Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter

A sweet romance that was perfect for a cozy fall read! If you are looking for a Hallmark movie in book form, this is a great book for you to dive into.

Lauren Wentworth is a driven career woman with a past of growing up in foster homes. Lauren takes a job at a resort to further her career in event planning. When she falls in love with Jonah Landry, the son of the family who owns the resort, her life is turned upside down and she chooses love over her career. But then, Lauren falls off a ladder and everything changes.

This beautiful novel set in the forests of New Hampshire, brings to life a beautiful romance and choosing what is important in life. It also delves into reconciling battles with past traumas and forgiveness, so this novel is not just a sweet romance, but the main character grapples with how to forgive someone who wronged you as a child.

Kim Churchill, the audio narrator, was perfect for each part and did a great job.

Thank you, Net Galley and Zondervan Fiction Audio, for the advanced reader copy. This is a book that will be easy to recommend to my friends and followers that love a pure, beautiful romance. #NetGalley #BeforeWeWereUs

Denise Hunter is a go-to author for me when I'm looking for a book that will tug on my heart. Before We Were Us is just such a book, and it tugged hard!

Lauren Wentworth put herself through college and earned a hospitality degree. She took that degree to the Landry family's Pinehaven Lodge in rural New Hampshire for the summer before starting her job in big-city Boston. The job meant to prove herself to her dream job became so much more when she fell in love with Jonah Landry, his family, and the possibilities she sees in the job she is doing. When she falls from a ladder suffering a head injury, she loses four months of her memory. In those four months she and Jonah went from adversaries to friends to in love, and she pulled her name from contention at Glitter, her dream job. All she remembers when she wakes up in the ER is that Jonah doesn't like her much, and she got the job at Glitter. As the "end" of her job at Pinehaven approaches, will she ever recover the memories of the love she and Jonah shared?

Jonah Landry didn't see much to like in Lauren when she first arrived at Pinehaven. She was a know-it-all, snooty, and on-her-way-up to a glamorous job in Boston when she came to them, but she had no idea what Pinehaven needed to survive. As they work side-by-side, he begins to see glimpses of a different Lauren, one who isn't quite as self-assured, and what he sees, he likes. She's willing to tackle any job they give her and she admits her mistakes when she makes them. When they're stranded together in a storm, they begin to see each other differently. Lauren's fall happens just as Jonah is gearing up to propose to her and suddenly, she thinks she only has a month to go before she heads to the city. Can he convince her that their love is real, and she voluntarily gave up the city to stay with him?

I listened to this one on my NetGalley Shelf app, and, while I enjoyed the story (which I read along with, partly to see how closely the narration matched what I was reading) it felt like the narration "flattened" out some of the emotion I was reading in the actual text. Generally, I love listening to books because I can usually do something else while I'm "reading." I still loved the book, but I felt the narration knocked it down a star for me. As always, though, I can highly recommend the book itself. I felt like that had all the emotion I expect from a Denise Hunter book.

Life is good. After struggling through so much of life, you've finally found the place you belong, and the one who is meant to stand by your side. Then, in the blink of an eye, all the memories of discovering these things are wiped from your mind. Before We Were Us is the story of Lauren Wentworth, who fell from a ladder and lost an entire, formative, summer.

As a new college graduate, Lauren took a job as the manager of a tourist lodge in New Hampshire as a condition to winner her dream job in Boston: being a bona fide party planner at one of the most prestigious firms in New England. It's her chance to prove her capabilities to her future employer and she won't let anything get in the way of the future she's dreamed of for so long. Except one day she wakes up in the hospital and finds that four months have passed since her last memory, and suddenly the owner's son she couldn't stand is saying that somehow they've been in a loving relationship all summer long. The two realities are impossible to reconcile in her head, and she's unsure if she wants to regain her lost memories.

Jonah, her almost fiancée, is devastated. Just on the cusp of their happily ever after, the woman he loves is suddenly all but repulsed by him. He steps back, gives her the space she desperately needs, and waits for her. All he can hope for is that she'll remember their time together, but when nothing changes even weeks after her injury, he isn't sure what their future might hold.

What a concept! I think a premise like this naturally tugs at our human heartstrings. Memory is fallible, and so deeply, deeply personal. You can't convey to another person exactly how something felt, or how it affected you. Even journals probably couldn't evoke the same feelings if you don't have the memory to accompany it. You can try. Lord knows, we all try. That's what literature is. Poetry, and music too...all art in its various shapes forms strives to capture and convey human emotion.

This is a very strong story with many moments of sweetness and heartbreak and necessary, if reluctant, soul searching. There are strong examples of family with themes of overcoming hardships and long-held grievances. Jonah was exemplary in his role as supportive, loving partner. Finding out that Thomas Nelson is a Christian publisher is not surprising. Though I wouldn't say this book is blatantly religious, but it does serve as a good example of what I imagine a healthy religious practitioner should look like. It's not a story about characters making conflict-ridden choices, but rather navigating difficult circumstances with all the nuance it entails.

