Perhaps I need to start off by saying I know this story isn’t for everyone. Author, Erin Hahn describes her writing as ‘alternative Christina fiction’. She does approach sensitive issues that most teens are face.

In this story, Meg Hennessey finds out at age eighteen that the man she knows as Dad is not her biological father. Mom confesses that her biological father Andrew died in a car accident before her mother could tell him she was pregnant. She never told her husband that he wasn’t Meg real dad.

Meg sets out to find her grandmother and as well as any members of that side of her life she never knew. While on her search, she meets nineteen year old Micah Allen

Yes! Meg and Micah are meant for each other. There is no doubt you will enjoy reading their story.

I always enjoy reading the Author’s Note. In this case this section is a story in itself.

Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Wednesday Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 7, 2021

This is a book I could see my students relating to and enjoying. The teen characters are very likeable and the content and topics relating to religion are very relevant.

Never Saw You Coming follows two teens, Micah and Meg, on a search for identity. Both being raised in conservative Christian households that when secrets and lies began to surface, they begin to question their truth and upbringing in the church. Never doubting the God of love, but doubting the principles and foundation in which they were brought up – the church, human’s sinful nature, scriptural interpretations, etc. When a chance meeting brings them together, they find comfort in each other and begin to believe that God allows bad things to happen and those bad things can bring about blessings.

Overall, I will not share my personal beliefs or testimony – as this is not my story, it is Meg and Micah’s. The story is well written and engaging. I believe captures many struggles of teenagers raised in church and Christian households (myself being one of them). The search for identity is so strong when you begin to notice the world around you, especially with the heartbreaking family situations that both Meg and Micah find themselves in. I think the author did a great job touching on this extremely challenging and malleable time in the lives of young Christians. It’s not easy.

I was hesitant about requesting this book as an ARC. I didn’t want to read about teens who turned their back on their faith and God because that breaks my heart when I hear stories like that, but I also felt it would be impactful and lead to important discussions. So, as I typically do, I read the Author’s Note first (at the back of the book). That was eye opening and I wish that it were located at the beginning of the novel because I believe it is a very powerful point and would resonate with readers prior to beginning the book. The author is working with a very difficult subject in the Christian community and I applaud her on her efforts to try and share those real conflicts, challenges, and desires. Was it a book I would have purchased for my library based on the summary? probably not, but would now that I have read it. Do I agree with all the thoughts and decisions made by the characters? Nope. But I am glad they are being shared and I think this is a very brave book that will be uncomfortable for many, but the points in it need to be acknowledged. Meg and Micah represent many real teenagers and young adults. Hopefully this book finds them, so they might not feel alone about their complicated feelings and struggles.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for this ARC. I think this would be a good addition to our collection at school. Honestly, I wish I could one day meet the author; sitting down and having a cup of coffee to chat about theology and the church.

“I only started finding him attractive fifteen minutes ago when I met his dog.” Lines like these are why I read Erin Hahn’s books. She’s funny and she packs the wit, similar to Emma Lord. Never Saw You Coming is quirky and sweet, and drops in those witty one liners from time to time.

This book follows Meg and Micah. Meg is a Christian girl who has grown up as an active member of her church. She basically runs away when she finds out her mom and dad are getting a divorce, and whoops—her dad isn’t actually her dad. Micah is the son of a former pastor who has been sent to jail for assaulting female staff members and stealing from the congregation.

Christianity plays a BIG part in this book and I have a couple things I want to say about that. First, that was such a unique integration into the story. Religion is often missing in a lot of YA novels, so I love when it’s included. That’s a whole part of life that’s totally unacknowledged most of the time in this genre, so I was excited to see it included.

Secondly, I took a class once that talked about books being windows and mirrors: you can see the world, and/or you can see yourself looking back at you. As a Christian, this book was both a window and a mirror for me. I had the chance to see my religion and faith represented in a book, but also this was an entirely different experience than what I have ever had. In Never Saw You Coming, Micah and Meg both struggle with their views of the church and how that affects their beliefs. I haven’t had that struggle because I have been lucky to be able to form my own opinions in conjunction with my beliefs. It was interesting and eye-opening to see Micah and Meg make their own choices and maintain their faith.

