Wow! What a read! Originally when I saw the title and cover of the book, I was right away drawn to it, but thought it would be a light, fluffy, heartfelt read. It turned out to be exactly that AND MORE. The book is filled with twists that you never see coming. I could not put this read down!

I absolutely loved it!

Having read The First Time I Saw You, I knew I was going to fall in love with The One Before The One.

Cooper writes wonderful, heartwarming, emotion strewn fiction. Some books really should come with a box of tissues as standard.

I read the book across two sittings, any more would have been disrespectful. It wasn't a book I could leave half read, the story was too good, plus I needed to know the who, wheres and whys, and needed to know them immediately!

Cooper's characters were so easy to become emotionally invested in and I loved the whole time travel thing, suspending disbelief and going with the flow.

A highly enjoyable and engaging read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨

Wow. This book was such a surprise in the best way possible! I went in expecting a sweet, nostalgic romance, but what I got was a thrilling blend of mystery, magical realism, and even a touch of sci-fi. And honestly? I loved it.

Seven years ago, Olivia lost Kit - the love of her life - when he went on a hike and never came back. Grief brought her closer to his brother, James, and over the years, they fell in love. Now, on the morning of her wedding to James, Olivia receives a note that suggests Kit might still be alive- and that James may have known all along. Before she can even process it, she’s thrown back in time, a week before Kit’s disappearance, with a second chance to uncover the truth.

Told through multiple POVs, this book keeps you guessing at every turn. The "now vs. before" timeline shift was so well done, making the unraveling mystery even more addictive. And let’s talk about Olivia-- FINALLY, an MC who *asks the right questions* and makes smart choices! No frustratingly dumb decisions here, just a woman determined to get to the truth.

And the ending? Sooooo satisfying. No spoilers, but let’s just say everything wraps up in a way that feels both right and earned- even if I had feelings about where certain characters ended up. But that’s the beauty of this story: it’s about love, loss, and the bittersweet journey of moving forward.

If this isn’t already on your radar, it should be!!!

Big thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the e-ARC - this one’s going to stay with me for a long time.

#TheOneBeforetheOne #NetGalley

Great story - both heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time. Unique and surprising, "The One Before the One" captivated me from start to finish.
This was my first book by Emma Cooper, but it certainly won't be the last.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

This was more than I expected! So good...

Liv's boyfriend Kit disappeared 7 years ago, and now she is marrying his brother James. On their wedding day, Liv finds a necklace hinting that Kit is in fact alive and that James knows...and then she is transported to the past, days before he goes on that fateful hike.

Right from the start of the book I was drawn in. You can see how far Liv has gone from a state of grief to fully living again. James and Liv felt authentic in their love story. Ava was a rockstar best friend! You could see the emotional support both James and Ava had given Liv to bring her to this point.

Now Liv is transported to the past and has a chance to figure out what happened to Kit (and perhaps save him.) There is such a tangle of emotions, balancing her past love of Kit and her current love for James. James in the past was not a fan of Liv. What would happen to their relationship in the future if they didn't have the bond of loss in the past?

The unraveling of the backstory, family history, and mystery kept me invested. And the twist!

I have to say, I loathed the way James mother treated him (and Liv). I wish we had more of James on the page but was happy how things turned. out. While this book could be labeled technically as a "love triangle" there really wasn't a true love triangle, Liv made her choice perfectly clear!

4 stars

This book was a pleasant surprise. Fans of Rebecca Searle's book In Five Years will appreciate the similarities between the two stories.

Some aspects of this book were predictable, however the story unfolded in a reasonable way. The premise of this book was incredibly captivating—a complex tale of love, betrayal, forgiveness, and the pursuit of happiness.

Well worth a read.

I really wished to love the book, I came across on netgalley and thought yes a sad but heart warming book. Didn’t know it will have some time travel/time slip vibe and unfortunately it’s not my favourite. Don’t mind too much of back and forth between present and past but that special trope it’s not I prefer because I never read a book where it was well done. And again same thing happens it’s dragging and we missed the connection between the time slip/time travel. And no explanation was given about why she could go back to change the events. And the romance between James and liv felt off maybe because we get a lot of they are in love but no back story for it, the poor James feels more like a second character than the actual MMC

This is a wonderful twisty read. On Olivia’s wedding day, something weird happens and she ends up seven years in the past. Seven years ago her boyfriend disappeared one day while on a hike and was eventually declared dead. Now she gets a chance to see if she can figure out what happened and determine what she wants to happen if she can get back to her wedding day.

