What a lovely book! I was pleasantly surprised at how it had some unexpected turns and twists. This is not just any standard love story. The author wrote from two different time stamps- past and present, and did so wonderfully. It was easy to follow and the characters are great- I was not left wanting to know more about them. She covered everything you need to know. It took a few chapters to have me hooked, and wanting to know more. I would have read this in one sitting if life allowed me to.
I strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys past and present storylines, twists and turns but without it being completely shattering and not overly lovey dovey!
I would gladly pick up another book by this author.

4.5 stars. This was a very interesting book. The time travel thing had me a little hesitant to read it, but it really added to the depth of the story. The story is highly emotional and the storyline is a web of the characters' regret, love, mourning, confusion and hope.

Liv's boyfriend goes for a hike one day and disappears. She spends what turns out to be years trying to figure out what happened to him and making her way through the grief. Finally on the way to her happily ever after, she is suddenly confronted with new questions. She walks through a door on her wedding day and finds herself back seven years ago (six days before he leaves) in the flat that she shares with Kit. She has six days to try to figure out what happened and see if she can change it.

This was a really good story. I plan to read more by this author.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts are mine.

*4 stars rounded up*

When Liv wakes up on her wedding day only to find herself transported 7 years in the past, she's suddenly faced with a decision between the man she is about to marry, or the man she loved all that time ago just before he went missing.

There were so many twists in this book and I absolutely loved it. I enjoyed finishing a segment and staring at the wall for half an hour every few chapters. There were some characters I loved, and a few that possessed defining traits that felt a little superfluous. Perhaps it's just me, but I didn't see the deeper meaning in Liv's mom's disorder. Typically when something is meant to stand out like that, I see a tie to it in another character. However, in this case it felt a little odd.

I do have to say though that this writing style was not for me. Honestly, I found myself annoyed (especially the last 1/3 of the book) by all the sentence fragments. For me, personally, I would rather read more run-on sentences than necessary than have. An exorbitant amount. Of sentences. Like this. It was frustrating to read, and I felt that, had it been used more effectively, I would have been more involved in the storyline mentally than finding myself having to take a break from it so often. It felt cold to me, and yet other times throughout the book I felt transported to the scene the author was describing. I could picture the vivid greens of the fields, and the depth and dangers of the caves and cliffs. It felt a little jarring at time to then be suddenly hit with so many staccato thoughts.

Overall, I enjoyed this read! On a list of yes, no, maybe...for me it would be a maybe. For those who like romances that have an edge to them and some mystery, this is a great choice! There was no spice, so if you're also looking for a story without any, this is a great option (because I think most romances without spice seem cringey when it comes to the flirting, but this didn't lose any of my attention without it). If you're an Outlander lover who likes a little taste of Lisa Jewell on the side, this is your #1 read of 2025!

LOOOOVED IT SOOOO MUCH OMG I absolutely love Emma Cooper and I was so excited to be given the chance to read this and omg I was literally OBSESSED!!!

LOVED it. 5 stars,
Really great, well written fluff - and I mean that as a compliment.
I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the time travel element but I really enjoyed it.
An excellent book club read and one to definitely pack for summer holidays.
I look forward to reading more from Emma Cooper.

I've often wondered if I could o back and relive times in my life with my experience and knowledge from now would I perceive this in the same way, or would I see things / do things differently and that's Liv gets the chance to do.
There's also the fact she can spend time with her first love who 7 years in the future she believes to be dead, and she has moved on with a new love - his brother. Now she has a week with both men that she loves - but if she can only have one who should she choose?
I love the twist in perspective we get half way through the book - that completely surprised me and made me want to go back and reread chapters to see if I gained better understanding.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I absolutely loved this! I do have a special place in my heart for time-travel romance stories but they can be tedious if not done correctly, or if the "science" behind it isn't just right. This hit the mark perfectly!

First off, the prose is fantastic. The words paint vivid images and that means a lot coming from me, since I think many books are wordy and/or overly descriptive. This book didn't waste time or words. I didn't find myself skimming past anything.

