Happy Friday, friends! We’ve made it through another week! I hope you’re staying safe and healthy, and finding time to relax with a good book. If you’re looking for a hopeful, encouraging story, Robin Jones Gunn’s upcoming release would be a great choice! Today I’m linking up with First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books, and featuring Being Known.

“Whenever I close my eyes and think of my mother, I see her red toenails. Her perfectly manicured toes flaunting her signature nail-polish color, Oh My, Cherry Pie.”

Being Known by Robin Jones Gunn

The Basics

Title: Being Known

Author: Robin Jones Gunn

Series: Haven Makers (Book 2)

Publication Date: April 28, 2020

Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

From the Back Cover: After her mom passed away, Jennalyn was in the midst of moving, having a baby, and helping her husband work toward his dream job. At the time, she thought she processed the shock and loss, but only now that Jennalyn has two small children, a lovely new home, a lucrative side hustle with her art, and a husband who is always working does she feel the full impact of the loss.

Enter an old boyfriend who knew Jennalyn well and who shares many fond memories of her mom. Jennalyn begins to doubt her marriage and all her other life choices ever since her mom passed away. It takes the power of truth, close friends who know her well, and a series of choices at the heart level before Jennalyn can surface from the confusion and see with clarity where her life is headed.

My Thoughts

 I am so glad Robin Jones Gunn is still writing stories featuring her beloved character, Christy Miller Spencer! This is the second book in the Haven Makers series that follows a group of five friends, including Christy and her friend Sierra from another one of Robin’s series, who call themselves the Daughters of Eve and support each other through all the changes and challenges their lives bring. This story is focused on Jennalyn, the one who brought the group together. It’s definitely a character-driven rather than plot-driven story, with characters who feel so real and relatable I can imagine I might run into them at the park if I went to their California town!

I love the premise of the series, about the women who fill in the gaps for each other when they don’t have mothers or sisters to turn to. Reading this beautifully written, heartfelt story made me feel welcomed into their group wish they were real! The author deals gracefully with some tough topics that so many women face in friendships and marriages, and shows us how good friends are instrumental in helping you through the tough times – if you have the courage to be honest and vulnerable and share your heart with them.

Note: although there’s nothing graphic, there is some content that’s more mature in this book; I would recommend it for older teens and up.

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.