I loved this book! The writing is beautiful and I feel in love with the characters. I can't wait to read what Erin Hahn comes out with next.

When I heard Erin had written a book about Meg after meeting her in More Than Maybe, I could not wait to get my hands on a copy! I was lucky enough to receive and arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and let me tell you, I have so much to say about this beautiful book. The journeys that both Meg and Micah went on throughout this story was as much heartbreaking as it was uplifting. I could easily read dozens more books about these two.
.
.
.
I’m going to start off with the heaviest part of the book. Obviously a big aspect of the story is religion and each of the characters relationship with it. I grew up in church and while I have a lot of really great memories from it, the religious trauma that comes from being raised in a church is nearly impossible to escape. I think it’s especially difficult for girls that grow up in church because we’re told our entire lives that it’s our responsibility to be modest as to not tempt anyone, to stamp down our feelings and be submissive, to protect our virtue because it’s the most precious thing we have and once it’s gone, you’re ruined. This leads to so many problems in adulthood when we’re trying to get out of that head space, it turns into fear and disgust for yourself and your body. I was lucky enough to not grow up in a conservative household so I didn’t have to deal with the same things at home as Meg did. It broke my heart anytime Meg would question if she was worthy of God’s love after she initiated any type of physical contact with Micah. Not to mention she believed that their relationship wouldn’t “be blessed” if they didn’t uphold the churches standards. She would also apologize profusely anytime she acted on an impulse it was her responsibility to make sure she didn’t tempt Micah. I think one of the worst things about church is the different ways that girls and boys are taught growing up and this is one of the main reasons. Micah was always really great at helping Meg deal with the self hatred she felt in these moments and I loved that about their relationship.
.
.
.
On the other side, Micah had completely different religious trauma. The way his church treated him and his family after his dad went to prison was awful. Church is supposed to be a place with a community that takes care of you when you fall on hard times but instead they ostracized their family for decisions his dad made. Thankfully it didn’t make him lose his faith bu it did push him away from church and that’s really sad. Personally, like Micah, I’ve come to the conclusion that church and organized religion aren’t for me. I’ve always come out of it feeling worse about myself than I did going in and I’ve always believed that faith should be something that makes you feel good not bad. Even though I’ve figured out that organized religion is not for me, I never stopped having faith. I love God and while my beliefs and ideas change and evolve, my love for him never wavers. As someone that’s dealt with mental illness my entire life, I have to believe that there’s a purpose and that’s what my faith is for me. My issue with church is that every one I’ve ever gone to has ingrained in me that if I just trusted God enough, I wouldn’t feel the way I do. It’s taken me a long time to lose the mindset that my anxiety and depression make me weak in the eyes of Go and while I’m in a much better place now, it’s going to be something I struggle with for the rest of my life.
.
.
.
My favorite thing about this book was the characters. First, both Meg and Micah were perfect lead characters. They each had their individual storyline that were moving and important while they also had their journey together. I love book couples that meet and you just know they’re soulmates and were meant to find each other and that’s exactly how they are. I also loved getting to see more of Vada and Luke. I adored their relationship and Vada’s friendship with Meg so getting more of them in this was so fun! James and Betty were exactly the family that Meg needed when this story started and James was a great sounding board for Micah. Last but certainly not least, Duke. I would die for Duke. He is an absolute precious human being that deserves everything good in the world. I need to know more about his life and his journey in the future.
.
One of my favorite things about each of Erin’s books is how music always plays an important part in the characters stories. As someone that’s very driven by music, I always connect so deeply to this aspect of the stories & I love it. I’m going to stop rambling now and just say that this is a book I’m going to be recommending to everyone forever. I think it’s going to help so many people going through religious trauma & need to know that they’re not alone. Please pick up this book when it’s released in September, you won’t regret it.

Really lovely and nuanced. I think a lot of teens really need this kind of story and I hope it will find them.

I recieved a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

I honestly requested this based solely on the title, I gathered it was a romance and went for it. I didn't know I would end up absolutely loving it or that it would hit so close to home.

There is some talk of suicide if that's a trigger.

Christianity and church are a huge theme throughout the novel, but honestly, I would still recommend it to most people based solely on the fact that the lessons learned are ones that I think everyone should know or can relate too.

I cried while reading this and I DO NOT CRY. I had such a similar experience, being Christian growing up, falling out of faith, and I personally almost committed suicide until a friend invited me to a YA Bible Study. The new Youth Pastor was just meeting everyone that night and long story short, that night saved me.

