Chloe has been seeing Jack for a while and has not long moved in with him. Although not together for very long she realises that she is in love with him- could he be the one? They had a fantastic holiday in Thailand where he asked her to move in. One day at their flat, which Jack rents off his parents, Chloe is rather startled by his father's appearance. He has some devastating news- Jack is dead. He has been hit by a van in an accident and died at the scene. His parents don’t know about Chloe being anything more than a one night stand and she is pretty much left to her own devices. To start with she only tells a close friend and tries to carry on normal life as best she can. She realises at the funeral that she hardly knows anyone and they don’t realise that she was Jack’s girlfriend, it's as if she doesn't exist in their world, yet Jack was the world to her. This is the story of how she got over the months following his death. As many others have said about the line about taking pictures of toes and glasses of wine in the sunset- don’t -take them of the person you love as you really don’t know how many tomorrows you may have. A wonderful read of picking yourself up and getting on with life despite all the turmoil inside. How, yes, it changes you but the world does go on turning and you with it whether you like it or not and that there is sunshine after the rain. A wonderful read to make you think.
(rest of links on publication)

Description

Chloe and Jack are soulmates. But life has other plans…

Chloe is deliriously in love for the very first time. But when Jack, her boyfriend of five months, is killed in a tragic accident, she is left reeling. Their relationship was amazing – but it never really had the chance to get started.

Grieving but determined, Chloe decides to live life for the both of them and makes her way through the list of things they’d planned to do together – this time on her own.

My thoughts

The loss of a partner – and the person who has lost them “regaining their life” and finding some sort of meaning without them – isn’t a new subject for books to explore. Except Doyle looks at it from a new angle, exploring this loss not only of a partner but of a relationship- and of a love – that was just getting started.

Love, Almost centres around Chloe, a thirty-something woman who has uprooted her life around Jack, her boyfriend of five months, only for a tragic accident to take his life. I found Chloe relatable, not just because she’s from Liverpool like me (and everyone who can has made fun of my accent) but because she wasn’t sure of what to do with her life. Whilst I haven’t lost a partner like her, I think the loss of a relationship that potentially could’ve been something is something a lot of people can relate to.

I think the way Love, Almost looks at grief and loss is spot on. So many books focus on getting their main character back to “normal” after something bad happens but Doyle’s portrayal isn’t like that at all. Yes, she does try to find herself throughout the novel, but it doesn’t take away the sense of loss she feels. I’m glad Doyle showed both sides, the fact that you can (to a degree) “get on with your life” and the fact that you constantly think about the loss – and the person – as well as what could’ve been.

Doyle’s description of place in Love, Almost is brilliant. I’ve only ever been to London once, but I think she captures the hustle and bustle of it perfectly. It was also nice to see the place I call home represented, making everything feel familiar. Her description even made me feel as though I’d been to Thailand before, from the rich description of food to the description of the weather, the scenery, little quirks. I think we all feel the urge to escape very strongly right now and Doyle definitely provides this escapism..without having to quarantine afterwards!

The one thing I disliked about the book was the fact that we didn’t actually get much of Jack’s character. Understandably, considering the fact he does die in a tragic accident very early into the book but I just wish Doyle had explored him a bit more – instead of Chloe assuming that would be how he felt or assuming what he’d do.

Regardless, I think Love, Almost will resonate in one way or another with a lot of us. It’s a story of love, loss and learning to live again.

Love, Almost will be published on 7 January, 2021.

I loved the premise of this one (even though it sounded heartbreaking). What happens when you meet the love of your life, the person who could be "the one", only to have them die before you get anywhere near your happily ever after? What is it like to grieve someone you only knew a short while, but wanted to spend forever with?

This is the story of Chloe and Jack. I loved Jack's character and could easily see how Chloe could fall for him. They were an adorable couple and seemed destined for a lovely life together before the tragedy strikes. After that, I don't know, things just fell flat for me.

I was ready for ugly crying and heartbreaking sadness, but unfortunately something just did not click. I don't know exactly what it was, and I know people grieve in different ways, but I was just not invested in Chloe or her version of grief. Parts of it felt very flippant to me.

I think it had potential to be so much more.

