"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!

This is a sweet story about a woman who has lost the memory of the last five months of her life and the man she fell in love with during those months. Both come from less than ideal backgrounds which shape how they view life and relationships, especially her.

I enjoyed this book. The author patiently lets the characters find their own ways through very trying circumstances, allowing them to grow and change while keeping them true to themselves. The setting is fantastic - a New Hampshire resort in the summer and fall.

This is Christian fiction, mostly a clean romance with the occasional whispered prayer for help and mention of church.

Family friendly.

This was a sweet and heartwarming book. At times, I was frustrated about the situation, but overall it was a sweet romance. There wasn’t very much drama, so it was quite a simple plot.

This moving, heartfelt novel explores love, friendship and the complexities of relationships. Lauren struggles emotionally to navigate her amnesia and her forgotten love/relationship with Jonah. The narrative delves into their emotional struggles as they confront both their current personal challenges as well as their relationship prior to the accident. I smiled and cried simultaneously many times throughout this story. An incredible novel and a must read.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC copy of this book. Before We Were Us was a fun rom-com story. I was drawn into the story & toatally invested in how & when Lauren's memories would return. It was a quick, fun read that was completed over the weekend. I would of loved to see more happen with her attraction to the doctor character. It would have been fun to add a little extra tension & see where that would go. I was left yearning to visit a cute resort as described in the book & experience the fall foliage of New Hampshire.

Denise Hunter writes no spice romance, always with an issue that needs to be resolved in the plot. Her works are also christian fiction, but its gentle in the book and easy to read.

This story takes us on a journey with Lauren and Jonah, who are enemies to 'lovers', but just when they are really starting a true relationship, Lauren has a very dangerous fall and gets amnesia. She has no idea that Jonah is her boyfriend. The love and patience that Jonah had for Lauren throughout her recovery was amazing and actually carried the story in my opinion. Jonah and Lauren work together at his family's cabin vacation resort, so it's also a bit of a forced proximity relationship story.

I do with there was a bit more of the character Carson in the story. I kept waiting for him to pop up to be a love triangle of some sort. ;-)

Thank you Denise Hunter for another gentle romance to add to my collection.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas Nelson Publishing and Denise Hunter for allowing me this copy of the book in exchange for a review. This review is all my own opinions.