Love You More: The Divine Surprise of Adopting My Daughter

by Jennifer Grant

An intimate family memoir written by a mother on the adoption process.

Following the invisible thread of connection between people who are seemingly intended to become family, journalist Jennifer Grant shares the deeply personal, often humorous story of adopting a fifteen-month-old girl from Guatemala when she was already the mother of three very young children. Her family's journey is captured in stories that will encourage not only adoptive families but those who are curious about adoption or whose lives have been indirectly touched by it. Love You More explores universal themes such as parenthood, marriage, miscarriage, infertility, connection, destiny, true self, failure and stumbling, and redemption.

Genres: Adoption, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Memoir, Christian

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 9, 2011

About the author

Jennifer Grant is an author and editor in Chicago.

She worked as a health and family life columnist for the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times Media newspapers for more than a decade. Grant has been published in magazines including Woman's Day and Chicago Parent.

She is the author of six works of nonfiction for adults, including "When Did Everybody Else Get So Old?" (Herald Press, 2017) and "Dimming the Day" (Broadleaf Books, 2021).

She has also written several books for children, including the bestselling "Maybe God Is Like That Too" (Beaming Books, 2017) and the award-winning, "Finding Calm in Nature" (Beaming Books, 2023) and "What If I Can't Explain God?" (Beaming Books, 2023).

Her latest work for children is The Consider Series (Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2025, 2026). Book 3, "Consider the Night Sky" launches in September 2026.

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Find her online at jennifergrant.com
Instagram: @jennifergrantwriter

Reviews

[Maurice Possley]

Love You More is a powerful, tender, and eloquent memoir that captures the pain and angst, and ultimately the triumph and overwhelming joy of family, faith, and adoption. I love this book.

[Ramona]

“Love You More, The Divine Surprise of Adopting My Daughter” is about Jennifer Grant’s journey of adopting her daughter Mia. Even though Jennifer and her husband, David had three children, Jennifer felt inspired to have another child. Starting with Divine inspiration to the actual moment of bringing the child home to live in the US, Grant fits together a wonderful story by sharing the highs and lows of the adoption process.

A few key points of the book that stood out to me:

The author shares a brief history of her life leading up to the decision to adopt
The story of friends’ adoption that probably was another source of inspiration
Receiving confirmation from God in special/unique ways that brought assurance that the decision was right
Flashbacks to her youth and how it somehow relates to today
The pros and cons of adoption
Grant meshes all of these together well; when the storyline seemed at times to go down different paths, she managed to keep it on course.

I thought the book was interesting, engaging, and heartfelt -- touching. I knew from the beginning that I would like it.

I would definitely recommend this book for those that are considering adoption. (At the end of the book are lists of useful resources.) I would also recommend the book for those that cherish stories about family and love.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Lainy]

What a wonderful and uplifting story of Jennifer Grants journey through life and the process of adoption.

The story goes through many stages. We are introduced to Jennifer's life, how she spent her early years with her husband. Their first home, her faith, their children and the things that happened to decide they wanted to adopt.

We are introduced not only to her children but close friends and some of the people involved in the actual adoption. The journey of what they endured with the process of the adoption, peoples attitudes and comments both during their deciding to adopt and once they got their little girl. Why they chose a child from Guatemala and a child of that age and sex.

The story is so easy to read, infact it is so well written it is like meeting a person and listening to their story of their life, which in effect it is but it doesn't just read like words off a page. The style is so comfortable and easy going that it is like talking to a friend or a friend of a friend.

This is the first time I have read a book on adoption and I worried that maybe it would drone on with procedures and such but it was a beautiful read and I would certainly read another by this author, 5/5 for me.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[K. L.]

