Jennalyn and Joel are just an ordinary married couple. They struggle to communicate and get caught up in the busyness of life. Joel’s focus shifts from family to work as he manages his restaurant, and Jennalyn’s focus shifts to her children. When the opportunity for a marriage retreat in Hawaii becomes available, they decide to invest in their marriage.

This story includes characters from the series I read in high school, The Christy Miller series. Girls grow up into women of faith that speak truth and have deep friendships. I loved how the author penned a story from the perspective of a young Mother who wrestles with the daily challenges of marriage and motherhood. A five star read for sure!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I've enjoyed every title I've read by Robin Jones Gunn , and ' Being Known ' is no exception. Her writing envelops the reader into a world of close friends to share life experiences. Her readers will no doubt carry the life experiences from the fictional world to their daily life, blessing others along the way. Reading ' Being Known ' was a true joy.

Being Known is an emotional story of real life struggles. I liked the story. Although the resolution seemed to be rushed. I have not read the other books in the series but didn't feel lost. I like a book that I feel connected to, and I felt like I understood the struggles and emotions and had empathy for the characters. If you are a Robin Jones Gunn fan, you will love this book.

Can I just say how thankful I am that Robin Jones Gunn has seen fit to continue giving us some Christy Miller connection points?! We are able to get a glimpse of what Christy and Todd are up to, and meet new friends along the way. Part of the "Haven Makers" series, this second book follows a deeper dive into the story of original DOE (Daughters of Eve, as they have name themselves) Jennalyn (we also learn a bit more about Tess, another DOE). The author does not shy away from challenging subjects, including grief, depression, co-dependency, and emotional affairs. For anyone who has been married for more than 10 minutes this is a poignant and possible illustration of the disconnects and seriously difficult times that can occur and we see that when they are navigated with grace and forgiveness we are able to fully known.

Jennalyn is still grieving the loss of her mother. With two small children and successful but very busy restauranteur husband, Joel, she begins to feel very alone. When she runs into former high school boyfriend and first love at her daughter's dance class, they begin to slowly reconnect. Sister DOE Tess is struggling with connection as well, and although she tries to keep it professional with one of her clients, their deepening friendship may soon be crossing a line - because he is married. There are some interesting surprises and just enough conflict to keep it real.

If you haven't already, you should DEFINITELY read "Becoming Us" first. I am loving this series and will gladly endorse this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

I have enjoyed Robin Jones Gunn books in the past and so I was excited to get to review Being Known. I had never read the Christy Miller series and this book is about Christy’s friend Jennalyn’s marriage and her grief journey. Jennealyn seems to have a dream life, but she is lonely and not grateful for what she did have. The book had too many storylines being covered for me enjoy reading it and was bored with the friendship gatherings, Jennalyn wanting Christy to be her best friend and discussions on things like essential oils that had nothing to do with the story. I think Christy Miller fans will love it, but it wasn’t for me.

Wow! What a deep, intense book sharing real-life struggles and temptations mixed with God's incredible grace and love! Being Known continues the story of previous characters of Robin Jones Gunn's book, this time focusing on Jennalyn. As a mom with a toddler and a baby and wife of a busy chef/restaurant owner, Joel, Jennalyn's life is a whirlwind. Grief from her mom's recent death coincides with the chance meeting of a former boyfriend. Jennalyn's life intertwines with the lives of her friends who are also going thru difficult struggles. As Jennalyn and Joel work through normal struggles of marriage, they also learn to prioritize their marriage. The story is well-written and very easy to connect with on an emotional level. The story can stand on its own, but is a far deeper reading experience if you've read previous books by Gunn. GREAT READ!!!

This was a great continuation of the characters of the book "Becoming Us"....although you don't have to have read that book to be able to read this one! This was such a true depiction of marriage and trying to find your rhythm with each other and kids and jobs and LIFE! It is also a wonderful reflection of friendships, how important they are and how important it is to foster those friendships! I am anxious to read more books in this series!

I received an advanced reader copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.

I have been a fan of Robin Jones Gunn for a long time, and read the "Todd and Christy" series in my teenage years. I was excited to see Todd and Christy featured so prominently in "Being Known." However, the main characters and the obstacles they faced felt like they hadn't been completely fleshed-out and the resolution felt too rushed. Overall, it was a good book, but a little too simplistic.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Jennalyn is juggling being a stay at home mum with supporting her husband running a new restaurant and her art career. Losing her mum puts her life into a spin. She meets an old boyfriend who brings back fond memories of her mum and eventually makes her doubt her marriage as well as some of her life choices.

Reading " Being Known" took me back to Summer Promise, the first book in the Christy Miller Series-basically like a big hug with a tinge of nostalgia. Gunn handles the issue of infidelity and grief with truth, grace and compassion and provides points of self-reflection for readers in romantic relationships without being preachy. The power of friendship and sisterhood shines through the characters and makes me want to form a Daughters of Eve (DOE) circle.

Though "Being Known" is the second book in the Haven Makers series, it can be read as a standalone. If you read the Christy Miller series while growing up and are wondering what the gang is getting up to as adults, then this is the series for you.

