thank you netgalley for the e-arc. loved the setting of new hampshire, it made me want to visit one day. this book is pretty much a well-done hallmark movie and i hope to find more like this one.

Before We Were Us is a perfect blend of tenderness, vulnerability, and the bittersweetness of love that could have been lost. Denise Hunter’s fans will appreciate the novel’s themes of hope and renewal, and new readers will find themselves charmed by its relatable characters and emotional depth. This is a beautiful story about finding love, even when you've forgotten where you left it.

I loved this book!! Every single book that Denise Hunter writes just gets better and better. It was very emotional and inspiring. The MMC & FMC were perfectly written. The MMC was so caring and supportive. Thank you thank you thank you Denise for this amazing book!!!

BEFORE WE WERE US is a sweet romance between a city girl and a small town boy. Lauren and Jonah meet when she accepts a short term assignment to manage his family’s New Hampshire resort. They fallin love over the course of the summer and Jonah is ready to propose until Lauren suffers a catastrophic fall. When she wakes up in the hospital, she can’t remember the past five months, including her love story with Jonah. Can Lauren and Jonah recapture the magic or is their love fates to disappear like Lauren’s memory?

I didn’t realize this was marketed as a Christian romance until I finished the book and was surprised. There were a few references to prayer, but strictly in a conversational manner. Denise Hunter wrote a closed door, emotional romance that tugs on the heartstrings.

I enjoyed the small town, relaxed vibe of this novel. The characters were easy to like and there was a cute rescue dog. This was a good choice for reading on a beautiful fall weekend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the advance copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

Lauren Wentworth wakes up in the hospital to be told she took a bad fall from a ladder and hit her head. Fortunately, she will be okay. Unfortunately, she can't remember the past several months of her life. She's told that she's in a serious relationship with Jonah Landry. What?!!! All she can remember about Jonah is her great dislike for him when she came to work for his parents at their resort in New Hampshire. This is her first job out of college to give her some experience so she can go back to the city and have her dream job at Glitter that is waiting for her.
Jonah's parents and his sister, Meg, are all very warm towards her so she must have had a close relationship with them, but she can't remember any of it. She's not sure she wants to remember as it can jeopardize her dream job. Better to keep distance between everyone here. Especially, Jonah. Understandably, Jonah is devastated, but tries to give her space and hopes and prays her memory will return.
Lauren has abandonment issues. Jonah was adopted by the 'parents' who raised him and has insecurities that they truly want him to run the resort. Surely, they want 'blood' to be the one taking over upon their retirement.
Great story by Denise Hunter, one of my favorite authors! Wonderful characters! Her description of the resort makes me lont to visit it in New Hampshire!
I was given an advance ecopy by the publisher, Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. I was under no obligation to leave a positive review.

I’ll cheerfully admit to being a fan of pretty much anything Denise Hunter ever wrote. She’s one of the first Christian contemporary romance authors whose careers I’ve followed, and I may-or-may-not have read every title!

Romance authors love to play with tropes, and amnesia is a time-honored plot device that can lead to a wide variety of stories. It isn’t the first time Denise Hunter has explored amnesia (see The Goodbye Bride for another variation).

Where the relationship is when the amnesia occurs, which character it happens to, and what’s at stake for both continuing to forget and for the return of memory can make the stakes very high. At any rate, there are a lot of options to play with, and this story is an example of the trope well-played in the hands of a master.

Denise Hunter can be counted on for a solid romance story where all the pieces tie back in satisfactorily. I’ll admit to being a little skeptical when I read the first chapter, where a lovey-dovey couple is hanging out together, and you know the hero has an engagement ring in his pocket and plans for a proposal any minute now. I could almost hear the dramatic, foreboding music! Something is going to go very, very wrong any second now.

And… it did. This isn’t a spoiler, as Lauren’s fall and subsequent amnesia happens very early in the story, leaving us with a heroine who can’t remember falling in love with “that guy.” She couldn’t even stand him, the last she remembered from a few months back! As for Jonah, he’s still in love with her. Of course, he is! Imagining the torment and turmoil for him as he tries to learn how to step back and give Lauren’s memories space to return was, well, torture for this reader, too.

Lauren was adamant NOT to look through her texts and photos. People might tell her she’d been in love with Jonah, but she didn’t even want to remember. I found that part a bit hard to believe, honestly. It’s played that she’s so mired in what she DOES remember (avidly disliking Jonah) that she doesn’t even want to remember how he won her over. Obviously he’d played to her sympathies somehow, and she won’t let that happen a second time. I cannot imagine pretending texts from the person I supposedly loved and photos of us together didn’t even exist. Every story requires an extension of disbelief, and this is where Before We Were Us stretched mine!

Also, I generally count on Denise Hunter for a very solid faith message in one of her romances. This one was particularly light in that regard. As an author myself, I understand that not every set of characters and every journey they’re on is the same in regard to faith depth, but still, I wished this one had more spiritual content.

Do I still recommend Before We Were Us? Definitely. As far as I know, it’s a standalone, so it’s a great introduction to Denise Hunter’s works.