This books plot is different from my story, but has some similar elements. The main characters are extremely relatable; both experienced some traumas that many people could relate too. Watching them grow, find themselves, and their love for each other... it was a beautiful story.

I read this in a day. I couldn't stop reading it once I started. Safe to say I will definitely read anything Erin Hahn writes.

This book was not for me. I grew up in the church and when I heard this book centered on teens struggling with their faith I was so excited, but it just fell flat. All of the characters felt like a collection of personality traits and a few ~*~quirks~*~ without actually being believable people. The rising and falling actions of the plot clunky timed and executed. And, I think my biggest issue was that Erin Hahn tackles some of the problems with the church as an institution and community without ever having her characters actually question their faith. I had such high expectations for this book, and it just didn't meet them.

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

This is a heartwarming and utterly genuine story that touches your soul in all the best ways. Both main characters are heartbreakingly honest with their struggles as they navigate through the highs and lows of religion, love, and forgiveness. It's beautiful and magnificent.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange of an honest review.

I enjoyed this fun and easy read. Characters were pleasant and the book kept my interest to the end.

This was my first book by this author and I was not disappointed. Super cute story with lovable characters. I loved the sweet relationship between Meg and Micah and I liked how even though this book was about tough subject matter, it still felt like a light read. I think a lot of people who grew up going to church and ever questioned or struggled with their faith and the person they thought they had to be would really like this book. I completely agree with the author when she said in her Goodreads review of her book that God is love and the church should be too. This book is not anti-God at all but it does show the other side of the church that can be judgmental and unaccepting.

Pub Date: September 2021

Big thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What an amazing good book! Possibly one of my favs to date.
The characters were great and the message even greater. This is a book all teenage, Christian girls should read.
I can not recommend this book enough. It was beautiful.

I wasn’t as impressed with this as I had hoped to be. I read 40% before deciding to not finish it. sigh

I was frustrated with meg’s lack of empathy and communication, and I felt like nothing was happening in micah’s story line. the most interesting part of the story was upnorth outfitters, the sporting goods store/adventure sports tour place where micah worked

I love meet-cute, YA romances, but this just did not do it for me. I didn't like either of the main characters, and there was just wayyyy too much Jesus talk. It was very off-putting and made me real sad. If it was intended to be a criticism, it did not come off as such to me.
I would not recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press / Wednesday Books for the ARC!

3.8 Stars

Meg Hennessey, an 18yo, finds out a secret that changes her in every way. She takes a gap year to come to terms with the truth and to come out of the conservative, orthodox upbringing she’s used to all her life.
The trip leads her to Micah, a 19 yo, battling demons of his own. Being a former pastor’s kid with the father in jail leaves him with only a couple of friends. Meg and Micah gravitate towards each other, struggling with things around them, things between them, and the conflicting thoughts and emotions from the past and present.
How can the two find faith and find themselves in the process?
The book is based on (and dedicated to) church kids. Though I have no in-depth idea about the intricacies, I know enough to understand their upbringing and the conflicting emotions they go through.
The story has two POVs- Meg and Micah in alternating chapters. I almost missed this the first time and wondered by there was a sudden change in tone. Then I realized I was supposed to read the chapter names (yeah, that’s me).
The author was successful in keeping both the voices distinct to a great extent. That’s a definite plus in books with dual POV. The characters are well-etched, and despite all the rambling (it’s YA after all), Meg and Micah are more mature than the adults in the book (maybe except Betty).
Rating this one was quite hard. I liked how it was going until it got too heavy with preaching God. Yeah, I’m a believer (though my God is different). Still, if the reader starts to skim through the paragraphs each time Meg or Micah gets into one of those phases, it’s not a good sign. That did push the rating down. But the author’s note at the end shed more light on why she was so insistent about separating God from church and the rigid rules. I don’t like the way she overemphasized, but I understand her intentions.
The overall love story is cute with real angst. And that worked quite well since there was enough of it already. The two don’t fight or have a misunderstanding for the sake of fitting a trope. That’s another plus.
The book also includes LGBT+ characters. While some of it was natural, one seemed forced. It sort of makes sense but shouldn’t have been presented better. Since the reader is restricted to the POV of Meg or Micah, we need enough foreshadowing to make something believable.
There was one character that started out great but slipped towards the end. Guess the author wanted to show how tough it is to be objective when rules are drilled into us. Of course, the character redeems it, but I felt Meg was a little too forgiving.
Overall, I rather liked the character development of Meg and Micah and enjoyed the book for not being a typical YA romance. Just wish it was crisper and toned down a little on the faith part.
Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Wednesday Books, for the ARC.

