Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of The First Time We Met in exchange for an honest review. I do love a good fluffy romance every now and again. Especially these past few weeks, I’ve been reading some pretty intense books so it was nice to read something so easy and heartwarming.

My Review
What I Liked
I’m going to be honest, I didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. The story felt a bit fast-paced towards the beginning as there is quite a bit of time skipping. But I love how the characters rarely change, even though we miss 7+ years of their lives. I found myself giggling at a lot of parts and I admit I did shed a tear or two as well.

The Story
I love the wonder of meeting the right person at the wrong time. It’s very frustrating to wait and see if it all works out in the end. This book is the definition of that. I was pleasantly surprised when this book didn’t turn out to be the cliché romance I thought it would be.

We start with Izzy working her regular Saturday shift at a café, dressed in her wonderful elf costume. This is when handsome man Sam walks in. They instantly click and she knows he is the one. However, when she builds up the courage to ask him out, she finds out it’s actually his wedding day.

Izzy and Sam’s path intertwine on more than one occasion but there is always a barrier preventing them from being together. As well as the sweet romance throughout the book, tragedies such as loss and divorce are also tackled in a deep and meaningful way. This brings the characters down to earth and also makes them relatable.

The only thing that makes it difficult to read is the amount of time jumping. Some parts of the book are a little confusing. I didn’t know how old the characters were and how much time had passed in some of the chapters. It also felt like we missed out a lot of important things about the characters too. Despite this, I still really enjoyed it and managed to catch up with everything going.

The Characters
I absolutely love Izzy and Sam. As the book is mostly from Izzy’s point of view, we see a lot of how she thinks. By putting herself first and always trying to do the most logical thing, it makes her a great strong female character. She continuously shows she doesn’t need a man to keep her and her family happy, which I love.

I like how we get to know Izzy and Sam separately. Although this is a romance book, it is not always about their relationship. From Sam’s perspective, we get to see the struggles of his daily life. The unbalance of his work and home life make him suffer a great deal. It was really heartbreaking to read about and I felt sorry for him. However, I just wanted to go and tell him to sort it out, instead of ignoring it.

Overall Thoughts
The First Time We Met is the perfect book to snuggle up with after a long day and read until you finish it! I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance. Once you get past the time skipping, It is an easy and enjoyable read that I’m sure you will love!

4 stars - if you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This a the story of what happens if you meet "the one" at the wrong time. Izzy and Sam meet on his wedding day and feel an instant connection, but of course it is not meant to be. They meet accidentally a few more times and every time that connection is still there. So years down the road, when both are single they reconnect and have a chance to see if they can make a relationship work or if there is too much baggage.

Overall, I thought this was a good read. It seemed very realistic and well done in covering the relationships. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it if you like cute, light-hearted romances.

I enjoyed this book overall but it was very drawn out. I found myself getting frustrated with Izzy and Sam becuase they wouldn't be honest about their feelings. If you enjoy a slow burn romance than definitely give this one a try.

I just adore these type of romance tropes. You meet the one, but something happens, then you meet again, something happens, repeat this cycle for several years until, it finally works out. /sigh It just makes me happy! Izzy and Sam were that couple. I love the beginning but then the long lag in between time jumps made things slow down greatly for me. 

I thought this was a truly realistic look at what could happen, there was no great crazy thing that happened to them, life just took them in different directions. The different directions were even across oceans as Izzy was planted in England and Sam was firmly in the US. They married different people, had children, and basically lived completely separate lives until they slid back into each others life. 

The frustrating part of the story for me was all the extra characters, even  the kids. Ugh Sam's daughter was just down right mean. Don't get me started on Izzy's ex husband. I wasn't even very interested in her besties. I just wanted more Sam and Izzy, less other characters. Solid 3.5 stars for me. I will round up to 4 because I did really enjoy it and read it super fast!

Do you believe in love at first sight? Jo Lovett will tug at your heart strings with this romantic story. Izzy and Sam first meet in December when Izzy is working as a waitress. There is an instant spark when these two meet. So why does Sam say no when Izzy asks him out? Well he has a good reason... it is his wedding day. Time passes: marriage, children, new jobs, new countries, and yet they cannot seem to forget. Over a decade has passed and Sam reaches out to Izzy ostensibly for help for his son. They begin an email correspondence, but an ocean, many yearsand relationships, separate these two. Will they be able to rekindle the spark?

   Do you believe in “the one“? OK full confession- I do not necessarily believe in love at first sight or the one and yet I really enjoyed this story. Both Izzy and Sam were fabulous characters. I found them both so kind, genuine, and likable. Also found them both quite frustrating at times. I wasn’t always thrilled with some of the characters choices and didn’t like how fickle Izzy was throughout most of the book. Nevertheless, this was an engaging story that warmed my heart.

This book in emojis  🥄 🤰🏻 ☕️ 🎨 🐑 📩 ☔️

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

The First Time We Met left me wanting more, and I don’t mean more of the book. The plot felt strained to me and a little unrealistic. I know, I know. It’s a book! Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that one stranger in a cafe would leave such a lasting mark on someone for years. It may be the realist in me. However, I also didn’t fall in love with the dialogue or prose. Sadly, I expected so much from this book, but found it lacking. It was difficult for me to finish, unfortunately.

A heart-warming and uplifting tale of second chances, unexpected twists of fate and the magic of falling in love, Jo Lovett’s The First Time We Met is a powerful love story readers won’t forget in a hurry.

