‘You Belong With Me’: A New Romance to Tug on the Heart Strings

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ABOUT the BOOK
Author: Tari Faris
Publication Date: 2019
Publisher: Revell
Genre: Fiction; Contemporary Romance
Series: Restoring Heritage, Book 1
Source: Publisher Provided – thank you, Revell Reads!
FIND the BOOK ELSEWHERE: Amazon | Goodreads
FIND the REVIEW ELSEWHERE: Amazon | Goodreads | WordPress
Rating: ★★★

You Belong with Me by Tari Faris | Book Review

STORY | When it comes to Heritage, Hannah Thornton isn’t about to let anyone speak badly of her beloved small hometown. This is why, as a realtor, she fights so hard to ensure her sales end up with the right kind of new owners. Trouble is, she seems to be the only one who wants to revitalize rather than commercialize Heritage.

Luke is working to restore the home he grew up in. But as a foster child, he has no one, and as such he doesn’t open up easily or believe he has a place to belong. Hannah has been his best friend for years, but when she seems to pull back from his concerned advice, their relationship begins to suffer.

Will Hannah’s grand plans fail? Will Luke find home? What happens when the secrets both have come to light?

REVIEW | ‘All Made Up’: Unexpected Reunion Romance Gets a Happy End

BOOK REVIEW | New authors, especially those from a publisher I know, are always a fun novelty I take a closer look at. When they write in my favored genre, of course, I do more than a double take when making the discovery. New to publishing in 2019, Tari Faris debuts her contemporary with a story sure to tug on your heart strings.

Not long ago, I read the prequel novella to this, which is titled, P.S. Goodbye. In those nearly 200 pages, I fell in love with the story and more specifically, the love story of the two characters. You Belong with Me takes a different approach than Caroline and Grant’s story. This full length novel switches from multiple perspectives, which is something I didn’t expect. In fact, at first I didn’t even realize this was happening, and I had to change my perspective to realize I wasn’t reading about one of the two characters I assumed would be our only POVs. Once I adjust to that unexpected format, You Belong With Me is a sweet romance.

There’s more than one romance, and Faris drops some teasers for at least one more, which I suspect could be the making of her next novel (which now has a title, Until I Met You). This story is rife with a kind of beautiful fall from grace, the emotional fallout in the aftermath, and hearts in need of a healing touch. Many of the characters reject “needing” anyone, but through their struggles they find faith again, and in most cases, they let go with the result being forgiveness, and someone waiting for them.

Readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with an emotional backbone will like You Belong with Me. It features some tropes, references to Gilmore Girls, and of course, a group of characters whose stories we can anticipate. There’s a lighthearted charm to this Stars Hollow-esque hometown, but the hidden depths lie in the hearts of the characters we meet.

Sincere thanks to Revell Books for kindly sending me a copy of this novel; all opinions are my own.