This was an okay novel for me. It was very saccharine sweet, HEA type of story. It's apparently listed as a Christian romance fiction, but there's really nothing religious in it other than when Jonah says "please God, help her get her memory back" etc., so other than that there's not enough of a Christian substance for me to list this as Christian fiction.

It reads much like a Hallmark movie, so if you're into that, you might like it. It was just overly sweet for my taste. The spice level is minimal, which is nice. There's a bit of childhood trauma/baggage they work through, but it was towards the end of the story and seemed a bit rushed.

Also, Carson was such a random addition that wasn't fleshed out fully and seemed like they should've left him out of the story completely. There was an opportunity to have a love triangle that would've made it more layered and interesting, and it seemed like it was going to go that way, but then you barely heard about him the rest of the story.


Overall, it's a quick read. But it's forgettable. No pun intended lol.

Wow! Before We Were Us tops my list of favorite Denise Hunter books! This tragic drama meets sweet romance hits all the right notes for a thoughtful but light summer story.

I love the way that Hunter brings out the best in these characters. She keeps the story moving with dramatic action but flashes back to more tender times, showing the evolution of their relationship and how they grew – not just together, but into more mature people – over the course of the summer. This ratchets up the stakes in their romance and will keep the pages turning – I couldn’t wait to find out what happened!

While I love romantic stories, it’s really the characters that are the draw for me here. Lauren and Jonah are both realistic people who have known heartache before. They’ve been burned in multiple ways and are leery about walking into a situation where they might get hurt – and who wouldn’t be? That the scenario is so relatable is what makes the story so exciting.

It doesn’t hurt that it’s set in gorgeous New Hampshire, either. At times the setting becomes almost like a minor character – and it’s one I love.

So if you’re a fan of sweet romance you’re going to want to grab Before We Were Us now. It’s the kind of story you’re going to love reading – and you’ll be pondering Lauren and Jonah’s situation long after you turn the last page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Such a wonderful book! I adored Jonah and Lauren’s story in Before we Were Us. Denise Hunter had me hooked from the start. Big city Boston girl has nine months at a lodge in the mountains and then her dream job is hers. However, she never expected to fall in love. When a freak accident causes her memory to disappear, she doesn’t have any idea about the relationship she built with Jonah that summer. As they try and sort through it, will her memories come back? Or must they start over? Or maybe it’s just over? Read it and see! You’ll be glad you did!

I read an ARC of this novel courtesy of Thomas Nelson, Netgalley and the author. I have been a fan of Denise’s novels for a while so I knew I had to read this one as well! I immediately loved this book and the characters. Denise did a fantastic job quickly setting the reader into the gorgeous fall scenery of the town and also ensured the reader was able to meet and know the characters.

Jonah is preparing to propose to his girlfriend when an accident happens that causes her to have to go to the hospital. Upon her waking up it is apparent that she does not remember their relationship and only knows of the tension that they faced in the past. Through his hurt feelings, he sticks by her side in an attempt to help her feel supported.

Will she come around and give them a second chance or will she hold on to the feelings of their past? The ending of this story will make your heart melt. I highly recommend this book to Denise readers and those who love true romance.i will be leaving reviews on Amazon and Goodreads as well.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book!
How sweet is this love story! It follows Jonah Landry and Lauren Wentworth in their budding summer romance; everything leading up to a proposal until Lauren has a dangerous fall from a ladder on the night of the proposal leading to her losing her memory of the whole summer.
Prior to their romance, the couple started out on the wrong foot; Jonah thinking Lauren is an entitled city girl who will dump him for bigger pastures like his ex Monica. So when Lauren awakes in the hospital, remembering the Jonah who disliked her, she is icy towards him. Despite his efforts, Lauren wants nothing to do with Jonah which breaks his heart as he was due to propose to this woman who doesn’t want to know him anymore. Throughout the story they work through her memory loss and become closer again, only to face Lauren’s decision of not taking the dream job offer she thinks she’s taken prior to the accident. This breaks the pair again and Lauren finds it hard to trust Jonah after he didn’t tell her she’d turned down the position. So Lauren calls the manager of the new job and begs for it back, wanting out of Jonah’s place and the family cabin business. She finds after moving back home and facing some past demons that she didn’t want this life after all and misses Jonah. She reconciles with her estranged Mother who gave her up to foster care at the age of 4, and marries the love of her life in the barn where it all started. I love the story of Graham the dog and how he got his name also. What a story! I couldn’t put it down and read it so fast. It is such a beautiful romance and i was rooting for them throughout. I loved the way Lauren made things right with her Mother and how they now have a relationship despite her rough childhood and upbringing in the system. I love how Jonah gave her space but also never gave up on Lauren despite the memory loss. 3.5 ⭐️ from me!

Jonah is the boyfriend we all wish we had. I love him a lot. This book is reeeeeeally good and I liked every single bit of it. Lauren is unfortunate enough to forget the last four months of her life.. including Jonah. The author has a very good way of writing, making the story understandable and Engaging. Read this if you're searching for a good enemies to lovers. Congrats to the author!

