This is book 3 in this series and by now you should know and love the McClare family. Can you read it as a stand alone. Sure, but the 1st two books in this series were just as good, so I say read them all. It is a good look at life in 1904 in San Francisco, where there is "living the good life" in one part of town, and the "seedier" part of town down on the Barbary Coast. The author did a great job with this whole series, and I thoroughly enjoyed my stay in San Francisco.

Megan McClare has grown up being treated badly as a wallflower by her peers. So she goes to Paris to study for her senior year and returns very poised and pretty and all grown up. Her family has a hard time believing her transformation, and especially Bram, a life long friend who has always been there for her when her "friends" treated her badly. Bram always thought of her as his little sister, until she comes back from Paris. Then he realizes how quickly his feelings are changing. But Bram has made promises to his parents that keep him from declaring his love for Meg, even though Meg is making it very difficult for him, as she has no problems expressing her love for him. It is a heartwarming romance in the making and I love the way their obstacles were resolved.

Throughout this series there has also been a romance brewing between Cait McClare (the mother) and Logan, a prestigious lawyer in town. Although I understood her hesitation to pursue courtship with this man in books one and two, by this time I was hoping she could set aside her fears and begin to exhibit a little faith and trust in the man. She started to annoy me in this story, and I actually started to dislike her a little. Logan though, was a man who knew he made mistakes in his past and was trying to make amends. His greatest act of love though was forgiving and wanting the best for the woman he loved, even if that meant letting go and letting God take care of the situation. There were many good lessons to be learned throughout this book and in each of these stories. Between Megan and Bram's touching story and Cait and Logan's, this book never lacked for emotional and tender scenes, where everyone is at one time or another 'surprised by love'. ( )

Oddly enough, the synopsis for this book brings one of my absolute favorite movies to mind. Young girl, shy and introverted – goes to Paris and returns all grown up.

Of course my favorite version is the 1995 remake with Julia Ormond, Greg Kinnear and Harrison Ford… not the original with Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart – which is ultimately sadder and holds a much darker theme.

Surprised by Love is a wonderful Historical adventure - full of forgiveness, romance and of course.. surprise.

I was thoroughly intrigued by the wonderful story - and was surprised to discover that this is the third book in a series. It does not read that way. You should have no trouble at all with feeling lost in the midst of a series.

Megan is not at all what I pictured from reading the back cover copy. She is a bit of a spitfire – which makes perfect sense when you consider that she has taken an internship in the District Attorney’s office.

I am not about to spoil the outcome for you – you will HAVE to read it for yourself but I will tell you that it surprised me!

This is not a book to miss!

And of course now… I have to go hunt down more books. LOL!

I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. ( )

"I miss my little buddy, Meg, I won't lie, but you've grown into a beautiful woman over the last year, a perfect match for the beautiful person inside."

Megan McClare has always been a beauty to those that love her. But her greatest beauty was within while outwardly she was a plump young girl with loads of freckles and braces on her teeth. Constantly ridiculed by other kids, she always turned to her brother's best friend to dry her eyes and make her feel better. But when Meg returns from college "Megan McTubby" is gone and a raven beauty has taken her place. With a new look and a new outlook on life, Meg hopes to turn the head of the very man who had assuaged her hurts and healed her pain since she was just seven-years-old. But will the very man that ridiculed her in school work his way into Meg's affections? Will Bram risk their friendship and take a shot at love?

Bram Hughes has been an honorary member of the McClare family for years. Caitlyn McClare took him under her wings as a teenager and led him back to the God he had become separated from. Bram has always held a special place for Meg in his heart and takes great pains to ease her hurts when her heart is breaking. When Meg returns from Paris, Bram doesn't recognize her. All he knows is he is attracted to the beautiful young lady before him. Because of a mistake from his past, Bram feels obligated to accept an arranged marriage from his father. But how can he remain only friends with the girl who has stolen his heart? And, if he doesn't move soon, will Devin Caldwell steal the only girl he ever loved?

