True to You - Becky Wade

True to You by Becky Wade
            (Bradford Sisters Romance #1)

Genre:  Fiction; Chick Lit; Christian Romance

Pages:  368 pages

Publishing Date:  May 2, 2017

Rating:  2.5 out of 5 stars (It was okay.)

Synopsis from Goodreads:
After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother. 

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John's already dating someone and Nora's not sure she's ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.

My Thoughts:

I had read the novella to this book and loved it.  It was written completely in epistolary form giving the background of the Bradford sisters parents.  So when I saw the first book was available as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley, I requested and received a copy.

Nora is the middle Bradford sister.  She runs a historical village and helps people with genealogical research.  That is how she and John become connected.

There are many story lines present:  the genealogical search, Nora’s only transformation, dealing with individual characters’ backgrounds, even the two other Bradford sisters’ potential and past romances. 

The spiritual aspects were well done; presented through the natural character development and thoughts.  This did make it a pretty introspective novel.  Many truths were presented in an understandable way.

Wade tried to keep the epistolary feel of the novella going with having texts or Facebook messages at the end of each chapter.  This seemed a little clunky to me at times.  At other times, they were a great addition.

It was a quick, easy read.  I wouldn’t say it was really absorbing or super engaging though. 

There was a surprise I didn’t expect.  So that really earns it a 2.5 instead of a straight 2.

A lot of the issues I had with the book – the very speedy romance ramp up and the not quite edgy but almost emotions and scenes – made a lot more sense when I read the author info and learned Becky Wade wrote secular romance before turning her pen to Christian romance.  So if you’re a reader who likes secular romances, I think you’d enjoy this book more than I did.