I was so excited to read this book for two reasons:

1. As a reader, I have loved Erin Hahn’s previous books so I could not wait to jump into another one of her stories!
2. As someone who grew up in the church and who is still a part of the church (my husband is a pastor), I was really interested to see what this story about church trauma and purity culture was going to be all about!

I read the book in less than 24 hours and now I can say that I loved it for two reasons:
1. It’s a good story with great characters. I have enjoyed the characters so much in all of Hahn’s books, and Meg and Micah might be my new favorites! Even though I am too old and not in their age group at all anymore, I felt like they could be my friends. Meg was adorable in More than Maybe, and I’m so glad that she gets to take the spotlight in this book. Drake was a great side character as well, and it was so fun to see Vada and Luke back again in this book.
2. While I may not fully agree with everything Meg and Micah conclude in this book about God and religion, I do agree with a lot of it, especially in regards to how the church has caused trauma for so many people. In my life, I have been fortunate to have been a part of mostly healthy churches filled with grace, who were welcoming to messy and imperfect sinners (that we all are!). But I also know the church world well, and I know that many churches do not offer this same grace and acceptance but rather focus on judgment and legalism. I can’t even count how many people I know of who have had a bad church experience that has caused them to turn away from God completely. What I loved SO MUCH about this book is that while it definitely shows the flaws of the church, it doesn’t shy away from God and the truth about God’s love.

And can I just say that Erin Hahn NAILS the church world setting in this book? Like I said, this is my world and I know it well, and she obviously does too! From the youth group teachings about modesty and purity culture to the simple things like being stuck in the nursery when a parent doesn’t pick up their kid or not being able to get the whole family ready for church because Dad has to play in the worship band (that was my life for so many years when my husband was the worship pastor!), so many little details get it exactly right. I don’t think I have ever read a book or watched a movie or seen the nuances of church life be portrayed so accurately and honestly before. It was so fun to read something that was so realistic to the world I grew up in.

I feel like this book is what Christian fiction SHOULD be like. It very honestly relays the struggles and questions that real life Christians deal with everyday. And yet, I have a feeling that a Christian publisher wouldn’t go anywhere near this book, which makes this is a perfect example of why I get so frustrated with Christian fiction. Because I have yet to find much Christian fiction that feels as authentic and genuine as this story. Meg hints at this a few times in the book—especially when teaching kids and teens, I think the church often tries to hide “sin” from them, as if they will fall into sin if they know it exists. Which is really ridiculous when you think about it! We are all sinners, and we will all fall into sin, no matter what. Wouldn’t it be so much better to talk about these struggles openly, to know that when we do sin, we have somewhere to go, a safe place to learn from our mistakes and try to do better? Maybe a place like the church?? As a parent and a church leader, that is what I want to create. I really appreciate this story and how it helped me to see how I can do better in creating that kind of loving environment in my home and my church.

I could see many Christian parents I know that would not want their teens to read this book for several reasons: 1. The characters use “bad” language, 2. The characters talk and think about sex, and 3. there are gay characters. But along with those things, there are some great conversations about God, some great talking points about faith, abstinence, homosexuality, the church…they would miss so much by not reading it! Again, I may not have fully agreed with every conclusion, but I most definitely agree with the overarching theme of God’s love being greater than the church’s judgment. If my kids were older, I would love to sit down and discuss this book with them and continue some of Meg and Micah’s conversations in real life. I’m sure my kids would hate sitting and talking to their old mom about these things, but still I would want to try. By refusing to allow teens to read about these real life things, we are doing them such a disservice.

I believe in God, and I think both Meg and Micah would be with me on that. I also believe in the church, and I’m not sure Meg and Micah would be with me on that one. But I do believe in the church, despite her imperfections. And I believe we the church can do so much better than we historically have done. But in order to do better, we have to first acknowledge what we are doing wrong, be honest about our shortcomings, and make some big changes in the way we teach.

This has turned into a very personal review from me, and it seems to be a very personal story for Hahn as well. I teared up a bit as I read her Author’s Note at the end. This story comes from a place close to heart, and I am so very grateful that she shared it with the world.

