Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the author previous book The Song of Us, I literally couldn't wait to read her new book The First Time I Saw You. Suffice to say that I was not disappointed, it was a truly beautiful, heartfelt and emotional story from start to finish. Right from the first chapter I was pulled in tight and the book didn't let go of me until the very last page.

The story was superbly written, so detailed and perfectly told in every way possible, the characters were an absolute delight to get to know, all of whom were excellently developed and just felt so very real. I truly felt for Sophie and Samuel, all that they had to go through and the obstacles that kept getting in their way. I really loved the ending though, but won't say anymore than that as I wouldn't want to accidentally give away any spoilers.

It's books like this that will stay with you for a long time, and one that will always be recommend to family and friends.

A delightful book of romance and relationships - feel good factor book which bought tears of frustration and happiness.

OMG! I devoured this book within 24hrs. The story of Sophie and Samuel who meet fall in love and then lose each other and through their different journeys on the path to find one another once again. This was such a beautiful but heart-wrenching story, I laughed, I cried and sometimes shouted at the book as things didn't go how I wanted or thought it would.
I was taken in by all the characters and each had a perfect role within the story, even tho there was some heartbreak for some characters.I liked how it was told from both of their different points of view as it made the story come together nicely.

This book will stay with me forever, it features one of my favourite places, Aberystwyth in Wales, this place is very special to me as this is where I scattered my Dads ashes and now have a caravan and spend most of my time in this beautiful place.


Thank you Emma for another fantastic book! I would highly recommend that this book is on everyones to read pile, It deserves more than 5 stars!!!!!!

Emma please tell me you are working on the next book!!!!

I really struggled to get into this book. I wanted to love it. The description had me hooked...but unfortunately the book didn’t. I couldn’t gel with the characters which I find essential to really enjoy a story.
Many thanks for the advanced copy.

I really wanted to love this, but I found it hard to connect with , it felt so slow, I couldn’t relate to the characters , just didn’t live up to my expectations

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

This is one of those ones that I really expected to love, but I just couldn't quite get into it. I actually ended up taking a break midway through, which did help some, as when I came back to it I found it far more engaging. As such, its hard to know if the initial issues were me or the book.

When I did finish it, I found it quite engaging, and the ending was lovely, if not a little predictable. But yeah, it wasn't the worst I've read, I just had a struggle with it initially. It never quite picked up momentum either, so whilst it wasn't the worst, it definitely didn't live up to what I expected from it.

An emotional read.

The story of Sophie and Sam, who meet in Washington DC. I liked how it was told from both of their different points of view.

I dont even know what to say if I'm honest. No words would ever describe what a beautiful but heart-wrenching story this is. I laughed, I cried and I sobbed at the end!! I dont know if it was the ending or because i finished the book. I feel like sophie and samuel are my best friends. I could hear about their stories all day every day. They have so many obstacles to get through but they seem to manage. And to me this book tell me that this is what love is all about. I cant praise this enough. Just buy it when it comes out!!!

Meanwhile.... I am researching how to find my way to Derry, I need to find myself a Samuel and his Da! He made me laugh so much!

I was really excited to receive an ARC of this as it sounded amazing. Unfortunately, I found it really difficult to get into and the storyline just didn’t grab me - I felt I sloughed through it.

A great premise, but not executed well enough for me.

I really wanted to love this book but it just took me ages to properly get into and it wasn't until the later half that I found myself getting interested in the story. I struggled to connect with the characters at first, and sometimes the chapters seemed very all over the place, I found myself going back to check if I had missed anything. That being said there are some beautiful moments throughout and the ending is lovely. Some might find it a little predictable but I love a happy ending. If you like romantic reads, it's worth giving it a go, I definitely think I'm in the minority when it comes to not loving it as much as I expected. I'm still I glad I read it and I'll be looking out for more by Emma Cooper in the future.

*I was provided with a copy via NetGalley

The First Time I Saw You
by Emma Cooper
Totally beautiful! (says it all)
I devoured this book as quickly as I could and am now ‘hung over’. I ran through a plethora of emotions along with Sam & Sophie and their delightful families. What characters! I felt I was there with them all watching the twists and turns of the story unfold! I could see the scenes and feel the desperation, the desolation, frustrations, fears and joy! Thank you Emma Cooper - how long until the next book?

This is a beautiful story. I loved everything about it. I want to sit and read it again. This is a gem of a book. I admit that I prefer Songs of Us. This book is nearly as good.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I was slightly nervous before I started reading this that I wouldn't love it as much as Emma Cooper's first book - and that had a very distinct USP - and I wondered how she'd follow that - and if she'd have a 'difficult second album' issue going - but my fears were totally unfounded!

It starts off in Washington - somewhere the husband and I visited a couple of years ago - and whilst you don't have to have been to enjoy the book, I loved imagining the places.  I also should confess that the fact Sophie is an accountant was very exciting - as that's what I trained to do, and you don't often get accountants as main characters.  I think I've mentioned before I'm still annoyed that the TV programmes This Life was based around lawyers rather than accountants - as we had a very similar life in the mid 90s!  Anyway - I digress............

