New to me author. I really enjoyed this book. It kept me reading until the very end. I will definitely be checking out more of her books in the future. I’m glad h stumbled upon this.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this! I REALLY enjoyed this sliding doors-esque magical realism romance.
We meet Liv on her wedding day to James as she is thrust 7 years into the past to relive the few days before her first love Kit (and James' brother) mysteriously vanished. Through her time stuck in the past we get a first hand view into the minute differences and tells she missed, the love between her and Kit, the love between her and James (and where it really began), and her feelings as she grapples between the loves of her life. We also have another timeline in the present day in a cabin in Scotland, reconnecting with a lost familial opportunity.
This is such a unique story about love, its power, and its lasting quality. The twist with Kit I figured out pretty quickly, the twist with the present day cabin chapters I had absolutely NO idea and actually flipped back to find the little notes I missed. I LOVED Liv/James together, loved the duality of Kit's personality, and thought the nuances of balancing your first love and your true love very believable. Liv's interiority was really something spectacular and so genuine in how thoughts sort of bubble to the surface.
Jame/Kit: their mom sucks. Just sucks. But every other cast of character is brilliant. I did think Liv's mom would figure into it more, but her agoraphobia is really just to help balance Liv's nature.

Time travel isn't something I would rush to read but this one stood out for me and I'm glad I had a chance to read it. Romance, mystery, escapism, all things many of us love in stories; and you'll find all that in this book. It didn't leave me as emotional as I expected it too but I certainly had afew shocks along the way!

There were some clever twists and turns and I had zero idea what was going to happen tbh. Once you get there, it wasn't what I expected atall! Speaking of which, the ending was alittle deflating unfortunately and it wasn't how I would have liked to see it turn out. Everything felt like it was wrapped up too neatly but that's personal preference.

All in all this was an enjoyable read that I know many other bookworms will like!

4.5 Stars

Alright, let’s talk about The One After the One by Emma Cooper—a book that had me glued to my seat and ignoring my responsibilities. First, the gist: Sophie’s life is a trainwreck (aren’t they all?). After losing her soulmate and stumbling through grief, she’s doing her best to move on. Enter the “after” guy, but life—and love—isn’t that simple. Throw in some alternating timelines, multiple POVs, and a touch of magical realism, and you’ve got yourself a very bingeable read.

The subtle twists and discoveries? Brilliant. I was so sure I had it all figured out… only to be wrong. Repeatedly. (Well played, Cooper.) The perspective shifts? Chef’s kiss. The pacing with those short chapters? Addictive. But that ending? Cheap. I don’t know how else it could’ve wrapped up, but when it came full circle, I couldn’t help but go, “Oh… that’s it?” It didn’t ruin the experience, but it definitely felt like ordering dessert and getting store-bought cookies instead of a homemade masterpiece.

Oh, and the magical realism? Did it really need to be there? Debatable.

All in all, I haven’t been this into a book in forever. It kept me guessing, kept me hooked, and delivered all the emotional chaos I crave from a good story. Highly recommend if you love a good cry-laugh combo and some sneaky heartbreak.

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! #NetGalley #TheOneBeforeTheOne

★ 2.5 rounded up

I don’t exactly know where to begin about this book. First of all, it’s important to mention how the plot felt like a breeze of fresh air. I am also an enthusiast of magic realism, so this gave me high hopes.

However, I personally feel that the story has a lot of slow moments which aren’t really necessary to include, as this affected the flow for me. Aside from this detail, there are some other moments that had me really hooked. The book includes a lot of plot twists that constantly surprise the reader. Sadly, I feel that the most crucial plot twist was unpleasant. I wished it was something more surprising, even more reasonable. Additionally, I felt that a lot of the story revolved around Kit when the spotlight could’ve been used on Liv and James.

Overall, I feel like an additional chapter perhaps would’ve been enough to solve all the plot holes in the story. There are moments that just didn’t make sense to me, including certain decisions made by some of the characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me an advanced copy!

If you enjoyed One True Love by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you will absolutely love this book.

From the start, I was drawn into Liv’s journey, following her through the ups and downs of her life. The alternating chapters between Liv’s interactions with Kit and her attempts to uncover the mysteries of Kit’s past & Kit after he left her kept me guessing. I thought the story was leading me through Kit’s history, only to realize that I was actually being led through James’s present. The unexpected twist around three-quarters of the way through completely shifted my understanding of the plot—what I thought were Kit’s chapters turned out to be James’s, and that revelation was both shocking and brilliant.

This book masterfully blends romance with mystery in a way that not only keeps you captivated but also challenges you to think about the complexities of relationships and how well we truly know those closest to us. It’s a beautifully crafted story that explores the nuances of love, loss, and self-discovery, with an underlying message about how deeply we can be unaware of the lives and thoughts of those we care about. A must-read for anyone who enjoys a well-written, emotionally stirring story with plenty of unexpected turns.

