I have read Drew's other two books and loved them so when I saw that this was available on Netgalley, I requested it. It's a great read that it is a coming of age for Wendy despite the fact that she is in her fifties and her sheltered life is challenged by the events that are going on around her and all her assumptions tutn out to be completely wrong. It's a warm funny story in places but what I especially loved was who turned up and supported Wendy when she was at her most vulnerable. I definitely recommend reading this book and am waiting already for Drew's next one.

Every love story need not start with a bang or end with fireworks. Some love stories slowly creep on you just like this book. Love is love. . .❤ It doesn't need the crutches of race, gender, sexuality, age etc and it certainly doesn't demand that you shouldn't have any mental health issues. With or without you by Drew Davies deals with the themes of love, loneliness, friendship, mental health and family in a sensitive portrayal which gradually grows on you as the book progresses. 💕
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This is the story of Mr and Mrs Dixit, a biracial couple living in Chomley, London. Wendy, Mrs Dixit is White and ten years older than her husband Naveem whose family migrated from India. Naveem is a taxi driver and is a collector of train models. The couple live in a secluded bubble with no kids, no close friends and almost no contact with their respective families. One day Naveem has an accident while driving his taxi and goes into a coma. Suddenly their carefully cultivated routines go haywire, Wendy finds herself alone with no idea about what to do in such a situation. 💕
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In the days after Naveem's accident, Wendy slowly begins to pick up the threads of her life. This includes an unlikely friendship with her upstairs neighbor Mrs Rampersad, forging an camaraderie with her nephew Henry, discovering her own strengths as she slowly comes out of her shell to receive and offer affection. She finds out that having distant parents might have repressed her ability to vocalise her feelings but it certainly has not made her 'frigid' or 'uppity' as people tend to think about her. 💕
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This book is a slow burn. From the start itself, you get a sense that something is going to happen. The author has a knack for writing characters which will surprise you as they slowly reveal all facets of their personality. Mrs Rampersad, a Bible study group member, blunt to the point of rudeness, displays her softer side as she takes on the role as a protector to Wendy and admits her loneliness and longing for her children in an incoherent moment. Wendy's mother-in-law who keeps an unending vigil at her son's bedside, ultimately admits her own insecurities and mental health issues which plagued her and Naveem too. 💕
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Unexpected flashes of humor liven up this tale of belonging. In these troubled times, this book will reinforce the value of friendships and relationships. This is a book which should be read for its brilliant character portrayal, its sensitive handling of mental health issues and most importantly the story of falling in love again with your spouse nineteen years after marriage. The only niggling issues I have with this book are that it drags a bit in the middle and the title seems a little unimaginative for a brilliantly written book.

Oh my goodness! What have I just read? I have tears streaming down my cheeks as I write this review. 
This is definitely a heart wrenching read which has left me a bit emotional. This is definitely a rollercoaster of a read. I have been completely pulled in and unable to put down. 
This is my first read by this author and I'm really hoping my next one won't be as emotional. This is a book which is completely unique to anything I've read before and I have really enjoyed it. The characters are likeable and you find yourself hoping Wendy gets a happy ending. 
I'm hugely shocked that this book has brought out such emotion, I am definitely a converted fan to this author. This is a great read, definitely deserving of five stars. I cannot wait to read more! 



PUBLIC REVIEW TO FOLLOW ON BLOG TOUR!

This book is about second chances and how things can change in a blink of an eye. Its heart warming, emotional and a a book I have thought about long after I finished it. I really enjoyed this and really recommend it!

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!!

Wendy’s life can be neatly divided into two: before and after.

Before her husband, Naveem's, car accident, she was contended about their small and quiet life together. But with her husband in coma, and with no idea of long a coma lasts, Wendy is lost and lonely.

She finds herself doing things she normally wouldn't do and finds a friend in her neighbour, whom she has spent over a decade avoiding.

This is a book which focuses on loneliness and neighbours helping neighbours. While this book did have a few life lessons, the plot itself was not that enjoyable.

I couldn't connect much with any of the characters and found it confusing at times. I just wish there was a bit more clarity in the names and events, that would have made this book even more better..

