Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Someplace Familiar by Teresa Tysinger

Posted June 12, 2017 by meezcarrie in Christian, contemporary, giveaway, romance / 45 Comments

about the book

Artist Livy Johnson needs a fresh start. That’s what a broken heart and forgotten dreams can do to a person.

On little more than a whim, she reclaims her grandmother’s old home in quaint Laurel Cove, North Carolina and vows to restore its original charm. When she literally collides with childhood friend, Jack Bowdon, Livy wonders if she’s back for an entirely different reason.

Jack can’t believe his childhood crush is back. As the owner of Bowdon’s Supplies, and once again the town’s most eligible bachelor, he offers to help Livy with repairs. Together they embark on the project—and an undeniable whirlwind romance.

But it’s not all smooth sailing.

Can they survive the destructive pain of their pasts to discover God’s grace waiting to renovate their hearts?

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SERIES: Laurel Cove Romance #1
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Good Day Publishing
RELEASE DATE: May 30, 2017
PAGES: 358

“You are worth so much more than any man can determine.”

I have two words for you: Jack. Bowdon.

Two more words: Have. Mercy.

Jack has a sexy Southern drawl that gets deeper and lazier when he has romantic intentions. “He could teach a class on how to flirt.” Muscles. Handyman. House builder. Loves his dog. Loves his woman. His best friend describes him as “the guy who swoons easily and loves hard.” Seriously – a sexy, flirty, drawling, twinkly-eyed, winking, earned-his-muscles-through-hard-work guy who swoons over the women he fiercely loves? Bring that fainting couch over here, and add Jack’s name to my book boyfriends collection while you’re at it 🙂

Livy and Jack have instant chemistry, some of it is residual from their childhood friendship and some is just good old-fashioned sparks. Both have past relationships that are still causing problems – mostly heart issues that Livy and Jack have to work through together and separately but occasionally these villainous exes rear up in person too.  Good, tender lessons here on forgiveness as well as self-worth – both found ultimately in Jesus and not anyone else. The parallels between the restoration of their hearts and the renovations they’re doing on Livy’s grandmother’s house were subtle but well-placed.

Bottom Line: The setting is gorgeous and vivid, quaint and quirky. The characters are fun and relatable, the kind of people you’d want as friends. The romance is smokin’ hot (honestly, keep a freezer handy) but laced with mutual respect for each other and for God’s guardrails. And banter. It’s laced with lots of great flirtalicious banter too 😉 Most importantly, the message is sincere and organically woven through the pages. Someplace Familiar by Teresa Tysinger made me smile for all the right reasons 🙂

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)

My Rating: 4 stars / Such a fun book!

KissingBook Level: 5 / Not kidding about that freezer.

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Also available to read for free with Kindle Unlimited!

about the author

Teresa Tysinger is a wife and mother transplanted from North Carolina to North Texas. When not working as the Director of Communications for a large downtown church, she writes charming southern romances inspired by grace. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Religious Communicators’ Council, and the Association for Women in Communications, Teresa has spent over a decade committed to telling stories of faith through written word. She loves coffee, caramel, and stories with happy endings.

website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads

 

ENTER HERE (https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e36c22633/) to win a signed paperback copy of Someplace Familiar, a custom 8×8” canvas painting by artist Cyndi Browning (in honor of the book’s heroine, Livy, who is an artist), and $10 Amazon Gift Card. Winner will be announced on Teresa’s website on June 18 once the tour wraps up. (Open to continental US residents only; sorry international readers!)

 


What about you? Who was your childhood best friend?

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45 responses to “Book Review (and a Giveaway!): Someplace Familiar by Teresa Tysinger”

  1. danielle hammelef

    Great review! I’m so excited to read this book this summer as i love characters with great chemistry plus you mentioned how much fun you had reading it. My childhood best friend was a girl named Vicky–we shared the same birthday, out parents were all teachers, and we loved horses.

    Reply
  2. Robbie Pink

    Ok, so Carrie, I’m with you. . .find me a fainting couch!!

    Seriously, this sounds like a good book. I used to work in new and reno construction (I miss it, too), so I think I’d really enjoy this book.

    On my tippy toes setting it on the top of my TBR pile. Phew, it didn’t fall, but boy is it teetering!

    My best friends as a child were boys; girls never got me-I was too different. We moved a LOT (like 60 times before I was 16) so I never really had a friend, as such, just kids I knew.

    Blessings~

    Reply
    • Carrie

      hahaha i love it! My TBR pile is literally a pile… one that could cover all of the US two or three layers deep 😉

      Reply
    • Teresa Tysinger

      Haha….thanks for setting Someplace Familiar on top! Can’t wait to hear what you think. Moving so much really is tough. But glad you found some good friends along the way.

      Reply
  4. Lori Smanski

    what a compelling interview. this book sounds like one that cant be put down.
    My best friends until 9th grade were Dora and Georgette. When we moved from CA to IL I really didn’t have girl friends. Now as an adult I have three best friends. Mary, Sandy and Mary Ann. We live life together.
    My mom was always my best friend. My sister is nine years younger than I am. Not until both of our kids where in school full time did we attempt to become friends. Now we are best of friends. God is so good when we let Him lead our lives.

    Reply
  5. Rebecca Maney

    I was part of a threesome. We were inseparable, we went to the same church, school and lived in the same neighborhood. So fun!

    Since I live in NC and work at a fairly large church, I can instantly connect with Teresa. Sounds like a great book!

    Reply
    • Teresa Tysinger

      Rebecca – where in NC do you live? And what do you do for the church? I went to college at Mars Hill College just north of Asheville then married and lived in Greensboro for about ten years. We miss it!

      Reply
  8. Pam K.

    When I first saw this book and the blurb at the top of your blog, I thought it looked good but it was another romance and I could probably pass. Then I kept reading and after your review, I have ANOTHER book to add to my “want to read” list. It REALLY sounds like a great romance. Thanks a lot, Carrie.

    Reply
  10. emilee

    I had lots of best friends growing up. Some for only a short time and others that have stayed in touch. This looks like a fun read. I will add it to my wish list. Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Paula S.

    I can’t say I had a best friend growing up. I asked my sister’s friends to be in my wedding( my sister had broken up with the best man, so she wasn’t in it)! We were in the service , so we moved a lot. But I did make a lot of friends just not one special one. I had a best friend while I was working in St. Louis. She still calls me , even though I moved away. Now I am retired so I made new friends at church. I guess you could say my husband is my best friend through it all! Looks like a great read.

    Reply
  12. Kay Garrett

    I can’t say I had a “best” friend when I was growing up. My Dad was in the Army and as an Army brat moving around you learned to make friends fast because you knew they weren’t going to last a long time.

    I knew I wanted to read Someplace Familiar but your review just makes me want to read it all the more. Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Trixi

    Carrie, I won a copy of this just the other day on a different blog, but I’m happy to share this giveaway 🙂

    Reply
  17. Donna B

    I always had a lot of friends from church and school when growing up. I did have a friend that I closer to than some of the others, her name is Melody. We still keep in touch even after 50 years.

    Reply
  18. Rissi

    Thanks for sharing your wonderful review for this one, Carrie (and I’m glad this hero induces all those swoons – that’s my kind of guy). I’ve seen this one around, and thought it was one I should look into, so I’ll have to make that happen. 🙂

    Reply

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