Are you looking to immerse yourself in a Hallmark type of love story? If so,  Denise Hunter’s “Before We Were Us” is for you. This story offers a little bit of romance, a little bit of drama, and a nice storyline. I enjoy reading Denise Hunter’s books, especially when I am looking for a fun, quick read.

The book begins by introducing us to Lauren. Lauren’s dream job is just a few months away in Boston but, before she begins her new job her manager wants her to have some real-world experience. Her manager has an old friend that is looking to hire a temporary manager for a position at Pinehaven Resort in New Hampshire. How could Lauren say no? She packs her bags and heads to Pinehaven.

Jonah wants to be the manager/owner of his parents Pinehaven Resort, but his mother wants him to finish college first. He is not happy about a temporary manager coming in to do his job and has decided not to like the new manager.

In the beginning, Jonah and Lauren try to exist by staying out of each other’s way. Eventually, however, Jonah sees that Lauren is doing a good job and he tries to become a friend instead of an enemy.

They begin to spend more time together and find that they actually like each other. After a few months they begin to date and things seem to be falling into place. Then tragedy strikes.

Lauren has an accident at work and when she wakes up in the hospital she has forgotten the last four months of her life. She doesn’t remember Jonah and doesn’t want anything to do with him. Jonah is left heart broken.

Once released from the hospital, Lauren decides she needs to finish her time at Pinehaven Resort. During this time, Jonah works desperately to try to get her to remember what has happened in the last four months.

I won’t ruin the ending, but it’s fun to see if they will work things out or if Lauren decides to go back to Boston?

I enjoyed the layout of this story. With the accident happening, the storyline starts to be told from the past and the present timelines. 

I appreciate the timeline split. I feel like this format gives you more of each of the characters’ back stories. You can find “Before We Were US” by Denise Hunter at your local library and on the Libby app.