For a YA audience this is a great book. The character's, plot and the message are well written. The character of Vada and Lukas as a sub plot were great. They provided the normalcy for a friendship with Med. As the lead, Meg was well rounded, smart and opinionated. The God message was strong. At times, I admit it was a little much for me. There were parts where I was happy that a few people were critical of the hypocritical thinking of some. If not for that, I would have been upset.

What I loved was how accepting James and Betty were. The roll out of Meg's story was fairly fast and easy. She was a character that I enjoyed the growth. As for Micah, he was a little complex, emotional and his story was good. IF his story included a little more angst about his parents, the deceit, cheating and jail, I would have been a little happier.
Overall it is a hit and I would recommend this.

“There’s a time for worship and a time for wondering. I can’t help but feel like it’s a lie to pretend otherwise.”

This was such a sweet YA romance about two teens coming of age and coming to terms with their faith.
Meg upends plans for her gap year after learning that she has family she never knew existed. She heads to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where she meets Micah, who has family issues of his own.
Both Meg and Micah grew up in the Christian church, but have questions about how their faith has played out in their lives and what it means for their deepening relationship.
I loved getting to know both Meg and Micah, their friends and family—the warmth of the relationships is such a nice part of this book. I also loved the setting of the UP—it’s so well described and sets a beautiful backdrop to this story.
Erin Hahn’s writing is so clear, easy and engaging, but I do think the subject matter around questions of “morally sound behavior” (mainly about purity) could be challenging for some readers. But! While this is by no means a Christian-shaming book, the questioning and wondering are a major part of the storyline—and definitely the point of the book is that Jesus loves (I recommend reading the author’s note for context).
I’m usually more of a secular reader, but the religious aspect didn’t bother me (I liked this book a lot). I do think it’s important to note that faith-based discussions are prevalent throughout the book, though, because it may be a no-go for some readers. Additional content-warnings include talk of suicide and self-harm.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press Wednesday Books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

First off, thank you NetGalley for the advanced e-copy to review.

This is Erins third book and it does not disappoint!

I could not put this down! In a world were double standards are everywhere I find it irritating. Meg and Micha have the cutest relationship that is envious of if you have not yet found your Micha. The relationship goals are strong with those two. I love seeing how they blossom and take care of each other.
I also love how Erin ties her other characters into her books. Vada and Luke make an appearance from her second book More than maybe.

If this is your first Hahn book you should go back and read You’d be mine first. These aren’t a series and are fine as stand alone a bit you get to meet the characters before hand and really appreciate some of the things being said.

Thank you NetGalley and St Marten's Press for the advance copy of this title

A super cute teen romance that focuses on Meg, a very religious teen who has just left home for a "gap year" and Micah, a teen that still believes in God but doesn't agree with the church part of religion.. As Meg and Micah form a friendship they start to realize how perfect they are for each other and how much they start to depend on having one another around. to deal with their past and feelings about their situation with their parents and facing feelings of religion and how it has impacted their growing up. This was such a fun read but also has a great way of telling the story of two teens who are so impacted by religion and scrutiny that they don't know how to proceed into a relationship and adulthood.

I was interested in this book because I wanted to see how teenagers react to growing up in a conservative religious home and what that means to them. How, if they do at all, change after they are “freed” from that lifestyle. Both Meg and Micah were dealing with very traumatic things and everything they had ever known is brought into question. I loved the writing of this story and I loved watching the characters grow and learn to deal with the issues that they were facing. Overall, a beautiful story.

This one is a bit weird to review because it’s not quite a Christian book (so it wasn’t marketed as such) but it is still a *very* Christian story, which could rub some people the wrong way. Although the main character, Meg, is 18, due to her incredibly sheltered upbringing, her behaviour is somewhere between an incredibly mature 30 year old woman and an inexperienced 15 year old kid. I would recommend this book to readers who are Christian but are either questioning their faith or losing faith in religious institutions (because that is essentially what Meg is going through).

This is a sweet story about a young woman who moves to a new town to meet the estranged family of her birth dad. While there, she meets and forms relationships with her grandmother and her uncle, and she meets her first boyfriend. In the process, she begins to find herself and learns how to use her voice.

This book explores a lot of really important topics, such as homosexuality, premarital sex, and how the power of the Church as an institution might be failing women as a whole. Although near the end it became a little heavy-handed with the preachiness, I think I would have enjoyed it as a teenager.