Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Someone Like You by Victoria Bylin

Single mom Julia Dare has a lot on her plate.

A brand new Christian, Julia is busy trying to run her own business, spend time with her widowed mother, and raise her young son, Max, despite his father’s less-than-ideal influence on him. When a big account from her event-planning business sends her to the Caliente Springs resort, she’s shocked to come face-to-face with Zeke Monroe, the resort’s general manager and her college sweetheart.

With his faith in tatters, Zeke Monroe is determined to keep the historic Caliente Springs resort running despite financial difficulties. But when Julia walks back into his life, he can’t ignore the feelings she stirs up. As they work together on an important client’s dream wedding, the fate of the resort soon depends on their success. When Zeke and Julia are pushed to their limits both personally and professionally, will their history put up walls between them or bring them together?

GENRE: Contemporary Romance, Christian
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
RELEASE DATE: May 3, 2016
PAGES: 352

Someone Like You by Victoria Bylin is full of great fun and great romance.  It also has a country music legend, some ninja turtles, and a cantankerously unpredictable goat.  More on that later.

I have not yet read Bylin’s historicals (emphasis on ‘yet’) but I am thoroughly in love with her contemporaries. Until I found Someone Like You, my favorite of the three has been the first one I read – Until I Found You.  Mostly thanks to yummy Nick, the hero, but also because at that point it was the first Christian fiction novel I’d read that really looked at the nitty gritty struggles of following Jesus, especially for new or disillusioned believers.   Someone Like You does the same, and I love it! Sometimes it’s nice to read about people who never struggle … or who only struggle with “safe sins” like getting angry or saying something you shouldn’t.  But honestly? Sometimes that gets boring.  Sometimes, I for one need to see people battling with the tough stuff and coming out on the other side in one piece.  Maybe not unscarred or unscathed. But they’ve survived and are stronger for it. These are my heroes. And these are the kind of people Victoria Bylin writes about in her contemporary novels.

But Someone Like You is not an angsty book, by any means! It’s full of hope that makes you smile and romance that makes you hold your breath and some kisses that might make you reach for your fan. Zeke with Julia’s son Max will melt your heart. Julia’s ex Hunter with their son Max will make you want to hit something… probably Hunter (who reminds me so much of my friend’s ex-husband that I wonder if Victoria knows them lol). The secondary romance involving Julia’s mom is just adorably sweet, and Zeke and Julia are absolutely swoonworthy together!

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It also has a goat. Ladybug.  Don’t let that sweet name fool you. She’s a reprobate of the highest order. A resort terrorizer. A phone eater. A wedding crasher. LOL. And more proof that farm animals are not our friends. With the possible exception of horses. (I have to say that since I live in Kentucky. Else I might be banished.)  Chickens, goats, cows…. all bad ideas if not on a farm where they belong. 😉 That might also be my phobia talking haha!

Bottom Line: Just as an unopened quartz hides its greatest beauty deep within, so it is with us. In our brokenness, Jesus reveals our true beauty and strength.  Victoria Bylin wraps this message beautifully and honestly around her latest novel, Someone Like You.  The romance between Zeke and Julia – their second chance at loving each other – settled in my heart with a dreamy sigh and a sappy grin, and I even enjoyed the goat 😉 Because, she was safely ensconced in the book and was their problem… not mine! haha! A host of secondary characters that add humor and heart, a vivid setting that will make you want to go on vacation ASAP, and one character in particular who will make you grit your teeth against the urge to reach inside the book and strangle him (maybe that was just me?) ensures that all of your emotions will be fully engaged as you read Someone Like You!

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for only my honest review.)

My Rating: 5 stars / Loved it!

KissingBook Level: 4 / Go ahead and have that fan and fainting couch handy.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1TPfW3k

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Victoria Bylin writes contemporary and historical romances known for their realistic, relatable characters. Her work has finaled in contests such as the Carol Awards, the RITAs, and the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award. A native of California, she and her husband now make their home in Lexington, Kentucky.

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What about you? Have you ever met a pet that was a notorious nuisance – lovable or otherwise?