This book was very triggering with its religious content. it was not what i was expecting and it is not badly written but the story was not interesting for me and this is Christian fiction and should be labeled as that! as part of a group that is constantly hurt by the religious groups etc it was not at all a pleasant reading and a bit of take your religion stuff to a gut! the inclusion of LGBTQ+ was not well done at all!!!

For me this was a really interesting book- I found myself really relating to Micah and how he struggled to reconcile his feelings about his family, his father and the church. Watching both Meg and Micah navigate the rocky waters of not just their relationship to eachother, but their relationships with their pasts was a really great thing to read. I wanted them to figure it all out, I was invested in what their futures could be- which is the mark of a good book,.

Heart warming cast of characters, refreshing and thoughtful conversations about religion, purity culture, and growing up. I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to others - especially those who are deconstructing their faith.

while this story was lovely, i’m not - nor have i ever been - religious, and it made it challenging to identify with the characters and their story. it also felt a bit uncomfortable at times to read, simply because of my own beliefs. i’m sure MANY readers will see themselves in this and love it, it simply wasn’t for me. i did love the character development, and that there was so much story in what felt like a relatively short read.

I've read all of Erin Hahn's books and Never Saw You Coming is her best work yet. It's obvious how personal and close to the heart this topic is for the author and it shows in every word.

Meg Hennessey has been raised by conservative parents and her mother in particular has drilled certain thoughts and beliefs into her head for as long as she can remember. So when secrets about her life come to light, she decides to take a gap year before college and travels to meet and stay with family she never knew existed. As she learns more about her past, she also meets Micah Allen, a former pastor's kid whose dad is in prison, and as a result now has a complicated relationship with church.

It's no surprise that Meg and Micah strike up a friendship and later a romance. But what was surprising was the mature way it unfolded. Both are dealing with big heavy issues related to family, religion, and their conservative upbringings. For Micah, he's been dealing with his conflicting feelings for some time now but for Meg, the questions she's raising about her faith are new to her. Together, they inspire one another to find the answers they're each looking for and lend unwavering support on that journey. I was raised Catholic by two very devout parents but I have family who are Baptist so I'm familiar with their community and culture (is that the right word?). This book is a deep, honest look into all of that and I appreciated it so much because it's a perspective we very rarely see in YA books (the other two I can think of are Things We Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally and The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord). Growing up in a religious household is so common and I hope this is the start of normalizing that, without it being labeled a certain type of fiction.

Do I recommend? Yes! I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Every element of the book (family, friends, religious) was solid.

Not really what I was expecting and it wasn't really to my personal taste. Not badly written, just not my thing.

I requested this book on NetGalley because it was selected by the LoveARCtually book club as one of their titles. I’ll be honest, when I realized it was about religion I almost marked it as will-not-review. Nothing against religion or those who practice it, but certain themes can be triggering after religion was ruined for me by certain hypocritical family members.

After some rave reviews from some of my friends, though, I decided to give this book a chance despite my own complicated feelings towards the topic. I’m so glad I did.

I loved Meg and her growth throughout the book. I loved how she was able to reconcile her own “ungodly” wants and needs with what she had been taught growing up.

The exact themes I was nervous to read about were addressed in such a way that I really enjoyed their presentation. Meg’s uncle basically calls her a slut for her relationship with Micah and for refusing to teach abstinence to her youth group. Hello, relatable! When my aunt and uncle said similar things to me, I left religion in the rearview mirror (especially knowing that they employed certain loopholes when they were dating, and still sat on their high horses and said I’d be going to hell for kissing a guy? No thanks. They’re also the type of Christians that “don’t believe in” gay and trans people, openly mock them, and still think they’re going to heaven). I have some regrets–my boyfriend is Catholic, and I do sometimes wish I was able to share those beliefs with him. It says a lot about Meg’s character that she was able to still address her faith and keep it in line with what she knew was right for her.

I really enjoyed reading Erin’s take on exact issues that I’ve had to deal with in my own life. Her point is that it isn’t religion that hurts you, it’s the people that take religion and twist it to fit their own evil agendas. All of the things I hate about “Christians” like my aunt and uncle are the exact opposite of what Christianity is actually about.

This book might not be for everyone, but it certainly will resonate with an important group of people that might really need to hear these words.

Erin Hahn has been a auto read author for me! She writes such real vivid characters with beautiful stories that always hit me in the feels. Although this one contained a lot of religion which I do not relate to, I was very invested in the story. It was well written and I loved all the characters. It would be pretty awesome if Erin wrote a Duke book next.

A moving story making sense of purity culture and the church in Hahn's typical voicey prose. A little triggering personally! But a wonderful book and important story to make it into the hands of teen readers.

As a child who also grew up in the world of Youth Groups and Church Camps, this story meant so much to me and I know will also mean so much to others with a similar upbringing. Hahn knows exactly how to craft quality characters who feel true, real, and grounded, who speaking about important topics, all whilst intertwining a beautiful love story. I have read every book she has published thus far, and not a single one has left me without having cried at least once. Meg and Micah's story is one that will touch the hearts of those who understand what it's like to grow up religious, and even those who do not.

