This was a beautiful story about sacrificial love, trust, patience and above all faith.

I loved how the author took the reader from present to past to fill us in on the lost memories of Lauren. I loved seeing how Lauren and Jonah’s relationship grew and felt the loss with Jonah when Lauren forgot her memories but did not even want to remember.

Jonah was a strong hero, but had his uncertainties due to his past, but was also not afraid to be vulnerable. The love he had for Lauren was very strong and my heart broke with him throughout this experience.

Yes, there is a happy ending, and a very good one, but you need to go get the book and read it.

This is one of my favourite books I have read by this author.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Before We Were Us is a very well written romance. I loved the plot with it’s well developed characters and beautiful setting. Denise Hunter has written another winner..

Lauren Wentworth, after graduating from college, takes a job at a resort in New Hampshire. She meets the owner's son, Jonah, and they get off to a rocky start, but as the summer moves forward, they begin to fall in love. At the end of summer, Lauren was going to convert the barn into a wedding venue, and when she was coming down from the loft, she fell and hit her head. She has a concussion and has lost her memory of the summer she just had. She remembers everything before, and says she will stay on until she is supposed to leave the end of the year. A lot happens between now and the end of the year. Not to give anything away, Jonah gives Lauren, a special gift at the end of the story, and it was such a unique gift.
They go through a lot, it was nice how they handled everything that was happening to them, and when you read the book, you will discover where it leads them to in their journey of life.
I received an ARC from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley.

Another great story from Denise Hunter. This one drew me in and held my attention from the very first chapter.
Lauren is deciding to give up a big city job for doing a makeover of a rustic resort. Of course, it's in a town where Jonah is and these two have a past they aren't sure they can get over. After awhile, they renew their feelings for each other until......an accident leaves Lauren with a memory problem and she can't remember the last four months. Will her memories of the last summer, finally come back to her and will she remember how wonderful Jonah is? You'll have to read the story to find out.
Emotional, heartwarming, sweet romance, friendships and beautifully written scenery makes this such a great story that I enjoyed.
I was fortunate to receive an early copy of this book.

Denise Hunter is the queen of contemporary romance. Her books never fail to captivate with endearing characters and expertly crafted plots teeming with tension and romance. In Before We Were Us, Hunter engulfs her readers in a story of love found, only to be seemingly lost forever. This book is a journey of discovery, of personal growth, and of second chances. Truly, it is the perfect fall read! Hunter is not an author to miss!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

"Once upon a time, before we were us . . . we were just two lonely people in search of one another.”

This work might be a little darker and more angsty than anything I can previously recall from Denise Hunter, especially after her last book, which was so different from this one. In this tale, we get dropped into a pivotal moment in Lauren and Jonah's relationship that ends in tragedy. Their relationship is no longer the same, and the reader struggles while suffering alongside them.

75% of this story is hard to read because there is so much angst. Between the terrible childhood drama and fallout from a TBI, Lauren is mean, defensive, and skittish. Thank goodness for Jonah, who is head over heels in love with her. This man defines "for better or for worse." When he has to deal with the worst, he does it so gracefully, but it breaks your heart. I appreciate that the story doesn't wrap up in a perfect bow because it really wouldn't honor the difficult path the reader has been on to get to the ending. It is satisfying and realistic, however.

There is a smattering of dual timelines throughout the story, although the story takes place over less than a year. The transitions aren't always seamless, but the flashbacks are necessary to follow the way the book begins. The story is entirely in the third person, but we do get to understand more about the characters' minds in the flashbacks.

The beautiful descriptions of the resort and the seasons have me craving a fall trip to New England. Am I planning my next vacation to a New Hampshire lake town... quite possibly!

I’m such a big fan of Hunter.
Before We Were Us by Denise Hunter is a wonderfully written love story.
Once again Denise Hunter has written a beautiful story that captured my attention from the very beginning.
The characters are engaging and well written.
Her writing was amazing. She left me wanting more!

Before We Were Us is a sweet, heartwarming romance that started out between Jonah and Lauren on the wrong foot with an instant dislike for different reasons on each other's part. But they became friends and more as they got to know each until a fall steals Lauren's memory from the prior months, except for the dislike part. She is only there at Jonah's family's rustic resort for a short time while she works her internship and is then off to her dream job, so she really doesn't want to remember. Jonah was so sweet and patient with Lauren, only wanting her to remember the happy times that they had. Both have past hurts that hinder healing, but they are good for each other. If she could only remember. This has a lovely setting and wonderful characters with a great plot that keep me invested in the story.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley, HaperCollins Christian publishing and Denise Hunter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to get the ebook and audio book. I read the first 25%, listened to about 50% and read the rest.

Lauren has overcome a lot and is extremely focused on her career and securing her dream job. She just needs to get through a 9 month temporary position at a small family run rustic resort.

Jonah has had his heart broken by someone leaving him for a job in the city. He and Lauren get off on the wrong foot and he keeps pushing her buttons. It takes months to get beyond their contentious relationship.

Fast forward to them being happy and Lauren loses her memories from the last several months in an accident. She has no idea why Jonah is “suddenly” being nice to her. Johan is devastated that the woman he loves not only doesn’t remember their love but essentially wants nothing to do with him.

I loved the dual timeline and how the story came together.

I enjoyed this book and was so glad it didn’t go down the love triangle road I thought it was going down. It had me in my feelings but also had some humor. I generally prefer at least a little spice but it wasn’t that noticeable that there wasn’t any.

