Reminiscent of a Hallmark movie - it's an easy, romantic story.

Big city girl, Lauren, is an event planner on her way to a new job. However, her boss asks her help an old friend with their rustic resort first. There she butts heads with the owner's son, Jonah, who's going to take over management when she leaves. For months they toe the line of a love/hate relationship until finally turning the corner. That's when Lauren falls off a ladder in the barn's hayloft and loses 4 months of her memory. Those are the months they fell in love. She thinks they're still at odds and she's just biding time to get to her new job, but Jonah's feelings haven't changed and he's trying to lead her back to them. It's a beautiful story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

The theme of this book was a sweet, heartfelt one. Although, it fell flat for me. The writing felt empty for me.
I love a good memory/second chance love story too, I just hoped for more from this book but the writing was basic at best, characters were not interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was incredibly compelling.

The story revolves around Jonah and Lauren, who are in love but are separated by an accident that causes Lauren to lose her memory of ever loving Jonah. It explores how they navigate this challenging season.

The narrative tugged at my heartstrings. It was beautiful, deep, and sad, but ultimately rewarding. My heart went out to the characters, and their tenacity in achieving their goals was both admirable and comforting.

I received a copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion.

In “Before We Were Us”, Denise Hunter takes the reader through a host of emotions as one of the main characters, Lauren, wakes up in the hospital after a fall from a ladder and she cannot remember anything from the previous four months of her life. Which means, the reader also walks through all the emotions of her boyfriend, Jonah, as he faces life with a girlfriend who no longer remembers that they had a relationship at all. This was a great story: well-plotted, strong characters, believable events, good conflict, good timing, and good resolution. What a great way to enjoy a literary escape. Be sure to grab a cozy chair, a tasty beverage, and travel to a lovely New England resort.

I requested a complimentary copy of this book for review. The thoughts expressed here are wholly my own.

I enjoyed this book . It's a nice, easy read that carried my interest. We meet our main characters, and so after something bad happens to cause on amnesia. The story then goes to the past when they met, to the present when one is forgotten and they have to start over again. It's hard when someone has feelings and the other does not due to the memory issue. They slowly reacquaint and the reader gets to follow along and see it unfold. A nice story, with a bit of a different perspective.

I loved setting of a lodge, cabins, and lake in remote New Hampshire. The author described it so well, one would want to visit.

I recommend for those who like a light romance, a Christian read and just enjoy a good story.

I just have ✨mixed feelings✨ about this book. The concept of the heroine completely losing her memories of falling in love with the hero was intriguing, but the execution did not do it for me.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren wakes up in the hospital with no memories of the last few months. She doesn’t remember the man she loved. This is a sweet romance full of heartache loss and eventually love. I enjoyed the story and visions of New Hampshire where the story was set. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Tropes: Amnesia, clean romance, enemies to lovers
Lauren Wentworth was abandoned by her mother when she was 5. She was never adopted, but went from one foster home to another, some good and some horrible. Despite or because of this, she grew to become an ambitious, driven woman. As a teenager, she attended a fancy party and observed the event planner, she knew that is what she wanted to do. She studied, earned a hospitality management degree and was offered her dream job at Glitter, but first the owner wants her to take a temporary management job at a rustic resort. She gets off to a bad start with the owner's son, Jonah, becasue she reminds him of his ex. He also has abandonment issues as his mother died when he was very young and then by his ex. But eventually they agree to a summer romance. And then she falls and loses her memory of the last few months, forgetting their relationship and is quite callous. Heart breaking.

Heartwarming story, developed characters, and detailed descriptions of the beautiful scenery make this a lovely read. I was gifted with an Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher via NetGalley.com. this is my unbiased, honest and voluntary review.

Lauren Wentworth accepted a nine-month managerial position at a resort in New Hampshire to advance her career. Upon her return to the city, she is poised to land her dream job. From the beginning, she butts heads with Jonah Landry, the owner's son and her boss, as they take an instant dislike to each other. Over time, Jonah recognizes the need to adjust his behavior, offers an apology to Lauren, and they strike up a friendship.

