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 … 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.
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Why Before I Called You Mine is a Book You Should Definitely Read:
* First person point of view – pulls you into Lauren’s thoughts, actions and life decisions
* Heartfelt story of faith, family and God’s perfect timing
* Realistic storyline and characters, including the best contemporary hero ever written
* Brilliantly executed text message conversations
* Beautifully written faith-filled moments
* One of the sweetest, most refreshing romances ever penned – THIS is how contemporary romance should be written!
* You will laugh and you will cry – and you will be impressed by this amazing story.
Before I Called You Mine was simply wonderful! Do NOT miss this book!
To purchase a copy for yourself (and you totally should!), visit Baker Book House or Christian Book for quick shipping options!
To learn more about Nicole Deese, stop by her author page, http://www.nicoledeese.com!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from author Nicole Deese and Bethany House Publishing. All opinions expressed are completely my own.
An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstances. The thread may be stretch or tangle, but it will never break.
Ancient Chinese Proverb
Before I Called You Mine is the first book that I have read by author, Nicole Deese and will be reading more of the author’s books. “God’s way is rarely easy, but it’s always better than mine.” How many times do we think our ways are better than His? How many times can we ignore what God wants for us? God knows our lives intimately, and he knew Lauren’s and her love for children that led her down the path of international adoption. However, the adoption agency’s requirement is that
Lauren remain single for the foreseeable future, that is until she meets Joshua, a substitute teacher that is teaching across the hall from her.
How does Lauren choose between the desires of her heart even if it means saying yes to one, but letting the other one go? A story of faith, hope and following God’s plan.
Carve out some time, make sure you have tissues and pull up a chair. A wonderful read for the times that we are going through now.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
Before I call you mine by Nicole Deese
Before I called you mine
By
Nicole Deese
Synopsis – Lauren Bailey may be a romantic at heart, but there is only one match she’s committed to now – The one that makes this teacher a mother. The international adoption had one requirement and that was to stay single for the foreseeable future. This wasn’t a problem till Joshua came into the picture. Joshua had a passion for creating educational technology as fascinating as his actions in the classroom. Though she tries to downplay the connection between them,his relentless pursuit of her heart her commitment to stay single to the test.
My thought – I love how Nicole Deese has written this book to feel like you are right there. This is the first book by Nicole Deese I’ve read and now I want to read all of her books in the near future. I usually like historical christian, but this romance christian book has a lot of aspect in it that I liked. I love how I was pulled into the storyline from the very first page and never could put the book down. You can see the love Lauren has for children in her teaching. I fell in love with Joshua. He was funny from his first scene in the book. All the characters are likeable.
I would love to recommend this book to anyone wanting a funny, tearful and loveable book.
Rating – I give this book a rating of a 5 out of 5
I received this complimentary copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was asked for a honest review and all thoughts and feelings are mine and mine alone.
“ There’s an old Chinese proverb that those of us in the adoption community love to share with those new to the journey. “An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.””
This heartfelt, emotional story is about a long time dream of Lauren’s to adopt a child from China, as a single parent. But it’s much, much more too! It’s about a love story, bonded friendships, struggles of a dysfunctional family, impossible decisions, and dreams stretched beyond human endurance but safely kept in God’s hands. And also a book impossible to review because there’s just SO much to it that will affect a reader. For me to ugly cry and laugh through the tears at the same time says a lot about how the author can pull such strong emotions out. Nicole Deese is a new-to-me author and she has me completely enamored with her lyrical way of writing. Her sense of humor in her characters endeared me to their personality and watching Lauren & Joshua fall in love was the highlight for me. There are also gut-wrenching parts that severed my heart all while Deese glued those pieces together in a way that was perfect.
“None of us are strong enough to handle the hard apart from God.”
I just have to say, Joshua was the kind of man any woman prays for and he’s exactly what Lauren needs for this time in her life. He’s patient, kind, supportive, never pushes his agenda, and is just there for her without her ever asking for his help. He brings out the best in Lauren, always putting her needs before himself. I knew a hard decision was coming for Lauren and it gutted me when it did come. Deese pulled out all the stops on this one, I HAD to keep reading to see how she was going to bring about resolution.
“There was effortlessness in conversing with Joshua, an undeniable ease that created a mixed-bag feeling of desire and denial.”
This was also such a spiritual journey for me as I read this. So many truths about God’s nature and of who He is to me. Deese has a way to remind the reader that digs deep in your heart and resonates beyond that last page.
“God’s way is rarely easy, but it’s always better than mine.”
“It’s really difficult to hear God’s voice when my ears aren’t tuned in. But I can tell you one thing, Lauren. God doesn’t trick His children. He loves us, and everything He asks of us, or allows us to walk through, has a purpose.”
