Robin Jones Gunn is a master at telling beautiful stories of friendship. I have been a long time fan of her Sisterchicks series. Even though I never read her Christy or Sierra series, I enjoyed getting to know them along with three other young women in this Haven Makers series. This story centers around Jennalyn who is grieving the loss of her mother and now is facing the reality of a marriage that has become lukewarm. The author takes readers on a heartwarming journey complete with friends who are there through thick and thin.

You could probably start with this book which is second in the series, but I would highly recommend starting with Becoming Us which is book one. I read that one and enjoyed it and this book starts right where that one left off.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Net Galley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I love this series! The characters are so familiar and relatable. This book is a nice easy read. It isn't to heavy but provides enough substance to keep you thinking.

A truly emotional and gripping story. This will take you to the edge and then keep going. When you think it can't get any better, it does. Robin Jones Gunn takes the pieces of marriage that many struggle with and gives voice to many of the fears and insecurities we face. Even while showing the hardest parts, she allows for grace to show up. The process of grief was raw and moving and pushed the story to new levels. It was a hard read but one that won't soon be forgotten. Friendships and romance collide in this women's fiction novel.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I love Robin Jones Gunn and it was great to return to this series and this group of women. Being Known was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I enjoyed reading this knew book from Robin Jones Gunn. She's been one of my go to author's since I was a teen. I guess you could I grew up with her books. In this one it was easy for me to relate to the heroine as it also took me a while to also process my grief after losing my mom. Just like when I was a teen Robin's books were there for me when I needed them.

Robin Jones Gunn never lets me down. She know how to weave a strong story with delicate description, and wrap the reader up in it.

Being Known by Robin Jones Gunn is book 2 in the Haven Makers series. I am a long time fan of this author and have been reading her books for over two decades. The Haven Makers series has been such a sweet look at marriage and family life and the complex relationships that occur within them. Ms Gunn is uniquely talented in creating novels with rich characters that feel like true friends. I honestly put off reading this book for quite some time because I dreaded saying goodbye to these "friends" once more at the end of the novel. This book and its emotional complexity truly wrecked me. It was real and raw and believable. This novel is so well written because it is an important cautionary tale yet it never feels preachy in any way. It emphasizes the value of marriage and God's design. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is amazing. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Jennalyn has a busy life – her husband is building his restaurant business, they have two young children and a new home – but she always has time for her friends, the Haven Makers, or the Daughters of Eve as they sometimes call themselves. But how well do you know someone, whether a friend, a spouse, a family member or a friend from your youth?

Jennalyn faces some challenges when she and her high school sweetheart meet by chance at their children’s dance class. Some old feelings are dredged up, and when her old boyfriend brings up memories of her deceased dear mother, Jennalyn is conflicted. Her husband is always busy at work and they don’t always communicate with one another clearly.

Her Haven Maker friends are always there to support her, but Jennalyn doesn’t feel she can open up to Christy, Sierra, Emily, and Tess. But then Tess reveals details of a messy relationship and Jennalyn is led to talk to her husband and her friends about her emotional connection to her mother through her former boyfriend.

Being Known drew me in right away. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and how they dealt with the real life issues they were facing, how they supported and counseled one another and the importance of their families and faith in their lives.

This is the second in a series, and I look forward to reading the next installment in the Christian/Women’s Fiction series, the Haven Makers.

If you are familiar with Robin Jones Gunn, you know she is a prolific writer and you might quickly dismiss her as a complete romance writer. Before you do, I recommend you read this series. This is the second book in the Haven Makers series and I am hoping there are at least three more coming.

This is the series that I have been looking for. I would love to see more Christian authors take normal life and write books about it, not books where there is always a happily ever after and you can tell from the first chapter what is going to happen, but books that are real and true to life and encouraging to read.

The Haven Makers or Daughters of Eve as they interchangeably call themselves are a group of five women who do life together. The focus of the first book was on Emily and the focus of this book was Jennalyn. The others are Sierra, Christy, and Tess. These ladies get together whenever they can and they are learning to be honest with each other, to trust each other, and to have a really good time together.

