I you are looking for a hard and heavy read, this is your book. I am not a fan of organized religion, and after all that I have read about the Mormon religion, all the things I have watched and even spoken to some devout individuals, I...just wish that these kids were not put through the ringer like they are.
It's a good story, it just hurts to read. But, I like to venture out every now and again, so I feel ok with my decision to read this

While the premise of a m/m Mormon relationship was very interesting, I got bogged down while reading by the amount of exposition. This author mentions having a past with Mormonism, and that is very evident from the amount of information she presents. It was well written, but I felt that the book would have benefited from an editor to help the pacing a bit.

*3.5 stars*

And It Came to Pass was a well-written, interesting romance from new-to-me author, Laura Stone.

One thing you should know about this book is that it is HEAVY. I mean, really weighty stuff, here, and if you don't like to read about religion, just look the other way.

I've always been curious about Mormon views on sexuality, but this book seems a bit... angry at the Mormon religion. I honestly don't know if Mormon's can be both gay and a practicing Mormon (it seems like they can't, if they are out at least), but it was interesting to read about.

Coming from someone who is Jewish, I was curious about this one. I'm not very religious, and Reform Jews are notoriously liberal, but it is true that being a Jew and gay as you get into the realm of orthodoxy is extremely difficult and often outright not accepted. I'm not sure if it works like that for Mormons (are their tiers of religious zeal for Mormons?), but in this book at least, it was not okay to be both Mormon and gay.

Much of the book is a self-exploration of religion. It is a religious journey, and while I was curious about that part of the story, I thought all the pages of religious back and forth detracted from the connection between the two MCs, from a romance standpoint.

The romance itself was intense, but no sex on page (for those curious). I wish we got a little more relationship development, but what we saw was angsty, emotional, and fulfilling, even if I still wanted more one-on-one dialogue.

I would recommend this book for most readers, especially those who like religion in their romance. I thought the writing and tone were beautiful, even if I was a little bogged down by the philosophical musings after a time.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

This was a very good book. I learned a lot. Very strong setting and the romance was warm and realistic.

5 Stars


Adam Young is sent to Barcelona, Spain to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS, for the next two years. Although he was raised in the religion and strictly follows it, he hasn't found that spark that others claim to feel at being called to serve. When he arrives at his destination, he meets his companion, Brandon Christensen, the man who will take Adam under his wing and guide him.

As time goes by and Brandon and Adam spend more time together, they open up to one another about their questionings of the church's scriptures. Both men have questions about the scripture, something that is frowned upon. You don't question the church or their leaders. While Brandon is a bit more comfortable, Adam is much more frightened of the strong feelings he has for Brandon and both men war with themselves about acting on these feelings. What will happen if they are caught?

I'm always torn about reading stories focused on organized religion, especially one as strict as the Mormon religion. I get so angry that people pick and choose from the Bible what they want to follow and preach.

“8-( ●｀ε´●)爻(●｀ε´● )-8″“8-( ●｀ε´●)爻(●｀ε´● )-8″“8-( ●｀ε´●)爻(●｀ε´● )-8″“8-( ●｀ε´●)爻(●｀ε´● )-8″


Adam had heard his father say he’d kill “any son of mine who turned queer” in a priesthood meeting after the Church made its official statement about children of gays and lesbians being denied the blessings and promises of the Church, of baptism. He remembered his father’s smug satisfaction when the Church doubled down on their LGBT stance in November of 2015, saying children of gay and lesbian couples would be denied baptism and the blessings of the Priesthood until they turned eighteen and denounced their parents, rejecting them as family.

“8-( ●｀ε´●)爻(●｀ε´● )-8″“8-( ●｀ε´●)爻(●｀ε´● )-8″“8-( ●｀ε´●)爻(●｀ε´● )-8″“8-( ●｀ε´●)爻(●｀ε´● )-8″

How is this Christian?! This is just beyond disgusting and it's a shame that some people really feel this way.

