A ★★★★★ Book Review of Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese | A Christian Fiction Novel
* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.All thoughts below are my own. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links which means I will receive a commission based on sales generated via these links.
Step into a novel so heart-warming you’ll melt into pieces along with the brilliant, charming characters who carry readers through a beautiful, timeless story of love.
Author Nicole Deese has masterfully created an emotional, tender story of a woman who discovers the right kind of love at the wrong time. As the main character, Lauren Bailey, struggles between her newly developing romance with a man she could easily marry and her lifetime yearning of becoming a mother, she must choose which love is more important to her. A sweet, deeply profound story of learning to let go and trust God with the timing of His will for our lives and follow the call He has given.
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.
★★★★★ | This is my first book by author Nicole Deese, who has masterfully created an emotional, tender story that offers authentic, funny, lovable characters and presents the realistic challenges we face when we choose to surrender our heart’s desires to God’s perfect will and timing.
Before I Called You Mine is so much more than a fictional story. It is a beautiful tale that will wrap around your heart and stir the depths of your soul, captivating, and simultaneously, challenging you.
I have to preface my review by saying that, as many of my readers know, I am an adoptive mother. Because of that, every single word in this story resonated deep in my soul and stirred my heart to the brimming of joyful tears. I identified with many of the challenges main character, Lauren Bailey, dealt with, including sharing her adoption plan with a less than supportive family, setbacks, questioning the will of God when the plan didn’t go exactly as she hoped it would, and the agony of waiting, and waiting… and waiting.
Nicole Deese presented this story in such a deeply satisfying way. She had me laughing, crying, nodding and sighing with each turn of the page (I could not put the book down!). In the first few paragraphs alone, I was hooked.
Deese has a delightfully creative way of phrasing things that had me chuckling out loud. She includes text conversations that were some of my favorite conversations in the book and truly hilarious! As the story moves on, Lauren’s struggles are so real, so hard and so incredibly relatable. Joshua’ character and his relentless pursuit of Lauren’s heart is romantic, tangible and selfless. He is the perfect guy for Lauren and reminded me so much of my husband. There are threads of true friendship, struggles with a semi-dysfunctional family, the bond found among community with church family, and the wonderful freedom that comes from seeking God and His will. The message of total surrender to God’s will and timing, especially when it means self-sacrifice, is one I hope readers can absorb and one that I needed to be reminded of myself.
Overall, this is just a profound story with so many aspects that could be discussed. This book is an excellent choice for next month’s book club meetings!
I highly recommend Before I Called You Mine to all Christian fiction readers, especially those who enjoy contemporary romances. If you’re not a Christian but don’t mind reading faith-based books, I recommend this to you as well! For my adoptive community friends, this is a must read! This story is clean and appropriate for readers 14+.
“Yet whenever I was alone with this man, the same maternal drive that had overflowed my emotional tank for more than a year sprang a leak. It was as if my only agenda was the one sitting right in front of me, and not the one sitting three thousand miles away. In an orphanage. Waiting for me to become a mother. ”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Author Image Courtesy of Baker Publishing Group. | Photo Credit: © Rayla Kay Photography
Nicole Deese's (www.nicoledeese.com) eight humorous, heartfelt, and hope-filled novels include the 2017 Carol Award-winning A Season to Love. Her 2018 release, A New Shade of Summer, was a finalist in the RITA Awards, Carol Awards, and INSPY Awards. Both of these books are from her bestselling Love in Lenox series. When she's not working on her next contemporary romance, she can usually be found reading one by a window overlooking the inspiring beauty of the Pacific Northwest. She lives in small-town Idaho with her happily-ever-after hubby, two rambunctious sons, and princess daughter with the heart of a warrior.
Lastly, pick up your own copy of Before I Called You Mine or borrow it from your local library. Then, I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts on the book in the comments below!
