Denise Hunter’s *Before We Were Us* is a tender, emotionally rich audiobook that beautifully explores love, memory, and the challenges of rediscovering a connection you never meant to lose. With her signature charm and heartfelt storytelling, Hunter crafts a romance that is as poignant as it is uplifting, making this an irresistible listen for fans of small-town love stories with emotional depth.

The story begins with Lauren Wentworth waking up in a hospital, disoriented and missing four months of her life. She’s stunned to find herself in rural New Hampshire, contemplating a career move that seems wildly out of character—and even more shocked to discover that Jonah Landry, a man she once considered her nemesis, is now claiming to be her boyfriend. Hunter masterfully sets the stage for a tale of lost memories and second chances, pulling listeners into Lauren’s confusion and Jonah’s heartbreak as they navigate a love that one of them can’t remember.

Jonah is the kind of romantic hero that listeners will immediately root for: steadfast, patient, and quietly endearing. His determination to help Lauren recall their summer together is both touching and bittersweet, especially as Lauren makes it clear she’s not interested in remembering—or rekindling—their love. As the story unfolds, Jonah’s unwavering devotion becomes a beacon of hope in the face of Lauren’s resistance, making his journey all the more moving.

Lauren, meanwhile, is a wonderfully complex protagonist. Her struggle to reconcile the life she envisioned with the life she unknowingly began building is deeply relatable, and her reluctance to revisit the emotions she’s forgotten adds a layer of tension to her interactions with Jonah. Hunter writes Lauren’s internal conflict with sensitivity, capturing her fear of vulnerability and her gradual realization that the life she thought she wanted might not be the one she needs.

The audiobook’s pacing is perfectly measured, giving listeners time to savor the slow unraveling of Lauren’s forgotten summer and the quiet, persistent love Jonah offers. The resort setting, with its rustic charm and picturesque New Hampshire landscapes, serves as the ideal backdrop for a story of self-discovery and rekindled connection. Hunter’s vivid descriptions and immersive writing make it easy to picture the changing seasons and the cozy warmth of the resort, adding depth to the narrative.

The narrator’s performance is exceptional, bringing each character to life with distinct voices and emotional nuance. Lauren’s confusion and Jonah’s quiet heartbreak are conveyed with authenticity, drawing listeners deeper into their story. The narration enhances the emotional resonance of the audiobook, making every moment feel immediate and real.

What sets *Before We Were Us* apart is its exploration of love as an act of choice and patience. This isn’t just a story about remembering the past; it’s about deciding whether to embrace the future, even when it means letting go of old dreams. Hunter handles these themes with grace and tenderness, creating a romance that feels both heartfelt and earned.

Denise Hunter has crafted a captivating and deeply moving audiobook that will leave listeners with a full heart and a lingering smile. *Before We Were Us* is a beautiful testament to the power of steadfast love and the courage it takes to rewrite your story. Perfect for fans of heartfelt romance and small-town charm, this audiobook is a five-star listen that will stay with you long after the final chapter.

"Before We Were Us" is a second-chance romance of an unusual sort. Although this couple is in love for the first time and hasn't broken up, Lauren suffered a head injury that erased the last four months of her life. Unfortunately for her boyfriend, Jonah, that means she's forgotten every detail of their enemies to lovers transition. So far as she's concerned, he's still unbearable; not the person she can't bear to live without.

As they each try to navigate this odd alteration of their circumstances, it forces them both to think about what they really want out of life (and who they most want it with).

Overall, I felt it was a well-written story, and I truly enjoyed Jonah's patience with everything. His focus on Lauren's happiness, even if that didn't include him, was touching to witness.

Thank you to Denise Hunter, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This novel follows Lauren and Jonah, a couple working at his family’s cabin resort in rural New Hampshire. After a fall, Lauren loses memory of the past few months, including her romance with Jonah. The story alternates between present-day events and their blossoming love over the summer.

With its cozy atmosphere and picturesque setting, the book has a Hallmark movie vibe, though with a more emotional and serious undertone. While the resort’s charm is vividly captured, Jonah’s struggles with Lauren’s harshness are palpable.
Sweet story which I enjoyed.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the audio ARC which I enjoyed in exchange for my honest review.

