First thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Synopsis: Brian is an awkward guy who meets Lily one day at a party. They get married and buy a pub. One day lily disappears and Brian struggles to keep up. Seven years later a reviewer on trip advisor seems to be Lily so Brian takes off to find her. While on this quest, Brian discovers a himself among other things.

What I liked: this was my first book by this author and I very much enjoyed it. His characters are very likable and relatable. The story is told in a way that you feel you are living it alongside them. I felt so much during this book from loneliness to love, pain, fear, grief, joy basically the whole set of feelings. Brian and Lily stories both were everyday occurrences but written in such a way that you really felt it. There is a cast of side characters that provide support to the story. Jeff was a regular at the pub but ever through they talk everyday, there was a lot more to his story. This will not be my last book by this author and started looking for his backlist books.

I absolutely loved Richard Roper's first book and this one was equally fabulous! Brian is in his late 40s, owns a struggling pub in the country, and has been devastated by his wife's disappearance seven years prior. Brian is a sweet character, but stuck in his life. He's been unable to move on from his grief at not knowing what happened to Lily. He has always held onto hope that she simply left him to pursue a different life, but has never understood why she left. He can't come to terms with the possibility that she has died by suicide.

One day, he sees reviews on TripAdvisor that he thinks must written by her. He embarks on a journey to find her and get answers to the questions he's had for years. He begins trailing her by her reviews and meets Tess, who's coming to terms with the end of her marriage. Brian and Tess are such wonderful, quirky, and awkward characters. Roper has such a beautiful way of depicting relationships, sorrow, and humorous situations. I felt such a kinship with them and their vividly depicted lives. Though the themes can be heavy, they're written with such a light touch, giving hope to the reader, in spite of hard circumstances.

I listened to the audiobook, which was perfectly narrated by Christian Coulson. I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy books by Rachel Joyce or Frederik Backman. This will likely be one of my top reads of 2024!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book has a lot of heart! This was my first Richard Roper but definitely interested in reading more- this book has humor but also is definitely heartbreaking at times. The confusion, devastation, and love the protagonist has is palpable and the cast of side characters make this a really lovely, easy to read story. I loved the jumps in time and watching multiple stories unfold.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I was not familiar with this author prior to reading this book, but wow, I’m adding the rest of his books to my TBR list!

The mystery of the main plot line kicks off immediately within the first few chapters, and the dual timelines let the story unroll at a pace that keeps the suspense building. The story alternates between “now” and “then”, which gives glimpses into various points in Brian and Lily’s relationship. This book does deal with some pretty heavy topics, but it is also really, really funny. I’d give it another star if I could for providing closure!

Overall, I thought this was an intricate telling of the complications of a love story and what happens after the meet cute. The grief and confusion after loss is palpable.

It’s hard for me to say more because there was a suprise miscarriage and as someone who just had one, it made it a lot harder to enjoy overall.

Richard Roper is one of my automatic read authors. He could copy the phone book and I would read it.
In This Disaster Loves You, we meet Brian and Lilly. It's a nice typical love story, except that Brian never feels as though he deserves Lily and battles not only that insecurity, but also the disapproval of her father. However, love reigns and they marry. What follows are the ups and downs in marriage, but then one horribly sad thing occurs and neither one are equipped mentally to lean on each other for support, resulting in hidden resentment and grief that is shouldered alone.

We know in the beginning that Lily is gone but we don't know why or where she has gone. The reader is left wanting to turn pages to find out what has happened to her but also for me, to cheer Brian on in both learning where she has gone and maybe also in moving on, if need be.

For me, Lily wasn't good enough for Brian. She never seemed capable of showing him a fraction of the love he had for her all through the story. This isn't to say I didn't enjoy the story, I absolutely did. I was totally vested in finding out what happened and the author did not disappoint. I am so glad I got a chance to read this ahead of it's release in February 2024. Thank you to NetGalley for this opportunity.

I cry every time I read a book by Richard Roper, and this was certainly no exception. A heartfelt, moving, gripping look into love, grief, and coming of age. Roper writes brilliantly complex and dynamic characters that you can't help but root for.

Thanks so much NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam.

Brian's wife, Lily, disappeared 7 years ago. He's never lost hope. He sees a review posted by someone named Pinkmoonlily1972 on TripAdvisor and is convinced that it is her. He sets off on a journey to find her.
This book alternates between the past and the present.

This book is a devastating stab to the heart. There is so much love for someone written on these pages. It shows how hope is sometimes the only thing that we have to keep going. This was such a beautifully written story about Brian and Lily, and Brian's hope for the one person he loves.

I was captivated by This Disaster Loves You by Richard Roper. The retrospective look at a poignant love story is entertaining and sweet. At times sad, happy and surprising, this book moves quickly with the interwoven past and current perspectives.

Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP PUTNAM for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This was such a sad story but also one full of love and hope. Brian’s wife disappeared almost seven years ago. When he happens upon a TripAdvisor reviewer with a name that sounds just like one Lily would be using, he decides to figure out where she is by going to the locations she is posting about. During his quest, he meets a charming woman from New Zealand who decides to tag along and help Brian with his search.

The story alternates from the present to the past as we learn more about Brian’s and Lily’s relationship. Overall, this was an emotional read.

Thank you very much to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I love Richard Roper's writing style This book was absolutely amazing and heartwarming. I did not see the end coming until relativity close to it. The characters were flushed out and alternating between flashbacks and the present made this book work in so many ways. I cannot wait to see what Richard Roper does next.

I was lucky enough to win an eARC of THIS DISASTER LOVES YOU by Richard Roper through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy holiday season!

Heartfelt, engaging, and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where WF and romantic fiction is popular.

Well done, creative and enjoyable to read. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I liked the story and the setting a lot. I found myself invested in the outcome of the character's relationship with the main people in his life. Four stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the opportunity to read This Disaster Loves You by Richard Roper which I found to be quite lovely.

Brian's wife Lily vanishes one day out of thin air, leaving behind her grandmother's watch and a postcard with a note. Seven years later, with no answers, he still hasn't given up hope; he finds a sudden lead and goes off to try to find her - finally ready for answers, one way or another. This Disaster Loves You follows the story of a young couple falling in love, and then growing older together, winding their way through the trials and tribulations of life. Richard Roper did a fantastic job painting a picture - you really feel like you're there with the characters, whether it be in an old dingy pup, a cheap hotel bar or at Stonehenge. There's dry humor that had me laughing out loud, in addition to parts that made me cry. All of these details are what drove me to give this book 4 stars. That, and, I don't feel like I can give any book 5 stars unless I'm totally floored!

I felt this story to be a little bit slow to start and I wasn't sure if I could pull through. I honestly thought, from the basic description, that it would lean more towards suspense, but this is a love story through and through (without all the cheesiness). It picked up almost half way through, and when I finished it I had an almost haunted, bittersweet, happy yet sad feeling that (obviously) I can't put my finger on.

I feel lucky to have gotten to read this book on pre-release, thanks netgalley!

Thank you for the advanced copy NetGalley. I enjoyed the story and kept the pages turning to find out if Brian has found his Lily after seven years missing.

Upon receiving early access to this book, I was intrigued by its description, expecting a compelling page-turner, and I am grateful for the opportunity to read it ahead of time.

The story showcased excellent world-building, immersing me in its setting. There were moments when I felt transported to a struggling pub, sitting in a slightly uneven booth with torn cushions, ensuring my book didn't touch the sticky table.

Unlike many dual timeline stories, this book managed to keep me invested in both timelines. At various points, I found myself drawn to one storyline and then craving the other, creating a back-and-forth engagement that held my interest throughout.

However, there were some areas that I hoped the book would address but didn't fully explore, particularly the character development of those in the present timeline. While we were introduced to several characters, including the young couple, the difficult chef, and the enigmatic regular, their personalities and motivations felt somewhat lacking, which made it difficult for me to connect with them. Additionally, the dialogue between Brian and Jeff fell short of my expectations, leaving much to be desired.

The relationship between Brian and Jeff was central to the plot, yet it felt somewhat flat and lacked depth. I found myself more invested in the conversations that Jeff and Lily had through their notes, than the actual verbal communication he had with Brian.

One aspect that became increasingly bothersome was Brian's relentless self-deprecation. Initially, it served a purpose for his character, but as the book progressed, it became overwhelming and cringe-worthy, taking away from the overall enjoyment of the story. ALSO, I almost had to stop with the subtle comment by Lily that Daniel would be a good name for a boy. The fact that Brian heard that and the self-deprecation leading up to that moment, I struggled to continue.

Regarding the search for Lily, Brian's efforts to find her felt unconvincing. His actions throughout the journey seemed half-hearted and lacked a genuine sense of urgency. Instead of thoroughly investigating each location, he merely asked one employee and moved on when they couldn't provide a definitive answer, which felt unrealistic given the stakes involved. At the first stop he was basically told “IDK bro, I just started my shift” and he accepted it. This just made the rest of the journey hard to buy into due to the half-hearted (at best) attempt that it started with. (Make posters with the picture and your phone number)

In conclusion, I appreciated the potential of this story, hoping it would flourish into a great book. However, the excessive self-deprecation of the protagonist and the underdeveloped character relationships, coupled with the lack of convincing motivations for the search, left me feeling somewhat unimpressed. The book kept me hooked due to its mysterious elements, but overall, it fell short of my expectations.