I really did enjoy the overall premise of this book, and Izzy and Sam were lovely. They had some very real things happen along the way and I did enjoy the ending. I feel like it could have been about 30% shorter. With some editing this could be much better. Thank you to netgalley for the arc.

2/5
The First Time We Met chronicles the lives of Izzy and Sam and how they intersect over the course of a decade and a half. This book is your classic missed connection gone horribly wrong, in the way it seems to reach into every aspect of the story. One day, fourteen years ago, Izzy and Sam met for the first time during a day shift at Izzy's job. What springs from this interaction is a mutual connection that refuses to fade, impacting them years into the future.

See, the day that they were initially introduced happened to be Sams wedding day. This becomes the cause of the whole situation that occurs thereafter. As this book was marketed as being similar to One Day in December, it is suffice to say that I was exited to start reading. That being said, I think what happens when you compare one book to another, is that your readers begin to measure them against each other. In the case of this book, it helped to have a frame of reference to how a story spanning multiple years can be written and executed well. Which is why I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected myself to. While I loved the style of writing exhibited throughout the book, that is unfortunately where it ends. My main problem, is that right from the start, there were multiple time jumps that were not spaced out, impacting the foundation needed in a story like this. In order to understand the situation, you have to care about the characters and the relationship between them, and that was not possible because of how rushed those initial chapters were. It was not clear as to why they had a connection at all. The characters themselves lacked depth beyond the romantic aspect of this book, to the point where you couldn't see who they were as people. They didn't seem to be able to stand on their own apart from the plot. I'm sure this story resonates with a lot of people, but it isn't what I needed in a romance. I need flawed, fully flushed-out characters, that struggle and make me feel those things alongside them. This might have reached me if the author had built up their connection, relationship, and separate backgrounds from the beginning as opposed to later in the story.

What would you do if you met The One, but on his wedding day to another woman? That’s exactly what happened between Izzy and Sam. Now 14 years after the day they met they are both single and brought back into each other’s lives. Will they finally get their shot at a happily ever after?

I was so looking forward to this one, but unfortunately it fell a little flat. I did love the moments Izzy and Sam had together but there more with them apart than together. The beginning and the end were just perfect but I found the middle quite boring.

My one main complaint, and it’s a big one is the inability for both Sam and Izzy to make mature decisions that are best for them & their families. Sam is a hardcore workaholic, who can’t separate his time at the office to raising his tween twins. He’s constantly reminded of his faults in this area but still can’t figure it out until the very end of the book. It just became so annoying and I wanted to shake him to figure his life out. On the other hand Izzy is so sweet but she is torn between what is best for her family life and what she truly needs when it comes to her separation with her husband.

Overall, I loved Izzy and Sam when they were together it was just the time apart from each other, that was 70% of the book that I couldn’t get past. Some might totally love this one, it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC!

The premise of this book was a good idea: Izzy and Sam who had an adorable meet-cute and felt the zaps of love at first sight. The catch is that it was on Sam's wedding day. The first chapter started off so well. I was into it and the pace was fine...until we started time jumping. It started with 11 months later where they only made eye contact from across the road to seven years later to then 14 years later. It was too much and for me, I'm lost to how they could've realistically connected.

Izzy as a character wasn't bad. She was working on finding herself and what made her happy. Sam was doing the same. However, that wasn't enough to call it a success story for me.

There wasn't time for the two of them to have a connection. I found it difficult to believe that their brief meet-cute could really hold on for that long. Where was the chemistry? How did they really get to know each other besides emails? When they did meet in person, it was very anticlimactic. Their emails were boring and so was their face-to-face meeting. I wasn't sold on the romance and the writing voice didn't really inspire me to care about any of it. Unfortunately, this wasn't a win for me.

