September 2021 Reads and October 2021 TBR

My September 2021 Reads:

It's a rare happening when I read as much non-fiction as I read fiction. Two of my non-fictions were biographies that I thoroughly enjoyed. Overall, this was an extremely good reading month!

1. The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication by Alexander Larman - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review. 


2. Jewel of the Nile by Tessa Afshar - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review. 


3. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks: Young Readers Edition by Jeanne Theoharis - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


4. A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


5. The Making of Biblical Womanhood by Beth Allison Barr - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Review to come.


6. Hangin' by a Moment by Susan May Warren and Andrea Christenson - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


7. Since You've Been Gone by Tari Faris - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Read my review.


8. Recovering from Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson - ⭐⭐⭐

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Expected October 2021 Reads:

In October, I plan to read:

1. One Transforming Love by Erin Elise Kiu.


2. Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy.


3. Cinders Like Glass by Clarissa Kae.


4. Roots of Wood and Stone by Amanda Wen.


5. The Water Keeper by Charles Martin - My local book club's October selection.


6. The Heart of a Cowboy by Jody Hedlund.

What will you read this month?

Book Review: Since You've Been Gone by Tari Faris

About the Book:

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?

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My Thoughts:

Since You’ve Been Gone took a while to win me over. Having read previous stories by Tari Faris, I wasn’t surprised by the dual romances unfolding, but I didn’t appreciate Madison and Colby’s narrative interrupting Leah and Jon’s narrative. Somewhere around halfway through, I started to genuinely enjoy both stories. Leah and Jon remained my favorite couple in part due to their relationship history. Sometimes Leah’s drama and angst made me cringe, but I liked how she matured and learned life lessons. The concept of not letting a parent’s abandonment dictate your choices and beliefs about others resonated with me personally.

Since You’ve Been Gone lands as book three in the Restoring Heritage series by Tari Faris. A year or more ago, I read the prequel and book one (You Belong With Me), but I completely missed book two. As such, I struggled to keep all the side characters straight. I recommend reading the novels in order to avoid confusion, even though the story itself could be a stand-alone novel.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.