Happy Friday! It seems like our world has completely changed since last Friday… how are you doing with all the craziness? On the bright side, if you’re social distancing or self-isolating, hopefully you’ll have some extra reading time! 🙂

For today’s First Line Friday post, I’m featuring Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese. It doesn’t come out for a little over a week, but when it is available, I think it will be the perfect hope-filled book to lighten your heart in these strange times!

“If Obsessive Email Checking Disorder were a disease, I was likely already in the final stages: trigger thumb, mindless refreshing, aimless scrolling, and, of course, an inability to focus on anything else in the entire world.”

Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese

The Basics

Title: Before I Called You Mine

Author: Nicole Deese

Publication Date: March 31, 2020

Genre: Christian Contemporary Fiction

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: 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.

My Thoughts

“We aren’t powerful enough to mess up God’s plan. Can we deny it? Yes. Can we delay it while we chase our own way? Absolutely. But sometimes our character needs time to catch up to our calling.”

This story had me feeling all the feels! I felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster ride with Lauren, through the anticipation, excitement, and heartbreak she felt during her adoption journey. Ms. Deese did such a great job of introducing us to the characters, slowly letting us see more of their motivations and hearts, making them deeply engaging and relatable.

Joshua was such a swoon-worthy hero – seemingly a perfect match for Lauren, except for the timing of when they met, making her question God’s calling on her life. I loved that the story centered on adoption; that’s such an important topic to see portrayed realistically, especially in faith circles. It all added up to an engaging, impactful story that I finished the book in 48 hours; I just had to know what would happen! This was the first book of Nicole Deese’s I’ve read, but it definitely won’t be the last. 

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below, and don’t forget to head to Hoarding Books to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.