A compelling read. Beautifully written, well-thought-out characters, and a true look at marriage at different stages in life. I truly enjoyed this one!

This is a story of a marriage- from beginning to end. The book examines the parts of a life together and how it shapes the relationships and the complexities that come from it. I have mixed feelings about this book. At the end, I did not feel strongly attached to any of the characters or the story of their life. However, this book kept me going and I finished it rather quickly. Despite many events that shaped their life, it felt like nothing really happened. It may be the first time I have felt this way about a book! A solid 3.5 for me.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for the advanced copy.

How does a long-term marriage survive the years of issues, petty differences, resentments and disappointments? This debut novel tells a compelling story of just that.

I am not a romance genre fan, and yet I loved reading this about this all-too-realistic 34-yr marriage between Peter and Jackie nee Lawrence Hatch, replete with tribulations and detractions. When they met in high school in 1963, Peter was the football playing son of the local liberal-progressive newspaper editor, and Jackie the new-in-town Texas cheerleader. They grew up to become a successful political writer/professor/published author, and a secretary with breast cancer. Peter might have believed himself to be her intellectual superior, and there were other challenges, but they overcame them, in a bittersweet manner of speaking. This is a book about more than a marriage, there are siblings, fathers, children, closeted skeletons, and failed book readings. And poetic truths like "Love's a choice we make."

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that I really enjoyed and I appreciate the messages about a long marriage and the choice to love. The flashback story of Jackie and Pete was to me the most interesting part of the book and I wanted to know more about their work in civil rights. The present day story was less compelling and maybe my challenge was that I didn't really like either of them very much. Still the message about choosing to love and how you build a life together was strong for me. I'm glad I read it and finished it. All in all a mixed bag. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I absolutely loved how touching this story was, the beginning of the book read a little slowly to me, and the pacing seemed to drag. Once I connected more to the characters, the novel seemed to pick up, and I got through it at a much quicker rate.

While I overall appreciated the message about a marriage going through some very hard times (and some difficult life situations, like cancer), I couldn't stomach some of the more negative experiences the couple went through. For me, I eventually found myself not rooting for them to stay together, and so I just generally had a hard time with the book in general.

I read this book because I saw the blurb from Elin Hilderbrand and I always love books that she recommends. I enjoyed reading about Pete and Jackie and I found it this to be a realistic love story that had all the messy elements of real life in it.

The couple in this book has a lifetime of history. Sadly, Jackie receives a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis threatening to cut their lives together short. At one point she begins to inquire about her husband’s past loves and their relationship is explored with more depth. The book begins with the couple already in their 70s and this is a story of how one decision, made impulsively over 30 years ago, can still have lingering effects so long afterward. Pete and Jackie return to their hometown for a book signing of Pete's first novel. After an encounter with an old classmate, memories are brought to the surface of a fatal decision that even now, after all the time past, has the power to destroy their relationship. Eventually, more and more details are revealed by both Peter and Jackie. The story shows the strength of a their marriage, as their bond was stronger than either of them realized.

The first half of The Sweetest Days was a bit slow for me. It took longer than I would have liked to get invested in the characters. Once I was into their story, the book was much more enjoyable for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers at Gallery Books for the free advanced reader copy of this book. In return I am giving my honest review.

This is one of the wonderful love stories I have read recently. Though the beginning is sluggish and insipid, it gets interesting and emotional halfway through.

At first, it appears as Pete and Jackie’s story. They were high school sweethearts. Their breaking up, reunion and their reunion is one layer. Pete’s first book after a long journalistic career and the home coming for an author reading at a local bookstore are interwoven with Jackie’s chronic ill ness and an old friend/foe appearing at the reading. And there is an interesting twist to the love story. It is amazing to see just one single day can present so many memories both sweet and agonizing that will last for a lifetime.

The narration and characters are straightforward and simple and heart touching.
Such a wonderful commentary about death:

Imagine dying - You vanish from yourself… No dreams. No memory. There’s literally nothing, and time goes on without you, on and on. Millions of years. Billions

Another evaluation I have loved on happy life:
People talk about a happy life,” she said, “but there is no such thing. Who can be happy all the time? There are only happy moments. It’s enough

This book draws readers quietly into the bittersweet bonding between a couple of 30 some years and a little secret that illuminates the life of one of them.

