The life we almost had
                                                                   by Amelia Henley
                                                                   Pub date 23 July 2020
                                                                   Beautiful love story
                                                                   Spoiler Allert
This book broke me In half in a good way I loved the book it made me cry so much the ending for bitter sweet. Anna and nell were going on holidays her fiancé left her so her and nell were going on holidays two the place they were going on honeymoon instead she fought why waste it. When they got two the hotel they both had a drink at the bar they were so tired after travelling they had one or two cocktails and nell noticed this boy staring at her by the bar Anna rough he was sweet indeed he was. So then when they got two the hotel room Adam was waiting outside two give her her flower back two him her his room was opposite theirs with josh. She cried he wondered why when they went into the room there was champagne and flowers on the bed for honeymoon suit that made Anna cry all night nell conformed her. Next day they went two the beach Anna was nervous of her body so she covered up well she decided two go for a swim but she was suddenly drowning she couldn't keep up in the water and Adam noticed her and swam two the rescue brining her two the beach he called josh and nell back at two get Anna some drinks she came round they went and had a drink uo by the beach bar> Adam noticed then he was starting two love Anna in a way he didn't think possible. He asked her out for a dinner that day first Anna refused she was tired upset but she fought she better go with him he saved her life after all.
They went two a lovely restaurant and had sangria paella limcillo for afters he had the same has her they got along great. The holiday was great they went two restaurant museum toured around the place they fell in love with place everynight they went two the cove where they drank red wine and watch the was. He gave her a locket and they put Anna and Adam on it they dint know if they would see each other again. The day at the airport  Adam asked Anna two sea hi again she said yes he gave her they phones numbers he dint know if long distance would work but it did. When she was home with mum and nan Adam would come and visit her very other week one but he didn't feel comfortable there he was living with josh they had a flat together he going two sea Anna. But he was offered a job again travelling the world seeing different places he really wanted two go so he was going two tell Anna that weekend he hated travelling down there it was so long journey about four hour long but he id it fo love. Anna knew something was up he hadn't text her all week or spoke two her on the phone she was getting worried now her mother said nothing two worry about he does you she knew that. When Adam got there he arranged a meal and there was candles flowers and all that. Anna couldn't believe it she felt loved he told her about the job but Anna fought she was pregnant and couldn't wait two tell him that night he asked her two marry him and she said yes but the baby was a false alam. They had a lovely wedding josh nell came the fold was lovely her na gave her a coin that her husband gave two her she kept it. Josh and nell danced and kissed  that all it was. Anna danced with Adam everything was going great. Then Nell met Chris and they started coming two the local pub where  We used two play pool together  It hurt josh that nell was with Chris he pretended two be happy with her but he was hurting inside Anna knew he like nell she never told nell that josh like her she kept his secret. New told them all that she was moving in with him and she did she become pregnant straight away with Chris and Adam would go over there and mind the kids she had three in the end. Anna and Adam were trying for a baby for five years they took all the test she had two operation she had problem with time of the month which meant she couldn't get pregnant first she was giving up slowly she felt jealous of her nell having all those kids and she couldn't. Anna was a teacher for second primary school her boss ross thy got along great and he texted her allot they had phone call allot about work then he asked her for a few drinks she wasn't getting along with Adam at the time things weren't great al all she went out had a few drink and they kissed it was only a kiss she really like ross and he'd like her allot and fought what if for a moment she could be with him they were planning a weekend away she felt guilty about it hurt she loved Adam but nothing was working out. She went home and fell asleep Adam new things weren't working out so he packed up a few things in his bag hoped she wouldn't wake up he was planning a holiday two go back two were she first met him they together seven years and now it was a struggle over the baby issue. He fought he surprised her with a holiday he phoned her boos roos and he said yes no problem. So when Anna woke up she wonderd where he went no sign of him all day she felt so bad about the kiss she fought Adam left here that some how he known and left her they argued and she told him to leave but now she wanted him back she felt sick she fought she was pregnant at first but was no way it could be she look around two sea Adam every went into shops where he worked no one scene him then she saw some coming out of the travelling agency he smiled told her they were going on holidays agin back two basic she couldn't believe it. On holidays she fell in love with Adam she was having a baby she told him that night back at the cove where they went for drinks very nigh the red merlot wine he bough another pendant for her and said Anna and Adam and little one they were so over joyed the holidays was what they needed.The apartment was lovely the food the beach they was offered two go on the yacht for free as a  day trip two sea the other island. so they excepted the offer. The sea and yacht they explored every wear on the boat they were enjoying it then they heard a noise a crack every one screaming the boat was sinking from underneath her Adam kept saying don't panic now she couldn't swim only Adam could she took her in his arms and swam her two the other island it wasn't far but the sea was rough for him he was starting two get tired he left her on the sand told her he loved her but there was someone else an old lady stuck on the boat he went back two her he was so tired from swimming in the sea he couldn't save it the boat sank on him hitting hi two the sea the blood force of the boat was sinking him into the ground. He felt pain discomfort couldn't do anything Anna was going crazy someone bought him back two the sand they couldn't wait him two much water got two his brain the ambulance came and took him two intensive care but days went passed and they couldn't save him they tried everything Anna lost the baby when she found out they couldn't save Adam A scientist called Oliver offers two help Adam has a research team two sea if he can come back from the coma she dint have any life insurance he never sorted it so her and Adam could stay at the clinic for a week she was grateful Even nell cam out and helped her from it and spoke two Oliver it was days and experiment that Anna done two connect two his brain everyday but it was making her weak Oliver knew he was already dead but he tried two helped anyway.In t eh end Oliver told ana they could save him so Anna and Adam flew home she had lovely funeral the best lovely people and food was great and the service she had alter from Adam saying two list this place she went straigaway two a children homes where she met Henry and opened him it took her along time she new the baby was meant two be yers she felt has if it was Adam everyone loved the baby her mum her na was so overjoyed she loved loved two things worked out in the end she had a lovely baby boy but it hurt Adam was not there.
This book is so lovely it broke my heart the love story I doubt think I could do long distance relationship must be had I would have loved two sea josh and nell relationship bloomed I would have love two seen josh with someone like nell but nell chose Chris I fought she would have chosen josh. 

