As appeared on my blog at www.beneathstillwaters.com

BECOMING US by ROBIN JONES GUNN

*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a positive review.*

Before I begin my review, I wanted to give a little background on my history with Robin Jones Gunn's books. I first came across a book by her when I was a young girl and randomly picked up a volume of the Christy Miller series at the local grocery store. The series was the first time that the idea of a personal relationship with Christ was really introduced to me. I was particularly drawn to Robin Jones Gunn's characters - this group of God-loving people who very freely and openly talked about God and Jesus. After I made my way through the Christy Miller series, I read the Sierra Jensen series as well as the Glenbrooke series (and more!). I have not read any of her recent books, so it was kind of refreshing that this was the first book I chose to review.

The book centers on Emily Winslow, her husband Trevor, and their daughter Audra. The family has recently moved to California from North Carolina after facing some financial difficulties. However, the new business that Trevor takes over in California does not take off as planned and their money problems continue. Emily and Trevor must decide whether to remain in California or go back to Trevor's family in North Carolina. At the same time, Emily is battling her own scars from secondary infertility and a strained relationship with her mother. While in California, Emily is welcomed into a group of women who become her dear friends and a safe haven for her to work through her struggles.

What I really like about this book, and with Robin Jones Gunn's writing as a whole, is that she has a way of writing about ordinary things and relatable characters that makes you feel like you're coming home to old friends. And in some ways, I really was! If you've read her previous works, you will enjoy the appearances of both Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen. It was nice to have those familiar voices in this book and to continue to follow bits of their stories as well.

Robin Jones Gunn also wove several spiritual elements/ideas nicely into this book. I don’t feel like she is overly preachy like in some Christian books, or at the very least, it doesn't feel out of place. Some parts of the story were a bit slow for me, especially in the middle of the book. Her writing also does tend to be more simple and direct and maybe a little too cheesy for me at times.

I’ll end with two of my favorite elements of this book. The first was the group formed by Emily, Christy, Sierra, and two other girls - Tess and Jennalyn. They call themselves the Daughters of Eve. I love the dynamic of the group and how Gunn always highlights the beautiful friendships of the characters she creates. The second element that I appreciated was the storyline of Emily and her mother. It sounds awful to say this, but I liked that it wasn’t fully resolved at the end of the book. Emily was able to forgive her mom, show her love, and “release” her (a key word in the novel), but in the end, their relationship is still nowhere near ideal. I liked this simply because it was realistic – our relationships in life are never perfect, especially with family. Gunn exemplified through Emily’s character how we can address that in a way that is freeing to us, without presenting a perfect, happy, wrapped-in-a-bow relationship at the end (because life just isn’t always like that!).

Overall, I enjoyed Becoming Us. Even though I wasn’t always engaged with the storyline, I definitely appreciated the lessons and themes that were presented in this book.

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn was a lovely story about relationships. There are hurts and hang-ups and life navigating trails in this one. To be introduced into each of the women’s life and why they are the way they are is a real picture of people around us every day. Hurt people hurt people and forgiveness is so healing and important. Seeing the real enemy and not switching into self-preservation mode. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried. Should she move or should she stay, all emotions were wrapped up in this read. I look forward to the next book in this series with the anticipation of where it will take me.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


***Also posted on CBD, B&N

Emily and Trevor Winslow's move from North Carolina to California was supposed to give them a new, amazing start. Instead, the used car lot Trevor owns and manages has become an albatross, and the Winslow family is amping up the pressure to come back to North Carolina. Can they hold firm that, while California has so far not lived up to the hype, they still believe they were led to relocate there by the God who loves them?

Introverted Emily has had a difficult time making friends. When she is invited to a "Favorite Things Party" she is eager to meet some like-minded women, but incredibly ambivalent about putting herself out there. Just as she convinces herself to leave before even going in, she is pulled into the home where the party is being held. As the women share, she discovers that these women come from all walks of life. While some have their own beautiful homes, some, like Emily, are apartment dwellers, and one is even living with her in-laws, a situation Emily is achingly familiar with.

Even though she enjoys herself, she talks herself out of going to the next meeting - until she stops to pick up her plate from the party's host, and ends up helping her deliver her baby. After that, all hope of stepping away is gone, and she has friends whether she wants them or not. The more time she spends with the group, the more invested she gets, and the more she enjoys them. They take Emily and her daughter, Audra, in as part of the family. Even her husband Trevor finds a friend in one of the husbands of the group.

The Daughters of Eve, as the group begins to call themselves, share truth with each other and do life together as friends. It was beautiful to watch Emily open herself to other women through this group, even though she felt inferior in so many ways. Realizing she still has something to offer to others was a huge deal for her, and gave her the confidence to shore up her husband's lagging belief in himself.

