Scriptwriter Ben meets actress Tatum while she is working in a bar. They get married and have a son called Joey. But their happy-ever-after is shadowed by the pair’s family issues; Ben’s previous girlfriend, Amanda; and the fact that Tatum’s star rises as Ben increasingly feels dissatisfied with his career.
Told with Tatum’s narrative going forward in time, and Ben’s in reverse (a familiar device to those who have seen The Last Five Years movie with Anna Kendrick), this is an ambitious, evocative story which reveals both perspectives without being too repetitive. With the book starting when their relationship is over, readers are left wondering can they find their way back to one another? It may not be an easy read due to the switching timeline and point-of-views but it is a well worth the effort.

A story of love and loss and what happens when you get to wrapped up in your own thing to participate in your relationship. This is the story of Ben and Tatum and what happens when they go to Hollywood and forget to include the other in their fears and dreams and life with their family. Told in alternating voices the narration skips around and is not in chronological order which I found frustrating and annoying.

I just devoured Between Me and You. I was intrigued by the way Ms. Winn Scotch put the book together. The chapters are not in any chronological order that I could figure out. They might go from 2016 to 2002 to 2014, back to 2005, and then to 1999, but it all works because when the book jumps back in time it gives the reader insight into what is happening or just happened. That is so very cool. I found myself trying to figure out just how she managed to plan that all out. I also enjoyed the insight into the acting profession and life in LA. Between Me and You is a book that I want to share with others and that I want to read again.

Between Me and You is a story of Ben and Tatum's life: how they met, how their lives turned out and what happens with their relationship as time goes on.
It's told in two POVs. One being Ben's POV going backwards and the other is Tatum's going in chronological order.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I requested this book totally based on the synopsis. But while reading this book I'm not sure what I was feeling the most: being irritated or confused. 
What got me confused was these different timelines between every chapter. Everything is written in first person and then it's hopping from future to history, if you know what I mean. My brain just didn't seem to stay on track with the story and timelines and sometimes I just had to go back and check where I actually was at that time.
As for the characters and my irritation while reading, these two can be combined for me. I didn't really like neither of the MCs. Ben seemed to have lost all hope and dreams for his career and maybe even a little jealous for his wife. And Tatum was kind of the same, though not jealous for Ben. She was a bit of whiny at first and then she seemed to become a little full of herself. I didn't really connect with either of them, mostly just wanted to get over with the book.

What I did enjoy then? Well for me the story itself was what I enjoyed. This was probably the first ever book that truly had one realistic relationship. We all have our ups and downs in our relationships, marriages etc so I think that's what we all can relate to. And the fact that they both truly realized their flaws and mistakes and wanted to make it all better. The ending was also perfect! It might have been somewhat expected but then again not at all.

This book was seriously so good. I can absolutely see it being made into a movie. I’m not one for love stories but this was different. Told through two perspectives one going forward in time and the other going back in time. So well done. I’m telling everyone to read it.

The structure of this is ambitious and at first glance you may think it sounds confusing but I didn’t find it to be too hard to follow. It alternates with one chapter told from Ben beginning in 2016 and working it’s way backwards to 1999 when him and Tatum first meet then her chapters are told in chronological order. There are no big surprises since you know from the very start that where they are today is nowhere near that young, happy go lucky couple from their early days, but there was something bittersweet about reading one chapter full of resentment and bickering and then the next one is a sweet little anecdote from the past. It was unique and put a fresh spin on a love story and I admire the risk the author took, I can imagine it wasn’t easy to write.

I’ve read a couple of Scotch’s books now and I what I really like about her style is that she can show relationships that appear real, they’re flawed, imperfect and wholly relatable. Getting to see a marriage from both sides was interesting, sometimes their individual perception of an event was so completely different from each other it was crazy but I think that’s an honest observation and true for any relationship. I liked the way the format played into the plot in the end, it was a little AHA moment that I appreciated. If you’re looking for a relationship drama/love story with a clever spin give this a try.

This book is told in alternating views from Ben & Tatum. It starts at the end of their marriage, and then goes backwards to show all the ways things went wrong, how one small decision would have such a big impact over time. It really makes you think about how everything you do makes an impact, even if you don't see it.
This book was very enjoyable. My only complaint is that I wished when it went back to the beginning it told the story straight through instead of jumping around, all over the timeline. That muddled things a bit for me, but such a small issue for such a great love story.

I’m a huge fan of Allison Winn Scotch’s. Any book she writes is fantastic and I’m buying this one because it is amazing, spectacularly , and Soo good

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

I like Allison Winn Scotch's books. They are funny and gut wrenching. BYAM is no exception. However, there are some flaws.