I gave this four out of five stars.

This is the unique and emotional story of Adam and Anna. 

It is not a typical love story, it is a complex and compelling, well written read, with well drawn characters. 

I can't say much more as I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I read it in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.

Started full of promise, hit a period of frustration and angst with the standard two people who are not talking to each other, and then a reconnection cut short by a tragic accident. So far , OK. However, the book comes alive and enters new territory after this with the idea that we could connect with our loved ones when they are in a coma. Written with such feeling, you really go through the journey with Anna and Adam, and I loved the ending.

I was hoping to enjoy this book so much more than I did, by the blurb, it sounded like a more realistic take on a broken, strained relationship. Which it was when we first started the story with Anna and Adam first meeting when they were young and forming a steady relationship then after years of being together and a lot of issues dragging them apart which is perfectly normal. But then we get further into the story and that's when things started to go downhill and so unrealistic. 

When Adam and Anna go on holiday to a place where they first met they are having a good time and reconnecting their lost love and it was sweet. They decide to go on a yacht and Adam has a horrible accident and he's hospitalised. A doctor comes in and offers Anna help into a clinical trial to help Adam wake up from the coma he's in and this is where I started to lose interest real quick. The whole scenarios of Anna going in Adams subconscious were so boring after the first time as it's so unrealistic and forced in some aspects. 

Through the whole book, I really didn't like any of the characters I didn't relate to any of them and they were just annoying, Anna was rude and I couldn't get over on how rude she could be to Adam with the simplest things. She also blamed her actions of everyone else most of the time and I can get her grieving over having infertility and struggling to have a child but there's no need to be that nasty. 

I wish i enjoyed this more but the story progression really threw me off, I didn't care for Anna and Adam at all in the end.

I read this for a blog tour. 

This is a sad, sweet tale of love, loss and finding a new way to live. It tackles some big issues as well as some futuristic science.

The relationship between Anna and Adam is recognisable as pretty normal - not perfect but not terrible, they've faced difficulties and it's caused strain, which feels familiar to anyone in a relationship, we all have our ups and downs.

Be warned, this is a tearjerker, so have tissues handy. The ending is very bittersweet and lovely.

A completely original love story, so unique and addictive to read.  I love the way each chapter ended in a mini cliffhanger so you always had to read the next, it was so hard to put this down. This is such an emotional rollercoaster of a read, the blurb doesn’t do it justice it’s heart wrenching at times and then laugh out loud, no spoilers though because I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone. Both Anna and Adam are perfect as characters, loved them so much and Adam has now set an ever higher target in the book boyfriend rankings. It’s just the perfect heartfelt romance, but not in the way you would expect, need to know why, pick it up and read it, you will not be disappointed.  

One of my Favourite books for 2020


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

An original, emotional rollercoaster of a read!

