Realtor Hannah Thornton has many talents. Unfortunately, selling houses in the town where her family name is practically poison isn’t one of them. When a business tycoon determines to raze historic homes in the small town of Heritage, Michigan, and replace them with a strip mall, Hannah resolves to stop him. She sets about helping Heritage win a restoration grant that will put the town back on … the map–and hopefully finally repay the financial debt Hannah’s mother caused the town. But at first no one supports her efforts–not even her best friend, Luke.
Luke Johnson may have grown up in Heritage, but as a foster kid he never truly felt as if he belonged. Now he has a chance to score a job as assistant fire chief and earn his place in the town. But when the interview process and Hannah’s restoration project start unearthing things from his past, Luke must decide if belonging is worth the pain of being honest about who he is–and who he was.
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Tari Faris has been writing fiction for over twelve years, but You Belong With Me, releasing September 3 with Revell Books, marks her publishing debut. And I have to say, all in all, it’s a pretty solid debut!
You Belong With Me is book one in the Restoring Heritage series, and is a contemporary romance set in the small fictional town of Heritage, Michigan. Honestly, as a native Michigander, that is the main reason I chose to read this book. Small town on the shores of Lake Michigan? I’m in! From the details Faris uses to describe the town and area, you can tell the author has spent a fair amount of time in the Great Lakes state, and I loved the authentic portrayal of my home state.
Amidst the small-town backdrop, Faris writes relatable characters who are far from perfect. I loved the small-town vibes the whole book portrayed with its relatively large cast of characters. Hannah and Luke were well-rounded main characters, and I greatly enjoyed the inclusion of a secondary couple, Janie and Thomas’s story, although that makes this book a bit different than your standard romance.
Speaking of romance, that’s where this book loses a star for me. The physical attraction and love triangles between the characters got to be a bit much for my tastes, and I found myself rolling my eyes and skimming in some areas.
However, one thing I really love about Faris’s writing is that she always includes strong Christian themes in her stories. Often, that subject gets lost in the romance of most books in this genre, even though they may be touted as Christian romance. But in Faris’s stories, no matter what the struggles are, the characters always point each other back to God in the end.
All in all, Faris’s incredibly relatable and readable writing style was very enjoyable and I loved delving deep into these characters’ stories. It is clear this author has spent years honing her craft before jumping into the publishing world, for which I give her kudos. This book is well-rounded and polished to a shine! Overall, if you love a sweet contemporary romance with strong themes, definitely check this one out!
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for promotional purposes. I was not required to write a positive review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
A delightful debut!
I truly loved this book. Hannah’s passion to save her hometown tangles with Luke’s need to find the place where he belongs. Their friends-to-more storyline made me smile. As a bonus, every scene with Thomas and Janie had me scooting to the edge of my seat. So much delicious angst!
“You Belong With Me” written by Tari Faris was the first time I had encountered this author. It takes place in a small town in the northern part of the United States. Like with many small older towns, time has taken its toll. When this happens, there is usually one or more people who desire to see it revived. If you are a nostalgic, sentimental person, this book will tug at your heart. This book will appeal to those looking for romance and an element of mystery. The story deals with struggling relationships, trust issues and misunderstandings. Have you ever felt like you had to fix things or that you needed to be in control? Do you think God has a plan for your life? Scripture tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that God does indeed have a plan for our lives. Faris’s book is an example of what might transpire in our lives if we give God control and wait on His perfect timing. I would highly recommend this book. It appears there will be a sequel, and I cannot wait to read it.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
I really enjoyed this clean, small town, romance. I received it for free and I voluntarily chose to review it, and I’ve given it a 5* rating. There were a lot of twists and turns and up and downs, to keep you turning the page to see what was going to happen next. And the big surprise, there were two romances in the works. I could see these kind of things happening in a lot of small towns around our country. And the best yet happens towards the end. It was a real joy to read, this new author to me.
Set in the town of Heritage, Michigan, Tari Faris’s debut novel is a delightful portrayal of life in a small town which is struggling to survive. The characters are delightful, realistic, and colorful, and they wormed their way right into my heart. Luke and Hannah are the main characters, and although I sometimes wanted to slap some sense into them, they grew on me. Thomas and Janie’s story also took center stage at times and added some spice to the story. With a stellar cast of supporting characters, which is most of the people in the town, I quickly became invested in their lives.
