This book was ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS and continued to surprise me over and over.

Confession Time: I requested this book because of the adoption theme. I've long had a heart for adoption and will always jump at the chance to read amazing books about it. But to be honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to "like-like" it, you know? Nicole Deese is a new to me author and the book had a bit of a slower pace. Also, not going to lie, Lauren may have caused a little bit of growling from me. I'm just saying.

BUT THEN. Guys, this story, was absolutely the sweetest, from the romance (which let me tell you was no picnic), to the adoption struggles and heartache (and the unique vantage point we get to experience following the journey of a single woman adopting), to all of the little, beautiful moments and characters that tied it all together into an incredible, heart-challenging and heart-warming adventure.

Despite earlier remark, or perhaps in extension to it, Lauren’s character arc is one that I will remember for a long time to come. Also Joshua Avery is all of the things. 😁

Five Stars, highly recommend this one!!

The reality of adoption has been something long overlooked by novel tellers and society alike and this book touches on that. It does tie it up a neater bow that I would have liked, but I was thankful to see it touching on it. 
Family dynamics as well was a subject more the focus of the book than anything else. This contemporary story took hard topics and made it into a light story, with a happy ending. It was perfect for right now.

Before I Called You Mine is another of my face mask wearing, quarantine reads, but I’m kinda glad for that. This is a book that it’s okay to be alone while reading. Nicole Deese has taken a topic that a lot of us hear about, but are never really involved with, and she has opened up a heart tugging, emotional tale that will leave you longing for more. I absolutely loved this book. From the opening chapter to the very last word, Deese had me laughing, crying, and praying about our future.
Deese builds the world of Lauren and Joshua flawlessly, and allows her characters to grow and blossom. Highly inspirational, Before I Called You Mine is a must read!
I received a book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

This was a little too Christian Fiction for my taste but I still enjoyed the story, especially the adoption aspect.

Well, I wrote this book, so I'm hardly unbias. But I do miss and love these characters deeply and to this day, it's my favorite of all my book babies :)

Lauren story touched my heart so much that I chose it to be my Book Club read to honor mothers. Her choice to be a single mother is bold and courageous. Readers will have a bird's eye view to the ups and downs of adopting a child. There is more to adoption that we realize. This is a story that needs to be discussed in our churches because so many single women are thinking of going this route. Also it will teach people to be sensitive about asking women ( married and unmarried) about their plans for children. 

I received this book from the publisher and the opinions expressed are entirely my own.

What an unusual plotline, well-done story of adoption and sacrifice!  I can't speak to the authenticity of the adoption timeline and legalities, but the idea of a woman choosing to forgo dating and relationships to pursue adoption as a single woman, and then meeting her dream man? What a setup for a heartbreaking decision and enthralling story!

Lauren's and Josh's characters were so well written that I laughed with them and their quick banter and Josh's zany antics, but I also ached with them over the impossible choices put before them, and their desire to hear God's will for their lives.  How could He set Lauren on the path to singlehood adoption and then put Josh across the hall from her every day?  How was Lauren supposed to decide between a man she could build a life with, and possible pursue further adoptions with...four years in the future...or the child she could help right now?!

The cast of side characters in this story were just as well done and so important to the richness of the book; from Lauren's family, whom she felt didn't understand her at all, to Joshua's family, who welcomed her right in, as well as the Cartwright family who showed her what adoption looked like, soup to nuts, and her best friend Jenna, who was there for her throughout it all.

I give this book 5 stars!  While I'm sure the adoption process is much more grueling and emotional than can fit into a single novel, I didn't feel like this book glossed over any of it.  It highlighted that adoption is a calling, and a sacrifice, and that there is great need, but it is certainly not quick or easy.

I received a complimentary copy of this digital book, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

It took me a while. Months actually to pick this book up but i wish I would’ve done it sooner! I loved it more than i could say. I loved lauren and joshua’s romance, the representation of her relationship with god and her faith in him, as well as her struggle and journey of adoption. As a believer in Christ who also seeks adopting one day it truly is a story of hope <3

I’ve read a number of Nicole Deese novels and even though the premise of this book did not quite draw me in, because of how much I’ve enjoyed her other books, I requested it anyway. My thoughts:

What I liked

Adoption. I don’t know much about the process of adopting a child, but I thought the author did a good job of describing all that’s involved including the ups and downs and all of the emotions that a potential parent deals with. It’s obviously not an easy avenue to go down and I like that the author did not shy away from that.