What if you meet the love of your life on the day of his wedding?
Izzy meets her 'The One' in a dingy bar she is working at and instantly feels a connection to Sam, but soon realize that he is getting married on that day.
Fast forward six years later, they meet again. They share a coffee and have amazing time together but know that they have to part ways because of their own commitment.
Seven years later Sam is living in New York and needs to find help for his son. Knowing Izzy can help contacts her, who lives in London. They start sharing emails, finally start rekindling a bond they felt years ago.

The way the two protagonist meet is cute and was a good premise of the book. But reading ahead, the time jumps did not feel right and the characters had moved so far ahead in their lives. The chemistry did not feel sizzling at all. The story felt kind of disconnected and the ending kind of abrupt.
I wish there was more to their relationship and couldn't help but feel a little detached with their story
The summary of the story was good but the rest did not live up to it

Izzy doesn’t believe in love at first sight, but when Sam walks into the cafe where she works one winter’s morning, she knows without a doubt that he’s the one. But unfortunately for her, it’s Sam’s wedding day.

When Izzy and Sam’s paths finally cross again, everything has changed. But neither of them has forgotten each other. With the Atlantic Ocean and decades of baggage between them, they are about to find out whether some obstacles are too big for even true love to overcome.

This was something different compared to what I have read of recent. It focuses on how if two people are soulmates then destiny always brings them together at some point in life.

It was well written with alternating chapters of Izzy and Sam. The plot was good with some decent humor included and the main characters along with their flaws were well depicted. I also enjoyed the email exchange between Izzy and Sam.

The only flaws for me was the subplot of the relationship between Rohan and Emma, which I found irrelevant to the plot and the long time gaps between the different parts in the book, which slightly affected the continuity of the narration.

Nevertheless, a good and sweet debut novel!

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

I was really worried about this book. Often times when romance stories span years and continents it feels hopeless and trite or it had adultery on an affair. I appreciated that this story could be told without either of those plot devices. Izzy and Sam were well suited and their story, both together and apart, was rich and full of heartbreak.
Sam's issues with his kids were the hardest parts to read through, but we see both he and Izzy change a lo through the 14=ish years we know them and I never felt like it was unbelievable or ridiculous and impossible.
Overall, I liked the main premise of this story and how these two people didn't just happen to come back into their lives, but when times arose they made efforts for each other.

Synopsis:

The First Time We Met tells the intricate story of Sam and Izzy through the years. They first met when Izzy hits on Sam on his wedding day, and part of him (most of him) wants to say yes, but it is not the right time for them. Years later, when they are both single, they find again and try to fit into each other’s lives.

Opinion (and spoilers):

This was such an interesting story about fate and destiny; about two people who were predestined to be together. I have to admit soul mates is a trope that I really enjoy in literature, along with slow burn (although it was too slow for my opinion). The best way I would describe this novel for me is a guilty pleasure, which is not a bad thing at all, quite the opposite. On a less positive note, I think the insta-love was a bit too much, considering the shortness of their first meeting and all.

Most of the plot was very predictable to me, although it was not an impediment to keep reading, as I like to guess what is about to happen, and at a certain point it the story it made me doubt if they would even end up together at all. The writing wasn’t always my cup of tea, with me being the number one supporter of academic writing, but it was not terrible.

3.5-rounded-up-to-four stars for me!

Thirteen is my lucky number, too ;)

Izzy and Sam’s story was new to me, given that I haven’t read many insta-love tropes, but it was kind of endearing, too. And the cover is super cute and minimalistic! Keeping things simple!

Izzy and Sam meet on Sam’s wedding day over burned bacon and greasy breakfast food, and instantly, both of them (unbeknownst to each other) know they’ve found The One. They don’t do anything about it quite then, but it stays in the back of their minds as the years fly by and life gets more and more complicated.

This book included many of the classic rom-com tropes, had a slow-burn and felt slightly indulgent in the sense that you’d have to suspend your disbelief to thoroughly enjoy it. And for someone like me who needs book escapes, this was a perfect read! It also had quite a fairytale-type feel to it, which is always wonderful, and best of all...no cheating!