Faris is a talented author with a charming writing style. Combining romance with humor and with touches of inspiration, faith, and hope, this story should appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary small-town romance. I’m looking forward to more stories about the people of Heritage.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Revell Publishing/LibraryThing. All opinions are my own.
I couldn’t help but fall in love with this story and its characters right away! Hannah and Luke are so entertaining and quirky that you feel like they are friends. The unique story line sucks you in and invests you in the town’s outcome. I honestly cannot wait for the next one! This author has a gift for telling tales and creating bookshelf keepers. You will not be sorry reading this! So worth the read!
What a great story. From cover to cover, the author brings to life her characters and their historic town. This story a beautiful and sweet romance that readers will immediately fall in love with. It’s about two siblings and their love stories. This story shares about real-life and has relatable characters that readers will not want to let go. A theme in this story is that life isn’t always easy and it doesn’t always go as expected, but somehow with God it always works out how it’s supposed to. Readers will not want to miss this new voice in Christian fiction.
Series: Restoring Heritage
Genre: contemporary, romance, Christian
Publisher: Revell
Publication date: September 3, 2019
Number of pages: 368
Other books in the series:
0.5-P.S Goodbye
A review copy of this book was provided by Revell. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
This was one of my favorite contemporary romance books. I loved that there was a smidge of romance also. I loved Hannah. She knew that her home town was worth saving even though some wanted it saved in different ways than she wanted. She loved to see the history behind something. Luke was trying to find a family for himself even though he had trouble believing he was worth it. This was well written and I am looking forward to the second book in the series. I received a copy of this book from Revell for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
“You Belong With Me” is Tari Faris’ debut novel the first in the Restoring Heritage series. When a business tycoon is determined to raze historic homes in a small town of Heritage, Michigan, and replace them with a strip mall, realtor Hannah resolves to stop him. Hannah applies for a restoration grant that will put the town back on the map.
Luke Johnson never felt he belonged after being in and out of the foster care system. He now has a chance to earn his place in his hometown. But he does not anticipate how his relationship with Hannah will set into motion events that reveal the truth about who he is.
Janie who has returned from spending a year in Paris is still trusting God after finding out that her ex-boyfriend who broke up with her for no reason is now engaged. Janie and Thomas land up working together temporarily in the diner and discover that just maybe they still have feelings for each other.
The author touches on learning how to trust others and effectively trust God. Both Luke and Hannah are two people who have been hurt in the past and they discover each other and work through their hurts together. “Isn’t that so much like life? All the pieces are there, but it takes the Master to arrange them in the right way.” Faris writes about characters that the reader can relate to and that have a Christian theme. We all struggle but having faith in God will pull us through just like Hannah and Luke. A story of redemption, forgiveness, mercy and love. I highly recommend the book.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Revell in exchange for an honest opinion.
Small-town folks are my people. Faris nails the good, bad, and quirky elements of living in an intimately connected community. Like Heritage, small towns everywhere struggle through tough economic times but I believe this is the first time I’ve seen this reality portrayed so authentically and lovingly within a story.
Without getting into all the complexities of the relationships found in Heritage, take that rule of seven degrees of separation and cut it in half then tie it in a bow. The generations of citizens who dedicate themselves to work and service walk hand-in-hand year after year, some shining in the golden glow of their ancestors and some desperately scrambling from the shadows of the past.
There’s no question that people leave small towns (otherwise they wouldn’t be small) but take a moment to experience the draw of an intimate community and you might find yourself wooed to a sparsely populated village near you! I love these characters and this setting and I can’t wait to find out what will happen next!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to post a review. The opinions expressed are my own.
I enjoyed this sweet story with its small town setting. You Belong With Me delved into what it truly means to leave traumatic events behind you, learn to trust others, and learn to trust God. I occasionally struggled with Hannah and Luke’s inability to communicate effictively and their lack of trust in each other. Then, I realized that these two hurting people had both been emotionally injured by past abandonments. Even Thomas, Hannah’s brother, carried his own torment around related to his mother’s leaving his family so suddenly. The characters in this story had a lot to work through.
