This was a great book. Really loved the story line and dual time line. Madeline met her best friend Adam when she moved and started senior year of high school, unfortunately tragedy hits
Ten years pass and Madeline meets her dead friend lookalike. You will have to read the book to find out what happens. This book does not disappoint.
Thanks to Netgalley for opportunity to read ARC

4.5 ⭐️

I knew it! Ha-ha! I basically knew everything that happened after reading, mmm, 20-30% of the book. And am I going to tell you anything about what I was right about? Nope. You’re going to have to read it to find out if the handsome stranger who saved Madeline’s life was really her deceased boyfriend or not. ☺

This story took a turn I was not expecting, but I’m glad it did. I love to be thrilled and thrown off guard by twists and turns that leave me wanting more. My suspicions were right. All of them were, and I’ve never been so happy to be right.

I know some might not find it predictable, and some might dislike the predictability, but I think it’s totally worth it. The characters were believable, and they grew as the story progressed. The writing is great, easy to read, and has a nice mix of short and long sentences. The setting fits the story and is spectacular, and the plot flows well, and the conclusion is so satisfying! I cannot wait for the second book! 😁❤

Do I recommend this book? Yes! Absolutely, especially if you like high school sweethearts, rescue romances, small town romances, and a mistaken identity.

This was my first book by Melissa Wiesner and I will definitely be diving into her others!

Maddie’s family moves to a new town the summer before her senior year. She meets Adam on the very first day of school and there is an instant attraction and connection. Now things don’t seem so bad as she has Adam and his best friend, Jason, to hang out with. However, before the school year is up tragedy strikes and Adam is in an accident. His car is in the water and no body was recovered, but he is believed to be dead.

Ten years have passed and Maddie is engaged to Jason even though she still can’t get any closure over Adam’s disappearance. One of her students is showing her a video on their phone and a LIVE video comes up showing a man rescuing 2 kids from the water. The video is blurry but Maddie swears that the man looks just like the love of her life, Adam.

It’s time for Maddie to reevaluate her choices and to take a look back on what happened 10 years ago.

This book was a wonderful blend of romance, mystery, and suspense. I found that I guessed the majority of the twists before they happened, but that didn’t take away from the story for me at all. I am already eagerly awaiting the next book based on the build-up of that storyline in this one surrounding the mystery around her family relocating so abruptly.


What you can expect:
-First love
-Tragedy/heartbreak
-Second chance romance
-Romantic suspense
-Dual timeline (10 years ago, present day)
-Dual(Multi) POV


Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Melissa Wiesner for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This little number completely caught me off guard! A bit of romance, a bit of suspense what is there is not love?

Adam and Madeline’s love for each other was instant the first day they meet at school. They become inseparable with their best friend Jason in tow. But the shock death of Adam leaves them heartbroken and they find themselves leaning on each other in years to come. So when Madeline thinks she see’s her dead childhood love on an Insta live, she goes on the hunt to track him down and find answers to what happened 10 years ago.

I was so engrossed in this story right from the start. I didn’t go into it knowing there was going to be so much mystery and suspense built up. It was so much more than a little romance book. I felt like I was on Sandy Harbour alongside the characters. There was so much emotional depth between both Madeline and the mystery man she finds in her home town.

I loved the way the book was written in both the past and the present. The little flash backs gave such an insight into the love shared between the two main characters, which then made the instant pull between them in the future so much more believable.

The first book I’ve read from this author and will most definitely not be the last!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this advanced eARC!

3.5⭐️ rounded down.

This book left me feeling a bit conflicted. I liked the story. It grabs you right from the beginning, gets you invested in the characters, and makes you want to know what is going to happen to them. And although I was actively engaged, and devoured the entire book in one sitting, in the end, I still felt as though it was unresolved.

Told in a dual timeline, All the Ways You Save Me flips back and forth between present day, (where Madeline is haunted by a lookalike of her first love, who passed away a decade before), to ten years earlier, where the reader gets to see how Madeline and Adam met and fell in love during their senior year in high school, continuing to the day of the accident that ended everything they knew. From the very beginning, I found the characters to be incredibly interesting. Madeline and Adam’s chemistry, though instantaneous, was believable. The story takes place partially on the Jersey shore, and as someone calls that area home, I couldn’t help but feel warmth and familiarity with the setting. The plot-line was paced well, and while I did see the twists coming, that didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story.

