This book was such a fantastic read! It literally kept my turning page after page! The ending is so sad but it really will make you appreciate everything in your life! Couldnt recommend enough.

One word for this book... perfection.

Anna and Adam's love story is definitely not your typical tale. After a chance meeting whilst away in Alcercia they have been together ever since. Their marriage certainly hasn't been easy as they struggle to start a family, but then a tragic accident forced Anna to take a long hard look at her life and really put everything into perspective for her.

This book is poignant, well written and moving in so many ways. I absolutely adored it and finished it in one day.

Thank you for my ARC of this wonderful book.

What a fabulous read
It kept me wanting more and more throughout the whole thing. It was a sad ending but it made me appreciate everything in life. ❤️

Wow! I really did not imagine this book would be anything like it is. I expected a very cheesy love story with maybe a drop of tragedy - wrong! T his story has a very original concept thrown in that although at times may be a little unbelievable, on the whole is a very thought provoking idea. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

The Life We Almost Had tells the unusual love story of Anna Addlington and Adam Curtis who meet on holiday on the Spanish island of Alircia. Anna is 24 and has just been dumped two weeks before her wedding and is there on what would have been her honeymoon with her best friend and bridesmaid, Nell. Adam has recently come out of a disastrous relationship and is on holiday with his best mate, Josh, who is keen to have as many holiday romances as possible!

At first, the couple resist their feelings due to the circumstances but, before long, they're spending all their time together in Alircia. When they get home, they have a long-distance relationship for 10 months before moving in together and getting married six months later.

Seven years later, things are rather different – the couple are married and have been trying to conceive for five years. Life has become rather mundane and boring and they don't talk properly and snipe at each other over the smallest of things.

Adam decides to treat Anna to a holiday in Alircia in a last-ditch attempt to revive their relationship and it's here where things take an unusual turn after something shocking happens.

I really enjoyed this book but I don't want to give too much away. It was an emotional read at times and I felt sympathy for Anna and Adam who'd just lost their way in their relationship and stopped talking to each other as a result of being unable to conceive. It was a bit different from the norm and had some good twists, which I wasn't expecting. A tragic but heart-warming and touching read. Not a typical love story at all!

I went out of my normal genre range and read this book. The storyline was great but it was a bit slow in places. With that being said I really loved the love story. True love was found for Anna after a disappointing prior relationship. This book did tear at my heart strings in places, especially the infertility and what it did to Adam’s and Anna’s relationship but how far would one go when they are faced with the possibility of not seeing their loved one again. If you believe in science, miracles, and eternal love this is definitely a great book. The ending made it so much better.

I’m a bit picky about romance reads as it’s not my favourite genre although I have come across some real gems and this is one of them. I had a hunch I would like it because I love psychological suspense books by Louise Jensen, Amelia’s alter ego but on the other hand was a bit nervous in case I was disappointed. Luckily I wasn’t. It’s written in her distinctive style - short and snappy chapters with brilliant hooks that compel you to turn the page, and the story has more depth than a simple love story. It’s an emotional read with vividly drawn characters. Although I found the science fiction element a bit bizarre I soon realised the title made perfect sense. I think this will appeal to fans of Jojo Moyes or anyone who enjoys a good love story

I enjoyed this book which was not a happy typical happy ending love story. There were various twists of fate that at times moved me to tears, I did however find some bits slightly unbelievable would they have really happened. I am familiar with Louise Jensens work this was somewhat different but in a good way.

It's a very different story. From the beginning there are hints about the relationship between Adam and Anna, and we know that all is not going to go smoothly.
It's an emotional tale, but somehow I never felt fully involved.
thank you NetGalley for a review copy.

Not your straight forward predictable love story and for that I love this book! Would definitely recommend to all to read. A gripping page turner!

This was an amazing story but with some unexpected twists from the normal happy ever after. It had me hooked from the first chapter and I just had to keep reading.

Plot


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


A second chance story featuring Anna and Adam, who were not looking for love when they found each other. But unfortunately years later there relationship breaks down but a cruel twist comes to light. Can Anna find her way back to Adam despite a life-changing twist that life throws at them?


OMFG, This book is out of this world bloody Fantastic, It is Emotive, Emotional, Heartbreaking, Heart-warming and a Unique read that will have you smiling, crying, brokenhearted, and utterly devastated that it is over. As the quote says above. 'This is not your typical love story' and Holy hell this is 100% the truth. There are not enough words to describe or explain this book but also so many words at the same time.


It is very hard to write and explain this book to you without giving anything anyway, this is just one of those books you HAVE to read and feel just how powerful it is.


Characters


Amelia has created the best characters with Anna and Adam, They are just perfect. All the right likability and also second thoughts throughout. The other characters also just give the story an extra edge.