I’m really looking forward to reading more books in this series and enjoyed the introduction to this small community.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
I loved reading this story and all the characters in the town-Hannah, her brother Thomas, best friend Janie, Luke, Otis… I hope there will be more books featuring the small town of Heritage and the characters I grew to love by the end of the story. I liked reading about Hannah’s determination to save and renovate her old town and her commitment to make it happen.
Perfect, feel-good Christian romance story with drama, laughs, and God’s forgiveness. I especially loved how the story ended!
I received a copy of this book complimentary for blog and social media review. All opinions are my own.
“He has a way of making beautiful things out of piles of ash.” That quote from You Belong with Me sums up the journey Hannah and Luke and secondary characters Thomas and Janie, take to discover how God can take their messes and reveal to them a life filled with beauty, hope, and joy found in faith, family, and love. It is a fantastic debut novel from author Tari Faris. I’m so excited to have found a new writer, who writes in my favorite genre- fiction with a purpose and meaning. After reading this book not only will you be looking forward to the next story in this series, but you will see how God leaves his fingerprints in the lives of her realistic characters. My book is filled with highlighted entries. Some of my favorite quotes are:
“Our culture today equates how close two people are with physical intimacy, but a relationship based on that is like an empty pinata.”
“I’m not sure if it’s always the end goal God has in mind as much as our willingness to follow Him on the journey no matter what happens.”
I received a copy from Net Galley. The opinions in this review are my own.
“You’re the only Realtor I know who actually tries to talk people out of selling and buying. Might be time for a new job.” (p. 14)
This is the advice that Hannah Thornton receives from her best friend after she tells him that she doesn’t want her clients to sell their homes to a developer. Hannah loves her small town and she is determined to prevent some of the historic homes being replaced by a strip mall but it’s going to take a lot of work and pursuasion to prevent it. As she struggles to stop these demolitions she also deals with the strong feelings she has for Luke Johnson, her best friend and the man that she has loved for so many years. It seems that there is no chance for the two of them to be together and there also seems to be no hope that she can pursuade others to work to preserve Heritage, Michigan, the place that she calls home. I loved the advice that Hannah received from her Aunt Lucy when she confides that she has failed in all of her efforts.
“You can never really fix something shattered. But you can take the pieces and make something even better. Don’t leave the painful parts of your life in a box on a shelf. Figure out how to make something beautiful out of them.” (p. 275)
I enjoyed getting to know Hannah and Luke; they both have experienced extreme disappointments in their parents and they still carry those hurts. I believe that it is this common denominator that has created their bond and it certainly doesn’t hurt that they share an amazing chemistry, a chemistry that is worthy of being shown in a movie! There are also several other great characters who deserve their own story and I am hoping that they will be featured in the future books of the Restoring Heritage series.
You Belong With Me is a sweet, contemporary Christian fiction novel and while it shows the dangers of keeping your thoughts and emotions bottled up, it also reminds us that forgiveness can offer healing to both the forgiver and the forgiven. If you enjoy clean romance stories with a subtle faith message woven in, you will surely want to read You Belong With Me.
I received a copy of this book from Revell and a positive review was not required. This is my honest review.
You Belong With Me is an easy-to-read and enjoyable contemporary romance. The primary character Hannah Thornton was a piece of work. As a realtor she seemed to spend more time trying to talk clients out of selling their homes than she did selling them. An talk about an accident waiting to happen! Yes, that would be Hannah. On the other hand Hannah loves her small town and is willing to do almost anything to help restore it and bring it back to life. Unfortunately that would take more money than the town had available.
Then there was the little complication of Hannah being in love with her best friend Luke Johnson but afraid to lose his friendship if things didn’t work out between them. So of course Luke feels the same about Hannah but is pretty sure he doesn’t measure up to what she wants for a husband. Plenty of poor communication going on here and things might just get worse before they get better. Hannah also has a habit of sticking her nose into things she shouldn’t. I could see all sort of potential for disaster.
I enjoyed You Belong With Me very much! I loved the characters and it was fun to see how their story played out. It was also great getting a two-for-one romance as a bonus but not telling who the other couple was. Hoping to see Derek’s story show up in a future book. He was pretty much a charming jerk in this on but I can see that he has potential to do a total turn-around. Looking forward to more novels by this author!
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
4.5 Stars
My favorite genre to read is contemporary romance. My favorite trope is friends to more. And Tari Faris hits it out of the park with both. Then she makes it even better including two well-developed romances in the same book.
