My best friend moved to another state and about 17 hours away. This book made me check in with her and think about her much more than normal. Becoming Us is a true example of friendships that every woman should enjoy and have to back her up. This reminds me of other Sisterhood Christian books that I loved reading. The closeness these women have and how they look out for not only each other, but each other's children is a beautiful display of love. I definitely recommend this book!

A very heart-warming book! As seen through the eyes of Emily, five women share their inner most thoughts on childhood expectations, love, marriage and life in general. Most readers will be able to relate with some aspect of this story. Heavily based on faith, this was a joy to read. Highly recommended!

Not really the book for me, but I like the concept. Very original, but didn't particularly enjoy the characters or writing style. Strange cadence and odd to follow.

I haven’t read any of Robin Jones Gunn’s stories since the Sisterchicks series, and I must say I still hear her voice in this story. It wasn’t quite as impactful to me as those were, but the portrayal of deep friendships and open discussion moments was still a prevalent story line here. I loved the way she described that marriage, family, and friendship was sacred and worth fighting for. Definitely a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Waterbrook and Multnomah for providing a copy of “Becoming Us” in exchange for an honest review.

“Becoming Us” is just the book I needed. As a first time mom to a two year old, I know how important it is to have friends you can relate to and who have the same morals and beliefs as you. This served as a pick me up for me and was motivational in a way. It reminded me that at the end of the day God has a plan for each one of us and although times can get rough and things be uncertain, you just need to trust in him.

Robin Jones Gunn was my first introduction to Christian fiction when I was a teenager with her Christy Miller series, so I have been looking forward to everything she creates. Luckily, with the novel Becoming Us, Christy Miller-Spencer makes a cameo as one of the five women trying to decipher how to be a mother, wife, and friend. With this installment, I met Emily, a transplant from North Carolina with her husband and her ten-year-old daughter. In the beginning, Gunn does a wonderful job at showing the insecurities of a mom to a new world with her family. Emily's emotions throughout the entire novel rang true to me. The relationship between the five women grew as the novel moved along. Emily opened up more as the story progressed and began to value the friendships. I believe this novel is like nothing I have ever read. It is true and shows the difficulties of beginning a life without the constant support of your family. It was well-written, and I really can't wait to read the next book in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn from Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

I read and review Becoming Us by author Robin Jones Gunn and publisher Multnomah. This is not the first book I have read by author Robin Jones Gunn I can't wait to read future works of hers. This book took me back to the Christy Miller Series. I loved how Christy is all grown up in this book and how she shows how is everyday women trying to find her tribe of people. And I can say I think she has with Sierra, Emily, Tess, Jennalynn. I loved the bond that these ladies form and how things can happen to bring them together. They are all unique and things that have happened on their life shape how they are today and how they can share these experiences with each to better understand them selves and their families. I definite most read for any type of reader. And even young adult readers can appreciate this. You won't be disappointed.

Let me lead by saying this is one of the best books I have read in a long time...and that's saying something, because I read quite a bit. So it's probably no surprise that this is going to be a positive review. :)

Set in Costa Mesa (right next to Newport Beach!), this story focuses on Emily Winslow, a new acquaintance of Christy Miller's good friend, Jennalyn. Recently relocated with her husband and daughter to the West Coast, Emily is introduced to 'the group' at one of Jennalyn's gatherings. She is initially reluctant to connect but when a surprising emergency occurs, she decides it is worth the risk. The book follows the story of her family, friendships, and finding her purpose.

The thing that stood out to me the most about this book was what I will call its positive realism. The author portrays Emily's struggles in a very real and healthy way. Emily acknowledges them, is trying to understand and grow, and doesn't choose to be constantly whiny or negative. Nor are we forced to suffer through a pie in the sky fanciful solution, either.

The author is famous for having connection points between all of her books, and there's no exception here! Longtime favorites Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen are both supporting characters; you'll even find Mr. and Mrs. Miller have a role to play, and so do Uncle Bob and Aunt Marti. RJG fans will be very happy to catch up on what's new - and the new readers will enjoy meeting them.

RJG has also long been the master of finding wonder in simple things. She creates stories rooted in regular, everyday happenings - yet they seem so special. The friendships she portrays are relationships that you wish existed in your life. I will emphatically recommend this book! The writing is excellent, the story is relatable, and I truly believe your life will be enriched by reading it.