Ben and Tatum's lives together begin when he is a trying-to-be writer and she is a trying-to-be actress. They fall in love and get married. They see different levels of success at different times. Their relationship reaches a crossroads. Their struggles grow and they've lost sight of what brought them together. Is their marriage worth saving?

I really like how this story is told. Ben and Tatum alternate chapters, and the timeline jumps around as well. You get a broken illustration of their entire relationship which is fitting because that's how their relationship is.

I didn't particularly like either of them. I can't quite put my finger on why. I maybe liked Ben slightly more, but they both have their flaws (and not in an endearing way). I wasn't rooting against them. The lack of connection to them made it hard to root for them. I struggled to feel something for them, and maybe this is the result of the disjointed storytelling. I kept waiting for my aha! moment where you want to root for them. I wanted that moment where you want to feel their romance and desperately want them to stay together because what they have is something real. I got a tiny spark with a few chapters remaining. I wanted it! This book feels like being in a relationship with someone who seems great on paper, but there is no sense of connection there. You want it to work because everything makes it seem like it should. When it's over, you still have all these great things to say about them. Well, that's how BMAY is. I think it's an enjoyable read. I just wanted something more.


3 1/2 stars

Can I say that I am disappointed, but also mildly satisfied? I appreciate Allison Winn Scotch writing of real life, a real relationship and the hardships that can be faced. This was the draw for me and while Between Me and You started off promising, it lost momentum and became shaky; bringing about a few snags.

Written from the dual perspectives of Ben Livingston, a privileged writer from New York, and Tatum Connelly, an actor from a small town in Ohio, the flip-flopping story line of the demise of their relationship made this novel a bit confusing the follow. Tatum’s view is told in chronological order, whereas Ben’s is told in reverse, which was the recipe for a very messy plot. While trying to figure out where each chapter picked up and what has occurred in between, I found myself feeling as if I was missing something.

With respect to these characters, I had a difficult time connecting with either. Perhaps due to their lifestyle, perhaps the manner in which they approached their difficulties… I’m uncertain, but these characters in all honestly seemed like total snobs to me. Ben and Tatum have this saying they repeat to one another, ‘I see you,’ but I did not feel like the reader was offered enough to understand the core of these character. I wanted to dig in deeper, go into the dark places of their minds, but I did not feel the story ever got there.

While there were many profound moments, there too were many repetitive moments. The exasperation of words, saying and the characters stories being retold began to make the story feel as if it was being dragged out. Although this did not pull me in like a page-turning thriller would, I did press on as the story itself did manage to hold my interest. I am not one to typically pick up romantic chick-lit novels, but it was an intriguing story that would have ranked higher for me if I was not continuously reminded of what I had previously read over and over again.

I was also bummed out by the ending. While it may have sparked an Aww moment, in truth, much like the lives of these two characters, it was very Hollywood-esque. Such happenings seem hardly probable. Overall it had the feel of a cornball ending to a story that held promise but did not completely deliver.

This uses an unusual device- one character narrates the story going forward while the other tells it going backwards- for a love story between two people with big ambition. That could be distracting but the writing carries it through. Ben and Tatum find one another when both are struggling to make it, he as a scriptwriter and she as an actor. In a classic plot line, once they marry, things start to change. In this case, Tatum gains success while Ben is dog paddling. They've got kids, they've got a life, but now they've got a problem. How they handle their changed circumstances and expectations is not new but as always, Allison Winn Scotch has written fresh and sympathetic characters that make it a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Put this one on your list.

It’s so hard to write this review without having spoilers but I can say this is a beautiful book that explores a romantic relationship through thick & thin. I loved how vulnerable both Tatum & Ben were in their stories and the way they moved together, apart and then tried to decide whether or not they wanted to be together. I liked that both characters acknowledged their mistakes & successes...what was good In the relationship and what needed work. I thought at the start of the book that I was going to be disappointed at the end but the end was very satisfying and I really loved the way that Winn Scotch ended this novel. This was the last book I read in 2017 and it was the perfect book to end off with.

As mentioned in every review, there are two timelines in this book. One going forward and one working back. Tatum and Ben are both dreamers with Hollywood in their eyes. They meet, they fall in love...there's some success and some failure.

It's an interesting format, and I think I might have enjoyed it a bit more with an actual physical copy so I could flip back and forth. It was a litttttttle confusing, but the story, at heart, was still there. It's romantic, at time, but overall, it's a sad book! We see these two people go through struggles of stardom and life. Can love survive...anything? We shall see.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I could not put this book down! Seriously, one of the best books I have read in a very long time. I really enjoyed toggling between the two characters at different stages in their life. Wonderful read.