Sweet story of a romance lost to amnesia. Can Lauren and Jonah recapture their love or do they even want to remember it? Conflicting emotions, loss and abandonment contribute to the story set at a family-owned resort in New Hampshire. Denise Hunter is talented in creating heartwarming stories of romance and love without being steamy or explicit.

If you are a fan of Denise Hunter, you will not be disappointed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the complimentary eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Hunter for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. A complete full review to follow soon, but I will say this Denise Hunter never misses!!

I’ve never read a book by this author before but I absolutely loved it! Thank you so much for the ARC! I loved this story, it was extremely well written. Will definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author!

"Before We Were Us" by Denise Hunter is a heartwarming and engaging romance that skillfully navigates the complexities of love, memory, and self-discovery.

The novel follows Lauren Wentworth, who awakens in a hospital with no recollection of the past four months. Hunter deftly portrays Lauren's confusion and struggle as she grapples with the apparent divergence from her carefully planned life path. The author's nuanced exploration of Lauren's internal conflict between her forgotten summer experiences and her long-held ambitions adds depth to the character and story.

Jonah Landry, the male lead, is a standout character. His unwavering patience and deep love for Lauren, even as she struggles to remember their relationship, is both touching and believable. Hunter excels at developing Jonah's character, making him much more than just a love interest, but a fully realized individual with his own hopes and fears.

The backdrop of the rustic New Hampshire resort provides a cozy and atmospheric setting that enhances the story's romantic elements. Hunter's descriptive prose brings the changing seasons to life, mirroring the evolving relationship between Lauren and Jonah.

While the amnesia plot device is a well-trodden path in romance literature, Hunter manages to keep it fresh by focusing on the emotional journey of her characters rather than relying solely on the mystery of Lauren's forgotten memories. The gradual unfolding of Lauren's past, coupled with her present-day interactions with Jonah, creates a satisfying blend of tension and tenderness. We may have teared up a few times.

One of the novel's strengths lies in its exploration of identity and personal growth. Lauren's struggle to reconcile her pre-amnesia ambitions with her newfound feelings adds a layer of complexity to the typical romance narrative.

"Before We Were Us" is a delightful read that offers both comfort and excitement.

Well, this was an interesting premise!

Guy meets girl. They get off way on the wrong foot, when she gets hired as the manager for their family resort. After spending time together through work and a dose of humble vulnerability, their summer shifts from dread to delight as they fall in love. But this happy ending gets put on hold when she falls from a ladder and loses her memory of the last 4 months and only remembers him as her disgruntled boss.

Obviously he's heartbroken and you really feel for the guy. He keeps hoping she'll get her memories back, but she hopes she never does. This creates a lot of tension to the story which really made it engaging. I also really loved the back and forth of the timeline. The author would interrupt the present day to weave in pieces of how their story unfolded, which was really well done.

You'll find themes of trusting God through heartache, forgiveness, and dreams of success. This is my first read by the author and I'll probably do some more back reading now!

*A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review!

**Book Review: Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter**

This was such a captivating read.

Lauren Wentworth wakes up in a New Hampshire hospital with no memory of the last four months. She’s shocked to find she’s left her big-city dream job for a resort position and that her former nemesis, Jonah Landry, is now her boyfriend.

It was so much fun to watch them navigate this, and I loved how the story flips between past and present, showing us how Lauren and Jonah fall in love twice!

Jonah’s dedication to helping Lauren was SO adorable. I was truly rooting for them the whole time.

This story just beautifully captures the emotions of love and memory.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter is a sweet book.

Lauren is a motivated young lady who knows exactly what she wants.
Her dream job as an event planner/coordinator at an premiere firm in Boston awaits her.
However, to get the experience she needs to start her new job, she must travel to a family owned lodge in New Hampshire and serve as manager for just shy of a year.
A difficult start with the lodge owner's son, Jonah, turns into an opportunity for self reflection in the hearts of both Lauren and Jonah.
As they spend time together working, they fall in love.

The story opens with Jonah's sister, Meg, delivering an engagement ring to Jonah, as he plans to propose to Lauren at a nice dinner that night. In the moments before Lauren sets off to get ready for their dinner out, she takes a fall and is rushed to the hospital.
When Lauren regains consciousness, the only memories of Jonah she is left with are the memories of their rocky start. She has no idea they were so in love; she feels only dislike and disdain for him.

The story goes on to reveal Jonah's heartbreak at losing the love of his life; all the while hoping that her memory will return.
We are privy to Lauren's emotions, good and bad, in dealing with her memory loss.
It is hard for her to wrap her brain around the things she is being told happened during the time lost to her memory, and what she does remember and feel.
Little nuggets of the past she encounters along the way begin to make her re-evalute her feelings and look at Jonah in a different light.
She begins to see things from his perspective.

