I know all too well what it’s like to discover secrets after taking a DNA test. In the 1960’s Molly is pregnant and sent to an abusive maternity home by her Parents. She is forced to surrender her twins for adoption by her parents and the home. She has Been told that the father doesn’t want to see her again. Allison is a search angel, helping strangers locate relatives through DNA testing. Allison and Molly’s worlds collide and secrets are revealed and long lost relatives are reunited. The story is told in past and present format from alternating points of view. I loved this emotional, gripping tale of Molly looking for her twins. It will take 55 years for closure. Just published February 11! Thank you @netgalley

Once You Were Mine by Elizabeth Langston was a compelling and engaging story.
This book had me hooked from the very first pages.
I was immediately drawn into the beginning and the characters that came alive on the pages.

A dual timeline family drama exploring themes of abuse, abandonment, gender inequality and acceptance

We meet 17 year old Molly in 1968 seventeen-year-old Molly Mitchell as she finds out she is pregnant and her parents send her away to a maternity home - a common practice in that generation, a mere 50 years ago where teenage, or unmarried mothers were lied to, coerced and neglected.

The timeline follows to the present day where Allison Garrett, a search angel, takes her own DNA test unearthing further mysteries, hidden lies, and paths to the truth.

Its rare that a book with dual timelines is able to suck me in and be equally interested in both timelines, but this one has managed it. The pace is slightly off and I felt the ending quite rushed but Molly's story, and the parallels it can unfortunately link to today, and the fear around returning to past practices and social constructs, is worth visiting.

Another fantastic dual timeline story about Molly, an 18 year old who gets pregnant in 1968 and is sent to a maternity home to have her baby. What follows is an adoption story full of family secrets and a moving story of how Molly pivots from tragedy and goes on to lead an inspiring life of coding. Really good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

Beautifully written and engaging. It's wild to think that homes for unwed mothers were a thing in the late 60's. The story was well-paced and I liked the way it switched time and point of view. I also liked that Molly was able to achieve great things after being put through so much as a teenager.

A great story which gripped me, made me cry, made me angry and made me smile. It starts off in 1968 when a young girl has a romantic fling which leads to pregnancy. Her family sends her to an abusive maternity home. She is treated very badly and practically forced to sign and relinquish her twins. Fast forward several years and a geneology report reveals secrets and threatens to upend several families. At the same time, several families could be brought together. I really loved this story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When Molly faces an unplanned pregnancy in 1968, she is sent to an abusive “maternity home” where she is all but forced to sign adoption papers. Fast forward to current day, Allison volunteers as a “search angel” helping strangers locate lost relatives through a DNA search. Allison has found some discoveries about her own mother that hits close to home.

This was such a compelling and heartbreaking story!! You feel for Molly and her heartbreak and are able to see how the story eventually ends years into the future when DNA connects families back together. You will definitely cry with this story and it’s such a heartwarming tale of families and the ties that bind!

If you love books told in dual timelines such as past and present this is the book for you. If you love books about heartbreaking scenarios this is the book for you. If you love books about historical hard touchy subjects this is the book for you.


When Molly Mitchell, then seventeen, becomes pregnant in 1968, her parents send her to a violent "maternity home." In order to force her to sign adoption paperwork, the facility mistreats, shames, and condemns her. Gwen, her roommate there, becomes a friend for life. She puts a lot of effort into building a life for herself after leaving the house. Today, Allison Garrett does a DNA test and finds some shocking information. Her history was unknown because her mother was adopted. According to the test findings, Allison and her best friend Bree are closely connected. They're cousins. In both families, this starts a quest for the truth and answers. This family story moves at a steady pace and has all the emotions.
This family story switches between the two distinct eras at a steady pace. It illustrates the contrast between the past, when family secrets could be kept secret, and the present, when practically everything can be found out and made public. There are a number of subplots that are followed, even if the major narrative line is the genealogical investigation and ancestry question. Both timelines' characters are fully developed and presented as complex, realistic people. In essence, Molly's narrative is about the trauma she went through at the age of seventeen and the life she went on to lead. Allison and Bree's story revolves around the ancestry question, which upsets both families and causes conflicting feelings, as well as issues in their everyday lives.

This was my first read by this Author. This was a solid read and I would encourage other readers to read it.

A DNA test can turn your world upside down. A scared teenager, who is needing the love and support the most from her family is sent away to a "home for expecting mothers". Molly's story begins in the late 1960's. Stripped from all rights, self worth and her old identify. She is treated less than human she is forced to give up her babies. In 2024 two besties take a DNA test, turns out their results were not what they were expecting. They go on a journey, trying to uncover what secrets someone was trying to bury. Will their whole world be shattered? Have the kleenex ready.

What an emotional story! I liked the dual timelines and characterization. If you are into genealogy and ancestry, you will enjoy this fantastic book.

Many thanks for my gifted copy. My review will be shared to my Instagram account, closer to publication day.

Past and present collide in this tale of what DNA tests can reveal. Allison is surprised when she discovers that her friend Bree is actually her cousin. That news doesn't go over well with everyone because there's a secret out there. This moves back and forth in time to tell the story of Molly, who was forced to give up her baby for adoption in 1969, and Allison, who is looking for truth. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's emotional and while it might not be entirely surprising it's still a good read.

Once You Were Mine by Elizabeth Langston is an emotional and gripping story that dives deep into the complexities of relationships, choices, and personal growth. The characters are well-developed, and the storytelling pulls you in with its raw, realistic portrayal of life’s unexpected turns.

