Do you ever ask yourself the question "What If"
What if I did this, what if I did that.......
This one is a little like a sliding doors type of read, a read where you will think what if I had made a different decision.
How would my life have worked out?

I adore reading this authors books.
I know when I receive her book I'm in for a great read, I know I'll probably shed a few tears but ultimately I will close the last page with a feeling of satisfaction and a little sadness if I'm honest that I have a wait for her next one.

Rewrite The Stars is romance at its best.
We meet Charlotte (Charlie to one special person) who is a teacher but her first love is music.
One day she meets Tom Farley, her brothers best friend and she knows, he knows, this is it. This love at first sight is what people wait a lifetime for.
But life happens, they take other paths all the while never forgetting each other.....
So with every page I turned, I was wondering and hoping that they would meet again and that this time will be their moment...
I laughted alot and most certainly cried plenty but I fell in love with Charlie & Tom and their story....
Emma's characters are interesting, her storyline a pure romance.....

I always believe everything happens for a reason in life and this couldn't be more apt in this novel...

I can't recommend it highly enough to you...
A feel good, happy, sad and completely satisfying read. You will love it ❤

Well done Emma, you should be very proud...x

Having loved my previous Emma Heatherington book I was extremely eager to start reading this beautiful book and boy did it not disappoint. I fell head first into this tale and very reluctantly put the book down at any one point when life (work) got in the way.

This story was all consuming, there's no two ways about it. I was instantly pulled into Charlotte's world and whisked away on a whirlwind ride of romance and heartache that left me breathless. What if.....is an extremely powerful and emotive phrase that can hinder and eat away at happiness and I'm sure it's a question we have all asked ourselves at one point in time. But should this question rule your life? It's a turmoil of twisted emotions that Charlotte faces with a journey that is raw and honest to witness.

No great love affair takes the easy road to happy ever after and this tale was no different. With a star crossed story Shakespeare would be proud of I found myself gripped to each and every moment. Every heartbreak and emotional trauma was felt as I turned the pages at lightening speed to see how the story would play out and I was left second guessing until the final moments.

Charlotte was a flawed and tortured soul which made her real and relatable in my eyes. Her sincere nature and penchant to wear her heart on her sleeve left her vulnerable and open to life's dark realities. The writing delved deeply into the mind of our heroine to reveal troubled and turbulent thoughts of a disquiet nature that were all consuming and agonising to endure. This accute pain was the catalyst that drove the story on and shaped several powerful moments in the book.

Rewrite the Stars is a vivid depiction of life and love in all its ugly glory. It's candid approach is honest and raw with a love that will stay with me for many years to come.

This book was so much more emotional than I expected, and I got so much more invested than I thought I would! Charlotte was an incredibly likeable and empathetic main character, and there were moments I was sat on the edge of the seat worrying about The Big Decision. I loved how this flipped the script on what’s expected in this kind of plot, and I had a great time reading it!

This book makes you think about how you are living your life. It certainly makes you stop and think. Beautifully written.

21 year old Charlotte thinks she has found love with her brother's friend Tom, but moves on when she finds out he already has a girlfriend. Five years later, they bump into each other and the feelings are still there but Charlotte's brother has personal demons to face which get in the way and Charlotte moves on with Doctor Jack instead, but Tom is never far from her mind. A lovely, heartwarming tale of love and family ties.

It's another one of those books about having a second chance with the love of your (past) life. While those often follow the same path, I liked it that the story by Emma Heatherington is kind of unique (although the framework did remind me of "One Day in December" by Josie Silver). I also really appreciated it that I wasn't 100% sure how Charlotte will decide until the very end. Will she choose the safe option? Or the adventurous one? Will she go with her heart? But what is it that her heart wants? Will she try to fulfil her dream of becoming a musican? Will she do what the people around her hurts the less? Will she remember what her friend once said to her: "Just because things could have worked out differently, doesn't mean they'd have been better!"? (This advice is applicable to many situations in ones life, actually.) But another one said: "No matter how long you feel you have travelled in the wrong direction, you still have the choice to turn around."

But there were also things that made the book not perfect for me:
- All the musing of Charlotte about her past, present and future are too often repetitive. Here some editing would have definitely helped the story to move along less tedious.
- We never get to see Charlotte and Tom as a couple, the time they do spend together is only told retrospectively and we only get small glimpses. This did not necessarily help me root for them getting together, and it also made it harder to understand why they are both obviously so madly in love with each other.
- The epilogue is cheesy times three! Way too over the top.