I want to be upfront—I DNF’d this book at 50%. While the premise initially intrigued me, the execution fell flat. The pacing was extremely slow, and though there were revelations along the way, they weren’t compelling enough to keep me engaged.

I also found there was more telling than showing, which made it difficult to fully connect with the story.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

I don't know if it was just me and I read this book wrong but boy did it turn into a completely different book when I figured out the way the chapters were working and with what characters. I started the book believing one thing, based on the storyline but then realized it was a different storyline. This changed everything. If this is how it was supposed to go, brilliant! If it wasn't then I should have paid more attention to names, etc in the first few chapters. I truly believe that the direction the narrative leads you down is correct though. I have never seen this done in a book before and it was so cool. I felt like I was experiencing the book, not just reading it. Well done Emma! 

Seven years ago, Liv lost her husband Kit when he went out on a hiking trip and never returned. Over the years, she has found her way back with the help of friends and family and, over time, was able to find love again. On the day of her wedding, she is mysteriously transported back 7 years to the week before Kit disappeared. She has one chance to live this week over again and differently to try and change the outcome of the future. Can she help Kit and if so, how will it change her future? Who will she choose?

Wow what a wonderful and perfect contemporary romance novel with a timeslip twist, which I couldn’t stop reading from the first pages. Liv is about to marry James, a man who helped to mend her heart after her first love Kit went for a hike and never returned, seven years ago. But on the morning of her wedding day, something strange happens and Liv finds herself transported into her younger self in the past, a few days before Kit disappears. Liv wonders if she can find out why Kit disappeared and whether she can change the past to stop him from leaving, but if she does would that mean her future would be with Kit, or would she still be with James?

This is such a brilliant and interesting novel from the first pages. The first chapter introduces us to Liv, who narrates, as she explains her situation: about to marry James, the man she loves. From the start we’re also introduced to Liv’s history and how her first love, the man she always thought of as the love of her life, Kit, disappeared one day after going for a hike. While Kit’s body was never found he was presumed dead, and Liv spent years painfully rebuilding her life without him. I love how this story shows the love between Liv and James and how good Liv’s life seems now despite all that happened in her past, however something strange and dark soon happens on the morning of the wedding and Liv finds herself questioning the past as she seems to time travel back into her younger self.

I always love stories with a time travelling twist and this one is really good with Liv seemingly trapped in the past as she relives the few days before Kit’s disappearance. Her time in the past is interesting as she starts to discover clues to what happened, and struggles with her deep feelings for Kit, as well as James. The chapters following Liv are interesting, with titles like ‘six days before he left me’ when they are set in the past, but they soon start to alternate with chapters from a different perspective ‘one day after I left her’, etc. If the main story wasn’t exciting enough, this new perspective and twist just made it even more compelling!

The story continues to reveal more secrets and surprises and it keeps you guessing throughout as to what happened with Kit before he disappeared. I love how this book had me hooked throughout, engrossed in what was happening and I ended up staying up very late unable to put it down, finishing it all in one day! As the tale moves on, closer to the end many more revelations appear. I love what Liv learns about herself and Kit and what happens as we find out more about James in the story too, and what happens with him later. The last chapters are so brilliant, they end the story so well and that epilogue just makes you smile so much when you read the very ending. In fact this story was so good I just couldn’t stop smiling at the end of reading it and have been gushing about it to family and friends since.

The book has a few uses of the s and f swear words as well as mentions of obviously grief and but nothing really upsetting, and in fact there are some more light-hearted moments that make you laugh during the story too. Overall this is a wonderful, interesting and perfect contemporary romance with a bit of mystery and an interesting time travelling twist. While the story will keep you gripped and make you feel a little emotional while reading, it’s got the most wonderful build up and ending that’ll make you feel so good after reading it. A perfect book for anyone interested in reading this.

This book had me feeling so many emotions, it had very poignant moments, overall this was such a great read.

Liv is set to marry James, the morning of her wedding she finds a necklace that engraved by his brother Kit for her. But Kit went missing seven years ago and broke Liv's heart. Now is he alive? When Liv goes to leave the hotel room she is transported back 7 years when she was still with Kit before he disappeared, will she find out the reason he left and will it change the future. A brilliant read.

This was such a great story and took me through every possible emotion whilst reading. I feel like it broke my heart and put it back together again.
I can't wait to read more from Emma Cooper

Highly recommend

What a great book! I absolutely loved how cute and heart wrenching this one was! I was totally engrossed from beginning to end and would definitely read from this author again, So, so, so good!

