When We First Met
by Paige M. Ealy · September 2026
After years of heartbreak and disappointment, Susan Thiery has begun to wonder if love is meant for everyone, or if some hearts are destined to walk alone. But when she meets Ronan, a kind and peculiar Irish man whose devotion to Christ runs deeper than anything she’s known, her understanding of love begins to shift.
As Susan helps her oldest friend Lena prepare for her wedding to Rick, the man Susan once loved, she’s forced to confront the ache of the past and the grace of forgiveness.
In the midst of celebration and loss, Susan must decide whether love is something to be found, or something to be received.
Dear Reader,
If you knew all the different directions I originally planned for Susan's story, you would probably be surprised. But much like life itself, sometimes we make our plans only to find that God has something entirely different in mind. He gently redirects our steps and leads us down paths we never expected, changing the course of our lives in ways we could never have imagined. That's exactly what happened with this story.
Susan is an ordinary woman doing her best to navigate a fallen world. No matter how hard she works or how faithfully she presses on, she often finds herself facing one setback after another. And while accepting Christ changes our eternity, it doesn't mean life suddenly becomes easy. We still face disappointments, hardships, and seasons of uncertainty.
But the beauty of the Christian walk is that we never face those struggles alone.
This story is a reminder that there is a God who knows us, loves us, and cares deeply for every burden we carry. He walks beside us through every trial and every victory, offering comfort, strength, and hope when we need it most.
At its heart, that's what this story is about.
No matter what circumstances you may be facing today, I hope you remember just how loved you are. You are not alone. Christ sees your hurt, your worries, and your fears, and He invites you to lay them at His feet, exchanging them for His peace.
Thank you for taking this journey with Susan and for allowing me to share her story with you.
Blessings,
Paige M. Ealy
— Paige M. Ealy
About When We First Met
After years of heartbreak and disappointment, Susan Thiery has begun to wonder if love is meant for everyone, or if some hearts are destined to walk alone. But when she meets Ronan, a kind and peculiar Irish man whose devotion to Christ runs deeper than anything she’s known, her understanding of love begins to shift.
As Susan helps her oldest friend Lena prepare for her wedding to Rick, the man Susan once loved, she’s forced to confront the ache of the past and the grace of forgiveness.
In the midst of celebration and loss, Susan must decide whether love is something to be found, or something to be received.
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Paige M. Ealy
I'm a self-published writer who loves Christian romance stories. I was raised just outside Pittsburgh and spent several years traveling the world with my husband while teaching English in Jakarta and Seoul. These days, we're back in the United States, raising our daughter and exploring all the wonderful places our local area has to offer. My first novel, When We Were Kids, was published in 2025, and I'm thrilled that the next installment in the series is coming soon!
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