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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
This is a heartwarming and romantic tale that will captivate readers who adore stories of second chances, self-discovery, and the transformative power of love, making it a perfect fit for fans of uplifting and emotional romance novels.
medium-paced
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
5 ⭐️
when lauren suffers a brain injury she can't remember her relationship with jonah. will they ever be the same? i absolutely loved everything about this book- from the romance to the found family. i literally couldn't put this book down.
thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC!
when lauren suffers a brain injury she can't remember her relationship with jonah. will they ever be the same? i absolutely loved everything about this book- from the romance to the found family. i literally couldn't put this book down.
thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Lauren and Jonah have had an unexpected romance when she moved to rural New Hampshire to get job experience working at Jonah’s family’s resort. Starting out as hostile co-workers, the two slowly let each other in and fall in love. But things take an even more unexpected turn when Lauren gets in a freak accident causing her to loose her memory of the last few months and she completely forgets that she is in love with Jonah. She only remembers the hostility she felt toward him when she first arrived. The story gives current day and flashbacks to the past as you get a detailed look at their relationship. This story is filled with heartwarming moments, a good amount of emotional depth, lovable characters, and a rich setting that will leave you wanting to research a trip to New Hampshire.
I’ve been a fan of Denise Hunter for quite a few years now, but I think this may take the cake as my favorite book by her. If you are looking for a clean, fall romance with a rich setting and engaging story, then I would give this book a try! I know this book will be a huge hit at our library this fall as many of our patrons have fallen in love with her books over the last year.
The story was very engaging and I really appreciated her adding in a few more faith elements than her last few books- would love to see more of this! I also loved the different timelines and emotional depth to this story. I found myself getting really connected and invested into the story to where I didn’t want to put the book down (this is not a normal occurrence for me).
I’ve been a fan of Denise Hunter for quite a few years now, but I think this may take the cake as my favorite book by her. If you are looking for a clean, fall romance with a rich setting and engaging story, then I would give this book a try! I know this book will be a huge hit at our library this fall as many of our patrons have fallen in love with her books over the last year.
The story was very engaging and I really appreciated her adding in a few more faith elements than her last few books- would love to see more of this! I also loved the different timelines and emotional depth to this story. I found myself getting really connected and invested into the story to where I didn’t want to put the book down (this is not a normal occurrence for me).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment
Content Notes: themes of abandonment/foster care/adoption, moderate panic attacks/anxiety representation, clean/kisses only
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was just ok for me. The characters were fine and I liked the setting. I felt like the couple’s relationship development happened mostly off the page, so I never got too invested in them. I also thought for being Christian Fiction, the Christian aspect was almost non-existent. There were a couple references to church and prayer, but that was about it. The main character even has a tattoo that means something like “determine one's own fate” with no mention of God at all, which seems kind of the opposite to what you would expect to see in this genre. If you’re just looking for a simple, clean romance, though, you might enjoy this.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a simple and sweet romance about Lauren, a Bostonian who moves to rural New England to take a job at a seasonal resort and falls for the owner's son, Jonah. Just as they are about to get engaged, however, Lauren falls off a ladder and experiences retrograde amnesia, being unable to recall the past several months, including her love for Jonah. Can he make her fall in love again before she is set to return to the city and exit his life permanently?
Recommend if you're in the mood for:
*Idyllic New Hampshire lake region setting
*Clean romance
*Opposites attract
*Mother issues
*Adoption/foster care arcs
My criticism as a neuropsychologist that retrograde amnesia is not the norm after a concussion, so I did not find that aspect of the book, upon which the entire novel hinged, believable. Also, I'm not big on Christian romance, but this was not over-the-top in that regard. I enjoyed the audiobook narrator.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for advanced copies to review in exchange for my opinion.
Recommend if you're in the mood for:
*Idyllic New Hampshire lake region setting
*Clean romance
*Opposites attract
*Mother issues
*Adoption/foster care arcs
My criticism as a neuropsychologist that retrograde amnesia is not the norm after a concussion, so I did not find that aspect of the book, upon which the entire novel hinged, believable. Also, I'm not big on Christian romance, but this was not over-the-top in that regard. I enjoyed the audiobook narrator.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for advanced copies to review in exchange for my opinion.
A beautiful and heartwarming story of love gained, lost and then found. Jonah made Lauren fall in love with him twice. I mean…how sweet is that? The patience and the dedication he has is out of this world. I also absolutely loved the imagery and the setting of a small resort in the upper east-impeccably well done by the author. The single female narrator did a great job, although I do think that I would have had an even more enjoyable experience had it been dual male/female narration, as the story is told in a dual, third person point-of-view. Thank you to Harper Collin’s Christian Publishing for the ALC.
Before We Were Us is a charming and heartfelt small town romance.
Told in flashbacks and present day, the story explores the impact of Lauren’s memory loss on her relationship with Jonah. I thought it was a beautiful commentary on the way relationships can shape our hopes and dreams for the future.
The story was well paced, and the narration really captured Lauren and Jonah’s emotional experiences and growth, seamlessly moving between past and present.
Thank you Harper Collin’s Christian Publishing and NetGalley for this book. Opinions expressed are my own.
Told in flashbacks and present day, the story explores the impact of Lauren’s memory loss on her relationship with Jonah. I thought it was a beautiful commentary on the way relationships can shape our hopes and dreams for the future.
The story was well paced, and the narration really captured Lauren and Jonah’s emotional experiences and growth, seamlessly moving between past and present.
Thank you Harper Collin’s Christian Publishing and NetGalley for this book. Opinions expressed are my own.