The book is told from Sophie and Samuel's point of view week by week - so often you're hearing the same story from the other person's point of view - which is really clever.

The settings change - with Shropshire, Wales and Derry also featuring.  (Clearly I imagined Samuel's family in Londonderry to be exactly like characters from the fabulous TV show 'Derry Girls') And one of my friends is going to be very excited that her home town of Machynlleth features!!  But the different geography provides excellent settings.

Rather than having one 'Sliding Doors' moment, there are multiple cases throughout the book where Sophie and Sam's stars aren't quite aligned - but I found that added to the pace of the book and really made me want to read on.

Whilst the book is based on the two main characters, their relationships with their families and friends are also explored.  I particularly liked the different relationships they had with their respective sisters.  Sam's parents - Mr and Mrs McLaughlin - are lovely - and I think I might refer to the husband as Mr Price henceforth!

There are some big emotional themes running through the whole book - but without the unusual-ness of Melody's singing from 'The Songs of Us' - and all are integral to the story.  I don't want to include any spoilers by telling you what they are though......

The epilogue had me WEEPING last night - which seems to be the same effect all of Emma Cooper's books have had on me - but that is definitely the sign of a good book.

All in all I would thoroughly recommend this book to everyone and anyone!

A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC.

It's a nice light book to while away an hour or so.
Sophie and Samuel spend their time just missing each other, sometimes annoyingly so.
The chapters expressing their separate points of view, often repetitively, become a little tiresome, but the storyline is intriguing nevertheless.
Thank you for the review copy

A story about what happens when you find the one, what happens when you lose them, and the journey of finding them again. Whilst I love a romance novel, I found it quite difficult to connect with these two characters, which In turn hindered my ability to connect with this book. The ending is lovely, but unfortunately far too predictable for me.

This is a light and warm romantic fiction. This would be a perfect summer read! Lovely characters that you feel emotionally invested in and a great storyline.

Many thanks to Emma Cooper and Headline for the absolute pleasure in reviewing this book. I can't express how much I enjoyed it. I read this book while stuck on the runway waiting to take off on a delayed flight. It made the time fly by (pardon the pun). The book is romantic, opportunistic and will take you away from everyday life. The main characters are so likeable and you even male friends with them by the end of the book, . A heartfelt romantic read.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting when I read the summary, but this was much better than I could have expected. The First Time I Saw You follows Sophie and Samuel, checking in periodically every week. It took me a little bit to realise that sam's POV, which comes after Sophie's each week, is a recap essentially but from his POV. Sometimes it did get just the slightest bit tedious but it more than makes up for it with the discrepancies between their accounts (Sam's reaction to Sophie kicking him in the shin was a highlight).
What I really wasn't expecting at all was *SPOILER* Sam's disability which takes up quite a chunk of the book, how he's dealing with it. I thought this was insightful, and full of human moments that made it that much more realistic. I wish it was advertised a bit more.
The other main storyline was, obviously, the love story. And at moments, it was tender and romantic and so wonderful. The thing, the initial week they spend together is basically what the rest of the book hinges on, and seeing how we don't even get to see the whole week, it's a lot to ask. Even so, the rest of the starring cast, Mr and Mrs McLaughlin, and Sophie's family are wonderful, and funny and probably was a huge part of why I did enjoy this.
The thing that really made me a little fed up though, was how engineered their almost-meetings were. Sophie just missing Sam, or Sam deciding not to call her. It was irritating and felt very drawn out.
So yes, I did enjoy this, and loved the in-depth look of dealing with a disability but I won't be reading this again.

This is a lovely, heartwarming story of true love and what happens when you meet the one but then lose them again. The two main characters, Sophie and Samuel, are likeable and well-developed and it has a cast of supporting characters who add colour and flavour to the story. It does have a touch of predictability about it but that doesn't stop you from enjoying it. There's some tear-jerking moments and, as you'd expect from Emma Cooper, there are a lot of laughs along the way as well.

Sophie from Wales and Samuel from Ireland are both in Washington DC for work.
Sophie,sophisticated and dressed to kill has an accident right in front of Samuel and both feel a connection with each other.
All goes well until each thinks they were betrayed by the other and they part company.

The story is told in chapters each from Samuel and Sophie's point of view. It was a good saying of knowing what was happening to each of them in different places and what they each thought of the situation they found themselves in.
We journey through the year with them as they both miss opportunities to re-connect and both try to rebuild their shattered lives.

This would make a great film. Set in Washington, Ireland and Wales and with Samuel 's wonderful caring Irish Family thrown in to the mix it would be a winner.
The main characters of Samuel and Sophie are very likeable and I was rooting for them both. Sophie's sister, Helen was lovely but had a tragic past to bear. Charlie's story was heartbreaking and I loved his friendship with Sophie.

It's not often a book makes you laugh out loud and then cry into your tea,or wine.
This story did both. Samuel's Irish parents were hilarious ( without meaning to be) and I could hear their Irish accent every time they spoke.
There is sadness in this story too. There is also acceptance and a sense of just having to get on with the hand you've been dealt.
I loved this story and the epilogue made me cry.
You will love this book too!

This will be on my book review blog and Amazon on publication day
www.bookswithwineandchocolate.blogspot.com