Here is a copy of my Bookbub review, and the Amazon review is very similar. The only reason I did not give it five stars was because too much of it was predictable, but still I enjoyed reading it.

From Bookbub:

The writing in "Because I loved You" is quite well done, with frequent lyrical phrases and a good many similes and metaphors to dress it up. Some of the best writing conveys the tenderness of young love—between the couple and between the boy and his horse. In many ways, the story captures the feelings of first love, and this is a story that might well remind you of your first love

In many ways, this is a sweet, well-told classic love story, which means it is also predictable, and yet there are moments when it is not at all predictable.

A pretty teen girl, a handsome boy, both horse lovers in Texas, meet when his beloved horse runs away in a storm. Her father is a veterinarian and she knows her way around horses too, so when she catches his runaway horse, she nurses the horse’s wound, the boy and girl meet, and the love story begins.

A tragedy nearly derails the girl and her family, and part of the strength of the first half of the novel is her struggle to move past her anguish. This part of the story is excellent and captures grief and healing in many nuances.

The girl wants to be an artist and is talented. The boy is a kind of physics genius. Clearly their paths are leading in different ways, and this only becomes more complicated as the story develops. They both want him to escape the small Texas community which is stifling them both and to that end, she makes a sacrifice he does not even know about.

It rarely goes well for the couple. His parents are rich, her are not poor but certainly do not rise to his father’s standards. The girl and her mother do not get along. The boy and his dad do not get along.

This reads like a young adult story in the first half but becomes more adult toward the end as the main characters develop as grown-ups with careers and full lives. As such, I would call it a YA novel with cross-over appeal to an adult market. Certainly worth reading.

I received a free copy through NetGalley but these are my honest opinions.

Leni and Cal are both chomping at the bit to get out of Naples, Texas. Leni is a rebellious, horse riding tomboy not interested in much else besides her art. Cal is not a typical ranchers son, his father owns many acres along with the oil discovered on those lands. While he plays his part, he’s not planning to stay around and take over the business. When they start dating they make plans to leave together when Cal graduates. Cal has plans to become a Physicist and Leni sets her sights on becoming an artist. Their relationship wavers when a tragedy occurs in Leni’s life, but comes back even stronger. When Leni realizes she’s going to hold Cal back from his dreams she runs away with the help of Cal’s brother. For years Cal thinks that Leni and his brother ran off together, terribly hurt, he’s finally worked through the pain and made a name for himself in the financial world of New York. Engaged and doing just fine, Cal runs into Leni at a New York exhibit. Old feelings rush back in and soon they have a second chance at a first love, but is love enough to sustain them, or will the past jeopardize their future? Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

They met and fell in love in a small town in Texas. Leni is a tomboy, always on her beloved horse, not crazy about school except for art and determined to get out as soon as she can. Caleb is a typical Texas guy who works on his dad's ranch and plays football but there's something else he wants. He wants to go to college and study physics and make his life somewhere else. The two share a love of horses and soon are sure that there is nothing that can end their love.

But fate intervenes. Both have family issues and Leni goes first. She leaves behind nothing but a note but goes out of love for Caleb, knowing that he won't go to college as long as she is in the picture. Caleb can't believe she has gone but it is the spur he needs to go to Princeton where he has a scholarship.

Fourteen years later, both are living in New York. Leni is an artist while Caleb is in finance, working with his college roommate on property development. The two cross paths at a galley opening and suddenly nothing between matters. They get back together but once again, fate steps in and breaks them apart. Will they ever be able to fulfill their love?

This is a gorgeously written novel about young love and enduring love. Although I could have shaken both of them at times, their story is one I won't forget soon. Brown is able to recreate first love in a way that will take readers back to their own first loves and sympathize with the characters. This book is recommended for women's fiction readers.

“You’ve got to learn to let go of the things you love, her father told her, “Or you’ll never get to where you want to go.” Leni’s mother understood loss; she had seen what WWII did to her family and home in France. She understood the life-long hurt that came with loss. Leni had the courage to do the unthinkable, give up everything she loved so that dreams could be followed and found. Hers, and Cal’s, dreams.

Cal’s brilliant mind won a scholarship to Princeton. His father had built a business and wealth and expected his sons to inherit and run the business. Eldest son Hank returned from Viet Nam a broken man, and their father counted on Cal to be the heir.

Leni was headstrong with a natural artistic gift. She and Cal bonded over their beloved horses, and their teenage love grew. Leni didn’t want to prevent Cal from following his dreams, and made hard decisions. Years later, in mid-life, they meet again in New York City. They confront their past and explore a future. Leni reveals what she has hidden from Cal, changing both their lives.

The description of West Texas is beautifully drawn. And horse lovers will adore this story. As will anyone who loves a story of young love and romance, heartbreak and loss. Leni is a strong character who makes hard decisions for herself and Cal, which allow them the freedom to grow, flourish or fail.

I received a free egalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.