When she hears that the small town of Heritage, Michigan, is looking for a new librarian, Libby Kingsley jumps at the opportunity. Little did she know the library is barely more than a storage closet stuffed with dusty, outdated books. What the community really needs is a new building. But the only funds available are those being channeled into the new town square, and the landscape architect in … in charge of the project wants nothing to do with her plans.All Austin Williams wants to do is get the town square project finished so he can do right by the family business and then extricate himself from the town that reveres the brother who cost him so much. But the local media and the town’s new librarian seem to be conspiring against him at every turn. Will the determined bookworm find her way into his blueprints–and possibly even his heart?Novelist Tari Faris invites you back to the small town with a big heart in this second book in the Restoring Heritage series.
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Sometimes a book comes along that just hits you in the heart, and five stars will never be enough. Until I Met You, by Tari Faris, was one of them. I sobbed through a couple of scenes in this book (after laughing through a bunch of others), not because they were sad, but because they were so beautiful. The true meaning of grace, portrayed so perfectly in this book, hit me at such a heart level that I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by it, and the gift of it in my own life.
I know they’re ‘just fictional characters’, but their lives, journeys, hurts, fears and brokenness were all too relatable. I loved the wisdom, the wit, the (double) romance, Otis the travelling hippo (who I have my suspicions about…), and the way faith was so simply and unjudgementally woven in to what took me far too long to realise was a Prodigal Son story. Couldn’t more highly recommend this book, and the others in the Restoring Heritage series. Can’t wait for the next one!!!
This was the first book I ever read by this author. I had won a copy from the author for Christmas and I was looking forward to it. I had no idea! I pretty much got sucked into the story right away. LOVED the characters and the setting. Who wouldn’t love a town with a magically moving hippo statue lol. The romance was sweet and I actually loved the reversed prodigal son theme. The good son who stayed home and helped the father, you know. Not a lot of stories about that. I saw it clearly in this novel. Loved the secondary romance too… overall – I’m now a very dedicated fan.
If you enjoy quirky small-town settings with clean romance and characters full of depth, it’s a pretty safe bet you’ll enjoy this book. I certainly did. It’s about a young woman named Libby looking for a fresh start as the new librarian in Heritage, Michigan. When she discovers the current library is practically nothing more than a rundown closet, she decides the town needs a new building. Trouble is there are no funds for that sort of project since the town is already involved in creating a new town square. To get access to those funds, she needs Austin Williams, the landscape architect, to jump on board with her idea. Unfortunately, he’s not keen on accommodating a new library building into his plans any more than he is on getting involved with the woman trying to mess up those plans. At least to begin with…
What I loved most about this book was that the storyline for the secondary characters kept me just as engaged as the storyline for the main characters. I liked how the plot weaved back and forth between Austin and the strained relationship he has with his brother, Nate, while also developing a strong romance thread for each of them.
This is the second book in the Restoring Heritage series. I read the first book, but to be honest, I’ve read a lot of books between that book and this one, and though I remember enjoying the first book a lot, I don’t remember all the details. All that to say I don’t think it’s necessary to have read the first book in order to enjoy this one. But again, if you enjoy quirky small-town settings with clean romance and characters full of depth, why not read the first book too?
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book with no obligation to post a review. All opinions are my own.
I hadn’t even read the first in the series, and I couldn’t put it down!!! I loved the strong faith thread, the focus on grace, the quirky small-town setting, the realistically-flawed characters — all of them! I will be reading this entire series and recommending them to anyone who will listen!
Favorite quotes:
“Her latest novel called to her from the arm of the couch, and every cell of her body screamed at her to put the cookies down, wrap herself in a blanket, and retreat into the fictional world.” (p. 52)
“As her adrenaline faded, she had to keep focusing on the problem in front of her. It was that or run away screaming. And she was done running.” (p. 55)
“How sad was her life that a sale on eggs was the highlight of her day?” (p. 79)
“He knew heaven would mean healing for his dad, but Austin wasn’t ready to let go yet. He needed his dad.” (p. 84)
“It wasn’t a thief or a serial killer. Heritage [the town] had a serial reader on the loose.” (p. 139)
“Austin was trying to keep Libby out of his mind, so what did he do? Agree to spend the day with her.” (p. 160)
“‘You guys barely said two words to each other.’ ‘We didn’t have to.’ ‘Man-speak doesn’t use words? … Do you just grunt at each other, or is it telepathy?'” (p. 244)
and more — but I won’t spoil it for you — just go read it!!
(I received a copy for free in a giveaway. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own, as was the decision to write this review.)