Anna & Adam are such relatable characters you'll instantly be rooting for them and their happy ever after. They take you on a journey that will have you laughing one minute & floods of tears the next (definitely have some tissues at the ready for this one!).

I loved the way this was written in short chapters that always ended with a mini cliffhanger so you couldn't put it down and you had to read the next bit. I honestly didn't put it down until I had turned the last page.

This is so much more than a love story, I don't want to say too much and spoil it but I can say this is one all-consuming heart-wrenching read you do not want to miss!

A huge thanks to HQ Stories & NetGalley for gifting me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What an absolutely fabulous story. Just when you think you know where the story takes a twist. You are totally invested in the characters of Anna and Adam.
I laughed, I cried and kept my fingers crossed things would be OK at different parts of the story. No spoilers but a book I couldn't put down and will be recommending to my friends.

I personally feel this will be one of the hardest reviews I will ever write. Due to the fact that it is so hard ti put into words how much I loved it, and how beautiful this story is without spoiling it for the person that reads my review, before reading the book. 

Adam and Anna are characters that are built so beautifully that you fall in love with them so easily. They have a love that a girl has always dreamed of from a young age. Being sweeped off your feet when you least expect it, but feeling the heartbreak that they feel. 

What i loved about this book is that it had cliffhangers at the end of each chapter to keep you reading. But I think I would of anyway to keep being fully immersed in the world of these characters. 

For a debut book in this genre from this author I am very excited to see where she takes this hidden talent, and where her next book will take me.

A truly original storyline which could come to fruition in years to come. Read it and become swept along with Anna and the other characters.

I think it takes a really good author to switch from the crime, psychological thriller genre to write a love story....
And that's what she has done, with perfection....
Author Amelia Henley has written a beautiful love story......
You just have to read it....
Meet Adam & Anna 💕 Anna & Adam 💕
I feel like I know these two people if I'm honest...
I got so engrossed in their story that I almost felt I had met them before......
We all want to meet our true love but sometimes it can happen when we least expect it..
That's what happens to Adam & Anna..
Author Amelia Henley (even her name sounds lovely) writes with passion, with love and you can see from the pages how much work she has done in creating such wonderful characters....
Most of her chapters end with a little cliffhanger, something small to entice you onto the next one...cleverly done I thought...
She incorporated her love of the beautiful island of Lanzarote into her book, changing the name to a fictitious island....
Lovely to think that her trip to Lanzarote was where the first seed of this story emerged....
You will feel the love coming off the pages in this one and your heart is made of stone if you don't shed some tears.....
It's fun, exciting, heartbreaking but ultimately shows you how strong a connection we can have with someone.
The Life You Almost Had, isn't that such a huge statement to make, that in itself makes me somewhat sad 😢😢
You almost had it....
Brilliantly done, well done Amelia....
Amelia Henley is otherwise known as author Louise Jensen if you wish to check out some of her other work...

This is a change for the author Louise Jenson in writing as Amelia Henley.
I really enjoyed this book and as I was reading I was unable to predict the ending. I found this book gripping and read it in two sittings in less than 24 hours.
As the book's blurb says 'this is not a typical love story'. My description would be ''a beautiful love story with a twist.
Thus is a definite 5 star highly recommended read.
Thanks to the publishers & netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

What a really lovely read, loved the charecters, the story, couldn't put this book down, really enjoyed it

Dumped two weeks before her wedding Anna didn't foresee spending her honeymoon sharing a bed with best friend Nell and she certainly didn't plan to fall in love.

Adam had big plans to travel when he and best friend Josh returned from their sun drenched holiday, but fate had other ideas when he met Anna. 

Years later though the pair find their relationship at breaking point, a lack of communication and bitter snipes seem to fill the gap where their love used to reside. In a last ditch attempt to reconnect they book a holiday, returning to where they fell in love, but a tragic accident sees the pair embarking on a road they hadn't even considered when planning their future. There are some life changing decisions to make, but will their love be strong enough to withstand the challenges they face?

The Life We Almost Had left me broken into a million pieces and is one of those books that takes you a while to recover from that bereft feeling; it's the fist book I have cried reading in quite a while! It's a beautifully written contemporary romance, but not in the light 'fluffy' sense. Instead it's filled with realistic and relatable characters that traverse a difficult, heartbreaking road dealing with some extremely deep topics along the way.