The characters were truly enjoyable. Izzy was clearly not a typical rom-com heroine 100% of the time. With how much time we spent in her head, I could pick up on all those independent-don’t-need-no-man vibes from her, and at parts, the men in her life weren’t first priorities. I enjoyed that because her plotline, while connected to Sam, didn’t revolve completely around him.

Sam was a pleasant surprise, with all those emails and the clear devotion to try to balance all parts of his life. We’ve all been there, and given that I’m working through that right now, something about that resonated with me as well. He had the right amount of vulnerability to him, and I could feel his fatigue through the pages.

One thing that made it slightly difficult for me to connect to the book were the time jumps. Part One had quite a few and it made it hard for me to keep track of how old is everyone? and what year is it? and how much time has passed? When the book’s narrative moved into more present tense, that’s when I began to enjoy it much more. I did think the ending was a little rushed as well, and somehow, I had been expecting it to be slower given the factors between them, the adjustments they would’ve had to take. Again, the epilogue gave us another time jump that had me feeling I missed a lot of important things about them!

Still, this was enjoyable! I’d recommend this to fans of rom-coms - a great, light afternoon read!

[Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review]

A beautiful and dramatic novel! The characters were well drawn and sympathetic, and the storyline flowed seamlessly. Highly recommended!

Izzy meets Sam (and asks him out) on the morning of his wedding. They meet again by chance a few different times before truly crossing paths a number of years after their initial meeting. This was a tale of "the one that got away"...again, and again...on both sides! A very sweet yet realistic love story with multiple obstacles. Both main characters, as well as the side characters, were well developed and made me feel all possible emotions (from frustration to pride). A quick, easy read that made me cry both happy and sad tears - the first I've read from Jo Lovett, but I look forward to reading more!

This is the 1st Book that I have read by the author, I enjoyed this book, The book tells the story of Izzy and Sam who meet on the morning of sam wedding and then picks up again decades later .

With thanks to Netgalley & Bookouture for the arc of this book in exchange for this review.

Full of highs and lows, the reader will fall in love with Sam and Izzy as they journey through decades of near-misses and getting-to-know-yous. In a series of unlikely events, that somehow play out as completely realistic, our ill-fated lovebirds meet, separate, randomly meet again a few times, and then find themselves working together on a project....which finally leads to our (not really a surprise, right?) happily ever after. A fantastic supporting cast of characters rounds of the perfect Brit-Chick-Lit experience!

This book is everything that would usually induce ranting, eye rolling, and irritation in me. It's normal people living normal lives, it's chick lit, it's cliches and schmaltziness and slightly ridiculous coincidences and frustrating miscommunications. It is unlike me to enjoy this book.

I. Freaking. Loved. It.

Reading this was like watching Sleepless in Seattle or Serendipity. You know it's silly and smooshy but dang it, you just want to suspend the disbelief that shrouds your jaded heart for just a few hours, and immerse yourself in the daydream of meeting That Person - the person who feels like home and magic all at once. Cos if you chip away at that rock hard jade fence around your heart - deep down there's a stupid romantic part of you that still wants to believe in it... in the knight in shining armour, in the person who makes you laugh and makes your heart feel warm and saves you from yourself.

This story is comfort food in book form. The kind that feels slightly indulgent but is also really freaking warm and delicious.

I think the thing that made this one different for me was that Izzy and Sam felt so real. I feel like I could bump into Izzy in the street. In fact, I would really love to be Izzy's friend. I love her bright quirky style and her "hot mess mum" nature - I feel like we're kindred spirits. Sam is not perfect but he tries to be a good bloke and loves his kids and his imperfectness is what makes him feel so real. I loved reading about characters in my stage of life.

I gobbled this book up and didn't want to leave these characters behind. I think Izzy and Sam will stay with me a long while.