I read over half of this book waiting for the story to begin. It was just bizarre- it seemed to start in the middle as if you already knew the characters and why they were behaving as they did.

I guessed who the intruder was instantly and made the link to the big boss straight away. I just found this whole book quite unsatisfying. None of the relationships were fully explored and I didn’t particularly like any of the characters.

Thank you for letting me read this book but it wasn’t for me.

** Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy in exchange for this review.

With or Without You follows Wendy, who’s tackling the possibility of a life alone as her husband Naveen is in a coma following a car accident. We bare witness to Wendy coping with the uncertainty of when, or even if, her husband will wake up.

It’s an interesting premise for a story especially as we see the strained relationship between Wendy and her mother-in-law who disapproves of their mixed race marriage, and a neighbour she never would have grown close to previously. She finds herself spreading her wings a little by visiting places in London from her youth or trying out new experiences

However I didn’t find the story particularly enjoyable - it just felt a bit repetitive as Wendy continued to do things her husband wouldn’t approve of, then she’d feel guilty about it and speak meekly to him whilst he lay there unresponsive. It was almost as if it took a coma for her to realise she was in a controlling relationship where what was seen as acceptable for her to do was dictated by her husband. The ending was predictable and I found it a bit of a slog to get through

It really frustrated me that the characters weren’t referred to by their first names it was always “Mrs Dixit” (which got confusing as you had Wendy, and also Naveen’s mother both referred to as this) and Mrs Rampersad for example.

Wendy Dixit’s husband, Naveem is a taxi driver and when he is involved in a car accident which leaves him in a coma, she finds her perfectly ordered life is in disarray. Mrs Dixit and her husband kept themselves to themselves ever since they were married. Due to the mixed-race marriage, Naveem’s family didn’t agree with his choice of wife and they have had little contact over the years. Wendy finds herself alone in a house full of silence, and visiting her husband in hospital doesn’t make her any happier. The story is told day by day, counting the days after Naveem’s accident. Little doubts pop into Mrs Dixit’s mind as to what was the cause of the accident, and her doubts aren’t really helped by the suspicions of her neighbour and new confidant, Mrs Rampersad.

This is the third book which I have read by this author, although I have to admit this book was certainly different as to what I was expecting. At the beginning, I felt sadness and confusion, not unlike Mrs Dixit. I liked her character and empathised with what she was going through. The book is told in three parts and as the story moves you begin to get to know the characters better. The writing is very descriptive, allowing you to live and feel the different characters, experiencing their emotions along with them. Mrs Dixit is obviously the main character, and whilst we are told her first name, we only really know her as Mrs Dixit. As the story moves on, Mrs Dixit’s character begins to change. She is finding new friends and new things to do waiting for her husband to wake up. She finds herself interacting with people who she wouldn’t normally have done. We are left waiting to find out whether Naveem wakes up until well into the story, riding the rollercoaster of emotions that Mrs Dixit is also on.

Naveem’s accident seems to have started a catalyst in his wife’s life. Whether this works out for the best for her or the worst, you don’t find out until the end. This was definitely a story of new beginnings and it is certainly a real thought-provoking read with an interesting mix of characters and an unusual storyline. With lots of life lessons learned as the story finishes, it is a heart-warming and emotional book which will leave you pondering its words for a long time after.

With or Without You by Drew Davies is the second novel that I have read from this author, and it is every bit as enjoyable and affecting as the first. Drew Davies has now secured a place on my must read list.

Mrs Dixit leads a quiet and contented life with her husband Naveem, a taxi driver. But when Naveem is involved in an accident and falls into a coma, his wife must finds ways to cope without him as she struggles to come to grips with a life that has been suddenly redefined. As the days pass with no change to Naveem's condition, Mrs Dixit finds herself drawn to both people and circumstances that she has spent a lifetime avoiding, and wonders just how much of her life she has let quietly slip away while she was cocooned in shyness and familiarity.

This is a wonderful read about second chances, and a poignant reminder that life is never static and can change in the blink of an eye. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

What a lovely book highs and lows. You will laugh you may cry but a throughly enjoyable book. Read in an evening