IF I COULD GIVE THIS BOOK A BILLION , A MILLION, A ZILLION STARS I WOULD. THIS . IS. IT . AND THE FACT THAT I CALLED THIS BOOK AT 20% AS ONE OF MY TOP READS OF 2025 !!!! IF YOU COULD READ ONE BOOK THAT I RECOMMEND THIS YEAR , THIS THIS THIS IS IT. THIS IS MY ENTIRE HEART IN A BOOK

*so sorry for the all caps, I will never shut up on how good this book is. brb as I create things and just ahhhhhhhhhhh

"But hope is strange thing. It keeps right on living even when you feel like dying."

It's another tear-inducing, heart-warming, completely gratifying novel from Nicole Deese. The author has a gift for creating stories that start with regrets, grief, and heartache but transform into beacons of hope, faith, redemption, and dreams realized. I love her emphasis on community and family, which shone extra brightly in this book.

Sophie and August's first person voices were honest, down-to-earth, and relatable. Their banter was witty and clever and showed how resilient they are in the aftermath of loss and grief. I loved Sophie's gift for theatre and August's gift for music. I learned quite a bit about music and audiobook production, deaf community in theatre, and management of a winery which were all fascinating. Gabby's first person voice through her voice memos were precious and allowed the reader to see into her heart. Faith thread was strong throughout the book and it was wonderful to see Sophie take baby steps and August to find forgiveness and mercy. The voices that each of the main and secondary characters find are memorable and treasure-worthy. But I am still waiting for my story about Chip, the editor at Fog Harbor, and I'm hoping his story is next.

This is a must-read if you are looking for a contemporary romance that will make you laugh, cry, and burst with joy. It's one of my top 2025 reads. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House via Interviews and Reviews and NetGalley and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

A STRONG STORY.

First and foremost I loved the deaf/hard of hearing rep so much. I felt like I learned a lot and appreciated seeing this heavily present in the book. It’s a theme throughout and there was a copious amount of knowledge gained.

The relationship between Sophie and August was sweet. They went from strangers to lovers well and I liked the times the spent together and the little nudges of getting to know each other and feel seen within their own personal trials. I was highly frustrated by the third act because it involved one of my least favorite third act tropes, but I digress. These two had a tender and beautiful romance I loved seeing blossom.

The side plot with Sophie’s brother Jasper never felt complete or fully woven in. I don’t know how to put my finger on it that something was missing from this nefarious side quest and I needed something different from him.

All of the audiobook and ASL learning content was amazing though. I loved those aspects and they really carried the journey in this story. A bit preachy here and there for my usual preferences in reading a Christian romance but I think this will still resonate with a lot of people and hopefully bring some peace while reading this beautiful book.

Overall audience notes:

Christian Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Content Warnings: loss of parents (recounted), mentions of spousal abuse (brief), grief depictions, panic attack on page

Absolutely beautiful!

Sophie returns home to piece her life back together after a failed attempt at making it on Broadway and takes a side job as an audio book narrator while she figures out her next steps. Though she did not expect to develop feelings for the sound engineer, it is best to push the aside as she has no plans to stay in California near her dysfunctional family.

August Tate is busy trying to be a parent to his teenage sister who is slowly going deaf and reviving his recording studio. He certainly doesn't have time to be distracted by beautiful narrator who comes to record in his studio every day, or for the feelings she awakens in him to seek for a peace he has yet to find.

What you'll love:
forced proximity
dual pov
audiobook narrator
wounded hero
determined not to fall
deaf representation
found family
message of hope and healing
great chemistry
surfing lessons
lots of heart and emotion
sweet and swoony romance
character growth

In true Nicole Deese fashion, this book spoke to my soul and completely stole my heart! August and Sophie have been endured so much heartache and yet together they find peace and healing and unconditional love. This book gave me ALL the feels - I laughed, I swooned, I cried - and I savored every single moment of it.

Sophie and August were both such dimensional characters and I enjoyed that their initial connection to each other deepened into something so sweet and swoony through so many moments of joy and laughter but also serving and inspiring each other. That first kiss melted my heart and though their journey together had some bumps and obstacles along the way, the end made every moment so worth it!

The heavier topics in the story were touched on with such grace and were painted as stepping stones to faith and hope and rather than weighing me down, I was left feeling inspired and full of joy. This is a beautiful story of faith and family, of love and loss that simultaneously broke and healed my heart. This is sure to be one of my favorite reads of the year!

This is the third but of the series but can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.

I received a complimentary copy but a positive review was not required.

Nicole Deese is back with another installment in the incredible Fog Harbor Romance series. These can all be read as stand-alones, but I love how they all have little threads that connect the characters. As with all Nicole Deese books, the emotional and spiritual depth is truly incredible.

