This love story of Ben and Tatum was exquisite and poignant, an emotional roller coaster told in a unique way with timelines going backwards then forwards as each told a version of their journey as it evolved over a span of some 16 plus years. Although this could have been confusing it adds suspense as the author deftly tells each event in a way that is not repetitive but yields more clues from both characters perspectives. Ben is a screenwriter and Tatum an aspiring actress. Their careers are both important, and when one outshines the other there are painful awareness of who they really are, of the competition, the jealousies. They had a fairy tale beginning but as years go by they begin to question where their love stands, as they experience betrayals and losses. There are moments in history where your heart stops, remembering a true event, as real as it happened yesterday and the significance to the story. The way Ben and Tatum struggled to see into each other was so real, their feelings heartbreaking and palpable. Monster their dog provided laughter and tears, as did their son Joey who only wanted both parents to stay together not get divorced. The last few chapters had my heart racing to find out just how this book would end...when it did I just sighed. Thanks to The Secret Ninja's and Net Galley for an ARC of this story which I loved.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book shows the human side of actors; of those you think live life such differently from you. The rawness and humanity made me appreciate all I have in my life.

I'm sorry but I have to be honest when I review a book. Unfortunately I didn't like this book, I had a hard time keeping up with the timeline as it jumps from perspective and also timeline. I felt that I had no idea what was going on. Additionally I never felt connected with the characters, not that I expect perfection from characters but if I'm being perfectly honest they all seemed like jerks to me. I loved In Twenty Years by this author and I will try to read other books by her but this one wasn't for me.

Right away I was enamored with Ben and Tatum! So caught up in the emotions of them. The voice of the story is so poignant and real. There were times that I so loved their story and times I was so frustrated and hated it. But that is the greatness of Allison Winn Scotch's writing, to make you feel all the feels! I received an advance copy from Great Thoughts Ninjas. All opinions are my own.

This book was close to perfect for me. At its core, it is about the relationship between a husband and wife and how it ebbs and flows over time. I loved the characters and at times I hated them but I never wanted to put this book down. The storyline was so authentic- I could almost imagine myself in the story!

FIVE STARS for the story, the writing, the dual point of view! FIVE STARS for being everything a book should be!

This is a unique writing style written in dual point of view but the twist is that Ben's POV is from present to past. Tatum's POV is written from past to present.

Truly an amazing read and I can't say enough without giving anything away! This book leaves you wanting so much more because through the ups and downs you are cheering for them the whole way! You feel you are taken into the story and you never want to leave.

Truly one of the BEST books I've read to date!

I was fortunate to be gifted an advance copy of this book through Allison's "pay it forward" twitter, but what a wonderful, compelling book of love and life she has paid forward to us all!

I have always loved Allison's writing, but the uniqueness of this novel's split chronological, dual protagonist storytelling adds such a rich layer and depth that feels revolutionary and new.

A book of pure hope, love, regrets, ambition, failures, joy, growth, and kindness - a book that encapsulates life, and all that is between.

*2.75 stars*

Between me and you, this started out on a promising note, but somewhere around the halfway mark, my feelings started to wane—big time.

Allison Winn Scotch delivers a dose of reality with Ben and Tatum’s relationship—no matter how intoxicating things starts off, nothing is ever perfect. There are some moments of brilliance sprinkled throughout the pages and plenty of passages I found myself eating up, but unfortunately the things I didn’t care for cast a much bigger shadow.

My major contention with this story is the way it’s told—notably the flip-flopping timeline—Tatum’s perspective is told in chronological order, while simultaneously, Ben’s perspective of their demise is told in reverse. The result can only be described as a scattered mess. Until you manage to gain somewhat of a foothold and wrap your mind around what the author is striving for, you'll be forced to find some semblance of balance by piecing things together yourself. Bottom line, prepare for some confusion.