If you enjoy contemporary romance that tugs at your heartstrings, you’ll want to reserve your copy now!

What happens when you can't remember falling in love? I enjoyed reading Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter. In the story Jonah and Lauren don't get off to a great start until they finally find their way to one another and then fate intervenes. Will Lauren remember her love for Jonah or will she pursue someone else? This was a good read and I enjoyed the journey with these characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Before We Were Us in exchange for an honest review. This book is available now.

4.5- The story sucks you in. I loved the characters, the romance, the setting... Because the story goes back and forth in time, it was a little tricky to keep track of if the chapter was pre-amnesia or post-amnesia. The chapters have dates at the top, which helps.

Overall, definitely worth a read!

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a cozy family-forward second chance romance that you wouldn't be scared to share with your religious aunt. At times it felt repetitive or lacking some big momentous energy, but overall it was a sweet easy read that made me want to pack my bags and visit a cute little resort.

ARC and ALC Review :

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


On the night Jonah is about to propose, his girlfriend Lauren takes an unexpected fall. Upon arriving at the hospital he learns that the injury she sustained is not physical, but mental. She is diagnosed with a concussion/ traumatic brain injury that resulted in memory loss. She has no recollection of the last four months or her relationship with Jonah. Will Lauren ever regain her memories, or will her love for Jonah disappear for good?

Denise Hunter’s Before We Were Us is a five star read perfect for fall!!! This contemporary novel is set at the rustic resort, Pinehaven Lodge. With the cozy New Hampshire backdrop readers are transported to small town living, with a delightful cast of side characters.

While I am not one who usually enjoys the amnesia trope, Hunter won me over. Utilizing flashbacks, she perfectly paints the picture of Lauren and Jonah’s relationship before the accident and after. It was wonderful to see the parallels between the first and second time they fell in love.

This book also features:
-found family
-opposites attract (city girl/ small town boy)
-enemies to more
- sprinkles of Christianity/ faith

I highly recommend reading or listening to this book. I had the pleasure of enjoying both formats and see the advantage of both. Kim Churchill does a fantastic job narrating the book and making the story come to life.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction, Harper Collins Christian Publishing, Netgalley, and Denise Hunter for allowing me to read/ listen to this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a cute little New England love story between Lauren and Jonah.

Jonah is the small town boy that is taking over his family’s resort and Lauren is the big town (Boston) girl that needs to have real life experience at a resort before she takes the corporate job in Boston. Lauren is expected to be at the resort from May - December but she falls in love.

What happens when she falls off a ladder and looses the past three months of her life and her love story with Jonah? You’ll have to read it to find out.

Overall this was a cute book. The ending felt rushed and it didn’t feel like we fully closed the loop which was the only disappointing part.

Wow. Easiest 5 star rating ever! I loved this book. I fell in love with all the characters. The beautifully described landscape of the Landry property has me wanting to schedule a vacation! This book covers all the bases including love, loss, found family, resilience, faith, triumph, second chances. The epilog could not have been a more perfect way to end this book and the story of Jonah and Lauren.
Thank you netgalley for the advanced readers copy of this book. My reading was all my own and in no way reflected by receiving this book as a gift.

"Before We Were Us" by Denise Hunter is a heartfelt romantic novel that explores themes of love, forgiveness, and second chances. The story follows two characters, childhood sweethearts who are reunited after years apart, as they navigate their complicated past and unresolved feelings. Hunter's writing is warm and engaging, bringing the characters' emotions to life. With a blend of romance and personal growth, this book offers a touching reflection on the importance of embracing the present while coming to terms with the past. It's an enjoyable read for fans of contemporary romance.

We have ourselves a book of the year contender....

Drum roll please...

Before We Were Us

Im sure you can see from my reading history, I don't typically read contemporary romance but the book gods had aligned and this stunning cover ended up in front of me and well, I just couldn't say no and Im so happy I didn't!

I absolutely loved every bit of Jonah, ugh, if its a book boyfriend, it's not cheating right ?

Before We Were Us, is the PERFECT book club pic, I promise, you will have so much to talk about!

Both Jonah and Lauren feel SO real that when you conclude you will just want a life update, like, hey, how's it going?

I want to be their friends!!!

I can't sing enough praise, Denise Hunter, slayed and I can't wait to see what is next

Check out this teaser :

She can’t remember. He can’t forget.

When Lauren Wentworth wakes up in the hospital after falling from a ladder, she has more questions than answers. Way more. She knows where she is—the wilds of New Hampshire. But she’s apparently lost the last four months of her life. Is she really contemplating forfeiting her big-city dream job for a position at a rustic resort? And how did her number one nemesis become her adoring boyfriend?

Jonah Landry is crushed to learn Lauren has forgotten their entire summer together. Terrified of losing her for good, he determines to help her remember their deep connection as she finishes her obligation to the resort. But soon it becomes apparent Lauren doesn’t want to remember falling in love with him or rethinking the entire course of her career. She wants to pretend the summer never happened and move on with her life. Without him.

