Elle’s living the dream-but is it her dream or his? Elle loves life in Beaufort, South Carolina-lazy summer days on the sand bar, coastal bonfires, and dinners with friends sharing a lifetime of memories. And she’s found her niche as the owner of a successful art gallery too. Life is good.Then the dynamic pastor of her small town church sweeps her off her feet. She’s never known a man like Jeremiah-one who breathes in confidence and exhales all doubt. When he proposes in the setting sunlight, Elle hands him her heart on a silver platter.But Jeremiah’s just accepted a large pastorate in a different state. If she’s serious about their relationship, Elle will take “the call,” too, leaving behind the people and place she loves so dearly. Elle’s friendship with her new tenant, widower Heath McCord, and his young daughter make things even more complicated.Is love transferrable across the miles? And can you take it with you when you go?

There’s one problem with falling head-over-heels in love….falling flat on your face out of love – unless, there’s someone even better waiting to catch you in his arms. When Elle Garvey quickly agrees to marry handsome & confident Jeremiah Franklin, she gives up her whole heart….and life. She sells her thriving art business, leases her cozy riverfront cottage, and sets her mind to spending her life as a pastor’s wife. But soon Jeremiah’s attention and priorities start to shine a light on his true personality and Elle seeks advice from God and comfort in the arms of her tenant, widower Heath McCord. When Elle’s heart stumbles through heartbreak, Heath catches her and shows her what friendship and true love can look like, but will Jeremiah’s reentry break the growing bond between Elle, Heath, and Heath’s young daughter? Will the portrait God is painting of Elle’s life unfold into the masterpiece she’s always dreamed?

If Rachel Hauck’s Sweet Caroline was “chocolate pie sweet’, then Love Starts with Elle adds whipped cream and a cherry. This was a great read: witty, sweet, with both emotional and spiritual depth. Elle is a fun heroine, although I wanted to shake her a few times and say, “Are you completely blind?”. Heath McCord is a wonderful hero: gentle, funny, encouraging, and working through his own pain in a beautiful way. His ‘father moments’ are endearing and real. As for Jeremiah? I would have thrown his cell phone into a pond way before page 252…and probably pushed him in along with it. Wonderful read…highly recommended for a warm your heart romance.