There were a few things I appreciated about this book, like the way the text messages were formatted. Emma Cooper made them look like actual text messages, which I thought was a really creative and fun detail.

Unfortunately, that’s where my enjoyment ended. The biggest issue I had was that this book relied entirely on telling instead of showing. Everything felt like it was being explained to me, which made it hard to connect with the story or the characters.

On top of that, the narration felt overly casual, as though Olivia, the main character, was talking directly to me as a friend. Lines like “So, take my bag for example…” made it impossible for me to take the story seriously.

The writing also included some incredibly awkward metaphors and similes. These phrases didn’t add to the story but instead pulled me completely out of it.

Between the overly casual tone, awkward writing, and lack of engaging storytelling, I just couldn’t bring myself to finish the book. I stopped reading at 50%. This one simply wasn’t for me. That’s why I’m giving this book 1 aka 0 ⭐️.

I love a time travel/supernatural plot and I fully expected this to be a light romance within that, but it was so much more!

On the morning of her wedding to James, Liv finds a piece of jewellery that was given to her by her then boyfriend, Kit, just before his disappearance seven years ago, With it, is the receipt for engraving, from just one week ago. Shocked, Liv steps through a door and finds herself back in the flat she shared with Kit, 6 days before his disappearance.

Does Liv have a second chance? Can she find out why Kit disappeared in these few days that lead up to it?

Liv was a great character, level headed and relatable. I felt her angst like she was a close friend - should she save Kit? And from what? And what about James?

There were plenty of moral dilemmas for Liv to navigate, as well as working out how to get back to the present day if she wants to!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Emma Cooper and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Kept me guessing until the big reveal(s)... I enjoyed the premise of this book and how it unfolded. I was eager enough to find out what happened that I read it all in one sitting. Liv is a compelling, capable protagonist.

I loved the storyline so much, it definitely wasn't what I expected it to be, the time travel element and book title were the main reasons I picked it up.. This was said to be an emotional read...Did I feel things? Yes . Was it a "ripped my heart out" kinda read? No..

Plot follows Liv, who lost the love of her life Kit after he never came back from his hike on a Friday morning and was presumed dead. Liv is now about to marry his brother James, she receives a necklace which has an engraving on it but the receipt date is this week which leaves her confused and suspicious .. Liv steps into a doorway which takes her to the same 6 days, can she save Kit?

Not gonna lie this love triangle wasn't my cuppa tea in a sense that I felt bad for both and at some point I agreed with what Libby said but towards the end I was sad for both sides, they're both loveable despite their messes lol

The writing style wasn't too bad but some parts were overwritten -- the plot draggedddddd in some parts it ruined the pace of the book for me personally and on the topic of being descriptive; drinking someone's blood doesn't give lovey dovey feels in the slightest... 😭 Also if I had a dime for every time the name Kit was mentioned... I get the story is about him but my days the repetitiveness lowkey got on my nerves.. Kit this, Kit that..🫣

Overall it was an enjoyable read certainly not a cliche fluffy romance

3.5⭐️

This was not what I expected at all, in the greatest of ways. I went in without many expectations, thinking it was going to be a nice romantic story where she realizes she’s been in love with the wrong one all along. The cover and the blurb gave me those vibes. Well, I was kind of wrong!

Liv lost her boyfriend 7 years ago; it was as if he had evaporated during his hike, leaving her only with grief and fear. Luckily, time heals everything, and she found love in the most unconventional way. But the ghost of the unresolved past is always creeping in the dark, so even before her wedding day, thoughts of the man she lost came back to her, making room for the never-quieting voices questioning her current relationship.
At this point, you are about 10% into the book and also questioning her current relationship, feeling like the author watched one too many soap operas. This is where the pace picks up a notch, and you enter Outlander mode, aka time travel. Please keep an open mind, it’s worth it, as Liv is given the opportunity to relive the week leading up to the fatal day again. Mystery takes over romance, and Liv becomes her own Sherlock, because what if Kit’s not dead as they all thought, and she can figure out the answer to what really happened that day.
Then, when you are already used to this back-in-time reality (~20% into the book), Emma Cooper gives it another twist and introduces a dual POV. The pace picks up again, and you enter into a comfortable, devouring rhythm where you just want to know what happened to Kit while you hate him a bit more with each page that turns.
Then, about 65% into the book, when you start to piece things together, chapter 30 arrives, and Emma Cooper elevates the stakes because, how could I have missed it! Yes, I admit I needed to go back to chapter 8 and go through all the "He" parts again to figure out how I did not catch that. But it may be that twist that hooked me to this book completely.
The only negative point is that the end deflates a bit as the pace slows down.