This a love story about Charlotte & Tom. Tom is in Charlotte’s brothers band. They like each other but the time is not right .
They move on
Did they take the right path.
A brilliant book
Thanks NetGalley

A really enjoyable read starting with a young student who meets her brother, Matthew’s, friend Tom when their band is on the cusp of making it big. Matthew is determined their romance will not be and so the pair separate only to meet up years later after Matthew has had a breakdown which, we are led to believe, is because of Tom. Certainly, for the introspective reader, this story may raise questions in their own lives over missed opportunities. For others, it is a really good storyline

Another book read via Netgalley and I loved it. I want to say so much but to do so will give the story away. I enjoyed the characters right down to Peggy who plays an almost non existent part in the book but whose words of wisdom resonate through our lives. I am sure the premise of the book is known to many people – star crossed lovers – and all the what ifs that go with a relationship that Charlotte and Tom have or have not over the years. Again a great read and I would so recommend it to book lovers everywhere

THIS is my new favourite book, I simply LOVED it so much and want everyone else to discover this wonderful story.

Charlotte in her early twenties meets her brothers new band mate Tom. It is love at first sight for her. We then fast forward a few years later and her brother no longer is in the band. It all went terribly wrong for unknown reasons and her brother never quite recovered from this. Charlotte then reconnects with Tom, can they give their attraction another chance? Or would it be too upsetting to her brother?

The story follows Charlotte as she try to move on and live her life and be the good loyal sister. This is a story about first love, lost love, complex family relationships and wondering if the path she has taken is the right path.

I literally swooned at times from the intense emotion and managed to read this book in the one sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy for in exchange for a honest review.

Charlotte Taylor and her brother Matthew share a student flat in Dublin, but how much do they know about each others' lives? When Matthew forms a new band and brings new bandmate Tom Farley home for the first time, Charlotte falls for him hard, He discovers her talent for singing and songwriting and encourages her to pursue it. Matt has other ideas and is always against Tom and Charlotte getting together. Suddenly the band, on the verge of hitting the big time, are no more, and it all seems very mysterious. Years later Charlotte, now a teacher in Dublin bumps into Tom and the spark is still there. Events get in the way and we find a story that's full of what ifs (not wishing to give away spoilers). What if we made a different decision? Would our lives change? Would it be better? Or just different? Should we pursue our dream? What is happiness anyway? I thought this was tackled really well and in what seemed like a simple tale of star crossed lovers, it gave me plenty to think about, not least, the grass may look greener, we may think we should have made different choices, but can we still be happy? #rewritethestars #netgalley

I feel like this might be an unpopular opinion, but I really - and I mean REALLY - did not get on with this book. You're quite right, I should probably stop trying to read romance. But here we are.

Let's start with the characters. Charlotte/Charlie Taylor is weak and insipid. Throughout this novel she is constantly told what to do and how to feel by the men around her.

I thought I would love her 'missed connection' with Tom Farley (drummer, singer, all round sex god who can only be referred to by his full name) - one of my favourite feelings is that spark you get when you just connect with a person. And sure, it makes you wonder 'what if' - AND THEN YOU MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE.

Charlotte did not move on with her life. At all. In fact, she spends the next DECADE wondering 'what if'. I'm sorry Charlie, but that's just unhealthy and you really need to seek some kind of professional help.

This means that she allows things to happen in her life, but is never happy with what she's got - whether that's a dream marriage, a beautiful home, or a good job. She is constantly unhappy and incapable of staying in the 'now', instead she is stuck in the 'what if'.

This is not to mention her severely unhealthy relationship with her brother, Matthew. Matthew and Tom Farley were in a band together, which is how Charlie met the great TF, but the band broke up under 'mysterious circumstances' and Matthew now lives at home with his parents after suffering a series of mental breakdowns. Charlie's revelation that she's going to run away and live happily ever after with Tom Farley (not a spoiler, it happens early on), triggers a severe breakdown for Matthew, who reacts incredibly badly and leads to a debilitating accident, that Charlie then carries the guilt for years.

