Review of BEFORE WE WERE US by Denise Hunter

About the Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:9780840716682

Publication date:09/10/2024

Pages:304

She can’t remember. He can’t forget.

When Lauren Wentworth wakes up in the hospital after falling from a ladder, she has more questions than answers. Way more. She knows where she is—the wilds of New Hampshire. But she’s apparently lost the last four months of her life. Is she really contemplating forfeiting her big-city dream job for a position at a rustic resort? And how did her number one nemesis become her adoring boyfriend?

Jonah Landry is crushed to learn Lauren has forgotten their entire summer together. Terrified of losing her for good, he determines to help her remember their deep connection as she finishes her obligation to the resort. But soon it becomes apparent Lauren doesn’t want to remember falling in love with him or rethinking the entire course of her career. She wants to pretend the summer never happened and move on with her life. Without him.

As Lauren falls back into the steady routines of resort work with Jonah, she’s relieved her memories haven’t returned and remains resolute about her big-city future. But as autumn leads into winter, she begins to see glimpses of the Jonah she’s forgotten. Will she be able to resist the steady love of this patient man? Or is her heart destined for its own freefall?

My Thoughts

This is a carefully plotted romance about a young woman who loses her memory and breaks the heart of the man who loves her because she doesn’t remember him at all. Lauren Wentworth is a newly graduated events planner and goes to New Hampshire to work at a small family camp while she waits for her the date when she will report to her dream job. She never counted on the fun and flirty relationship that started with the owners’ son, Jonah Landry. The novel goes back and forth in time between the current time after Lauren got injured and lost her memory and the past when she and Jonah were getting to know each other and courting. The conflict is very realistic in that Lauren cannot remember Jonah but she does recall that she has a dream job waiting for her in Boston after the first of the year. This is a slam dunk great love story, with a well-crafted plot and appealing characters characters. I really enjoyed the dog Graham, too, who acted as a buffer of sorts between the couple who seem to be fated to separate. The story is satisfying, engaging and heartwarming, with family and relationships that matter front and center.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

About the Author

Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 40 novels, three of which have been made into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on The 700 Club and been featured in Woman’s Day and Southern Living.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who struggle with real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the experience of falling in love vicariously through her characters and can expect a happily-ever-after sigh as they close the pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking coffee, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are currently enjoying an empty nest.

You can learn more about Denise by visiting her FaceBook page.