Any reader, especially of romance, might enjoy this story. I know I did. I was lucky enough to be chosen as an advanced listener by netgalley and the publisher. The narrator, Kim Churchill, did a wonderful job.

First off, thank you NetGalley for allowing me the pleasure of listening to this beautifully told story on audio.
I’ve never read a Denise Hunter novel, and this was the best introduction to her story telling. I’ll admit that it was definitely giving The Vow vibes, but I’m so thankful she made this scenario all its own.
Lauren and Jonah are the epitome of meant to be. But a nearly tragic fall causes her to lose the memory of the last 4 months of her life, the exact time it took for her and Jonah to fall madly in love, and now she can’t remember. And he can’t forget. But what sets this story apart is his faith and his patience. And the fact that very specific memories start to come back, but not the ones he or she expect will bring them back to the start. On the contrary, his great love for her and allowing her the space and time, allows her to fall back in love with him all over again.
Denise really keeps you on your toes because you don’t want it to be another of the same story, which it’s absolutely not. Such a fantastic read. As a hopeless romantic, I genuinely hurt when Jonah hurt and celebrated with Lauren when that tug of needing “home” again started to take root.

Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter

A woodsy, romantic and scenic locale with peaceful serenity to calm your senses.

Lauren falls in love with a guy who has given her a hard time for months, she finally see’s the true man he really is. Just when they plan to take their relationship further, there’s a terrible accident and Lauren cannot remember anything that has happened in the last several months, including what she loves about this man. All she remembers about him is how much she dislikes him. Will her memory return ? Will he have the patience to deal with the love of his life not remembering what they had together ?

This is a sweet story about love and loss. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Thank you to Net Galley for an Advanced Copy of this Audio Book.

Such a beautiful story. When an accident happens and Lauren ends up with amnesia, she has to learn how to love Jonah again. Jonah the ever patient man who is takes with winning her heart a second time or set her free to what she thinks she wants. I laughed and cried and just enjoyed this story.

This book was so cute! I love the setting of the resort, and I fell in love with all the characters. It was a little heart breaking in some parts when she could not remember but this book made me feel things and I enjoyed every second of it. Jonah is such a great and patient guy, and he is the perfect book boyfriend. This book is about love and second chances. I would recommend this for any romance reader, and I look forward to more from this author!

Thank you, Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet little story.
Lauren use to the big city life goes to a remote little town to get experience before she can get her dream job. She arrives in town and is instantly introduced to a man in a blue truck Jonah. When Karen arrives at her summer job she meets the man who is gonna help her around the resort is Jonah. Lauren and Jonah eventually fall for each other and are planned to be married. However one afternoon Lauren falls fell off a ladder and loses her memory for the last 4 months. She wakes up and doesn’t remember anything that has happened over the last couple months and she only remember how horrible her finance use to be and not that she is to be married. Is there hope on them getting back to the place they once were.

It was a good book how ever not a fan of religious love stores and didn’t realize this was but it was still good

Thank her gallery for your advance copy of this audiobook!

Before We Were Us is the first book I have read written by Denise Hunter. It was an easy read and really pulled me in. It was truly hallmark in a book.

The character development was an interesting dynamic in this story. Lauren goes through head trauma and ends up losing her memory of the summer. It is completely gone. So, in her mind Jonah has not changed, he is still the jerk, the person she is trying to avoid. Though Jonah was about to propose to Lauren the night of her accident. So, Jonah knows Lauren on a deeper level. The character development was really fun to read. With the flash backs and memory loss. I really enjoyed it. Though sometimes I was frustrated at Lauren.

The storyline and setting were truly straight out of a hallmark movie. This would be the perfect fall read. I enjoyed the setting a lot.

The relationship between Lauren and Jonah was good. There was a lot of kisses and talk of their romance. Overall it was clean and nothing spicy.

I found the faith aspect lacking in this book. I personally like a lot more faith element in my Christian fiction. I feel like a non-Christian could easily read this and not even notice.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

First, I want to thank NetGalley for an advance copy of the audio book. My review is based on the audiobook version of this book!

I thought this was a nice light read. The story was beautiful in that the characters have a lot of love for each other and it was lovely to read that. This takes place in a dual timeline (past and present). However, I found that the pacing in the present story line was rushed. My favorite scenes were watching them fall in love in the past, it is a wholesome beautiful story. However, I felt the audio book was a little unclear of when we were in the past and when we were in the present. I would still recommend to anyone looking for a nice wholesome read.