Writing


Amelia Henley was born to write this powerful, heartbreaking and emotional book and bring this story to life. Although Amelia is another pen name for Louise Jensen, a psychological thriller writer. This 100% shows her ability that she can write very well in multiple genres and I think this gives her an extra ability to crafting this comtemptory romance. It is beautifully researched and also gives you an element of suspense.


Pacing


Literally the most perfect pacing, tension and cleverly done romance that keeps giving and giving and breaking you heart into a million pieces and gives you glimpses of humour throughout.


Cover


Perfect, Pretty and Colourful.


Overall Thoughts.


OMFG, This book is out of this world bloody Fantastic, It is Emotive, Emotional, Heartbreaking, Heart-warming and a Unique read that will have you smiling, crying, brokenhearted, and utterly devastated that it is over. As the quote says above. 'This is not your typical love story' and Holy hell this is 100% the truth.

A beautiful love story with a twist!

It is hard to know what to say without giving away too much, but the idea for the story is a very unique one. When I first realised what was going on, I was a bit unsure as I felt it would have to be written in the right way to make it believable. Well, the author definitely did that and more! It was so beautifully written and I ended up falling in love with it. I was rooting for the couple every step of the way.

This story is an emotional rollercoaster so make sure you have some tissues for the ride!
A very well deserved 5 stars!

What can I say?! Amelia Henley, aka Louise Jensen, has absolutely nailed it again! I’ve read all of her other books, and they have all been fantastic. I wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy this one as much, as it’s not her usual genre, but it’s just absolutely wonderful. Such a lovely read. I will be recommending this to my friends, I know they will love it! Thank you for allowing me to read it x

A lovel story but not a typical path from then to now to happily ever after. It's hard to say more without ruining the book but it there is a strong love story mixed with a bit of sci-fi written by Louise Jensen, who normally writes psychological thrillers. It took me a little bit to get into the story but I did enjoy it. Recommended.

The Life We Almost Had by Amelia Henley a five-star story with a twist in its tale. What a fabulous debut, this is one of those stories that will stay with you, I don’t know what to say as it will just spoil the story to give anything away. This is one of those stories that you will read the first chapter and know that you have gold dust in your hands, so be warned block some time out of your dairy and get yourself comfy and then start this one, as you will miss everything if you start this without making time as you won’t be able to put it down after you read that first chapter.

The Life We Almost Had by Amelia Henley.

I loved the idea of this story as I like the idea of second chances, but this was not what I expected at all; it totally threw me as I was expecting something totally different.

The characters of Anna and Adam were instantly likeable and I would say everyone would like an Adam to fall in love with them. As the story progresses, as do the characters, and I found myself totally engrossed in their story.

I don’t want to say too much as i don’t want to spoil it, but as love stories go, this is definitely one to read. I’ll be looking out for more books by this writer in the future.

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

Anna wasn’t looking for love when Adam swept her off her feet but there was no denying their connection, and she believed they would be together forever.

Years later, cracks have appeared in their relationship. Anna is questioning whether their love can really be eternal when a cruel twist of fate delivers a crushing blow, and Anna and Adam are completely lost to one another. Now, Anna needs Adam more than ever, but the way back to him has life-changing consequences.

Is a second chance at first love really worth the sacrifice? Anna needs to decide and time is running out…

Absolutely loved this. Despite the new name for the new genre, this has all the Louise Jensen hallmarks with tension and intrigue. Not fluffy, just great.

This was an ok read. It was easy and didn't tax my brain too much but I don't think I could go so far as to say that I enjoyed it.

We are told from the start that something is going to happen to Anna and Adam's relationship but it seemed to take bloody ages before we found out what exactly this something was and to be honest, I didn't really care.
I liked Anna and Adam at the beginning of their relationship, when they were young and fun but once they grew up a little, I stopped caring.
I didn't particularly like either Anna or Adam and couldn't have cared less about what happened to them.

Rounded up to 4.5 stars.

I've been a huge fan of this author's psychological thrillers, penned under her own name, Louise Jensen. So although romance isn't generally my first go-to, when I discovered that Amelia Henley is the name she is using for this genre it immediately made me want to read it.

Yes, it is a romance, but it's a completely unpredictable one. We are teased for several chapters that something devastating is coming but I guarantee no one will guess what it turns out to be, or what happens next. If there's one thing I absolutely love in a book it is being surprised, when even my wildest guesses turn out to be wrong and I get that delicious feeling of walking blindfolded but with someone you trust leading the way. And that's how I felt reading this book.

I loved all the characters - Anna and Adam whose love story this book is about. Their ups and downs felt real and relatable; Nell and Josh, the kind of best friends we all wish we had in our lives; and Oliver with his own heartbreaking love story.

Highly recommend!