Not only is the method of delivery messy, it’s extremely repetitive. Naturally, with two characters relaying their version of the same events, there’s bound to be some overlap, but this much? The sheer number of things that were crammed down my throat, over and over—Ben’s projects, Tatum’s mother’s motto, the loss of their parents, their not so cutesy after the fifth time, “I see you” moments—made me want to scratch my eyes out. I’m sorry, I don’t do well with regurgitated information that adds absolutely nothing but filler to the storyline and there’s a ton of it here. If you took all of that away, what would be left standing? Was the delivery a ploy to mask the mundane?

To further add to my growing list of complaints, let’s talk about Tatum and Ben for a minute. The author tackles a host of issues with these two—resentment, jealousy, lies, and infidelity—but she failed to deliver the deep, unwavering intensity a story like this demands from its lead characters. Sure, the words were there, but the underlying feelings were somehow absent. Smothered by internal monologue, maybe?

Despite Ben's declarations—ad nauseam—that he could see the real Tatum, I never felt like I did. What I saw was a spoiled actress playing a role, alongside her selfish husband. To further drive the nail in the coffin, the fact that Tatum excused away what Ben did so easily, not only downplayed the situation, which felt ignorant on some level, but also succeeded in contradicting the underlying message of the entire story—all relationships take work. Instead, we’re served up a cornball ending that highlights what exactly, playing pretend is actually the better way to go?

Imagine the biggest regret of your life. What if you could dissect what lead up to it and study the future consequences of it and correct it. This is what Between Me and You accomplishes.

It is written in dual point of view. Ben shows us the past, while Tatum his wife shows us the future. I will admit before I understood this formula I was a bit frustrated in keeping up with what was going on. I am not a big fan of timelines and points of views shifting to the past when the story has picked up traction and has gotten my attention. It's a big risk for an author if both points of view are not equally captivating. Yes Ben and Tatum's story were equally interesting. Every time I thought I would choose a side, I read another chapter.

Ben and Tatum meet, marry, have a child, and find themselves in their dream careers. Yet life's disappointments and unexpected speed bumps occur, we watch their flawed decisions and want them to stay in love.. I loved their character development. The multiple POV's captured that very well. My only complaint was the excessive amount of inner monologue as opposed to actual conversation. The characters were charming, funny, I wanted to see them interact instead of constant lines of inner monologue narration which filled the plot. A character's thoughts are not nearly as interesting as when they are said out loud to someone else!

A realistic romance that spans some twenty years proving the timelessness and loyalty of true love. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for a free electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.
“Between Me and You” by Allison Winn Scotch is a love story, if I had to sum it up. It centres on Ben and Tatum, a power couple in Hollywood (he- a screenwriter, she- an actress) who seemingly have it all. This novel chronicles their lives from the time they meet until present day, detailing their daily challenges on the rise to the top.
This novel is told in bits and pieces and it jumps around a lot- only the very last segment is told in chronological order. A reader goes from present day, to when Tatum and Ben meet, to two years after that. It is clearly marked in the novel but this format was a bit difficult to read and follow. I would’ve liked this story better if it was told in order, I think, although I understand the reasoning.
I enjoyed this novel more than I thought I would. I am not normally a fan of women’s fiction and romance novels, but this story was delightfully told and focused on the normal relationship struggles faced by everyone- even, apparently, the Hollywood elite.
A charmingly told novel, this story has two procrastinators, and no “bad guy”, which is unique in its own right. Honesty and vulnerability are themes that run rampant throughout.
Well-told and beautifully written with charming characters, “Between Me and You” runs the reader through the emotional gamut. Tatum and Ben are a couple worth cheering for.

I received an advance review copy of this book from the Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All opinions are my own. Where to start! This is my first book by this author, so I am quite impressed! The story of Ben and Tatum is told through their alternating points of view. However, Tatum's viewpoint starts at the beginning and works to the present; whereas Ben's viewpoint begins in the present and moves back in time. I have no idea how the author could possibly alternate viewpoints and time periods so effectively. Kudos! The characters beautifully developed and are so easy to love and hate. I found myself laughing and crying with them. I appreciated the ending. I look forward to reading more of Allison Winn Scotch!

