July 13, 2020
In the cheery second installment of Faris’s contemporary Restoring Heritage series (following You Belong with Me), two new arrivals compete for public resources in Heritage, Mich. Austin Williams returns to Heritage to salvage his father’s landscaping business after his brother and prodigal son, Nate, brought it to the brink of bankruptcy. Nate, now the town pastor, helps Austin get the contract to renovate Heritage Square. Meanwhile, Libby Kingsley, who had a traumatic incident with a boyfriend three years earlier, hopes moving to Heritage to be closer to her brother, Luke, and working as the town librarian will finally allow her to heal. Unfortunately, the only public money available that could go to the library has been earmarked for the new town square. After Libby meets would-be journalist Olivia Mathews, the two become roommates—and sometime co-conspirators—as they commiserate and try to change Austin’s plans for renovating the square. But as Libby gets to know Austin, their mutual attraction and shared faith forces her to consider compromises. Filled with many twists and secrets—but also a few frustratingly convoluted scenarios—this sweet and circuitous inspirational romance will please rom-com fans.
September 1, 2020
As Faris continues her impressive, inspirational Restoring Heritage series, Libby Kingsley is in need of a second chance and change of scenery. She senses an opportunity when she learns that Heritage, Michigan, needs a librarian. This is the town where her brother Luke, introduced to readers in You Belong with Me (2019), resides. Upon her arrival, she discovers that what the town really needs is a new library. She quickly makes the acquaintance of Austin Williams, who has returned to try to salvage his family business and has managed to secure the contract to renovate Heritage Square, which happens to be the perfect location for the library. Will Austin also be Libby's perfect match? His estranged brother, Nate, is the town pastor, and Libby ends up rooming with his love interest, would-be journalist Olivia. Faris offers two romances for the price of one along with delight in small-town charm and Otis, the life-size hippo statue who mysteriously comes to life. Faris also sensitively covers such difficult issues as dementia, abusive relationships, and the struggle to overcome one's past.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)