Christian Fiction Devourers discussion

Ok all, our book of the month read is Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese. Here is our Goodreads summary-

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 looks good- looking forward to reading it this month with you. Who is in for this one? Remember , we will start discussion on the 15th so try to hide spoilers until then!

I'm in! 🙂

I loved this book!

I'm in. Halfway through. It is a great read.

Planning on joining on this as well.

I’m in!! :)

I finished last night and . . . wow! Can't wait for the discussion!🙂

I'm in! I'm reading it now and really enjoying it!

I am reading it! Enjoying it!

Ok, 4 more days till discussion time. Before we get started, would love to know if any one has walked the journey of adoption? Have you adopted a child and or been adopted yourself- would love to hear your stories!!

PS- Just finished tonight- really loved it!

Not me - but our church has a program to help people foster and adopt - did you know that if every Christian family adopt 1 child, there would be no need for orphanages.

But I do believe adoption should be called by God. Not easy.

I have a sister who adopted 3 of her children. My own story includes a failed adoption placement that took place almost 12 years ago. Needless to say, this story was quite poignant for me.

Sarita wrote: "Not me - but our church has a program to help people foster and adopt - did you know that if every Christian family adopt 1 child, there would be no need for orphanages.

But I do believe adoption..."

Wow, what a statistic! Thanks for sharing that Sarita! And I agree with you on it being a calling. This book illustrates that beautifully- can’t wait to discuss that!

Kate wrote: "I have a sister who adopted 3 of her children. My own story includes a failed adoption placement that took place almost 12 years ago. Needless to say, this story was quite poignant for me."

Kate, oh my goodness , I bet. I thought they handled the “ grief “ of that moment very well in this book and I’ll be anxious to hear your take on it. Of course, as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself! We’ll start discussing soon!

Ok all, let's get this discussion rolling. Let's start with a few questions- you can answer any or all.
-
What was your favorite part of the book?

- Was there a part that broke your heart?

-Was it a quick read for you or more of a slow read?

-You know I have to ask this- what did you think of Josh?

-Did you think the characters and their problems/decisions/relationships were believable or realistic?

-Would you read another book by this author ( or have you already?)

Loved this book. It has so much heart. I laughed and cried.
Josh is so cute! The tee shirt, dinosaur!
I’m reading a book by her right now. All for Anna. A tear jerker for sure!

I just picked this up from the library today. Will start it later.

****Spoiilers****

I loved this book. It was exactly what I needed to read in these uncertain days. The fact that Josh's father was author of the books that Lauren based her classroom teaching style on was a plus. As added interest, is Josh trying to get out from under his dad's shadow? What exactly is the dynamics of Josh's family? Are they as dysfunctional as Lauren's..

It was a quick read for me. I found it hard to put down.

-You know I have to ask this- what did you think of Josh?
I think Josh is what us single gals pray for. I would say he's too good to be true, with waiting an extended time to start dating. I'm lucky (or have yet ) to meet a guy that is willing to wait for marriage before sex.

I choked up when, after Lauren's uncertainty of God's leading, she chooses to give the child all the love and support she feels she didn't get from her mother and sister.

As to another book by this author, bring them on.

*spoilers*
What was your favorite part of the book?
~As much as it absolutely gutted me, the scene when Josh realises what he and Lauren have to do so that she can go adopt her daughter is just beautiful. Talk about pure, sacrificial love! Also, the scene at the end when Lauren is willing to do the same thing for Josh . . . let him go to pursue his dreams . . . yeah. I cried. (lol)

Was there a part that broke your heart?
~Two parts. The first being when Lauren finds out Noah wasn't meant to be hers. As I mentioned above, we had a failed adoption placement in our family almost 12 years ago. The baby had been born, and I'd been to the hospital to 'meet' him. When I went to go bring him home, the mum said she'd chosen to parent him after all. In the ensuing years, I still haven't done anything as hard as walking out of that hospital room with empty arms.
The second part that broke my heart was when Lauren realised she had to break up with Josh so she could adopt her daughter. I saw that one coming, and I was yelling at Lauren not to let things get too close with Josh, but she didn't listen to me!😉

Was it a quick read for you or more of a slow read?
~There were parts of it that went a little slower for me, but also parts that I was flying through the pages.

You know I have to ask this- what did you think of Josh?
~Josh was just adorable. I loved that he was willing to put himself out there, and even just be Lauren's friend if that's all she could do.

Did you think the characters and their problems/decisions/relationships were believable or realistic?
~Yes, though I'm not certain I can articulate exactly why.

Would you read another book by this author (or have you already?)
~Absolutely! (And this was my first read by her.)

I am trying not to read the spoilers. I just picked it up today and am loving it. I now I will read the rest tomorrow and I have a feeling where all this will lead with Josh and Lauren but I have to read on. I needed a book like this after some really heavy reads. So looking forward to finish the book!!