While the pacing slowed in a few places, the emotional depth and thought-provoking themes kept me engaged. It’s not a light read, but it’s one that lingers in your mind long after you’ve finished. If you enjoy stories that explore human nature and resilience, this one is definitely worth picking up!

Interesting story of a young woman in the 1960’s who was pregnant and felt adoption was the only option for her. The book goes back and forth in time between then and present day, but it’s very easy to follow. Lots of little twists and turns that keep me engaged!

What an interesting book on family: perceived family, found family, blended family. And DNA! It illustrates the results of successfully searching your ancestry. Very often, things are not as they seem.

I always thought that people who discover lost or unknown family members (through DNA searches) would be thrilled. I did not realize how much hurt and confusion revealed secrets can cause. Existing relationships can be threatened. Coming together does not happen in an instant.

The root of the story is about a young woman, age 18, who is sent to a maternity home for unwed mothers. It's hard to believe that as late as 1969, these homes could be such horrible places. Decisions were forced on these young ladies that impacted them forever. It was still not acceptable to keep a baby born out of wedlock.

I was fascinated by how much many things have changed for women in my lifetime. We've come a long way in 50+ years. I think that sometimes we don't realize it until it is spelled out for us. Mind you, there are still changes that need to be made.

The book is well written. Usually, when there are two timelines, I tend to like one better than the other. But, in this case, both timelines were interesting and they flowed together well. There is a fairly large cast of characters. Just like in real life, I liked some of them. Others, not so much. But, I cared to see how everything would play out. And, it played out realistically, as it should.

The only problem I had with the story was that I found it difficult to keep the different members of each branch of the family straight. Regardless, it did not distract me for long.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

This story was told in a past and present format and, as is typically the case for me, I enjoyed the past much more than I did the present. The characters in the past timeline were far more interesting and sympathetic; Molly and Gwen were fantastic, and I found myself wanting to know more and more about their lives and how they dealt with and moved on from their circumstances. Their storyline pulled me in and held my interest for its historical value. In contrast, the characters in the present storyline were shallow and spoiled; I struggled with how Allison and Bri reacted to the situation, and their stories lacked for emotion or thoughtfulness. I think there was a lot of opportunity to bring emotions into the present timeline, given the circumstances of how the events ultimately unfolded. That opportunity just wasn't executed well. And finally, the ending felt incredibly rushed, like the author realized they had to tie everything up in a big bow and only and a few pages left to do it. The story jumped from tense and messy to happy and clean in a blink of an eye.

unfortunately this book was not my cup of tea. oh well.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting access to this book in exchange for my review

Once You Were Mine by Elizabeth Langston is a highly recommended family drama following characters in dual time periods while exploring DNA testing and changing societal attitudes.

In 1968 seventeen-year-old Molly Mitchell is pregnant and her parents send her away to an abusive "maternity home." She is mistreated, shamed and condemned at the facility with the goal of coercing her into signing adoption papers. Her roommate there, Gwen, becomes a lifelong friend. After she leaves the home she works hard to make a life for herself.

In the present day Allison Garrett takes a DNA test and makes some startling discoveries. Because her mother was adopted, her background was a mystery. The results of the test show that Allison is closely related to her best friend, Bree. They are cousins. This sets into motion a search for answers and the truth in both families.

This is an even paced family drama that alternates between the two different time periods. It demonstrates the difference between a time when family secrets could be hidden and the current time when almost everything can be discovered and exposed. Although the genealogical research and ancestry question is the main story line, there are also several other subplots that are followed.

The characters in both timelines are fully realized and portrayed as complicated realistic individuals. Molly's story is basically the trauma she experienced at seventeen and then the life she made for herself afterward. The story of Allison and Bree follow complications in their daily lives along with the ancestry question, which shakes up both families and leads to tangled emotions.

The novel starts out strong but does lose some energy in the middle. There were some ancillary subplots that could have been eliminated to tighten up the novel. Additionally, the maternity home was certainly a real thing years ago and adds a highly emotional hook to the plot, but that was not a universal experience of all pregnant teens. Honestly, many families can look into their history and find complications and secrets.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I devoured this book! I signed up for ancestry.com when my daughter was an infant and have dabbled in genealogy ever since. I also love that this story had a dual timeline, one of which was in the late 1960's at a maternity home for unwed mothers. After reading 'Looking for Jane', this has become an interest of mine.

Molly had a summer romance and became pregnant at the age of 17. She was sent to an unsavory maternity home where mothers were forced through manipulation and deception to relinquish their babies to adoptive families. The abusive conditions on many levels jives with what I have read in other novels set in these maternity homes.

Langston moved her story along nicely. Often in a dual timeline, I have a stronger connection to one over the other. In this case, it was more balanced for me. I appreciated that Molly was a strong female main character and was a pioneer in her field of study. I also enjoyed reading the conflict between characters who were more traditional in mindset in the 60s and 70s and those who were more progressive as this dichotomy was prevalent during that time period. My favorite 2024 character was Allison whose volunteer gig of locating relatives through DNA tests turned personal. Bree for most of the book was unlikable for me personally, but I appreciate the struggle she and other characters had coming to terms with the past and its impact on them.

This book had me from the description and it did not disappoint...so much so that I read it in one sitting! Thank you to Elizabeth Langston, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy. Once You Were Mine alternates between different perspectives and times. In the present day, we are introduced to Allison Garrett as she uncovers the history of her family. We are also introduced to Molly, whose life changed when she got pregnant in 1968. I enjoyed the different perspectives, especially Molly’s struggles. It’s awful how it was back then if you were unwed and pregnant. I do feel like the story moved fast. It felt rushed in some aspects, and a few of the time jumps confused me.