This will be released by the end of Jan, so go give this mystery romance story a try.

Thanks to Boldwood Books, Emma Cooper and NetGalley for this ARC.

I loved the premise of this book and really enjoyed reading it. I'm not always a fan of "time travel" but I found this one fun, engaging, and kept me guessing at what was going to happen. Liv was a fun character to get to know, I'd highly recommend!

Liv is about to marry her fiance, James, when she is sent back in time to the week that her then-boyfriend and James' brother, Kit, disappears. Liv now knows that Kit is alive, but has no idea what made him fake his death and disappear. As she lives through this week again she tries to change the future and look for clues in Kit. She also has to come to terms with the fact that Kit is still alive and make a choice between James and Kit. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives of this book and the mystery behind Kit's disappearance. I will be on the look for more books by this author!

Is January too early to announce I've found a favorite of the year? Because I've found a favorite of the year.

I'll be honest, I went into this blind, except shortly glancing at the summary and seeing words 'time travel' and 'romance' together, because that's enough to have me intrigued.

The One before The One is a story
about Liv, whose boyfriend Kit goes hiking one day and never returns. Seven years later she is about to marry his brother, James, while Kit's shadow still looms over their relationship what with James and Kit's mother cutting off communication with them, and their friends and relatives secretly wondering if one or both of them settled.

With this premise, I expected her journey back in time to be that of self-discovery, a better understanding of her relationships with to two loves of her life. And it is that at it its core, but it's also so much more!

I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns of this journey and the mystery that unfolds 7 years in the past. It is a solid plot that made me forego sleep and keep turning the pages. Add to it a plot twist that I didn't see coming at all, and I was looking up Emma Cooper, wondering why I've never read this author before.

The romance plot was rather refreshing as well, in that it combines two tropes—love at first sight and enemies to lovers—with a resolution that is satisfying and wholesome.

I recommend it to everyone who is looking for a well-written novel that has heartfelt romance, elements of family drama, time travel, and all of it tied up with a very intriguing mystery plot. I'll be thinking about this one for a while.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this book was really good! I read it in two sittings. It kept me on the edge of my seat, but not in a I'm-so-nervous kind of way - more so just that I couldn't wait to see where the book was heading. I loved the multiple POVs and thought that they really enriched the story. I enjoyed the characters and the overall premise of the book. I also really liked how it all ended up in the end. I'll definitely be recommending this to anyone who wants a fun, lighthearted, and interesting read!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was such an interesting story and held so much potential. I was hooked by the time traveler trope, and the writing made it easy to continue to read chapter after chapter. The ending was not my favorite. I think I was expecting a bit more, and it felt like once the reveal was made everything wrapped up very quickly. I think it could have been fleshed out a bit but overall a very solid and easy read.

Other readers will love this book but it just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t get into the whole time travel concept, and I didn’t like many of the characters. I did enjoy the parts in Scotland (not wanting to give anything away here).

This was quite the wild ride! Seven years ago, Liv's boyfriend went on a hike and never returned, leaving everyone to presume him dead. Fast forward to the present, Liv is madly in love with his brother, and on the morning of her wedding, she is thrust back in time to one week before the disappearance!

I loved the overarching dilemma Liv is faced with. What if she can save Kit? And if she does, who will she ultimately choose to spend her life with? It's all sorts of twisty, mysterious, and wonderful. There's one chapter I had to reread twice, just to make sure I was processing everything correctly. It was such a cleverly plotted and brilliant reveal. Wow!

After so much intensity, I did feel some aspects wrapped up a little too conveniently, but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment. I’m a complete sucker for emotional storylines with a touch of magical realism, and this one was a lot of fun!

The One Before the One is a very well-written story of what could happen if we got a chance to go back in time and possibly save a loved one's life instead of losing it.
In love with two brothers, Kit and James, Liv goes back in time to be with Kit and tries to understand what happened in the days leading up to his death. Kit was very different from his brother, James, and Liv's struggle to try and stay with him in the past is just as real as her attempts to get back to James in the present.
Emma Copper's word choices and prose are lovely, and she manages to infuse a wonderful range of emotions in her characters.
I thought I knew after the first few pages how things would turn out, but Cooper gives some twists and moments with characters when I questioned if I had assumed right. I hadn't. Overall, this is a gorgeous emotive read with a splash of mystery and descriptive writing that might well keep you up.
4.4 stars

Liv is going to marry James m, but she travels to time to her first love, Kit. He disappeared a long time ago and now she has a chance to understand what happened.
I loved this story and Liv’s relationship with James. I was just a little disappointed by the twist. I was expecting something different.
But I still loved every page of it and how Emma Cooper is capable to make me fall in the story.