While I can’t say that I disliked this book, I ultimately wanted more from it. I felt that there were certain storylines that were mentioned enough that I wanted resolution with them, but was left in the dark, specifically when it came to Madeline’s family’s sudden relocation to Pennsylvania. While it does seem that this will be addressed in a future book in the series, I still feel that the way it was handled in this story was incomplete. My other issue with this book was in its depth of emotion, or in this case, the lack thereof. There were opportunities to dive into some really complex feelings of grief, betrayal, and loss that never really got there. I was interested in the action, but never lost my heart while I was on the ride. I rarely say this about a book, but I almost feel like this one would have benefitted from being a bit longer.

Overall, this was an engrossing romance with elements of mild suspense woven throughout. If you are a fan of second chance romance, mistaken identity, and past/present dual timelines, then you will enjoy this book.

A beautiful story of young love, heartbreak, and second chances. I was completely invested from the first page — Melissa Wiesner delivers an emotional, dual-timeline romance. The characters felt real, the pacing was perfect. If you love heartfelt stories with depth and a splash of summer longing, this one’s for you.

“If having my heart broken is the price for the time I’ve had with you, then I’d choose it every time.” 💔

I loved this captivating twist on a second chance, childhood sweetheart romance. I couldn’t put it down.

Right from the prologue, you are thrown into the action, leaving you with questions that make you want to read on immediately.

I liked the structure of the book, transitioning between the present day and 10 years earlier, as well as capturing different characters POVs. What was most effective about this structure was that despite the changing perspectives, the plot twists weren’t hinted at and spoiled too early on.

The immediate emotional and physical attraction between Madeline and Garrett was beautiful to read. Garrett has shot into my list of top book boyfriends: walking Madeline home at night, protecting her from the creepy men at the bar, all while harbouring a big secret to protect the people he loves. 🥹💕

I loved the location of Sandy Harbour - Wiesner’s descriptions made it so vivid in my mind. I’m looking forward to escaping to this small town again in the future. 🐚🦀🌊

I wasn’t anticipating the plot twists, so they added an additional layer of anticipation and heartbreak. I also liked that these weren’t too close to the end, so they were fleshed out, not rushed and left me satisfied.

The first book in this series has left us with several unanswered questions, and introduced us to some characters that I’m looking forward to learning more about in the next book.

Thank you Melissa Wiesner and NetGalley for allowing me to experience this book in advance of its release!

I absolutely loved this book. It was a super quick read. It kept me intrigued the whole time. Some things I didn't see coming. I loved how you could feel the emotions of each character throughout the book. I cant wait for the next book in the series for the story to continue. I will have to get a physical copy for my shelf. Definitely one of the best books I have read in a while.

🌊 ARC Review – All the Ways You Saved Me by Melissa Wiesner 💔✨

"I stand on the beach and gasp as a wave knocks me over…" — and just like that, I was swept away by this story 😭💫.

Ten years after losing her first love, Adam, in a tragic accident, Madeline is living a life she’s carefully rebuilt 💍—engaged to Jason, her and Adam’s childhood best friend. But one stormy night changes everything 🌧️🌊. A stranger pulls her from the water… and he has Adam’s eyes. Adam’s face. Adam’s soul? 👀💙

💭 What follows is a haunting, emotional unraveling of memory, grief, and fate. Melissa Wiesner delivers a heart-shattering and soul-healing story about love lost, and love rediscovered in the most unexpected of ways 💫.

🔥 The chemistry between Madeline and “Garrett” (is he? isn’t he?) is magnetic. Their connection is layered with pain, hope, and undeniable pull. The writing beautifully blurs the line between what’s real and what the heart wants to believe 🕊️.

If you’re a fan of:

🌧️ Grief-soaked romance with a twist of mystery

🌊 Summer settings with emotional depth

❤️‍🔥 Second chances that feel impossible but undeniable

😢 Ugly crying with a hint of hope at the end

…then this book is for you. Wiesner masterfully explores how love—and loss—can shape who we are, and how sometimes, the past might not be as far away as we think 🕰️💔💞.

