5 ⭐️
when lauren suffers a brain injury she can't remember her relationship with jonah. will they ever be the same? i absolutely loved everything about this book- from the romance to the found family. i literally couldn't put this book down.

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC!

Wonderful story!

When an accident causes Lauren to have memory loss of the last few months, which includes the time period that she fell in love with Jonah, can they find the way to each other again? Things look awfully bleak, and it is heartbreaking to read, but I know this is a romance, so all will end well.

This is a story of true love, when Jonah is suffering so much from Lauren not remembering what they shared, but wants the best for her, even if it includes her leaving him.

I am a huge fan of Denise Hunter and this is another of her amazing creations. I am so glad I found her at a reader event years ago. Her writing is very special. Blending joy with sadness and bringing out so much emotion in the reader. She writes with a Christian background and creates characters and their stories that I care so much about.

I want to thank Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for giving me the pleasure of reading a complimentary advance reader copy, with no obligation to write a review. My review is written freely as a hobby, and is totally my own opinion, not influenced by receiving the ARC.

Such a difficult subject written with such empathy is Denise Hunter's new story. Jonah and Lauren start out as strangers, but once they get to know each other the relationship changes. In a few short months they've fallen in love. On the eve of proposing, Lauren suffers a severe injury resulting in memory loss.

Jonah doesn't push or try to make her remember, he treats her with love and friendship hoping her memory returns. What she imagined happened in the past was all wrong. Can she embrace her new feelings and face the future, even with the unknown lurking in the background?

This is a wonder story of resilience , patience, and giving love a chance. Another great story by Denise Hunter that makes you question how you would handle the situation if it happened to you.

Although I received a free ARC ebook from Net Galley and the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jonah plans on proposing to Lauren to marry him before she falls from a ladder and loses her memory from the last four months including the time in which they were dating.

I did not connect with this story as I wanted to. I simply didn’t connect with the characters, I wasn’t crazy about Lauren even though she did redeem herself in the end.


My gratitude to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are mine and honest.

I was completely captured by this Denise Hunter charmer! I was so invested in these characters, almost from the start, I was sucked in before I even knew what was happening. And then, I had to keep going because I couldn’t stand not knowing how things would ever work out. What a premise this book has! You’d think the forgotten memories trope would feel contrived but it absolutely doesn’t. Lauren only loses four months due to her head injury- but they were four months that completely changed her life. I loved how Hunter dealt with this trope- nothing was how I (or Lauren, for that matter) expected things to turn out. A lot of faulty assumptions were made, corrected with a lovely plot twist! There’s so much I want to say but I refuse to give spoilers!

And can I just say Jonah is seriously such a sweetheart? Oh, my heart probably broke about 6 or 7 times just hurting for him. It’s been awhile since I’ve cried reading, but my emotions were just so invested, I cried with Jonah, I cried with Lauren, and I regret nothing. I couldn’t WAIT to get to the happily ever after, and now I sit in a puddle of happiness called a book coma, wishing for more.

Contains detailed kisses, the sweetest man ever, and no spice. Prayer from characters and church attendance mentioned, but not a lot of faith content. Lauren had a pretty lousy childhood, discussed in detail.

I was given a complementary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson and NetGalley. I was not asked to leave a positive review. My opinions are my own.

I think that this book will appeal to a huge audience. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of love stories as a rule. This was well written and heartwarming.

Lauren has fallen off a ladder resulting in a concussion and amnesia. She cannot remember that she was in love with Jonah, nor can she remember anything that happened the six previous months. All she can remember is that she arrived in New Hampshire to be a temporary manager at the Pine Haven Resort until her dream job of being an event planner back in Boston becomes available. Both heartwarming and sad, the book relates the past and how she and Jonah navigate the present. This review is my honest opinion of this delightful book with such engaging characters, including the dog Graham! Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the early copy.

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter

What a beautiful story! I could not put it down! Lauren Wentworth takes a job at a restricted resort to gain experience needed for her dream job. One day she takes a spill from a ladder and wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the entire summer. Her nemesis, Jonah, is there acting like a love sick boyfriend and she is at a loss as to how that happened or if it is real. Meanwhile, Jonah is patient, kind and heartbroken. He gives her space. The two continue working together and her memories remain hidden.
As her time to leave approaches, can he stand to let her go and can she bear to leave? His family and the whole package of “home” calls to her, It is something she longs for. Can she measure what she has with Jonah against the dream job of a lifetime in Boston? Will her past guide her or will her heart?
This was a phenomenal love story with so many layers. The char@caters are expertly crafted and the story draws you in from start to finish.
I give it 5/5 ⭐️s.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to offer my honest opinion.

