Since You've Been Gone

Title: Since You've Been Gone

Series: Restoring Heritage #3

Author: Tari Faris

Publisher: Revell

Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Source: Revell

My Review:

 I loved the Heritage Series. If you have not read any of the books in this series I highly recommend going back to the beginning and starting there.

Especially since all three books have been published! While this could be read as a stand-alone novel, it is better to read the first two books to have all the context that is happening in Since You've Been Gone.

One person can fail only so many times.

Since You've Been Gone is the story of Leah Williams and Jon Kensington, with a sweet interlude with Madison (yes, she's back!) and newcomer Colby Marc. Leah is back from Costa Rica and set on opening back up WIFI, but she doesn't have a solid plan or business proposal. Due to some family complications, Jon is also back in Heritage and trying to determine if he can run his dad's business. When Leah goes to Jon looking for help, sparks fly. Will they be able to put aside their creative difference and work together?

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.

Even though I have recently read all three books it took me a hot minute to recognize Madison...she has changed! She never intended to come back to Heritage but she had some business that she needed to take care of. Colby shows up when he is having some trouble of his own, staying with Nate, and offers to help Madison.

All relationships have struggles, as both couples show us throughout the story. However, our God is a God of second chances, and if He doesn't hold our pasts against us, why should we? There are several layers to the town of Heritage and I have enjoyed learning about all of them...including the mystery around Otis!

I highly recommend this book and series to fans of contemporary romance.  The story is clean, raw, and real. I love that the author does not embrace the sins but shows the redemption that can come from our mistakes. You will enjoy the restoration of the town, but you will enjoy the redemption in the characters more.

My sincerest thanks to Revell and the author for the opportunity to read this book. I was not required to provide a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

★★★★/5

Synopsis: 

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.