I am truly thrilled each time I read one of Francis Ray's books. She was a great writer/storyteller. Her books are consistently illustrative of the wonderful depth of her storytelling, writing skills, her attention to details, and realistic thought, and "truth" given to her characters. Her writing is woven like fine, priceless tapestries that will ALWAYS be relevant and stand the test of time, as great literary works in the romance genre. She was never constrained by the seemingly "mandates" of 224 pages nor "hurridness" of just finishing a book that has very little substance.
It Had to Be You is well-written: great character development, never boring, believable. Since the book is a Grayson Friends Novel, some previous characters from the series are intricately woven into the book, enhancing the story/plot without overshadowing the main characters of Laurel and Zach.
An excellent book by a great writer! Well-deserving of five stars!