Paula wrote: "Loved this book. It has so much heart. I laughed and cried.
Josh is so cute! The tee shirt, dinosaur!
I’m reading a book by her right now. All for Anna. A tear jerker for sure!"

Paula- I feel the same way as you do- the book had a lot of heart and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I laughed, I cried when she lost Noah, I yelled at Lauren to just have a conversation with Josh already to figure out a way, etc, etc. I loved Josh and his dinosaur antics and I would definitely read another book by this author!

Kathy wrote: "****Spoiilers****

I loved this book. It was exactly what I needed to read in these uncertain days. The fact that Josh's father was author of the books that Lauren based her classroom teaching styl..."

Kathy- I wondered that too about Josh and his getting out from under his Dad's shadow, but the more I read and observed his family, I thought they were a pretty functional family. The way they embraced Lauren at Christmas time is what I base that one. they were a fun family with lots of great family traditions and his Dad and Mom had such a loving and kind marriage.

I definitely want to peruse other books by this author and read another one for sure!

Kate wrote: "*spoilers*
What was your favorite part of the book?
~As much as it absolutely gutted me, the scene when Josh realises what he and Lauren have to do so that she can go adopt her daughter is just bea..."

Kate- wow, this must have been quite a read for you. Your experience reminds me of my daughter who works as a nurse in the NICU at a local hospital. She has been living with us as this has been her first year of working as a nurse and told her to feel free to live here until she gets her feet underneath her ( she is a night shift nurse, so their hours are crazy). Anyway, she came home from work one morning sobbing and I thought "Oh no, she lost a baby that she was taking care of." It wasn't that, it was that she had bonded with a family that was a wonderful couple that was going to adopt a baby girl and the birth mother changed her mind. The birth mother was not in a great spot in life, addicted to drugs, had had other children and lost them to CPS, etc. My daughter sobbed because she knew the life that this little girl could have had with the adoptive parents.

I definitely cried when Lauren lost Noah, so sad, but didn't you just love how the author showed so clearly how her Aria was so meant to be with her favorite children's book in the picture, etc.

Also if any of you read the authors note at the back it tells you the story of her adoption with her daughter from China called Lucy Mei. They always say to "write what you know" and I think this book shows so much heart because it's got a whole lot of truth in it from the author's own experience.

I would love to hear your comments about Lauren's grief at losing Noah.

My comments are as follows- If you have been through anything traumatic or some sort of loss, etc., I think this part of the book might have hit home for you. Mine is a different situation- a health issue with my husband that completely changed our lives. But I remember being in a park and seeing people all around me and thinking the same thing that Lauren thought after losing Noah- "Will I ever be carefree again?" This part was so real for me and I applaud the author for putting words to it. It really struck me. But that's why we read, yes? Because when we see the same feelings in a character on a page, we feel as though we are understood in some way.

-
What was your favorite part of the book? All the scenes with Josh :-)

- Was there a part that broke your heart? The part where she lost Noah and had to say goodbye to Josh. And the first meeting with Aria

-Was it a quick read for you or more of a slow read? Quick, then slow, then quick again.

-You know I have to ask this- what did you think of Josh? LOVED him - I don't know if men like him exist (not a lot of faults was shown in the book) but I think he ended up on a lot of book-crushes lists.

-Did you think the characters and their problems/decisions/relationships were believable or realistic?

I do think so yes. But I do also think that all the problems of being a single parent was probably not highlighted that much. The role of a father was just briefly mentioned. As a mom of two I see how vital the role of a father is and times where I'm alone with the two boys it is hectic - to be a single parent all the time will have a LOT of challenges just on normal days as well.

-Would you read another book by this author ( or have you already?) This was my first one, but after this, listened to and currently listening to

I just finished her debut: All for Anna. The main character is a trauma nurse who is trying to get over a trauma in her own life. The male lead is so great. It was an emotional book. So very good.

Paula wrote: "I just finished her debut: All for Anna. The main character is a trauma nurse who is trying to get over a trauma in her own life. The male lead is so great. It was an emotional book. So very good."

Oh wow that sounds good, Going on the TBR!

Cheryl wrote: "Paula wrote: "I just finished her debut: All for Anna. The main character is a trauma nurse who is trying to get over a trauma in her own life. The male lead is so great. It was an emotional book. ..."

That one was free on kindle the past few days.

It was a free ebook the other day.

- What was your favorite part of the book? My favorite parts were Christmas with the Averys and Lauren meeting Aria for the first time.

- Was there a part that broke your heart? I think the part that broke my heart the most is when Lauren was struggling with going through with her adoption plans or staying in a relationship with Josh. It also broke my heart when Lauren was grieving over Noah. I loved how Josh and Jenna were instantly there for her though.

