Since You've Been Gone

By Tari Faris

Book Overview

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.


"A welcome homecoming for series fans, this is also recommended for all who love small town romances."--Booklist

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0800736494
• ISBN13: 9780800736491
• Release Date: September 2021
• Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Delightful conclusion to the Restoring Heritage series

What happens when a gal comes back home for a new start and discovers the only person who can make her dream possible is the guy who made her high school years painful? An engaging story and delightful romance, of course. Since You’ve Been Gone, Tari Faris’ final installment in her Restoring Heritage series, is what I believe to be her best novel yet. Faris upped her game bringing characters to life and making them so personable. I wanted to hang out with Leah and her group of friends. Leah Williams returns to Heritage, Michigan, after realizing that perhaps helping with her brother’s mission in Costa Rica wasn’t what she was cut out for. When she decides to reopen her grandparents’ shop, she thinks having a vision is all she needs . . . until she has a meeting with Jonathan Kensington, the guy who made her high school years painful. Jonathan Kensington is still trying to figure things out after the death of his parents, after ending his professional basketball career, and after bringing his younger sister back to Heritage from her London boarding school. When he says yes to sitting in on a business meeting for his uncle, Jon is surprised to realize that said meeting is with Leah Williams, the girl he secretly liked, but who never gave him a second glance in high school or beyond. She presents her business plan, which appears to be more of a vision plan, sharing her ideas for the shop she wants to open. When Jon offers to help Leah create a credible business plan, she reluctantly agrees. It turns out, Leah has the vision, and Jon has the business savvy. They could be a solid team. But first, they must learn how to trust each other. What follows is a charming story where Leah and Jon work through the struggles of reopening a business amid obstacles that stretch their growing friendship. As the shop comes together, something happens that could destroy both the business and their developing relationship. Leah and Jon are forced to face past wounds. They must decide if they’re meant to be business partners or perhaps much more. The romance aspect was sweet and fun as they talk, do things together, and begin to trust each other. Another romance within the pages of this story enhances Leah’s story and gives us an inside glimpse into Madison, who was introduced in a prior book in the series. I loved learning more about her. Though I was not a fan of her in her earlier book, Faris redeemed her for me in this book. I love Heritage. This quaint town came alive as I read—the shops, the main street, and the personalities. Faris wove depth into each character and helped me better understand some of the people from past Restoring Heritage books. Each was easy to relate to in their struggles and their thought processes. And Otis . . . I loved discovering his secrets (no spoilers here!). The themes in this story include understanding our worth, especially when people who are supposed to love us fall short as well as discovering where our identity comes from. Another theme is learning to be brave enough to give our heart to others, especially those who have the power to break us. This story made me laugh out loud and also brought tears to my eyes. The authentic characters made this story! If you enjoy reading clean, small-town romance with many humorous moments and realistic, imperfect characters, you will love Since You've Been Gone. ***I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts expressed are strictly my own.

I adore this book!!!

I love fiction that draws me in and makes me feel like a resident in the fictional setting and a friend to the characters. Tari Faris is a master of this! I adore Heritage and its colorful cast. If you haven't read the earlier books in this series, go back and find them. In this final installment of the Restoring Heritage series, Luke's best friend, Jon, and Caroline's sister, Leah, reconnect after they have both been away from Heritage for a time. As a bonus, the sub-plot redeems Thomas's ex-fiancee, Madison, and newcomer Colby. These two storylines are expertly woven together and make this book an incredible value. Leah is forced to put her rocky history with Jon aside when she learns the fate of her family business is in his hands. As they work together to revise the business plan, she begins to realize that she may have misjudged his motives back in high school. Jon is determined not to ruin Leah's newly forged trust in him, but he can't win when his scheming uncle forces him into a choice between Leah's happiness and his Father's legacy. Meanwhile, when Madison returns to Heritage to wrap up her father's affairs after his death, she is determined to sell the house, get out of Heritage as soon as possible, and never look back. But when she hires newcomer Colby to fix up the run-down house so it can be sold, she begins to believe that new beginnings might be possible after all. Her story will have you rooting for new beginnings, too. Finally, the secret of Otis is FINALLY revealed, and the rich history of the secret reaches across generations! Read this book! You will not be disappointed. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another great read from Tari Faris!

Since You've Been Gone by Tari Faris Book 3 in the Restoring Heritage series Rating: 4.5/5 One of the things I love about Tari Faris is she likes to give the reader two love stories in one book. The characters are great and it's nice to catch up with characters from the other two books in the series. However, this book can be read by itself without confusion. I do still recommend reading the other two books though because they are also great. Leah is back in her hometown and wants to revive her grandfather's general store. However, she needs the cooperation of the Kensingtons without compromising her vision. When she discovers Jon is back and helping run the company, she doesn't know how to handle it. For some reason, Jon has always had it out for her and she can't explain why. Meanwhile, Jon has had a huge crush on Leah since high school but his words always seem to be misunderstood when he speaks to her. Can these two find a way to partner in business and maybe in love? Madisen is back in her hometown but only briefly to renovate her childhood home to sell it. When Colby's friend invites him to lay low in Heritage, he takes a chance and even offers to help Madisen with renovations. As a Christian musician who's looking to avoid scandal, Colby finds Heritage more interesting after meeting Madisen. She has her own secrets and is afraid that her small town will judge her based on her actions during high school. Can Colby convince her to open up her heart to her town again and maybe even him? The themes of redemption and learning to trust and forgive are prominent and really resonate with the reader. I love how naturally the author incorporates faith into the story. I always love returning to Heritage and am sad the series is over. Highly recommend if you enjoy Christian contemporary romance with humor, heart and small towns. My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Amazzzinggg!!

Faris has done it again! She has succeeded in writing another contemporary romantic comedy that swept me off my feet from the first page. Since You've Been Gone is full of cute couples romance that will make you swoon. It has faith content and strong themes woven in to make an inspiring story. The characters had so much depth. They were raw and real. I was able to relate to them and was encouraged by their stories. I read my first Tari Faris book, You Belong To Me, when it came out in 2019. I loved Faris's writing style immediately. She mixes real feeling characters, romance, humor, and faith content into a beautifully told novel. She is very talented and I will continue to read everything that I can get my hands on by her. . *I received a ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a honest review. I was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts expressed are strictly my own.*