I absolutely loved both Brandon and Adam. They were so sweet and very lovable characters. My stomach was in knots throughout the story hoping they could find their way to a Hea. They had amazing chemistry and I loved the natural progression of their relationship, it felt organic and unhurried. Their fears were realistic and valid and in the end those fears were also well founded.

The story is well-written and paced well. The author's extensive knowledge of the religion really comes through in her writing. I not only loved the main characters, but I really liked some of the other missionaries.

Although most of the story is serious, as is the subject matter, the story is also filled with friendship, acceptance, laughter and of course, love. Very recommendable!

*copy provided by author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

**I receive and ARC in exchange for an honest review**

1.5 stars

DNF at 19%

This is the first book I have read by Laura Stone and I was pretty disappointed. As soon as I saw this book was available I requested it and was very happy to receive it. But while I really wanted to like this book but I just couldn't. I believe this story had so much potential but I just felt that the execution wasn't as well handled as it could have been.

I felt that sometimes things were too over descriptive in some parts and not enough in others. Also I have to be honest and say that I felt no real connection to the main characters as I found them a bit on the boring side and their story was just too slow for my liking. However the main thing that made me stop reading was the fact the the main characters names were used sooo many times when they didn't need to be and it really got on my nerves.

I have to say that one thing I did enjoy the fact that the author described her own experiences at the beginning of the novel and I felt that it allowed the reader to get a deeper insight into the ways and practices of the mormon church. But I am a big fan of other M/M stories with a mormon missionary theme such as The Falls and Latter Days and I feel that because I loved these so much that this was such a let down.

Oh my God, this book! I loved it!

I loved the slow progression of questioning Church up to the revelation about their orientation and then to the progression of their relationship. I also liked the twist ending - I did not expect such an ending at all, but it was amazing! I cannot tell too many good things about this book, but it was amazing and I recommend it to everyone (who reads things like this).

*I received this book through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

This is a story following a young Mormon man named Adam who has taken time off of university to take part in a 2 year mission. The goal of this two year mission is to spread their religion to others around the world. Now traditionally during a mission an individual is paired with someone else, they are always to be next to each and adhere to many other regulations dealing with dress, free time and communication. Adam is paired up with Brandon who he quickly learns has a very different upbringing than him even though they have been brought up in the same religion. This begins to open his eyes to the world outside of his family and his local church.

As Adam and Brandon spend more time with one another they learn about each others backgrounds and families. One of the things I enjoyed about this look is the insight to the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter-day Saints. At the start of each chapter there is a few quotes. Not only this, Adam and Brandon discuss their religion from time to time. Now I am going to say I believe these discussion to be accurate. I did a little research and have found that the author herself has first hand experience with the church. Another thing that I enjoyed about this book was the pacing. It was not to slow or to quick. I found myself not being able to put it down.

Adam Young is a devout, young Mormon following the pious path set forth for him by his church and family. But when his mission trajectory sends him to Barcelona, Spain, with a handsome mission companion named Brandon Christensen, Adam discovers there may be more to life and love than he ever expected.

Via goodreads.com

Now you may have guessed from the book description “handsome mission companion” Adam and Brandon relationship moves from friendly to having more feelings. I felt that this book created a realistic struggle. Both young men are obviously very committed to their faith. They have taken two years of their life and devoted it to spreading the ideas. But, this religion is not accepting of individuals who are LGBTQ. Witnessing their struggles with their feelings and their faith was heart breaking. I just wanted to sit next to them and tell them everything would be all right.

Overall, this was a very well written book. The story and the characters Laura Stone was able to create within 218 pages is just amazing. I give this a very strong 4 stars. It evoked emotion within me, it flowed, it was insightful, and it was beautiful.

DNF at 35%

It was my second book by the author, and I was really sure I would like it. Because I enjoyed her previous book, and I knew that Laura Stone was a good writer + the rating for this book was good, but unfortunately And It Came to Pass didn't work for me at all.

