This was a real roller-coaster of a book, will they, won't they finally get together, but with some quite serious issues throughout the story.

Sophie is very into her high powered job and has no time for anything, or anyone, else.  This is mainly because of a tragedy that occurred when she was younger, making her the way she is now.  Then she bumps into Samuel whilst away for a job and her whole life changes.  They get closer, but then events conspire to make Sophie run and they lose track of one another and spend the rest of the book searching for/missing one another.

There are so many life changing things going on in this book, too many to list, but suffice to say both Sophie and Samuel's lives turn out completely different from how they started.  Sam's Irish family were definitely the humour factor in the book, they were so funny and down to earth, I loved them!

I must admit the beginning of the book was a little slow for me, but that didn't take long to change and this turned out to be one of those books I was thinking about when I wasn't reading it, and itching to get back to the story to see how it all turned out.  There are some very sad and some very funny parts, along with some very frustrating parts when Sophie and Samuel kept just missing one another.  A really great read, full of fabulous characters and emotion, that I would highly recommend.

Loved this book had tissues by my side as Inread.So well written a story characters that drew me right in swept me out of my life into this wonderful story.An author to follow. #netgalley#headlinebooks

Beautiful and emotional. Sophie meets Samuel and they quickly fall in love. But due to Sophie's work, (I don't want to give the plot away), she realises she can't be with him. A story of crossed paths and misunderstandings, ending in a race to get them back together. Don't read the ending in a public place!

I loved this book. It was a good story of romance and I loved how the story went from between the two characters. Well written and had me emotionally involved the whole way through. I would love to read more from this author

This book has so many layers that weave together the complexity of the lives involved and how life has a way of throwing up curve balls and silver linings.

Sophie and Samuel meet in a chance moment and after that neither of their lives are the same. The serendipity involved throughout the book is both endearing and frustrating as so many things conspire against the two of them but you are 100% involved and committed to both of them finding some happiness.

Samuel has an amazing family. The Mclaughlins are A TRIP and I think they deserve a book all of their very own; they were magnificent and added such warmth, humour and faith in family throughout.

Sophie's background is completely different and meeting Samuel inadvertently triggers her return to her childhood home, her traumatic past, and possibly the route to redemption for her and her half-sister Helen.

Both of our protagonists have a lot of obstacles to overcome and they become as far apart really as possible to figure out what matters and what doesn't. They have friends, family, careers, and issues from their pasts that crowd their lives and flood what had been such a wonderful beginning for the two of them. This is heartbreaking and painful to witness, enduring the pain and loss that the two of them encounter as well as the exasperating missed chances.

This rollercoaster of a book has you hooked, with every emotion felt through every event. It is a wonderful, poignant and moving story about forgiveness, family, and love.

This is the sort of love story that has you fiercely rooting for the love-struck couple. Normally it's a case of them making the relationship work or, making a life together...

With The First Time I Saw You, curiously, it's more a case of the couple finding each other and then having to refind each other. Like some of the best stories, Serendipity, Sliding Doors, this is thoughtful. Reading this, at first I felt it was a whirlwind. A 'Will they/Won't they romance.' Only once I got caught up in it, did I feel that this could be anyone's story. What if you felt like you'd found love and then saw it walk away? Would you pursue it, not knowing what the other feels? Or would you just sit and wait? It is so real, for lack of a better word. And so beautiful. How could I not recommend?

I've read a book of Emma Cooper's before, The Songs Of Us, I can affirm that this book has the same uplifting humour and the characters only bring good to the story. Easy to love this one!

I received this book through NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own and completely honest.

I really enjoyed this book soooooo much. I found myself getting lost in the story and always wanting to know more. For me this was a real page turner and I’d love to read more by this author as I enjoyed the writing style. I particularly liked how the chapters alternate between Samuel and Sophie it gives another depth to the story. Would recommend this to anyone who loves women’s fiction, an indulgent novel or are just a fan of page turners.

Sophie, Samuel, Helen, Charlie, Bret and Mr and Mrs McLaughlin please all take a bow, and another and another and another. It is a standing ovation from me for Emma Cooper's latest novel.
It is an exquisite and bittersweet modern day love story that I read in two sittings and for which I sacrificed sleep in order to race through. I cried a lot at the end, so much so that I woke my husband up! Not quite the tearjerker that Songs of Us was but very close.
I am not going to say any more about the plot as it is so hard to give details without revealing fantastic developments in the storyline. This book will make you laugh out loud, sigh in frustration, read the fastest you ever had in desperation for all to come good and marvel at the lengths we will go to for love. There is heartache in different forms, there is also great joy and the way the book is crafted by chapter headings is clever and intrinsic to the plot.
Poignant, breath-taking and a MUST-MUST-MUST read!

3.5 stars
While the whole story it's lovely and the characters are coming both with baggage and things to overcome from the past, their real relationship didn't felt very realistic as adults.
The characters are great and their thought and insecurities are very well done but the actual interaction and story felt like dragging a lot, like too much of describing things that could have been done in half of the pages or space that they took as it was very predictable as well.
It's my first read by the author and will definitely read other books in the future as i enjoyed the writing and concept overall.

I had high hopes for this book and whilst I enjoyed it I wasn’t blown away. It was well written and flowed well and quite emotional in parts. A nice chic lit read but nothing to rave about.

An absolute treat of a book. So emotive, powerful and heartwrenching with an incredible cast of characters. I sobbed!