In the second book of the Restoring Heritage series, we are mainly focused on Libby (Luke’s sister) and Austin (Nate’s brother). I thought it was funny that they were both new to the town of Heritage. I wasn’t expecting that at all.
This was a very quick read and every bit as enjoyable as the first book. While it can be read as a stand-alone the major project carries over from the first story and there are so many character reappearances (which I love) that it makes sense to start from the first book.
I enjoyed the story being set around the library and the restoration of the town square but would have loved more focus on the library itself and the process. There is some drama in the relationships and once again a lot of miscommunication and not listening.
The themes running through this book are forgiveness, unmerited grace, mercy, a double romance, one friends to more and the other more of frenemies to more.
Another great read from Tari Faris for those who love contemporary romance stories.
Characters: This novel followed two couples as they fell in love and worked through all the problems that came up. Austin, Libby, Nate, and Olivia were flawed, realistic characters. I did tend to confuse Libby and Olivia, but I was reading this when my brain wasn’t operating at its best 🙂
Language: Clean.
Moral: The main theme was forgiveness, which Austin definitely needed to show toward his brother Nate. Grace was another theme woven into this story.
Plot: I got a little frustrated with how many problems these characters walked into in this story, but relationship problems are an expected evil in romance novels. So I can’t complain much.
Romance: Clean.
Writing: This is the second book I’ve read by Tari, and her writing style once again drew me into the story. I’ll be reading the third book in this series when it gets to my library!
Overall: Until I Met You was an entertaining read, and I’d recommend it to those who enjoy Christian fiction and contemporary romance.
I loved going back to Heritage, reading about the next two couples to find romance and seeing where Otis the hippo lands this time.
This reminded me of the Prodigal Son. But we also see the Prodigal Brother. With multiple points of view, this is a story of reconciliation and love re-kindleed.
Pastor Nate has been redeemed but still holds on to his past. It takes a friend to remind him:”You aren’t called to have the answers. You were called to point to the One who has the answers.”
This is a tight knit community, where everyone knows just about everything, so reputations are on display. I liked how Ms. Faris portrayed the characters as having flaws but after some stubbornness, they learned to let God lead.”When I push God away, He doesn’t force Himself on me. And when I look for Him, He tends to find me.”
The romance is palpable and I loved the gestures by Austin to win Libby. He took her on a surprise date to see the local Carnegie Libraries. She was trying to collect selfies of them. The back and forth with the baggie of change was very funny. Olivia, trying for a newspaper job agrees to do an article on dating. That whole scenario was a hoot, as Nate tries not to be offended or left out.
Great series so far. I’m looking forward to reading the next book.
*I won this book from Just Reads tour in October 2020. All opinions are my own.*
A little slow and predictable
Until I Met You is another fun contemporary romance by Tari Faris. She has a knack for delivering humorous lines. One of my favorites from this book was during the scene when the new librarian enters the dark, dingy basement to lay eyes for the first time on her ‘new’ library that she’s supposed to get ready for reopening. Her comment “This library didn’t need to be reopened. It needed to be resuscitated” had me laughing out loud.
I did struggle a bit during the first half of the book with keeping the characters straight. The storyline follows two couples and sometimes I couldn’t remember which female protagonist I was reading about. However, by the second half of the book they were clear.
The characters are relatable and have true-to-life struggles.
This story was a pleasure to read and I recommend it.
Until I Met You is the second book in the Restoring Heritage series after You Belong With Me. Libby Kingsley has moved to Heritage to be close to her brother and to get a fresh start. She hasn’t been in town long when she meets Austin Williams who is also new to town. Austin has been contracted to redesign the town square, but the two new-comers clash when Libby who has been hired to be the town’s librarian throws a wrench in Austin’s plans. As they start to work together they begin to develop feelings, but both have complicated pasts and trust issues. Will they be able overcome their pasts to be together?
I enjoyed Until I Met You. I appreciate that the characters have messy pasts, trust issues, and struggles with forgiveness, because that’s real life. I like the way that faith is discussed in these situations that are so relatable — past relationships gone wrong, damaged family relationships, a past that you can’t let yourself move beyond. The main characters, Libby and Austin, and also the secondary characters, Olivia and Nate, are well-written and likable. Overall, I’m enjoying this series, and I’m looking forward to the next book. (I also just found out that there is a prequel novella to this series titled P.S. Goodbye and a Christmas novella that comes after this second book titled While it was Snowing. So I’ll have to check those out.)
*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Romance, clean; Series but stand-alone; Christian4.5 so very good!