The novel unfolds in alternating character perspectives. It was super interesting to get an insider look at the process of recording audiobooks. I also appreciated the deaf community representation in this novel. The truth of the gospel shines through multiple times as the characters deal with some intense grief and despair. If you’re looking for a contemporary romance with real life depth you must read this book. Highly recommend!

Thank you, Bethany House Publishers for a complimentary e-ARC of this book! All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was such an interesting read. I loved learning about audiobook recording and voice recording in a studio.
Sophie and August were great characters.
I did feel like Sophie was a little too perfect in her reactions and being open to everything. I did like her and August. They both came into the relationship with baggage.
August’s sister Gabby plays an important role in the story. Her increasing deafness and learning sign language weave the characters and story together.
I appreciated the way the characters’ faith issues were examined and how they dealt with them.
And I loved the surprising event near the end that I never saw coming.
This was such a unique story but for some reason I had trouble connecting with the characters.
But Nicole Deese is an excellent author and I always look forward to reading her books.

Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this book. The opinions are entirely my own.

This is one of the best books I've read all year! "The Voice We Find" by Nicole Deese is an incredible, powerful contemporary story. This one really demonstrates that it's never too late to come back to faith in God. Deese packs so much into this book and keeps the reader engaged from the dedication all the way through the emotional ending. The theme of the book is Romans 8:38-39 and that verse is perfect for this story.

In this one the reader will encounter:

* Audiobook Narrators
* Deaf Representation
* Winery Setting
* Theater/Broadway
* Loss of parents
* Difficult family dynamics
* Church life
* Surfing in California
* Romance
* Overcoming difficult circumstances
* Prodigals return to God

This book packs a lot into it, but the story is so well woven together that all of these things make sense as the book evolves. This is women's fiction but with a strong romance built in, more so than the earlier two books in this series. The romance is important, but so much else in the story makes it more than just a romance book. The family dynamics in Sophie and August's respective families are very different but the way these two grow despite the challenges they face in the book is done well. I also was interested in Sophie and her sister-in-law Natalie's interactions - this added some mystery and intrigue into the book.

I just can't recommend this book and the entire Fog Harbor Series enough. These can all be read as stand-alone books and they are all worth reading. The only connection in these books is an editor at Fog Harbor Books named Chip who really needs his own story sometime...hint, hint!

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I have yet to read a Nicole Deese book that I didn’t love. She has such a gift for tackling difficult, real-life topics in a way that feels both honest and full of grace. I’ll read anything she writes—seriously, even her grocery list! She’s a fantastic storyteller, and I love how she weaves the gospel into each of her books so beautifully.

This book felt different from her others, as it follows a girl named Gabby who loses her hearing after a terrible accident. We get to see her journey as she learns ASL and connects with the Deaf community, which was such a unique and compelling aspect of the story. Watching her navigate this life-altering change and mature through it all was really special.

Then we have our MC, Sophie, who has her own struggles but ultimately comes to faith in such a powerful way. Her story is a beautiful representation of leaving the ninety-nine to go after the one. I also loved seeing her growth, the sweet friendships she builds along the way, and the way her family relationships evolve—especially with one person in particular.

The only thing that threw me off was the final voice memo. It was written in a way that felt more like an epilogue rather than an actual voice memo, which made it stand out from the other VMs in the book. The level of detail in it didn’t quite match the more casual, spoken feel of the previous ones. It wasn’t a huge issue, but it did catch me off guard. That being said, it didn’t take away from my love for the book—I’m still giving it five stars!

Honestly, you need to read this one. It’s the kind of story that will stick with you, def gonna be a favorite book of the year!

The Voice We Find by Nicole Deese is an emotional contemporary romance that immerses readers in the world of ASL (American Sign Language), the hearing-impaired and personal trauma that many people may relate to.

In this story, we have three different perspectives. August Tate is a recording engineer with his own studio. He is the guardian of his teenage hearing-impaired sister Gabby. After their parents died in a horrible train wreck, we slowly experience the aftermath and how it affected both August (who feels guilty for how he left things with his parents) and Gabby, who suffered a brain injury during the crash.

We also meet Sophie Wilder, an actress who suffered a traumatic event as a teenager, which came back to haunt her onstage. She also suffered verbal and emotional abuse from her family. The author brilliantly peels back the layers of Sophie’s life and the phobias she lived with. She does the same thing with August and Gabby and how the traumatic death of their parents affected them and their relationship with God.

This novel is beautiful in its prose. Its title is perfect, as each character strives to find their voice amid the turmoil in their lives. The faith element is perfect and very realistic, and the romance is genuine and sweet.

This was the first time I’ve read a novel by this author. It won’t be my last. I highly recommend it!

​I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Bethany House Publishers via NetGalley for my honest review.

