Review by Booklist Review
Twenty-five year old Hannah Thornton is a real estate agent in Heritage, Michigan, but her dreams of restoring the town to its former glory, in spite of the teardown plans of a developer, frequently get in the way of her ability to sell houses. Luke Johnson, Hannah's best friend and the boy next-door, was orphaned as a child and never felt like he truly belonged. While renovating his childhood home, Hannah and Luke unearth a lockbox which contains some surprising information about Luke's birth mother. Luke, afraid of being disappointed yet again doesn't pursue it, but Hannah secretly hires a private detective. When Luke discovers what Hannah has done, he abruptly leaves town, and their budding romance begins to wither. An engaging secondary romance features Hannah's brother, Thomas, and her close friend, Janie. The real star of this striking inspirational romance, however, is Otis, a life-size brass hippo who mysteriously moves around town. Fans of Karen Kingsbury and Susan May Warren will love Faris' impressive debut.--C. L. Quillen Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Faris's enticing debut and launch of her Finding Heritage series features a small-town romance based on a shared love for restoration. Twenty-five year old Hannah Thornton is less than successful at her realtor job in Heritage, Mich., because she won't sell homes to buyers who refuse to keep the historical buildings intact. In an effort to restore the quaint but slowly deteriorating town, Hannah agrees to renovate an old manor in the center of town with the help of her best friend, Luke. Hannah knows there has always been a romantic undercurrent to their 20-year friendship, but the fear of getting hurt prevents her from admitting she loves him. Luke, orphaned as a boy and placed in foster care in Heritage, never felt like he belonged. Despite his friendship with Hannah, he buries his feelings. When renovating Luke's house, they discover a metal lockbox with paperwork that reveals that Luke's mother has a different name than he had always been told. Determined to help after Luke decides it isn't worth the effort to find his mother, Hannah secretly hires a PI to find the truth about Luke's family. Furious that she went behind his back, Luke leaves town, but being away from Hannah and her work restoring Heritage makes him realize he can't live without either. Featuring devout characters and an enjoyably languid pace, this pleasing outing will be perfect for fans of Karen Kingsbury. (Sept.)
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