Emma Cooper’s The One Before the One is a heartfelt and magical exploration of love, loss, and second chances. With its time-bending premise and deeply emotional storytelling, the novel invites readers to ask themselves: if you could rewrite the past, would you—and at what cost?

The story follows Liv, a woman on the verge of a new chapter as she prepares to marry her fiancé, only to be transported back in time to the six days leading up to her first love Kit’s disappearance seven years earlier. What starts as a disorienting twist of fate becomes an opportunity for Liv to uncover the truth about Kit’s abrupt departure—and possibly change her future. But with the chance to save the man who once held her heart comes an agonizing choice: will rewriting history jeopardize the happiness she’s found in the present?

Cooper masterfully balances romance, heartache, and introspection. Liv is a wonderfully complex protagonist, and readers will feel her internal struggle as she is torn between the man she once loved and the new life she’s built. The dual timelines are seamlessly woven together, revealing the depth of her relationships with Kit and her fiancé, while also exploring the ripple effects of grief, healing, and moving on.

The writing is both tender and uplifting, laced with moments of humor that lighten the emotional weight of the story. Cooper’s vivid descriptions and heartfelt dialogue make Liv’s journey feel authentic and deeply personal, while the supporting cast of family and friends adds warmth and charm. The stakes are high—not just for Liv’s love life, but for her sense of self—and the resolution is both satisfying and thought-provoking.

At its core, The One Before the One is about more than romance; it’s a celebration of resilience, the unpredictability of life, and the beauty of embracing the present. Fans of Shari Low and Paige Toon will adore this uplifting, bittersweet tale that reminds us of the power of love in all its forms.

Liv was ready to get married when she finds a necklace that her ex boyfriend gave her who has been missing for the last seven years. Also her fiance, the man she’s about to marry is her ex boyfriend’s brother. Putting the necklace on transports her to right before the ex went missing. Now she has an opportunity to try and stop him from leaving, while also battling with her feelings for her fiance. Once she finds out the truth she has to decide who she’s going to choose in the present day.

Deep, emotional romance and also a mystery. I love the time travel elements. I feel like the mystery elements is what really kept me engaged with the story. Cause I needed to know what happened. And then the romance was like a cherry on top! Great read, will definitely be watching out for more by this author. Thank you!

In this unique and charming new romance novel, readers follow Liv in the days before her wedding when she has the chance to live a single week over again, but it just so happens to be the week her boyfriend Kit disappeared on a hike. With the chance to get all the answers and discover what happened that week seven years ago when her life changed, Liv and the reader might be able to uncover the reasons behind Kit’s disappearance. With a complex timeline and several factors at play, readers will love this unique premise and the emotional time-travel rollercoaster that Liv goes on in this clever and immersive new read. The characters in this novel, particularly Liv as the primary narrator, are unique and fascinating, with complex emotional storylines and some serious challenges and decisions ahead of them. Readers will love the emotional storyline and the challenges of a second chance at happiness, and Emma Cooper has done a masterful job bringing this complex what-if to life in this new title. Well-written, emotional, and occasionally intense, this novel is fascinating, immersive, and thought-provoking, and readers will find themselves invested in Liv’s two chances for happiness and her final decision.

'The One Before the One' is such an excellent story. This compelling novel explores love, loss, and the unexpected paths life takes after heartbreak. When her boyfriend vanishes without a trace and is presumed dead, the protagonist is left shattered, struggling to move forward. As time passes, she finds comfort in an unlikely place—his older brother—who understands her grief like no one else. What begins as shared sorrow slowly transforms into something deeper, forcing them both to question their emotions and the boundaries of love. With heartfelt emotion, complex relationships, and a slow-burning romance, this story beautifully captures the struggle of moving on while honoring the past.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Emma Cooper, and to Boldwood Books for ARC in exchange for an honest opinion!

This romantic story is heartbreaking, magical, surprising, and ultimately uplifting. It takes readers on an emotional journey that resonates. Liv meets Kit in a fatalistic way, and everything is lovely until he disappears. Seven years later, Liv survives and eventually allows herself to love again, but when she finds herself back in the past, she wonders if she can change it. I love this story's complexity and multi-layered protagonists. There are aspects of time travel and magical realism, but even straightforward things are not what they seem. At its heart is an enduring love story, flawed and messy but beautiful to read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.