Monday, March 24, 2014

It Had To Be You by Susan May Warren (Blog Tour & Review)

It Had To Be You
by Susan May Warren
The Christiansen Family series, Book 2
Christian Fiction / Contemporary / Romance
Available February 2014
Tyndale
480 pages



About the Book
Eden Christiansen never imagined her role as her younger brother Owen’s cheerleader would keep her on the sidelines of her own life. Sure, it feels good to be needed, but looking after the reckless NHL rookie leaves little time for Eden to focus on her own career. She dreamed of making a name for herself as a reporter, but is stuck writing obits—and starting to fear she doesn’t have the chops to land a major story. If only someone would step up to mentor Owen . . . but she knows better than to expect help from team veteran and bad-boy enforcer Jace Jacobsen.

Jace has built his career on the infamous reputation of his aggressive behavior—on and off the ice. Now at a crossroads about his future in hockey, that reputation has him trapped. And the guilt-trip he’s getting from Eden Christiansen isn’t making things any easier. But when Owen’s carelessness leads to a career-threatening injury and Eden stumbles upon a story that could be her big break, she and Jace are thrown together . . . and begin to wonder if they belong on the same team after all.

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My Thoughts
Susan May Warren is one of my favorite authors, and I feel like every time I read one of her books, I declare it a favorite. It was no surprise that when I turned the last page of It Had To Be You I sighed and declared it a favorite. And seriously, it will probably make my list of favorites for 2014!

I really love reading family sagas that follow siblings, so I fell in love with the Christiansens and have been looking forward to more of their stories ever since. Eden's story is amazing. I felt like we got to know both Eden and Owen pretty well in this book—even if I didn't really like Owen for much of the book. I caught myself mentally screaming at Owen a few times and am interested to see how his story plays out in the rest of the series.

Eden, though, was a special character. I felt so sorry for her at times. Her family loves her and she serves them selflessly, but she can't see the good that she has to offer those around her. It was just so ... sad! As her friendship with Jace developed, I was so intrigued at how they both had these horrible assumptions about each other! Somehow, though, they kept trying to work through it all, and the sweetest friendship developed.

Two other stories were woven throughout as well, which made for a fuller, more complete story. Maddy was the cutest little girl, and her story really helped to show Jace's softer side. And the "John Doe" story worked to add a flair of mystery. I was quite surprised by how everything came together in the end.

The writing was flawless. The emotions were intense—for the characters and for me! And the romance was just beautiful. It Had To Be You was an amazing book, and I highly, highly recommend it! [5 stars]

I Really Do Miss Your Smile
I read I Really Do Miss Your Smile—the prequel to the Christiansen Family series—last year and was pleasantly surprised that it is now included as a free novella at the end of It Had To Be You. I loved reading John and Ingrid's story and seeing how this whole family saga got started. While this is a short novella at only 65-ish pages, I still felt like it was a complete story. Don't miss out on this sweet story! [5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale through Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my fair and honest review.

About the Author
Susan May Warren is the bestselling, RITA Award–winning author of more than forty novels whose compelling plots and unforgettable characters have won acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. She served with her husband and four children as a missionary in Russia for eight years before she and her family returned home to the States. She now writes full-time as her husband runs a lodge on Lake Superior in northern Minnesota, where many of her books are set. She and her family enjoy hiking, canoeing, and being involved in their local church. Several of her critically acclaimed novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA's Inspirational Reader's Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Five of her books have been Christy Award finalists. In addition to her writing, Susan loves to teach and speak at women's events about God's amazing grace in our lives. She also runs a writing community for authors. Visit MyBookTherapy.com to learn more. For exciting updates on her new releases, previous books, and more, visit her website at www.susanmaywarren.com

Susan May Warren Online
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2 comments:

  1. This was one of my favorite reads this year!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. 'It Had To You" is a great book! I thoroughly enjoyed it as well!
    Just found you blog through Litfuse.
    New followers!:)

    ReplyDelete

I love comments! Thanks for letting me know what you think!

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