I was raised Christian but didn’t regularly attend church. I don’t have some of the same associations some do with religion but I do know organized religion generally feels icky and anti all the things it preaches.

I enjoyed reading this book and getting a more in depth perspective on what it’s like to live in such a heavily Christian environment that goes against what’s being taught. The characters were flawed but open to growth. I appreciated the dual perspectives, and the appearance of supportive adults to counterbalance the less supportive adults.

I was surprised by the thrilling twist near the end that was much more dramatic than I expected from the book. It seemed almost out of place but did have some foreshadowing and context to back it up.

Overall, solid contemporary Christian YA that I probably wouldn’t have chosen if I really knew the genre, but enjoyed nonetheless.

I am not going to lie. This was an extremely difficult book to read. As someone who grew up like Meg (except worse) it was painful. To read the stuff I heard for years about purity culture which is insidious and life ruining. As someone who has deconstructed I also found it disappointing that (in my mind) there wasn’t a true happy ending. But I also realize this story is the authors truth and I do respect that. We need more people of faith like her that are willing to call out their faith leaders. This was a beautifully written book but be aware it can be triggering if you have religious trauma.

"Never Saw You Coming" by Erin Hahn tells the story of Meg Hennessey, an eighteen-year-old raised by conservative parents who discovers that her entire childhood was based on a lie. Instead of commencing her gap year at a church camp, she decides to travel north to meet her biological father's family, whom she never knew existed. Along the way, she meets Micah Allen, a former pastor's kid dealing with his own family issues. As Meg and Micah grow closer, they navigate the complexities of first love, family secrets, and personal beliefs.

The book delves into several profound themes:
• Faith and Belief: It explores the characters' struggles with their faith and the institutions of religion, highlighting the difference between personal belief and organized religion.
• First Love: The budding romance between Meg and Micah is portrayed with all its complexities and emotional depth.
• Family and Identity: The story emphasizes the importance of understanding one's roots and the impact of family secrets on personal identity.
• Forgiveness and Redemption: It is also about finding the strength to forgive oneself and others

"Never Saw You Coming" is a beautifully crafted story about love, faith, and self-discovery. Its well-drawn characters and thoughtful themes make it a worthwhile read for anyone interested in contemporary young adult fiction.

This one is tricky to rate. I give it a good solid 3.5 to 4 star.

A good portion of what I'm taking off is because the tattooing process was wrong and that is a small fix. But 20+ tattoos in -- you'd put the stencil on while standing, not while the arm is down. And he'd go look at it before starting.

This book isn't for all YA fans. This is for teens and former Bible kids. As one, I found this book incredibly uncomfortable at times -- because it's a lot of what I went through as a teen. My mom is barely 18 years older than me (similar to Meg), and I struggled for years regarding faith and identity. I had a church tell me I was going to hell because my parents were divorced.

I had to come to terms with my queerness in my late 20s. A lot of my early feelings regarding sex are reflected through Meg, minus the super religious faith in god -- I have been agnostic at best (and am currently a deist.)

If you don't have ties to the church or religious trauma, this book isn't going to be necessarily for you. It was still a bit too heavy on the religion for me. And I'm glad the conflicts of the book aren't miscommunication with the MCs.

Oof, my HEART. This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read — heartfelt and brutally honest and romantic, just a messy, beautiful coming of age for both characters full of striking introspection that often made me pause to reread and turn the words over in my head again.

Never Saw You Coming hit real close to home for me. I don't know half of my biological family and would have loved nothing more than to be able to do what Meg did; being able to explore your roots. There's nothing worse than having to make amends with a childhood you found out was a lie but there was something cathartic about Meg and Micah's budding relationship and friendship.

Such an amazing and joyful read.
I did enjoy all about the beautiful and young romance of Micah and Meg.
Meg is such a brilliant young lady and Micah is such a good boyfriend caracter!
It could be wrote for church kids but I'm not and I have enjoyed the book!
Its a well written YA book with a lot of faith, family friend bound!

Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this book!

"Never Saw You Coming" is a heartfelt and poignant YA contemporary novel that explores themes of identity, faith, and love with sensitivity and depth. Erin Hahn's writing is vibrant and engaging, drawing readers into the lives of her characters with authenticity and charm.

The plot of "Never Saw You Coming" is compelling and thought-provoking, following 18-year-old Meg Hennessey as she navigates the complexities of leaving her strict religious community to pursue her own path. Hahn expertly weaves together themes of self-discovery, family, and friendship, creating a narrative that is as relatable as it is moving.

The characters in the novel are well-developed and multi-dimensional, with Meg and her friends each grappling with their own struggles and insecurities. As they navigate the challenges of adolescence and adulthood, readers will find themselves rooting for their growth and redemption. Hahn's exploration of faith and spirituality offers readers a nuanced portrayal of religion and its impact on individuals and communities. Throughout Meg's journey, Hahn encourages readers to question their beliefs and embrace their own truths, making for a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Although marketed as YA, "Never Saw You Coming" is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that will appeal to readers of all ages. With its engaging plot, well-drawn characters, and thoughtful exploration of complex themes, it is sure to leave a lasting impression on readers.