Family drama. I love romance, but I also love reading about the dynamics of family. Lauren’s decision to adopt is one that brings a lot of things to the surface between her and her mom and her sister. I thought the way everything unfolded felt natural and organic.

Spiritually, the book deals with trusting God, particularly when you don’t understand why things are happening the way that they are.

What I didn’t like

The reason I wasn’t crazy about the premise of this book was because I felt like a focused conversation could solve everyone’s problems. But, I was hoping that I was wrong and that there would be something else happening that would drive the story.  I was not wrong. I understood Lauren and where she was coming from. I just did not understand why she just didn’t lay everything out on the table from the get-go. Since I felt like one conversation would have wiped out half of the plot, it didn’t quite work for me.

Romantic scale: 7.5

Overall, I was not a huge fan of this book. There wasn’t enough of a story to really draw me in.

**I received a copy from BethanyHouse via Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

“Her once-hardened exterior had begun to crack...and all it had taken was a few extra minutes on our part and a willingness to meet a need. Kindness wasn't overrated.”
― Nicole Deese, Before I Called You Mine
“The way to shape a child's heart is through love. And the way to shape a child's mind is through literature. When you read to a child, you accomplish both.”
― Nicole Deese, Before I Called You Mine
“God is always on time.”
― Nicole Deese, Before I Called You Mine
“You may not know your child's name yet or what their face looks like when they laugh or cry, but God has already gone before you in this. He's already connected your heart to theirs in a way only He can. I know the wait can feel excruciating while one this side of things, but it's not in vain. There is purpose in the waiting, Lauren. Don't allow yourself to lose sight of that.”
― Nicole Deese, Before I Called You Mine
This is one of those books that simply grips your heart and soul from the minute you begin to the very last word.
I never lost sight of that emotional pull and the love that formed every character, plot, and setting.
The main character Lauren is at her own turning point in life in which she'll stay single for life if only to be able to adopt a child.
It's that Christian faith in which she pulls all her inner emotions and places them on the table in front of her Lord for her own salvation and peace.
It's a romance that's beautifully inclusive that takes readers breath away and wraps them into a warmth of body and soul.
Loved it all and hope you find this review well as it's a pleasure to have read this new work in Christian Fiction.

This one was simply a scrumptious feast of literary pleasure.  A gentle romance is central to the story but not the main issue: the main issue is adoption.  And poor Lauren is stuck where she has to pick between romance and motherhood for her future!!  Say what?  Mean author, right?  Well, it sure makes a compelling story as Lauren wrestles for her dreams even while she faces having to pick between the two things she wants most: though motherhood is drawing at her heart, attraction to her new co-worker is making her heart dance a bit too high.

Joshua was easy to like and I really enjoyed how their interactions went.  We got lots of page time with them together, and I especially loved the texting scenes and the tree lighting scene best.  

My favorite thing was how adult they are.  They actually <I>talk through things when they have issues!  And they don't forget they have issues because they have attraction!</I> This is exactly what I love reading in a good romance: believable adult interaction.  Spot on.

But oh, Lauren's journey to motherhood...ouch, ouch, ouch...you're sure to cry over and over again...make sure you start with the multi-pack of Kleenex or a roll of paper towels!!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free reading copy.  A favorable review was not required.

I LOVED this one. LOVED it! I’ve recently read two bad attempts at Christian Fiction, so I can’t say I had high hopes for this one. Wrong! Before I Called You Mine is Christian Fiction dome right.
Lauren is a single first grade teacher in her early 30’s who has decide to adopt a child from China... this also means that she must remain single until the adoption is final. This is not a problem until Joshua starts substituting in the classroom across the hall. Joshua is in educational software, crazy about dinosaurs, and the son of Lauren’s educational guru. While Lauren makes it clear they need to stay just friends, Joshua ends up meaning a lot to her - especially while she’s on the rollercoaster that is adoption. Lauren knows God is calling her to be a mom, but she can’t imagine life with Joshua.

This book was excellent. It was sweet, it was touching, it was funny. In a lot of ways, I feel like I could see myself in Lauren (being a single 30-something teacher), and I kept imagining myself in her shoes/wondering how I’d handle her situations. I loved how strong Jamie was, and I was proud of her decisions. I wish we could be friends in real life! I’ll be waiting for my Prince Charming to be substituting across the hall if we every get out of quarantine...

