This is my first book by Emma Cooper and it was a beautiful, poignant, heartbreaking novel. It is sensitive and a well written book. It's a grate story about family and mental health and is quite emotional. It did have humor to lighten the readers mood. I finished it in one sitting and didn't ever think I could like a book about grief but the way the Author has added light hearted moments kept me want to read more. It was paced well and kept me engaged. Its gave me so many feels and emotions...the way the sisters love each other is just too emotional. The story really hit me and I am a fan of the authors writing. I laughed, I cried and felt every emotion. I definitely recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a heartwarming and sad book all wrapped up in one. I found it a bit slow to start but soon got stuck in and found i didn't want to put it down. My heart broke for poor Jen and everything she went through. I loved the style of writing and how it switched between Jen and Ed and Kerry's final chapter.

I've really enjoyed Emma Cooper's previous books - particularly The Songs of Us, which is one of my favourite ever books - so I went into this one with very high expectations. Perhaps that was a mistake as unfortunately it didn't quite live up to them.

I can't really put my finger on what it was about If I Could Say Goodbye that didn't work for me but I just didn't feel a connection with any of the characters and I didn't feel like a huge amount actually happened. Maybe I needed longer with the sisters at the beginning, before the accident, for their bond to be properly developed for me and to make Jennifer's subsequent grief more relatable. Maybe I needed Ed's point of view chapters to be less frivolous in order to properly portray his perspective. Maybe this is the wrong time in my life for me to connect with it and if I'd read it at another time it would have been a five star. Maybe this book and I are just not destined to be friends; it happens.

This is still a beautifully written book - Cooper's talent with words is unquestionable - and there are some moments of genuine, laugh out loud joy in here. It's a good read! But I expected to have my heart broken. And I didn't shed a single tear.

This is a hard review for me to write 😞

I have to be honest when I review a book, and sad to say, I struggled with this one.
I’m not sure whether it’s simply because Emma’s other 2 books completely blew me away that this one just didn’t give me the “feels” like I thought it would upon reading the blurb.
As I read it, I could completely understand why so many people have enjoyed it and were moved by it, due to what happens right at the very beginning with the sisters, and then their journey throughout the story, (and I do realise I’m in the minority with my opinion) but, I sadly can’t help how I interpret a story.
I personally felt like I just couldn’t bond with the main characters, which I think has then impacted on my experience of the book, as it does have good story line. I did feel a slight connection with Nessa as I did feel her grief at some stages in the story, I just didn’t feel what I felt I should be doing with a Jennifer, or with Ed.

If I Could Say Goodbye is a stunning and emotionally charged read, full of characters that make you feel as if you know them well. An absolutely fantastic read, that would be great for book clubs.

This is the second book by Emma Cooper that I have read and absolutely loved. There is something specia about the writing style that makes you feel a part of the story. Incredible.

I'm a big fan of Emma Cooper books and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. This book is great, and covers a very serious, sensitive subject ... grief and loss of a younger sibling. It captures the emotions really well, and the effect of the grief on close people like your partner, your children, your parents. I have given it 4 stars only because I found my mind drifting throughout, so possibly didn't grip me as much as the first two books, but maybe I had high expectations too ... would still highly recommend you read it

Another wonderful book by Emma Cooper. Again she has managed to create characters for us to fall in love with, who feel real and relatable.
This book is a great story, cleverly written from the two perspectives of the main characters Jen and Ed.
It follows the effect of grief and loss on their close knit family and particularly on Jen’s mental health. The characters have a real depth and you feel you are walking this journey with them.
I like that although the theme of the book is quite emotional and has the potential to be sad - Emma regularly injects some humour to lift the mood.
For me this book didn’t quite reach the dizzying heights of her previous 2 novels, however that is most likely down to my high expectations and excited anticipation. I rated this book 4⭐️ and would recommend as one to add to your list.

I didn’t expect to find a story about a battle with grief so lighthearted! It was a very nice surprise. In a similar way to Fleabag, this story swings regularly between laugh-out-loud moments and grief-fuelled panic attacks. I finished it in one sitting.

Jen’s younger sister, Kerry, dies at the young age of 25, while saving Jen’s life. Not only does this book deal with the very difficult subject of living life shrouded in grief, but Jen also has an extra layer of guilt haunting her life too - a very invasive thought of “it should have been me.”

My favourite parts were the scenes with Kerry’s ghost. Kerry becomes a hallucination that follows Jen around, invisible to all other characters, adding hilarity to almost every scenario.

There were some areas I found too cheesey, mostly the big-pants jokes and a couple of awkward ‘parents caught us having quickies’ moments, and (I might have taken this a little too personally) but on more than a few occasions Jen acts like being 30 is horribly middle-aged! I am 32 and not at all embarrassed to go roller skating or cliff jumping thank you very much, haha!

It’s also not a fast-paced book. There’s almost 80 chapters and more happens in the last 5 chapters than the first 70! (Including 2 holidays!)

Favourite quote: I follow insomnia into the kitchen like an awkward friend.

If I Could Say Goodbye is out on the 17th of September 2020 🎉

Kerry and Jen are sisters. More than that, they are best friends. Jen is shattered when Kerry dies in an accident and this book is the story of her grief and recovery.

Emma Cooper writes emotionally charged books and this was no exception. I loved the relationship between the sisters and it felt realistic and natural.

Ed was a strong character, a family man with the best interests of his children at heart. I’d have liked a little more time with Nessa and Erica- I felt parts of their story were missed.