There's so much I can say about this book. If there has ever been a character I can relate to on such a personal level, it's Meg McClare. I feel many readers will relate to her character and glean a little bit of self-worth through her transformation from mousy to magnificent. Meg is the definition of "development of character " and I couldn't wait to read her story. I wasn't disappointed. It was so touching to see the beautiful friendship between Meg and Bram develop into a relationship built on love and faith.

I love Bram's character, too. Nicknamed "Padre Hughes" by his best friends Jamie and Blake, Bram has a gentle, easygoing personally that I found hard not to love. He fought every battle with God as his co-pilot. He was the one everyone went to when they needed spiritual advice, hence the moniker "Padre Hughes". What's not to love?

I love Julie Lessman's style of writing and Surprised by Love is my favorite book to date. This entire series is spot on when it comes to historical romance and, with this final book, she closes it with a bang! The quote above is from my favorite scene in the book. It brought tears to my eyes and touched my heart like is seldom done. But, not only does Julie tug at your emotions, in her usual fashion, the kissing scenes sizzle without being inappropriate. She knows how to evoke passion in a scene while maintaining spiritual propriety which is a lot harder than it seems and not always done well. The storyline is unique and very engaging, once I started reading it I hated to put it down. The one thing Julie Lessman tries to do in her books is glorify God. She does it in a way that teaches spiritual lessons but doesn't make the reader feel choked by the very knowledge imparted. Once again, she did it beautifully with a strong lesson on forgiveness that anyone can benefit from. When Bram told Logan that in order to fully forgive he needed to pray for God's blessings on the very one that had wronged him, I knew this story would affect many that were struggling with this issue.

I found it difficult to say goodbye to the characters I have grown to love but, in the end, I was a very satisfied reader. Julie Lessman writes stories as beautiful as the woman herself and I am looking forward to whatever is next on her agenda. Surprised by Love is a book to be treasured by any historical romance fan and, if you haven't read it yet, I strongly recommend it!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review and no monetary compensation was received. ( )

A great third book in the Heart of San Francisco series. I was interested to see how this series would progress and was not disappointed. This book follows Megan and her change after her senior year that was spent abroad. While at home she finds herself in a bit of a quandary having to interact with those who previously taunted her. I enjoyed seeing Megan grow up and let faith guide her life. She has to learn how to let go and who to trust. A real page turner and one I would recommend.

I received this book free to review.

Megan McClare's time in Paris changed her from the inside out. Upon her return to San Francisco, her best friend, Bram Hughes, withdraws from her, fighting a new and unwelcome attraction to her. Struggling to make sense of the new status of their relationship, they both strive to keep it platonic. Bram is promised to another and Megan is interning to find her life direction. When Megan's childhood crush, Devin Caldwell, becomes a co-worker, she turns to Bram for advice and support. As Megan deliberately puts the past behind her and strives to forgive Devin for crushing her heart, they begin to grow closer. Outwardly, Megan and Bram are committed other people, but inwardly, attraction and romance simmers. Will Megan and Bram choose kinship without romantic attachments or will love eventually find a way to blossom? Read more in Surprised by Love by Julie Lessman.

Surprised by Love is the third novel in The Heart of San Francisco series by Julie Lessman. The author gave enough background information for things to make sense, but still left me wanting to read the other books to get the full story. Surprised by Love combines romance, humor and depth to create memorable story. The witty and refreshing banter during the character's dinners added a touch of lightheartedness that I enjoyed. The story successfully kept me wondering how things would work out. From the back cover, I could guess who Megan would end up with, but there were times when it seemed it would surely be someone else. I liked that the ending wasn't obviously apparent from the beginning and I didn't see certain plot twists coming. Surprised by Love is an excellent read for historical fiction fans. It's definitely a keeper for me as I plan to read the prior two books in the series and then re-read this one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." ( )