I was provided a copy of this book from Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion,

BECOMING US By ROBIN JONES GUNN is a delightful book that talks about friendship and relationships and becoming the people God ordained before all time that we become. The author shows us people and families that are struggling to release the past and walk into the future with confidence.
Emily Winslow does not have a very good self image, having had a bad relationship with her mother and having spent the first years of her married life with her husband, Trevor's, overbearing family.
They move from North Carolina to California, in order to make a new life there, as their own family unit. Still very unsure of herself and prone to panic attacks, Emily accepts Jennalyn's invitation and becomes part of a close knit group of women who accept one another as they are and encourage one another in their daily lives. What struck me was the way they really listen to one another - there is no one upmanship amongst the Daughters of Eve!
It is a beautifully written book and one that I feel will appeal to women everywhere. I can highly recommend it.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from WaterBrook &
Multnomah. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Becoming Us is a wonderful book. I enjoyed this book so much. Real down to earth characters that you can relate to. I can’t say enough about this book, it is a must read. I received an arc from Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

I haven't read such an engrossing book in a while, but Becoming Us was so hard to put down, I stayed up way too late two nights in a row to finish the book.

Emily has moved with her family (husband Trevor and daughter Audra) from North Carolina to California, partially to get away from Trevor's overwhelming family. Emily has fallen into a funk and really needs friends when Jennalyn sends Emily an invitation for an evening in her home. Emily was trying to find a way out of the party, but she went to the party anyway. This is the ground floor of the building of some precious friendships.

Robin Jones Gunn has begun a novel series that will be compelling and enthralling for the readers. There is a bit of entertainment in the book as well. Robin has made a point that being a woman is a gift from God and worthy of celebrating. That is what makes this book so good--the underlying concept of God's blessing coming through our friends who see us as worthy of celebrating.

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, with a tiara for celebrating yourself.

My thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah for allowing me to read and review this book.

What a great book! Robin Jones Gunn is a master at writing relevant relationships between women of all ages. Her descriptions regarding mothers and daughters really hit home for me. Some are blessed with wonderful loving relationships and some search for acceptance that's never there.

The characters are multilayered and so well portrayed I felt like I was part of the story. The main characters Emily and Trevor Winslow and their daughter Audra decided they needed a break from his extended very Southern family. They moved to Southern California so they could have the freedom to be their own family. They struggled financially. Trevor's family continued to lure them back home with financial help. Emily was just as committed to stay in California where she felt free from his overly helpful family. Emily was blessed to find a group of loving Christian women who laughed and supported one another. Trevor hit it off with one of the husbands who invited him to help with a Christian high school boy's group. They both saw truths that helped them to rely on God and each other.

Emily and Trevor continued to grow in their faith and love for one another. The also began to understand and accept God's plan for their young family. I enjoyed reading a book that was free of sex, violence and swearing. The character driven plot was interesting from beginning to end.

This is a delightful book, a story woven around the lives of Emily, her daughter Audra and her husband as they move away from close family to a new ;location. The family has perhaps been stifling their needs and during the story one sees the growth of new decisions being made, ability to 'stand on own feet', development of the unit of three.

The encouraging group of women that Emily joins is lovely. I wonder if this closeness and openess would happen here in Britain where we are, let's admit it, less likely to reveal ourselves to others. However, I found the women very easy to relate to, each with their own emotional issues.
Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy, which I enjoyed reading.

Let me start out by saying that I grew up reading the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen books, and I loved seeing them as secondary characters in this book. I'm not usually a huge reader of "women's lit" books, but I thought this book was wonderfully done.

I really identified with many of the struggles that Emily, the main character, goes through. She's a very real and flawed character and I loved seeing how that affected all of her relationships. What a testimony to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and what amazing examples of how God uses others in our sanctifying process. I totally wish I had a friend group like this!

I love Robin Jones Gunn as an author and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future. I'm looking forward to what's in store for these women next.

