What If I Loved You by Mandi Blake

Hello Friends :)

I hope you're all doing well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

One of my very favorite things about being a book blogger is that I've got to discover and connect with so many amazing authors since I first started this journey. I've met amazing people, read amazing books, and made new friends in the progress.

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, then you are probably familiar with Mandi Blake, I've squealed and fangirled over every single one of her books that I've had the pleasure to read and review. When she contacted me about reviewing her upcoming book, I literally jumped at the chance, and I can't wait to share with all of you guys what I thought about it.

What If I Loved You by Mandi Blake:

Source: Complimentary Copy Provided by the Author

Publication Date: May 17th, 2020

Genre: Christian Fiction/Contemporary/Sweet Romance

Series: Unfailing Love

Synopsis:

Sara Williams wasn’t always Sara Williams. Twelve years ago, she was Liz Jennings—small-town nobody and best friend of Ian Hart. The only future she could imagine included him, but after one tragic night, she’s forced to flee her home and leave behind the best friend she secretly loves.

Ian Hart was sure of two things. He was in love with his best friend, and he’d do anything to protect her. As teenagers, they made a pact to run away together, but when she left town without him, Ian spiraled into a storm of anger.

Now she’s back with a new name and a dozen secrets. When they’re forced to work together, the things they don’t say threaten to shatter any hope that they could regain their lost trust. Meanwhile, a town of busybodies are stirring up trouble, and Sara is a sitting duck while her biggest threat is on the move. What if the monster she’s running from steals their happily ever after?

A homecoming story about forgiveness that's sure to touch your heart.

What if I Loved You is the sixth book in the Unfailing Love series, but the books can be read in any order.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Reviewing What If I Loved You is very bittersweet for me. Over the last year, I've truly come to love Carson, Georgia and the lovely residents that call it home. After first being intrigued by Ian's character in the first couple of books, I honestly couldn't wait for him to get his own story. I couldn't wait to pick this one up and dive into what I knew was going to be another fantastic story by the talented Mandi Blake. However, I'm so sad that this is the final title in the Unfailing Love series. After reading about these characters so many times, I was sad to have to say goodbye. I knew though, that Mandi would do a fantastic job of sending this series off with a really sweet farewell, and even though I'm sad it's the last title, it was a truly an amazing read, and a fantastic final visit to one of my favorite fictional small town settings.

Ian and Sara's story doesn't have the most typical of starts. At one point she was Liz Jennings, and she was also Ian's best friend. Her mysterious disappearance one night when they were both still in high school is something that Ian was never able to get over, and as such, has contributed to the bitter, standoffish man he is today. Sara always regretted having to leave her best friend, but she did what she thought was best for him at the time. 12 years later, thanks to the generosity of their elderly next door neighbor growing up, they're forcibly reunited thanks to his will and its unexpected instructions. Sara and Ian soon can't deny that their friendship is still there simmering under the surface, and that they're both interested in more. However, there's a reason Sara was forced to flee Carson when she did, and that reason is surrounded in sinister circumstances that constantly have her looking over her shoulder. Sara and Ian's relationship might seem too complicated to ever make it work, but they'll soon learn that if they truly trust God, and learn to let go and let Him, that He can work in amazing ways that none of us could have ever seen coming.

I can wholeheartedly state that Mandi Blake gets better and better with each and every book she writes. I've loved every title she's ever released, and it would be extremely hard for me to pick a favorite, but Ian and Sara's story had me completely absorbed in the way everything was unraveling, and it definitely pulled at my heartstrings and had me tearing up. I loved the fact that their story is a second chance romance, that if focuses heavily around faith, forgiveness, and redemption, and that it has an even stronger mystery/sinister element that had me constantly guessing around every single plot twist and turn. 

If you've never read a book by this author before, then you definitely need to do so. I can't recommend this whole series enough, and What If I Loved You is the perfect conclusion to an amazing series. I loved that Mandi chose to feature every single character introduced throughout the previous book in this last title, and it definitely was an added treat getting one last visit all of my favorites (I'm especially looking at you Marcus and Tori!) Once again, Mandi managed to not only meet every expectation I had for this story, but to far exceed them, and I know a reread of this entire series is going to be something I need to do in the very near future. I'm sad it's the last title, but I can't wait to discover what other amazing stories that Mandi has in store for her readers in the future! She's definitely made me a lifelong reader of her books. 

Final Rating: 5/5

Thanks so much to Mandi Blake for providing me with a complimentary copy of this one!

I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel to voluntarily read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review. 

Have a great rest of your day guys :) Thanks so much for stopping by.