Wednesday, April 8, 2020

Review of Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese


About the Book ~

Lauren Bailey may be a romantic at heart, but after a decade of matchmaking schemes gone wrong, there's only one match she's committed to now -- the one that will make her a mother. Lauren is a dedicated first-grade teacher in Idaho, and her love for children has led her to the path of international adoption. To satisfy her adoption agency's requirements, she gladly agreed to remain single for the foreseeable future; however, just as her long wait comes to an end, Lauren is blindsided by a complication she never saw coming: Joshua Avery.

Joshua may be a substitute teacher by day, but Lauren finds his passion for creating educational technology as fascinating as his antics in the classroom. Though she does her best to downplay the undeniable connection between them, his relentless pursuit of her heart puts her commitment to stay unattached to the test and causes her once-firm conviction to waver.

With an impossible decision looming, Lauren might very well find herself choosing between the two deepest desires of her heart...even if saying yes to one means letting go of the other.

For more information about Nicole Deese and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese is a tale of sacrificial love that will break your heart and mend it all at once! I recommend keeping a huggable pillow nearby for this one!

I love the "journey" readers get to experience in Before I Called You Mine! From the shenanigans of a first grade classroom to a magical Christmas festival to an amazing adoption in China, the pace of this sweet story keeps readers on their toes. What an endearing journey filled with laughter and love!

I loved the characters the author so wonderfully crafted in this sweet story!  I loved the hero for a lot of reasons! His love of dinosaurs. His wit and charm. His steadfast and sacrificial love. And because he was a man... Okay, that sounded weird. What I mean is that I loved how he pursued Lauren, backed off when needed, and wasn't afraid to tell her how he felt without any games or agenda. I found those things to be incredibly -- for the lack of a better explanation -- manly. All the heart eyes! I absolutely adored Joshua Avery as a bookish hero!

And I could never forget Lauren Bailey! The heroine of Before I Called You Mine won my bookish friendship for life! Like so many of us -- if not all of us! -- she wrestles with God's timing, calling, and plan for her life. Her call to adoption and sacrificial love is not an easy journey. Additionally, it's also a probing look at what sacrificial love really means in each of her relationships -- friends, family, and romantic. While the either/or impasse Lauren has to face is a little dramatized for the sake of the story, this also allows Joshua to step up again (Once again, I love this hero!)! The steadfast willingness to wait but also to wait for God's amazing and perfect timing is another beautiful message to be found among the pages of Before I Called You Mine! As we see in Lauren's journey, it's a bittersweet truth to accept, but it's worth it. It's worth every second of it.

Five Stars ~ Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese is a beautiful story of sacrificial love! Before I Called You Mine is a standalone, but the author has other books her in backlist for readers to enjoy.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer loves to write romantic and comedic stories that proclaim God’s deep love for us. She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and an avid blogger. In her spare time, Joy loves to sing (especially Disney songs), drink large quantities of coffee, and take flowery photos for Bookstagram. When Joy isn’t fighting with fictional people, she’s hanging out with her husband and their adorable little girl. Connect with Joy via www.vjoypalmer.com!


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