This novel starts with Hannah and her brother Thomas. Lovely portrait of small town life and all that entails, everyone in your business, along with having your back. Hannah and Luke were a great story, along with Thomas, and his choices. There was hope, healing, in the midst of misunderstanding, near tragedy, and drama of various kinds. Dreams changing, and morphing into a hopeful reality, with growing faith, and learning to trust in God’s plans, and coming to understand that part of spiritual life again for many of the characters.
Lovely both Hannah and Luke, and Thomas and his choice, just sweet romantic reads as they learn to communicate better, share their true hearts, and trust that life will bring something better for them as they learn to be with one another, and give their best selves. If you are Christian Romance fan, this a perfect read. Honest, hurting, heartfelt, struggling characters with faith, and hope for good things for their hearts and their town. I love finding a new author and this will not be the first by this author that I will read. Can’t wait to visit this small town again! This lingered with me long after I finished!
I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review, my opinions are my own.
Until I Met You is my first experience of a Tari Faris novel. I’ll be picking up the first in the series and anything else she writes. I should say though, I didn’t feel like I’d missed out, but rather want to go back and read backstories.
Until I Met You is a great example of how important a role forgiveness plays in second chances. Both Libby and Austin need to free themselves of painful pasts if they’re going to stand any chance of a future together. Their journey to healing is bumpy in places but keeps the pages turning in a most satisfying way.
I didn’t get a chance to read and review Tari Faris’s debut novel, but reading the reviews left me with high expectations for Until I Met You. And, I have to admit, it took a while to see what everyone else saw.
Until I Met You starts with Libby and Austin meeting when Libby’s dog escapes and makes friends with Austin’s dog. She’s a purebred he was hoping to breed, so is less than pleased. As such, it’s not a great introduction to him as a character, and I did find him hard to warm to.
But it’s not just Libby and Austin’s story. It’s also Nate and Olivia’s story, and that’s something that confused me at first—Libby and Olivia had similar character voices, and I mixed them up a couple of times.
Nate is Austin’s younger brother, the prodigal. Austin has always done everything right, and picked up the pieces after Nate’s mistakes. Nate, now a pastor, is all too aware of his past mistakes and can’t get over them—to the point he keeps brushing off Olivia, who is interested in him.
I found Nate a much more engaging character than Austin. It did make me wonder what happened to the Biblical Prodigal Son after his father threw the party. Was he able to accept his inheritance, or was he more like Nate? I could totally see what Olivia saw in Nate, and why she kept pursuing him even after all the rebuffs.
Austin, on the other had, was somewhere between difficult and insufferable, and I had trouble working out what Libby saw in him. Yes, he’s loyal and hardworking and puts others first, but he is, frankly, self-righteous about it. And that makes him somewhat tiresome. The first half of Until I Met You had a lot of Austin being insufferable, and it got a little tired.
But the story picked up pace and interest in the second half. That’s when the spiritual aspects started to come through more strongly, and that was the real strength of the novel. Until I Met You is Christian fiction where the characters actually find the answers to their problems in the truths of the Christian faith. It’s refreshing, and I can now see why everyone raved about You Belong With Me.
I didn’t realise when I started reading, but Until I Met You is a sequel to You Belong With Me. The beginning of Until I Met You might also have been an easier read if I had read the earlier book, as then I would have known some of the characters—-Until I Met You introduced a lot of characters early on, and it wasn’t always easy to see how they fitted together. I guess that was covered in the first book.
Yes, read You Belong With Me first if you can, but don’t worry if you can’t. The strength of Until I Met You isn’t in the series characters, but in the relationship between the brothers. Like all relationships, it can be hard going but it’s worth the effort.
Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.
With her second book in the Restoring Heritage series, Tari Faris has penned a charming small-town story with a beautiful message of forgiveness and redemption. The characters are engaging and realistic with very human feelings and failings. It was easy to relate to Libby the new librarian and her hopes for a new beginning in the delightful town of Heritage, Michigan. Austin was a little bit harder to like initially with his resentment toward his brother Nate and his high expectations of everyone. There were a few times I wanted to knock Austin’s and Nate’s heads together and tell them to shape up. This is a sweet, clean story that was delightful in its presentation and uplifting in its messages. I’m looking forward to more books from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Revell through LibraryThing and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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.
Forgiveness and second chances
Until I read Until I Met You, I had not read anything by Tari Faris. The synopsis caught my attention when I was looking for my next read so I thought I would try it.