“God’s best for us rarely comes without the stretching, and it’s in that stretching season, those periods of complete and utter dependence on God’s faithfulness, that He holds our hearts and molds them into a shape that only He can fill.”
So many quotes that touched me & I pray touch you as a reader too. If there is but ONE book that you read, I highly recommend this one. As a fan of Bethany Turner, I’d put Nicole Deese right up there with her writing. “Before I Called You Mine” is one of my top reads for 2020!
*I received a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are mine. *
Before I Called You Mine is my first Nicole Deese book–but it won’t be my last. I so enjoyed this book.
Lauren Bailey is a first-grade teacher in Idaho. She is in her early 30s and has given up on men and decided to adopt a child from China because she wants to be a mom. Then Joshua Avery shows up at her school as a substitute teacher and Lauren finds him fascinating, unlike so many men in her past. How will she make a difficult decision to choose between the two?
Oh my goodness! All the feels for this book! I so loved Joshua Avery. I love Lauren too but for different reasons. 🙂 Deese’s writing of this story left me laughing out loud in a few places as I delighted in some of Joshua’s antics. I also teared up as the character’s made some difficult decisions. One of the other aspects I especially liked about this book is that it felt so realistic throughout much of the book. Lauren’s family wasn’t very nice and I didn’t care for those characters to start with but they grew on me a little more as the book went on. Unfortunately, I think many people can relate to some of the dysfunction. I think Deese also showed some of the challenges with adopting in a realistic light from what I have known through those who have adopted internationally. I liked the spiritual element that continued through the book as the character’s each had to wrestle with what God was teaching them. I think it portrayed the Christian life fairly accurately for many people. Before I Called You Mine moved along fairly fast for me and was a good read all the way through. I could see this book being made in to a movie.
I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher and the author. All opinions in this review are my own.
Romance; clean, contemporary; Christian faith elements
Lauren and Joshua’s love story is complicated, and heart wrenching at times. The attraction and moments that Lauren skirts around between Joshua and herself were well-drawn, and added to the story line well. The complications of their relationship, mainly due to Lauren’s adoption commitment, are heart wrenching as Lauren realizes how much she is attracted to Joshua, and finds out the kind of man he truly is at heart. Well-drawn side characters, including Lauren’s teaching friend and her husband, some family and other characters along with their romance made for a compelling, inspirational, compelling romantic read.
This was a gorgeous, inspirational and life well-drawn novel, you truly feel in the moment.
I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. My opinions are my own.
https://theflippedpage.blogspot.com/2020/04/before-i-called-you-mine-by-nicole-deese.html
Ms Deese’s book about following God’s plan is such a heart warming book! Everything is well written and just grips your soul. Whether or not you are considering adoption doesn’t matter because she makes the main character so relatable. Two thumbs up!!!
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
From the striking cover to the intriguing premise and on to the realistic, endearing characters, Before I Called You Mine captivated me from the start and left me struggling to put my feelings into words. Nicole Deese has written a beautiful, poignant, and tender story that had me laughing, fighting tears, and feeling all the feels.
I had an instant connection with the two main characters, Lauren and Joshua. Their camaraderie and banter were charming and such fun. Lauren was easy to like, competent, and I enjoyed getting to know her. Joshua is a dream hero—compassionate, intelligent, and comfortable in his own skin. A great sense of humor and fun added to his charm.
Deese’s signature sense of humor shines through in her writing and makes this book a treat to read. Sentences like the following had me chuckling out loud.
“If a pause could be considered judgy, this one had pounded the gavel and called the courtroom to attention.”
Themes of faith in God’s timing, commitment, and the power of love are beautifully woven into the story and add depth and inspiration.
“Love isn’t about instant gratification, it’s about showing up for the journey and riding out all the twists and turns along the way . . . together.”
I had been anxiously awaiting this story for quite a while, and it was definitely worth the wait. It’s sure to be on my list of top books for the year and is bound for my keeper shelf. Do yourself a favor and read it!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Adoption has always been close to my heart. I have two adopted siblings. My husband and I also contemplated adoption for a time before we were blessed with birth children. Nicole Deese understands the ups and downs of the adoption process having adopted a child from China. She has woven her knowledge into a well-written novel. Before I called you mine is about a young lady who is willing to give up thoughts of marriage in order to adopt a baby from China as a single mother.
The emotional roller coaster that Lauren navigates will have readers weeping when Lauren weeps and rejoicing when Lauren rejoices, and learning a little more about foreign adoptions in the process. Nicole Deese has created characters who are real and not without fault. She shows the ugly side of families as well as the good side. She shows how people can tear each other down or build each other up. I recommend before I called you mine and look forward to reading more by Nicole Deese in the future.
