I always want to start my reviews by thanking the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book early. I really liked this book and would highly recommend it!

This book is a captivating and emotional journey of love, loss, and self-discovery. Lauren's story is both heartbreaking and inspiring, as she navigates her way through memory loss and re-evaluates her life choices.

The author masterfully explores the complexities of Lauren's character, making it easy to become invested in her journey. Jonah's unwavering dedication and patience are admirable, and their chemistry is undeniable.

The writing is descriptive and immersive, transporting readers to the beautiful setting of New Hampshire. The supporting cast adds depth to the narrative, and the plot is engaging and well-paced.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys romantic and emotional stories of self-discovery. With its poignant message and memorable characters, this tale will leave readers smiling and inspired.

I really enjoy Denise Hunter's books. This one was good, but not her usual captivating stories. This was a cozy, quick read - enjoyable, but not as deep as I would have liked.

The characters are sweet and good to each other. They each wanted what was best for the other person. It was fun to see them fall in love with each other twice. Dr. Carson seemed like an unnecessary character. I thought he would have been a larger part of the story.

The ending is exactly what you expect.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me a copy of Denise Hunter’s book Before We Were Us in exchange for an honest review. This book was charming and had me hooked from the beginning. It is told from different time frames during a 4 month span switching between past and present. The present being what happens after Lauren’s fall from a ladder and subsequent memory loss and the before is the story of Lauren and Jonah falling in love.

Throughout the story you learn of both of their insecurities and their reasons for them, you learn of Lauren’s need of belonging, and Jonah’s feelings of helplessness. You see how sometimes you have to let what you love free and hope it will maybe come back to you.

This story kind of reminded me of a depressing Hallmark movie, although I loved every page.

I haven’t come by a book by Denise Hunter previously and will now be on the look out. I enjoyed not just the story and characters but how they were developed. I couldn’t wait to turn the page but also didn’t want it to end.

So tricking fun! a bit of a change in pace for books that I typically read, ive never read one of Hunter's books before and this was a delight to begin with. I will definitely be looking for more of her titles in the future, and a perfect read during the summertime!

Rarely can a book equally capture both sides with authenticity and that is by far the most endearing quality of this book, its dual nature of character development. Chef's kiss. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a new stand alone.

Sweet and sappy love story for those who love Hallmark movies. It was very predictable. I was hoping for more substance and a stronger female character. Just not my cup of tea.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own." Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an Ebook ARC of this story from NetGalley, this is my honest and objective review. The fmc is city-girl Lauren, who is the manager at Jonah's family's resort in New Hampshire, where she's worked and lived for the past six months. The story starts with Jonah planning to ask Lauren to marry him, but before he can Lauren falls and hits her head, causing amnesia. Unfortunately for Jonah's plans, Lauren's most easily recalled memories of Jonah are antagonistic and pre-date their romantic relationship. Can Jonah win her back and persuade her to take another chance on him and on their life in New Hampshire, or will Lauren go back to Boston and her much fancier dream job like she'd originally planned?

I was not the right audience for this book. It's an interesting premise but the execution didn't grab me. The story starts abruptly on the day of the accident, and I would have liked it if we'd seen a little more of their history first so I could have been better invested in their relationship. There was no real reason initially to like either of them, either separately or together, and that feeling followed me through the story. Maybe the author wanted to woo the readers alongside Jonah's renewed wooing of Lauren, and there is use of flashbacks to fill in the background, but overall it didn't quite work for me. Also, if I'd been in Lauren's position and suddenly found myself with a serious boyfriend of several months, with no recollection of any of it, I'd at least be wondering if we'd had sex but it doesn't seem to occur to Lauren even though she finds him attractive. That seemed unrealistic in general, but given the low steam level of the rest of the book it's consistent. The plot and writing style of this book is reminiscent of a Hallmark movie, pleasant but formulaic. This is a new-to-me author, and it was a solid enough book that I finished it but it just wasn't the book for me. I think readers who are willing to suspend disbelief and are fans of low-steam women's fiction with dependable happily-ever-afters will enjoy this book the most.

Before We Were Us is another good book written by Denise Hunter, one of my favorite authors. Her books are always a must read.

One of the main characters in this book is Lauren. She is an extremely hard work who has a chance to have the job that she has always dreamed of in event planning. But, there is one requirement, she needs experience. Lauren finds an internship in a family-owned resort in New Hampshire and that is where she meets Jonah, the future owner and her boss. Jonah and Lauren’s personalities clash immediately. They do not like each other. Their opinions change throughout the summer and they fall in love. Then, their was a horrible accident. As Lauren was climbing down a ladder, she fell and hit her head. She lost her memory of all that had happened in the last four months.
The last she remembered, she didn’t like Jonah and no way did she love him. But, Jonah remembers every second of the love they shared. Can he win her heart again or will Lauren take that dream job in another city?