If you had to start all over, with no memory of what came before, would you still fall in love with the same person?
That’s the question posed in Denise Hunter’s latest novel. With its engaging characters, a beautiful setting, the heartbreak of unrequited love, and the hope that somehow, some way love just might win the day . . . again, this book is the perfect, curl-up-and-read book for fall—or any time of year.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a Denise Hunter fan and have probably read the majority of her books. If you're looking for a feel-good, often poignant and wholesome story, she's a good one to turn to.

I enjoyed this story (as I was sure I would), but maybe not as much as I had thought to? And to be honest I'm not sure why that is. Maybe it was the premise which felt a little too "out there" in terms of reality. Or maybe it was the heroine, Lauren. For some reason I didn't relate well or even overly sympathize much with her situation as I felt she did not handle it well or those around her (who were also dealing with it) with as much compassion and patience as I had hoped.

I did love Jonah as he was the epitome of a vulnerable but selfless man who was dealing with a difficult situation with love and empathy.

So, while I did enjoy the book, I don't feel that it was one of Hunter's best.

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for providing the free early arc of Before We Were Us for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

I’m always excited when I see that Denise Hunter has a new book, so I had to read Before We Were Us! It was wonderful! It’s a sweet, clean romance with an amnesia trope.

I loved Lauren and Jonah so much! Lauren was a strong character whose dreadful childhood made her into the young woman she was now. She had trouble trusting people, but Jonah slowly made her fall in love with him despite their promise to not fall in love with each other!

Then she fell and forgot falling in love. Forgot that Jonah was her world. Forgot her dream. Jonah had so much strength and patience after Lauren forgot their love. Of course, he was devastated, but he tried so hard to hide it from Lauren.

This dual-timeline novel flips back and forth from before her fall and after her fall. I loved watching them fall in love and felt so much pain for Jonah after. I know the pain of loss, but having the person still alive and standing in front of you not remembering the love you shared? Horrible. Yet Jonah never changed. His character and strength begin showing Lauren the man she fell in love with.

The supporting characters like Jonah’s sister and parents made this novel even better. It’s crazy when you get to the age where you identify more with the parents than the heroine of the story, but I totally could identify with Jonah’s mom! You hurt when your kids hurt!

I loved the New Hampshire setting. I’ve never been there, but Hunter’s beautifully descriptive writing allowed me to picture its beauty.

I couldn't put this novel down. Seriously, I read almost the entire thing in a day. I highly recommend Before We Were Us for its gorgeous setting, amnesia trope, sweet love story, and well-written characters.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

After a difficult childhood, Lauren's dream job is within her grasp - she just has to put in nine months in a country town managing a rustic resort. Unfortunately, she doesn't hit it off with her boss, Jonah, at least at first. But over the next four months, spending time together sparks a relationship, to the point where Jonah's ready to propose. Then, a fall results in the loss of all Lauren's memories since the early days, when they were still enemies. When she wakes, she can't understand what he's doing in her hospital room - and he can't comprehend how a love such as theirs can be forgotten. She has three months left at Pinehaven before returning to Boston, but she's got her walls back up, stronger than ever. Will her memories come back before she leaves - or if not, can he make her fall for him a second time?

A deeply touching story of a most unusual type of loss - loss when the loved one is still there, hale and hearty, but has forgotten the shared love. At the start I was wondering whether there was an earlier book I hadn't read, but it soon became clear that no, we're just jumping into the middle of the story and will get earlier parts later, intertwined with the ongoing story. It's beautifully done and really does work much better than telling the story in order would. I felt a lot of sympathy for both of them in their plight, but loved watching them find their way back together, however much Lauren fought it! And the thread with her mother was a lovely touch. The result of it all is a beautiful story of love regained, including the need to let the loved one go at times. Throw in a very satisfying ending, and you've got the perfect read - though if you don't like crying around others, you might want to read parts it in private! Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Lauren goes to work at a rustic resort in New Hampshire to get the experience she needs to land her dream job. There, she meets Jonah, the son of the resort's owners. We learn early that they fall in love, but then Lauren falls and loses all memory of their relationship. This is a fairly mindless but enjoyable love story straight out of a Hallmark movie.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was well written, and the characters were engaging throughout.

"Home" isn't always where we think it is, and "family" isn't always who we're born to. This story does a good job of exploring that, on both accounts.

Lauren & Jonah are both such endearing people. I think I feel a little in love with them both.

I would recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Such a touching story! I was looking for a sweet and heartwarming romance, and this did not disappoint. One day after a fall, Lauren loses her memories, and those included falling in love with Jonah, Jonah shows a great amount of patience and understanding as Lauren navigates her memory loss. I found myself engaged throughout the whole story, and the setting is just perfect for the autumn/cozy feels. Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

A good romance story of two people who are complete opposites fall in love one fateful summer , then an accident occurs tearing them apart . with memory loss Lauren has to find her way back , if she wants to that is (this is where I kind of disengaged with the character ). Second chances , what if moments , all around a good story .

I wasn't expecting to cry, but here i'am. This was a cute, uplifting and emotional story that was beautifully written, the dual timelines definitely makes the story. The characters were lovable. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

What a great book! Imagine waking up in the hospital and despising the man that everyone says was your perfect match. All you can remember of him is animosity. That is the story of Jonah and Lauren. After a fall, she wakes up and has lost months of memories--memories that were supposedly good ones with Jonah. All she can go by is her feelings how and her plans to move on after her stint at his parents' resort is up. Jonah is helpless and he's not used to that. What can he do but let her go?

This book has all the feels written into an emotionally charged story. It was wonderful!

Thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts are my own.

Loved this book! The story was so sweet. I loved the dual timeline as the stories came to the accident. The way it came together in the end was so good. I couldn’t hold back the tears! Great read!