My one little irk is with the ending. This is where the SPOILERS come in - beware! Unfortunately the whole proposal thing was just too much for me. I think they should have actually tried having a real, everyday relationship first before jumping straight into marriage, especially given Izzy hadn't even divorced from Dominic yet. Izzy had already learnt that you need the day to day stuff to work for a marriage to work, and Sam should have learnt not to rush into spontaneous marriage proposals. For me the proposal and quick marriage part pushed the story out of its "realness" and into unrealistic movie ending territory. They should have just moved in together (and Sam should definitely have moved to London so that Ruby could see her father, it's not logical at all for Izzy to move to the US) and then marriage could follow on from that, once they had actually spent significant time together in person.

So I did feel a little let down that the ending took it too far. It would have still been a wonderful romantic story without the proposal/ wedding aspect. But overall I did really truly love reading this story a lot.

Major thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to review this arc!
I’m usually skeptical of “love at first sight”, a bit like Izzy herself, but I loved watching the relationship between Izzy and Sam unfold. In a way, it reminded me of Love, Rosie (When Rainbows End) as the bulk of the development between Izzy and Sam’s relationship happened over emails. It was evident that Izzy and Sam complimented each other well, and weren’t afraid to tell the other what they needed to hear. I got very invested in their friends to lovers dynamic, and this book made me wonder if soulmates were real. Very Taylor Swift invisible string. I also think the roadblocks that Izzy and Sam experienced along the way was what kept me interested, and what kept me rooting for them. Izzy was an easy character to like, and I liked how she wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. Something I really appreciated was how much Izzy and Sam cared about their respective children, and how they always put their kids first. I wish they’d gotten together faster, but overall, I thought it was a great book!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC of this sweet little book! It's a cute and quick read about finding The One, and how this discovery is all really about timing. In the romance of Sam and Izzy, it's the journey of aligning up - or if it's meant to ever match up at the right time. While this was cute, I would have loved "more" of them being together vs. emails and long time gaps, but it was still light and full of heart!

Okay, so the word “heartwarming” usually turns my stomach. But actually, this novel’s pretty perfect.

Really great characters, dialogue that hits perfectly, well written and very twisty, this was a fantastic read. I’ll definitely be looking out for more by this author.

Love at first sight. Impossible circumstances. A slow burn.

"The First Time We Met" encompassed one of my favorite story lines! Girl sees boy. Boy sees girl. Obviously, there's a spark and they both know it. But something BIG is standing in their way. In this case, it was boy's wedding day. Hot and hunky Sam... hubba hubba.

I really enjoyed reading this story. Izzy is a delightful character and so is Sam. They go through a really time time together and apart. I really felt the love that they had for each other and I was just hoping the entire time that they could figure it out. The setting for the story was both in London, a dream, and New York. London is my favorite!

If you liked One Day in December, you'd like this one as well! So many missed opportunities, but can they recover?

Overall I would probably rate this book with 3.5 stars! I would recommend this to someone if they were look for a light, easy romance with some real life hurdles!

It was hard to read for me because the dialogue only had one quote mark around the words. Ex. 'I love reading about books set in London,' she said. So, it got a bit jumbled up for me!
There were so many times that I just wanted to shake some sense into both Izzy and Sam because if they would have just VOICED what the felt instead of keeping it to themselves, there would have been a lot less heartache... and probably a lot less book lol. So I guess it is good they didn't!

*Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!*

I love how the main couple met on the day of the guy's wedding to another girl. That's some obstacle. :) The story takes place through decades. I love the emails especially. I wish there were more steamy scenes because that's a lot of build-up and I thought that it deserves something more! Otherwise... thought that it was a great book.

I don’t know that I believe in love at first sight butI loved this book! Izzy, a diner waitress, meets Sam, an American businessman at her work. When she realizes their connection, she chases him down only to find out that he’s getting married that day. The story flashes forward several years at a time describing what’s happening in each character’s life. Jo Lovett carefully crafts lovable characters in plausible situations. She follows Izzy and Sam through fifteen years of triumphs and tragedies. I could not put this down. It is an excellent read to escape these trying times. I look forward to reading more from Jo Lovett.