The Life We Almost Had by Amelia Henley

Oh where do I even start! I feel a massive book hangover coming with this one. This book hits you right in the heart. I loved every single minute of it.
I loved the characters, especially Anna, I just took her to my heart. I loved the storyline, which to me was like nothing I've read before. This book made me laugh and quickly after made me cry.
Have some tissues ready for this one. An easy 5 stars from me.

The strong love story of Adam and Anna is beautifully written and the portrayal of a true loving relationship with bickering and glimpses of the big romantic gestures against day to day reality are well structured. However the novels use of scientific testing to convey real love was a bit off putting for me, I don’t tend to read science fiction and found it a bit far fetched. I was then enthralled to discover in the authors notes her personal experience in having a family member with Parkinson’s dementia and her research into the science and testing behind this. It was a good read but for a true scientific delve into this matter I would choose “brain on fire”.

This has to be one of the most beautiful stories I have read. Full of laughter, tears, heartbreak and happiness, you can really push your emotional attachment to this book!

Thank you NetGalley and HQ for an advance copy of The Life We Almost Had. I enjoy alternate timeline books and that was a bit part of the book that I enjoyed.

I didn’t, however, love this one. We know from the start that something happens to Anna and Adams marriage and we get insights into their marriage. But the major event in the book and the subsequent events (in present time) were all just a bit much. Toward the ending I sat there thinking ‘oh come on.’

Anna marriage plans change at the last moment and she decides to make the best of her circumstances. On what should have been her honeymoon she unexpectedly meets a new love and life is wonderful.
However her life is not yet complete and she longs for a baby.
The story then twists and turns through her relationship ending in a heart wrenching decision.
A great story, which tugs at the heartstrings.

I loved this book! I was gripped from the start and the more into the book I got the more I couldn’t put it down! The characters come to life and you feel yourself relating and feeling so much for Anna. I’d definitely recommend!

A romantic story of a couple “meant to be”. This is a lovely read that pulls your heartstrings with ups and downs. We follow Anna and Adam from their first meeting through their relationship and the trials it brings. A great story !

What a beautiful love story. When Anna gets jilted she decides to go away with her best friend on what would have been her honeymoon. On the first night she meets Adam and her life changes forever. The bond they share is instant and it's as though they are soul mates. Things aren't perfect and Adam decides to take her back to where they first met for their anniversary but things take an unexpected turn when something happens and things will never be the same again. A lovely setting,great characters with whom you can connect with and a fabulous story make this a real tear jerker which you will find hard to put down. A fabulous, warmhearted 5⭐read

At the start of the book, we know something has happened to tear Anna and Adam apart. He is not with her and she needs to tell him how sorry she is for the things that have happened. But what things and where is Adam?

I liked the beginning of this book, knowing I was being set up for story that would draw me and help me find out what Anna and Adam's story was. For a while, I was no longer sure I was enjoying it mostly because of Anna who I started to dislike, but then ...

Anna was easy to dislike but that didn't mean she wasn't likeable. She was suffering and neither she nor Adam was able to tell each other exactly how they were feeling about the problems in their life together. So, I gave Anna a break and then there was no longer any need to give her a break because I got it, I got her and the story moved along to the final section on which I will say nothing because spoilers!

One thing I will say about this book, and it's a warning so heed it, do not be reading the last third while you are out in public. I was reading about the last forty pages on a journey on a bus and try as I might I could not hold back the tears. It made me cry rather a lot and that was rather embarrassing. Read it at home at that point!

All in all a moving read that is really quite lovely in places and something that I'm sure will warm the hearts of many a reader.

Wow! I loved this book. I completely connected with the characters and could not put it down.

Anna and Adam meet on holiday and have a whirlwind romance. This is not your typical love story and through the highs and lows I felt like I was there with them. There were various parts through this book that had me sobbing as I did feel so connected to the story.

I would definitely recommend this book and thank net galley so much for the chance to read it.

Such a lovely book.

The Life We Almost Had is not your typical romance. There’s no happily ever after.

An abundance of love in this book and all the feels.

It’s about Anna and Adam - who have a whirlwind holiday romance, and like many couples(maybe readers can relate to) they have many ups and downs within their relationship.
As they work through some difficult situations, something happens which in turn shows them just how much they mean to each other.

We get a glimpse into things from male and female sides.

The good, the bad and the ugly.

Have tissues ready when you begin to read this.
Recommend it.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader however this story intrigued me. I absolutely loved it, truly one of the best books I have read. I am extremely pleased and grateful to both for opening up my mind to something totally different.

