This story is simply stunning. Deese not only gives readers hope on this journey, she challenges their faith, brings some issues to light, and takes them on a winding road that should be savored, not sped through. This story will absolutely touch your heart.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this story! Lauren was so sweet and I found myself relating to her quite a bit. I loved Joshua, he was a fantastic hero! This is a wonderful read that I highly recommend!

As a parent who adopted, this book spoke right to my heart! I loved the message of God's timing and His perfect plan, which we can't always see, especially when we are in the middle of the journey. I learned some new things about international adoption, which the author pulled from her own personal experience. Josh was such a delightful character, and his vibrant personality offset Lauren's anxiety about her family and her adoption plan. Her family dynamics are complicated and slightly dysfunctional, but you could tell she still loved them even when her feelings were hurt. I felt like I connected with Josh and Lauren individually, but had a harder time connecting to their relationship because Lauren had to hold herself back, then their situation grows even more complicated. I loved all the friends that support Lauren, from her colleagues at work, to her church family, to her adoption support group. There is a strong sense of community and it shows how we can be a conduit for God's love as we serve each other.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Lauren wants nothing more than to be a mother. After a string of failed relationships she decides to start the process of adoption. One of the requirements is that se will remain single. Then Joshua enters the picture. Joshua is everything she has searched for in a partner. Now Lauren has to choose between adopting a child and Joshua.

There is a lot of growth and maturity for Lauren as the book progresses. While there is a love story enveloped into the story the story is really about Lauren growing as a person and her journey to figure ou God's plan for her.

This was such a profound novel that really made me think about how much I deny God's plan for my life. Seeing Lauren go through so many emotions with being a mother and falling in love broke me inside.

Lauren is intent on having what she desires but didn't seek God every step of the way. Seeing her going through the emotions and learning to just let God be God was amazing. Joshua was amazing as well to this story alongside Gail. The faith that the characters exuded prompted me to move further in my own.

The look at international adoption was also beautiful and how many parents go through so much in order to adopt.

I truly enjoyed this story and definitely plan to read more of Nicole Deese soon!!

It was okay, Lauren was a bit boring and it was alot of talking and not much happening...so it felt like. Joshua and Lauren had an okay growing relationship, but it was not much chemistry.

At first glance, this book looks like it will be full of fluff and nonsense. Boy meets girl, sparks fly, there's a misunderstanding, everything works out in the end--you know the type. And in many ways, that is what this book was and yet there was a depth to it that I hadn't been expecting.

Watching Lauren, the main character, mature and grow in her Christian walk was encouraging, but what really made the book work for me was reading the author's note and recognizing that this story came out of Nicole's own story. Her family did adopt a daughter from China and so, all of a sudden, the story became more personal and believable to me.

The other thing that really stuck out to me in this book was also in the author's note. Nicole Deese asks us, the readers, what is our hard? What hard thing is God asking me to do? He wants to partner with me in it, but I have to let Him. I really liked that.

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

Before I Called You Mine
by Nicole Deese
Pub Date 31 Mar 2020
Bethany House, Bethany House Publishers
Romance


I am reviewing a copy of Before I Called You Mine through Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley:



Lauren Bailey is a romantic at heart but after a decade of matchmaking schemes gone wrong, there's only one match she's committed to now--the one that will make her a mother. Lauren is a dedicated first-grade teacher in Idaho, and her love for children has led her to the path of international adoption. To satisfy her adoption agency's requirements, she gladly agreed to remain single for the foreseeable future; however, just as her long wait comes to an end, Lauren is blindsided by a complication she never saw coming: Joshua Avery.


Joshua is a a substitute teacher by day, but Lauren finds his passion for creating educational technology as fascinating as his antics in the classroom. Though she does her best to downplay the undeniable connection between them, his relentless pursuit of her heart puts her commitment to stay unattached to the test and causes her once-firm conviction to waver.



Lauren finds herself facing an impossible decision because saying yes to one May have to mean letting go of one another.