After struggling through Mormon's mentality I had to quite at 35%. Maybe I left the best of the plot unread, but...the subject, the worries of those two guys were so far from my field of interests, like thousands light years away!.. I've developed a strong aversion against all kinds of brainwashing. Do two eighteen old Mormon guys in their spare time busy themselves with the philosophical questions about the Church and the principles of the Gospel instead of, for example, to question the political situation in the world or talking about football or something else more interesting?! Probably not. I read the the Author's note in the beginning. I can assure you, Laura Stone, knows the subject not from research, but because she was herself part of the system. I appreciate what she did and does, but in this case, I doesn't belong to a target audience.

I'm not religious, but I have many friends who believe and I normally enjoy books with a religion topic, they help to broaden my mind on the matter. But with this one I was bored to death.

And It Came To Pass
By: Laura Stone
📚💕⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐💕📚

Omg what a strong emotion read!!!

Sweet, loving, sad, heartbreaking. And It Came To Pass" is a story of two young men of faith and their paths to self-acceptance and love.

Adam is 19, on break from college to perform his expected mission work in Barcelona, Spain. He comes from a unloving family who demands nothing less than perfection from him. and gives little in return.

Brandon, his mission partner is lively, outgoing, kind, and comes from a warm, loving family. They both hope that mission work will give certainty and conviction to their faith, which they each question.

Adam and Brandon question their Church and its teachings, but their faith in God is never in doubt. So often, people who identify as gay realize people of faith are not able to separate from faith in God, so they abandon God as well as their faith community.

Adam and Brandon do make that distinction, though, and remain men of faith when their church and its members reject them.

Author Laura Stone peel back the layers of emotion in this beautiful written. I enjoyed this book so much.

Thank you to the author and Netgally for the opportunity to read and review.

Sweet and romantic, complicated and heartbreaking .... and so infuriating.

This book is FULL of religion, a bit too much for my liking and full of everything I hate about organised religion. I'm all for everyone have their own faith but when it comes formal religion and the negatives that come with it, I despise it - controlling how people think and live, forcing people to live a certain way because of what is supposedly right and wrong. The story never really lets up from this, especially the first half, so it wasn't an easy read.

However the two main characters were wonderful, and once we finally started heading into the relationship part of the story and watching these two learn to trust each other and grow it was lovely to read.

Adam and Brandon meet in Barcelona, Spain where they are serving as missionaries for the Church of Later Day Saints (LDS or Mormons). Young Mormon men and women serve for two years in missions all around the globe and are paired up with instructions to always have your mission companion by your side. Missionaries live by an extensive list of regulations and requirements: black pants, white shirts and ties for men, no television, all email communications are via the church and are monitored regularly, no swimming, only half-court basketball games, no games where scores are kept, men ride bikes, women get cars, living in LDS-provided apartments, weekly meetings with their team and regular meetings with the Mission President, daily personal bible study, etc.

Adam's parents are very strict and frankly joyless and Adam has always felt lacking in his faith, as defined by both the church and his parents. Living with Brandon opens his eyes: "Was this how other people lived every day? With joy and ease and camaraderie?" But as they become good friends, Adam becomes aware of his deeper feelings for Brandon:

"The hints of what may lie deep within himself terrified him. The thoughts he'd carefully kept locked away, thoughts he never entertained except in frustrating dreams that left him cold and horror-stricken upon waking; those thoughts could lead to his eternal damnation."

The author of And It Came to Pass has serious "cred" regarding LDS. Her great-great grandfather became a Mormon in the 1840's and she grew up very devout but has since backed away from the church and "now that all three of my children have come out as LGBT, I'm grateful I did not saddle them with a faith that does not want them." Through the book she raises questions about Mormon doctrine and wonders why a church that claims to be all about the family makes parents choose between their church and their queer children. Here's a terrifyingly sad statistic - Utah currently has a suicide rate among teens 4 times higher than the national average.

The plot of this story held my interest every page of the way and while the book provides a great background on LDS beliefs, it didn't feel slow or awkward. There is little on-page sex, which completely fits into how Adam and Brandon struggle with their faith as they slowly find their way to a new awareness of what it means to love:

"Good things were from God and God was love. God was goodness and happiness, and he felt those things more strongly when he was with Brandon that he'd felt anything else in his entire life."

