Sometimes you can only take one step at a time...
Women's fiction has never been my thing. Just a little bit too much emotion and estrogen for me. But, once in awhile I step outside of that generalization and try one. While billed as contemporary romance I do think that Before I Called You Mine also straddles the women's fiction genre. Nicole Deese is a new to me author but I liked the cover with it's simple yet pretty design so I decided to try it.
If there's one thing that I took away from this story it's that family is messy and relationships are complicated but God will see us through if we let Him. Oh, and dinosaurs are totally cool. As expected there was a lot of emotional upheaval in Before I Called You Mine but I found myself unexpectedly relating to at least some of it. Some aspects of my life, including age, are fairly similar to Lauren's so I kinda got where she was coming from.
Nicole Deese takes her characters on a rollercoaster of a ride. And I'm not just talking about the romance thread either. No, I'm also talking about Lauren's adoption journey. From elation to heartbreak, from pain to celebration, all of it is brought to life on the printed page.
While not my usual choice in reading I'm glad I picked up Before I Called You Mine. It was sweet, poignant, thought-provoking, and tugged at the heartstrings. The story was well-written and I will be looking for more from author Nicole Deese in the future.
(I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are entirely my own.)