Gotta say, I was a little disgusted with Trevor's father. Yes, Trevor was the youngest in the family, and yes, financially he had gone bankrupt once, but the near constant phone calls trying to lure him back into the family fold did not help, even though that was the intent. I was glad they were able to stand firm, together, and not fall apart.

This was the story of friendships of women, and of Emily and Trevor's marriage. While this reminded me in many ways of Gunn's SisterChicks series, and one of the main characters here was Christy Miller, from her Christy Miller series, I didn't find as much laughter as I found in Sister Chicks. I did, however, find every other emotion I can think of.

Readers of women's fiction will enjoy this story, as will romance readers, although, the romance is more about romance in marriage than new love romance. It took me a bit to get rolling with this book, but once I did, I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend!!

Emily and Trevor come to California hoping for a fresh start. After years of infertility and financial exhaustion, the couple is seeking a new beginning at their uncle's car lot. And when invited to a women's Christmas party, timid Emily comes out of obligation... and vows not to get close. But as the group becomes more intwined, the women find that they need each other... and that becoming is truly a group effort. Will Emily and Trevor get the break they need to start a new life? Or will their "becoming" be cut short?

Written by the author of Christy Miller and Sisterchicks series, Becoming Us follows the lives of five women as they try to discover who they really are. In various stages of life, they form a community through effort and time together. I really appreciated the way Gunn always brought the story back to relationships: Emily with the other women, Trevor and Emily together, family relationships, Emily and her daughter... and so many more. It is these relationships that bring the women through a variety of tough situations. And these relationships that ultimate tie Trevor and Emily even closer together. It was this marriage relationship that was even more enjoyable for me to watch... the way they both supported and encouraged each other.

There were times that I felt Gunn minimized some of the character's issues. For example, timid Emily quickly changes her ways and opens up to the group. And some serious marriage issues were resolved rather easily. These were issues that I felt could have been further developed and seemed somewhat trivialized. But all in all, it was a light quick read about the importance of relationships... not only in terms of friendship, but also in terms of becoming all we were meant to be.

* Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This book was amazing. A sweet story of friendship, over coming hard stuff, and God's grace that my heart desperately needed. Robin is the master at creating 'soul stories," and this one truly touched my soul in several ways. It is a sweet easy read, and a wonderful opener to her new series. As someone who struggles with loneliness and missing have girlfriends that live close to me, this book was a balm to my heart. It is lovely, lovely read.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Becoming Us, first in the Haven Makers series, is a charming and delightful story of a circle of women who grow in friendship and find comfort in their connection with one another. Robin Jones Gunn is a prolific author and yet I had not read any of her previous books so did not know what to expect with this book. I found the book to be entertaining, and yet even more that than, encouraging and inspirational, inspiring me to be more welcoming to others, to create a space for people to do life together in a safe place—a haven. Ms. Gunn writes with authenticity and readers are easily drawn into the lives of these women who have known disappointment and heartache and yet can find strength as they nurture each other, realize God’s provision in their lives, and find the passion of true friendship. Becoming Us is a poignant story about finding hope in the midst of the ever-present changes in life, it is about having faith in a God who has promised to be with us through the circumstances of life. I am looking forward to reading more of this author’s work.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from WaterBrook & Multnomah Publishers and was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are my own.

What a sweet and lovely book! I have been a long time fan of Robin Jones Gunn and have been reading her books for about 25 years. So any opportunity to revisit Christy Miller and her friends feels a bit like coming home.

Though Christy is not the main character of the Haven Maker series, I am thrilled to see her and Sierra Jensen in this crew of 5 wonderful women, The Daughters of Eve. There a little bit of something for everyone among these 5 women. I loved meeting Emily and hearing about her story. Her little family was so sweet and I was rooting for them this entire book. The best thing about any book from Robin Jones Gunn is I’m always left wanting to take action in my own life. I was left yearning for deep female friendships of my own. As an aside, I loved that there was a single woman in this group of 5. I’m couple these days, but spend half of my 30s and all my 20s single, so I appreciate the representation. Can’t wait to hear the other women's stories!

Check out this book if you love stories of female friendships, personal growth, and of course if you love Christy Miller!

