Stephanie and Jamie meet one day in a country house where Jamie is teaching a weekend art class, and Stephanie is a student sent there by her husband and father as a treat after a difficult few years.

Although they’re both married to other people – and Stephanie is practical, while Jamie is a dreamer – they feel a connection. And so begins their story, where they meet up, just one day a year, sometimes as friends, sometimes as more, and we follow them over the course of a decade.

At first, I found the story difficult to get into: switching between the two main characters, with months or even a year between each section, meant I couldn’t initially connect with them, even though I liked the idea of the novel.

As Stephanie and Jamie’s story developed, though, I found myself more and more invested in how it would all turn out: would they end up together? Would their spouses find out? Would Stephanie recover the person she used to be? Would Jamie try and make his passion for art into a career?

Despite a slow start, The Day We Met is a fun, quick read, and without giving anything away, the ending is unexpected – in all sorts of ways.

The premise of this book did remind me of another similar type book by Josie Silver 'One Day in December'. I settled down to read this book and was at first initially uncomfortable with these two strangers complementing to meet up every year even though they were both in committed relationships. However the more I got to know and understand them in particular Stephanie. I was then rooting for them to be together.

The writing style is very engaging and I ended up staying up late to finish this book. I like the fact that the focus in mainly on the two characters and their partners with a few others in the background, which meant I was able to connect with Stephanie and Jamie on a deeper level.

I did feel quite cross with one of the main characters towards the end as I feel they could have perhaps changed their course if they were more diligent, maybe this was me being too invested in them!

Needless to say I finished this book whilst sobbing, with full on streaming tears down my face. A lovely story in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this book in exchange for a honest review..

Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House UK and Ebury Publishing for the ARC of The Day We Met by Roxie Cooper.

Stephanie is engaged to Matt. Jamie is married to Helen. But when Stephanie and Jamie meet at a weekend art course in 2006, their connection is undeniable. Although seemingly incompatible - Jamie believes in fate and true love, while Stephanie doesn’t - they find themselves pulled together time and time again over the next ten years.

I love the way this book is written, jumping through the years and swapping narrator between Stephanie and Jamie. Their lives are so different to each other, and they should be so wrong for each other, but from the very start, you know this is one non-couple you’re rooting for. The characters in this book are shown with all of their flaws, but this makes them all the more human. These are people and relationships you can relate to.

Music is very important throught this book, and forms a huge part of the communication between Stephanie and Jamie. A lovely little addition is a Spotify playlist that has been created to accompany the story, so that we, as the reader, can hear exactly what the characters are hearing. This multi-sensory approach really adds another layer to this story, so I definitely suggest going to Spotify and searching The Day We Met to check this out (it’s also a cracking list of music to listen to independently of the book!).

This book had me hooked from the very start, and I couldn’t wait to finish it but was dreading it being over in equal measure. I actually feel a little bereft after finishing it, and I can’t wait to re-read it.

5 stars out of 5

The Day We Met will be published on 1 February 2019 in ebook format, and 7 March 2019 in paperback.

I was so excited about this book - it sounded like a hybrid of One Day and High Fidelity, and to some extent I was very right. And I flew through the pages, wanting, needing to know what happened.

A brilliant book, well written and easy to read...but the ending was all wrong for me. It became too easy to see the inspiration behind the tale, too cliched. And it robbed the storyline of something for me.

A real shame - with a different ending, this would have been a 5 star novel.

An easy, unputdownable story.

Get the tissues ready, you WILL need them. Stephanie and Jamie, two people who met their soul mate, but who were already involved with other people. Read this, and make sure you live your life, to the full, as much as you can. This book will make you do what you want to do, This story is sad, evocative, full of songs, and un-put-downable.
Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read it, it is lovely.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. In the same vein as The Wedding Date and How Do You Like Me Now?, it explores the complications that can arise in relationships, both romantic and familial, through a series of twists and turns over the course of ten years. One I’d definitely recommend if you’re after a fun, quick & thought-provoking read!

Oh my what a read! I couldn’t put it down. The characters were very likeable and the story of meeting someone whom you feel a strong connection to is very relatable. It could happen to any one of us. Well written and a good storyline. I loved it.