I thought that it was a fresh approach story. I do expect Hallmarkish type stories from Ms. Hunter but she always delivers a little something extra with the story!

AUDIO READ

Such.a sweet story. Jonah and Lauren have fallen n love after meeting and working at his family’s seaside resort in New England. On the day Jonah has planned to propose, Lauren has a terrible accident and leaves the hospital not remembering the last six month - the total time of their romance.. This is such a well written story of love, loss, and new love..

Kim Churchill was a wonderful narrator. There was no need for a full cast at the helm.

A city girl named Lauren falls in love with small town Jonah. Everything is perfect. They’re even about to get engaged. But then, she falls off a ladder and loses the past several months of her memory. Lauren’s feelings are back to how they were when she first met Jonah. And they didn’t start off well. You might even say they were more enemies than friends. Poor Jonah is heartbroken as he realizes the love of his life no longer loves him. How long will it take to win her love back?

A few of my favorite things…
-the small town autumn setting
-Hallmark-y vibes
-the whole idea of falling back in love after losing memory
-the cute rescue dog
-the idea of running a rustic resort in a small town

I didn’t care for…
-sometimes the sexual attraction between the two MC’s seemed to be a bit more the focus of the story than I would have liked

Know that…
-it’s a fairly clean romance, but there is a good bit of kissing and focus on strong attraction
-it’s labeled Christian fiction, but the Christian element doesn’t go much deeper than quick prayers

Perfect for…
Women looking for a feel-good autumn-y book or audiobook.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Before We Were Us" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book. Love that it is set in New Hampshire. I have been to many of the places talked about in the book since I live here. The White Mountains, Flume Gorge, Lake Region, Laconia Bike Week, Littleton, etc. Overall I really did enjoy this story. Love, loss, sadness, hope, romance, great characters and the perfect setting!

This gave me all the comfortable fall feels of a Gilmore Girls type town with trying to fall in love all over again like 50 First Dates. I loved the beginning of the story. The main characters are in love and on their way to an engagement when a freak accident causes her to forget she ever loved him. The story started falling flat for me though in the middle and I started losing interest.

Thank you to Netgalley, Denise Hunter and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This is exactly what I needed! Sweet heartfelt little fall read. I loved this book so much. I feel head over heels with Jonah.

A sweet and heartwarming small town romance with wonderful characters and a great plot that kept me reading until the end of this story. Always love reading this author! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Swoony 50 First Date vibes (falling in love all over again) × drive/determined characters similar to The Wedding Planner × clean romance + loveable friends, family, guests, and pup = delightful read. ❤️

This feels like the year of books exploring brain injuries that lead to broken memories and forgotten loves. While I think this is a great concept to read about, especially in a romance novel, I had a hard time really attaching myself to these characters. And in case you're wondering, the spice level was very low. This was a wholesome love story about grief, patience and understanding.
Lauren takes a temporary job after graduating college to satisfy the expectations of the boss of her dream job. She ends up falling, hurting her head, and forgetting the last 4 months of her life. Jonah, she remembers, is the guy that she avoids as much as she can and only deals with to get her job done. What she doesn't remember is that she fell in love with him.
Lauren copes as best as she can so that she can just get through the next 3 months and get back home. What bothered me most about this is that she was so selfish in her coping, that she didn't even see that Jonah was hurting while he was giving her space and understanding as she healed.
This set me off with a bad taste for the characters and although things started to shift as healing began, my initial impressions were hard to sway.
I listened to the audiobook version and enjoyed the narration. The audio flowed nicely and it made it hard to pause when I just wanted to keep listening.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I usually love Denise Hunter's books, but I could not connect to this story, partly because I've read something similar.

Seven months ago Lauren Wentworth graduated with her degree in hospitality. She had her eye on her dream job, but the boss wanted her to have more experience. She travelled to rural New Hampshire to become temporary manager of Pinehaven Lodge, a rustic family-owned resort. When she arrived, she had an extremely adversarial relationship with the owners' son, Jonah. The more they worked together, that wall came down and they fell in love. He asked her to marry him, and she agreed, giving up the job in Boston and staying in New Hampshire. While working in the barn venue, she falls from a ladder and hits her head. When she comes to, the last five months are gone, and she only remembers the adversarial part of her relationship with Jonah. He is heartbroken and will do whatever she needs to get her memory back and make her happy, including letting her go. She calls Boston to check in and finds out that she forfeited the job, but they agree to give her one more chance. After talking to everyone around her, she finally believes that she fell in love with Jonah, but those feelings are gone. As she finishes out her year at the family lodge, can Johan get her to fall in love with him again.