Thank you, Thomas Nelson Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

you are a romance reader, this book is everything you’d ever want in a love story; thorough character development, unlikely attraction between characters, conflict, emotional roller coaster, captivating setting, and a sprinkle of humor. The conflict in Before we Were Us is rather frustrating, but that is what made the ending so satisfyingly beautiful. Then there is the setting; I wanted to look up the New Hampshire location and take my family for a week.
Lauren, grew up in the foster care system, got herself on her feet and somehow managed to put herself through college. Lauren’s dream job as a corporate event planner for one of the most prestigious companies in Boston is within her reach. Her glowing resume lacks one thing, experience. To gain this resume bullet, she takes on an internship at a rural family-owned resort where one can rent a cabin in the woods of New Hampshire. The Pinehaven Resort had been in the Landry family for several generations.
The owner’s son, Jonah and newcomer Lauren didn’t hit it off in the beginning but have become close over the months they have been working together. Being a city girl, she is surprised to actually be enjoying herself, especially the company of Jonah. While describing her idea of converting an old barn into a wedding/event venue, Lauren falls off a ladder and is rushed to the hospital. Lauren recovers from her visible injuries, but she has lost all memory of the last four months, including the growing relationship with Jonah. Her mind is back to the early days when she and Jonah were at odds. Sadly, the day she fell was the very day Jonah planned a romantic evening where he’d present her with a beautiful diamond ring and propose marriage. That plan is certainly no longer viable so the ring is locked away in a safe for hopefully better times. Doctors predict her memory to return in a few weeks, but the hard fact is that she may never regain those missing four months. Hard working Lauren dives back into her tasks at hand ,and decides she doesn’t matter if she remembers the lost four months and now is only interested in finishing her time there and moving back to Boston, where a prestigious position as an event planner with a well established firm called Glitter awaits. 
Jonah, who of course remembers every part of their love journey, is heartbroken about the state of their relationship, which is pretty much non-existent, if not hostile. He makes every effort to rekindle the friendship and love they had before she lost her memory. Lauren is not receptive. Slowly things do improve, however, the move back to Boston gets closer every day.
.

This is a charming, engaging and a bit frustrating story. I was right there with the characters, the cabins, and rescue dog, Graham. I could almost feel, smell and hear the sounds of the forest, as the writer used words to make the story come alive in my imagination.
Your heart will hurt along with Jonah’s, but one must also have sympathy for the situation Lauren found herself in.

My only complaint is the build up to the end couldn’t happen fast enough, but it was definitely worth the wait.

Before We Were Us, is a beautifully written tradgic love story that takes place in the picturesque Pinehaven resort.
Lauren is hired by the Landry family to help their son Jonah run the resort while they ease into retirent. Jonah is finishing a business degree before he takes over the resort. Lauren gets the job to get some real world experience before she stsrts her dream job as an event planner Boston the following year.
The pair start off very prickly, with a chance encounter seeing Lauren doused in muddy puddle! These enemies gradually melt each others walls and they fall in love.
Lauren begins planning a life with Jonah, until she falls from a ladder and suffers from amnesia, she has no memory of her relationship with Jonah.
We read their past and developing stories in a dual timeline which I really enjoyed.
I have never read a Denise Hunter novel before, she writes with such wonderful prose with such vivid emotion. For a romance (with no spice) you can feel the depth of emotion between characters, without the need for any open door scenes.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Denise Hunter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

As soon as I read the synopsis I was intrigued. I kept thinking about Before We Were Us even before I started it.
I had high expectations and they were all met. As soon as I read the first page I couldn’t put Lauren’s and Jonah’s story down. I needed to know how it ended. It’s a heartbreaking story yet beautiful and full of hope. I throughly enjoyed Denise Hunter’s writing story as it’s effortlessly fascinating.

“Before We Were Us” by Denise Hunter
A Sweet Contemporary Romance
A story that wrapped me up in its web and held me close to the very last punctuation mark. An excellent sharing of the trauma that can result from memory loss and the subsequent journey to put one’s life back together again. And, Yes, the tears flowed like a tsunami, and the smiles did abound, too. Happy Reading ! !

I really enjoyed reading Before We Were Us! Denise Hunter did a great job with character development. I was able to empathize with both sides of the story and want a positive outcome for each. I learned about traumatic head injuries as well. The ending was enjoyable as I was glad things were left a little messy because that's how life really is.

I loved this book and didn’t want it to end! A perfect happy book to escape into and I would recommend to anyone needing a feel good romance. Jonah is so patient with Lauren as she struggles with her loss of memory from the summer they fell in love. The setting of the mountain resort is dreamy and I can’t wait for Denise Hunters next novel!

This is a lovely book.its an unusual second chance romance. I liked the characters. Jonah is such a sweet man. He really puts his heart on the line with Lauren. Lauren has been hurt in life. We see her twice changing and transforming. It was a wonderful tale. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This was such a heartwarming read. I fell in love with the characters, the setting, all of it. The writing was superb!! I can't believe I've never read anything from this author previously. She has such a beautiful way of weaving a story.

Before We Were us
by Denise Hunter
Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Such a sweet read!!!!
Lauren and Jonah’s story is so sweet. I couldn’t put this story down. The dual time line makes the story. You are able to see the before and after of Lauren’s accident.
You want her to get her memory back so bad the whole time.
The epilogue is the perfect end to the book.

This is a great summer read. Definitely recommend.

Admittedly, this wasn't my favorite Denise Hunter book. Very long on description and short on doing. I struggled with the flip flopping timelines but what I did get out of it is how our past informs our future and sometimes love comes around again, even if you don't remember it.

#BeforeWeWereUs #NetGalley

Jonah's world turns upside down when his girlfriend Lauren has a freak accident and loses the last four months of her memory. Lauren remembers nothing about the relationship that her and Jonah had. Her last memory is him as an enemy. This book felt ./a little off and read slowly.