Until I Knew You 

JustRead Publicity Tour

About the Book Until I Knew You 

Photographer Jacob Michaels has spent his life running, from foster homes, from emotional attachment, from anything that asks more of him than a fleeting moment through his camera lens, except for Clay Logan, his one true friend and the only person who ever saw past the walls.

Olivia Logan lives in a world of color and quiet, expressing through art what words cannot, and Clay understood her without explanation, offering a steady presence in a world that often feels overwhelming.

But when a hiking trip ends in tragedy, and Jacob returns alone, everything changes, and Clay’s final request becomes Jacob’s new reality: take care of Olivia, protect her, don’t walk away.

Now her legal trustee, Jacob, steps into a life he never intended. Bound by grief and a promise neither asked for, he and Olivia are drawn into a fragile closeness they don’t know how to navigate.

And perhaps God isn’t finished mending what was never meant to be broken.

About the Author of Until I Knew You 

Tanya Eavenson is an award-winning Christian romance novelist. She enjoys spending time with her husband and their three children. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee, eating chocolate, and reading a good book. You can find her at her website http://www.tanyaeavenson.com/

My Thoughts on Until I Knew You 

Until I Knew You is a wonderful contemporary novel that shows a wide range of feelings, but also a version of autism and what that’s like.  You’ll get to know people with pasts.  From foster care to abuse from a parent, to being misunderstood, and to not knowing how to let go, there are so many things in this novel. Oh, and you might learn a thing or two about bugs as well. 

You see, Olivia is our main female character.  And Olivia is autistic, high functioning, but still autistic.  Jacob is our main male character.  In the beginning, he does not like Olivia; he avoids her, to be honest.  But she’s married ot his best friend.  So he can’t completely avoid her.  But even when he’s around her, he’s uncomfortable.  

Here’s the first plot twist. Jacob and Clay, his best friend and the husband of Olivia, go on a camping trip.  They’re photographers and going to take pictures of the falls.  But things go wrong, and Clay plunges to his death.  Jacob goes to tell Olivia.  He feels it’s his fault, and he’s overcome with grief.  Olivia is stoic and silent.  No tears, no emotions, and Jacob can’t deal with that and says words he will regret. 

Clay left a will and instructions.  Jacob is to be Olivia’s trustee.  Clay knows he can trust him and that if Jacob gives Olivia even half a chance, he’ll see why he’s so perfectly suited to care for her. 

Jacob has a choice to make.  Will he accept?  Or will he leave Olivia’s care to Ellie, her caretaker?  Clay told Jacob that Ellie was holding Olivia back.  

What will he choose?

Spoiler or not spoiler, but Jacob decides to stay.  Jacob decides to put another before himself and his happiness.  I won’t give away the ending or the hidden surprise, but I will say I loved this novel.  I loved getting to know Jacob and Olivia.  They’re both complex characters with pasts that bind them in a way others wouldn’t understand. They share grief together.  

Jacob has a girlfriend.  He’s had a string of them.  Let’s be honest, he has a problem with commitment.  How will she feel about his need to care for Olivia?

How will Olivia feel about having Jacob around?  After all, he’s made his avoidance known. And how will Olivia handle her grief?

This book gives a wonderful picture of someone with autism and shares their struggles while also helping maintain their dignity.  I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would read it again as well as recommend it. 

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, which I received from JustRead Publicity Tours. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.