This is a change for an author known as Louise Jensen. She’s a crime writer but this is her first book as women fiction. I really enjoyed this book. I didn’t guess what happened at all. This book gave me so many emotions and even made me cry. I don’t cry at books so that’s an indication of how special this book is. I can’t wait to see what is written next.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

*No you're crying*

Prepare to get emotional.

The Life We Almost Had is not your typical romance.

There isn't the happily ever after that you'd be expecting from a love story.

But ....

There is an abundance of love in this book and all the feels.

Anna and Adam start as a whirlwind holiday romance and like many couples they have many ups and downs within their relationship but as they work through some difficult situations something tragic happens which in turn shows them just how much they mean to each other.

Told from alternating POV, we get a glimpse into things from both the male and female perspective.

The good, the bad and the ugly.

I was routing for these two throughout the whole of the novel.

Honestly all I can say is get your tissues at the ready.

This story is definitely a story with a difference, a love story for sure but one with a very different outcome to the norm. I did enjoy the feel of this story, the first part is like any other romance, boy meets girl, they fall in love, just what you are expecting. However, thing change as the story progresses, it is still a romance but with a whole new agenda. It is certainly a story that makes you think.

Written in the first person narrative this book has a very personal feel to it, I felt that I really get to know the characters. Anna and Adam are just your normal run of the mill people, nothing special or ridiculously unbelievable, people who you would know in your own lives. Their best friends Nell and Josh are brilliant foils for them too and I enjoyed their banter.

I did feel this story lost it's was a little in the middle, however, having said that the ending was not what I was expecting at all. I held my breath at times wondering what the outcome would be and I really didn't guess what was coming. If you want a story that will take you on an unexpected journey then this one is a definite must-read.

It's no secret that Amelia Henley is the new pen name of Louise Jensen. Louise has stepped sideways from her usual genre of writing Psychological Thrillers into the world of Romance with this Women's fiction debut. And what a treat it is. I was worried, I won't lie, I even delayed reading this for a little while because I absolutely adore Louise's writing but embarking on a new genre is big especially for an author who is so well known for her gift of writing an epic thriller. I didn't need to worry. This book was a five star read almost instantly. It had everything you'd look for in a contemporary love story and more - because it had the benefit of Louise's extensive experience whilst also at the same time becoming almost a genre of its own...

I can never fully do this book justice in a short review and I won't attempt to, it's just not always possible to convey how incredible a book is without you reading it yourself to understand. But what I will say is that this is a rare treat. A beautiful debut novel but from someone who is incredibly experienced and talented with words, who we know we already love from her existing genre. What could be more perfect? If a book makes your eyes sting it's a success!

I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I loved it! I was rooting for Adam and Anna all the way through the story, I cried, I felt every emotion possible. It isn’t your typical romance novel and that’s what is so perfect about it you believe all the ups and owns that they have in their relationship and when tragedy strikes it hits you even harder. The story is told from both characters perspective and in a way that it doesn’t get confusing.. I recommend this book 100 %!

Beautiful, beautiful book. Romance and Science and every type of love... Twists and turns that feel like miracles bit because they are so well written, they are totally believable and make this a love story like no other. Tender, thought-provoking,sad but full of hope. I loved Anna and Adam.

A rather different love story. I really liked Anna and Adam as the main characters and enjoyed the story of their meeting. Difficult not to give spoilers away but at times the story felt a bit far fetched and very emotional too.

This is not a typical love story and that's why it's great. No secret is made of the fact that Henley is a pseudonym for top thriller writer Louise Jensen and her experience in crafting excellent psychological suspense shows in the way this romance novel is structured. From the teasing ambiguity of the prologue to the final chapters, the reader is never really sure what will happen next and this is one of the things I loved about this book.

I haven't checked but I imagine I'm not the first to make a comparison to 'The Time Traveler's Wife' after reading 'The Life We Almost Had'. The sense of a love destined to be had and lost is weaved through both stories. At times heart-warming, at times gut-wrenchingly sad, Henley pulls you into the story of Anna and Adam's love and the life they dream about having together. The cast of supporting characters, especially Nell and Josh, are the icing on the cake.

There was one plot point towards the end of the novel which I felt didn't quite fit with the feel of the rest of the book, although it did make for an especially poignant ending. This is the only reason this is not a 5* review from me. In every other way, this was a perfect romantic debut from Henley and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.