Wow. Just… WOW. This was my very first book by this author and words do not even do this book justice. This wasn’t just a story, this was a journey, an experience to be savored, and I loved every minute of it!

The portrayal of the relationship between August and his sister, Gabby, is both heartwarming and realistic, with big brother suffering with a few misconceptions on how he will be able to handle raising a teenager. Different people deal with tragedies in different ways. Tragedy can either push us away from God or make us closer to God. It’s a complicated process, and the author handled August's grief in a realistic way.
Sophie has her own baggage and there is some major family dysfunction. I kept reading, rooting for her to get some resolution with her issues. The combination of the situation and her likable personality kept me turning pages.
I felt for all of these characters who were dealing with losses of various kinds and wanted for them to find healing. Well written.
I appreciated the characters who were making an attempt to be inclusive of the deaf community.
The story was complicated enough to stay interesting, yet I still found it easy to keep track of all the different threads. For readers of Christian fiction who are looking for a women’s fiction with romance that touches on real life contemporary issues and complicated family dynamics.
I would have liked to see more about how Sophie dealt with her trauma and how that healing process took place. It felt a little too easily resolved. There were a lot of story threads and characters who had serious issues and most of these were addressed and had a satisfactory outcome. Overall, a good Christian women's fiction novel with an encouraging message, and a book that readers of this genre might like to check out.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House fiction for the ARC.

This book is the third in the Fog Harbor series, and I think it is the best one so far. Not sure if there will be more or if it's a trilogy like so many contemporary Christian romance writers are doing these days, but it was highly enjoyable due to the story and the characters.

While it is sometimes uncomfortable to read a story about someone as broken as Sophie Wilder, it is enjoyable to watch someone who is broken put themselves back together again, with the help of some friends, a handsome stranger, and God, of course. In a different way, August is just as broken for different reasons. Can he and Sophie help each other heal? Read the book and find out.

Nicole Deese is an author whose writing I enjoy a lot. She's in my top 10 of Christian authors. Her books are romance, but they offer depth and many themes worth exploring whether someone is falling in love or not. This book is five stars in my view, and I highly recommend it.

I couldn’t have chosen a better book to start 2025 off with!💗 I predicted this book would be a 5 star and I was right. I absolutely loved it!

I loved these characters so much! I loved Sophie’s character with her kind heart and compassionate nature. I admired her quiet strength and unique style. I was rooting for her throughout the whole book and loved watching her grow in both her faith and her confidence!
I loved August too! He wasn’t perfect but that’s what made him feel real and so likable. I loved watching him grow throughout this story too.

Sophie and August’s romance was soo sweet! They were absolutley perfect for each other and I could feel it on every page. They’d have me giggling one minute then crying the next.💗

I loved the siblings dynamics between August and Gabby! Their relationship made me so emotional. It was so sweet.🥺 I also loved watching Sophie be accepted into their little family, especially since her relationship with her own family wasn’t great.

I loved the unique plot! I’ve never read a book about an audiobook narrator so that was really fun to read about, especially when the couple gets to narrate an audiobook together.🥰

The faith in this book was absolutely beautiful and definitely a highlight of the book for me! It was so inspiring. I loved a good redemption story and this one had that. I teared up more than once.

In conclusion, I loved this book! It’s definitely going to be a favorite of the year. This book has so much depth to it. It gave me all the feels.💗 If you’re looking for a contemporary read that will make you laugh and cry as well as leave you feeling inspired, I highly recommend this one!

*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a complimentary copy to review! All opinions are my own.

The Voice We Find is the third book in the Fog Harbor series. While I absolutely recommend reading the other books as well (it's a beautiful series), this could absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone as well.

One thing I know for certain when I pick up a book by Nicole Deese is that I am about be taken on a roller coaster of emotions... in the best way possible. I know I'll get a beautiful and swoon worthy romance, yes... but also a story with so much depth and emotion that is sure to stick with me. This one was certainly no exception. I absolutely adored August and Sophie--- both as individuals and together. They both have some trauma they are working through, and I loved seeing that growth and healing as the story went on. August's love for his younger sister was beautiful--- even if he didn't always go about showing it in the right way and his struggling relationship (or lack thereof) with his faith truly helped to make this a beautiful read. I loved the inclusion of deaf representation within this story. Sophie's story added a bit of a mystery and was something I hadn't seen coming. There were a lot of layers to this story, and they all were weaved together beautifully to create a story that I absolutely adored. If you enjoy Christian romance, this book/series is one not to be missed.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book is stellar and I absolutely adored it! It did start off a bit slow for me, but after about 10% I got really invested and ended up reading the entire second half in one sitting because I just couldn't leave it alone. I loved the disability/deaf and hard-of-hearing rep and the character arcs that the siblings went through, plus Sophie growing and moving past the struggles she's faced in her past. Not to mention the touch of suspense interwoven--it legitimately took me by surprise. And it was interesting to read about a character with a difficult relationship with her brother, kinda healing in a way to see it realistically represented. This book is perfect if you love forced-proximity, sweet romance that's also realistic, and complicated sibling dynamics...grab this one. Please. You gotta. It's adorable!

