Scan barcode
staceycarr1060's review
4.0
❤️Birdie & Lonan❤️
4⭐️
4🔥
📖Before We Came by Sloane St. James
🎨
**
➡️ Hockey Romance
➡️2nd Chance
➡️Chef
➡️Childhood Friends/Crush
➡️Kidnapping
➡️Brothers best friend
➡️”Good Girl”
➡️Mental Health Rep from Trauma
➡️HEA
**
I am so happy that I decided to read this again. It was better this 2nd time around. Childhood friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes so this made me so happy!
Birdie’s story is heartbreaking and different than anything else I’ve read. The revelations of the truth that happened throughout the story were wild.
Lonan was perfect for her in & out of the bedroom 😉 He gave her space when she needed it but never gave up on her. The progression of their relationship was really sweet (& sexy)
kelmel's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
klew9925's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was Sloane St James first book because... wow!! I was running around my office talking about the first four chapters of this beauty! Like Oh my gosh!! I am debating laying it out there, or waiting for yall to see what happens.
I don't even know how to type out my little recap with out revealing everything! What normally happens at the end of book, Sloane threw at the beginning, and now we are sitting on pins and needles watching it all fall in to place and trying to figure out how Birdie is going to go along with everything going on. I recommend reading the trigger warnings before diving into this one. You are hit with a lot of trauma right out of the gate... so buckle up! But through out the book you get a lot of emotional healing and coming to terms.
While it is some heavy topics covered in this one. The one-liners are amazing! Kicking my feet funny!!! I was laughing my booty off!! I loved everything going on till the end, there was a couple moments that really erked me, but now that I am sitting back I cannot justify their decisions, but I get why Sloane had the characters do it.
You briefly talk about Lonan's trauma, but it is not a big topic, so I feel like a lot of his issues was skated over, while you do spend a lot of time on stuff with Birdie, and trying to understand her insecurities while she is trying to uncover them at the same time. So pretty much, its two very emotionally immature people trying to come to terms with A LOT of stuff! I love this world Sloane has built, and I have a feeling I will be back in this series VERY soon!
I don't even know how to type out my little recap with out revealing everything! What normally happens at the end of book, Sloane threw at the beginning, and now we are sitting on pins and needles watching it all fall in to place and trying to figure out how Birdie is going to go along with everything going on. I recommend reading the trigger warnings before diving into this one. You are hit with a lot of trauma right out of the gate... so buckle up! But through out the book you get a lot of emotional healing and coming to terms.
While it is some heavy topics covered in this one. The one-liners are amazing! Kicking my feet funny!!! I was laughing my booty off!! I loved everything going on till the end, there was a couple moments that really erked me, but now that I am sitting back I cannot justify their decisions, but I get why Sloane had the characters do it.
You briefly talk about Lonan's trauma, but it is not a big topic, so I feel like a lot of his issues was skated over, while you do spend a lot of time on stuff with Birdie, and trying to understand her insecurities while she is trying to uncover them at the same time. So pretty much, its two very emotionally immature people trying to come to terms with A LOT of stuff! I love this world Sloane has built, and I have a feeling I will be back in this series VERY soon!
aimeereadsss's review against another edition
4.0
It’s felt like forever since I flew through a book, but this one? Pure gold! The back-and-forth banter between Lonan and Birdie was dynamite.
The plot had me hooked, and it was like nothing I’ve ever read before!
Plus, the Schitt’s Creek references? Totally on point
The plot had me hooked, and it was like nothing I’ve ever read before!
Plus, the Schitt’s Creek references? Totally on point
jgilge's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Went in based on the tropes I heard were in it, it didn't disappoint! Great characters, chemistry, and plot!
mandersjojo's review against another edition
5.0
This review does contain some spoilers but they happen pretty early on. They're also alluded to in the book details.
Birdie's mom passes away at the beginning of the book. She's not her biological mother though. Birdie grew up thinking her biological parents didn't want her when she was 6 so they gave her to her adoptive mom, Julianne. After the funeral, Birdie is looking at some photos family members brought and noticed the girl in the photo has a few differences from her, but identify the people as Birdie and her mom. Birdie doesn’t think she’s the girl in the photos so she goes on a hunt for Julianne's journals because she was always writing in them. After some digging, Birdie finds them, as well as the secrets they hold.
Birdie sets out to find her birth parents after reading the journals. She lands in Minnesota and plans to seek them out the following day. While at her hotel getting some dinner, she meets Lonan, a professional hockey players. Lonan doesn't want Birdie to know his profession so he doesn't give his name. They end up giving each other nicknames. After a night of fun, they go their separate ways.
Birdie finds her parents house and ends up reuniting with her family. Turns out, Lonan is Birdie's brothers best friend and was part of Birdie's childhood.
Due to the press and Birdie wanting to lay low, Lonan offers to let her stay with him and be his cook since that's her profession. From there, more secrets are exposed and their childhood crushes turn into something real.
I LOVED this book so much. I read it so fast then bought the audio version. Who doesn't love second chances? And when he has a tattoo that represents her... Swoon. This story is twisted with Birdie's crazy kidnapped mother but also has a great live story. This is one I can read and listen to when in a book slump.
jofirstofhername's review
2.25
I was really excited about this series because I had heard so many positive reviews and I love hockey romance. However, after finally reading the first book, I was disappointed. At first, I found it somewhat intriguing due to the mystery woven into the plot, but ultimately it didn't deliver much. I lost interest halfway through and it took me a few weeks to pick it up again, only to realize I couldn't continue reading it. I finished it as an audiobook just to avoid not finishing it, but it just wasn’t a good fit for me. Unfortunately, this means I won’t be continuing with the series, but I gave it a try.
confidentlyintheclouds's review against another edition
3.0
mixed feelings
Okay, while I loved this book it’s a hard one to rate because I was sold on the idea of it being a hockey romance. To be fair, he is a hockey player and there’s a few pages about hockey but mostly it’s about Bridget/ Birdie and her life.
It’s a good read, I picked it up this am and just finished within 8 hrs, it’s transfixing but I wouldn’t personally sell it as hockey romance.
3.5 for sure.
I’m also left wanting and confused over how it ends with the investigation. It’s kind of sprinkled in there but dies off.
All in all, an interesting start.
Okay, while I loved this book it’s a hard one to rate because I was sold on the idea of it being a hockey romance. To be fair, he is a hockey player and there’s a few pages about hockey but mostly it’s about Bridget/ Birdie and her life.
It’s a good read, I picked it up this am and just finished within 8 hrs, it’s transfixing but I wouldn’t personally sell it as hockey romance.
3.5 for sure.
I’m also left wanting and confused over how it ends with the investigation. It’s kind of sprinkled in there but dies off.
All in all, an interesting start.