I enjoyed this book; thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read and review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read 'If I Could Say Goodbye'..

I very much enjoyed reading this moving book about grief and ultimately, coming to terms with loss. The story is told from the points of view of Jen and Ed, a married couple. It was well-written with a lovely balance of humour and poignancy, and I could imagine myself feeling like just Jen if I went through such a loss.

I will definitely look out for more books by Emma Cooper.

I really don't know where to start... I finished this book a couple of days ago and I still can't find the words for it to give it the justice it deserves. Emma has an incredible ability to pull on the heart strings of her readers and literally reduce them to tears!

I love a book that is told from more than one perspective and seeing the story told from both Ed and Jen was a brilliant touch. From the blurb we already know that Jen is the victim but Eds POV is a true eye opener to show how the families are effected too.

I love the way Emma writes. I felt so many emotions reading this. I smiled, I laughed and I cried (lots). She covers the topics of both love and loss in such a sensitive but beautiful way. I highly recommend this book but make sure you have plenty of tissues to hand!

I am already very excited to see what Emma has in store for us next!

If I Could Say Goodbye by Emma Cooper
Where to even start! I loved this book, it took me on a quite a journey.
Jen and Kerry are sisters, they love each other deeply, while out shopping together, Kerry is killed in an accident. This book then takes you through Jen's grief, and also how that grief affects her husband, children and those close to her.
I loved Jen and her husband Ed and loved how the story was told in alternating chapters so we could see the cause and effect of what was happening to Jen. This story was so believable, and I will be left with quite a book hangover now I have finished.

Loved it.

A beautifully-crafted emotional rollercoaster of a read that will take you to the heights before crashing you back down to earth with all the finesse of a ballerina on skates. I have a huge hangover after this book and am having to resort to a genre shift for my next read in order to clense my thoughts. Cooper's writing style is easy and laid back. Often the hardest to achieve. An easy 5 stars.

I think I only discovered Emma Cooper’s books this year, or the latter end of last year, so I was delighted to be approved for an advanced copy of her latest book (coming September 2020). Emma Cooper has a real talent for writing books that tug at your heart strings and make you reach for the tissues and cry with laughter as well as sadness. This book was no exception.

I have to say, I’ll always have a favourite of Emma’s books, and this isn’t it. But that’s because her books will be four or five star reads depending on the time of your life that you read them in. They are deeply personal and highly emotive, and they will blow your mind if you can connect to them on another level as a result of the topics covered being personal to you. These are books to read for pleasure, and for comfort. There will be a time in your life that you’ll reach for this book again, I can be certain of that for me anyway.

I honestly do not know how to write this review, this was such a perfect book.

Told primarily from the POVs of a married couple, Jennifer and Ed, we are introduced to Kerry, Jennifer's sister, who died in a tragic accident. This is a story about love and loss but also about healing and rediscovery.

Emma has this amazing ability to make her readers feel every emotion she portrays. The characters are relatable and it is hard not to be engrossed and finish the book in one sitting. I found it impossible not to cry or to laugh out loud, as I have with her previous novels. I felt so many emotions reading this book which is one of the reasons that I will always remember it. The final chapter really hit me and I was crying with a smile on my face until the very last word.

If I Could Say Goodbye is such a stunning, uplifting and heartbreaking read that left me breathless and in great need of covering my child in cuddles and kisses. I could not recommend this book enough.

If I'm honest, I don't know how to review this book with the justice it deserves without giving spoilers.

It is just so beautiful and poignant that its hard to put into words. As with all of Emma's books, I ugly cried and I snorted laughing.

Emma Cooper just has this talent to make you fall in love with the characters from the first page. I loved Jen and Kerry, the devil on her shoulder, I loved the dual narrative between Jen and Ed. Because when you go through something you never truly comprehend what is going through the minds of them closest to you. How simple things affect them and how they see you.

This book will stay with me for such a long time and I will recommend it to anyone that will listen. I cannot wait for the next book!

This was such a heartbreaking read, I absolutely love Emma's style of writing her books are amazing. I really enjoyed this one definitely 5 stars from me.

Wow what can I say but Emma Cooper you have done it again and written yet another delightful poignant and heartbreaking book. I was so pleased to be able to read a copy of your new book after loving your others so much and this one certainly didn’t disappoint and has left me with a major book hangover. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down and read it almost in one day reading late into the night .

This was such a beautiful and emotional read and dealt with love and loss and it’s effects in a very sensitive and thought provoking
Way. I am sure anyone who has loved and lost someone will be able to resonate with this book. I sadly lost my best friend a few years ago and didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to them and aspects of this book really pulled on my heartstrings and got me right at the core.

Emma has taken a very sensitive topic and then brought it to life in a beautiful and heartfelt way with her well crafted characters and makes the reader thing that you are in the story with them and feeling their every emotion along the way.

I am a huge fan of Emma Coopers writing and was so pleased that I was chosen to review her new book.

If I could say goodbye involves Jen, Kerry, Nessa and Ed. It tells the story from both Jen's and Ed's viewpoint and at times, I literally stopped breathing, the story was that powerful.
In my opinion, the sign of a good book, is one that is devoured, one that keeps you constantly thinking about the characters and one you wish to read all over again once it was finished, in fact I was disappointed that it had ended.

Emma's writing is raw, it discusses the impact that grief can have on our mental state and the impact that it has on families and relationships.

Excellent writing from Emma, it definitely did not disappoint.