Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Call number
F DEE
Publication
Bethany House Publishers (2020), 368 pages
Description
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. Although 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.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Eamace
God places the lonely in families...Psalm 68:6
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. Ancient Chinese Proverb
As this was my introduction to this author, I can only say I will be
There were so many wonderful things about this book, you simply have to read it for yourself. I found myself laughing, wiping tears, yelling at individuals and absolutely loving the whole thing. From disappointments to meeting an unexpected role model, the author weaves this cast of characters right into your heart. Every good story deserves a fabulous ending and you won’t want to miss that thread that never breaks.
I was privileged to read an ARC through Bethany House Publishers, Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. The impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.
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. Ancient Chinese Proverb
As this was my introduction to this author, I can only say I will be
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watching for more incredible stories! The story begins with Lauren, a wonderful first grade teacher, the kind you would wish your child would have. At 30 something, with no romance in sight, she has decided to concentrate on the international adoption she has been working on. Enter a substitute teacher in the other first grade classroom and her organized world is turned upside down.There were so many wonderful things about this book, you simply have to read it for yourself. I found myself laughing, wiping tears, yelling at individuals and absolutely loving the whole thing. From disappointments to meeting an unexpected role model, the author weaves this cast of characters right into your heart. Every good story deserves a fabulous ending and you won’t want to miss that thread that never breaks.
I was privileged to read an ARC through Bethany House Publishers, Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. The impressions and comments are my own and were in no way solicited.
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LibraryThing member coastandanchor
Before I Called You Mine is a book not to be missed in my opinion and here is the reason why.... the conflict was so moving and you could feel it in your own heart. Lauren Bailey, the main character, is a teacher who decides to pursue adoption but with many obstacles in her way. Now I have never
Nicole Deese has a beautiful way of writing and you will cry and laugh through some pages. I simply could not put this book down. There are some real tug of war moments that make you gasp out loud. This is not a Hallmark script type of book. If you like a heart grabbing storyline with a thread of romance, you will enjoy Before I Called You Mine.
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adopted a child, but I do know that it can entail heartbreak and many struggles. Before I Called You Mine does not shy away from those things, which is what made the story so touching and authentic. I could feel the roller coaster of emotions and decisions that the main character wades through. She has a family that is unsupportive and is trying to work through everything that entails. And just as she puts dating off to the side in order to pursue adoption, Joshua comes on the scene. Her heart struggling between two desires and having to make decisions that seem impossible.Nicole Deese has a beautiful way of writing and you will cry and laugh through some pages. I simply could not put this book down. There are some real tug of war moments that make you gasp out loud. This is not a Hallmark script type of book. If you like a heart grabbing storyline with a thread of romance, you will enjoy Before I Called You Mine.
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LibraryThing member medwards429
Thank you in advance to the author, Nicole Deese, and publisher Bethany House for providing a complimentary review copy. A positive review was not required. All words are my own.
I am part of this book’s launch team. That does not affect how I rate this book though.
Deese’s idea for this story
1. You can adopt as a woman who has been married for two (or more) years
2. You can adopt as a single, unattached woman
There is no middle ground. If the woman is matched with her child, and then finds “Mr. Right” during the process – there are some tough choices to make. And, those choices turned into “what ifs” …
* What if a woman was matched with her child?
* What if she found the man she’s waited her whole life for?
Taking from that, Deese builds and weaves a beautiful story around First (1st) Grade teacher, Lauren Bailey and substitute teacher Joshua Avery.
Since this is from Bethany House, which is a Christian publisher, this will have strong elements of faith.
For anyone who has tried to adopt and “lost” a child, this will be emotional. For anyone who has miscarried and “lost” a child, this will be painful. This might have some unpleasant triggers.
In this uplifting, inspiring, and at times heartbreakingly gut-wrenching story is a message of faith and going along with God’s plan.
The beautiful and simple cover has a winding red thread. It’s used as the international symbol for adoption. It originates from the Chinese proverb:
“An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break.”
This was very hard to put down. I read it in 22 hours – with sleep, breaks, going out for a food run, meals, and chores. This was such an easy read, and I easily savored it. Despite the length of the story, the writing flow was natural and kept the story flowing at an even pace so as not to overwhelm the reader. I particularly enjoyed the “text” conversations, complete with emojis.