I give Before I Called You Mine five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

While this book is a romantic comedy, the Christian aspect is prevalent but not preachy. A story of heartbreak, hope, choices, and faith. The adoption journey was a beautiful tale by itself. Be ready to be touched deeply and emotionally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I do not have adequate words to do this book justice. Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Desse is absolutely amazing. I loved every minute with Lauren and Joshua and I am so sad my time with these characters is over. I can say with great sincerity, this is a story I will never forget.

There is SO much to love and appreciate about this story, but here are my top three reasons this book should be read immediately (if you haven’t read it yet):

Lauren and Joshua’s relationship — I love everything about these two characters and their path to love. How they meet is super cute and super hilarious. Joshua is an excellent hero and I love how instantly attracted he is to Lauren. I love how he truly sees who she is right from the very beginning. Because of her standing with the international adoption agency, Lauren is not able to date. Joshua accepts and respects this, so he and Lauren become good friends. I’m talking really good friends. This may actually be my favorite aspect of their relationship. Yes, the chemistry between the two is fierce, but the foundation they create as friends is everything. It’s what gets them through some really tough moments and eventually allows them to get to their happily ever after. Lauren and Joshua’s relationship makes my heart so, so happy.

Motherhood (in God’s time) — Being a mom is hard. I mean really hard. The mom-guilt, the sleepless nights, the worry and anxiety, the constant second-guessing — and that’s just the emotional aspect. There’s also the physical aspect — working a full-time job all day then coming home to make dinner, checking homework, chauffeuring to practices, doctor appointments, and/or school events, and the whole bedtime routine. A 24-hour day can sometimes feel endless. But, it is all 100% worth it. I have wanted to be a mom since I was four-years-old. It took me a long time to be a mom, and I often struggled in the waiting. There were many nights where I wrestled with God begging Him to make my dreams come true. Years would go by and still no husband and still no baby. I got to the point where I was ready to give up. Clearly, God didn’t want me to be a mom. Wouldn’t you know it, when I stopped trying to force the matter God put my husband into my life, and then my daughter came several years later. What I appreciated, perhaps the most, about this story is Lauren’s impatience. I appreciate this because her impatience is SO relatable. Lauren wants to be a mom but it’s just not working out. The men she has been on dates with are NOT husband material. It’s been years and years of awful first dates that lead to nowhere. So, she applies for international adoption thinking that maybe she is meant to be a single mom, but even that is taking forever and seems to lead to a whole lot of nothing. In all the waiting — the constant waiting — Lauren sees moms everywhere and it hurts. Why can’t she have her dreams? Lauren wrestles with God (and His timing) and gets to a point where she kind of wants to give up. And then life happens BIG time and she has to make hard choices. What Lauren goes through is SO realistic it makes her a very life-like character who is super easy to root for and love. And, Lauren’s story proves that God’s timing truly is perfect.

Fangirling over a popular education guru — So this may be something only teachers get, but Lauren’s adoration for Joshua’s father (the educational guru) made me laugh out loud. There are several real-life education gurus I would love to meet, specifically Kelly Gallagher. How this man has informed my teaching over the years is incalculable. I know for a fact that if I ever met him I would be tongue-tied. I know cause I got to meet two of my FAVORITE poets — Billy Collins and Seamus Heaney — and it was like my mouth and brain stopped functioning. Anyway, I love how passionate a teacher Lauren is because of the strong teachers who came before her. I love how Deese illustrates the good-heartedness and nerdiness of teachers. It was fun to see a representation of myself and so many teachers I know and love through Lauren’s character.

I’m sorry it took me so long to get to this book, but I am seriously glad I did finally read this lovely story. Before I Called You Mine is an exceptional story that made me laugh and cry and cheer. I’m leaving this story filled with heartwarming hope. If you haven’t read this book yet, I highly recommend you do ASAP. Before I Called You Mine is a story you will not want to miss.

