Loved this story - so well written with characters you come to care about and the ending...………..gasped out loud! An excellent exploration of love, fantasy, sacrifice and fate with strong characters and family relationships that we very real. Highly recommend.

A lovely, quirky story. I expect most of us have a ‘what if’ in our history, although this one is probably a bit bigger than most! Charlotte is madly in love with Tom Farley, a member of her brother Matthew’s band, but this causes a huge family crisis, tragedy even, and has repercussions for a long time. She does not go off with him as he wants, she promises to follow on when the time is right, so he is always there in the centre of her mind.
Life moves on, and Charlotte goes up in the world. She marries a much-respected doctor, who absolutely adores her, and she is very happy. But the ‘what if’ is still niggling away in the back of her mind. And just when the author persuades you that Charlotte is going to make the biggest mistake of her life ... her world rights itself again.
Well written, and worth reading.

Beautifully written novel that has completely got under my skin and almost had me in tears on public transport!

The book is so brilliant that pretty much anything I say wouldn't be able to do it justice.

I'm trying to put into words what the story is about, but can't quite finish any sentence, so here are some rambling thoughts instead

- How do you know who your true love is?
- Should family loyalty and guilt towards your brother mean you give up on your true love?
- Can you really be happy potentially living a lie, or will you learn what the true meaning of love is?
- Just how frustrating is that voice that says What If?
- How well do you know someone no matter the connection you feel?

Well all of these questions and a whole lot more are certainly answered in this book.

Charlotte's brother's story was the most touching of all and I really did have a lump in my throat a few times when we see what he is dealing with.

This is a novel spanning many years, often in short-ish snippets as time progresses, which is a great way of seeing how life is going for our key characters.

I absolutely love Emma Heatherington's writing style, it really gripped me and I was completely oblivious on my way to and from Birmingham on the train. The book flowed so so well and I clearly felt a lot for all the characters. Someone more emotional than me probably would have had many tears at various key points.

A truly wonderful book to warm your heart this winter, and keep your eye out for a Christmas Miracle too!

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This book is so well written, I absolutely flew through it! I really liked all the characters and had no idea who Charlotte was going to end up with, I didn’t feel it was at all predictable and could have gone either way. I am happy with her choice, and that’s always a good thing! This is the first of Emma’s books I have read, but will definitely be reading others. I recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley.

I found it slow to start with, but pace increased to make it an enjoyable read. A slight twist near the end - a will she, won’t she dilemma.

An enjoyable read with moments that had you second guessing what the outcome was going to be. The main character Charlotte faces the ‘what if’ question that we have all encountered in some form of way in our life.
I felt like Tom’s character had a bit of an abrupt change of gear and of course I loved Jack, wish more of him grew on trees!!

A sweet enjoyable book but with a very annoying main character who had no backbone... and a rather self-indulgent male lead whonwas just stereotyped for my liking!

This is a will they won’t they romance - sadly it didn’t grab me as much as I’d thought it would ... although I was willing for a happy ending.

3.5*

A cosy romance set in Dublin. Tom and Charlie/Charlotte meet, fall for each other, but it never seems to be the “right” time for both of them simultaneously. Loved the book description but didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Maybe it was Charlie’s annoying stubbornness or perhaps Tom’s charms I didn’t quite get! It would make a nice extra gift though for sisters, wives, girlfriends or mums.

This book is so much more than just a romance. Firstly, the author delivered a deeper exploration of love and relationships than your average romance novel. But, more significantly, it was really thought-provoking exploring a number of other themes and ideas alongside the romantic story line.

I absolutely loved the whole concept of this book regularly considering the idea of fate and destiny myself. There was a similarity with the film “Sliding Doors”, exploring the different paths that a woman's life might have taken depending on her reaction to one momentous event. For the record I believe in destiny and that everything happens for a reason. Although author Emma Heatherington says it better saying: “No matter how we try and shape it, fate will always make sure we end up exactly where we are meant to be.”

Love Interest #1 Tom is main character Charlotte’s first crush and soul mate. Five years later they bump into each other again on the same night that she meets Jack, Love Interest #2, for the first time. But, their reunion is short lived as a family tragedy forces them apart yet again. Charlotte then goes onto marry Jack but can’t stop wondering ‘what if’ with regards to Tom. Unfortunately it did mean though that the story was a bit repetitive at times as the main character continued to brood over her past, present and future.

Similarly, I was also captivated by the idea of life not turning out as we planned. As children we dream of being astronauts or doctors or whatever we want, we truly believe we can be anything we want. Which of course we can but the reality is that we often find ourselves on a different path for whatever reason. Like Charlotte who dreamed of being a singer songwriter but ended up as a teacher enjoying singing songs to a delighted audience of primary school children instead.