I really enjoyed this book, despite the tears that fell often. An enemy to lovers, but throw in a fall that causes an entire summer to be erased from memory. Lauren is sent to the country to help revitalize a family-run resort. There she meets Jonah, the owner's son, who she truly can't stand. Until she really gets to know him. When she falls from a ladder, she can't remember anything from her time at the resort, except her dislike of Jonah. Jonah, however, is heartbroken, trying to slowly show Lauren how amazing their relationship was. Told in alternating timelines, we get a peak at the days prior to the fall, and the days after (months). The heartache is real, the frustration can be felt through the pages and the chemistry between Lauren and Jonah is realistic and well written. Just a truly well done read.
Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Really enjoyed this book. Lauren takes a manager position running a lodge and falls in love with her boss, but after a fall she has no recollection of the last few months of her falling in love with him. This story travels back in time and in the present to let readers follow their relationship.

Thank you so much to Thomas Nelson for the gifted audiobook!

4.5 Stars

Title: Before We Were Us
Author: Denise Hunter
Pub date: September 10, 2024
Audiobook Length: 9hrs, 9min
Audiobook Narrator: Kim Churchill

I really enjoyed this romance and flew through the audiobook in less than a day!

Even though Denise Hunter has written over 40 novels and had 3 turned into Hallmark movies, this was my first time reading her work! It definitely won't be my last!

Jonah and Lauren are totally in love and ready to start the rest of their lives together when Lauren has a fall that causes her to lose total memory of their time spent together. All she can remember of him are the times BEFORE they were in love and he's left devastated at the thought that she'll never remember her love for him or be able to fall in love with him all over again.

As Katherine Center would say, it shouldn't be a spoiler to say that a couple in a romance novel will fall in love, and I knew they would, but watching them get there in this story was truly heartfelt and adorable. The romance in this one felt real and believable which is super important to me when reading romance.

I thought the story flowed well and I never wanted to put it down. I listened to the whole thing almost without stopping!

I'd definitely recommend picking this one up, especially on audio!

Spice level: kissing only

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator did a fantastic job and the writing was seamless. I look forward to more from this author.

This book was cute, a good palette cleanser. It was a good read. The story wasn't too far fetched and I loved the setting.

This was my first time reading a book by this author and I have a new favorite. It's always a pleasure to get to know another closed-door romance author who writes clean romances with all the feels.
I listened to the audio for this book and I loved the narrator, she did all tones pretty well.
I am giving the story 4 stars, because I felt the ending needed more. I wasn't convinced she had fallen in love with him enough to accept that wedding proposal. I feel the proposal should have waited a bit more. But I loved how the story rolled out.

What a beautiful heartwarming book ❤️
Lauren and Jonah are happily in love and seem ready for a future together but when a bad fall causes Lauren to forget the last few months (and their whole relationship), everything is left up in the air.
This story depicts love, patience, faith and heartbreak.
I would definitely read more of her books.

I listened to the audio along with the book and it was great. The narrator did a splendid job.

I don't usually read Christian fiction or contemporary romance. This was also a first one for me by this author.

I enjoyed the book. It didn't wow me but it was good. Good enough to warrant a five star rating. I could not put less as I found nothing wrong with the book except that it was one I could put down and come back to multiple times. It's well written and all of the characters are likable. It did give me feelings and that is always a plus. I had sad and happy tears with this book. Sad when things went bad and so happy with the way it all worked out. This is a sweet story. A love story. A story with hope. Also amnesia...

Lauren and Jonah have a beautiful story and how he presents that to her later was the best. They are so in love but only after a rocky start. Of course there is the rocky start. But when an accident befalls Lauren and she forgets things then it's not so great. She can't remember ever liking Jonah much less being in love with him.

Can Jonah win Lauren's love back? Will she leave and stay gone? What is to happen between these two? It's a love story with a few ups and downs. Big moves and returns. Finding a lost soul along the way and maybe having a relationship with said lost person. I can't say more than that. I won't give anything away. That is where forgiveness comes in though.

Thank you #NetGalley, #ThomasNelsonFiction for this arc.

Five stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Before We Were Us

I enjoyed this so much. It was sweet, small town vibes, with grumpy MC and a pretty nosey family. I got hooked right away. Reminded me a lot of the movie The Vow, but with small town vibes. I'm happy we got to see the FMC work on the hardships of her childhood and that things just naturally fell into place with the romance. I would definitely recommend this!

3.5 stars.

This was a simple and sweet romance about Lauren, a Bostonian who moves to rural New England to take a job at a seasonal resort and falls for the owner's son, Jonah. Just as they are about to get engaged, however, Lauren falls off a ladder and experiences retrograde amnesia, being unable to recall the past several months, including her love for Jonah. Can he make her fall in love again before she is set to return to the city and exit his life permanently?

Recommend if you're in the mood for:
*Idyllic New Hampshire lake region setting
*Clean romance
*Opposites attract
*Mother issues
*Adoption/foster care arcs

My criticism as a neuropsychologist that retrograde amnesia is not the norm after a concussion, so I did not find that aspect of the book, upon which the entire novel hinged, believable. Also, I'm not big on Christian romance, but this was not over-the-top in that regard. I enjoyed the audiobook narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Thomas Nelson Fiction for advanced copies to review in exchange for my opinion.