I loved this book. Jennifer Grant (http://jennifergrant.com) is a gifted writer, who shares the journey of adopting a little girl from Guatemala with prose that is both lovely and searing. Her message is for all parents, not just parents by adoption. The book tells the story of an ordinary family (if a family with three kids born in three and a half years is “ordinary”), and God’s call on that family to add a fourth child via adoption. As a mom (even though not an adoptive mom) I could totally connect with her stories, her wrestling with the guilt, joy, struggles and triumphs of parenting. She tells stories of other adoptive parents. She shares without bitterness the totally thoughtless comments she gets in public (“how much was she?” was the most amazingly rude), and how she calmly answers them. This book would make a great gift for someone who is considering adoption, or even someone who is expecting a child.
Here's a link to the adorable trailer for the book:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8lCMg...

[Ashley-Marie]

I received this book from Goodreads' First Reads and I'm really glad I got it. The book was filled with emotion and taught me so many wonderful things that I never thought about before. I've learned things that should be better known, about adoptions conditions and all the mazes expectant parents go through. Knowing they have struggled and have been rewarded made me unbelievably happy. This book I DEFINITELY going on my to be reread pile, especially in the future when my life will hopefully contain such happy events. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book Goodreads, and thank you Jennifer for writing it.

[Farrah Brown]

What a beautiful story of a mother's love and perseverance. I loved reading about the whole journey, from city girl to suburban mom, and ALL the ups and downs along the way. It made me feel inspired in a new way and certainly got my mind thinking about our family and if God might be calling us to expand in a similar way.
I love her honesty and vulnerability and willingness to take us all along with her on this adoption journey. A truly beautiful memoir of a family that was beautifully woven together by God's divine grace and goodness.

[Romel]

came across the book online and identified it as one of those I would def want to read. I did! it is lovely...maybe a little too much of saccharine in the details....but overall a very sensitive and heart warming experience

[Amanda W.]

http://fouragainsttwo.com/index.php/2...

[Jen Heininger]

I thought this was a great book, quick read and entertaining. Jennifer Grant is an excellent communicator -- even if you are not considering adoption this is a very worthwhile book.

[Laurie]

You can read my review here: http://cookscrapcraft.blogspot.com/20...

[Lisa]

Laughter and tears is the best combination in reading a book!

[Kathy Robbins]

Love You More is a new book out about one family’s journey into adopting a child from another country. A story about life in a new marriage begins the narrative. The true story continues with the introduction of children being born. Finally, this family reaches a decision point about adopting their last child.

Mia, a Guatemalan baby, was adopted by Jennifer and her husband David in a long and painstaking process. But they didn’t blindly dive in to this journey. They began with a lot of research, and did not move forward until they knew a lot about what to expect.

Part of the decision process is examined in Chapter 7, entitled “Adoption: A Crime, a Necessary Evil, or a Miracle?” This chapter explores the pros and cons of adoption, and addresses contemporary attitudes of society toward blended families.

Jennifer travels from the decision point to the actual adoption event. She invites everyone to share each step with her. She tells what happened upon Mia’s arrival home, describing this as a honeymoon period, complete with the natural exploration that occurs during such a period. Then, she honestly portrays the resulting difficulties that all parents experience with any child.

Peppered throughout the story are anecdotes of the reaction of others to seeing a blended family.

She completes the package by providing the following resources at the end of the book: adoption resources, humanitarian resources, books about adoption, children's books about adoption, and a complete bibliography for the material that she has referenced throughout the book. She even includes discussion questions at the end to both facilitate the exploration of the subject in a book club setting, and to assist potential adoptive parents with questions to consider.

Love You More is a must-read for anyone who has adopted a child, or is considering adopting a child. It is a must-read for the rest of us to increase our understanding of these families.

Jennifer Grant brilliantly weaves a memoir that tells a tale of love, doubt, anxiety, patience, impatience and many other emotions as her family inches closer to the finalization of the adoption process. Then she seals the tapestry with details about life after the adoption.

Her wonderful writing, along with her very honest biographical approach will keep this book around for a very long time. I predict it will become the new handbook for adoptive parents.