Being Known is a beautifully written novel. Great plot, and well crafted characters. A story of loss and friendship. I highly recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Being Known is a poignant store of 5 women who call themselves Daughters of Eve. I love how they connect with each other and are honest with each other, even when the truth is hard to hear. I wanted to be in the room with them and be a part of their group! I’ve never chosen a word for the year like these women, but “know” might be a good one to start with.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another enjoyable book by Robin Jones Gunn. Well written and love the characters. 5 women coming together to encourage and support one another. Such a great example of Christian fellowship.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher and netgalley. This is my own opinion.

This is a beautifully written book that is full of emotions. It will touch your heart and soul. This would be a wonderful book for a book club or a women's church group. It is a fiction book but it is full of golden nuggets to remember.. This book was an absolute joy to read. 5 solid stars!! Thank you WaterBrook & Multnomah via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this wonderful book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Being Known, the latest novel from Robin Jones Gunn is a story that explores themes of true friendship, the significant loss that comes with a beloved mother's death, and the importance of full disclosure and trust within a marriage.

It was an enjoyable novel, and I particularly liked the depth of the friendship between Jennalyn and the other DOEs. "After all the ways you DOEs have influenced me, I now happen to believe that God can use anything or anyone to impress specific thoughts on us." It made me yearn for a group of friends that can speak truth into our lives just as this one did.

I recommend this novel - it's a bit of a primer on how true friendship in Christ looks. And that's just one aspect of the book! I received an advanced reader copy for this my honest review for which I thank NetGalley.

Robin Jones Gunn creates a beautiful story of mother going through the trials of raising a young family while her husband works hard to build and run a restaurant to support them. Even though both spouses are doing their part to take care of their family both are weighed down by their commitments which separates them even though they share the same house. The separation opens them both up to temptations and choices that can break a marriage. The five friends (the DOEs) play pivitol rolls in helping their each other be known and work through the struggles they face. Their camaraderie keeps the story positive even as individual characters are hurting. I enjoyed this story and thank NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC edition.

Jennalyn loves her husband, and he loves her. But he’s a chef, and is at work all the time. She’s lonely and missing her mother, who could give her excellent advice.
Having four close friends who provide a safe haven of encouragement and vulnerability is a godsend when life gets messy. It’s easier for Jennalyn to tell her best friend rather than her husband that their daughter’s ballet friend is the daughter of her old high school sweetheart.
A heart-warming story. To have such close friends is a blessing beyond compare.

I have to start right off by admitting I was utterly fascinated with this book! It was not at all what I expected, right from the start. "Being Known" was a beautifully written story about a true sense of sisterhood between 5 friends. They endured and worked thru many of life's challenges in a truly realistic way. I loved how Ms. Gunn presented so many personality types that were wonderfully explored as the characters related to one another and handled various situations within their lives. She touched on a sense of infidelity, although it was much more from the emotional standpoint than physical. This brought the very heart of how deeply ones responses to various circumstances can affect yourself and others around you (especially your spouse). I was also very moved by how the 5 friends held each other to a level of accountability, and how each of them (as a couple with their spouse) related to the other friends and their spouses.

This book was very well written, clearly researched from biblical standpoints, and simply remarkable in presentation. I found it very easy to give this book a solid 5 star review. Well done, Ms. Gunn!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from WaterBrook & Multnomah through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I'd never read anything by Robin Jones Gunn before so I had no expectations as I started reading Being Known.

I enjoyed the book and I will look out for more by Robin Jones Gunn. With that said, I think this book had a lot of potential but it remained on the surface and solved problems a lot too quickly. It seemed like not one of the characters had to truly struggle as we do in real life, and the heartache we did hear about was treated very superficially. We were told about Jennalyn's and Tess's pain, but nothing in the story made me feel anything for them, while some characters, like Christy, just seemed too perfect to be real. I walk away knowing very little about the main characters and I don't have the need to find out how they got on, as I do after a novel that captured my heart, with characters that I cared for.

I recommend this as a light read for Christian women in their 30s, maybe 40s.

With thanks to WaterBrook & Multnomah and Netgalley for the ARC.

I have historically loved Robin Jones Gunn books... I always get excited about the new ones. I love the ideas in this book. Love the friendship between the characters. But it doesn’t seem like normal life. It seems like a dream life. I wish there was more normal life responses and interactions. I also wish there were more internal details for the characters. It feels rather surface. I also wondered why some details are covered and some aren’t? Like why are we talking about all the different roads they could take?
I also really struggled with the promoting of unhealthy essential oil habits of ingesting them.
I received a digital copy from netgalley. I was in no way required to write a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

I have been reading the stories of Christy and her friends since I was 15. Robin Jones Gunn has a way of writing relatable stories with characters that you can connect with. While this is a fictional story, I found myself examining my own heart with my marriage and my own friendships. Being Known made me laugh, I cried and can not wait to purchase to add to my own library. I will definitely be recommending my friends to read this.