3.5 stars.

I don't know why I thought this was going to be a cute story with cute little bits. It wasn't. Maybe the "game" concept threw me off from the beginning and I had expectations that it would be light and sweet.

So I think it's important to make it clear that this is not a light book. In fact, I'd say the opposite, there are several heavy subject matter in these pages. I want to give trigger warnings but I can't really do it without giving away some of the plot so I will refrain. Just make sure you're going in with the expectation that there is serious, heavy, difficult topics discussed in this story.

Now that that's out of the way, this book wasn't a quick/easy read for me despite the fact that it's a small book. Maybe it was partly the subject matter, and the jumping back and forth in time due to the nature of the "game", but I think it also was that I didn't feel invested in the characters and their relationship.

Ordinarily, I love character novels. I don't need a plot to make me happy, but I do need rich, layered characters and we had some of that here. The characters were real and flawed but since most of the stories are from Tom's perspective, we get a lot more of the depth of his feelings than Esme's. And even though we do learn a bunch about her (and she's definitely not 2-dimensional) she's not as rich as I would have liked.

I loved the honesty of the story. The mental health issues weren't glossed over (for the most part, some of Esme's pain is definitely not dealt with in as much detail since these are Tom's stories.)

'Me too,' she said, shifting slightly closer to him, 'But you've got to remember that it's not just about today. It's the whole year we're celebrating. It's always dangerous to plan these things too carefully.


I loved this part. I've been guilty of focusing too hard on an anniversary, a new year's eve, a moment in time and then having so much ride on that moment. It's so important to have all that in context.

He knew as he was doing it that he was making up a different version of his life. The one he wanted people to see when they looked at him and Esme. Not the actual one they were living. Complete with all its unhappiness, secrecy, and heartbreak.


This made my heart break. Don't we all know how this feels sometimes? The way things look. The way we try to make things look. It's important to remember this when looking at others too. How they are also trying to do this.

Most of this book felt raw, real, true. It didn't shy away from the hard things. It didn't sugarcoat how hard it is to live with mental health issues, how hard it is to be in a relationship, how flawed we humans are. It's rare to see a book like this. I almost wish the "gimmick" wasn't there because, for me, it took away from the depth of this story a bit.

nice read, shows both the magical and realistic elements of a relationship. good for a holiday or a lighter read

I think what I enjoyed most about this book is it’s honesty. Tom and Esme’s life is far from perfect, and the game Esme has devised for their 10 year anniversary gives an insight into the ups and downs over the years.

The book is told from Tom’s pov, and in the beginning he seems quite a weak character. However, the more we delve into his past the more we learn about why he is the way he is. I think the book highlights mental health issues, in men especially, really well.

Reading this book you will very quickly become invested in their relationship, and have your own opinions on how they should have dealt with a number of issues.

An engrossing and brilliantly written story.

Amazing read! The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

Good book, not what you'd expect, but in a good way.
I liked it, not my usual read so didn't love it, but still enjoyable.

The reason I requested this book is that there was quite a hype on Twitter and I was curious. As it was labeled as "Women's fiction" I expected the usual heartwarming, funny book that is a lot of fun to read.
I was wrong, this is an amazing book, heart wrenching and full of emotions.
I started and couldn't put it down, I was engrossed in the plot and in the ups and downs of the characters.
I loved Tom and Esme, the realistic description of the relationship and how the mental health problems were written.
A wonderful reading trip, so full of emotions and so moving.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to Orion and Netgalley for this ARC

Thank you Orion and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

What is there to say other than this book is a gorgeously done, emotional rollercoaster that absolutely crushed me right in the heart. I devoured this story in one very fast sitting, as I fell in love with Tom and Esme and their love story.

I completely adore stories that let you really connect with the characters, and Jamie Fewery did amazing work of creating very human, broken, flawed characters who are so easy to relate to, root for and love. I was 100% invested in Tom and Esme - I held my breathe, got mad, cried and laughed right along with them as the story moves through snapshots of their 10 year relationship.

I also entirely appreciate the work that Jamie did in very honestly exploring the realities of mental illness and its impacts on not only a person's life and mental space, but the impacts on their relationships. It has been brilliantly done here, and my heart broke over and over for these characters as they struggled through this journey.

This book is beautiful and heartbreaking and wonderful, and I cannot recommend it enough. Get this on your winter reading list, it will be well worth the ride.

Phew! I’m exhausted! I literally feel like I’ve been whisked through the ups and downs of a ten year relationship.

What a concept! I loved the idea behind this story. Tom and Esme are about to celebrate their tenth anniversary when Esme presents Tom with a game she’s made up: Our Life In A Day. She has a stack of twenty-four post-it notes with one hour of the day written on each. Tom is supposed to write one memory on each page from their ten years together: one memory for every hour of the day. Most importantly, each memory must be one of the most significant moments of their relationship. Not the happiest or best memory during that hour...the most SIGNIFICANT.

What follows is a heart-wrenching look at the reality of a relationship that has lasted a decade. The ups, the downs, and everything in between. At times, it was difficult to read, as a lot of it was sad or uncomfortable, but isn’t that how all relationships are? Sometimes the most significant moments in life are the hardest.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is an honest and thought provoking read about male mental illness and those little facts we neglect to tell people in our lives for fear of rejection, hurt and not being understood. This is a warts and all story about a ten year relationship that is not a mills and boon novel but a real story with love and pain. I was captivated by this novel and can already see it on tv at some point.

