Wednesday, September 22, 2021

THE RESTORING HERITAGE series by Tari Faris, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise


Book #1 in the Series: YOU BELONG WITH ME

This debut novel had so many great elements. I love when a main character wants to preserve history in a small town.

Hannah loves the historic buildings in her town and wants to save them from being torn down for a strip mall. She has great ideas and friends and family rally behind her. But can she pull off the requirements for a contest from a national magazine and win the prize money to begin to rehab her beloved Heritage, Michigan?

As a former foster child, Luke feels that he has never fit in but there are surprises in store that he could not have imagined.

There are two romances that run into obstacles but with introspection and learning to seek God for the answers, disappointments are averted.

“When we hold the broken pieces of our lives too close, they will cut us up inside.”

“When you’ve got nothing left, that’s when you see how real your faith is. Faithh with everything you want is easy. But faith when everything goes wrong? That’s when God alone has to be enough.”

The characters have a lot to learn but they see that God can take broken pieces and make something beautiful.

A feel good story in my favorite setting, a small historic town.
* I won this book in a Just Reads Tour contest in October, 2020. All opinions are my own.*5 stars and a strong faith thread 
 
Book#2 in the Series: UNTIL I MET YOU

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-kindled.

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.*
5stars and a strong faith thread.

BOOK #3 in the series: SINCE YOU'VE BEEN GONE

Welcome back to Heritage, Michigan, one of my favorite fictional places. Small town flavor where some things are not private but where most everyone rallies to support you. Two more couples take center stage.

Leah and Jon are coming back to town, Jon to take over the family business and Leah to resurrect the legacy her grandfather left behind. They team up to open a unique store that sells items Made In Michigan, hoping to make Heritage proud.

Colby, famous for his Christian music, is in retreat mode after some career trouble. Madison, the redeemed bad girl, is making a fresh start and rehabbing her childhood home.

Ms. Faris brings her characters to life with messy choices and complicated situations. But they come through struggles with faith and realistic solutions. There is angst, humor and touching romance.

And as always, the mystery of wandering Otis, the huge metal hippo town mascot.

“Love is letting someone in and trusting them even though they have the potential to break your heart.

“Failure can be a good thing, but you have to learn from it and fail forward. Let the failure push you on to something greater.”

Not only is this a story about restoring a town, but it is a story of restoring lives and keeping the heritage of families alive.

If you love romance, struggles, spiritual growth and happy endings, you will love this series.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Reads program. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.* 5 stars and a strong faith thread. 
Find the single books or series in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook...

Visit Tari's Amazon page for more information



 

3 comments:

  1. Great reviews! I am going to be reading all 3 soon! I am looking forward to it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I enjoyed your reviews. I'm eager to read all of these books.

    ReplyDelete

Share This Post

How Our Giveaways Work: The Official Rules

We, the ladies of Inkwell Inspirations, would love to give free stuff to everybody. Since we can't, we will often have a giveaway in conjunction with a specific post. Unless otherwise stated, one winner will be drawn from comments left on that post between the date it was published and the end of the giveaway as determined in the post. Entries must be accompanied by a valid email address. This address is used only to contact the commenter in the event that he/she is the winner, and will not be sold, distributed, or used in any other fashion. The odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. NO PURCHASE, PLEDGE, OR DONATION NECESSARY TO ENTER OR TO WIN. ALL FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS APPLY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Pinterest