If You Hold Me by Ciara Knight was a delightful read. Until the very end I wasn’t sure how the story would end but was pleasantly surprised. Tanner and Mary-Beth had to overcome parental lies and differing dreams to even come to the place of being friends again. I truly enjoyed it!

I love the Sugar Maple series of an adorable, small town in which the fab five and ‘town elders’ help each other. Now is Mary Beth’s opportunity in If You Hold Me. Her former high school football jock and love, Tanner returns home to help his mother on the farm following his father’s death. Mary Beth and Tanner broke each other’s hearts ten years ago; yet there are still so many questions – why, can they try again, can they make it work, should they?

Ciara Knight, again, fills us with the joy of possibilities for hope and love. Another of Ms. Knight’s independent, strong female character, Mary Beth, looks and searches for the truth. She has built her own life as the ‘coffee whisperer’ by herself. Now, she and Tanner must figure it out, to decide what is important. Holding her back is her inability to ‘create’ a special coffee flavor for Tanner. For reasons important to her, she relates her inability to find the flavor Tanner likes with their relationship. If she cannot please Tanner with the ‘right’ coffee flavor; then, their relationship cannot ‘make’ it.

Tanner, too, must find what is important now that he has returned to Sugar Maple after an injury that ruined his football career during college. He still loves Mary Beth but blames her for their breakup all those years ago. Neither realized there were others manipulating their lives behind the scenes.

You will love the book as much as the others in the series. I appreciate the 'clean' aspect of their HEA. All the previous characters surface from time to time so we know how their lives are progressing. I am looking forward to Jackie’s romance next!

If You Hold Me is like a sweet and enjoyable walk through a small town in Tennessee with your best friends. The book, which is part of Ciara Knight’s Sugar Maple Series, follows characters Mary-Beth and Tanner and their pain from their past break-up.
Mary-Beth is a young small business owner who was is taking care of her teenage brother in the town she grew up in. She is single and though denies it, still never gotten over Tanner, who was a football star and current college coach living in another state. To her shock, he shows back up in Sugar Maple and the pair have to come to terms with their bad break up and the painful lies that kept them apart.
The book is full of endearing moments, small town values and the importance of friends and community. The love story has a real feel. The characters are written so well, you are pulled in to their emotions and relationships. A perfect book for a weekend read or to lose yourself in.
( I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review. #netgalley #IfYouHoldMe )

If you like Hallmark movies, you’ll love this novel!

With its heart-warming friendships and sweet as pie romance, there’s a lot to like!

Mary-Beth is as southern as they come and a Coffee Whisperer to boot. Tanner is a former small town hero with a task at hand- bringing the family farm back to its glory days.

While there are still some loose ends left untied, the novel is best read with a cup of joe and a fall day... or just whenever you need a sweet treat.

Book four of the Sugar Maple series is Marybeth and Tanner's story. Having not read the other books in the series I was a little lost at times. This is a sweet story about high school secret hearts getting a second chance. For the backgrounds of other characters in this story, readers will need to read the previous books. This would be a good beach read.

Tanner and Mary-Beth was the couple since they were little kids and had made plans in high school. But when he was offered full scholarship to another school he took it. And Mary-Beth thought he left without saying good bye. 10 yrs later they meet up and together they figure out the whole mess and find the truth but both wondering if their live is strong enough for round 2.