ARC in echange for a honest review. all opinions are my own

I thought the plot seemed interesting: mistrn identity and a love triangle, sign me up ( and I did).

What I liked:
1. I liked the plot of identity being blurred and the past story being interspersed with the present.
2. I liked Garrett's character, he seemed smart and compassionate even when pushing away the fmc.
3. I liked how supportive the fmcs sister Josie was. She's always there to help her sister
4. I liked the overall storyline although I did find some plot holes. There was the perfect combination of mystery and suspense plus romance.

What I didn't like:
1. There didn't seem to be many emotions expressed. The story seemed to tell instead of show.
2. There were some plot holes. It was like thr saying, " The house has good bones but needs to be decorated and filled with love ".
3. The actions of the two men vying for the fmcs affection was ofen out of character or inconsistent throughout the story. Jasons charachter was mist out of character because there was no accounting for discrepancies in his actions amd words
4. The pov skipped around so much that it disconnected the past and present.

3.5⭐️

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Melissa Wiesner for the ARC❤️🌊

A beautiful, ‘𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲’ story.
𝙃𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚. 𝙒𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁;
A dual POV, dual timeline thrilling love story.

Our FMC, Madeline finds her world turned upside down when her life is upheaved with no explanation and she ends up in a small town with no one. She instantly gravitates to Adam (and his best friend Jason) until Adam is in a tragic accident, presumed dead.

Madeline settles into a life without Adam and ends up with Jason, but after seeing a mysterious surfer on a LIVE social media video 10 years later her world is turned upside down once more, because now she has to chase him down and discover if the love of her life really did die all those years ago.

Garrett, our sweet, mysterious surfer seems settled and content in his life in Madeline’s hometown. But how will that settled life look when Madeline turns up questioning his identity and wanting to unpack the truth🤭🌊

I was actually hooked on the plot, and despite all of the ‘twists’ being relatively predictable they were enjoyable to read.
The dual timeline served purpose to context for the current timeline but I did find the past timeline a little stunted, and insta lovey. The current timeline totally carried the book, both Madeline and Garretts POV’s were heartfelt and relatable to.
I did feel like the conclusion of the story felt a bit rushed and lack lustre but overall I really enjoyed Madeline and Garrets story and I will definitely pick up 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙢𝙚 next year because I need my unanswered questions answered🥹

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀;
𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 👩🏻‍🦰🌊📚❤️
I loved Madeline, her grief and longing feel so tangible. The way she settled with Jason hurts my heart, but makes perfect sense.
I’m so glad she followed her heart back to Sandy Harbour and that she trusted her gut. Intuitive queen👏🏼

𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺🥹🛻💐
Oh the sweetest boy, I feel so sad for him. But what a kind, gentle soul. I love that he’d do anything for the people he loves.

𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻🚩🤬🤑🐍
Red flag energy from the first interaction. I couldn’t get past that feeling even when it seemed like he showed up for Madeline through their shared grief. Insticts couldn’t have been more spot on. The true villain of this story!

𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘁🏄‍♂️🏡🥲
Oh Garrett, just bloody love him. His story is sad, and even sadder when he realises just how much he’s lost at the hands of someone he trusted. Cutie walking Madeline home every night, toes in the sea. So happy he got his HEA, he deserved it all along🥹
𝙄𝙛 𝙄 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙤-𝙬𝙤𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙄’𝙙 𝙨𝙖𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚. 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚?

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀;
Sandy Harbour felt like home, looking forward to going back there🏖️ If you like small town, emotive romances; with twists and turns along the way this is definitely the book for you. A lovely, easy little read🩵

I knew from the first 3 chapters that this book was going to tear my heart in two and then sew it back together. And let me tell you… what a tragedy it ended up being.

I loved the flip back and forth between past and present. It gave such an insight into the love Madeline and Adam shared before he was ripped from her life.

I was sadly disappointed in Madeline’s character growth though. 10 years and she was complacent and comfortable. Several times it was mentioned that she let people talk her into things instead of doing what she wanted for herself.

I wish we would’ve seen a little more of Madeline falling in love with Garrett/Adam.

Plot 4/5 ⭐️
Emotions 3/5 ⭐️

do it, just read this book! 5 star read that will live rent free in your head and you won't even be mad at it. you may cry, but its okay, it cathartic. you'll love this book and won't regret a single word, line, or page!