I received an ARC from @netgalley. I’m dumb, so I didn’t read it immediately. It’s out! I’m gonna Amazon a copy to my mom right now.

Before I Called You Mine is the story of Lauren, a single elementary school teacher who wants to adopt an orphan from China. This means staying single, because the adoption agency only allows children to go to single mothers or to couples who have been married more than two years. Single hasn’t been a problem until she meets the substitute teacher across the hall …

In some respects, Before I Called You Mind is a typical contemporary romance novel with a unique application of the “decides to remain single, then meets Mr Perfect” trope. But setting the novel against a backdrop of international adoption introduced a whole bunch of questions, many of them uncomfortable. One of the characters says of a child adopted internationally:

“Leaving the only place she’s ever called home, and the only people who’ve ever cared for her, is a traumatic event. That’s a fact, not an opinion … She won’t know the language, the food, the sounds, the smells.”

International adoption rips a child from everything familiar—their country, their culture, their language, even their name (yes, the main character planned to change her child’s name). That bugged me (and is the main reason for my rating). What psychological message does that send to a child, that not even their name is theirs and has value? It smacks of a nineteenth-century white saviour complex, where the missionaries converted the natives and changed their names to “Christian” names. I’d hoped we’d got beyond that, but comments about “dark chocolate, almond-shaped eyes” suggested we haven’t.

When I started the novel, I was in two minds about international adoption. I read plenty of stories about how the US foster care system is crying out for qualified carers. Why choose international adoption when there are thousands of disadvantaged and needy children in the US?

The author herself has adopted internationally, but says the purpose of the novel isn’t to persuade readers to adopt a child from overseas. Rather, it’s to challenge us to find the hard thing that God’s asking us to partner with Him in. Do I think it met that objective? No. But was it a good story? Mostly.

Lauren is torn between her desire to adopt internationally, and her attraction to Joshua … who also happens to be the son of the education expert who inspired many of Lauren’s most successful teaching methods. The family is everything Lauren’s family isn’t—friendly, loving, Christian.

There were times when I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for Lauren and her predicament. She complains about her family, then insults her mother and wonders why they don’t have a great relationship. She has been working towards adopting an orphan from China for two years, and had been considering it for three years before that, yet had never bothered to learn any Mandarin, or anything about Chinese food or culture.

At the same time, I could empathise with Lauren. She’d been earnestly seeking God and was convinced He placed the idea for international adoption on her heart and brought her into contact with people who could encourage and support her in that journey. Then God throws Joshua in her path, and she starts second-guessing herself. It made fascinating and compelling reading.

Overall, this is a well-written story with great characters and plenty of conflict. It’s memorable, and will definitely make you think.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

Before I Called You Mine Review

Wow. Let me first say that this book gave me all the feels and all the happy tears. I did not expect to love this book as much as I did and I’m so glad my expectations were exceeded.

Lauren was a single woman who knew exactly what she wanted at 31 years old. She was grounded and happy in her career as a first grade teacher, but longed to be a mother, choosing international adoption. 

Joshua was not the man she ever expected to meet. Charming, smart, nerdy and God-fearing, he blew into her life just as crazily as he blew into Brighton Elementary in his ask-me-about-my-T-Rex  shirt. 

I fell in love with Joshua and Lauren from the beginning, but even more so during the Christmas Tree Lighting “date.” It was so exciting to watch them encourage and love each other, all while respecting the other’s boundaries. Their chemistry oozed from the pages in such a natural way and I couldn’t get enough of their spontaneous Build-A-Bear trips or cozy fireside conversations.

The side characters, Jenna and Gail, were phenomenal. They are the people you dream of to be in your life to encourage you and remind you of what’s important. They added SO much to this story, among others. Even Lauren’s mother and sister, who I despised towards the beginning. It’s a testament to your writing ability that I ended up appreciating them.

Some of the beautiful scenes you wrote completely ripped my heart in two (the New Years Day conversation in the nursery), while others made me smile and laugh (the China trip). The texting conversations between Lauren and Joshua always made me smile 😊

The thing I loved the most about this book was how you reminded us through your beautiful writing, that you have to trust in God’s timing, even if it forces you to make some of the hardest decisions of your life. You can rebel all you want, but in the end, all it does is delay the inevitable plans He has for you. Plans that are far greater than what you ever imagined. 