We go back and forth in time, from the present turmoil to their actual love story and how it all played out the "first" time.
I will admit that a couple of times, I had to go back and focus on whether I was reading the past or the present, but I chalk this up to the fact that I was reading an ARC and the formatting wasn't completely edited.

Overall, this was a sweet story.
I enjoyed the writing style of Denise Hunter, who developed lovable characters in a beautiful setting.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a well written wholesome love story.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson publishing and Netgalley from whom I received a complimentary copy of this book.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another great story by Denise Hunter. Each story I read by this author is inspiring. The characters are so well developed and the story keeps me turning the pages. Thanks for the advanced copy. I can’t wait for her next book.

I loved this read, it felt warm and fuzzy, but there is enough drama here that you keep turning pages for answers.
We have a young ambitious woman who as part of getting her dream job must take a temporary job in the boonies of New Hampshire. Little does Lauren know how life changing this job will be.
Then we have the owner of the resorts son, he is still taking college courses, and hope soon to take over the resort. He is still nursing a broken heart, and sure isn't looking to a new relationship.
These two don't realize the road they are about to embark on, but sparks fly and soon? Then, everything changes in a second, how can they put it back together, or do they want to?
Does everything work out the way you want it to? Keep reading!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

Very well written story of a man and a woman who were on the bring of an engagement when she falls and suffers memory loss of their entire relationship. Denise Hunters "Before We Were Us" is a beautiful story and engaging to the reader from beginning to end.

The book is set at a rustic resort in New Hampshire, not far from the Appalachian Trail which receives a mention in the book. There is picturesque scenery and a lake that Hunter brings to life. The setting is one I would love to visit myself.

There is great character growth for both Lauren and Jonah. The author speaks to their vulnerabilities and strengths with her writing creating two very believable main characters and some great supporting secondary characters. There is a bit of humor, frustration and joy in this book.

I like how the author flashed back to when Lauren and Jonah first met and fell in love, to the present day after the memory loss started. This is just a beautifully written story and fans of Hunter's other books will fall in love with this one as well.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

One of my favorite books of the year! A beautiful, sweet, heartbreaking yet heartwarming story that brought out all my emotions. It captivated me from the opening pages and was very difficult to put down.

Focusing on the story of Lauren and Jonah, this story is so masterfully written you feel every emotion as they navigate Lauren’s memory loss. I found myself laughing at parts, crying at others, while still yet feeling in awe and giddy at other parts. Lauren’s memory loss affects the entire Landry family as they have come to love her. They all are waiting to see if her memory returns and if life resumes as it was before her fall or if Lauren moves forward and returns to Boston at the end of her term.

It is a very moving story that had twists that I did not expect. This will be one of those books that I will reread for years to come!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

This is such a sweet, feel good story that will touch your heart. Jonah and Lauren agreed their romance would be just a fling, no emotions, light and casual. After all, she was moving to Boston in December for her dream job. But life doesn't always go as planned. When Lauren has an accident and is faced with amnesia, she is lost and confused. She doesn't remember being in love with Jonah, but he can't seem to forget.
Beautifully written, characters with great personalities, and a plot that made me laugh, tear up, and root for a happy ending. Loved the story, and highly recommend.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a charming PG rated romance. The setting of a cabin resort property was a nice change from the norm, and all the characters were well written. My heart hurt at points for Jonah, and I enjoyed Lauren's story arc a lot.

Before We Were Us is a wonderful, slightly unusual second chance romance from best selling author Denise Hunter. I expected to love this one, as it was one of my most anticipated releases for this year, but I wasn't expecting for it to become one of my all time favorites from this author. A sweet and compelling story that was both swoon worthy and heart wrenching, I predict that this story is going to touch each and every heart that reads it.

Readers follow the POV's of both Lauren and Jonah, who on their way to finding happily ever after. Unfortunately, disaster strikes and Lauren's badly injured in a fall that causes amnesia and for her to forget her entire relationship with Jonah. While Jonah's determined to fight for the woman who has claimed his heart, he can't stop wondering if he can rightfully do so when doing so seems to go against what Lauren wants for herself and her future.

Set amidst the atmospheric and cozy Pinehaven resort, Before We Were Us is truly Denise Hunter at her best, and I had a hard time wanting to put this one down. It had all the cozy vibes I look for in Autumn themed reads, and the characters soon came to feel like old friends. This would be the absolute perfect clean romance to curl up with in front of the fireplace and a cup of your favorite hot drink once the temperatures start to cool down.

It doesn't shy away from touching on some hard topics, like the feelings of abandonment that Lauren has grown up with after being placed in the foster system. While Lauren's character can be kind of hard to take throughout some of the story, I definitely sympathized with what she was going through, and I thought this was represented authentically. I loved Jonah as a main character, and how he went out of his way to show a self sacrificial love towards Lauren, even when it seemed like it might never be reciprocated.

All in all, I adored this one and would list it as one of my favorites now by this author. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys clean, contemporary romances. My only complaint was that I wish there had been a stronger faith element, as I thought that would have made a great story that much better.

Final Rating: 5/5.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review.