An emotional read which deals with grief and moving on. An interesting collection of characters most with their own bereavement in some form or other and their way of dealing with it. The main character, Chloe, was only five months into a relationship with Jack when he tragically died and the plot is around was he really 'the one', did he really love her. She has created her own bubble around her and some of her discoveries are brutal but real as she needed to face some harsh truths about herself along the way.

This book seemed very ‘P. S. I Love You.’ The writing was well done and flowed throughout Chloe’s journey through grief. Parts of it seemed so strange, like the fact that they had only been together for a short time period, she was very grief stricken, but his family had never even heard of her. Even more strange than that was that she wasn’t at all angry that no one in his life had heard of her when they lived together. Overall just seemed like it was missing the mark slightly.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC of this book.

Chloe and Jack have been together for 5 months before Jack is tragically killed in an accident leaving Chloe with endless memories and a broken heart. As she begins to come to terms with his passing, Chloe realises that Jack’s family and friends truly do not know how much of an important and special role she had in his life due to the limited time they were together. This leaves her lonely and afraid as she struggles to grieve and cope with the question of how do you look to the future when your reason to live is taken away from you?

Over the course of the book Chloe decides to complete the things that Jack and her had planned as a way to remember him and relive the memories they made. Hayley did a wonderful job of showing the raw and organic emotions and experiences that one lives through as they learn to rebuild their life after the loss of a loved one. I have read numerous deaths in books and the impact it has on the loved ones but I found that as Chloe grappled with her new found challenges, there was no shying away from the difficulties and frustrations that she underwent. Overall it was an emotional read, one that shows you the way trauma and love can profoundly change someone in the most unexpected of ways.

This book nails it with dealing with grief. I felt all the aches and pains that Chloe did. However, I felt like something was missing! I felt as if the book was slow and dragged on. It was a beautiful story but it just left me wanting something more for Chloe.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Chloe and Jack have a whirlwind relationship for 5 months and then he is killed. Chloe has a hard time dealing with this tragedy living with the fact he was in her life for such a short but life changing time. She has to find closer to move on. This book was pretty good. #lovealmost #hayleydoyle #Jan2021

This is the 1st Book that I have read by the author and I really enjoyed this book.

This Book tells the story of Chloe and Jack, Chloe and Jack are in a relationship not long after Chloe moves into Jack Flat , Jack is run over and killed and this story tells of how Chloe is copying after Jack dies and also about telling people who she is as even Jack own parents .

I really enjoyed this book and would give it 4.5 stars, With thanks to Netgalley & Avon Books for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review.

A sad thought provoking book. A first for my by Hayley. Will definitely be looking out for more. Definitely recommend.

Love, Almost is a book about a whirlwind but serious romance. Chloe hasn't been with her boyfriend long when he is tragically killed. As well as having to cope with the sudden loss, Chloe has to deal with the fact that none of his friends and family seem to know who she is and nobody on her side is taking her grief seriously. This is a refreshing change from typical 'chick lit' and I found it really well written and thought-provoking. It's quite a sad book but I'd definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Chloe has found the love of her life only to lose him before their relationship can develop into a lifetime together. She is understandably distraught and then has to handle the fact that the players in Jack’s life don’t even know about her. The book details her fall into depression and feeling lost and her climb out of that hole to find meaning in her life moving forward.

The book for me was an easy read, and the writing style was enjoyable. The characters were well developed and relatable. I did have a hard time understanding why Chloe was still so aimless in her 30s as not a lot of time had been spent on her life prior to meeting Jack. The middle third of the book lost me and it took quite a while for me to press through. I became committed again in the last third but felt there were many events happening that weren’t fully explored — no spoilers but the get together with his parents and the introduction of the 2 new characters never really seemed to take off.

The book was a light read, but had heavy subject matter at its core. Because of this, I feel it struggles some with its identity— much like our heroine. An interesting weekend read. .

3/5 stars

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Love, Almost follows Chloe, a woman in her mid-thirties from Liverpool whose just moved to London to live with Jack, her boyfriend of five months. Chloe and Jack are in the beginning stages of their relationship and the well-known honeymoon phase, and Chloe feels like she’s starting to fall in love with him. After a tragic accident, Jack passes away and the book details Chloe’s journey through grief and loss.