I received a copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Bethany House Publishing, via NetGalley in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese is a book about adoption. I found this book interesting and was excited to start reading it. But it totally blew me away in a way I never expected. This book is so deep with emotion and so much love. The depth of emotion was amazing and it made a beautiful story that made me want to read more by this author. Highly recommended! I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This book was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS and continued to surprise me over and over.

Confession Time: I requested this book because of the adoption theme. I've long had a heart for adoption and will always jump at the chance to read amazing books about it. But to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to "like-like" it, you know? Nicole Deese is a new to me author and the book had a bit of a slower pace. Also, not going to lie, Lauren may have caused a little bit of growling from me. I'm just saying.

BUT THEN. Guys, this story, was absolutely the sweetest, from the romance (which let me tell you was no picnic), to the adoption struggles and heartache (and the unique vantage point we get to experience following the journey of a single woman adopting), to all of the little, beautiful moments and characters that tied it all together into an incredible, heart-challenging and heart-warming adventure.

Despite earlier remark, or perhaps in extension to it, Lauren’s character arc is one that I will remember for a long time to come. Also Joshua Avery is all of the things. 😁

Five Stars, highly recommend this one!!

The reality of adoption has been something long overlooked by novel tellers and society alike and this book touches on that. It does tie it up a neater bow that I would have liked, but I was thankful to see it touching on it.
Family dynamics as well was a subject more the focus of the book than anything else. This contemporary story took hard topics and made it into a light story, with a happy ending. It was perfect for right now.

This was a little too Christian Fiction for my taste but I still enjoyed the story, especially the adoption aspect.

Well, I wrote this book, so I'm hardly unbias. But I do miss and love these characters deeply and to this day, it's my favorite of all my book babies :)

What an unusual plotline, well-done story of adoption and sacrifice! I can't speak to the authenticity of the adoption timeline and legalities, but the idea of a woman choosing to forgo dating and relationships to pursue adoption as a single woman, and then meeting her dream man? What a setup for a heartbreaking decision and enthralling story!

Lauren's and Josh's characters were so well written that I laughed with them and their quick banter and Josh's zany antics, but I also ached with them over the impossible choices put before them, and their desire to hear God's will for their lives. How could He set Lauren on the path to singlehood adoption and then put Josh across the hall from her every day? How was Lauren supposed to decide between a man she could build a life with, and possible pursue further adoptions with...four years in the future...or the child she could help right now?!

The cast of side characters in this story were just as well done and so important to the richness of the book; from Lauren's family, whom she felt didn't understand her at all, to Joshua's family, who welcomed her right in, as well as the Cartwright family who showed her what adoption looked like, soup to nuts, and her best friend Jenna, who was there for her throughout it all.

I give this book 5 stars! While I'm sure the adoption process is much more grueling and emotional than can fit into a single novel, I didn't feel like this book glossed over any of it. It highlighted that adoption is a calling, and a sacrifice, and that there is great need, but it is certainly not quick or easy.

I received a complimentary copy of this digital book, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a while. Months actually to pick this book up but i wish I would’ve done it sooner! I loved it more than i could say. I loved lauren and joshua’s romance, the representation of her relationship with god and her faith in him, as well as her struggle and journey of adoption. As a believer in Christ who also seeks adopting one day it truly is a story of hope <3

This one was simply a scrumptious feast of literary pleasure. A gentle romance is central to the story but not the main issue: the main issue is adoption. And poor Lauren is stuck where she has to pick between romance and motherhood for her future!! Say what? Mean author, right? Well, it sure makes a compelling story as Lauren wrestles for her dreams even while she faces having to pick between the two things she wants most: though motherhood is drawing at her heart, attraction to her new co-worker is making her heart dance a bit too high.

Joshua was easy to like and I really enjoyed how their interactions went. We got lots of page time with them together, and I especially loved the texting scenes and the tree lighting scene best.

My favorite thing was how adult they are. They actually <I>talk through things when they have issues! And they don't forget they have issues because they have attraction!</I> This is exactly what I love reading in a good romance: believable adult interaction. Spot on.