- Was it a quick read for you or more of a slow read? It was definitely a quick read for me.

- What did you think of Josh? I thought Josh was great. His personality was a little quirky, but that made him even more believable and charming in my opinion.

-Did you think the characters and their problems/decisions/relationships were believable or realistic? I thought the characters were very believable. I feel like I have a lot in common with Lauren, and that made the book even more enjoyable/relateable for me. I felt like her character was very well written.

- Would you read another book by this author (or have you already)? I had never actually heard of this author before this book was selected, but I would definitely read another book by her in the future.

I just finished the book. My favorite part was definitely the dinner she had with Josh's family and meeting her hero (his dad). But I also really liked her meeting with Aria in China. I was really torn with her about her decision, but I like how Josh is there for her and she is getting the best of both worlds at the end.

Hi!! Im new to this group.I know Im late, but Im starting book today. Hope I can still join

Of course, Lisa! Happy reading (and, might want to read this thread with caution, since we'll not be holding back from spoilers in the discussion)!🙂

Kate, thank you...i will refrain until i finish, lol

Lisa wrote: "Hi!! Im new to this group.I know Im late, but Im starting book today. Hope I can still join"

Welcome Lisa- so excited for you to join in ! As Kate said, beware of the comments, so we don't spoil anything for you!

I truly enjoyed this author. Her writing skills brought an element of peace & joy throughout the story. I've never read anything by this author but i plan on reading more of her books. Thanks for allowing me to join this group & locate books that focus on life itself & not just writing about drugs, fighting, sex and so forth.

Mahoghani 23 wrote: "I truly enjoyed this author. Her writing skills brought an element of peace & joy throughout the story. I've never read anything by this author but i plan on reading more of her books. Thanks for a..."

I so agree with you Mahoghani- it is nice and refreshing to have a clean read to dive into!

New question- What do you think the author’s purpose was in writing this book? What ideas was she trying to get across?

I loved the whole book. It was a quick read, I had a hard time putting it down. Definitely want to read more books by her. I think one thing the author was trying to get across is trust God in all aspects of your life. One thing it never mentioned is if she prayed about her relationship with Josh. She seemed to have for most other things.
5 Stars

Im enjoying the book very much so far. About half way in, hope to finish in a few days

Linda wrote: "I loved the whole book. It was a quick read, I had a hard time putting it down. Definitely want to read more books by her. I think one thing the author was trying to get across is trust God in all ..."

That's a really good point Linda. I feel like maybe more open and honest communication with each other might have lent itself to them figuring out how to problem solve things. I don't think that God was saying "no relationship", I think He was saying wait for my timing. It might have been less heartbreak in the middle if they would have prayed together and agreed to wait. Although if that happened, there would have been no conflict in the story, haha, so it wouldn't have been a story! I think the theme of trusting God no matter what, is loud and clear and look how it all turns out in the end :) I think what what tough for me is that I'm a "talk it through" kind of girl with my spouse and so that is why I struggled a bit when she didn't with Josh. Such a great book.

Cheryl wrote: "Mahoghani 23 wrote: "I truly enjoyed this author. Her writing skills brought an element of peace & joy throughout the story. I've never read anything by this author but i plan on reading more of he..."

I believe she wrote the story to express the way trials & tribulations come upon us & how we need to trust God's way more than our own. I believe she was expressing life, complications, & family can take a unique hold on you. Your spuritual walk with God will bring people to help you through it all & bring families from a dysfunctional standpoint to unity.

Cheryl wrote: "Linda wrote: "I loved the whole book. It was a quick read, I had a hard time putting it down. Definitely want to read more books by her. I think one thing the author was trying to get across is tru..."

I agree. I kept saying to her "Go talk to Josh"

Mahoghani 23 wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Mahoghani 23 wrote: "I truly enjoyed this author. Her writing skills brought an element of peace & joy throughout the story. I've never read anything by this author but i plan on rea..."

Beautifully said Mahoghani, I agree with you. Trusting God at times isn’t easy, but the fruit it yields in our lives and God’s handprint on all the situations in our lives is always the right thing.

I'm late to this discussion since it's already Feb 1 and I just finished this, but I actually gave this 4 stars, which if you are familiar with how I rate, especially romances, this is very good. I plan to read more by Nicole Deese.

I am going to skip the questions due to lack of time, but I liked the writing, the characterization, the fact that the problems were real and not fluffed over as in some romance novels, the story, the people, etc. In addition, adoption is very special to me because two of my four siblings were adopted. This was not a foreign, because this was back when it was easy to adopt if you were a married couple of good standing who could afford to raise children. One started off as a foster child but then my parents wanted to adopt him (took several years because his dad was Catholic and we were Prostestant), and the other was adopted at the age of 10 days.

I'm so far behind, here, but I read it and liked it!