While there is no content that would keep me from adding before I called you mine to a K-12 Christian school library, I’m not sure I would. I’m just not sure how appeal the book would have in that audience.
I received a complimentary copy of before I called you mine. This is my honest review.
A new to me author that did not disappoint! I was drawn to the cover and delighted with the contents. Before I Called You Mine is an inspiring look at what happens when we surrender our will to God’s best plans. I loved Lauren’s walk of faith and how she wrestled through her heart’s desires. I appreciated the candid, honest conversations she had with friends as well as in her prayers during those moments of wrestling. Joshua added an element of humor and joy that pervaded throughout the storyline. The supporting characters are just as important to supporting the message that family and community are critical to whatever choices we make. I was challenged, inspired, and blessed by this story.
I received a complimentary of this book and all opinions expressed are my own.
Book Review–Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese
If you have ever wondered if God sees you or hears your prayers, or if the scripture Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” is really true, after reading this book “Before I Called You Mine’ you will be convinced that God indeed knows, sees and hears you, and He does have a plan and purpose for your life, one that you can surely trust will be good, and the best you could ever imagine or hope for.
Throughout this book the reader will see how God was working out His best plan for Lauren’s life even though there were many times she wondered if He even cared.
When her best laid plans fell through and she was ready to give up, she was amazed as God began revealing His plan for her life, one that she would never have imagined was possible.
This was the first time I have ever read one of Nicole Deese’s books, but I can assure you it won’t be the last. From the first few pages I was captured by her descriptive writing and detailed scenes filled with real life occurances that contained drama, humor, romance and heartbreak.
The story seemed so real to me that I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that it was inspired by a true story.
It is a heart-warming, beautiful story that you will fall in love with and I highly recommend reading it.
Your faith will be strengthened and you will come to believe that “God places the lonely in families” as Psalm 68:6 says.
I received this book free from Bethany House, a division of Baker Book Publishers, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and comments are my own.
–Leona J. Atkinson
This was the first book that I have ever read by this author and it will not be the last. I did not want to put this book down. I learned a lot about adoption and the struggles one goes through before and after an adoption. I would never have chosen to ever be a single parent and know that would be a hard choice to make. This is a very inspirational story. I received a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
Never having read any books by Nicole Deese, I was not sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by Before I Called You Mine. What a wonderful glimpse into a young woman’s journey to motherhood. I can’t wait to share the book with my daughter-in-law who adopted internationally. Deese does a fantastic job portraying the emotions and reactions of Lauren as she deals with family and friend relationships and with adoption requirements and setbacks. Would she be able to follow through on her decisions or would blossoming friendship with a fascinating substitute teacher thwart her plans? The glimpses into the life of a teacher of young children added a lot of interest to the story as well. I will definitely be reading more of Ms. Deese’s work. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher, and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
Nicole Deese is a new-to-me author, and after reading this I need to go read ALL of her books. I picked this book up on a whim, and I will admit it took a little while to grow on me, but about halfway through the book I couldn’t even consider putting it down.
I usually don’t prefer first person narration, but it was interesting to read the story from only one character’s point of view. I mostly read books with dual narration between the hero and heroine, but this book allowed me to really get involved in the mind of just one character (Lauren) and connect with her fully. I physically felt Lauren’s pain and struggle, and this is the first book that’s made me cry happy tears in awhile.
I loved the relationship development between Lauren and Joshua. Joshua is perfect in a way that makes him real instead of ideal, which is refreshing in a romance. The text message exchanges are a real highlight of the book; I’ve never seen emojis in a published novel before but they really added to the story, making you relate more to the characters.
I highly encourage you to pick up a copy! You won’t regret it, and your faith will be strengthened in new ways.
4/5 stars
Disclaimer: I receive complimentary books from various sources, including, publishers, publicists, authors, and/or NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review, and have not received any compensation. The opinions shared here are my own entirely. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255
Before I called You Mine by Nicole Deese
I loved every minute of this book! I was hooked immediately with the easy to love and relate to main character, Lauren, and I was giggling just a few pages in. The whole cast of characters were all relatable and most were people that I’d absolutely love to have for friends. The meaningful messages in here were beautifully demonstrated and had me in tears. If you have adopted or want to adopt, I think this is a must-read, I’ve already recommended it to my friends who have already done an adoption journey. But I also highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a meaningful yet fun book. Lauren’s journey of trusting God for her dreams and trusting His timing made for a book that leaves a lasting impression.
I received a copy of this book, all opinions are my own. I knew I loved The authors writing style and other books before I read this one.
I highly recommend Before I Called You Mine and give it 5 stars!
