Before I Called You Mine
Nicole Deese
5/5 Stars (Joshua Avery gets 20/10 stars)
Excuse me while I first wipe the tears from my eyes. This book just hit me in the heart, in such a good way. A few things that first drew me into this book include the fact that it is a clean, sweet, Christian romance and that is centers around adoption. My word, I just absolutely love Joshua Avery. He is hilarious, sweet, and charming. This book literally had me laughing out loud at some parts and, while I enjoy humor in books, I don't often actually laugh out loud. Usually it's more of a chuckle in my head. The chemistry between Lauren and Joshua is undeniable, in my opinion. From the start, I was rooting for them. A few of my positive points here. I felt like this was a realistic timeline. I have said this before in some of my reviews of other books, but I have such a hard time connecting to some romance books where the characters meet and fall in love like within 2 days and are married within a month. Sometimes the writing makes it feel natural for a quick timeline, but other times it feels rushed and forced. I did not get that here. Also, there was no "there is a misunderstanding which could easily be figured out if the characters would JUST TALK!" moment. Like geez, communication people! But again, I didn't get that here. I felt like the issues keeping Joshua and Lauren apart felt real and raw. Lauren has such a passion, heart, and desire for adoption. She needs to remain unmarried to adopt based on all the documentation she signed. Even after meeting Joshua and just wanting to snatch him up for life (because who wouldn't?!), she knows she needs time to focus on her soon to be child, who is already going to have so much to work through. While it breaks both hearts, Joshua let's it happen because he supports her! Like come on, what a dude. My only downside is lack of an epilogue because I just crave a look into the future. Whether it be to see the main character's wedding or having a baby together. When I read a good book, I just want more! So I guess even my downside is actually a compliment because it means I wanted to keep reading. Overall, highly recommend! Especially if clean romances and Christian fiction are your jam. You will literally be sighing over this book from start to finish. I received a free copy of this book and am leaving a voluntary and honest review. Thank you to Nicole Deese and team for allowing me to be part of the launch team for this book. It was amazing.