Until I Met You (#02 in Restoring Heritage Series)

I love the first book in this series, and so was eagerly anticipating the second - and it did not disappoint! Tara Faris really has a gift for creating a cast of characters (indeed, a whole town) that make you wish you could hang out with them in real life. I absolutely loved how the plot echoes the parable of the prodigal son, weaving a beautiful story of forgiveness, grace, and second chances. Can't wait for the next book in the series!

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. \\n\\nI 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!!! \\n

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. \\n\\nBut 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. The first half of Until I Met You had a lot of Austin being insufferable, and it got a little tired. \\n\\nBut 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. \\n\\nI didn't realise when I started reading, but Until I Met You is a sequel to You Belong With Me. 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. \\n\\nThanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review. \\n