It's told from alternating perspectives in relatively short chapters which gave a fast paced feel to the story and meant I was couldn't put it down. These insights also allowed me to gain a fully rounded view of the couples history, both individually and shared. Although I'm not usually the biggest fan of 'insta love' in books, Anna & Adam's relationship felt real and natural from the start and I was cheering them on at every obstacle they found themselves facing. The writing is really clever in the earlier chapters as situations are described in such a way that the outcome is ambivalent, meaning I often presumed the story was heading in one direction, only to find it completely changed course in the following chapter; I really liked this aspect as it kept me on my toes!

I don't want to talk too much about the plot for fear of giving spoilers, however it is clear that the author has undertaken a significant amount of research into the medical elements of this novel. Some of these details left me astonished to find that they were actually factual and not fiction as they could be easily perceived to be fantasy.

The finale of this book has a thoroughly unexpected twist and I actually gasped (before crying!), it's not often a book can surprise me! I adored this book and have already been recommending it to everyone who will listen! It's certainly one of the best books I have read so far in 2020 and I already know I want to re-read it before the year is out. Highly, highly recommend. It's a story of eternal love, heartache and tragedy that will have you hooked from the first page to it's heartwarming conclusion.

There will never be enough words to convey how simply gorgeous, breathtaking, exhilarating, heartwarming, heartbreaking and full of love this novel is.

On the evening I started reading this I inhaled the first six chapters and if I hadn’t had commitments the following morning I’m sure I would have read long into the night. Saying that when I got back to Anna & Adam I had conflicting thoughts – Firstly I wanted to know everything and the other part of me wanted to long out my time with them. Anna & Adam will stay with me for a long time and I need the paperback of this so badly.

I’m not the greatest fan of describing a book as an emotional rollercoaster even though I have done on a number of occasions but that is wholeheartedly what you will get from The Life We Almost Had…there are aspects in this tale where I wanted to shake both Anna & Adam and where my assumptions were completed wrong. I found myself holding my breath and exhaling a sigh of relief that I was wrong – I was so so glad I was wrong.

Anna – I adored her from the get go. I hated what she’d been through but even though she didn’t feel strong at the time I could tell she was a tough cookie and my was she tough. There were a few occasions when I was like Anna what are you doing – but her unyielding heartfelt love was empowering and enlightening.

Adam – Now I’ve had some book boyfriends in my time but this boy from the bar has really upped the bar. I don’t want to gush too much as I honestly don’t want to ruin the story – he isn’t always perfect but his love is forever perfect.

Friends – I have to mention Nell & Josh but I don’t want to say too much about them as their characters develop into so much more than makes the eye. It’s so easy to make assumptions about them but at the heart of it they are the greatest friends that Anna & Adam could ever need/want.

So, what can I say? There is a lot of back and forth between Anna & Adam and it starts letting us know that something has happened in their marriage but it’s not clear what. As the story unfolds we learn a lot about both characters and their undying love for each other. This is definitely not a typical love story but it’s so so heartfelt.

There is so much to this story – there’s aspects that are informative, interesting and heart wrenching. I don’t want to explain this further as I wasn’t expecting this and it’s not in the blurb even though you will understandably get that something tragic will occur.

If you love someone set them free….will forever make me think back to Anna & Adam and Elvis songs already have a heartfelt part of me thanks to family members who are no longer with us. So there will be tears once again.

The Life We Almost Had sure is an adventure that I will never forget even though it had me in floods of tears there were so many parts where I was crying and smile. I look forward to reading more Amelia Henley but how she can top this debut I really don’t know. I want to mention that I also loved the author note and I can see why she wanted to write this story and she has done so with such grace.

Oh my god this book. I hope you have tissues at the ready because honestly I sobbed at this book. This book put me through a rollercoaster of emotions and just when you get to the top and you think everything is okay, the car you’re in suddenly drops and you don’t know which ways is up. 

These characters were so easily relatable, and I loved their story. Having met when neither of them was truly looking for love they powered through all the obstacles that were thrown at them. You cannot help but root for these characters and this relationship. When the obstacles become too much your heart breaks along side our main characters. I sometimes find it hard to connect whole-heartedly to characters but that was not the case with this one. I felt every heart-breaking moment alongside them. 

Told in different perspectives, Amelia Henley makes it feel like you’re living with these characters and feeling every single emotion alongside them. The amount of research Henley has done for this book clearly shows and I was gobsmacked about the developments in science! 

It’s hard not to talk about everything that happens because I don’t want to spoil it. I want you to go out and read this book. Go on Adam and Anna’s journey, even if it is heart-wrenching and I meant what I said at the beginning, make sure you have tissues at the ready! 

The Life We Almost Had is so much more than a love story. It is a story of second chances and it’s about making a sacrifice even if you know the outcome may not be the best one for you. This is a beautiful romantic debut for Amelia Henley and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This is not a typical love story, but it’s our love story.