Lastly, deeper topics of mental health and family ties were explored. For me though, whilst I understood and emphasized with Charlotte’s brother’s mental health issues, the same couldn’t be said for my feelings towards the main character herself. Charlotte has a gorgeous, kind husband who adores her, idyllic country living in a beautiful cottage, a supportive circle of family and friends, and a rewarding career as a teacher – yet she is miserable. I understand that mental health doesn’t work like that and is extremely complex and uncontrollable but to me Charlotte just came across as a bit whiney and ungrateful rather than truly in a dark place like her brother. As such I couldn’t really connect with her.

And, because of that I just liked this novel rather than loved it. It had all the ingredients for a great story yet for me there was something slightly missing.

I absolutely loved Rewrite the stars, I read it in 3 sittings, 40% in one go then the rest was split between a return train journey and it was the perfect companion for my journey.

I really liked Charlotte/Char/Charlie - she was a really likeable character and I enjoyed seeing her thought processes. I was itching for her to be with Tom Farley / find Tom Farley even up to about 40% and then reading about her life with Jack, it was a bit of an eye opener as you could tell that she was in turmoil.

At times I wanted to knock her on the head, but I felt that the way that the book was written was eally well done and I loved all of the what if scenarios.

If you haven't, I'd definitely recommend listening to the song - 'You' by Gareth Dunlop which was written especially for the book; how cool is that?

Lovely book.

This is such a lovely book that I read in a matter of hours. A book of what ifs and maybes and of true love. It’s a real feel good kind of book and I felt happy when I’d finished it. Although described as a Christmas romance I think you could read this any time of the year and nothing Christmassy in the book would be lost.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Rewrite the Stars was the perfect love story, I absolutely loved it, I wasn't sure where the ending would go, but I was so happy in how it ended.

What pulled me to this was the cover and I love a Christmas romance - I had an idea from the title it would be about possibly paths you can go down.

Charlotte and Tom are thrown together as he is a drummer in her brothers band – from this moment on the chemistry is undeniable but life intervenes and throughout various stages of their life they don’t manage to make a go of things. Until they cross paths in a bar one Christmas, could this be fate? However a fateful accident and truth forces them apart and both wonder – what if! Many years later and Charlotte has chosen a different path where she is happy but has a niggling doubt in her mind. One night at a concert changes things and it is time to confront the past, for her to work out if she should of taken a different path.

Whilst this is centered on Charlotte Taylor – what I do like is it makes you reflect and appreciate the choices you have made in your own life – on who may or not be the one.
Is there even such a thing as ‘the one’?

Whilst I did enjoy the book, I did guess quite a lot of what would happen throughout – mainly her Charlotte’s brothers news and the main choice she chose.
This being said I did like the push/pull struggle she faced with her love life and the battle with her emotions. There is a lot of warmth within Emma’s writing and the characters were all believeable.

A lovely Christmas romance. Very well written love story of past and present. Very emotional and heartwarming.

My thanks to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, it was very enjoyable. I found the plot line engaging and the characters believable. I have not read anything by this author before but will do in the future! I will be recommending this book to friends and family.

Wow, having finished this wonderful read, all I can say is what an absolutely incredible love story that Emma Heatherington has written in Rewrite the Stars. I haven't read anything by this author since some of her very early books many years ago and soon I was kicking myself that I had not done so. I'll use the much written cliché that I was instantly sucked into this book because simply it's true. Right from the opening chapter I was drawn into the story of Charlotte and Tom and before I knew it I was halfway through the book becoming completely unaware of my surroundings instead being very much caught up in the fantastic and moving story that was unfolding before my eyes.

You'd be forgiven for thinking this was the usual run of the mill love story where boy meets girl with a bit of Christmas thrown in for good measure. So truthfully I wasn't expecting too much from this story but to say I was pleased would be an understatement. Emma Heatherington has poured her heart and soul into writing a story with such brilliantly drawn characters whom you begin to feel are real. I became so deeply invested in Charlotte's story and I knew from fairly on what I wished the outcome to be but I loved how right until the very last four or five pages that the reader was kept in suspense and continually guessing what the eventual result would be. There is not an over abundance of Christmas featured throughout the story so really it can be read at any time of the year.

Dublin, December 2010, and Charlotte is sharing student accommodation with her brother Matthew when in walks Tom Farley, a fellow band member of her brother's. For Charlotte it is like the world has stopped, frozen and there is nothing else. The moment she set her eyes on Tom she knew her life was never going to be the same again and so sets in motion a change of events which alter how Charlotte lives her life for so many years and those of her family members too. This deep attraction, chemistry and connection she feels with Tom is like no other and through such emotive writing and very carefully chosen words the reader soon comes to feel this way about the pair too. They also share a connection with music which only intensifies the energy between them. But then Tom's girlfriend arrives to the house and Charlotte's dreams are crushed. All in one day she has fallen in love and had her heart broken.

