When I’m With You by Rachel Hauck takes readers back to Hearts Bend, Tennessee. Hauck kicked off the Hearts Bend Series for Sunrise Publishing several years ago and introduced three authors.

What I Liked About When I’m With You by Rachel Hauck

I’m a Rachel Hauck fan, so I’m going to read any story she writes. Not every story she writes ends up on my favorite list, but I really liked this one. Maybe one reason was that I could relate to the heroine’s quest for achievement. As an overachiever, I saw myself in Elizabeth Dorsey. I understood her disappointments and ultimately how getting what she thought she wanted wasn’t as grand as she expected. Ryder Donovan, the hero, was a good guy facing injustice, who also had an unrequited love for Elizabeth.

The novel deftly showed that what we strive for isn’t always the thing that will make us happy. We must be willing to let go of what we think we’re supposed to do so we can live the life we were meant to live.

Finally, When I’m With You was about family. Elizabeth thought she had to live up to the success her parents had achieved and based life decisions on this premise. Ryder longed for his parents to be present instead of chasing success. But in the end, while the parents may have failed somewhat, they came through in the end.

What You’ll Like About When I’m With You

If you like small-town romances, you’ll like this story. There’s something special about a community that comes together and takes care of their own, and Hearts Bend is that kind of place.

Ryder is a wildlife management officer who is wrongly accused of misusing funds as well as possibly illegally cutting forest in the protected area. With the help of Elizabeth, he clears his name, but readers will guess until the end who is really involved.

Finally, if you are a Hauck fan, you’ll appreciate her solid characters and beautiful writing.

Final Thoughts

This is a great book to start off the new year.

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