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turquoiseavenue's review against another edition
5.0
* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.All thoughts below are my own. This is my first book by author Nicole Deese, who has masterfully created an emotional, tender story that offers authentic, funny, lovable characters and presents the realistic challenges we face when we choose to surrender our heart’s desires to God’s perfect will and timing. Before I Called You Mine is so much more than a fictional story. It is a beautiful tale that will wrap around your heart and stir the depths of your soul, captivating, and simultaneously, challenging you.
Every single word in this story resonated deep in my soul and stirred my heart to the brimming of joyful tears. I identified with many of the challenges main character, Lauren Bailey, dealt with. Deese presented this story in such a deeply satisfying way. She had me laughing, crying, nodding and sighing with each turn of the page (I could not put the book down!). In the first few paragraphs alone, I was hooked.
Deese has a delightfully creative way of phrasing things that had me chuckling out loud. She includes text conversations that were some of my favorite conversations in the book and truly hilarious! As the story moves on, Lauren’s struggles are so real, so hard and so incredibly relatable. Joshua’ character and his relentless pursuit of Lauren’s heart is romantic, tangible and selfless. He is the perfect guy for Lauren and reminded me so much of my husband. There are threads of true friendship, struggles with a semi-dysfunctional family, the bond found among community with church family, and the wonderful freedom that comes from seeking God and His will. The message of total surrender to God’s will and timing, especially when it means self-sacrifice, is one I hope readers can absorb and one that I needed to be reminded of myself. Overall, this is just a profound story with so many aspects that could be discussed. This book is an excellent choice for next month’s book club meetings!
I highly recommend Before I Called You Mine to all Christian fiction readers, especially those who enjoy contemporary romances. If you’re not a Christian but don’t mind reading faith-based books, I recommend this to you as well! For my adoptive community friends, this is a must read! This story is clean and appropriate for readers 14+.
Every single word in this story resonated deep in my soul and stirred my heart to the brimming of joyful tears. I identified with many of the challenges main character, Lauren Bailey, dealt with. Deese presented this story in such a deeply satisfying way. She had me laughing, crying, nodding and sighing with each turn of the page (I could not put the book down!). In the first few paragraphs alone, I was hooked.
Deese has a delightfully creative way of phrasing things that had me chuckling out loud. She includes text conversations that were some of my favorite conversations in the book and truly hilarious! As the story moves on, Lauren’s struggles are so real, so hard and so incredibly relatable. Joshua’ character and his relentless pursuit of Lauren’s heart is romantic, tangible and selfless. He is the perfect guy for Lauren and reminded me so much of my husband. There are threads of true friendship, struggles with a semi-dysfunctional family, the bond found among community with church family, and the wonderful freedom that comes from seeking God and His will. The message of total surrender to God’s will and timing, especially when it means self-sacrifice, is one I hope readers can absorb and one that I needed to be reminded of myself. Overall, this is just a profound story with so many aspects that could be discussed. This book is an excellent choice for next month’s book club meetings!
I highly recommend Before I Called You Mine to all Christian fiction readers, especially those who enjoy contemporary romances. If you’re not a Christian but don’t mind reading faith-based books, I recommend this to you as well! For my adoptive community friends, this is a must read! This story is clean and appropriate for readers 14+.
kfrickle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Though I was not a fan of the romance in the book (how it started but it grew on me)...this was such a great read! I loved Lauren's story, and I felt that I connected with the waiting parts of this story. Nicole Deese writes beautifully, and her books are always filled with such great faith content. There are some tough topics, but it was approached with care and truth! I would highly recommend the book.
dotreadsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book and would recommend to anyone! It was the perfect mix of real life situations and romance. Even the romance was believable. I just loved the main character and could identify with her struggles and her emotions. I especially loved her love interest who seemed to be the perfect guy. The witty remarks made me laugh out loud. The intense moments literally made me cry. This is one of my favorite reads of 2020!
jfraser82's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! This may go down as my favorite book. It managed to give me all the feels without someone dying (in which I avoid those books...). I adored the main characters..I cried with them both, I laughed with them both, I wanted to be their friend. The heart feels, internal fights over their emotions and finding God's plan was so well written. I've never read Deese before but will be buying all her other books immediately!
Now to begin the grieving process of such a great read...
Fun fact - On the last page there's an Easter Egg to Mark 5:22-43. I'm not sure if Deese knew this or did it on purpose but it came to mind immediately. <3
12/10
Now to begin the grieving process of such a great read...
