“Since You’ve Been Gone” by Tari Faris ~ Book Review

Since You’ve Been Gone by Tari Faris

Book Three in the Restoring Heritage Series

Review copy from the publishers

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

Leah Williams is back in the quaint town of Heritage, Michigan, and ready to try again to make her business a success. But blank slates are hard to come by, and a piece of her past is waiting for her there. Heir to the Heritage Fruits company, Jonathan Kensington is the guy who not only made Leah’s past difficult, he also seems determined to complicate her present as well.

Jon is trying to prove to the Heritage Fruits board that he, not his manipulative uncle, should be running the business. The board insists Jon find a new owner for the building that will house Leah’s business. To avoid forcing a buyout of Leah’s part of the building, Jon strikes a compromise with Leah, and the two go into business together. With her vision and his know-how, it might work. And Leah might realize he’s loved her since high school. If only he didn’t keep on shooting himself in the foot by boxing her out of important decisions.

Sparks fly in this romantic story of two people who must learn to trust both each other and the one who called them to this journey.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story! 

In “Since You’ve Been Gone” we get to read not just the story of Leah and Jon, but also Madison and Colby. Often when a novel swaps between two story lines, I tend to favor one set of characters over the other, but I think I equally loved both sides, and each one has such a sweet and beautiful story.The romance in each of the plotlines was so well done, I was rooting for each couple so strongly. While Jon won for my favorite hero of the book, Colby’s persistent and open love for Madison really touched me, even as she struggled with things from her past. Jon showed such devotion too, and I really loved how he never once tried to deny or hide his love for Leah. The faith message in this book was also good, and I thought everything tied together beautifully.While I’ve read the second book in this series (albeit that was a while ago), I missed the first, as well as catching up on the novellas that are apart of the Restoring Heritage series. Because so many of the characters connect, I do think this is a series that would be best read in order, but it was still enjoyable as a stand-alone.Looking forward to catching up on the stories I’ve missed. This is a very charming series, and Since You’ve Been Gone was full of so much sweetness!

 This book was provided courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

“Beyond the Tides” by Liz Johnson ~ Book Review

Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson

Book One in the Prince Edward Island Shores Series

Review copy from the publishers

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

About the Book:

When Meg Whitaker’s father decides to sell the family’s lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she’s never had any interest in running the small fleet–or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness–she can’t stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.

Oliver isn’t proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg–an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he’s not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.

Meg’s father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he’ll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren’t what they expected.

Bestselling author Liz Johnson invites you back to Prince Edward Island for a brand-new series about family, forgiveness, and the kind of love that heals all wounds. 

My Thoughts:

A sweet enemies-to-lovers story, Beyond the Tide has all the hallmarks that I look for in a good romance story. Liz Johnson is an author that I am always eager to read and her newest one certainly didn’t disappoint!Set in Prince Edward Island, you could practically feel the crisp air and ocean breeze yourself alongside the characters when they were out on their lobster boat.And speaking of the characters, Meg and Oliver were great. Three dimensional, and oh-so loveable. I enjoyed watching their dynamics unfold across the pages – even as I cringed at the misunderstanding that I knew was coming. XD It was resolved so well though, and the romance was really sweet.The faith message was subtle but still present, and the plot was engaging and I definitely enjoyed my time spent within its pages! Looking forward to the next book in this new series. :)

I received a copy of this book from the publishers. I was not required to write a positive review.

“The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady” by Sharon J. Mondragon ~Book Review/ I Read With Audra Tours

“The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady” by Sharon J. Mondragon

Review copy through I Read With Audra Tours

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars

About the Book:

A knitting group’s change of scenery changes lives in unexpected ways   Margaret, Rose, Jane, and Fran had a good thing going: meet every week in the quiet of their peaceful chapel and knit prayer shawls. No muss, just ministry. That is, until their pastor boots them out of the church in his last-ditch effort to revive the dwindling congregation.   Uptight Margaret isn’t having it. Knitting prayer shawls where people can watch is the most ridiculous idea she’s ever heard of, and she’s heard plenty. Prayer belongs in the church, not out among the heathen masses. How are they supposed to knit holiness into these shawls if they’re constantly distracted by the public? But with no choice, the others embrace the challenge. They pack their knitting bags and drag Margaret—grumbling the whole way—to the mall with them. She can’t wait to prove them all wrong when it fails miserably, and show the pastor that she always knows best.   Without the familiar mold the group has been stuck in, their own losses, pain, and struggles rise to the surface. And the people and situations they encounter every time they try to sit quietly and knit are taking them a lot further out of their comfort zone than they ever imagined. Can they find the courage to tackle the increasing number of knotty issues they learn about in the community–or will the tangle be too much to unravel?   Sharon J. Mondragon’s debut is warm and delightful, full of real laughter, grief, and personality. It beautifully illustrates the power of women across generations to reach people for Christ.   To read an excerpt of The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady click here.

About the Author

Sharon J. Mondragón writes about the place where kindness and courage meet. Her debut novel, The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady (originally titled The Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry) was the 2017 winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis award in the Short Novel Category, and she has also been recognized by The Saturday Evening Post where her short story, “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” was an Honorable Mention Awardee in the 2014 their Great American Fiction Contest.   Mondragón has been active in prayer shawl ministry since 2008 and currently serves as facilitator for the prayer shawl ministry at her church, St. Paul Episcopal in Waxahachie, TX. She also knits with the Circle of Healing at Red Oak United Methodist Church. She is a Level 2 Certified Knitting Instructor through the Craft Yarn Council and teaches beginning knitting at a local yarn store.   Mondragón is the mother of five grown children and has four grandchildren. After 26 years as an Army wife, she has settled in Midlothian, TX with her hero/husband, her laptop, and her yarn stash.   Visit Sharon Mondragón’s website and blog at www.sharonjmondragon.com and follow her on Facebook (Sherry Mondragón) and Twitter (@SJ_Mondragón).

My Thoughts:

Okay, this book was utterly delightful. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to be as taken with it as I was. The beginning of chapter one didn’t exactly grab me at first, but as the core characters were introduced, I was drawn more and more into the story until the whole plot became so lifelike and the characters so real that I literally found myself praying for each one by name. XD Oops. The Unlikely Yarn of the Dragon Lady was just charming, and very fun to follow along with the women of the Heavenly Hugs Prayer Shawl Ministry. Each of the women were at different stages in their lives and each faced different events, trials, and journeys, but I loved how they all came together in their knitting ministry.I also must say, I’ve never been so inclined to attempt picking up knitting…I may or may not have invested in some needles in the hopes of learning myself. ;)Great read, excellent writing, and superb characters! Prayer was woven throughout the fibers of the pages and I loved that.

Thank you to the publishers for the review copy.

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