A review by ggbookrecclub
Before We Came by Sloane St. James

emotional lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book gave me that, “but when can I go home and read?” feeling. 

⭐️ Rating: 5/5

🌶️ Spice: 3/5

🏒 Childhood Friends to Lovers

🏒 Brother’s Best Friend

🏒 Forced Proximity

🏒 Mistaken Identity

Sloane St. James is a new to me author, and OMG, I’m going to blow through the series so fast, I can feel it. It’s been a long time since a story has made me feel something. This story was done so well. I’ve never read a hockey romance book that opened up with the FMC coming to the conclusion that she was kidnapped as a child. This book had me giving my best friend updates WHILE I was reading. Like, “guess what just happened?”

When the family reunited, I balled. I expected for them to be a little more hesitant that this was their long lost sister/daughter, but was really pleased with how it played out. Lonan, family friend/first crush, was a tinge manipulative at times to get his way. But we’ll chalk this up to losing the love of her life once and being unwilling to let her out of her side again.

Parts of this book were absolutely haunting. The journals of her adopted mother showed what a hateful person she was. They were first introduced when Birdie found them while cleaning and then throughout the book as evidence.  I only wish we got to know more about this murder case. 

The world building in this story was done so incredibly well. Immediately fell in love with this family and hockey team.