198 pages

[Cham Cuartero]

Months ago, I wrote about how I feel about adopted children, or adoption in general. It was one of those afternoons when the topic just drifted into my mind and I thought about what I would do if I found out that I was adopted. And then I let the topic go.

Until I came across Jennifer's story...

Love You More tells about the journey of a family towards finding and keeping a new member of their home through an international adoption. Told from the point of view of the Mom, Jennifer, it chronicles the tedious process of adoption which they had to go through to have their little girl, Mia - from their pre-Mia lives, the spark of desire to adopt, enduring the long wait, Mia's homecoming, and of course, the adjustment period of having another angel in their family.

The book touched me in ways an ordinary true-to-life story cannot do. I have also thought of adopting a little one , before or after I give birth to our own little one, but this book gave me a new perspective on adoption. I never imagined how long and complicated the process is, not to mention my surprise when I learned that there actually are "anti-adoption" groups.

Love You More gave me fresh thoughts on motherhood, which I believe applies however a baby comes into your family - by birth or adoption. Motherhood, or parenthood in general is absolutely not a small thing. A person should expect a major change in his or her life should he or she decide to have a child. As for adoption, the fear of rejection and doubts of acceptance from family, friends, and the community makes it more complicated.

I was also amazed by Jennifer's unwavering Faith all throughout the story. There were several trying times for her and her family, threatening to ruin their beautiful plans but her story proves that if something is in God's will for you, nothing can ever stop it from happening. I couldn't help but share their excitement and anticipation for Mia's arrival! One thing's for sure and I'll be quoting a line from the book:

Opening yourself to an orphaned child may not save the world, but it might save one precious life.
And the miracle is that the life you save may be your own.

Well, I was just lucky to get the chance to read about their story, but I sure feel very much blessed and enlightened after reading it.

Thank you BookSneeze® for this wonderful opportunity.

[Brenna]

2.5 Stars (rounded up to 3)

Those of you who have been following my blog for a while, know that I occasionally review Christian living and Christian fiction books as well.

I requested Love You More to review because adoption is something I've been interested in for a long time, and hope to be involved with personally in the future. And this book sounded like it would be such a touching read.

And parts of it were beautiful, and utterly moving but as a whole, I was disappointed with the book.

I appreciated Jennifer Grant's honesty in writing, as she fully acknowledges that adoption is difficult and that it is not for everyone. She continually emphasizes the idea that adoption is for people who are passionate about it and excited by the idea of it.

But when it came to the actual storytelling, it felt like something was lacking. The beginning chapters seemed to jump around a fair amount chronologically, which made it difficult to follow the order of events and took away from the natural reading flow of the book.

And similarily, those earlier chapters contained significant amounts of background information and stories. I was expecting more details about the actual adoption process and the aftermath of adopting Mia, rather than a (rather slow) build up that seemed to be filled with disconnected stories.

In that aspect, I was disappointed. The ending did contain more details about the process and how Mia and Grant's family adapted to living together, and those were my favourites parts by far. But there just didn't seem to be enough of them.

Copy received from BookSneeze in exchange for my honest review; no other compensation was received.

[Jasmine Marie]

This memoir is about a woman's journey through adopting a daughter from Guatemala and the changes in her life along the way. Grant already had three biological children of her own, but answers God's calling and adopts fourth child - a little girl. This book is written for parents of all kinds, but couples that are thinking about or have been through adoption will find Grant's personal story inspirational, but also very real.

Grant shares herself very openly throughout the book and does not hold back on sharing her insecurities, doubts and battles with her own perceptions (as well as society's) of parenting. Grant does a great job of keeping God at the center of her story and sharing her real struggle to do God's Will. I enjoyed hearing her "voice" pour out of the pages. It felt very much like I was having a conversation with a close girlfriend. I appreciate that she does not hold back on the challenges of the adoption process.