As Lauren falls back into the steady routines of resort work with Jonah, she’s relieved her memories haven’t returned and remains resolute about her big-city future. But as autumn leads into winter, she begins to see glimpses of the Jonah she’s forgotten. Will she be able to resist the steady love of this patient man? Or is her heart destined for its own freefall?

I love a good romance, but this one fell short for me. I wish I’d had more of the characters’ backstory, I didn’t like that it was glossed over in the beginning.

4.5 Stars!

This was a heartwarming and tender love story! I have read many books by Denise Hunter and I believe this is my favorite of hers.

The setting is at an idyllic family resort that was giving me all cozy vibes. Roadtrip to New Hampshire anyone?! The book was heart wrenching in the best was possible ( if that's a thing). I could feel Lauren's confusion and fear and the deep sadness and heartbreak of Jonah. Jonah is such a champ! His dedication to Lauren was SO sweet. Ugh I loved seeing their love bloom again.

Read if you like:
- the movie While You Were Sleeping or The Vow
- feel good stories that touch your heart
- cozy New England vibes
- the best dog sidekick ever
- characters that you want to be friends with
- a story of tender love
- found family
- pure thoughtfulness that will make you tear up (just wait to you get to the "Heelys" part.

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Interesting premise, and not the ending you would expect, but a fun HEA that really leaves you wondering. I felt there was a lot of character growth, both individually and together. I'm glad in the end, she didn't worry about labels as much.

Before We Were Us, by Denise Hunter, is a well plotted story relating the repercussions to one’s life after experiencing a traumatic brain injury. Lauren Wentworth is working as manager of the family owned lakeside Pinehaven Resort in Pinehaven, New Hampshire. Having had dreams of working for the elite corporate event planning company in Boston, Glitter, when Lauren is offered a paid internship by the company owner working at the resort to get management experience after owner Tom Landry suffers a heart attack.

Lauren quickly takes the opportunity given her expecting a fancy resort. When Lauren arrives at the resort, however, she finds more of a family fishing camp. She tries to make the most of it with Glitter in her sights at the end of the year. While Tom and Tammy are lovely, and their daughter Meg is delightful, their son Jonah is an enigma that rather brings out the hate at first sight reaction until it doesn’t.

On the day Jonah plans to propose at a fancy dinner, they first go to the old barn on the property that they are renovating as an event space. Taking in the view below the old loft affords, Lauren and Jonah are already making future plans. That is until a misstep on the loft ladder finds Lauren crumpled on the barn floor unresponsive. With a quick 911 call it still seems like forever before emergency services arrives and transports Lauren, accompanied by Jonah, to the hospital. However, when Lauren finally awakes it is determined that she has lost the last several months of memory and remembers nothing of her relationship with Jonah and is still in the time before they were together. From there, the story evolves to tell what happens as Lauren returns to the resort as well as how she plans to leave at the beginning of the year.

This is another well written and heartfelt story by Denise Hunter. With wonderful characters, a lovely, well described setting, and a focus on the seriousness of head injuries, this is one more must read from this author. I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!

This book gives major The Vow vibes.

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter shares the premise of the female protagonist losing her memory in an accident and forgetting about falling in love with the male protagonist. So the question then becomes, “Will she get her memories back? Can he make her fall in love with him again?”

The story is very cute, as are the couple. It is told in third person POV, flip flopping between the FMC and MMC. It’s a slow burn, closed door romance (which I really appreciate).

The writing sometimes could be a little trite, especially when it comes to some character descriptions, but thankfully the main characters develop more layers as you near the 50% mark.

Set against the backdrop of a resort in New Hampshire, this story is a nice, quick fall read!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before We Were Us is available now wherever books are sold.

Lauren and Jonah have had an unexpected romance when she moved to rural New Hampshire to get job experience working at Jonah’s family’s resort. Starting out as hostile co-workers, the two slowly let each other in and fall in love. But things take an even more unexpected turn when Lauren gets in a freak accident causing her to loose her memory of the last few months and she completely forgets that she is in love with Jonah. She only remembers the hostility she felt toward him when she first arrived. The story gives current day and flashbacks to the past as you get a detailed look at their relationship. This story is filled with heartwarming moments, a good amount of emotional depth, lovable characters, and a rich setting that will leave you wanting to research a trip to New Hampshire.

I’ve been a fan of Denise Hunter for quite a few years now, but I think this may take the cake as my favorite book by her. If you are looking for a clean, fall romance with a rich setting and engaging story, then I would give this book a try! I know this book will be a huge hit at our library this fall as many of our patrons have fallen in love with her books over the last year.

The story was very engaging and I really appreciated her adding in a few more faith elements than her last few books- would love to see more of this! I also loved the different timelines and emotional depth to this story. I found myself getting really connected and invested into the story to where I didn’t want to put the book down (this is not a normal occurrence for me).

Content Notes: themes of abandonment/foster care/adoption, moderate panic attacks/anxiety representation, clean/kisses only