I have really mixed feelings about Our Life in a Day. Ultimately, I really wanted to like it from the description which compared it to One Day and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. And the premise is a really interesting one, cleverly told, particularly when the final chapters roll around and the final pieces of the puzzle come together. I loved the premise. However, for me the execution wasn’t what I was expecting. That is not to say that it was bad - it was gripping in the right way, and I wanted to understand more about the characters, but I struggled to see the connection with the aforementioned books, never felt like I built the connection I desired with the characters (particularly Esme, though maybe that was intentional) and found elements of the subject matter quite repetitive and draining - but again, that may have been the point. For me, I would have liked to have seen some more of the positives and the happy times to build a better picture of why they work, rather than feeling like there were so many problems, realistic as that might be. It was a really interesting concept, and I’m intrigued to see what Fewery does next, I just wish I’d had a little more on this one,

What a beautifully written book- I could not put it down. It was so refreshing to read a love story that wasn’t surrounded by hearts and fluffy clouds. It was a real and honest- tackles issues that ‘real’ relationships go through.

It is based around Tom and Esme's relationship over 10years.
Esme wants to play a game- they are each given a pile of posted notes and they need to write a memories in a time frame of 24hrs.

What I liked about the story is that it tackles mental health and alcohol abuse issues within Tom- sadly mental health issues amongst me is still a taboo subject-
It’s very rare to find a story that has everything in one package.

This is a very raw, intense book where nothing about Tom and Esme relationship is hidden -full of honest, lies, love, hate, and helplessness.

Jamie Fewery has done a fantastic job at tackling issues that can effect relationships head on and that has to be admired.
Loved reading this- The simplicity of the style of writing shows a inner deeper meaning .

Thank you to both NetGalley and Orion Publishing for my eARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review

Few books bring me to tears, but this one did. Such was the power of the characterisation and the belief I had in the characters' love!

On their 10-year anniversary, Esme challenges Tom to think of the 24 most important moments of their relationship, one for each hour of the day. I enjoyed this. It was a story as much about depression and how it affects relationships as it was about the relationship itself. Four stars.

A quite brilliant book, taking a unique narrative framework to create a story about love gained, love lost and love in general. How society shapes us and how we shape our relationships to suit ourselves based upon our needs. Tom and Esme are a kismet couple who are great for each other until it becomes too much.

Fewery writes with a conciseness and clarity, I read the book in less than a week ripping through chapters at will. He has created two very rounded characters - a forthright female with her own ambitions and stubborn as hell, while in Tom he has written a man who has his demons and is wary to share them. This is a great portrayal of mental illness; we as men need to open up and share our problems - when you communicate openly you can share the burden but also find some resolution and consolation in being honest about how you are feeling.

At times, the narrative does wonder from first person into a third person telling but that is a minor quibble for a book that is light yet serious, funny yet assured. It should be a major success

A peek into a couple's life in 24 hour increments.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

This is a simple romance story told from the perspective of Tom, as a blow by blow account of significant moments in his 10-year relationship with his girlfriend Esme. It was quite an enjoyable read and would be ideal as a holiday novel, although anyone looking for something surprising or different won't find that here. It's a straightforward story with great characters and a fine plot.

Esme and tom are about to celebrate their ten-year anniversary when Tom arrives home only to find Esme wanting to play a game. Esme loves to play games, and this time she wants to play a game of remembrance. This is how the story begins; we get to see how Esme and Tom got together and their journey as a couple.

Our Life in a Day showcases days of ups and downs in a long-term relationship and also deals with mental health. The author has provided a look into a long time romance when one of the characters suffers from depression.

I will recommend the book because of its painting of mental health issues, in spite of the fact that the ending left me sad.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC.

At last a love story that's realistic and deals with all the issues of being in a real relationship. I wasn't to keen on Tom's character at the start as he was definitely not the stronger part of the couple and I felt that he gave into Esme for a quiet life. It wasn't until his back story came to light that I saw him as being equally as committed to their future. It's a clever style of writing and I would like to thank the publishers and netgalley for letting me have the book in advance to review.

3.5 rounded up for concept

This story is well written. The concept and execution is so very clever. It was interesting to learn about the characters through a series of flashbacks that have occurred throughout their relationship. Ok, now comes the but, the only problem with this story is that all of these flashback are so sad. I expected there to be some bad times. What relationship doesn’t have those defining moments that come from the sad/bad times that happen along the way? But I thought we would have some joyful moments too... not so much.

The character are very layered and the dialogue is quite real. Esme is a strong opinionated character, almost to a fault. The game she has devised (book premise) is not the only game she suggests and that element became overkill for me. Tom is the weak character, clinically depressed and repressed. They don’t deviate from these molds even fractionally which was unfortunate as it would have given them greater depth.

It was a realistic journey. The ending is appropriate and believable. It was a good story, and I love the way it was written, but it is not a happy one. I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Orion Publishing Group for a copy in exchange for a review.

Tom and Esme take a step back after ten years to reflect on their relationship. Esme challenges Tom to come up with the 24 most significant or defining moments of their ten years together. Toms reflections will break your heart. Mental health features largely in this book as Tom could be called a typical male in that he has tended to stay quiet and struggle on rather than express his thoughts and feelings. The book explores depression, the spiral of addiction and the impact that mental illness has in those closest
But this book has warmth, wisdom, kindness, real soul. To read it is to hold your breath, swallow the lump in your throat and blink away the tear in your eye. Whilst smiling.