Also, I appreciated that Grant shared her heart for children living in poverty around the world. She provides resources for those interested in adoption, but also for those wanting to support organizations that work to positively impact the lives of children around the world.

The only thing I didn't like about the book was that I felt like she jumped around a little bit and at times it was hard to figure out if she was flashing back or not.

Overall:
It was a great read for a new mother like myself even though God has not put on my heart to adopt. I definitely recommend it to parents of all kinds.

For more reviews from the bookish mama, please click here.

[Holly]

This is honestly, probably one of the most touching books I've ever read. I've always been someone that thought way into the future I would like to adopt children, and I will even admit it's outweighed my dreams of biologically having my own. Not that I'm opposed to biologically having my own, I just don't ponder it as much. So I felt even though this wasn't applicable to my life now I would possibly one day be experiencing much of the same feelings, and thought this woman experienced when she decided to pursue adopting also.
One of the things that stood out about me is how the author tried to be open to every possible situation, and realistic. She knows everyone has different grounds as to deciding why to adopt, and she goes over the reasons to and not to adopt. I was absolutely shocked that people said such rude things to her, not only involving the adoption process, but at other things that had happened in her life. You want to ask why people would think to say the inappropriate things they did?
There were a few moments the book lulled, like when the author wrote what seemed a couple of chapters about just waiting for her daughter to be ready to take home. I could feel the brutal feeling of waiting, but it seemed to take forever. The part after she arrives, and how she meshed into their family was very interesting to read.
As someone who hopes to one day adopt I found the book very insightful, and I thought hearing someone's experience and story was much more insightful than a book directed to give psychological advice on the matter.


This book was provided by Booksneeze in exchange for a review.

[Ashley Rothberg]

I come at this book from a very different perspective than most- I am not an adoptive parent, instead I am a birthmother. I am also a social worker with experience in the foster care system in this country. This is a unique and sometimes perilous point of view to have when starting single sotry point of view novels. I am not sure what I was expecting when I started this book but it was a lovely family story. I enjoyed getting to hear the perspective of an adoptive mother, especially one who is going through an international adoption, which is an area I know little to nothing about.

Now for the nitty gritty part. This story seems more like someone is telling you what happened, not that you are reading it. One paragraph does not always lead to the next and sometimes there are side stories I do not know why they are included. The writing was not difficult to understand but the story structure could be at times. I would have much preferred a chronological narrative not one that jumped from place to place. I believe this book was very cathartic for Jennifer Grant but I am not sure I got the point of sending it out to the general public.

Overall, it was a nice story but nothing I would recommend to the general populous. I am not sure it even really would open people's eyes to international adoption. It's cute but nothing superb.

[Abigail]

Beautiful story of one family's adoption of a little girl from Guatemala--I like how she shared her faith in God throughout but was not preachy, and even admits she is not advocating that everyone go out and adopt.

I love Jennifer Grant's writing style and will be looking for more of her work.

What I took away: God does not love us less when we feel like less (less as a parent, down on ourselves, worrying about what people think of us or if our children will love us).

A couple of emails she received from a pastor friend: "God loves you, Jennifer, with an everlasting love. His love never changes, loving you on your worst day as much as He does on your best day...So I'll tell you again how much God loves you but in different words. You are precious to God, Jen, So completely cherished by Him it is absolutely amazing. He delights in you exactly as you are. His love is never tied to performance. He always loves you perfectly, without holding anything back. You are the apple of His eye."

I needed to hear that as a mother of birth children, and I'm sure if we ever adopt, I'll need to hear it again as an adoptive parent.

[Briar]

I received this book after winning it from Goodreads First Reads. As a young mother hoping to adopt in the future, this book was a wonderful look into the joys, struggles, and process of adopting a child. The only thing I disliked about it was the constant references to Biblical passages and how everything was God's will and the like. Not because I am not a Christian (which I'm not, but I have a great deal of respect for most Christians I've known), but because it occupied a bit too much of the book in my opinion, which slowed the process of reading down at times. Overall it was a wonderful book, but I think she could have left out a few things like that.