I can't say too much about the plot of the book without giving anything away. Suffice it to say it's a book that shows the need for good communication and time together in marriage and also the need for friends to speak truth into each other's lives and to really be there for each other, both as support and to hold each other accountable.

And yes, everything works out fine in the end, but I wasn't sure what the ending would be until the end and it worked out fine because there was a commitment to God and each other at the front and center of life and that is so important.

I really am enjoying this series and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a read that is not all fluff and romance-y boy meets girl stuff.

I received this book from Multnomah through NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Due to a friend's review and reading the blurb for this book on Goodreads I do feel it is a book for me and will not be reading or reviewing it.

I do not personally like books with drama in marriages.

A refreshing look at a “romance novel”, Being Known presents the reader with more than a we-met-and-fell-in-love story. This book covers the topic of being REAL in relationships, being honest with yourself, and what being known by another really is. Along the way you will laugh, want to cry, and maybe kinda-sorta want to slap a couple of characters upside the head (even you know you might have just as hard a time “seeing the light” were you in their shoes).

FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book! The friendships the characters have are fantastic and very relatable. Also relatable is the marriage issue written about, but I like the way the author resolves the issue. Honesty is always the best policy!

Have you ever picked a word for the year instead of making a new year's resolution? I've done it a few times. So this novel of friends resonated with me. I love how author Robin brings in the topic of marriage, family, busy life and it's many temptations. The friends each pick a word and learn to depend or use it in their lives. The godly encouragement they offer each other is written in such a way that made me feel like I was part of their group and it's a must-read for friends or anyone who likes women's fiction. Down to earth with real-life trials, messy mistakes and lots of grace.

Reading this book was like a reunion that I accidentally stumbled upon. I grew up reading Robin Jones Gunn books, I may have even met her at one point. I recognized at least one or two of the main characters. While I was not super familiar with Jennalyn, the protagonist of this particular story, it did resonate and bring back memories of other characters.

Jennalyn is a tired, grieving housewife who longs for more time with her husband Joel. Joel is running a new restaurant and is also the head chef. His love of his job is evident and it allows for more space to seep in between him and his wife. Jennalyn is also still grieving the death of her mother whom she had a very close relationship with. With the support of her fellow DOEs (Daughters of Eve), she goes through the ups and downs of where life has her at. She even gets entangled in a precarious situation that takes a lot of growth and support to make it through.

I am not normally into books that involve marriage relationship issues. It hits a little too hard at home. I decided to keep reading because I know how good of an author Robin is. Getting to ride along on Jennalyn's journey and see glimpses of the other DOEs journeys was a learning experience and an entertaining one at that. I will say that some of the takeaways that I received from this book will assist me in resolving some personal issues of my own. The wisdom within the story was nicely weaved within the entertainment of the book.

If you struggle with marriage issues or possible negative relationship entanglements, then this story may not serve as a source of entertainment or imagination escape. There is real life in here and not all can handle that right now. I suggest you give it a try...even just a few chapters. You may be surprised!

I did receive an ARC of this via Netgalley but I freely give my honest review.

Robin Jones Gunn never disappoints. I loved this book. The continuation of this series is soooo great. This author always makes the story come alive. It’s like you’re right there with the characters watching them and listening to their conversations. They are so relatable. Thanks Ms.Gunn for yet another phenomenal story. I always look forward to reading anything by this author.

Great realistic Christian fiction book. Jennalyn and her husband, Joel, are in their mid thirties and are going through life beside each other but disconnected. A chance encounter with an old boyfriend brings things to a head with Jennalyn and Joel. Jennalyn has a group of girlfriends she meets with regularly that shares their lives with each other. The title, Being Known, is apt as Jennalyn just longs to be known. In the end she learns that she is known best by God who made her.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book for my honest opinion.

The title was the reason I picked up this book; don't we all long to be known?