I felt every bit of pain and joy that Charlotte experiences throughout the novel. It was as if the author went several layers deeper when discussing and exploring love and relationships than is normally covered in some of the lighter women's fiction books I have read and I am so glad she did. There were endless sentences and paragraphs that spoke to me and I found myself nodding along in agreement on more than one occasion. What was excellent is that the story jumped forward in time, normally I would find this confusing but instead here it felt very natural. It moved the story along at a nice pace and I was glad we weren't stuck in the same time period all the time. It also showed the real journey of Charlotte, how true love never runs smoothly. How we can be deeply affected by something which then in turn has consequences for us and it's how we cope with these emotions and feelings that will have a significant forbearing on the decisions we make and the way we live our lives. The decisions we make are so important whether we choose the right option or not dictates the course of our lives. I questioned endless times whether Charlotte could face up to her fears, whether she could overcome the guilt she feels and do what was best for her?

Fast forward 5 years to 2015 and Charlotte is now a primary school teacher. She enjoys her job but she never pursued her other love of music, instead she has pined for the one that got away. For the remainder of the book this longing deeply affects her and the life choices she makes. She can't seem to lay his ghost to rest having a deep gut instinct that things are destined to be. Charlotte longs to be someone different, to be the person that takes risks, to go with the flow and to be her true self no longer suppressing the real Charlotte. She believes Tom is the only one to recognise this. So a chance meeting on a cold Winter's night in the run up to Christmas in the back yard of a pub provides her with the chance to just go for it and she is ever so glad she did so. She can't let other people get in the way of the feelings both herself and Tom have for one another. Using this new found adopted attitude of doing what she is right for her she questions Tom as to why he never found her again. The answer is more than surprising to her and sets forth a whole other strand to the story. I did have a slight suspicion as to what this was and I was proven right. But again I felt it mixed so well with the overall themes of the story and it also helped me to make sense of a lot of other issues that had been niggling away at me.

When Charlotte brings confrontation into her life, it brings with it disastrous, life changing consequences and the decision to get things out in the open will eat away at her for a very long time as we move forward in years right up to 2018 stopping at various junctures along the way. I felt Charlotte was way too harsh on herself. Yes, I could accept the guilt she was feeling but did that have to totally overtake her long term life and love decisions. She had said she wanted to be true to herself but I really don't think she was being like that for the vast majority of the novel. To sum up the entire situation it was captivating yet frustrating and I think the author wanted the reader to feel this way, to go through the emotional wringer as much as Charlotte was. She shouldn't have to feel like she would spend her life living a lie consumed by guilt and regret. Things needed to come out into the open and she desperately needed to meet Tom again and get things out in the open because her personal life which had had significant developments was suffering and I hated to see that this was the case. She deserved happiness, honesty and love as did those around her but this deep connection established so many years ago was a constant niggle in her heart and mind and would not be sated until Charlotte took the bull by the horns and did something about it. Closure is a word that springs to mind but can she close the door on something that has dominated her mind for so long or does she want to actually the door that little bit wider and embrace what is right behind it?

I loved this sentiment which said 'Do you think that there is a parallel version of you existing, doing the things you could have done had you made different decisions in life?' This sums Charlotte up perfectly and really it is a very thought provoking question and one which Charlotte doesn't know the answer to but she feels it may help her with her ultimate and final decision. Charlotte needed to remember that being true to oneself was much more important rather than being dominated by others and steam rolled into a corner. Just because things could have worked out differently doesn't mean they could have worked out better. She punished herself for too long now was the time to take life into her own hands. Would she do it? Will she be with Tom? So many more questions arise that need answers but to find them out you certainly have to read this brilliant book. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it.

Rewrite the Stars provides you with everything you could want from a book and much much more. I loved every minute of it and I will remember Charlotte's story for a long time to come. Such honesty, intensity and emotional fluency radiates from every page of this phenomenal book. Let's hope Emma Heatherington writes much more in this vein in the future.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this gem of a book - thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. Didn't want it to end. The perfect Christmas romance.

The plot is so full of angst and missed opportunities that I wanted to shake both Charlie and Tom.

I found Charlie's indecision infuriating, for her it is either Matthew her brother, or Tom her lover. She cannot accept both could be in her life, so rejects one completely.

Later when Charlie tries to bring the past into the present she seriously endangers her own happiness.

Whilst I found this a thoroughly absorbing book, it's definitely not for anyone feeling slightly downhearted, as the lows are very low.

A compelling read and thoroughly recommended.

Nice feel good book. It flowed very well. was easy to read. Nice characters. Good storyline. What’s not to love.

Rewrite the Stars by Emma Heatherington a five-star read that will make the stars sparkle. This is my first read from this author, but it will not be the last as I love the writing. Charlotte Taylor or Charlie as she is more commonly known is a great character, she is one of those that will warm you up, I am sad that she isn’t real, I don’t know why but I totally fell for her. The slow burn and the will they wont they, wow it just added a whole new level to this story. Tom and Jack, they just made me smile, and I am not telling which I adore more. You have to read the story and make up your own mind. There could have been some polish at some parts, but overall, I loved the lightness to this story.