Today I’m reviewing author Becky Wade’s latest contemporary romance novel, Let It Be Me. This is the second in her Misty River Romance series set in the mountains of Georgia.
Having graduated college at 18, Sebastian Grant has continued to leverage his intelligence and determination to become a pediatric heart surgeon. The more accolades he receives, the more he’s driven to pursue. Then he meets high school math teacher Leah Montgomery, and his fast-spinning world comes to a sudden stop.
Solving advanced math equations by the age of five, Leah has always wanted to pursue a PhD in mathematics. She willingly put that dream on hold to raise her brother. Now that he is of age, she’s set on avoiding any obstacles to her goal–including romance.
When Leah receives surprising news in the process of taking a test for tracking her ancestry, she asks Sebastian to help her comb through aged hospital records to learn more. Soon his presence isn’t so easily ignored. But when Sebastian learns his best friend also has feelings for Leah, he begins to question his resolve to win her. Attaining their deepest desires may require more sacrifices than they ever imagined.
Let It Be Me is going straight to my favorites list! This contemporary romance has everything I love about the genre, as well as the powerful storytelling of Becky Wade to recommend it!
Becky Wade’s characters are portrayed in a way that makes them deeply relatable. Their identities are fleshed out through personality, sense of humor, career, dreams, memories, and even a physical sense of how they move through a room to make them feel so REAL and realistic. The reader learns their POV and perspective when all this combines to see life, faith, decisions, and emotions through their individuality. This stirs empathy even when the reader experiences life in a completely different way.
Sebastian and Leah’s dynamic is simply magnetic. Any time they are on the page together, their sparks and passion are palpable, even in a scene as innocuous as a conversation at a school fundraiser booth, it’s present (their banter! it sparkles!). While his attraction to her is instant, he recognizes and falls for her intelligence and compassion quickly. I love romance when the hero falls first and it takes a bit for the heroine to catch up. Challenges to their situation, though, allow for the story to develop at the perfect pace and for the reader to be rooting for them 1,000% by the time things turn more serious.
I have a few more things to say about the romance. No spoilers here, but they have plenty to work through with the Sebastian, Leah, and Ben situation. (note of relief: it is NOT a love triangle). But whew, when things do start happening of a more romantic nature, Sebastian’s determination and Leah’s I-don’t-do-romance mantra practically combust. I will just reiterate what I said about book 1 in this series: it’s a “prime example of how the inspirational romance genre CAN have heat and convey a real, respectful sense of desire without crossing any inappropriate lines.”
Both Sebastian and Leah have personal arcs outside of their changing romantic relationship that center on identity. For Leah, she grapples with surprises related to her heritage. And, she is fiercely independent. Sebastian upends her stability, which causes some friction and challenges her mindset in more than one way. For Sebastian, he carries baggage from living his own heartbreaking past. His arc, too, has to do with his determination, need of acceptance, and perfectionist tendencies. Her presence just might break through his barriers and cause him to reconsider his fears and emotional detachment, seeing all areas of his life with more of his heart. Sebastian’s relationship with the Colemans is an important part of his life, too. I really like his relationship with Ben Coleman and how it exemplifies true friendship in wanting the very best for one another.
From friendships to identity, forgiveness and honesty, many aspects combine to make this much more than a romance. It’s a meaningful story of growth for the hero and heroine. I can’t wait to get Luke’s story next year 🙂
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for the review copy. This is my honest review.
The Green Mockingbird 