“You and I are both experienced at holding our feelings in for a long time and not sorting out what’s true and what’s a trap.”
Jennalyn tries to be happy with her life, but with a husband working long hours, two toddlers to run after and still grieving the loss of her mom, she feels down most of the time. She loves that her husband, Joel, is fulfilling his dream of running a restaurant, but since he’s also still the chef, he gets very little time off. Her mother passed away several years before, but now having children of her own, she wishes her mother was there to see them. She doesn’t quite know how to explain it to her friends but when she runs into an ex-boyfriend, she finds she can talk to him.
I haven’t read a Robin Jones Gunn book since I was in high school. I really liked her Christy series. When I saw she had a new book out, Being Known, and was invited to join the Waterbrook and Multnomah launch team, I signed up. I was given a free copy in exchange for a fair review.
Jennalyn only chats with her old boyfriend through a game messaging app and while she doesn’t think she is crossing any lines, she is opening up to him in ways she isn’t with her husband or friends. She tries several times to tell Joel that their daughter’s dance friend’s dad is her ex-boyfriend, but one of them is always exhausted. The warmth of friendship finally draws her out and that friend shows her the truth of how close she is to the fire.
I enjoyed reading Being Known and found it to be a very realistic story about how little things can creep into a marriage. The characters feel authentic and while it’s a Christian book, the faith of the characters is just ingrained in who they are so it doesn’t seem fake or pushy. I plan to read more of Gunn’s books for adults.
Are you a Robin Jones Gunn fan? Share your thoughts on her books in the comments!
Buy Being Known here (affiliate link).