Deese’s writing exposes the vulnerable, raw, realistic, and often times humorous relationship between Lauren and Joshua along with Lauren’s struggle (and her impatience) to adopt.
As Lauren has already started the adoption process, and given the rules, she’s pretty much given up on love. That is until she meets Josh.
Next to praying for a child … Josh is the one man she’s prayed for. Lauren’s strong faith, which is central to who she is, is tested. But, Josh always has a strong sense of faith to help Lauren.
Lauren’s mother seems to have a strong disdain for her daughter’s faith. This leads to a lack of family support, with her mom even blaming the “church” people. This part was the hardest to read, but sadly realistic in many ways. It causes such a rift in the Bailey family that it takes nearly until the end of the book to resolve.
Lauren is honest with Josh – “they” won’t work. Once he knows why, he’s happy to be there in the background, and happy to support her. His support even goes into “decorating” help.
After suffering a devastating loss, Lauren throws her focus into her relationship with Josh. The story then switches more to their romance than the adoption issue.
Theirs isn’t a conventional relationship, but it is precious, especially given his obsession with dinosaurs. His family, including his famous writer father, is wonderful! Truly “Hallmark” wonderful!
It is from Josh’s father; George; that Lauren learns that God’s way is rarely easy, but is always better than ours. The lesson is simple – he gives us choices, but sometimes he makes the choice for us.
Another lesson, Lauren comes to learn – family isn’t about biology. Which of course is why she feels called to adopt a child. But, she does need reassuring here or there from the wonderful supporting characters – her friends Jenna and Gail.
A second chance comes her way and Lauren finds herself conflicted. She has a hard choice to make – Josh or her child.
This made me tear up in several places. Emotionally I went from laughing in places, to being mad, crying, and feeling joy.
No matter how anyone feels about international adoption, this is more (to me) a story of faith, trusting God’s will to guide us where we need to be, trusting God to put those in our life that we need, and accepting God’s partnership in what we are doing.
At the end the author is careful to add she isn’t using the book to persuade readers to adopt form overseas, but more or less trusting God.
This was the first book I’ve read by Deese, and I loved it!
I am part of this book’s launch team. That does not affect how I rate this book though.
Deese’s idea for this story
Show More
came from her own experiences with adopting a child from China. The rules are clear (as stated in the book, as well as a letter I got with my review copy):1. You can adopt as a woman who has been married for two (or more) years
2. You can adopt as a single, unattached woman
There is no middle ground. If the woman is matched with her child, and then finds “Mr. Right” during the process – there are some tough choices to make. And, those choices turned into “what ifs” …
* What if a woman was matched with her child?
* What if she found the man she’s waited her whole life for?
Taking from that, Deese builds and weaves a beautiful story around First (1st) Grade teacher, Lauren Bailey and substitute teacher Joshua Avery.
Since this is from Bethany House, which is a Christian publisher, this will have strong elements of faith.
For anyone who has tried to adopt and “lost” a child, this will be emotional. For anyone who has miscarried and “lost” a child, this will be painful. This might have some unpleasant triggers.
In this uplifting, inspiring, and at times heartbreakingly gut-wrenching story is a message of faith and going along with God’s plan.
The beautiful and simple cover has a winding red thread. It’s used as the international symbol for adoption. It originates from the Chinese proverb:
“An invisible red thread connects those destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but never break.”
This was very hard to put down. I read it in 22 hours – with sleep, breaks, going out for a food run, meals, and chores. This was such an easy read, and I easily savored it. Despite the length of the story, the writing flow was natural and kept the story flowing at an even pace so as not to overwhelm the reader. I particularly enjoyed the “text” conversations, complete with emojis.
Deese’s writing exposes the vulnerable, raw, realistic, and often times humorous relationship between Lauren and Joshua along with Lauren’s struggle (and her impatience) to adopt.
As Lauren has already started the adoption process, and given the rules, she’s pretty much given up on love. That is until she meets Josh.