A love story for the ages. A look at a couple's struggles over time and how they find their way back to each other. Ben & Tatum met by chance and had a whirlwind, snow globe love. But over time fame created a wedge between them and then they just kept not talking to each other and it grew bigger. As we see their side's of the stories unfold, Ben's going backward in time, and Tatum's moving forward we see that they still through it all need and love the other. I am glad that they were able to find their way back to each other and forgive and realize that their love and everything they had built together was worth it.

"If you can dream it, you can be it."
A wonderful well written novel of heartbreak and love that's full of every emotion imaginable. Written from finish to start, it is truly a book I could not put down.

Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC and provide and honest review of this 5 star book.

Between Me and You is an intimate look at love, marriage, and all the intricacies that bring people together and also tear them apart. When they meet, Tatum is an aspiring actress, Ben is a fledgling screenwriter. As the trajectories of their careers go off in different directions, they lose sight of not only who they are, but how they see each other. Their story is complex and honest, my heart ached for each of them as they struggled with their insecurities and their evolving feelings for each other. I loved that this book was told from both of their points of view, so I could see what they see and feel what they feel.

This book took me a surprisingly long time to read, mostly because I didn't find myself reaching for it on my commute or on breaks - it didn't pull me in or hold my interest like my last read, nor was it a page-turning thriller. I rarely give up on a book, so today I decided to push through the last third or so. What I liked - the tale told forward from the wife, Tatum, and backwards from the husband, Ben. We can see where they intersected, when things were good, when they went wrong. It was creative and different. What I didn't like - both characters were self-involved and spoiled despite incredible losses, and Tatum forgetting to thank her husband in an Oscar speech was torn from the Hilary Swank (and others) playbook.

The writing was a bit dense and in the end, it just didn't matter much to me whether Ben - an adulterer who begrudged his wife her success - and Tatum - a spoiled, mercurial actress - were together in the end or not. 2.5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley for this preview!

I was happy with the ending, but there were times in this book where I wasn't sure if I even liked the two main characters. That being said, I think this shows a balanced approach to how the characters got to the point in their life; it definitely wasn't just the fault of one of them. I didn't love the haphazard chronology of the storytelling, but that was my personal preference. I'm more of a Type A personality where every thing is in order. But since everything else in these characters' lives seemed to be in disarray, the jumping around of the story may reflect the disorder in their own lives. All in all, I really liked the book by the time I finished it.

I was so excited to get an advance copy of this wonderful book from Netgalley. Between Me and You is the love story of Ben & Tatum. It is told from both points of view but such a unique way.
Ben tells us the story from the present and Tatum tells the story from the past. Even with the alternating perspectives from different points in time; Allison weaved together the lives of Ben & Tatum perfectly.

This is so much more than a love story - Ben's rise and fall & Tatum's rise to the most sought after actress .... Jealousy, loneliness, forgiveness, loss, love....

From the first chapter I was hooked & rooting for them. I laughed and cried. This was the perfect fall read. I highly recommend added this to your "to read" list when it comes out in January.

I was unable to finish this book as it was full of cliches, claustrophobic, and the structure, whizzing seemingly randomly back and forth over the years of Ben and Tatum's relationship, was confusing to say the least. It did not seem to have been edited at all, although not even the best editor could have rescued such a silly story. The characters were not particularly likeable, the writing was mediocre, and the story was, I fear, tedious.

I am going to try this again. Not sure what happened to my first review.

This author took a distinctly different approach when writing this book. The story line hows two different POV (point of view) of a married couple. One's POV starts at the beginning of their story and the other's POV starts at the end of their story. I was left guessing until the very end on how the book would be resolved. I found this approach very intriguing even though I was confused a few times.

The story line was all about how a small misunderstanding can build and become a monster that breads more misunderstanding and miscommunication.

A great story that pulled me in from the very beginning.

I received an advanced review copy of this book from The Great Thought's Ninja Review Team. All thoughts are my own.