Their relationship deepens, and they eventually fall in love, but a just as it all seems to being working out an accident causes Lauren to fall and lose her memory of the summer, including her feelings for Jonah. Just as Jonah is ready to propose, Lauren's memory only recalls their initial problems

Undeterred, Jonah is determined to win her love once more. It's a tender opportunity for a second chance, provided Lauren allows him back into her heart.

This was a very unique premise for a love story. Lauren arrives in New Hampshire for a short term job keeping a resort going for a local couple. While there she falls in love with their son (someone she initially dislikes). Then a head injury erases their whole time together and Jonah, the love interest, needs to help her remember why they fell in love before she returns home for her dream job. The characters were great and their connection felt very real. It did take me a little time to warm up to Lauren (she seemed a bit stubborn in the beginning) but once I did I was really rooting for the couple. I really enjoyed this story and I also loved the New England setting. Thanks to Denise Hunter, Thomas Nelson Fiction, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A beautiful love story!!!! I truly enjoyed this book. To me it served as a great representation of God’s love for us in the form of romantic love between Lauren and Jonah. Although Lauren lost her memory and rejected Jonah he didn’t stop showing her love and being there for her hoping one day she will once again love him.

This author was new to me but she will be added to my list of favorites. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good love story.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Beautiful love story and one you won’t want to put down! Lauren takes a short term position at Pinehaven resort and immediately has discord with Jonah, her new boss. Is Jonah truly such a bad person though?

This book will take you on a journey through so many ups and downs for the two and some heart wrenching moments. Will Lauren follow her heart or will she choose a path away from Pinehaven?

Thank you to Net Galley, Denise Hunter, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this arc of Before We Were Us, out September 10, 2024!

📜Quick Summary: Jonah and Lauren could not be more opposites; she’s a girl from Boston, trying to climb the ropes at Glitter, her almost perfect job planning events in her grasp. To get her career moving, she takes a temporary management position at Pinehaven Lodges, a family owned resort. Jonah and his parents own and run the resort, and he is as rugged as they come. They definitely do not mesh when they first meet, but soon they are in love. While touring a new project, Lauren takes a fall and after she wakes up in the hospital, loses the last few months of her memories. She doesn’t remember loving Jonah, but instead a crush on a small town doctor named Carson. Will her memories return? Who is she? What does she want now…and what did she want only a few hours ago?

❣️Initial Feels: I was sucked in from the start… I pictured this as a Hallmark movie right away, and the cozy lodge setting was perfection.

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Jonah takes the win on this one! I understand that Lauren was the one that went through the brain injury, loses her memories, and doesn’t know what to think as everyone is telling her she loves the man she just despised only a few months ago….but Jonah was so patient and kind, while Lauren became rude and standoff-ish to Jonah. He stood by her side, even when she didn’t want him there. He was grieving someone he loved, and his relationship, even though it was right in front of his face.

💡Final Sentiments: I really enjoyed this novel! I did not want to stop reading, and usually with rom-coms or romantic literary fiction novels, I want to take breaks. I think because I felt so deeply for Jonah, I just needed to know how it was going to end. Lauren had a difficult childhood, was proving to herself that she can get her once in a lifetime job, and be on her own until Jonah throws her for a loop. I wish she would have been a little bit kinder to him after her injury, but I also can’t imagine being in her position. I felt like the ending was a little rushed, and without ruining anything, would have liked to see more of their “ending” unfold slowly…or maybe more in the last 70-80% of it.

📖Read if you want: cozy romance, amnesia induced love story, small town feels

🌟Overall Rating: 4.5 stars

Every time I pick up a book by Denise Hunter, I know that I am in for a cozy romance with all the Hallmark type vibes that I adore. This one was no exception. Right from the start, this one drew me in. We meet Lauren and Jonah just before she falls from a ladder leaving her unable to remember several months of her life. While she does remember Jonah--- it's the Jonah of their initial meeting--- and let's just say the two did not get off on the right foot! She has no recollection of their romance or all that had changed between them in those missing months. The story alternates between their early says and the start of their relationship to those days after the accident, allowing us to see them fall in love... and to fall in love all over again. It was an interesting story that held me through from start to finish. If you're looking for a beautiful Christian romance, this is certainly one to check out.