It had a little bit of everything! You get a lot of bang for your buck with this. There's time-travel, romance, angst, grief, intrigue, and to top it off, it's actually really funny. The two main characters are so quick-witted and they possess a self-awareness that fictional characters don't always have.

Liv is about to get married to the love of her life...'s brother. Her ex, Kit, vanished without a trace nearly a decade ago and since that time she's fallen in love with his brother, James. I know you're thinking "trauma bond" but they seem really in love.

Minutes before the wedding, Liv is catapulted into the past through forces unknown. Kit is here! But so is James, and he's her boyfriend's rude brother not her fiance. All those years they spent together don't exist yet to him. She has loved these two men differently but fiercely, so this is a little awkward.

What's a girl to do? She knows she has to save Kit if at all possible so she buckles into this timeline to try and solve the mystery and what the future holds romantically can be decided later.

There were so many layers to this. It's one of those books I'll be thinking about for a long time. I definitely recommend it and it would make a great book club read. Hint hint, I'm available to discuss this book.

On the day of her wedding to James, instead of walking down the aisle, Liv steps through a door into her past, seven years into her past. She finds herself in the old flat she shared with Kit and it's six days before he disappears, presumed dead. Can she live those last days again and find the answers she's searched for? Could she even change the past and save Kit? And if she can save him will she still marry James, who just happens to be Kit's brother?

This is a book that really captured my attention with its poignant and unique storyline. It dives deep into the complexities of grief, loss and learning to love again. The time slip element added layers of mystery and intrigue that had me gripped and kept me turning the pages.

Emma Cooper has delivered a heartfelt and thought provoking read that made me cry, laugh and all the feels inbetween.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for providing me with a digital advance copy to review.

Much better than I expected as the story started off a bit cliche, but I was drawn in by all the plot twists and new events. Was so engaged that I finished it in a day

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this book.

Seven years ago Liv's boyfriend Kit disappeared after going for a hike. Now, she’s getting married, to James, the brother of Kit.

Liv goes back in time to before Kit disappeared/died. Can she figure out what happened? What will happen to what she feels for James if she does?

The story had a mystery element to it and a twist. It kept you engaged.

I highly recommend this book.

A very original storyline which kept me intrigued from start to finish. I really enjoyed the way the story was narrated from various characters and at different stages in time and liked the well developed characters.
No spoilers in this review though.
I didn’t really know until the book finished how this would end. I enjoyed it a lot and I felt the life challenges it threw up were very realistic and effectively portrayed.
4 stars

I really enjoyed this book it was a kind of sliding doors going backwards.
Liv is marrying James she walks into a room in the hotel and finds herself back in the week before Kit who is James's brother and Liv's first love disappears.
She has to find out what happens and if she can change it.
I found this book fascinating if you could go back with the knowledge you have would you change things?
It was interesting seeing how Liv explained it to people and if they would believe her.
It is told from two points of view but not the ones you might think. You realise halfway through that the person you thought was one of the pov is not.
It is an interesting idea and we'll thought out.
I liked Liv also James and Ava. I also eventually liked Kit. It deals with second chances it also deals with some serious issues.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

I loved this one! It was such an amazing concept and one I've thought myself in my life many times and enjoyed living it through this book. I'll be sharing this with all of my friends and family!

This book read like a Taylor Jenkins Reed book in the best possible way! It was unique and surprising and I could not put it down! I loved every minute of this book.

3.5★

Synopsis:
The book follows Liv who had lost her boyfriend Kit on a hike seven years ago, yet with the support of her family and friends she was able to overcome the heartbreak and grief of losing him and finds love again...in his brother, James. But on the day of their marriage, everything turned upside down, she found herself back in time in the apartment she used to share with Kit exactly six days before he disappeared. Interesting right? So what will she do now? Will she try to stop Kit from going to that trip and find her happily ever after with him or will she spend those six days with him relishing their memories for one last time and go back to future to marry his brother? Trust me the choice is not going to be that easy. And most importantly can she really change the course of her life?? She can’t directly confront him about her journey from future and what fate has in store for him. Like imagine telling the current love of your life that he is going to vanish and you will fall for his brother in future...eh awkward can’t even cover it.