In the midst of the chaos of being Mom, being Wife, and being all the other roles we take on, I find most women can get quite lost in who they are and they just want to be known! Robin Jones Gunn has been on a writing journey for Years, helping us women take a new perspective on the world we live in. If ever I need a good dose of "You can do it," Gunn is the go-to author for me. My daughter has been reading her and I know that she has a lifetime of novels that can keep her company through so many ups and downs of life, helping her to see life through a God-loving point of view.

So, thank you, Robin, for pastoring my daughter, myself, and millions of other women through your devotion to seek God and write novels. Jesus taught through story and you do the same. Beautiful. Powerful. Sweet.

Normally, I absolutely love Robin Jones Gunn's books. Her Sisterchicks series remains one of the best examples of female friendships, and laughter, that I have ever read. While I did love the first book in this series, "Becoming Us", this one was more of a struggle for me. It felt like it dragged in too many spots and I found myself putting it down and coming back to it after reading something else in between. The topic was spot on and the fallout was also spot on but I think I saw the "slippery slope" Jennalyn was about to step on too soon or something.

New mom, Jennalyn Marino, thought she had worked through the loss of her mother, until she moved to a new house, had a baby, and her husband began working 16 hour days. As depression sets in, her kids are a bright spot. Then, taking her daughter to ballet class, she runs into the high school boyfriend who dumped her. Apologetic, he begins messaging her through a game app. He has so many memories of her mother, and he just lost his own mother. What could it hurt to work through her feelings of loss with him?

Joel Marino knows he is working too much, but he doesn't know how he can slow down. As the owner and head chef of his own restaurant, he is focused on making it a success to make his successful father proud of him. He sees that his absence is hard for his wife, but does his best to help her when he's there. He's thankful for her Haven Maker friends who he knows help support her. When she tells him, months after the first meeting, that she had seen her old boyfriend, he is immediately suspicious but she assures him that it was a one-time thing, and pretty minor. Then he finds the messages. Can their marriage come back from this kind of betrayal?

I liked Jennalyn's friends, the Daughters of Eve. They see themselves as Haven Makers for their families and the world around them. Christy and her husband, Todd, are basically youth pastors, so she and Jennalyn are the most knowledgeable about the Bible. Jennalyn is an artist who loves creating beautiful things for her family and her friends. I also loved the closeness the women have with each other. There's nothing they can't discuss and help each other through. I guess that's why it was a bit confusing to me that Jennalyn didn't discuss her issue with them, especially when Tess shared something very similar.

Readers who enjoy women's fiction will enjoy this book. There's plenty of angst to go around.

This was a bit of a miss for me. I loved the idea of the DOE or haven makers and their support for one another, encouraging each other's strengths and gifts, sharing their opinions, and being pillars of strength for one another. We all need friends like that and as a busy wife, mother, woman, found some of their issues relatable. I appreciated their faith and some poetic turns of phrase. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the voice or pace of the book and found myself trudging through many chapters. I often find that if I were to give stories like this a second chance when I'm "in the mood" for then they reflect better, but ultimately it just wasn't for me in the moment.

Pure everyday life on the written page. That was my first thought after finishing this novel. The characters were so true to life in their marriages, struggles and child raising. After the bloom of new love and being newlyweds begins to wear off, that’s when real life sets in. I identified with the main character of Jennalyn and her grief over her mother dying. Even though it had been ten years there’s a special bond of mother and daughter that never goes away. In the first lines of the story when she thinks of her mother, the red toenail polish that she always wore came to mind. Jennalyn also brought together four other women and they built a friendship and closeness and called themselves DOES. Daughters of Eve...I loved that. Meeting together regularly with themes, they shared their problems and struggles with husbands, marriage and children. The biggest struggle I noticed was the lack of communication between Jennalyn and her husband. He was busy with his career and she with raising their two children. Faith and looking to God first was also a strong component in the story. This was a pure delight to read and I throughly enjoyed it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley but was not required to write a review.