This is an emotional roller coaster. Lauren and Jonah seem to have everything worked out until Lauren falls from a ladder and loses months of memories.
It was difficult to listen to what happened after. Lauren was so harsh with Jonah in the months that followed before she returns to Boston.
As it’s a romance, you can expect a happy ending. This is a second chance romance. Involves an element of forced proximity, and it’s a Christian, low spice romance although there are plenty of kisses.
I like the narrator. There are transitions between present and the prior months as the story progresses. I felt like those were clear even listening to the audiobook.
This was my first book by Denise Hunter. I’m a bit in the fence about trying others. The conflict felt rather harsh. There is real evidence of forgiveness and the supposed love conquers all response at the end. It wasn’t something that felt completely real to me.
Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Christian Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.

When Jonah's girlfriend, Lauren, suffers a fall from a ladder and awakens with a case of amnesia, Jonah is faced with the heart-wrenching challenge of rekindling their relationship. This poignant story explores Jonah's unwavering devotion to Lauren, capturing the depth of his love and the emotional rollercoaster of their situation. The narrative alternates between the memories of their life together before the accident and their struggle to reconnect in the aftermath, offering readers a dual perspective. Set against the backdrop of a charming small town, this novel intertwines themes of love, loss, and hope, making for a moving read.

4.5 stars ⭐️ rounded up!

Oh my gosh, I loved this one! A cozy fall rom com with second chances and found family. I devoured it in less than 24 hours. I loved flipping back in time to prior to the accident to see how they fell in love the first time while you see their relationship progress in the present time as well.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook!

I wanted to enjoy this book as the synopsis was intriguing but the writing made it extremely to stay interested in the story,

This was a nice, light fall read. The story goes much how you would expect it to and the romance is charming and easy to digest. It feels like a predictable Hallmark movie, but Lauren's backstory added a little bit of edge. Overall, I enjoyed it as a quaint, less challenging story and I'm interested in more by this author.

When Lauren first comes to work at the New Hampshire resort in the spring, she intends to only stay for the year. Then she's set to take her dream job in Boston. Her first encounters with Jonah, the son of the owners, are not pleasant. But, as the story begins, it's near the end of summer and it seems Jonah is about to propose to Lauren. But then, Lauren falls from a ladder and loses all memory of the past several months. She refuses to believe that Jonah is her boyfriend! The rejection hits Jonah hard, and Lauren can't wait to finish her job and move back to Boston. Is this how it will end? Well, you have to read the book to find out! But, I will say that I enjoyed this book--there is great insight into how each of them deals with this big change. The narration was also helpful in making the characters seem real. A big thumbs-up to this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for providing an advance review copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own.

Grab a sweater, a cup of coffee and a pair of cozy socks to prepare for your first "Fall Read" of 2024! The cover immediately got my hook line and sinker that I was going to come off my summer high of Beach Reads and enter into this sweet love story.
What I love most about Denise Hunter books is you are offered a love story that is clean and sweet. It is always refreshing to read a book that you can see the chemistry between the couple yet they hold a high moral value. It makes me respect the characters and cheer for the couple even more. Seeing couples and love stories unfold how they are suppose to is what I want to read. I love seeing the male lead actually be a strong masculine character that respects the woman. I love seeing the woman value the man and want to be treasured. All that is left to do is read and fall in love with the couple.

Some do not enjoy the "amnesia" troupe as it has been done ad naseum at this point, however I don't hate it. I thought Hunter took the usual troupe and built a delightful story around Lauren and Jonah. The night Jonah plans to propose to Lauren she has an accident and her memory is knocked out from the previous 7 months to the time when she and Jonah were enemies. Watching Jonah''s heartbreak as she returned to the "city-go get em girl boss" Lauren was before the Landry family softened her heart.
The only critisism I had was I would have enjoyed seeing more of the softer side of Lauren because to be honest post accident she was quite the pill and I had a hard time actually liking her.
But despite her cold shoulder behavior by the end of the book you will not only see ALL the sparks from the fire you have burning but feel the hug from your sweater and comfort from your coffee. I promise once you turn the first page you won't want to put it down

Thank you Denise Hunter, Thomas Nelson Publishing and Net Galley for allowing me to read this advanced copy read of Before We Were Us. I was not influenced or paid in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own :)

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!! Memory loss trope is a tough one but I loved this book and the ending just melted me. It’s definitely worth the frustration just to see how it ends.

This was a cute book - it gave cozier vibes while following a more traumatic / emotional plot line.

I don’t know why but i really enjoy the amnesia plot line. It’s really enjoyable in a sense that when they give you amnesia and a daul plot line it gives you basically two love stories all wrapped in one.

There wasn’t anything groundbreaking in this, but i had a good time and would recommend it.

The narration in the audiobook was well done and lent positively to the overall enjoyment of the book!

Just finished listening to the book, Before We Were Us. This book is about to be released on September 10th. This is about a woman who was working when she fell and lost her last 4 months of memories, which included the summer she started dating her boyfriend. Now the last memories she can remember are of her not being able to stand him, while he is now totally heartbroken and afraid his girlfriend might not get her memories back. He's afraid she won't remember all the time they spent together, their connection, and how happy they were together. So he tries to help her remember, until she decides she doesn't want to remember anymore and would rather just move on with her life. This was a book full of so many emotions, it was a beautiful story about how patient and kind true love is and how true love stands the test of time. I wasn't expecting the ending this story had, it tugged at my heartstrings. This was such a beautiful story. ❤️📚

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this audio ARC of Before We Were Us, in exchange for an honest review.