Anyways this review isn’t going to be very much descriptive. I’m trying to be vague to avoid spoiling anything in case any of you decide to read it cuz yeah the premise is definitely a standout and exciting.

What i loved:
- time travel element, the main thing which intrigued me in the first place and i am delighted to say it was flawlessly worth it, Liv’s journey through those six days filled lies, secrets, twists and revelations with gut-wrenching emotional moments of her, Kit and James kept me flipping the pages
- easy pacing, the prose was very beautifully crafted in a way which was super easy to follow along
- thought-provoking romance with a twist, the mystery element has me invested throughout the book, i was curious to know what is going on actually and what is going to happen next. It kept me second-guessing and theorizing what life-altering decision the characters are going to make and how this will affect their future. It was hard to put this book down with how balanced in both the elements of romance and mystery aspects and engaging it was.
- the ending, on very rare occasions last chapters of a book leave me satisfied and yes, this book is one of them, the revelations left me stunned and moved. The ending gave me the closure i needed and at the same time left me hanging on some aspects

What could have been better:
- the events and switch between timelines felt disjoined and uneven to me
- at times the plot was draggggged without any major reason
- i wish the exploration of both relationship was done deeper, overuse of kit pissed was annoying
- the explanation of the reason behind this time-travel was non-existent
- there were many questions which were just brushed off without any proper decent conversation

Overall, if you are looking for a thought-provoking read of love, healing and choices holding powers to change the course of your life, mixed with perfect amount of romance, magical-realism and mystery, this book is for you. Perfect for the fans of One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers, Boldwood Books for the ARC.
#TheOneBeforetheOne #NetGalley.

This is my first read by the author but it definitely won’t be my last because it was such a different take on the time travel romance trope and I loved it. It was nothing like I expected in a very good way. This will be a pretty vague review so as not to spoil anything because it was just so much more than a romance. It deals with a couple of heavy issues that have to do with mental health both of which aren’t in literature very often and I appreciate that. If you’re looking for a heart-fluttering romance this isn’t that book. The author seamlessly wove a tale from multiple points of view and numerous timelines.

I did enjoy the character of Mac and his relationship and the time he spent bonding with his visitor, the banter was charming and humorous. I just wish there was a more in-depth backstory of Liv and James’ relationship as well as in the current timeline. I loved the descriptive prose of the countryside, the author knows her stuff. The twist really surprised me and that rarely happens. The short chapters had me flipping pages furiously and nonstop. This was a captivating story of romance, a bit of mystery and a lot of time travel was a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Many thanks to my Goodreads friend Heather for bringing this book to my attention.

When I began reading, I thought I knew what was coming, but the way that Emma Cooper unfolded this story was brilliant and left me clinging to every word to decipher what happened to our wonderful heroine. I just wish there had been more love story between Liv and James, because they so delighted me!

I read this book expecting a love story wrapped up in some time travel but what I wasn't expecting was a mystery along the way.

On Liv's wedding day, a day she is set to marry her ex-boyfriend's brother, Liv finds herself 7 years in the past - still very much with said ex-boyfriend(Kit) on the week leading up to his disappearance. There is a dual timeline once we enter the time travel of "before he left me" and "after I left her", so from two different character's POV.

I am going to keep this spoiler free but what I will say is I was here for this mystery of trying to see if Liv could figure out what happened with Kit and why he left, and also if anything could change because of it. There were some twists in there I did not see coming and that I thought really added to the suspense.

I would most definitely recommend this one to those who like a little magic in their lives. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Groundhog Day aspect of this was fun, but it wasn’t super well executed and left me wanting. The writing was lovely however and kept me reading to the end

I love a time travel/magical realism plot! But this one did not work for me...I found the whole reason why Kit "disappears" was ultimately really silly to me. I also wish the reason HOW and WHY Liv was able to time travel. I did like how we got a glimpse of James being in love with Liv - that was so cute! Overall. I enjoyed reading this, but didn't connect with the storyline.