I really enjoyed this story, although I am not a big fan of the amnesia trope. Denise Hunter does a good job with this story and made me love both Lauren and Jonah. He stole my heart and I was so sad for him, thinking that he had lost Lauren. She was career driven and very good at her job, but I wanted her to either get her memory back or fall in love all over again. Jonah was so sweet and patient with Lauren, only wanting her to remember the happy times that they had. I liked that both of them had issues and past hurts that affected their behaviour before they fell in love, and that is what Lauren remembers. I loved the setting of the family lodge in the woods of New Hampshire. I also enjoyed seeing Lauren work with the family to build up their business. Jonah's family were wonderful to Lauren and had welcomed her to their family. I enjoy Denise Hunter's writing and this was another winner. Kim Churchill does a great job with the narration on the audiobook and I really enjoyed listening to this one.

Such a sweet story of a man who loves a woman who doesn't remember that love. When Lauren falls off a ladder she doesn't remember that she loves Jonah. She only remembers her disklike for him at the beginning of the summer season when she met him. This is their journey back to each other.

Denise Hunter's books are always a favorite of mine. I alternated between reading and listening to the audio version. The narrator, Kim Churchill, did a wonderful job!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 10 October 2024

Not a new idea…wife forgets things and husband has a chance to right his wrongs and pretend like he is the best husband ever. But as soon as Lauren wakes up in the hospital her gut tells her there more to the story because the person convincing her is making her sound like a completely different person than she remembers herself as.
Whose version of her is the real one? Where can she go to find herself? Will her marriage survive this?? The. Audio book was wonderful, slight, quiet voice really played into the fears Lauren feels.

This was a super cute read. I received early access to this audio book via net galley and am so glad I did. The audio production did a fantastic job and it was easy to listen and follow. The storyline was super cute and not overly dramatic or cheesy. I found myself feeling connected to the characters and rooting for them. I would definitely recommend to others!!

the idea was there, but not the execution.
i don t know what happenned but i didn t enjoyed listen to this audiobook

dnf at 25%

A fun ~kinda~ second-chance romance that’s perfect for lovers of Hallmark movies and is looking for a sweet fall/winter read.
Lauren gets a temporary job at a rustic resort and absolutely despises the owners’ son, Jonah. He is also technically her boss for the summer.
Fast forward to the beginning of fall, Lauren wakes up in the hospital and doctors inform her that she suffered a head injury after falling off a ladder. She ALSO lost all her memories of the summer, and was shocked to find out she had been DATING her nemesis Jonah this whole time? Ugh as if!!!
Lauren refuses to resume her apparent relationship with Jonah because of this memory loss and goes back to hating him just like she did at the beginning of the summer. This leaves Jonah heartbroken, because he was planning on proposing to her before this accident happened. While the two of them continue working together, will Lauren’s memories come back? Will she fall back in love with Jonah?
This book was sweet and cheesy, and had an adorable dog in it which is always a bonus.
Thanks again to NetGalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

"Before We Were Us" is an enemies-to-lovers story with a twist of amnesia. It follows Jonah, an innkeeper, and his employee-turned-girlfriend, Lauren, who loses parts of her memory after a ladder accident.

Lauren started working at Pinehaven Lodges right after college to get some experience before chasing her dream job in Boston. What she didn’t see coming was falling for her boss!

Set in a charming inn with cozy vibes and lovable characters, I really liked Jonah’s character. He’s the patient, sweet boyfriend who seems too perfect sometimes. I especially loved the scenes involving his gifts to Lauren *sigh*.

The Landry family is really nice too, though I found myself wishing for a little tension. Graham, though, stole the show for me—his presence was just so warm and happy!

I appreciated the backstory about Lauren’s mom; it added some depth to the plot. I did wish for a bit more character development, though.

Overall, I enjoyed it! It made me smile and feel giddy while listening to the audiobook. This was actually my first audiobook experience, and it was great! I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this author.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to this in exchange for my honest review!