This story begins at the end, seven years after Anna met the love of her life, Adam on holiday. Is love at first sight really a thing? It certainly was for Adam and by the end of the holiday they were inseparable, but seven years later their world has come crashing down around them, can they ever retrieve what they've lost, and is the risk worth it?

This is Amelia Henley's debut novel in the romance genre, but this author is not new to writing, most will know her as psychological thriller author, Louise Jensen, whose books are amazing and her expertise in that genre shines through in this new one, with the intrigue she interlaces throughout this story, her words suggesting that one thing has happened when actually it's something completely different and not what you expect at all. The scientific element of the plot makes it so much more than just a love story and it's evident that the author has done some very extensive research to make this as realistic as possible and achieved what she set out to do. I did wonder at one point if what was happening was actually possible but, with modern technology, who knows what science can achieve.

I loved everything about this story, the characters, who were realistic, the plot, which was authentic and creative, it was heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measures, it was thought provoking, reminding the reader that we never know what is around the corner and we should never take our loved ones for granted, have that conversation today because tomorrow is never promised. I adored Anna and Adam, Nell and Josh and all of the other characters and, being an old romantic myself, I was desperate for a happy ending. Henley wrung every emotion from me throughout this book, and then some. I was so immersed in this story that I read it in two days and felt emotionally drained by the end, it was such an all consuming heartwrenching read, I can't wait to see more from her. I highly recommend this one, but you'll need tissues...lots of them!

I'd like to thank HQ and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

What an absolutely beautiful and heart-wrenching story. When I first began this book, I did not expect to become so invested in the story of Anna and Adam, but I simply could not stop reading until I reached the end in one sitting. Not a predictable love story, this had real heart and real pain. Their love was messy and complex and this made it all the more relatable.

Anna is on what should have been her honeymoon. But she got dumped two weeks before her wedding. Instead she is with her best friend Nell. The last thing she expects or wants is to meet someone. But enter Adam. A kind, open and loving man who she falls hard for. And he feels the same. But he is meant to leave to travel the world. He chooses her.

They marry and want to start a family. But five years on and they are both losing hope. Anna has fertility issues, and feels that she is denying Adam the life he so yearns for. Adam feels he is the source of Anna's unhappiness. They come close to losing one another completely as they forget why they fell in love in the first place.

Adam books them a holiday back to where they first met, and they begin to reconnect, to reach out to one another instead of pushing each other way. But events take on a tragic turn when there is an accident that leaves Adam in a coma. 

Is there a way to reach Adam and can science make that possible. She is approached by a research centre and agrees to allow Adam to take part in a clinical trial but only if she can take part with him. They are connected by technology that will let her see into Adam's subconscious mind. She is able to see the life they would have had, the child they would have raised together. But every time she has to leave him she is suffering physically and emotionally.

As we ourselves see into Adam's mind, we realise just how deep his love for Anna is as he makes the ultimate sacrifice to save her from harm. But he leaves her with a final gift, that will have you reaching for a tissue to catch the falling tears. 

A love story that will capture your heart and make you think about how you are living your life. It implores you to live to the best of your ability every day and to hold your loved ones that bit tighter.

Before you start to read this book have a box of tissues nearby .. you’re going to need them!  This is the heartbreakingly beautiful love story of Adam and Anna.  This isn’t a normal love story by any means and even though my heart was breaking reading the book, the ending left me with a smile.

This book takes you through all the emotions and even though I couldn’t put it down and read it within two days there were bits when I had to put it down and take a breath as I got so upset,  being fully immersed in the story.

The last book that gripped me emotionally like this was The Two Lives of Lydia Bird so if you enjoyed that you will love this!

I’m not going to say anything else would just recommend that you read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC.

This is definitely NOT your typical love story. But it’s one that definitely pulls you in, as you follow Anna and Adam’s story. At the start you know something has happened to them, something bad, and the effect it’s had on Anna (who’s your first narrator). Their journey to that life changing moment is a tough one; their relationship struggles, fear of failure, insecurities and expectations of their own worth, all helping to pull at the bonds that tie them together. And those bonds are fraying. Anna and Adam are so likeable. So real. So relatable. And as you follow their story, as it plays out, it hits you like a sucker punch. Their love is the stuff of legend. Just beautiful. Anna’s story had reminded me of The Two Lives of Lydia Bird (by Josie Silver) and The Life We Almost Had is just as heartbreaking. A brilliant debut for Ms Amelia Henley. Can’t wait for her next book!!