This book was so so so good!! The mystery.. the suspense.. the thrill.. the filing yourself and your love?? I ENJOYED IT ALL. The twist was pretty easy to guess but regardless it was a fun one time read for me.

5 Stars! Melissa Wiesner does it again with relatable characters and a completely new story line. This was the kind of book that you do not want to do anything other than keep reading. Do not start this if you need to be a human for a few hours. Do not plan on sleep. You will fall in love with the story. You will be engrossed in the feelings that are inspired. You will relate with the feeling of young love, of being the "perfect" child in the eyes of your parents, of being the person that wonders "what if". Super excited that I got to experience this book in advance.

This was a heartbreakingly beautiful emotional story with twists and turns to keep the suspense going and the romance was stunning. Honestly, it was a perfect and delicate balance for Madeline, with some very emotional elements leading you to feel empathy for her, but also rooting for her as well. It is honestly so good and you won't be disappointed to read this book! I would put this at the top of my list of reads this year, highly recommend.

I'm gonna be in such a romance book slump after this. No love story will match the emotional highs that "All The Ways You Save Me" offered.

EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK WAS SIMPLY PERFECT:
The meet-cute in high school (not even talking about the fact that it happens in a parking lot on her first day in a completely new school, and is basically insta attraction that lasts for a lifetime).
The small town vibes, especially the Sandy Harbor descriptions.
The super intense love triangle with boys being best friends, despite their very opposite financial standing and backgrounds.
The alternating timelines between Now and Then that make you fall in love with various sides of all the characters.
The plot twists that were both predictable (Madeline choosing to marry Adam's best friend after his death, for example, but then again - there's so much more to that story than meets the eye at first).
And also completely shocking when the story turns into an action packed thriller and mystery behind the love triangle.
And, of course, the grand finale with its inevitable happily ever after.

If I could send this book a kiss, I would!

Huge thank you to Bookouture for this wonderful ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars.

I really, really enjoyed this one. It was so much more than a romance. It was also a mystery with so many questions to answer.

The chemistry between Madeline and Adam and Madeline and Garrett were both so good. Both situations could have felt insta-lovey, but Wiesner made it work.

The mystery portion of this story was also a fun one to uncover. The whole time, it felt like something happened 10 years ago that the reader wasn’t aware of and it was nice having all the pieces come together.

I highly recommend this one. It releases on August 19, 2025…and I’m already looking forward to the second installment to find out the answers to some of our still lingering questions.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Melissa Weisner has knocked it out of the park again! Heartbreaking, emotional, beautiful, tear-jerking, and just plain unforgettable. This is probably her most suspenseful yet. I absolutely loved it! I am looking forward to book number 2 and it can't come soon enough!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

*ARC provided by Bookouture via NetGalley

This being my first book by Melissa Wiesner I was immediately drawn by the book description because I was in the mood for something heartbreaking.

Juggling between dual timelines we get to meet Madeline, Adam and Jason in their teenage years and 10 years after. Madeline moves to a new town with her mom and sister to finish her senior year and meets Adam who helps her with this big change in her life. It’s very clear they like each other and spend every single minute together and with his best friend Jason. They fall in love with each other and plan their future together up until a tragedy strikes and Adam dies.

Ten years after and she’s engaged to Jason, but a video she’s accidentally sees online of a man saving two kids on the beach changes everything. The mystery behind a secret identity of this guy and all that made Madeleine question everything was the most interesting part of the book and what kept me up reading at night. Although I couldn’t see all the plot twist coming a lot of things I did predict. Especially having a hunch about a certain character who made me doubt him from the very start.

In a suspenseful way it was addictive but I didn’t feel blown away by this book. The romance was very much insta love but the whole thing didn’t pack an emotional punch I was expecting. Maybe because it went back and forth constantly I couldn’t feel the depth of the love they felt and I wasn’t convinced is because it all felt superficial and in small doses. Like we were told about it and not shown. And usually the angst that always goes hand in hand when it comes to love triangle wasn’t there at all.
So in the department of romance it fell flat.

There’s still a lot of questions hanging in the air that I suppose will be answered in the sequel.