I’ll cheerfully admit to being a fan of pretty much anything Denise Hunter ever wrote. She’s one of the first Christian contemporary romance authors whose careers I’ve followed, and I may-or-may-not have read every title!
Romance authors love to play with tropes, and amnesia is a time-honored plot device that can lead to a wide variety of stories. It isn’t the first time Denise Hunter has explored amnesia (see The Goodbye Bride for another variation).
Where the relationship is when the amnesia occurs, which character it happens to, and what’s at stake for both continuing to forget and for the return of memory can make the stakes very high. At any rate, there are a lot of options to play with, and this story is an example of the trope well-played in the hands of a master.
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?
Denise Hunter can be counted on for a solid romance story where all the pieces tie back in satisfactorily. I’ll admit to being a little skeptical when I read the first chapter, where a lovey-dovey couple is hanging out together, and you know the hero has an engagement ring in his pocket and plans for a proposal any minute now. I could almost hear the dramatic, foreboding music! Something is going to go very, very wrong any second now.
And… it did. This isn’t a spoiler, as Lauren’s fall and subsequent amnesia happens very early in the story, leaving us with a heroine who can’t remember falling in love with “that guy.” She couldn’t even stand him, the last she remembered from a few months back! As for Jonah, he’s still in love with her. Of course, he is! Imagining the torment and turmoil for him as he tries to learn how to step back and give Lauren’s memories space to return was, well, torture for this reader, too.
Lauren was adamant NOT to look through her texts and photos. People might tell her she’d been in love with Jonah, but she didn’t even want to remember. I found that part a bit hard to believe, honestly. It’s played that she’s so mired in what she DOES remember (avidly disliking Jonah) that she doesn’t even want to remember how he won her over. Obviously he’d played to her sympathies somehow, and she won’t let that happen a second time. I cannot imagine pretending texts from the person I supposedly loved and photos of us together didn’t even exist. Every story requires an extension of disbelief, and this is where Before We Were Us stretched mine!
Also, I generally count on Denise Hunter for a very solid faith message in one of her romances. This one was particularly light in that regard. As an author myself, I understand that not every set of characters and every journey they’re on is the same in regard to faith depth, but still, I wished this one had more spiritual content.
Do I still recommend Before We Were Us? Definitely. As far as I know, it’s a standalone, so it’s a great introduction to Denise Hunter’s works.
If you enjoy contemporary romance that tugs at your heartstrings, you’ll want to reserve your copy now!
Before We Were Us releases September 10th. (Affiliate link)
I received a NetGalley review copy, but all opinions are my own.
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