**I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I don’t know how to describe how much I loved this book. The way we were able to see different timelines, when they met and where they were then was so special and I loved seeing them fall in love twice. The enemies to lovers trope is one of my favorites and I loved seeing them fight their feelings, but when they fell, they fell hard. The fall setting was so beautiful and Denise Hunter is the reason I now want to go work at a small town inn. I couldn’t put this book down and it lived rent free in my head for a while after I finished it.

I received an eARC from netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Going back in time and returning to present day, Denise Hunter's "Before We Were Us" is an easy-to-read romance with conflict. Imagine losing your memory of all time spent with someone you love - that kind of conflict. With characters that try to find their way following the accident, will they find their way back to each other?

While this book was a light read with some heavy content, I found the pace somewhat slow. The plot was also predictable. Overall, the book was good.

Releases Sep. 10th. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter. It’s a very touching story. It’s about a man and a woman who fell in love. But then there’s an accident which causes Lauren to forget everything that happened the past four months and what timing. Jonah has a very special night planned. He’s bought a beautiful ring and is going to get down on one knee and propose. However, Lauren falls and hits her head and loses her memory. Will she regain her memory or will she chose her dream job in Boston? I recommend you read this book to find out hoe Lauren and Jonah’s story plays out. You won’t be disappointed.

Things happen when you least expect it. Lauren’s dream job to be an event planner at a prestigious company Glitter in Boston, but before you could have that job the CEO wanted her to have more hospitality experience. The CEO set up a nine month job for her to help a longtime friend at her New Hampshire lake resort and after that the job would be Lauren’s at Glitter. Lauren didn’t know that this job in New Hampshire would change her whole life, not once but twice.

I had never read a book by Denise Hunter before this one and I really enjoyed her writing style. I loved the back and forth between past and present and overall the ending was perfect. A great love story with a bit a struggle and sense of hope.

Thank you Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Fiction is trusting me with this eARC for my honest review. I believe Denise Hunter has gained a fan and I can’t wait to read more of her books.

3.5 stars!
The story has been done a thousand times before but it was still written well. Even though it wasn't very unique, I liked the characters and the setting of the book. I would love to go visit the resort myself.
The story takes place in Pinehaven Resort in rural New Hampshire. Lauren is there working to prove herself for her dream job awaiting her in Boston. Jonah is the owner's son who works on the property. We are told from the beginning they didn't start of on the best foot but soon they were in a whirlwind romance, that is until Lauren takes a bad fall and loses her memory of the whole summer. She doesn't remember her dog Graham or their love story. Jonah is a respectful man who gives her the space she needs while desperately hoping she remembers him and the times they shared. He's patient and kind but she tries to avoid him at all cost thinking there's no way she fell for someone like him.
SPOILER UPCOMING!!
By the end of the story, Lauren realizes she did fall in love with Jonah... not once but twice. She returns to the resort to profess her love! My favorite thing about this novel is the wedding gift Jonah gives Lauren... I won't spoil that though.
If amnesia tropes are your weakness, check out this book and curl up in front of a good fire with smores when it comes out on September 10, 2024!
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Thank you, NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Well this certainly was different.

I'm always a sucker for amnesia stories but this book took it to the next level. I won't spoil anything by giving away the ending but I loved the main characters. Stories that revolve around already established relationships have always fascinated me since we don't exactly have the tale as old as time "meet cutes" and awkward first interactions. Having said that, I was expecting this book to be somewhat like her previous amnesia book "The Goodbye Bride" which I loved. This wasn't that but I think that's what made me like it. It didn't turn out quite the way I had expected from a plotline like this but that's not a bad thing.

I definitely would recommend this book to all readers. It was sweet and a testament that true love never gives up and never fails.