**I read an advanced copy and the above thoughts are purely my opinion**

This book kept me up late reading because I was hooked from the beginning. I love this series and how Chip is throughout them all....now I need a Chip book that catches me up to date on everyone from the three books. I love the storylines, I love the character development and above all the redemption story. Please give us one more book in this series!!

“I was a punk who believed time was something to exhaust, not cherish.”

Readers first meet August who is still dealing with the death of his parents and adjusting to his new role of being guardian to his teen sister. He doesn’t want to miss anything because he now knows how precious “time” is. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. His sister Gabby is not your average teen; she is the sole accident survivor, which has left her partially deaf. August has been on a mission to fix his sister’s degenerative hearing condition. Gabby and August deal with the loss of their parents very differently. August blames the God his parents worshiped on the mission trip. Had they not been on a mission trip sharing the gospel they would still be alive. Gabby looks at her situation in a different light. She survived for a reason; what was it?

Sophie walks in, facing her own set of issues. She is still plagued by a terrifying incident at their family's winery that she can't shake. It doesn't help that her family refuses to believe anything happened. Sophie's financial condition, along with her emotional breakdown on stage, has opened the possibility of recording audiobooks. This is a way for her to generate extra money and do some acting without having to face an audience. She had no idea how much her life would alter as she recorded at August's studio and met Gabby, a lovely and outgoing teenager.

This book inspires me; it's full of emotion and well-developed characters I enjoyed hanging out with. I appreciated this thought-provoking novel that offers hope and sheds light in the darkness.

The author has beautifully crafted a story with endearing characters that deal with family drama, receiving and giving love, loss, forgiveness, and hope. I like how compassionately this author addressed these difficult issues.

This is a story you don't want to miss. If you haven't read a book by this author, I highly recommend this one. It would work well for your book club pick. The book includes questions to help with your book discussion time.

.Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher, Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

Nicole Deese’s The Voice We Find is an emotionally rich romance that masterfully weaves together themes of love, family, personal healing, and the power of second chances. Sophie Wilder’s return to her family winery in California after a failed Broadway career sets the stage for a beautifully layered story of self-discovery and new beginnings. With little to her name except a geriatric cat and dreams of reviving her acting career, Sophie takes a side job as an audiobook narrator at Fog Harbor Books, where she crosses paths with the reluctant sound engineer, August Tate.

August Tate, still reeling from the responsibility of guardianship of his teen sister, is struggling to balance the demands of his personal life and his faltering recording studio. When Sophie unexpectedly brings new energy into his world with her voice and her warmth, their connection begins to grow in ways neither of them anticipated. Their evolving bond, while rooted in their shared faith, slowly blossoms into a romance that feels earned, tender, and transformative.

What stands out in The Voice We Find is the emotional depth and complexity of the characters. Sophie’s longing to revive her acting career and her strained relationship with her brother at the winery mirror August’s internal battles as he navigates his responsibilities toward his sister and his own personal growth. The contrast of their lives—Sophie’s reinvention and August’s responsibility—makes for a compelling dynamic, creating moments of vulnerability and growth for both characters.

The romance is slow-burn and heartfelt, built on trust, shared experiences, and understanding. Sophie and August’s connection deepens through their work together and their shared faith, but it’s their ability to confront their personal struggles and fears that make their love story feel truly authentic. The portrayal of August’s dedication to his sister, as well as Sophie’s internal struggles with her career and familial expectations, adds emotional resonance to the romance, making it more than just a typical love story.

In The Voice We Find, Deese has crafted a story that is both moving and uplifting, with characters who are deeply relatable and wonderfully complex. It’s a tale of overcoming obstacles, finding one's voice, and embracing the unexpected paths to love and happiness. Fans of emotionally driven contemporary romance will find this book to be an absolute gem.

A beautiful story of love, family, faith and redemption. Though all the main characters were dealing with some sort of trauma in their lives, some lost their way.

There is a strong element of faith woven throughout this story, showing us how the Lord can work in our lives. Sometimes it is through other people. The Lord loves us regardless of our past. We can find a way to heal if we will only let him in.

This is my first book by this author. There is romance, complicated family interactions and even a mystery to be solved. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. All thoughts are my own.

Like we’ve come to expect in the Fog Harbor Books series, this book is filled with emotion, hope, and a look into the publishing world.

This particular book featured the creation of audio books. It was a cute story but filled with so much more depth. The story centers around themes of difficult family dynamics but also redemption.

A sweet, encouraging read. Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.