“Becoming Us” is a heart tugging book that weaves Robin Jones Gunn’s timeless “Christy & Todd” characters into their thirties with new friends, family members, & challenges. This book is encouraging, raw, and full of life with God’s guidance. Instead of teenagers, and the multitude of choices facing them, this story centers around the life challenges of families in their thirties. As someone who has just entered my thirties I appreciated the depth given to the issues my friends and I have faced. Life is not all roses and chocolates, yet this book shows the beauty that can be found during the hard patches of life if you are willing to trust God’s plan. While this is not a story of dating romance ending with the “I do’s”, it is romantic fiction in married life after the “I do’s. A tale of sisterhood and finding your tribe, this is a must read.

Robin J. Gunn introduces readers to Emily Winslow as the main protagonist and her family while bringing back a few beloved characters from the Christy Miller series. Gunn has been able to weave contemporary issues like miscarriages and childlessness but normally remain hush-hush because they tend to evoke feelings of shame and judgement. This is particularly interesting because some Christian authors tend to address important issues and their effect on Christian beliefs in a vacuum.

The characters are relatable, the kind of people, you would envision sitting down and chatting over a cup of jo (once you get over your social anxiety). Becoming Us is a great read for women who need encouragement and community when faced with external circumstances beyond their control. It serves as a great reminder that God is in control regardless of the situation.

Let me start by saying I love the cover of this book. Now that I have finished reading the story, the cover means even more to me.
I want to have a summer party with the ladies in my life just like Jennalyn's. This is a very special story about becoming a good friend, a better sister, daughter or mother. Every woman needs a Jennalyn, Sierra, Christy, Tess or Emily in their life. I have gained so many wonderful ideas from this read. Without going into detail and spoiling the story for others, let's just say there are some fantastic party and get together ideas I will definitely like to try.
Christy, one of the characters in the story, would ask God each year to impress upon her a word for the year, something she should be working on. In the book the present word is LISTEN. So she shares with her friends different ways God was bringing this to her attention.
At the beginning of this new year, what a wonderful time to pray and ask God to impress on me a Word or area I need to do better at. The Word is going to be different for each woman, depending where we are with our walk with Him or our family dynamics.
This group of ladies called themselves the Daughters Of Eve, or DOE's. The support and understanding they develop for each other is phenomenal. Each lady has her own strength, and they combine these for the good of the whole.
My daughters are grown now, but this is one time I wish I could go back in time. I would love to have a celebration of their entry into womanhood for each of my girls, as the DOE's did for Emily's daughter Audra. Our girls are all princesses and should be treated as such. After all our father is The King of Kings.
This is a wonderfully written story. There is so much content here, you will want to read it again so you do not miss anything.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers WaterBrook and Multnomah through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own

When I was in high school, one of my favorite series was the Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn. My family had just moved and I was going to a school after being homeschooled my whole life. I could really relate to Christy Miller and felt as if she were one of my best friends. When I started reading Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn, I was so excited to be reunited with my old friend. This book is told in first person through the perspective of Emily. In this book, I could really relate to Emily. There are many aspects of my life that I am going through right now that, while not exactly the same, are similar to what Emily experiences. I could even relate to the fact that Emily is an introvert since I am highly introverted. I’m not usually a fan of first person books but I think it was perfect for this book and made the book better. The characters, old and new, in this book made me feel like I had joined a supporting group of friends. It was hard to finish this book and leave my new acquaintances.

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

What a wonderful start to a new series by Robin Jones Gunn! This book is very well written and will stay with you after the last page. It will make you laugh, cry and cheer for the people in this story. The way the author writes makes you feel all of the emotions and the scenery comes to life. I highly recommend this book. Thank you WaterBrook & Multnomah via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this wonderful book. This is my honest opinion of this book.

WOW!!! I hadn't read a book by Robin Jones Gunn in several years and now wonder why I haven't kept up with her stories. REALLY well written. Great story line about a husband, wife, and preteen who move across the country for a new job and a "new start" on life together as a family. The move allows each of the 3 of them to recognize their own unique gifts away from family and friends. The results are amazing as they allow God to grow them into a close-knit family of three with a close-knit set of friends and a deep relationship with God. Fantastic book that continues the story line of characters from Robin Jones Gunn's earlier books about Christy and Todd. Easy to read even if you've never read one of Ms. Gunn's books before. Wow!