This is an entertaining and heart-warming story about Sophie and Samuel. When they first meet, they just know that they should be together!! Unfortunately the fickle finger of fate seeks out them and does its best to keep them apart. The writing in this book is just captivating and grabbed my interest from the very first page! It’s taken me on a rollercoaster of emotions, right through from laughing out loud to wiping tears away. The characters were so likeable and they all added something of their own to the storyline. Told from Sophie and Sam’s perspectives, the storyline was easy to follow and held my attention until the end! My first book by this author, but I will definitely be looking for more! A word of warning though - make sure you’re settled on a comfy chair, with a pack of tissues and plenty of comfort food as you’ll certainly need it all!!

I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by Emma Cooper but found it an enjoyable read. The story is told by Sophie and Samuel.they meet briefly in New York and fall in love. Due to Sophie's past she doesn't fall in love easily. Then Sophie leaves suddenly and Samuel is in an accident. This is a classic romance book, an easy read.

The writing is just beautiful in this love story. The imagery is incredible. However I found the first half really slow. I put it to one side and read a book in between and then came back to this and enjoyed it immensely. I didn't want to put it down as I had to find out if Sophie was going to be reunited with the love of her life.

The book tackles some very emotional subjects but it's done with sensitivity by this wonderful writer.

If you like epic love stories this will appeal.

I am probably not alone when I say that I always approach follow up books to ones I have loved with some trepidation. When you have loved a book as much as I loved Emma’s debut, The Songs of Us, you want the next one to be just as good, but there is always the fear that it will not live up to the heights the last one achieved. I fell so in love with the story of Melody and her family and the book had such a huge impact on me, I really could not see how The First Time I Saw You was going to match it.

Well, Emma is a clever thing because the way she did it was to make this one feel completely different, but in a way that was still compelling and affecting. At least, that is how it felt to me. I found The Songs of Us extremely funny, whilst still being heart-breaking and plumbing real emotional depth. The First Time I Saw You is a horse of a different colour, with less of a comedy element but the same complex familial relationships, the same emotional rollercoaster and the same examination of personal relationships between two flawed people, put under strain.

It took me no time at all to fall in love with Samuel (it may have has something to do with him being Irish, I may just have a little bit of a thing for Irish men). It took me a little longer to warm to Sophie. In fact, the situation was pretty much a reversal of the way I felt about the male and female characters in the last book, but this was very important for the story development. One of the most riveting parts of the plot for me was the development and softening of Sophie, the way she changes throughout the book and how she, and we, uncover the reasons she is the way she is, how her history has shaped her and how the events in the story shape her going forwards. Damaged characters, flawed characters, complicated characters – these are the things that gives books richness and depth and make them extraordinary.

Samuel’s plot arc, for me, was both devastating and uplifting. Because I fell in love with him from the first chapter and was totally on his side, what Emma did to him almost broke me, and seeing him go through his ordeal and claw his way back to where he wanted to be was excruciating. I lived every trial, every setback, every disappointment as if he were a real person I cared for deeply. I was willing him on, wanting him to get his happy ending, mentally begging Emma to help him. It is a rare gift for an author to be able to make characters come so alive and matter so much to readers in this way, and Emma totally has this. It is the thing I love most about her writing, what embeds it in my heart.

This book left me deeply affected, just as the last one did, but in a very different way. Despite the fact that this book turns out very differently (I am desperately trying to get my point across without spoiling either book for people who have not read them yet), in some ways it was a more difficult and melancholy read for me. That may not make any sense to people who have read them both, but it is how I felt. Some people may be disappointed that this book perhaps wasn’t as lighthearted as the previous novel. I say it shows bravery, diversity and a complexity of ability that makes Emma a talented author, who will continue to surprise and push her readers and I, for one, cannot wait to see what she does next.

Oh I loved this so much. I binge read it pretty much because I couldn’t put it down. Sophie and Samuel are so utterly perfect for each other but circumstances keep them apart, and I loved seeing their paths very nearly cross - frustrating in a lovely way. The characters are all gorgeous, especially ‘Da’, and I loved the back story between Sophie and Helen. Would completely recommend this book for getting lost in - so very lovely.

The first time I saw you is a lovely well written story about Sophie and Samuel, two strangers that meet by chance in Washington and starting a relationship, Sam falling instantly in love, Sophie rather repressed taking a little longer to acknowledge her feelings.
Full of humour and angst but above all entertaining. I enjoyed this book but found myself speed reading through parts desperate to know when they would get back together after separating in Washington. I will be re reading to savour the bits I missed, and although it seemed to take forever for them to find each other again that’s what made this journey gut wrenchingly good.
Full of multi faceted characters, some so funny one in particular heartbreakingly broken.
A heart warming read.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

"Utterly delicious"

This is a brilliant,heartwarming, entertaining and slightly heartbreaking in places 4 star story that you really need to one click asap.
Sophie and Samuels story is definitely a binge worthy book.
I loved these two so much but the supporting characters really made this book for me.
I absolutely loved every one of their family and loved the bonds they all had.
Emma Cooper definitely has a hit on her hands with this story.
It's so good I binged on all its goodness.
Seriously you need to read this book asap.
I'm voluntarily reviewing an advanced reader copy of this book given to me by Netgalley.

This was a really lovely story following a (rather frustrating) journey to happiness! Kept me completely absorbed and I thoroughly enjoyed - thank you.

Well, she's done it again. Made me ugly cry in the public and cost me couple of nights sleep. Pretty standard now for this author. When you connect to characters from the first page and fall in love with them, when their families become yours even if only for the duration of the book, you know you picked a book written by a talented writer. I realise this book has only just been published but I literally need another one.