“A friend is one who overlooks your broken fence and admires the flowers in your garden.” - Quote from Becoming Us that is now a favorite of mine! Robin Jones Gunn has been writing books that I could not put down since I was a teenager. The Christy Miller series would get me in trouble often when my parents would find me with a flashlight at bedtime because I had to read "just one more chapter". One of the things I so enjoy about that series and now this new book is that the characters are relatable and feel as if you've met them. Once you've read the books, you feel as though the characters are long time friends and you pick up right where you left off. In Becoming Us, the storyline is of blooming friendships but in a world where we have pain, skepticism and we are fearful of sharing too much. Even as adults friendships can be a rocky path and hard to develop, Becoming Us touches on just that. This book is fiction but it gives you scenarios that are true-to-life and the wisdom provided from one character to another is applicable. If you have ever read any of the author's works, you will be familiar with her writing style. Her books are warm, encouraging but full of every day life, nothing that is far fetched or unbelievable. You will also be visited by characters from her other series as supporting roles in Becoming Us. You do not need to have read any previous books in order to follow this one, but if you have you will feel the warm and fuzzies when you read about familiar names.  As with all of Robin's previous books, I highly recommend this one.

Emily Winslow and her husband, Trevor, have moved with their daughter to California for a fresh beginning, but their ties to North Carolina keep them from feeling like they are completely committed. Years of fertility treatments and the resulting financial hardships have taken their toll on their sense of self-confidence and self-worth. They long to have refreshment breathed into their lives and their relationship.

Robin Jones Gunn explores the importance to women of close, nurturing relationships with other women. She does not ignore the complications that often arise in the search for these types of connections, complications caused by being judged, by insecurity, and by time constraints to name a few. God can use loving, sisterly relationships among women to heal and to draw women and their families closer to Him. Emily reluctantly steps out of her comfort zone and is embraced by just such a group of women. Readers may look at their own relationships, cherishing them or looking for ways to go deeper.

I recommend Becoming Us to those looking for a sweet story of renewal, and to those who have been hurt and want to try again to connect. I am grateful to have received a copy from Multnomah via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Robin Jones Gunn's latest novel continues her main character Christy's story as she navigates being a young mother and her friendships with other mothers. It is book 1 in the Haven Makers series. Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn is an absolute delight to read. For long time readers of this author's books, picking up a new book is like coming home. The familiar characters (and some new) and familiar places all bring together a distinct setting unlike any other. I particularly loved the themes in this book-- women's friendships, motherhood, and infertility. I love how Robin conveys that we are all works in progress. Robin Jones Gunn never fails to speak to my heart. Reading a book of hers makes me grow closer to God every time.
Becoming Us releases on May 7th. Pick it up right away. It is the perfect gift for young mothers. I am sincerely glad for the ministry of Robin Jones Gunn in my own life and I think this book will resonate with many readers. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy...

It was an okay book but was good reading...I enjoyed it very much..

Robin jones Gunn is exceptional at writing meaningful from the heart stories. She rugs at your heart strings in all of her books. Becoming Us is full of deep introspection and meaningful moments between the characters as they develop relationships. I want to be friends with the women in the book. I want a group of friends like that. Those are the kind of Godly friends we all need. I want to implement some of the ideas from the book with my growing group of women that surround me. The author is so intune with what makes a strong healthy relationship and she writes it well. I did struggle a little with the details. Sometimes I felt like why is this here? This is distracting for me. I wanted I skip it because it seemed so basic compared to the rest of the story around it. Then there were parts where I feel could have been elaborated more and they weren’t. I was left wanting more. I felt like why was this part included but this part wasn’t developed. But if I overlooked these little things the main message and the deep relationship elements outweighed the little annoyances. I am coming to think I don’t like stories written in first person unless they’re really well written. They have major cheese potential if they’re not expertly written. I wonder if this played into those little annoyances a little. Not quite sure. I’ve followed the Christy and Sierra books from the beginning so I love how the characters are still around and I can still be “involved in their lives”.
I received a copy of this book from netgalley. I was in no way required to write a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Having not read any of the Christy Miller books (I know...gasp) I found this book to still be fascinating! I did read the whole Glenbrook series though and have a daughter who has devoured the Christy Miller books. So I'm well versed in the Robin Jones Gunn universe.

I love books that include characters from different stories. Becoming Us is an amazing story of community, family and friendships. I highly recommend this book! And now I really feel the need to read the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen series :) But even if you've never read any of her books, Robin Jones Gunn has a wonderful writing style and you'll fall in love with all the characters.

This book was so delightful to read! I found it a little hard to get into at first because of the new characters (I expected Christy to be the MC and the blurb doesn't really clarify anything), but it definitely started to pull me along once I got adjusted to the characters. I really appreciate how realistic Gunn makes her books as well; even if they include a heap of drama. xD The main character, Emily, is a character that anyone can relate to. Everyone deals with feelings of insecurity, and I saw myself in Emily when she dealt with loneliness and insecurity. I didn't really connect with her husband, Trevor, as much though? He seemed kinda distant for most of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed it! I'm docking two stars because of all the sexual references in this book (PM me if you want details). I was honestly shocked at how many inappropriate references were in this book and I never would've expected something like that from Gunn or a Christian publisher. 3 stars.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.