When Meg finds out that her dad is not her dad, she sets off to find what is left of her real dad's family. In doing so, she learns so much about herself and finds her way.
Opinion
This book is for anyone whose church has wronged them by making them feel guilty for being human. Meg finds strength in her faith but is quite disappointed with the way her church treated her.
I think that this book will upset a lot of people but that it will also give many more hope.
I live in the Bible Belt (Southern United States) and cannot see this book being offered in any of our public schools. However, I can see where a lot of my students need books like this to help balance what their church preaches and what they are going through. Fault should not be placed on the females for human sexuality and emotions that come along with it. Males are just as much to blame.
This is a powerful book that is written along with a great plot. The story is endearing and the message is quite clear. I can only hope that this book finds its way into the right reader's hands.
Many thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book and many apologies for taking so long to read it. It was a delight to read.

I think that Erin Hahn can do no wrong honestly. She can write anything and I would thoroughly enjoy it.

Never Saw You Coming is written for the church kids — those who grew up in a religious household and have some questions about their upbringing and their faith. It's a topic that is not usually touched in YA books, and I am glad that Erin Hahn was brave enough to jump in.

Growing up deeply attached to my faith, I choose not to dwell too much on the Christian messages this book wants to deliver. I acknowledge some points, but this book became too preachy on other parts.

Romance-wise, I did enjoy the love story of Micah and Meg. I felt like they completed each other, and witnessing their journey toward first love was a delight.

<i>Thank you Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of this book!</i>

we love to see people face their religious trauma! I grew up Extremely Catholic, and while this was a tough read (religious things usually are), it was also very cathartic. I love meg and micah and this book warmed my heart.

I really enjoyed reading this captivating story about Meg and Micah, two teens whose life takes a turn and whose friendship helps each other heal from their hurts. This young adult contemporary novel really packed a punch with complex family backgrounds and issues as the main themes of the story - in this case the teens were troubled because of the mistakes made by their parents in lying, hiding, or making wrong life choices.

This novel would make for a great book club discussion for its polarizing themes and the tough questions this book addresses. This was a great read that really surprised me.

I read Erin Hanh's More Than Maybe and was so excited to learn that'd we get to read Meg's story. Meg was raised by conservative parents and her whole world shifts when she finds out her dad isn't her biological dad. She takes a gap year before college and goes to find her biological dad's family She also figures out her faith and who she wants to be.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Erin Hanh does such a good job bringing you into the story and having you figure things out with the characters. The characters all felt like teenagers I had met before. I'm not a religious person and our main characters are. This was new for me but it was great to see them push back against the things they felt were wrong and embraced the things about religion that were comforting.

I feel Iike this book is great for any teen or even adult still struggling with their relationship with the church or even with just learning how to be comfortable with themselves.

I'd love to get a book from Duke's perspective and I loved getting to see some of our favorite characters from More than Maybe.

It took me a shamefully long time to get to this book, but it was a case of not being in the right headspace for a book that I knew would hit some tender subjects.

A someone who was raised in a conservative Christian private school environment, this book hit home. I can see how it might not be for every audience, but I really appreciated the thoughtful conversations around purity culture, hypocrisy, and modesty. I love that Hahn approached these subjects with a love for Jesus and the Bible but, with that in mind, she was not afraid to call out things in church culture that she does not think are right.

Woven with the aforementioned topics are a tender love story, the FMC's journey to discover who her father was and meet half of her extended family for the first time, and a lot of great self-discovery.

This book was breathtaking and I will be purchasing a copy so I can lend it to everyone. It will stick with me forever.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was my first book from Erin Hahn, what really drew my curiosity and interest was the amazing cover of this book. I know they say don't judge a book by its cover but in this case I think the the judgement does it justice. This book was so easy to read I just flew through it The story following Meg and Micah was so sweet and I think its equally incredible for a slightly younger audience as well.

Thank you to @stmartinspress @prhaudio and @netgalley for the #gifted copy of the book.

I listened to this one on audio. Overall this was a decent YA story that centers around two teens, Meg and Micah, who have been lied to repeatedly by their parents. Meg decides to take a gap year from school to go North to meet her Grandmother and Uncle she never knew she had. Micah is a pastors kid who's dad ends up in jail. Both were raised in conservative Christian homes and struggling to navigate through finding themselves and walking the fine line of their faith.

I did not finish this one. I was a big fan of More Than Maybe by. this author, this book just wasn't for me. I have nothing bad to say about it, it just wasn't my personal taste.

I’ve tried reading this one multiple times and each time I just can’t get into it. Which makes me sad because I’ve loved everything else I’ve read by Erin Hahn. Hopefully it’s just a one off for me.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 - Meg and Micah's relationship storyline was cute. That's my only reason for bumping my half star rating UP rather than down. The overall basis was just WAY too churchy for me. Way too much about the girl-guilt that happens when you are raised in a strict, religious household and you go out and experience the world from outside of your little bubble. Thinking she shows too much skin or *GASP* a shoulder, thinks a sexual thought, or possibly think that you aren't "pure" enough. Oy... I definitely wouldn't call myself a religious person anymore after being exposed to way too much of *gestures* THIS *gestures* being in south Georgia and the southeast for so much of my life. Heaven forbid your 18-year-old-self gets seen kissing your boyfriend in public by someone you go to church with and then you're not "pure enough" to lead a girl's youth group. And the blatant hypocrisy of an adult in the church having premarital relations and then judging Meg because she's a teenager and her "purity" would be in question to the congregation - just ICK 1000x over.

I have so many more thoughts about this book, but I'll just leave it at this. However -- I will make a point of saying I REALLY appreciated the Author's Note at the end of the book. It did help to slightly redeem the book in my eyes. And I also appreciate how Meg and Micah deal with their conflicted feelings and continue working on their relationship together.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.