Never Saw You Coming was a very different book than what I anticipated before picking it up. I don't tend to read a synopsis, so I was not prepared for the heavy themes of the book. But that's not a bad thing. I think a book like this needs to be on shelves.

I appreciated the journey of both Meg and Micah as they struggle with faith, church, and what it means to grow up. Both raised in conservative, church-going homes, they come together one summer when Meg is trying to get to know her real dad's family and Micah is struggling with his father's impending release from prison. As the pair grows closer, they have to balance their feelings and hormones with what's expected of them from their families coupled with ingrained teachings from the church. I felt like the struggle both characters went through is relatable to so many teens and examined a sometimes toxic relationship with (and the power of) the church and what it means to forge your own path without its confines.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the advanced copy.

I think for the first time in a long while, this was the first book that really made me question a lot of things about religion and the whole nature vs nurture kind of topic. Never Saw You Coming is a book that's more centered with two different people, Meg and Micah, plus how their upbringing and their church has affected their lives as well as their perspective on a ton of things that most teenagers and young adults go through in their age.

Relatively, I won't say that this is a bad book, but it definitely isn't a book that I personally love or liked to read. That is being the case, this review can be biased. There were a ton of coming-of-age and self-reflection through this book, that I feel like would've resonated with teenagers or people that come from a very conservative Christian family. However, it was a bit hard for me to fully connect with the characters, because I am not a very religious person.

I do have a certain level of faith, but not as much as it was portrayed in the book. Which cause a ton of inner turmoil within me, because it made me really question a ton of stuff and issues when it came to those beliefs in a conservative Christian community/church.

Which again, it's not the book's fault but rather my own personal preference. Aside from that, I feel like this book would have been enjoyed a lot more...with the right kind of audience.

I'd still like to thank NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchanged for an honest review.

Such a disappointing book for me. I did not expect the anti-church message at all. I understand the anger and confusion of a church leader being dishonest or hurtful. I also understand that there are people that struggle with where they fall in their own faith journey. I don't feel like this would be a book to give anyone that is either struggling or strong in their faith. It is an anti-Christian book and I don't see how it would be helpful to anyone. My concern is that it is an easy read and it will be hurtful to any teen who picks it up. Definitely won't be sharing with mine.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

OH MAN.... this book. I didn't grow up in a strict, religious household but my mom did so I can only imagine what her childhood was like growing up. From stories she told, it sounded pretty similar to Meg's upbringing. Lots of family secrets, because God forbid anyone ever does anything remotely sinful. While I don't have much in common with the characters. I grew to really care about them. Micah is such a well-mannered and sweet young man, despite everything that happened to him with his dad. I also really loved Duke and his story. I'm really hoping Hahn will write something in Duke's perspective one day!!

Overall, Hahn is still one of my all time favorite authors and I'll read anything and everything she puts out.

Meg’s faith in her parents is tested when she finds out they have been lying to her, so she heads to Marquette, Michigan to find out the truth. Micah’s father’s parole hearing is coming up and everyone keeps saying he needs to forgive him, but Micah isn’t ready to forgive. Both of them are struggling to grow up and deal with their parents actions, which causes a chance meeting to turn into a deep bond. I really enjoyed this book and how Meg and Micah’s relationship with each other, their families and their God resulted in very realistic personal growth for both of them.

This was a good story about relationships between a mother, a daughter, and first love. However, I could not because emphasize because I have never experienced that negative relationship with religion or the church. Some people may be offended.

Ramona Thompson

Never Saw You Coming is such a heartfelt coming of age story. I wasn't expecting to be so emotionally involved in this book from almost the first page. Meg and Micahs relationship is so sweet and I was surprised at how thought provoking and inspiring this whole book was. I look forward to reading more from Erin Hahn.

I could write the rantiest review but I will try to keep it to a minimum. I read the afterword by the author and I wish she could have sold this book to a Christian fiction publishing house because that's where this book belongs. If I knew religion was going to be spoon fed to me on every page then I would have never picked up this book. So here's your trigger warning: this is Christian fiction. More than one character is a preacher. You get to read mind numbing lines like: "I cover my shoulders to keep men's thoughts pure" and "His hands stayed in safe places". I would not recommend this book to any teen. I think the conversations were important but the outcome was harmful.

It's taken me a long time to review this book, mainly because it's one of those books that you really have to let sit and marinate. I absolutely appreciated Erin's talent when it comes to writing and story-crafting. This book is poignant and beautifully written and really points some much needed fingers. At times things felt incredibly heavy, but I appreciated the through-provoking questions it stirred in me as a reader. All in all, I think this is a powerful book and I applaud Hahn's courage in writing it!

Wow, although I don't fall in the "church kid" category from my childhood. I think this book is meant to be out in the world. Especially for young teens/adults. I initially had doubts by the strong Christian rhetoric but I was so happy that I continued because it was nothing I expected. The main characters Meg and Micah were perfect.