5 stars for And it Came to Pass and as Laura Stone says in the last lines of the book : To anyone struggling as an LGBTQ person in the LDS faith : You're not alone, you're enough just as you are, and you're loved.

Just to correctly set the right tone, I genuinely liked this story a lot, but...

So. Much. Fucking. Horseshit.

This story completely reminds me of how much I dislike formalized religion. How it's used to control others. Make anyone possibly different more palatable to the masses. Forcing them to suppress themselves in order to make other people feel better. Comfortable in their '<i>sameness</i>,' no matter if others are miserable.

Nope. Fuck that shit, hated it.

For the first half or so of the book, there was a boat load of dogma and rules and guilt. So very much guilt. I'm not going to lie, I was thrilled when the story finally took a drastic turn into genuine feelings territory.

My very favorite part of this story was the exact part that I'd worried about the most. What would happen when they got caught, because you knew, as surely as the sun sets in the evening, that that was what was going to happen.

I loved both Adam and Brandon from the start; however, as the last half of the story unfolded, I felt genuinely proud of both of these amazing young men. Of how they opened themselves up to one another and grew. How they were true to one another. And to themselves. I know it sounds crazy to be proud of characters in a book, but well, there you had it. I was.

If you're looking for a steamy read, this most definitely wasn't it. Even during the middle of 'explicit' scenes, the wording of the story left me confused as to whether anything sexual was actually happening or not. Spoiler. It was.

But the single most bizarre aspect of this story was that, while in the throes of passion, both characters had a tendency to start talking to the Heavenly Father. Right in the *middle* of getting busy.

I found that more than a little disturbing, with it coming across almost fetish-like. It wasn't, but sweet baby Jesus, it sure felt that way to me. Sorry, but if I'm sucking your junk, please, for the love of God, don't start having directed conversations with the man upstairs. That's just creepy, sorry. Eyes down here.

So if you're okay with sitting through a lot of religion and guilt, I felt that the payoff by the end was well worth the price of admission in this story and would rate it a solid 4.25 stars.

"And It Came To Pass" was a lovely and insightful book. I read the book in two days and I couldn't put it down. Laura Stone is able to create a world with such ease that just instantly draws you in. Adam and Brandon are complex and interesting characters that you just root for. Not only is the romance palpable between the two, but the book delves into a hard topic of faith and religion. It handles it so well, and I am someone who does not have a very good knowledge of the Mormon faith, But Stone does a great job at giving readers the background they need. I cannot recommend this book enough for romance, a young man's journey figuring out his world and finding faith within yourself.

I was not sure that I would like this book, but I found it enlightening and informative, life-affirming and thought-provoking. Were I young and gay whether from a religious background or not, I would find an invaluable source of support from it. It affirms the importance of unconditional love in all relationships.

It is the story of Adam and Brandon, two young American men from LDS families who meet in Barcelona while undertaking their mission. Adam is from a very strict and rather cold and undemonstrative family while Brandon has a warm and loving relationship with his parents and siblings. Adam feels pressurised into being perfect in every aspect of his life as a Mormon. Brandon appears enthusiastic and is widely admired.

Gradually both begin to ask more and more questions about Mormon teaching and LDS faith. Gradually, also, they realise the strength and nature of their feelings for each other. Mostly this is done from Adam’s perspective. Eventually the relationship develops a physical aspect.

The inevitable crisis comes rather out of the blue and the ending with its positive vision of the future is somewhat rushed after the leisurely unfolding of the start of the story.

This novel is nicely written and captures well the dawning realisation of sexuality and love. it is written from a deep knowledge of the LDS community, its beliefs and values. Sometimes this is a little too heavy and obtrusive for my liking but I suppose that without it I would have had a lesser understanding of the issues which confronted Brandon and Adam.

The book is at different points funny, touching, frightening and moving. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.