Some books draw a reader in immediately. Some books take some getting into gradually. Some books just don’t grab a reader’s attention. This was the case with me and The Sweetest Days. I could not immerse myself in the story. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters. I just had a complete lack of interest in the book.

From the title and description of this book I thought it would be one I would enjoy reading, I was wrong. This book just didn't pull me in and I struggled to keep interested. The book was ok, it just wasn't for me. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for a honest review.

I really tried to like this book but I just didn't. Since I'm getting nearer and nearer to the age of the main characters, I thought this book would be great for me! I could connect to the characters in age, discussions of things they should have done differently, conversations and regrets, but it just seemed to drag on and on. I especially felt the middle section with all the backstory of high school......it was too much.

I DID love the writer's prose and storytelling style though.

Peter and Jackie. The beginning was a wee slow but halfway through it really picked up and I was invested into this story. They were high school sweethearts then something horrible torn them apart but found their way back to each other years later. They will living a happy life when a terrifying diagnosis threw the for a loop. Then they got another loop tossed their way when they went back to their old town.

This story fell flat for me and I could not connect with any of the characters. I wanted to like it but at 35% I got bored. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my review.

The Sweetest Days
By John Hough

After several attempts and a few hours of what seemed like aimlessly reading. Finally, the story started to pick up and get interesting! I think it may have been the writing style that I struggled with.

After Jackie receives a devastating cancer diagnosis. She begins to dig into her curiosities of many secrets and regrets her and husband Pete had ignored for a long time. This is a beautiful love story that has been tested and experienced heartbreak. The book is emotional and raw at times. I still struggled to connect with the character.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Peter and Jackie are high school sweethearts. The book begins in present time, Jackie has gotten a bad cancer diagnosis and they are attending a book signing for a book Peter has written. During the event, a person from their past shows up and it brings back horrible memories. The story goes back and forth about their relationship and Jackie questions her marriage to Peter and everything they every knew about one another.

This book was a bit slow for me but picked up about halfway through. I wouldn't say I loved this book but I didn't hate it either.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sweet story of Pete and Jackie. They were high school sweethearts that broke up, then got back together. After years of marriage and life, Jackie gets the terrifying news that she has cancer. I liked the plot of this story, wasn't a huge fan of Jackie's character. The beginning was a little slow, but glad I finished the book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

To begin, thank you so much for this ARC. It was my first one. I actually devoured this one because there was so much I wanted to love about this book. I honestly thought it was going to be a little different.

The couple in this book has a lifetime of history. Sadly, Jackie receives a heartbreaking cancer diagnosis threatening to cut their lives together short. At one point she begins to inquire about her husband’s past loves and their relationship is explored with more depth. Through difficult times, they are able to prove that their marriage and the relationship they have is perhaps able to withstand any storm.

This is beautiful story and the word resiliency stuck with me as I read. In my opinion that is a word that describes this story. This story plays with your emotions and your heart, ferociously. However, it did take me a while to get into it and sometimes I felt like I was reading just to read. I think that some of what’s provided in the beginning for the most part, I didn’t necessarily cared about.

I do love the story and I’m a sucker for sweethearts that go through everything together. Love is not linear. It has its ups, downs, turmoils, and bliss. This story is a perfect example of that. But the writing style wasn’t necessarily my favorite because I had a hard time, at times, following. I pushed through and I’m glad I did it because it gets so good.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

The book started off promising with a love story about Pete and Jackie who were high school sweethearts, Jackie was diagnosed with cancer and somehow it took a weird turn of Pete breaking up with Jackie when they were teens. I'd say about 60-70% of the story was about how he was in love with someone else and trying to gather food for a POC neighborhood, which seemed like a lot of filler. I really wanted to like this book and continued to read the rest of it hoping it would pick up, however I disliked all the characters and this wasn't one I really enjoyed.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A man writes a novel at the end of his wife's life and the circumstances surrounding the debut bring up memories of his past.