Becoming Us is a charming story of friendship and family. I really loved the characters and feel like they are family. I love how you feel such a part of the story. I was drawn in from the first word. Thank you netgalley.

This author brilliantly combines fun, realistic situations with characters I instantly cared for, intermingled with a natural spiritual thread – it’s a winning combination. Emily’s hurt and weary family, has just moved to California in hopes of a fresh start, and new perspective on life and family. Their twelve-year-old daughter Audra loves California. Her husband, Trevor works at a car dealership his family owns, and Emily works at a coffee shop. What Trevor’s family promised and what actually panned out leaves them wondering if they made the right move.

Emily gets invited to a Christian woman’s book club of sorts. She goes but is very guarded about what she shares. She doesn’t want to get close to this small group because she might be moving back to North Carolina if things didn’t turn around soon.

This author has a gift of making readers feel part of this group who admits they struggle as they do their best to walk out being a wife, mom and Christ follower; it’s not easy. They call themselves The Daughters of Eve. Emily was amazed and refreshed to meet a group of real, ladies accepting her with open arms, filled with love and grace. She could finally breath, (not having to live up to relatives’ expectations, and manipulative ways.). Emily was beginning to see things through God’s eyes, as her immediate family was making their way to “Becoming Us.” Emily was encouraged to see wisdom blossom in her friends, husband and daughter as they seek wisdom, healing and understanding of themselves, God and others through prayer.

Family can be complicated, messy and a struggle. I enjoyed reading about these ladies doing life together through tears, laughter, love and grace all gifts given from old dear friends one to another. Blessings and lessons are scattered throughout the story as they usually are in this authors’ books.

Themes talked about in this novel are marriage, parenthood, family, forgiveness, hope, God’s mysterious timing and ways are so much bigger than us. I liked that this author naturally points readers closer to God in each season of life discussed. I was encouraged and inspired, by the characters just as I was when I read the SisterChick novels.

A fun fact for those who have read the Christy series some characters make their way into this series. I highly recommend this story for a wonderful read and one that would be great for your next book club pick with discussion questions at the end of the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher/BookLook. 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! www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine https://www.bookfun.org/page/past-issues-book-fun-mag

This book was absolutely precious. I am in a friend group just like the one in the book so it resonated all the more with me. I grew up reading Christy and Sierra books and halfway through this book realized it was a continuation of their story and it warmed my heart even more! It is a cheesy book and very lighthearted but just what I wanted it to be! Love reading this story and have gone back to read other earlier books by Gunn.

I found this book to be not at all what I was expecting. I guess I was expecting more traditional "Christie Miller" style Robin Jones Gunn, rather than this. It was still good, but different. It was enjoyable. I just didn't love it like I am used to. The writing was good, but just not my favorite by this author. I was all prepared to adore it. Maybe that was the problem. I doubt I will reread this book; it just didn't resonate with me like others by Ms. Gunn do.

I received a free review copy of this book to facilitate my review. I was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This story was such a beautiful and heartwarming story of family, friends, and love. I love stories about close friendships, and the way people care deeply about each other. The way this world is nowadays, it’s refreshing to read about kindhearted people looking out for each other.

I enjoy Robin Jones Gunn’s Christmas stories, and I was impressed by how well she did with general fiction as well. She has a talent of drawing me into her stories and keeps me interested throughout the entire story.

I enjoyed this book and am definitely looking forward to the next book!

Fiction Review: Becoming Us (Haven Makers Book 1) by Robin Jones Gunn
Description:
Five young women, including beloved Gunn characters Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen, gather for a simple Christmas party and soon become unlikely best friends. Told from the viewpoint of Emily, a timid young mom going through a difficult season of life, the regular gatherings provide the much needed community she's longed for. As the women begin sharing their life stories in Becoming Us they are endeared to each other and find ways to challenge, encourage, and help each other become the nurturing mothers they wished they'd had when they were growing up. They see themselves as Haven Makers and unite to be remembered for what they do and not for what was done to them.
My Review:
Becoming Us is a sweet inspirational novel. Fans of Robin's Christy Miller books will love this new series. I enjoyed the interaction of the young women as they learn and grow through tough times. The most inspiring element in the story is the common thread they share; young women doing life together. I've read several of Gunn's books and enjoyed them all. This one will appeal to young women who can relate to the trials of life as mom's and/or working women. I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook Multnomah via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.