinking about his high school sweetheart, Hannah Rawlings. They had made such grand plans together but something happened and Derrick has only an inkling of what it may have been.
Hannah and her family have to disappear one night and enter the witness protection program and she isn’t able to let Derrick know. But in a way, she blames Derrick for her family’s current problems. Derrick is shocked that her and her family is gone without a trace, that I do believe without the closure he needed with Hannah he is unable to move on. Not only that but this has also affected his and his father’s relationship.
Now years later, Derrick is just about to move on when a mysterious package arrives at his office that leads him straight to Hannah. Just who sent the package and who is Hannah so afraid of are major questions that beg to be answered in this sweet second chance love story with a bit of suspense.
Also will Hannah ever see her dreams come true and what is Derrick going to do when he finds out Hannah is engaged to another man?
Both of these characters went through a lot of drama in their lives and it was no fault of their own. I enjoyed this story and watching Derrick pursue Hannah after all this time, to love her and want the best for her even if it meant it might not be him. That was a great sign of true love.
I received a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
Always the One was another great book by Tara Randel. I mostly listen to audio books these days so when I actually read a book it has to be able to keep my attention. This book kept me happily wanting to read more.
Derrick and Hannah were the main characters and both told the story. They had fallen in love when they were growing up and were separated just before they eloped as teenagers. The main story took place 17 years after Hannah had been taken with her parents into hiding. Derrick was in the FBI and finally found Hannah after all those years, but she wasn’t happy to be found. Derrick discovered that she was in a serious relationship with another man.
Throughout the story I continued to feel terrible for Hannah and what she had gone through and how her life had to change drastically. It was also hard to see Derrick go through the emotionally pain of trying to get her back in his life. Along with the sweet romance there was a little bit of mystery which I enjoyed.
Always the One by Tara Randel was a clean contemporary adult romance full of the ups and downs of love. If you enjoy books full of past love pushing its way back to the present then you will adore this read.
Content Ratings
Sexual: mild (kissing)
Language: none
Violence: none
I received this book from Prism Book Tours. I am not paid for my reviews. My reviews are solely my opinion.
Thank you in advance to the author, Tara Randel, as well as Prism Book Tours for providing a complimentary copy to review. A positive review was NOT required, and all words are my own.
As of last year, I have begun “warming up” to Harlequin’s “Heartwarming” line. My first two introductions were as a private review at an author’s request, and one was from a review group. I was hooked!
But, I’m no stranger to Harlequin books as I began reading them about 20 years ago. It was last year I was re-introduced to the Love Inspired Series. I have some 2003 “Love Inspired” books from Steeple Hill that I’ve never read. I can see that line has definitely improved. And, because I enjoyed the Intrigue line, it makes sense that I am absolutely hooked on the Love Inspired Suspense series.
Monthly readers will note the cover change this month (February 2020). Harlequin redesigned the covers for all of their series (which is also color-coded). As opposed to the previous (recent) “design”, this is a bit cleaner with the LOGO, publisher, and series in the upper left of the cover. The logo is a bit LESS noticeable. In the “Heartwarming” line, the heart on the spine is missing. Eagle-eyed readers should still be able to spot this in their favorite stores though.
On to this book …
“Always the One” grabbed me right off by a weakness I have when it comes to a romance story – law enforcement. Be it local police, small town sheriffs, investigators, FBI, even NCIS – I have a real soft spot for law enforcement heroes in a story.
The blurb on this book grabbed my attention because it also dealt with a former love interest in the Witness Protection Program (WITSEC).
Even while I’m reading a book, I try to take notes for my review. Trying to write a review with no notes is impossible.Why? I couldn’t take them when it came to this book.
And, that’s not because I didn’t like this book – I LOVED it! I read it in about two days. As this is a “large print” novel, that wasn’t that hard. I found I couldn’t put it down, and since I read at bedtime – of course I had to put it down as I needed some sleep. But, I kept wanting to come back to it.
The characters and story drew me in right away. And, it was easy to see where both Derrick and Anna (Hannah) were coming from. Still, it was rather sad to see that while they both deeply loved each other, Anna wasn’t as thrilled with seeing Derrick again. Yet, he was willing to give her as much time as she needed.
This was the first “Meet me at the Altar” book I have read, and the first one of the author’s I’ve read. Tara Randel did a terrific job with this one. While part of the series, this easily stands on its own. The writer put in enough information for the other family members so I was able to read this without feeling lost.
Derrick arrives in a Northern Nevada town (I’m in Southern Nevada) when he receives something from his and Hannah’s past. After looking for her most of his life, and almost giving up – he’s hoping she is reaching out to him. Only “Anna” isn’t reaching out.
Still, Derrick wants to assure her safety by finding out what is going on. So much so that he gets a job there while supposedly on “vacation”. He still loves her; she loves him, but …
There is Anna’s fiancé, Jonathan, in the mix. I didn’t trust him from the beginning. Nor did I like him. I read the book with all these bad vibes about him.
So, right off – for me – there was a mystery with touch of intrigue/suspense, a lost love, and an unintentional love triangle.
Randel structured and planned the plot quite well with the heart-breaking realities of crime witnesses and what they are forced to leave behind to keep their family safe. It is also heart-breaking for those who are left behind that don’t know what is going on.
Anna’s family has even separated with her father going away to keep her and her mother safe. But, Anna has had to pick up and take charge due to her mother’s failing health.
Randel didn’t back down from the realities of caring for a sick and elderly parent, while managing a full-time job, with wedding planning.
The end was nothing like I expected. It had a “cute”, albeit sneaky conclusion (about chapter 15) which I had to laugh about. I can’t give it away without spoiling it. But, it was so cute! And, of course the standard “happily ever after” with a little bit of the suspense I had read into it.
While categorized under the “Hope & Inspiration” line by Harlequin, this is simply a “clean read” romance. There are no referenced sex scenes, mild PDA (public displays of affection), and the language is mild. There are little to no Christian references, so those who enjoy cleaner reads without wanting the Christian references will enjoy this book, and I also hope those who enjoy Christian romance will enjoy the book as well.
It completely fulfills the back “promise” of being part of the “wholesome stories of love, compassion, and belonging”.
Not only was this “heart-warming”, it was heart-breaking, endearing, and beautiful.
This would make a GREAT Sunday read or even a weekend read. My experience was more of the “weekend” read.
Once Upon A Time Hannah Rawlings and Derrick Matthews were much in love and planned to get married. But something happened on their way to a Happily Ever After. A big something! Hannah and her parents just up and disappeared one day. Derrick never forgot Hannah though. He kept looking for her, even using his FBI skills, but with no success until the envelope with a supposedly missing gem arrives. This also reveals Hannah’s present location. With six weeks of vacation available Derrick flies to Nevada to see Hannah. Turns out Hnnah and her parents had been swept up by U.S. Marshalls all those years ago and placed in the Witness Protection program.
When Derrick arrives in Nevada he finds Hannah, now known as Anna Rawley, is engaged. Derrick isn’t one to give up easily so he is determined to win back Hannah. That is not as easy as he originally thought. Hannah was angry with Derrick since she thought it was Derrick’s fault that the Feds got involved in her life and turned it upside down.
Always the One: Meet Me at the Altar by Tara Randel is an interesting story about love lost and found again. The author has written two very strong characters in Hannah and Derrick. I found them both to be very likeable and yet I found myself getting a little irritated with both of them at times. I saw them both as having to find their way through a difficult situation. The resolution to their problems was a very much delayed HEA.