Thank you so much for writing this book. It was very impactful and couldn’t have been read at a better time. I hope others are encouraged by it as well. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Bethany House for this ARC

This was a well written story, very much a drama, and really less about the romance - which was very secondary part of the plot. I did feel frustrated by the main character, her responses seemed a bit extreme, a lot of the time.

Oh, this book! It had me feeling all the feels: joy, sadness, anger, hope. The novel is written in first person from Lauren's perspective, and I think that really helped me connect with the character. Lauren is so likable—certainly not perfect, as her complicated relationship with her family shows, but absolutely trying to do the right thing and following the call God put on her life.

The budding romance between Lauren and Joshua is sweet (Joshua is certainly a delightful romantic hero), and if Before I Called You Mine were just a romance, I would have enjoyed it. But what takes this book to another level is Lauren's other relationships—with her best friend Jenna, adoptive mom Gail (whose son really started Lauren thinking about adoption), Joshua's family, and Lauren's mom and sister. These relationships all felt so real, and all were integral to Lauren's adoption journey, which is really the heart of this novel.

I really appreciated this look into international adoption—I know a few people who have adopted internationally, and it was clear that Deese knew what she was talking about. I wasn't at all surprised to see in Deese's author's note that she and her husband adopted from China. There's definitely a ring of authenticity to Lauren's journey.

Also, I have to mention that I did not know how this book would end. That is so, so rare in a romance, and I really appreciated it. I flew through the pages, wondering what would happen next, and the end result is an incredibly satisfying, thought provoking novel.

I absolutely loved this book! It was so much more than a romance novel. It's a beautifully written story about trusting in God and being willing to sacrifice everything to surrender to His will.

Lauren felt a strong calling toward international adoption and started the process over a year ago. As she waits to be matched with a child, she meets Joshua and they have an immediate connection. Joshua is sweet, kind and makes her laugh. The problem is, she applied to adopt as a single mother and can't pursue a serious relationship. Lauren struggles to figure out which path God wants her to choose.

There are so many heartfelt moments and there are moments that make you laugh. I loved the secondary characters as well. Everyone needs a best friend like Jenna! It was my first by this author, but it won't be the last. I highly recommend this book!

I absolutely LOVED this book! Such an amazing story of faith, family and finding love when you least expect it. Deese brilliantly delivered a heartwarming story tackling of motherhood, international adoption, tough family circumstances, sacrifice, and impossible choices that is so captivating to read.

This book is one that stays with you for a long time after the final page. I laughed, I cried, I smiled a lot. You don’t want to skip this read!

Special thanks to Bethany House Publishers for the advanced copies in exchange for only my honest thoughts and review.

Wow . . . I don't know what I was expecting out of this novel, but it far exceeded any expectations I may have had. Very quickly I was drawn into the story, and despite being a somewhat slow-paced book with nothing much major happening plot-wise . . . I still didn't want to put it down! I can't help but attribute that to Deese's engaging writing style and gripping characters. I'm not a huge fan of first person POV, but it did work well for this story. There was humor mixed in with the more serious themes and kept the story moving. 

Lauren is an incredibly realistic and relatable character. She's flawed and struggles just as much as the rest of us. I enjoyed getting to know her and follow the ups and downs of her story. Joshua is a very sweet character as well and he was a great counterpart to Lauren. I loved how he pursued her but was still so very respectful and supported her in her dreams. Can I get a Joshua pretty please???

The theme of adoption was unique and very moving. Adoption is something that is very close to my heart, so it was fascinating to learn more about it. I loved that Deese showed the realisticality of adoption in Lauren's storyline. It isn't easy or painless. But it is worth it. 

Overall, this was simply a beautiful novel and fully deserving of all 5 stars! I highly recommend this is you love moving contemporary fiction or if adoption is a subject you're interested in! Well done, Ms. Deese!

Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese

“We can trust His plan and His timing, Lauren.”

I like Lauren and her conventional style of teaching. I like her big heart to help a child in need of a home. Joshua is a great guy. He genius and goofy with a big heart too. The day they met is a funny story. He likes T-Rex and fossils. Many will wish to have a friend like Jenna and Brian. They are with her from the time she felt her calling to adopt. That moment with Joshua and Aria at the hospital was precious. Life has obstacles and surprises along the way. We just have to trust God to lead the way and trust Him. 

The first half of the book feels like it goes on and on without going anywhere. I like the second half so much better. I even shed a tear or two. It would have been nice if there are less details and narration between the dialogues. 3.5/5