But oh, Lauren's journey to motherhood...ouch, ouch, ouch...you're sure to cry over and over again...make sure you start with the multi-pack of Kleenex or a roll of paper towels!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.

I LOVED this one. LOVED it! I’ve recently read two bad attempts at Christian Fiction, so I can’t say I had high hopes for this one. Wrong! Before I Called You Mine is Christian Fiction dome right.
Lauren is a single first grade teacher in her early 30’s who has decide to adopt a child from China... this also means that she must remain single until the adoption is final. This is not a problem until Joshua starts substituting in the classroom across the hall. Joshua is in educational software, crazy about dinosaurs, and the son of Lauren’s educational guru. While Lauren makes it clear they need to stay just friends, Joshua ends up meaning a lot to her - especially while she’s on the rollercoaster that is adoption. Lauren knows God is calling her to be a mom, but she can’t imagine life with Joshua.

This book was excellent. It was sweet, it was touching, it was funny. In a lot of ways, I feel like I could see myself in Lauren (being a single 30-something teacher), and I kept imagining myself in her shoes/wondering how I’d handle her situations. I loved how strong Jamie was, and I was proud of her decisions. I wish we could be friends in real life! I’ll be waiting for my Prince Charming to be substituting across the hall if we every get out of quarantine...

I received an ARC from @netgalley. I’m dumb, so I didn’t read it immediately. It’s out! I’m gonna Amazon a copy to my mom right now.

Before I Called You Mine is the story of Lauren, a single elementary school teacher who wants to adopt an orphan from China. This means staying single, because the adoption agency only allows children to go to single mothers or to couples who have been married more than two years. Single hasn’t been a problem until she meets the substitute teacher across the hall …

In some respects, Before I Called You Mind is a typical contemporary romance novel with a unique application of the “decides to remain single, then meets Mr Perfect” trope. But setting the novel against a backdrop of international adoption introduced a whole bunch of questions, many of them uncomfortable. One of the characters says of a child adopted internationally:

“Leaving the only place she’s ever called home, and the only people who’ve ever cared for her, is a traumatic event. That’s a fact, not an opinion … She won’t know the language, the food, the sounds, the smells.”

International adoption rips a child from everything familiar—their country, their culture, their language, even their name (yes, the main character planned to change her child’s name). That bugged me (and is the main reason for my rating). What psychological message does that send to a child, that not even their name is theirs and has value? It smacks of a nineteenth-century white saviour complex, where the missionaries converted the natives and changed their names to “Christian” names. I’d hoped we’d got beyond that, but comments about “dark chocolate, almond-shaped eyes” suggested we haven’t.

When I started the novel, I was in two minds about international adoption. I read plenty of stories about how the US foster care system is crying out for qualified carers. Why choose international adoption when there are thousands of disadvantaged and needy children in the US?

The author herself has adopted internationally, but says the purpose of the novel isn’t to persuade readers to adopt a child from overseas. Rather, it’s to challenge us to find the hard thing that God’s asking us to partner with Him in. Do I think it met that objective? No. But was it a good story? Mostly.

Lauren is torn between her desire to adopt internationally, and her attraction to Joshua … who also happens to be the son of the education expert who inspired many of Lauren’s most successful teaching methods. The family is everything Lauren’s family isn’t—friendly, loving, Christian.

There were times when I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for Lauren and her predicament. She complains about her family, then insults her mother and wonders why they don’t have a great relationship. She has been working towards adopting an orphan from China for two years, and had been considering it for three years before that, yet had never bothered to learn any Mandarin, or anything about Chinese food or culture.

At the same time, I could empathise with Lauren. She’d been earnestly seeking God and was convinced He placed the idea for international adoption on her heart and brought her into contact with people who could encourage and support her in that journey. Then God throws Joshua in her path, and she starts second-guessing herself. It made fascinating and compelling reading.

Overall, this is a well-written story with great characters and plenty of conflict. It’s memorable, and will definitely make you think.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.