This book was everything. Brace yourselves because this will probably be a long rambling gushy review and I make no apologies about that!
I finally read my first Nicole Deese book a little over a year ago and fell in love. I promptly got my hands on all of her other books and basically binge read them loving each and every one. But this one tops them all I think, her best work yet! The author’s heart shined through every page and gifted us such an authentically real story that captured my heart from start to finish! I could feel every emotion, every battle to make the right choice, every hard moment, and every happy one. It was all so real and several times I had to set the book down just to catch my breath because I was feeling everything with the characters.
I understood Lauren and her motivations so well and I was right there with her as she wrestled with the hard decisions, not knowing what was good and what was best. I loved her heart for children, a heart that I share, and the selfless way she gave of herself day in and day out to make a difference in the lives of children. Her courage to take the hard steps God was calling her to was inspiring and I loved how she trusted Him.
And now, Joshua Avery. It’s a miracle I made it this far without mentioning him because let’s be honest he is one of the most amazing heroes I’ve ever met in the fiction world. I may or may not have contemplated figuring out a way to make him a real person so I could have him all to myself-lol! But I will have to content myself with just reading about him in the fictional world. From the moment he showed up on the page doing a dinosaur impression for his students I think I fell in love and then he just kept being amazing over and over again! From the way he was with kids, to the gentle way he befriended Lauren never pushing beyond the boundaries she set but always being there, to his interactions with his family, to his adorable obsession with dinosaurs. It all came together in an endearingly wonderful hero and he is definitely book boyfriend material! His name was even perfect and completely matched his personality!
I loved the easy way Joshua and Lauren connected. From their very first meeting you could see the spark and their friendship that blossomed to more was just perfectly sweet!
I also really liked the spotlight on adoption in this book, especially knowing it came from the author’s own experience. Every part of the journey was authentically written from the hard to the good to the in between!
Basically this book was an impeccable work of art that I won’t soon forget and can confidently recommend to everyone! It’s going to be on my favorites list and you need to get yourself a copy so that it can be on yours too!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Was there ever a better book boyfriend than Joshua Avery? I’m having trouble thinking of any others at this very moment! I know this story was prominently about Lauren (and she is a hero too) but Joshua? Wow. I loved his steady goodness and his optimism. And the way he set Lauren up to support and love her? He was really, truly amazing.
I loved how much emotion this story held. My favorite kind of stories are the ones that make me feel wrapped up and immersed in the lives and feelings of the characters. Before I Made You Mine did this expertly. This was a fantastic journey of love of all kinds. Familial love, romantic love, parental love and love for God. It’s no wonder why author Nicole Deese is one of my favorites.
Content: Christian fiction, kissing
– I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expresses are my own.
I am breathless after this journey. Normally, I am crushing on the hero and thrilled at the end of a book when the happy couple overcomes all of their obstacles. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy with the ending. But, there is a more important story line here. A story about following your calling, about not running away when that calling gets hard, about the abundant love and grace of God.
Lauren is a young woman who has set her path in life and has yet to find a partner to share in that path with her. She has a strong desire to be a mother and so pursues adoption as a single woman. Her journey takes her through challenges and obstacles that are at times heart-wrenching. This journey touched my heart and brought to mind times in my own life when God’s hand was evident; when the events were so perfectly orchestrated that there was no doubt in my mind that He had led me through the challenges. This is such a beautiful story of connection that has touched my heart.
My response to this book is simply “wow”! This is my first Nicole Deese book, but definitely won’t be my last. I learned of this book because it was recommended by an author that I know and love. And because it was about adoption, which is something I’m passionate about, I decided to check it out. I expected it to be good, but I didn’t expect to be so drawn in. I found myself completely sucked in to Lauren’s life. I went from laughing out loud to wiping away tears on a moment to moment basis. This was a lovely story about trying to find God’s will as well as what happens when plans go horribly awry. With likable characters, witty banter, solid faith thread and great story line, this is one I’d recommend to all fans of Christian fiction. Special thanks to the publisher for an advanced ecopy of this book. I was under no obligation to write a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.
Some books deserve a category for exceptional rated 10 stars and this is one of them. Not only is the story outstanding but the writing reads like a beautiful book of poetry. Ms. Deese hits it out of the ballpark. Your heart will be captured from the beginning and will leave you thinking about it for days afterwards. Lauren’s dilemma of being torn is so hard hitting and you will need multiple tissues while navigating it. Joshua is the hero everyone wants in their life. A perfect example of selflessness and love beyond measure. I’m so impressed with this book that it will be on my top ten books this year. Deserves to be on the bestseller list. A definite must read. I was blessed to read this one.
I received a complimentary copy from the author/publisher. The honest review and opinions are my own and were not required.