Wait, what? Not only is Charlie crushed by her inability to stay grounded because she's busy wondering 'what if' but now she is being guilt-tripped by a mentally unstable brother? Not that they refer to what Matthew has as depression or suicidal tendencies - it's always his 'dark times'. Come on.

I'm sorry, but on so many levels, this book just wasn't for me.

Charlie first meets Tom when she is a young student and he is setting up a band with her brother Matthew and she totally falls for him. Tom already has a girlfriend though and Matthew always tries to keep them apart. Fast forward five years and the band has split and Matthew had had a breakdown which he will not talk about but somehow involves Tom, so when Charlie meets him again by chance and starts to see him is it meant to be or will Matthew's secret break them up?

A good story with some great characters, until the end I was not quite sure which relationship I was rooting for but it all turned out right in the end

A very good story that makes you think about your life decisions and what ifs. I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end and the characters are very reliable and well done overall.
Looking forward for more books by the author.

This book really makes you think did you settle for less just because you thought it was right? A great book and you want the end to hurry up so you can find out what/who she chose

Lovely story that keep you involved from start to finish. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

How many versions of our live are there? Do you truly get a second chance? This is a lovely book telling the story of Charlotte and the ripples in her life caused by Tom. A charming tale that draws you in and holds you to the end pulling heartstrings along the way. Plenty of smiles and a few tears are to be expected whilst immersing yourself in this heartwarming story.

Thank you Netgalley.

4.5/5 stars

The path not taken, the choice not made, the what if…

Like many, Charlotte wonders about her life and if there is maybe an alternate route she was meant to take. When faced with the opportunity to explore the other side, what will happen?

So many themes are explored in this novel. I’ve only touched on a few that really resonated for me:

In a way, I think this novel raises the question of if a soul mate and a life partnerare the same. Can you find both in the same person? There’s no doubt Tom is Charlie’s soulmate. The connection these two share, how music seems to combust between them, yet surround and shape them too, is absolutely thrilling to read. But can Tom really be a life partner for Charlotte? Do they mesh in all the ways that make day to day living successful?

Mental health illnessesare so often invisible until they’re horrifically unmissable. Even for sufferers, who don’t really want to admit or realize they may be struggling with something beyond their coping abilities. I think this issue comes out as well in the characters of Matthew and Charlotte, and definitely provides food for thought.

Another theme that struck me is how people are often willing to define themselves by their profession and when faced with challenges there, it can really affect all other aspects of their life, bringing up self-doubts that were perhaps non-existent before. By the time Charlotte’s professional insecurities started to intertwine with unresolved issues in the past. When she started to feel lost in the very environment and with the very people who had given her stability and purpose, I had to take a short reprieve and read a lighter story for a bit before returning.

I do wish more was done with one of the key characters, towards the end. I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline here. One of them needed more exploration or at least justification for his/ her actions. That would have made the story more complete.

Overall, however, I fully enjoyed this story. I think the author captured her characters very well. I found Charlotte to be well- developed and even her weaker character flaws were believable and understandable. I loved how she came to understand and accept her past and how she put her mind to moving forward.

Once in a while a book comes along that sweeps the reader into the very soul of the writer & her story, for me Rewrite the Stars was this book. From start to finish it had me, I absolutely loved it. it was a first read by Emma Heatherington, but definitely not the last.

Rewrite the Stars by Emma Heatherington is set in Ireland and tells the story of Charlotte who, while in college, meets Tom Farley, a member of her brother's band. She immediately feels the chemistry between them and thinks she has fallen in love. Things do not work out, but years later they run into each other at a pub. It's obvious there's something between them and their relationship progresses however, there's a problem. Charlotte's brother Matthew hates Tom Farley and wants her to have nothing to do with him. After an accident causes Charlotte and Tom to go their separate ways, Charlotte moves on with her life, but always in the back of her mind and too often front of her mind is Tom. She's now married to a wonderful man named Jack, but has she followed the correct path that her life was meant to take.

I really wanted to love this book. I've read another book by Heatherington called A Miracle on Hope Street which I loved. However, I just didn't like Charlotte at all. She's extremely selfish and can't see what a great thing she has in front of her. Reading this book, I just wanted to shake some sense into her! I did like the setting in Ireland which I thought was great for this Christmas romance. Hopefully the next book I read by the author will have a protagonist I relate to more.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.