The characters in You Belong with Me are flawed and sometimes make poor decisions or react impulsively. They have doubts about their worth, their relationships, and their place in the community. Readers will relate to this group.
The small Michigan town has its share of memorable characters (as any fictional small town should). Throw in a community-wide effort to preserve their home, a mangy dog, a bachelor auction, and a great brother-sister relationship, and there’s a lot to love about this book.
I’m already looking forward to returning to Heritage, MI in the next book.
Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
I live in a small town and this book resonated with me, but we delve deeper and into the lives of the inhabitants here, and all is not how it seems.
I loved the compassion these people showed, even if there were a few naysayers, but we are all caught up on what we think others are thinking, and the author has given us several characters that we get to know and they are having trouble traveling in their lives, because they are going in a direction the opposite of what they should.
I did love that this is a faith centered book, and watch as some of the individuals we are following struggle to do their own will, just like real life.
There is some sweet clean romance here, and love of family, also trying to find a family, and there is another book to come!
I received this book through the Revell Readers Program, and was not required to give a positive review.
If only people would sit down and just talk to each other. Why is that so hard to do? I despaired the love life of these characters when no one would be forthcoming and sharing their deepest desires and secrets.
Hannah and Luke, and Hannah’s brother Thomas and her best friend Janie were our main characters in a town that was slowly dying. Hannah is a real estate agent who is trying to preserve her town from big shopping malls and she has the guts and heart to do it. Yet it did seem that no one shared her vision.
There is a lot of past family drama that plays important roles in each of these characters lives. I have to say that I was very surprised at some of the secrets that were coming to light with one character’s family. So not only are they living with present day challenges, but past mistakes are seeping into their lives as well.
We have two romances here. Both were at times hard to watch and I wanted to shake all of them. Especially when some of the their life changing decisions just seemed so wrong. The author certainly makes them work for their happy ending I will tell you that.
I enjoyed this novel from author Faris and I am glad there is more to come. I received 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.
Family & Small Town Community are forefront in this contemporary Romance
You Belong With Me
Restoring Heritage #1
By Tari Faris
Hannah Thornton doesn’t want to let her hometown die nor does she want to see it “upgraded” with a strip mall. But she’s just not sure how to convince the rest of the town to see her vision for Heritage – a name that deserves a town worthy of it with links to its heritage. And she is determined to make up for the misdeeds of her mother all those years ago. There is just one problem no one seems to appreciate Hannah’s effort to fix things. Not her brother, Thomas nor Luke her best friend that she’s crushed on like forever.
Unfortunately for Hannah, her services as a realtor are suffering because she tries to steer her sellers away from buyers who only see progress and razed houses in Heritage’s future. But when she learns about a restoration grant that could restore her beloved town to what it once was she is all in. She just needs to come up with a plan that the town council is willing to agree to. And then there is a small matter of raising $10,000 to foot the bill for the required good faith gesture of proving that Heritage is willing to do what it takes to renew itself.
With the help of her friends and her brother’s fiancee (who btw is just WRONG for Thomas) a plan to raise funds is put into action. A bachelor auction is the perfect draw to the town’s festival sure to bring in a lot of out-of-towners with deep wallets. She has it all planned out. Except Luke refuses to put his name on the list, but what’s a girl to do to get her favorite guy’s name on the auction block?
Luke Johnson has always felt as if he just didn’t belong in Heritage, Michigan. Yeah, being a foster kid since he was 5 years old had a big part in this feeling. And the fact he never got adopted was another. But the biggest issue he has is that Hannah seems to think of him as one of her projects – some stray dog to be pitied and he isn’t going to go along with a Luke makeover. But somehow Hannah hasn’t gotten the message and left him for someone better.
You Belong With Me is the first book in the Restoring Heritage series and it seems off to a good start. The Thornton family which at present consists of Hannah and Thomas is struggling with the sins of their family which in the long run is having an effect on their present and potentially their futures if they can’t see what is going on. This book falls into the contemporary romance genre but there is more to it. There is a bit of mystery surrounding Luke and his past which in the end plays a big role in the path this book takes and its ultimate conclusion. Ultimately this is a story family, community, and finding your place in it. And a word of advice talk – don’t let old hurts, fears, and regrets stand in the way of words that need to be said.
I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.