Heartwarming “amnesia” story as Jonah and Lauren navigate her loss of memory. Jonah remains faithful and Lauren is (I think) a bit harsh and unforgiving. I agree with other reviewers--the epilogue was the best part of the novel!

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

When city girl Lauren Wentworth moved from Boston to New Hampshire for a temporary manager role at Pinehaven Resort, she never expected to fall for the resort owner’s son, Jonah Landry. Despite the rocky start to their relationship, Lauren and Jonah became friends, which eventually became so much more. But when an accident leaves Lauren with no memory of the entire summer or her romance with Jonah, she must decide if she will return to the city for her dream job or let herself fall for Jonah Landry again.🌲

If you enjoyed the movie, The Vow, then you’re going to love Denise Hunter‘s newest book, Before We Were Us! This sweet romance was rife with tension as Lauren found herself reluctantly falling for Jonah not once, but twice. Though there are flashbacks from the spring and summer, most of this book takes place in the fall, and the autumn vibes at Pinehaven Resort make this the perfect romance to read in the upcoming fall season. I really liked this book, and I think you will, too!🧡

Release Date: September 10, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A big thank you to Thomas Nelson for sending me a copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.📒

Before We Were Us
Pub Date: Sep 10
3.5 ⭐

Fall 🍁 girlies and Gilmore Girls fans this is the book for you:
Fall vibes/on the lake setting 🍂🌰
Small Town Romance 💒
Country boy/ city girl 😀 💛
Opposite Attract 🫠
Enemies To Lovers🤭
Found Family 🤗
Dual POvs
Workplace Romance

It's early Sep but for Lauren Wentworth it's still April and why? Cos she had an accident and suffered from a traumatic brain injury that made her forget the past 4 months including her relationship with Jonah.

Jonah is the temporary manager of PineHaven resort where Lauren works and the son of the boss. At first they didn't hit it off pretty well but then there were sparks and flames between the two 😌😻.

Now Jonah is back to square one , he loves Lauren but she cannot stand him and he has no idea if she will ever get her memory back🥺.

Loved the plot of this novel. Its an emotional and sweet story. Jonah's character was so affectionate, down to earth, and lovable. However, I couldn't stand Lauren she was so closed off and I get she lost her memory but she was so rude towards Jonah after the accident and my heart was breaking for him. But, all in all it was a nice sweet book with no triggering subject or steamy scenes and I enjoyed it.

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #BeforeWeWereUs in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo💋

The formatting of the file provided made this impossible to read. Sending only as feedback and will not leave an inaccurate or incomplete review.

Loved this book. It certainly got my emotions flowing. I will endeavour to look out for more books by this author. I will forever remember this book.

This is one of my favorite reads so far this year! It was such a good, although predictable, story. I liked the dual timeline aspect although it was a little difficult to keep track of at times. My only disappointment is that this is a stand-alone book! Put this on your list if you like Hallmark stories.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren and Jonah are happily working and living together at a New England inn. Unbeknownst to her, he will be proposing that night—until she falls and loses the memories that she has created since arriving at the inn.

Taken back to a time when Jonah was not her favorite person, Lauren tries to regain control of her life and hopes that her memories don’t return. As her time an the inn approaches an end, and her memories as missing as ever, she has to decide how she wishes to move forward with life.

The cover of this book captivated me. I love the setting and the premise. The book seemed a tad too long, and I skipped around. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Si les gusta la película The Vow, disfrutarán de este libro.

Es desde la perspectiva de ambos y los capítulos son tanto del pasadeo y como del presente. Podemos ver como inicio su relación, que llevo a Lauren a renunciar al trabajo de sus sueños, como Jonah estaba dispuesto a cualquier cosa porque ella fuera feliz, sus sentimientos por la perdida de memoria, sus miedos, como ella vió todo lo que le paso como otra oportunidad para no convertirse en su mamá y como Jonah a pesar de todo continuo ayudándola para que lograra sud objetivos, incluso si la alejaban de él.




Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.