Outside of religion, this book was cute and definitely a quick read, but it still hit heavy issues: abstinence, sexual assault, sexuality, and incarcerated parents among others. I liked that those topics were included, especially since they often aren’t. However! I wanted more on those. They all took a backseat and I would have liked to have seen a bigger focus on them.

With that, I like the direction the end took, but I wanted more. It fell a little flat. I wanted a little more strength behind that.

The romance in this book was cute and it was refreshing that it was simply different. Mainly, there wasn’t that big stupid fight that breaks up the couple before they realize that was dumb and reunite. It was more mature in that way, and I really appreciated being saved from that trope.

Also! I swear the authors actually listen to me sometimes. I’ve been pushing to have more college aged main characters in YA or adult books (18-25 year-olds pretty much don’t exist), and that was something about More Than Maybe that really bothered me as I could have easily seen those characters in college rather than high school (they worked in a bar and went to school like 0 times). As you can imagine, Never Saw You Coming’s 18 and 19 year old main characters gave my little book loving heart some hope!

In the end, Never Saw You Coming took big risks. It tackled tough issues, but could have delved deeper. It is refreshing as it uses new and rare components in the story, so that was fun. That said, I did enjoy More Than
Maybe more so. I would recommend Never Saw You Coming if you’re looking for something different or just want to read a new perspective.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Wednesday Books for the ARC!

Quirky, but a fun read. I enjoyed reading this while on a beach vacation. Very bold & heart warming! I will definitely look into her other books!

This book was a tough read for me, not only because of the topic but also due to all the mentions of religion. Overall I did enjoy the book, I just wish it didn’t talk about religion as much as it did.

Finally, a young adult book that is positive towards a faith in God, allowing for these young adults to have messy lives and find strength in each other and Jesus. Meg is devastated to find her parents have been living a lie. Her real father died before she was born and she sets out to meet his family in Marquette, Michigan. Here she finds loving family, a wonderful young man, and a faith in forgiveness. Her source of love she shares is from God, but she is far from perfect which makes this such a believable story. Touches on topics of purity, modesty, abstinence and “acceptable” behavior in the church.

Loved this book!! It discussed such an important topic-purity culture and shaming women. I loved how it tied in such an important message but also gave us a wonderful love story. The characters were so lovable and relatable. I will definitely recommend this book to others and continue to read books from this author!

This is the third YA book I've read by Erin Hahn and I continue to be impressed with her skills as a writer in approaching difficult topics. This coming-of-age novel doesn't shy away from questioning religion/faith and the double standards within the church's teachings surrounding purity, modesty, abstinence, and "acceptable" behavior. The prevalence of religion and the criticism of the church is probably not for everyone - but I thought she dealt with the hypocrisy of some of the church's teachings in a very smart way. I was thrilled that Meg from More than Maybe was getting her own story - I loved her sassiness. And Micah is an incredible character - his pain is still so raw, but he has such a kind heart and is adorable. Both Meg and Micah show a tremendous amount of vulnerability throughout and the friendship/relationship that develops between them is beautiful as they help each other heal and bring out the best in each other. Never Saw You Coming was a refreshing and heartfelt novel - made me laugh and cry. Definitely recommend it. Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this novel.

I have been looking forward to this read since the moment it was announced. I am the child of a conservative home and a pastors kid. This book hit layers in my little world that other books just haven't been able to reach yet. I will be writing up a glowing goodreads and blog review soon, I just haven't been quite ready to go there yet. but, I will!

I really enjoyed More Than Maybe, enough that I was very surprised, so when Never Saw You Coming dropped, I had to read it. I have a very complicated relationship with faith and organized religion, but I thought this was handled so well and speaks to many different audiences. The romance is sweet, there are some great side characters, honestly I'd probably read another one in this universe.

I feel a little weird writing this review because this book deals very heavily with religious topics and I am very heavily NOT religious. That being said, the subject matter didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I actually really loved it. I just feel like my review is coming entirely from an outsider's perspective. Normally I don't like books that talk too much about religion because I can't relate at all. In this case, I could relate to Meg despite her very religious upbringing. Erin Hahn is such a wonderful storyteller, and the themes of a young person having to determine their own beliefs and decide who they want to be and what kind of life they want to lead are universal. This story highlighted issues within the Christian church like double standards and purity culture, and while discussing these things may offend some people, I think this is an important discussion to have. I really hope this book finds its way into the hands of teens who need it, ones who may be struggling with defining their own beliefs.