This is such a sweet story about second chances and forgiveness! Austin and Libby had each experienced hurts that led them to the town of Heritage and left each one fearful of trusting. Austin’s pain and the unforgiveness he held onto caused him to be quite prickly! I did love the way Libby continued to forgive him for his attitude and wasn’t afraid to confront him about it!
Aspects of the prodigal son parable played a significant role, with Austin being the older brother. It made me understand his frustration with his father’s kind treatment of his younger brother; and how it felt like a rejection of all Austin had done.
My favorite spiritual lesson, however, was that of grace. Nate, the younger brother, still felt tremendous guilt over the sins of his past and though he knew better in his head, his heart had him volunteering all over town and doing what he could – not for salvation but more as penance. I was touched when he finally realized this is what he was doing!
I enjoyed Olivia and her research for the article she was assigned. My favorite was the fishing trip! I would love to see the articles she came up with, at least portions of them, though. It was a little disappointing not to see what she wrote.
Until I Met You stands alone, though several of the characters have had their stories told in previous books of the Restoring Heritage series. Not having read them, I am intrigued and would like to see how they ended up where they are now. So I will be reading more by this author.
If you enjoy small-town, Christian romance, be sure to get this series for yourself.
Read my review of Until I Met You by Tari Faris at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
I love discovering new authors! This was my first book to read by Tari Faris, though it is the second in the series. I seem to have a habit for doing that…but I do plan on catching up on the first book soon as I can. 🙂 “Until I Met You” tells the story of Libby and Austin, as well as Austin’s brother Nathan, and Libby’s roommate Olivia. I really enjoyed how the novel played out, displaying each character’s story with care and attention. It all read very smoothly, and I enjoyed my visit to their little town of Heritage. ^.^ While primarily a light hearted read, Until I Met You also contains a great message of the importance of God’s grace. That was lovely. I think this book stood well on its own, but I think reading them in order would be the best way to enjoy it, as there are return-characters. I like when books interconnect, even if I haven’t had the pleasure of catching up on the first book(s) XDI liked all the characters, though I’ll admit Austin could frustrate me. I understood his struggle with forgiveness, and appreciated his journey to arrive at that point, but I just had a bit of a hard time with his anger sometimes. But again, we get to see him grow so that was nice.All in all, a fun, sweet story. 🙂
I received a copy of this book from the publishers. I was not required to write a positive review.
Until I Met You is another heartwarming read by Tari Faris who takes us once again to the town of Heritage. As the town is trying to restore and become relevant again, the Williams brothers need to restore their relationship.
What I liked is that we get not one but two romances. Nate and Austen are dealing with ramifications from Nate’s past. A little bit of a prodigal story here. Nate is a pastor now and Austen cannot understand why everyone loves his tattooed, motorcycle riding brother while he deems himself the responsible one. This puts Austen in a rather dark and moody state.
Enter the girls, Olivia and Libby. Olivia loves Nate and a Nate loves Olivia but Nate just sees that he is not good enough for her. Olivia is also working on becoming a journalist so some of her reporting puts her in uncomfortable and humorous positions. Which gets Nate’s protective side going.
Libby is Luke’s sister and she has just moved to Heritage. She has been suffering it seems from PTSD from an incident in her life and she is trying to move on and make a life for herself. She and Austen don’t quite hit it off at first, but as they become “friends” the kissing soon begins. And Austin, well he is not always dark and moody, he can be quite impulsive and romantic as well.
It was good to meet up with Luke and Hannah again, even though their story was a little sad. Throw in a few naughty dogs and Otis the evermoving hippo statue, major town renovations and you have another great small town read.
I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.
I happen to love series featuring small town life so the Restoring Heritage series by Tari Faris has been a welcome addition to my library. Until I Met You is the second full-length novel in the series and continues the narrative about the small town of Heritage and the multiple restoration projects that hope to bring new life to the area.
Librarian Libby Kingsley and landscaper Austin Williams are both newcomers to Heritage and their first encounter does not endear them to each other. Austin just wants to finish the landscaping for the new town square that could help rescue the failing family business. No matter how good his intentions might be, his brother Nate always seems to fall short and Austin has had enough. Coming from a large, well-equipped city library, Libby is disappointed to find and out-dated, dusty basement library is her new place of employment. She quickly comes up with a brilliant plan for a new library and Austin is reluctantly pulled into the project.
With its well-developed plot and delightful characters, Until I Met You moves along at a steady pace and includes a strong theme of forgiveness, grace, and mercy. There is a hint of more than one romance and of course the mysterious hippo is up to his old tricks. Familiar characters from the previous books are a welcome addition.
I enjoyed Until I Met You and hope other readers will take a chance on it.
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+.