Fun fact - On the last page there's an Easter Egg to Mark 5:22-43. I'm not sure if Deese knew this or did it on purpose but it came to mind immediately. <3
12/10
evaemargje22's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
lizard3's review against another edition
5.0
Such a touching story that tells us of the ups and downs, and the sacrifices and great rewards of adoption. I promise you you’ll not finish this book without tearing up once or twice. Highly recommend!
lolovesbooks3's review against another edition
2.0
I honestly didn’t love the Lauren character and I didn’t think she and Joshua had great chemistry… Joshua deserved better than Lauren. Whenever he’d shower her with compliments, I was kinda like, “Really? I’m not seeing that.” She bored me.
I don’t have anything else negative to say, but I just couldn’t really get into it. It’s not a book I’d want to reread. Just meh.
I don’t have anything else negative to say, but I just couldn’t really get into it. It’s not a book I’d want to reread. Just meh.
makennakjacobs's review against another edition
3.5
Predictable, and I would've liked more depth in the family relationships, but there were some very sweet moments. The tension of wanting to be a mother did feel real.
angmander's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my gosh, this was so good! I could not put it down. Such a sweet story and very clean. I would definitely recommend!
flowersofquiethappiness's review against another edition
4.0
Ah, this book is like an overflowing cup of happiness! I was totally committed to Lauren’s journey right from the start. And then Joshua walked onto the page and….well, the rest is history as they say. :) Knowing that Ms. Deese pulled from bits of her own personal journey with adoption while writing this only made me more excited to read it! Then once I was started there was no putting it down until the final pages.
I loved Lauren. Her heart and her clear calling to adopt were beautifully portrayed. I was right there with her during every uncertainty, fear, joy and all the emotional upheaval of her current life. She hasn’t taken lightly any of the decisions she’s made and I loved her clear certainty of what God was telling her to do. Even during her doubtful times she could always come back to that confidence as a reminder to keep moving forward. Watching her maneuver through each step in front of her so carefully, prayerfully, yet each one feeling like a giant leap of faith…oh I got it. I have been in such a place myself, not with adoption but I still got it. I loved Jenna, Lauren’s bestie so, SO much for this very reason. Having people behind you, supporting you every step of the way? It’s a wonderful and necessary part of doing this life we’re given! Oh, and Joshua? Swoon. I could totally see why Lauren was such a goner for him! :D Their chemistry is felt in practically every scene they have. They are made for each other, they simply didn’t expect to find each other right now in the messy middle!
Ms. Deese’s heart shines through her writing in this story. It is so wonderfully obvious that she understands the heartache and beauty to be found in adoption, for she treats it with respect and love, acknowledging the hard that comes right along with the joy. All the while interweaving hope and pain and happiness into a delightful picture that makes sense only at the end, not always so much during the process. Which is simply true to life.
There are many words that could be said, but I think I’ll leave you with these. It’s a heart-full, big-smile, happy-sigh kind of story! And I totally think you should read it. So why don’t you? :)
**I received a complimentary copy via Bethany House. All opinions expressed are my own
I loved Lauren. Her heart and her clear calling to adopt were beautifully portrayed. I was right there with her during every uncertainty, fear, joy and all the emotional upheaval of her current life. She hasn’t taken lightly any of the decisions she’s made and I loved her clear certainty of what God was telling her to do. Even during her doubtful times she could always come back to that confidence as a reminder to keep moving forward. Watching her maneuver through each step in front of her so carefully, prayerfully, yet each one feeling like a giant leap of faith…oh I got it. I have been in such a place myself, not with adoption but I still got it. I loved Jenna, Lauren’s bestie so, SO much for this very reason. Having people behind you, supporting you every step of the way? It’s a wonderful and necessary part of doing this life we’re given! Oh, and Joshua? Swoon. I could totally see why Lauren was such a goner for him! :D Their chemistry is felt in practically every scene they have. They are made for each other, they simply didn’t expect to find each other right now in the messy middle!
Ms. Deese’s heart shines through her writing in this story. It is so wonderfully obvious that she understands the heartache and beauty to be found in adoption, for she treats it with respect and love, acknowledging the hard that comes right along with the joy. All the while interweaving hope and pain and happiness into a delightful picture that makes sense only at the end, not always so much during the process. Which is simply true to life.
There are many words that could be said, but I think I’ll leave you with these. It’s a heart-full, big-smile, happy-sigh kind of story! And I totally think you should read it. So why don’t you? :)
**I received a complimentary copy via Bethany House. All opinions expressed are my own