Told in two timelines from two points of view, Between Me and You by Allison Winn Scotch is one of those “big concept” books. We get to see Tatum and Ben’s relationship from Tatum’s point of view move forward in a normal timeline, from meet-cute in a bar during college to their first kiss in Time’s Square on New Year’s Eve. In alternating chapters, we see Ben’s side of the story, but working backwards from their present-day separated status. What makes a seemingly perfect couple fall apart? The trappings of their Hollywood lifestyle and respective ups and downs in their careers doesn’t help (he’s a writer, she’s an actress), and somehow this feels like a behind-the-scenes peek at what many famous “It” couples must have gone through.

I love the idea of juxtaposing all the great parts of a relationship with all things that no longer work, and the execution of this concept was really well done. The one downside is that you have to relive some of the sadder parts of the story twice, such as 9-11 and the loss of a family member. All in all though it’s a great read, particularly if you’re fascinated by the "Brangelinas."

I'm going to tell you straight up: I loved this book.

I loved how Allison Winn Scotch told this story backwards from Ben's point-of-view and forwards from Tatum's. I loved seeing events from their perspectives, and I enjoyed anticipating the overlap of their POVs.

I loved Ben. Not all the time; sometimes I wanted to grab his face and shout at him to STOP RIGHT NOW. But I loved that I felt that way about him. Ben grows in fits and starts. He's emotionally stymied to a certain extent, and it takes undergoing a series of losses to get him to understand the extent of his own culpability. You know, though, that at his core, Ben is a good guy. He deserves to be seen by the people he loves.

That is a running theme in this book: being seen. Tatum craves it, too, even as she also (somewhat desperately) tries to conceal herself. Knowing that Ben sees her is vital to her. When she feels as if he no longer does, she feels devastated. When you love someone, Allison Winn Scotch says, you need to try to see them, every day.

Seeing also means accepting. Ben has to accept that Tatum's career arc soars while his flatlines, and she needs to accept that this affects her husband. She cannot justify or ignore, nor can she patronize and coddle. She has to see.

I loved Tatum, for all of her flaws. I loved her insecurities. I loved her umbrage ("I was number one at Tisch!") I loved her courage and her determination. I loved seeing her vulnerability when she starts to feel that Ben no longer sees her. And I loved when she realized that she cannot perform to herself, that she needs to be true.

Winn Scotch keeps you wondering if Ben and Tatum will find their way back to each other. At times she even makes you wonder if they should. Maybe they hurt each other too much when they stopped seeing each other. Maybe the "Hollywood ending" that Ben typically writes is not the right ending for them.

Or maybe it is.

You've got to read this wonderfully conceived, beautifully written story. Promise that you will come back and tell me what you thought.

This was not my favorite book. I feel like it jumped around way too much between both person and time, and that made keeping the story straight very difficult.

Between You and Me is a clever book about love, relationships, and life. Ben is a struggling screenwriter while Tatum longs to be an actress. Their lives intertwine and they fall in love, marry and move to LA where their lives begin to take different paths. One finds success while the other struggles and such an imbalance challenges their relationship. Allison Winn Scotch cleverly tells the same story from two perspectives, but begins one storyline (Ben’s) in the present and work backwards, and the other (Tatum’s) at the start and move to the present. While there is some overlapping between the two narratives, you’re seeing those same events through the other character’s eyes, which makes the retelling fresh.

I found both Ben and Tatum as likable characters, even when they make frustrating choices. The reader knowing certain events (like deaths of important people in Tatum and Ben’s lives) doesn’t take away from the suspense.

For any fan of Allison Winn Scotch, I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Net Gallery for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

The start of this book was really slow and hard-going for me, but between a third and half-way in I started to get interested and became more invested in what, until then, had been quite plain and disengaging characters, with the result that for the final third of the book I was hooked!

I think the main plot and idea of this book, namely how ambition and life and career paths can shape our personal lives if we let them, alongside the importance and development of family, was really engaging. However, the shift between time periods and flashbacks is initially quite disorientating, which is probably why it took me a while to get into the story. Nevertheless, if you stick with it, and become invested in the characters, the ending is really strong, emotional and thought-provoking!

Sweet romance with a clever frame. It’s the story of a Hollywood couple told from each POV chronologically backward (his) and forward (hers) in alternating chapters. The pace slows a bit in the middle, but, overall a solid read.