Before We Were Us was fine. In the 21st century meaning of the word, not the 19th. My overall sense at the end was meh, which saddened me since I normally like a good amnesia story. I found the main female character to be rather unlikeable (self-centered and whiny), while the main male character was a bit too saintly to be real. And yes, while a fall and head injury might truly have made Lauren forget her romance with Jonah, was it really probable that she wouldn't have gone back and checked out their old texts? The author successfully made me feel like I'd spent time in the north woods, which was lovely, but I'm not going to race to track down future titles by the author.

A 3.5 but I’m rounding up because overall I enjoyed this closed-door romance/contemporary fiction story. Switching between current and the past, readers follow along as Lauren falls in love with Jonah the first and second time. The story is full of detail, allowing readers to imagine being at the cottages in New Hampshire, to feel Jonah’s heartbreak, and to understand Lauren’s choices, even if they don’t agree with them.

In addition to the book itself, I also liked the audiobook. The narrator did a great job, mixing intonation and tone to allow listeners to know when there are shifts within a chapter.

My biggest issue with the story: I found it hard to like Lauren. For example, she spends the first third of the book not wanting to remember nor showing much compassion towards Jonah. I can understand her being set on returning to Boston at the end of the year but she takes it a step too far (e.g., not looking at photos, not asking questions about the missing time, etc). Even as the book progresses, I struggle with how she treats Jonah (e.g., accusing him of tricking her to stay).

I also felt like the final 20% of the story felt rushed, creating some plot points left unaddressed and things felt too convenient (e.g., the letter).

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

i’ve been a fan of Denise for years and while this is not my favorite of her books, I do recommend it if you enjoy second chance, forced proximity, or no spice romances!! Jonah’s love for Lauren was so sweet and he did everything right towards her in a impossible situation. i loved the ending and was so happy about the resolution of a very important relationship.

i listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great, i was just confused frequently when it switched from past to present because the flashbacks were to just a few months prior in the same setting, but besides that it was a good book!!

thank you so much to the author and publisher for the e-arc & audiobook arc!!!

I loved the setting of this story. I don't usually consider the seasons much when I read, but it played an important part in this story, and I enjoyed it!

I don't think I have ever cried so much for a male character. The emotional pain he was experiencing was heartbreaking for me, too.

I love when a romance novel can incorporate more than one trope, and this one did. I love these characters and recommend this book!

I received this eARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was really silly and didn’t realise this was a christian romance before I requested it and once I realised it was too late! So I’ve set that aside because I can’t rate it down based on my own mistake and minus the christianity references it was a very good read. I honestly never thought I would enjoy the memory loss trope and I’ve never been a fan of the dual timeline either but I loved it in this book. I also thought the narrator was fantastic and completely brought the story to life.

Thank you to HarperCollins for the audio ARC ❤️

Beautiful book! I loved it! I had all the feels listening to this novel. The narrator did an amazing job! This book was so sweet and sad, the characters fit so well together.

This was a great audio to listen to. The narrators did a fabulous job with this book!

And this story was cute and heartfelt. I really liked both of the characters in this story. Their hate turned love relationship was easy to become enamored by. I really enjoyed the backstory after Lauren’s fall and how the reader was able to see how their relationship came to be in the beginning.

If you’re looking for a quick easy read where the writing is great, I would highly recommend Before We Were Us!

***Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins Christian Publishing for an ARC copy for an Honest review***

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up.

Very cute and sweet read- this is definitely for a reader who wants a sweet romance, but one that isn’t too surprising of what happens.

I loved the setting so much, even if some other aspect didn’t capture my love as much.

What a beautiful story. What a charming setting. What a special love!!

Lauren is a city girl. She’s from Boston. Her dream job is in Boston. But, before she can get it, she’s asked (by the woman who runs ‘Glitter’, the place she REALLY wants to work at) to go to New Hampshire for a few months to act as manager for a cabin resort. The owner is a friend of hers, and needs a hand for a while while her husband recovers… Initially she’s very excited to be able to get her ideas out there in the world in an upscale resort! But when she arrives, she realizes it’s nothing but cabins…and not upscale at all. 😕

Jonah is the owners son. He’s finishing out his degree, and then plans on taking over the resort. While he’s in school, he still plans to be around to help out… and help newcomer Lauren with whatever she needs.

BUT, as soon as they meet, it’s off to a FROSTY 🥶 start… and Lauren has no idea why…

This is told in dual POV’s from Lauren and Jonah. It also showcases the present, and the past… before the accident.

But once the accident occurred, Lauren had a concussion, and lost several months of her memories…including those with Jonah and his family…

Beautifully told! Heartbreaking and heart-mending all at once…

Loved these characters and all the actions they put into reality as time went on. And loved how Jonah was so supportive throughout!

🛑🛑 Stopping here! 🛑🛑

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsChristianPublishing and #ThomasNelsonFiction for an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
*** IT IS DUE TO BE RELEASED IN A FEW DAYS ON 9/10/24! ***

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 5!

#BeforeWeWereUs by #DeniseHunter and narrated beautifully by #KimChurchill.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
Insta @ #BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, and click ‘LIKE’ below!! 📚⭐️

"She can't remember their summer together, he can't forget it."

A feel good love story!

What would you do if you had a whirlwind summer romance with someone, but you couldn't remember it. After a sudden and traumatic fall, Lauren was left with short term memory loss. Jonah, her boyfriend, stayed by her side day by day hoping she would remember him and the love they shared for one another. Both of them had so much support from their friends and family, but will they be able to overcome her inability to remember her love for him?

This is such a sweet and cozy love story. The patience Jonah has while waiting for the woman he loves to remember how much she loves him just broke me. Lauren had no idea just how much he adores her, (also what his plans were for their future). The ability to rediscover your love for someone without even trying is such a beautiful thing. Lauren overcame all of her concerns and followed her heart back to where she knew she belonged, home.