Never Saw You Coming: A Novel

Never Saw You Coming in a way was a book I never saw coming. I will admit that when I first started reading I felt like the religion piece might be a little bit too "in your face", but I very quickly realized that yes, it was part of the story, but that wasn't the driving force. Meg Hennessey learns that everything she thought she knew about her childhood and family is a lie. She's rocked to her core and isn't sure how she feels about so many things given what she's learned coupled with all of the lessons she's been taught growing up in the church. Meg sets off on an adventure to meet part of her family that she just learned about and also to spread her wings a bit. Micah Allen is the son of a former pastor who ended up in prison for doing very un-pastorly things. He has suffered tremendously because of his father's actions and it not only drove him from attending church, but it has also left him wondering if he is doomed in his own ways because of the parts of his father that are in him. When Meg and Micah meet, they connect almost immediately. They both are going through things and need someone to lean on and they seem to be the perfect match in that way. They are able to be vulnerable with one another and really share what they are feeling, which helps set them both on a path to beginning to heal. Families and relationships played such a large part in this story. Nothing and no one is ever perfect, and there are always things people are going through that others just can't quite understand. I liked how the relationships were handled in this book giving a glimpse into how one person's view can be so different from the reality. I enjoyed this book a lot and I'm going to need to go back and read others by Erin Hahn.

I received an e-copy of this story for my honest review. While the MCs were church raised, I think the situations they’re pushed into could apply to any human on Earth. It was their strength, courage, and fortitude to move forward with their lives that made me love these two. And, the secondary characters (Duke!) made this story all the more enjoyable. I loudly applaud the author, Erin Hahn, for writing this story. There may be some people who would condemn this kind of story, but there are also some who would appreciate the forthrightness, clarity, thinking, and questioning of what You believe. As my Pa would have said: Read it, think about it. Then, go with what your heart and soul tells you is right for you.

CW: Discussions of self harm and suicide, mentions of death related to drunk driving 4.5 stars Never Saw You Coming is one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I was absolutely stunned when I received the notification that I had won an advance copy on Goodreads. This book was both everything I hoped for and also completely unexpected. It doesn't shy away from the hard questions and instead dives head first into an examination of faith, love, forgiveness, religion, family, and also hypocrisy. Even though I don't have experiences like Meg or Micah with church/religion, I appreciated the vulnerability and raw honesty of their journeys. Hahn made their struggles so genuinely heartbreaking and relatable. The love that blossoms between them was so tender and beautiful. The writing was incredibly heartfelt and the message of being loved just as you are, without conditions or exceptions, was so powerful. Family relationships play a large role in the story and I loved how found families were just as critical (if not more so) than families of blood. Duke also definitely needs his own book now ;) The cameos by my More Than Maybe favorites was wonderful and the epilogue was a beautifully perfect way to bring everything full circle. Meg and Micah's journey isn't an easy one, but I really appreciated the author's note at the end, which helped put things into perspective for me. I can imagine that Never Saw You Coming might be quite polarizing for readers, but it will also be a great comfort to many as well. *I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book (which was won in a Goodreads giveaway)*