This book is written in dual POV, but I feel like it's really more of Meg's story, since she's the one who goes through the biggest transformation. I really adored Micah's POV, though, and I would have happily read an entire book of just his story. It was cute seeing how he felt about Meg, and I loved their romance. It wasn't rushed, and it was sweet and felt realistic. I already can't wait for Erin Hahn's next book. If she can make me love a book about religion, I'll read anything she writes.

(I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

For someone who historically doesn’t enjoy strongly romantic books as much, Erin Hahn’s have something about them that grips me. I finished her prior two in as close to one sitting as I could manage, and Never Saw You Coming was no exception. I adore the way she crafts dynamics between the two love interests and the way she handles dual POV. I loved the deep and genuine relationship between Meg and Micah, how they connected right away, and how they were able to support each other. One thing I especially appreciate in Hahn’s books are the treatment of heavier topics carefully, respectfully, and expertly - here, faith and the evangelical church, as well as purity culture.

I thought this was a great coming-of-age story, and I'm glad it will be available to teens who struggle with messages they might be receiving from churches and parents about sexuality and sin in general. As someone who grew up in a religious household but not an evangelical one, I found the glimpse into that world eye-opening. The characters were engaging, and the pace of the story was great. I'll recommend it.

I was provided with an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair review by NetGalley.

I thoroughly enjoyed More Than Maybe and was very excited to read this book! It took me back to high school when I would go to youth group and made some of my favorite memories. I think if you are a Christian who is struggling with some major changes in your life and doubt you could relate to some of the things in the book. You also could really hate this book as it goes through some traditional thoughts. I really loved all of the quirky characters in the story and the challenges they are facing. I do wish that there was a little more of an understanding of both sides of many issues as I am bored of the Christian faith being the go to religion for hatred.

I discovered Erin Hahn a couple of years ago and although young adult is not so much my genre, I really like her writing style. and her characters while quirky, face some serious issues for young adults. I found this book and it's theme of religion and morality very timely and interesting. More than that, it was handled in a way that allows young adults to question what they have been taught without making them feel guilty. Very much enjoyed this book and look forward to what comes next (and hope it's Duke's story!).

As a fan of Erin Hahn, I was very excited to receive an ARC. This is the perfect book for someone who is in a transition period In life and questioning there raising.

Meg just experienced something that makes her question everything. Micah experienced something growing up and still working thorough it. One thing that never wavered was their belief and God.

Together they work through different steps to figure out where to go from there and grow into who they want to be. Then throwing in the wrench of falling in love and new experiences.

The end of this book left me questioning things I was told growing up and be thankful that my parents allowed me to experience things and learn who I was without the pressure of being something.

This story was absolutely unique. I’ve never ready anything like this growing and even now as an adult I found it really interesting. It reminded me of my high school years when my mom will force me to attend church youth groups. I really didn’t mind because a lot of people from high school would attend and my personal close friends as well. If I were to be reading this book as a sixteen year old I will probably be rolling my eyes with all of the religious and spiritual references mentioned in the book. But now that I am an adult I really enjoy the story and the characters. Meg and Micah were really cute together and I loved how much they cared for each other. I loved how they would express their spiritual beliefs but also how they were in the process of self discovery and experiencing love for the first time. Overall I really enjoyed it. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this great book.

This is my first Erin Hahn book and I have to say I'm thoroughly impressed! Really enjoyed her writing style and how thought provoking the book was when it came to religion - kind of reminded me a bit of the arc in Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne. Also just loved the initial concept of Meg finding out her father is not her "real father," and all of the implications of that revelation. Definitely will read more by Erin.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the advanced read in exchange for an honest review.

Never Saw You Coming is a story of young love and complications that comes with it. It's unique in ways that I haven't read in other YA stories. Unfortunately for me I couldn't connect with this at all. They both are struggling with family issues and religion. They deal with them in their own ways. For me there was too much religious talk. It's took away from the relationship in the story and was just too much. I don't particularly like to read about religion in stories but I don't mind a little here and there. This one was non-stop in some form or other. I think a ton of people will love this story. It's well written and unique but just not for me.