Since You've Been Gone

Author: Tari Faris
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Restoring Heritage #3
Release Date: September 7, 2021

With her vision and his know-how, this thing just might work . . .

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, but he also seems determined to complicate her present as well.

In order to avoid forcing a buyout of Leah's building, Jon will have to strike a compromise. Can the two of them work together? Or will their troubled past set the tone for their future?

---

Reviewer: Raechel Kelly

I really enjoyed this story! 

In "Since You've Been Gone" we get to read not just the story of Leah and Jon, but also Madison and Colby. Often when a novel swaps between two story lines, I tend to favor one set of characters over the other, but I think I equally loved both sides, and each one has such a sweet and beautiful story.

The romance in each of the plotlines was so well done, I was rooting for each couple so strongly. While Jon won for my favorite hero of the book, Colby's persistent and open love for Madison really touched me, even as she struggled with things from her past.
Jon showed such devotion too, and I really loved how he never once tried to deny or hide his love for Leah. 

The faith message in this book was also good, and I thought everything tied together beautifully.

While I've read the second book in this series (albeit that was a while ago), I missed the first, as well as catching up on the novellas that are apart of the Restoring Heritage series. Because so many of the characters connect, I do think this is a series that would be best read in order, but it was still enjoyable as a stand-alone.

Looking forward to catching up on the stories I've missed. This is a very charming series, and Since You've Been Gone was full of so much sweetness!

This book was provided courtesy of Revell through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

---

---

Reviewer: Amy Smelser

This story seems to have the theme of coming back home and that is where you will find your second chance at love and life. This is the third in the series and we do get visits from previous characters. There were also two couples to watch. Two women came back to Heritage, one being a so-called bad girl coming home and the other one trying to open and restore her grandfather's store. 
 
I liked both couples and their stories kept me interested. But Jonathan Kensington was my favorite character. He knew what he wanted, he was determined yet not at all a pushy guy. I just found his character very romantic and yes swoony. He didn't sugar coat things, he said what he said and he meant it. He was very open about his feelings, past and present, with Leah. And Leah pretty much did not believe him at first, but he did not change how he felt or what he said.
 
Leah was a girl coming back home after trying to find herself elsewhere. She is very creative and she wants to reopen her grandfather's store. Jon plays a very big role in her business decisions and he really does have a head for business. I liked watching them as a team working alongside together and falling in love.
 
All the characters are doing their best to live life and they have a lot going on individually. We really get to know them and I found this story to be seamlessly told.
 
I was provided a copy of this novel from Revell Publishing through Interviews and Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions are my own.

---

---

Reviewer: Winnie Thomas

Since You’ve Been Gone is book 3 in Tari Faris’s Restoring Heritage series, and I loved returning to the close-knit town of Heritage, Michigan and the colorful, interesting people who live there.

Faris has a talent for creating realistic, endearing characters with varied problems and backgrounds and changing them for the better. This book features a double storyline with Leah Williams and Jon Kensington as the main couple, with Madison Westmore and Colby Marc’s story as a bonus.

Faris started the book out strong and kept up the action to the satisfying conclusion. Elements of faith and inspiration are woven carefully into the story and added powerful substance to it. Themes of hope, forgiveness, and overcoming fear and failure are uplifting and resonated with me.

“One person can fail only so many times.”

“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.”

I’ve enjoyed this series, and I’m looking forward to more wonderful stories from this author. I recommend this book and series to those who enjoy contemporary romance with inspirational elements.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Revell through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions are my own.

---

---

Reviewer: Rebecca Maney

"One person can fail only so many times. That was her theory . . . . "

Leah Williams is ready for a win; she's back in Heritage, Michigan . . . . . she's ready to begin a new chapter . . . again . . . she just needs the cooperation of a man who holds all the cards in his hand, the one and only Jonathan Kensington. Definitely all grown up, Jon can no longer play the role of teen-age nemesis, but can he possibly transform into a friend? Leah hopes so, for her future aspirations depend on it.

Jon Kensington is backed into a corner and his uncle knows it. The proposed buy-out of Leah's building will crash her dreams, although Leah's shaky business plan (if you could call it that) really isn't worth salvaging in its present form. If only Jon could still draw on his father's wisdom . . . . a man who loved the community of Heritage, and who knew how to support the local economy in every way possible . . . . without crushing the dreams of a beautiful, quirky, stubbornly creative red-head.

There's a lot to learn about love in this small town of Heritage with its happily-ever-after vibe. Guaranteed to relish the journey, readers will walk the walk with not only Leah and Jon, but two other not-so-newcomers who find more than they bargained for . . . with a can of paint. . . . and maybe even way before that, with a high school jersey.

"Little had they known back then that God had such great things in store for each of them. They'd just had to wait on His perfect timing."

I received a copy of this book from the Baker Publishing Group through Interviews and Reviews. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are entirely my own.

---

---

Reviewer: Mindy Houng

"But loving someone isn't never failing them. It's you choosing them and them choosing you day in and day out, even when the failures happen."

I love this small town of Heritage, MI and I am so glad that I got the chance to go back. Tari Faris once again brings the readers into the tight-knit circle of Heritage, where gossip blooms like wildflowers but also where love, acceptance, and mercy flow like a wild river. I enjoyed catching up with the myriad of characters from the previous books in the series and loved getting to know Leah/Jon and Madison/Colby as individuals and couples. With easy-to-read writing style and characters that pull at your heartstrings, this book will captivate you and help you fall in love with Heritage a little more.

I really loved Colby and his faithful steadfastness and relentless unconditional commitment to Madison. His living out his faith softens the edges of Madison who's had a tough life with disappointments, hurts, and pain. Jon has so many seesawing emotions to battle - from hot and cold reception of his long-time crush Leah to struggling for his rightful place in his father's company to working for peace and solidarity with his teenage sister - but his optimism and thoughtful care of Leah makes him a great hero.

There are tried and true life and faith lessons embedded into each character's faults and triumphs - lessons about facing fears and failures head-on, receiving and extending mercy and grace, inviting others to share the journey, allowing God to lead and love. And, of course, there is Otis....

If you enjoy contemporary romance with heart and substance, you will absolutely love this book.

 I received the book from Baker Publishing and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are solely my own.

---