Before I Called You Mine Paperback - 2020

Lauren Bailey may be a romantic at heart, but after a decade of matchmaking schemes gone wrong, there's only one match she's committed to now--the one that will make her a mother. Lauren is a dedicated first-grade teacher in Idaho, and her love for children has led her to the path of international adoption. To satisfy her adoption agency's requirements, she gladly agreed to remain single for the foreseeable future; however, just as her long wait comes to an end, Lauren is blindsided by a complication she never saw coming: Joshua Avery.

Joshua may be a substitute teacher by day, but Lauren finds his passion for creating educational technology as fascinating as his antics in the classroom. Though she does her best to downplay the undeniable connection between them, his relentless pursuit of her heart puts her commitment to stay unattached to the test and causes her once-firm conviction to waver.

With an impossible decision looming, Lauren might very well find herself choosing between the two deepest desires of her heart . . . even if saying yes to one means letting go of the other.

"A Carol Award-winner, as well as a RITA and Inspy nominee for her inspirational romance novels, Deese is also an adoptive parent, which shapes her latest novel. . . . Deese's involving novel is full of genuine feeling and compelling challenges."--Booklist starred review

"Deese's latest novel will touch readers' hearts, moving them near to tears on one page even as they laugh out loud on the next. Those who enjoy inspirational fiction and imperfect characters striving to find their own path to happiness will find this difficult to put down."--Library Journal starred review