Chloe tries to move on with her life but everyone from her friends, family, and coworkers to Jack’s own friends and family don’t seem to get it. None of them acknowledge her relationship with Jack and frankly, I was most put off about this from Chloe’s inner circle. Beth is one of Chloe’s good friends but she doesn’t support her in any way through her grief and is annoyed by everything — that in turn, just made me annoyed by Beth.

If it wasn’t said early on in the book, I would’ve assumed Chloe was in her mid-twenties rather than her mid-thirties. She’s never been in love and she is fickle about her career as well as her hobbies and interests. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing as it was very relatable for Chloe to be trying to figure out what she wants from her life. The synopsis compared this book to P.S I Love You but while I was reading I kept comparing Chloe to the character of Bridget Jones.

The book felt like it dragged on at times and I felt like the overall plot would’ve been more impactful if Chloe and Jack were in a long-term relationship rather than focusing on the “what if” of a short-term one. I liked reading about Chloe but I don’t think this book was for me.

This book. THIS BOOK. I don’t think I have the words to describe how emotional and impactful this book is, but I’m writing a review so I’m going to try 😅

Chloe Roscoe and Jack Carmichael have been together for 5 months when Jack is unexpectedly involved in an accident and passes away. How do you move on from the person that was the beginning of the rest of your life? The book follows Chloe as she learns to navigate a life on her own that was intended to be shared.

I have never read a book that made me cry so much. The way that Chloe experienced her grief was so relatable to me. I know that grief is not the same for everyone; people experience it differently, and it is never neat or linear or convenient. But I’ve read a few books where characters lose a loved one, and never have I read one that was so honest and scary and heart wrenching but ultimately hopeful.

I’ve seen this quote already in other reviews but thought I’d share it as well: “So, word of warning for anybody who- like me- has fallen into the habit of taking photos of a rainbow salad; two glasses of wine by candlelight: feet on a beach: don’t. Take photos of people. You will never, ever, ever care about your toes painted neon pink on the sand, ever. But you’ll wish you had more photos of the person you loved. “

I can’t properly articulate how much I loved this book, so all I can say is that I loved it and I encourage everyone to read this when it is released.

As the blurb states, definitely one for fans of PS I Love You - but this is a really different romance novel - it's laugh at loud funny in some places and as a Liverpudlian - I really loved hearing(seeing?!) the accent written down and with no big deal made about it!

I have been in a bit of a slump at the moment with connecting to characters and this was another one of those cases. I read this I enjoyed it I just didn't quite click with me. I know that's a vague critique but something just didn't work. Certainly, many people will enjoy this book and Hayley Doyle is evidently a talented writer, love, almost just wasn't the one for me. I will check out other of Hayley's future books though.

I have never read anything by Hayley Doyle, but was intrigued by this book as I am a big fan of the movie, P.S. I Love You. I really enjoyed this book, even if it was depressing at times. I think it's a great story of how you can overcome whatever life throws your way and celebrate people, even if they've passed away.

My poor heart! This was an engaging, heartfelt story. Well worth the read, but keep tissues handy....

From the moment I started this book I was hooked! I’ve not read any of Hayley Doyle’s books before but was intrigued by the premise which is a slightly different take on coping with the loss of a partner as Chloe and Jack have only been together for five months when he is tragically killed in an accident. I ended up reading this in two sittings and couldn’t put it down. As Chloe herself acknowledges they have no real history and have not shared many normal things such as Christmas and her birthday and for that reason many of the usual anniversaries that people who are grieving face are not the same for her. She decides to create her own memories by completing things that she and Jack were planning on doing together but never gets the chance - like learning to ski, seeing a stand up comedy show and revisiting Thailand where they had holidayed together. As she completes these tasks she struggles with her relationships with her family and friends and at times I found Chloe and her best friend a little annoying - particularly in the middle of the book where it all seemed a little rushed, however the story picked itself up again and had a satisfying ending. It didn’t tug on my heart strings as I thought it might, and there is little expressed grief from Chloe, although her behaviour tells of her internalised grief. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed it and will now always remember to take regular photographs of my loved ones.....

I enjoyed this book! I liked the writing style as well as the story. It was so well told. This book was so real and the pain Chloe felt was so raw. Watching Chloe grieve was heartbreaking and watching her grow from losing her boyfriend was inspiring. The self discovery in this book was wonderful