This book was the story of one woman's journey through adoption and rearing children. She takes us through the ups and downs, the hopelessness and joy, letting the reader into her family for a little while. If you're a parent and/or thinking about adoption in the future (and especially, I'm sure, someone who has already adopted), this book is for you.

[Kelly Hager]

This is the story of how Jennifer and her husband David adopted their youngest child, Mia. They had three other children (Theo, Ian and Isabel) and then decided to adopt one more. Mia's from Guatemala, which adds another dimension to the adoption (she's obviously adopted, which can cause stares and insensitive comments from strangers).

This isn't really a "how t0" book on the best way to add to your family (although there are helpful tips, books and websites in the back of the book) but rather the story of how it worked in their case.

Difficult topics aren't ignored. As I said, strangers make snide comments and some of her friends weren't supportive. Also, it took a long time for Mia to come home and when she did, adjustments had to be made (obviously).

If you believe (as I do) that sometimes the most helpful books are the ones that let you know you're not alone, I think many adoptive families would find a great deal of value in this.

[Connie]

This is the story of a family that has always wanted to adopt a child even tho they had children of their own. They decide to adopt outside of the United States and thus began the long paperwork process. With God's guidance they finally were able to bring home their daughter, Mia, from Guatemala to add to their family.

This book is designed to be read for those who wish to adopt; especially if they are wanting to adopt outside the United States. The book contains tips for prospective adoptive parents and discussion questions.

I enjoyed this book but felt that it was somewhat hard to follow as it skipped around a bit. But all in all, a good book.

FTC disclosure: I received this book free from Booksneeze.com hoping I would review it.

[Rachel N]

Love You More is a refreshing memoir of one adoptive mama's journey. It's "real" but not negative - thank you very much! This book would be particulary encouraging to moms who are currently in the process of adoption. There are a lot of books on the market that, in my opinion, sow fear into the heart of prospective parents - akin to a physician who is required to tell his patients the worst case scenarios, even though these scenarios are very unlikely. Love You More is a welcome exception. While not ignoring the challenges, the author focuses on the joy and miracle of adoption. Thank you, Mrs. Grant, for your God-centered, positive, but still honest, perspective.

[Alisa]

The writing on this story was beautiful for me in parts. It was about a woman and her family and their decision to adopt from Guatemala after having two children naturally. It delves into the perceptions and stereotypes of adopted children naturally. I especially liked how she said you have to feel about adoption passionately for it to work, not just a fleeting idea. Very interesting book.

[Tina Chooses Joy]

Jennifer Grant tells how she and her husband adopted a little girl from Guatemala. She writes about the long and difficult wait for her child and the sometimes difficult adjustments for the whole family. Great book!

[Michele Amos]

This book was beautifully written. It pulled at my heart strings and brought me to tears many times throughout her story. My mother was adopted, I was adopted and someday I hope to adopt. Reading Ms. Grant's story, shed a lot of light on what I could expect when it is my turn to adopt.

[Crystal]

Full review coming soon on the site, but I thought this was a beautiful portrayal of one family's adoption journey. She really dives into the good and the bad. For anyone interested in adoption or anyone interested in stories of real people, it's a terrific read.

[Kathy Chung]

Reviewed at Mama Kucing Meow : Love You More : The Divine Surprise of Adopting My Daughter By Jennifer Grant

I like it coz it's informative without being preachy

[Corinne Rodrigues]

Jennifer Grant tells the story of adopting her Guatemalan-born daughter, Mia. She gives us a background to her family and family life which didn’t make very good reading. In fact, from time to time, the author seems to wander a bit.

Read more here: http://from7eight.com/love-you-more/

[Sabra]

This is such a good read for parents. She is witty and I loved hearing her story.

[Sara]

This book made me laugh and cry. It's written in a very personable way. Thanks for sharing your adoption story.