Next to praying for a child … Josh is the one man she’s prayed for. Lauren’s strong faith, which is central to who she is, is tested. But, Josh always has a strong sense of faith to help Lauren.
Lauren’s mother seems to have a strong disdain for her daughter’s faith. This leads to a lack of family support, with her mom even blaming the “church” people. This part was the hardest to read, but sadly realistic in many ways. It causes such a rift in the Bailey family that it takes nearly until the end of the book to resolve.
Lauren is honest with Josh – “they” won’t work. Once he knows why, he’s happy to be there in the background, and happy to support her. His support even goes into “decorating” help.
After suffering a devastating loss, Lauren throws her focus into her relationship with Josh. The story then switches more to their romance than the adoption issue.
Theirs isn’t a conventional relationship, but it is precious, especially given his obsession with dinosaurs. His family, including his famous writer father, is wonderful! Truly “Hallmark” wonderful!
It is from Josh’s father; George; that Lauren learns that God’s way is rarely easy, but is always better than ours. The lesson is simple – he gives us choices, but sometimes he makes the choice for us.
Another lesson, Lauren comes to learn – family isn’t about biology. Which of course is why she feels called to adopt a child. But, she does need reassuring here or there from the wonderful supporting characters – her friends Jenna and Gail.
A second chance comes her way and Lauren finds herself conflicted. She has a hard choice to make – Josh or her child.
This made me tear up in several places. Emotionally I went from laughing in places, to being mad, crying, and feeling joy.
No matter how anyone feels about international adoption, this is more (to me) a story of faith, trusting God’s will to guide us where we need to be, trusting God to put those in our life that we need, and accepting God’s partnership in what we are doing.
At the end the author is careful to add she isn’t using the book to persuade readers to adopt form overseas, but more or less trusting God.
This was the first book I’ve read by Deese, and I loved it!
Show Less
LibraryThing member vintagebeckie
My Impressions:
I started Before You Call Me Mine because I wanted some light reading and thought it would fit the bill. The book had been on my TBR shelf for a while, and with its pretty cover beckoning, I thought why not? Why did I wait so long! Although you could categorize this novel as a
Loved, loved, loved this book! In fact I passed it alone to a friend, and I can’t wait for her to read it so we can discuss. Before I Called You Mine will definitely be on my best of 2021 list.
Highly Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(Thanks to Bethany House for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
I started Before You Call Me Mine because I wanted some light reading and thought it would fit the bill. The book had been on my TBR shelf for a while, and with its pretty cover beckoning, I thought why not? Why did I wait so long! Although you could categorize this novel as a
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contemporary romance, it certainly is so much more. I fell in love with main character Lauren with her heart for kids and her belief God was leading her to adoption as a single mom. The story is told in Lauren’s first person voice, and it was like she was right with me telling me all about her joys and heartbreaks, and the doubts that assail us all when we are trying to follow God’s will. It didn’t hurt that she was in love with literacy either. This novel was filled with humor — a great thing to have while dealing with the rocky road of adoption. Poignant moments had me in tears, especially the revelation that comes at the end of the book. While I said this was not just a romance, it does have one of the swooniest male characters I have read. Who couldn’t resist Deese’s nerdy and hunky hero?Loved, loved, loved this book! In fact I passed it alone to a friend, and I can’t wait for her to read it so we can discuss. Before I Called You Mine will definitely be on my best of 2021 list.
Highly Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(Thanks to Bethany House for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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LibraryThing member Jynell
Heart warming. Touching. Beautiful.
This is the first book I've read from this author, but I know I'll read more from her. She perfectly made me fall in love with the characters, sympathizing with them, all while exploring emotional topics.
In the end, I rooted for Lauren. This was a wonderful book
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this and to voluntarily give my honest opinion.
This is the first book I've read from this author, but I know I'll read more from her. She perfectly made me fall in love with the characters, sympathizing with them, all while exploring emotional topics.
In the end, I rooted for Lauren. This was a wonderful book
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and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for something that will give them the "warm and fuzzies" when they are done reading it!Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this and to voluntarily give my honest opinion.
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Language
Physical description
368 p.; 8.5 inches
Pages
368
ISBN
0764234951 / 9780764234958