With You I Am

Title: With You I Am

Series: Bryant Family #1

Author: Cleopatra Margot

Genre: Christian Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: Faith to Love Publishing

Source: Own

Challenge: Literary Escapes

My review: 

Indie author Cleopatra Margot grabbed my attention with this beautiful cover. I have had With You I Am on my shelf for a year! I am glad I finally had time to dive in.

I immediately fell in love with the Bryant family. They are imperfect people who seem to have a perfect family. I was surprised as I got to know them, that they have had their share of heartaches and problems. 

Noelle was raised by her grandparents and has a messy family background. While she seems to have it all together, some things from her past keep her from moving forward. Her sweet spirit makes you root for her and Wynn, and I was hoping they would get their happily ever after.

With You I Am has themes of broken families, neglected children, reconciliation, forgiveness, the wonderful small-town feel, and a heartwarming romance. 

One issue I had with the story is it could have been shorter. It is character-driven, but some descriptions could have easily been shorter, and I got bogged down a little in the middle. Also, some typos had me rereading a few sentences trying to figure out what they were supposed to say. These are minor things and did not affect my overall enjoyment of the story. I look forward to reading Marshall and Ember's stories (Wynn's siblings).

I highly recommend this charming story to those who enjoy stories with a Hallmark-like feel. 

★★★★/5

 

Nebraska

Synopsis (Goodreads): 

Event coordinator Noelle Carter's main priority is running the successful company her grandparents founded. After all, they're the ones who raised her, and she's the one they entrusted their business to after their deaths. So when a letter comes across her desk inviting her to plan the annual Spring Fling event in her grandmother's hometown of Balsam Falls, Nebraska, she's faced with a choice: stay and work on maintaining Carter, Inc.'s current success, or go and take a leap of faith--outside her comfort zone.
For contractor Wynn Bryant, helping others is the key to life's greatest blessings. Over the past ten years, he and his brother have built homes for those who need them, creating a reputable name for themselves. Between that and helping out at the Serendipity Inn, his parents' bed and breakfast, he's put his other dreams on the back burner for now. Until the mayor ropes him into restoring The Gardens with a beautiful but guarded young CEO from Mississippi.
Connected by a desire to help others, Wynn and Noelle dive into restoring a neglected piece of Balsam Falls's history while learning from, and of, their own pasts. Together they uncover past secrets, face current challenges, and help each other discover healing and forgiveness in ways neither imagined. Will their discoveries lead to love, or are some things better left as they are?