It Had To Be You

~ Eden Christiansen never imagined her role as her younger brother Owen’s cheerleader would keep her on the sidelines of her own life. Sure, it feels good to be needed, but looking after the reckless NHL rookie leaves little time for Eden to focus on her own career. She dreamed of making a name for herself as a reporter, but is stuck writing obits-and starting to fear she doesn’t have the chops to land a major story. If only someone would step up to mentor Owen . . . but she knows better than to expect help from team veteran and bad-boy enforcer Jace Jacobsen.



Jace has built his career on the infamous reputation of his aggressive behavior-on and off the ice. Now at a crossroads about his future in hockey, that reputation has him trapped. And the guilt-trip he’s getting from Eden Christiansen isn’t making things any easier. But when Owen’s carelessness leads to a career-threatening injury and Eden stumbles upon a story that could be her big break, she and Jace are thrown together . . . and begin to wonder if they belong on the same team after all.





Why you should read it: I love that author Susan May Warren is writing each book of this series to stand alone, all while growing reader affection for the tightknit Minnesota family from which her characters come. This installment in the Christiansen family saga focuses on Twin Cities–relocated daughter Eden, whose presence and help are often taken for granted. She is the family caretaker, the nurturer, and she has no real grip on who she is outside of that identity. With an understated loveliness just waiting to be brought to the surface, Eden is the perfect mix of tough loyalty and personal vulnerability—and she needs help to figure out who she is and what she wants out of life, rather than only enabling the pursuit of dreams for those she loves. Enter, Jace.



If you have not added this book to your shopping cart by now, check your pulse. It Had to be You is a sigh-worthy, coming-into-her-own romance highlighting the importance of family, the necessity of faith, and how losing yourself for the right reasons can open your heart to something beautiful.