Izzy doesn’t believe in love at first sight. That is just an invention created by film producers and romantic novelists and certainly not something that could ever happen in real life – or so she thinks! Cupid’s arrow well and truly hits her when Sam walks through the doors of the coffee shop where she works and she falls head over heels in love with him. But there is a slight catch that puts paid to any hopes and dreams she might have for the future: Sam is getting married. To Somebody Else. On that very same day. Just when Izzy had thought that she had finally found The One she ends up disappointed and heartbroken before things had even managed to get off the ground with him. However, Izzy shouldn’t be too hasty in putting Sam behind her for good because it looks like fate might have other ideas in store for them…

A year has passed since their fateful encounter and Izzy knows that she should stop thinking about Sam and move on with her life. After all, he’s a married man and has long forgotten about her. Having been married for less than twelve months, Sam is surely besotted with his new wife and doesn’t’ spare a single thought to the girl he had met at a coffee shop on his wedding day a year ago. But little does she realise that absence has truly made Sam’s heart grow fonder as even though all this time has passed, he still hasn’t managed to stop thinking about the girl who had asked him out on his wedding day!

When destiny pushes the two of them in each other’s path again in the most surprising and unexpected of ways, everything has changed for the two of them. But can Izzy and Sam triumph over all the obstacles standing in their way and find the courage to grab this chance at happiness with both hands? Or are they simply not meant to be together?

A beautifully written love story that will make readers feel every single emotion Izzy and Sam go through, Jo Lovett’s The First Time We Met is a fantastic read that touched my heart, made me giggle and brought a tear to my eye.

Sparkling with humour and charm, Jo Lovett’s The First Time We Met is a heart-warming tale of two soulmates who belong together and their journey to make the most of this second chance at happiness that is sure to delight and entertain readers everywhere.

Pros: sweet, good vibe between the two leads, realism around parenting, thoughtful treatment of speech impediments and other issues that gave it a very grounded vibe

Cons: the plot simply didn't really do it for me - meeting the right one at the wrong time is an inherently frustrating proposition, which did not really improve even upon reaching a happy conclusion, due to all the wasted unhappy years in the interim

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture and Jo Levett for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! 
	When Izzy and Sam meet in a diner it’s love at first sight for both of them. The chemistry is there and the spark is instant. The only problem? Sam is getting married that day. This is where things started to go downhill for me. Time jumps are hard to get right and unfortunately I just don’t think Jo Levett got it. I couldn’t feel a connection between the characters like I had in the beginning and I wasn’t very invested in the book in general. I think the basic premise was fantastic and the general idea can work, it just didn’t here.

Do you believe in love at first sight? I love that question which is posed in The First Time We Met. 

Honestly the book synopsis totally caught me eye on this one since Lovett is not someone I’ve read before given this is her debut novel. 

Izzy never believed in love at first sight until she ran into Sam. She asked him out, only to discover it was his wedding day. Gah! Can you imagine? 

But what if fate has you reconnecting with this person time and time again? Could this initial connection actually turn into something more? 

I was honestly loving this book in Part one. If you’re OK with instalove, then you’ll totally fall for the meet cute between Izzy and Sam only to be just as devasted as her when she discovers he’s getting married. 

The build up to this tension, disappointment and what is to come was really fantastic. 

Unfortunately, everything after just went downhill for me. 

Of course I anticipated time jumping in the story, but the remainder of the book was just a lot of repetition of Sam never stepping up for his kids or truly confiding in Izzy and Izzy just waffling between her choices. 

The same dilemmas were discussed over and over and I honestly just started skimming to get to a new aspect of the story which never really came.

I found both characters lacking – Izzy was just willing to settle and Sam just didn’t have much of a spine.

I hung in there to get the happily ever after but that too was underwhelming.

While I think we are bound to see great books from Lovett in the future as I think she is a very good writer, this story just fell short for me. 

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the arc! This title was released November 10, 2020.

This book was released at such a perfect time. I am actually American and I recently moved to England to be with my British husband. The characters of this book are the same nationalities as us but reversed! It was really fun to read a dynamic that I know so well. 

I am a huge fan of slow-burn romances and romances that span for years because it is never the right timing. This story was greatly satisfying in that aspect. The circumstances were believable and the yearning was excellent. Sam was so charming and Izzy was so refreshing and smart. A gorgeous pairing I was rooting for the whole time. 

Overall, this was such a delight. It was advertised for fans of One Day in December and I couldn’t agree more! Plus, there was major You’ve Got Mail vibes and then there was a reference at the end that solidified it. Definitely recommend to fans of either of those and of course, contemporary romance fans!

When Izzy and Sam meet by chance it's love at first sight - at least for Izzy, even though she doesn't believe in it. However, there is a massive problem as it happens to be the day that Sam is marrying Lana. Izzy can't stop thinking about Sam, but eventually meets and marries Dominic. Years later, Sam has never forgotten Izzy - the lovely young woman who asked him for a date outside of the café where she worked on a winter's morning all those years ago. When their paths finally cross again they find out whether some obstacles are too big for true love to overcome.

A heart-warming and satisfying story, The First Time We Met was a joy to read, and I relished every moment. Izzy and Sam were both well-drawn, lovely characters and it was a pleasure to read about their respective families. Sam was so endearing and charming and Izzy was like a breath of fresh air. They made a great pairing and I was rooting for them right from the start. Jo Lovett's writing style really suited me and I loved the brand of humour she incorporated into the story. I will be looking to read more from her in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.  I simply loved this gorgeous,  romantic book that you want to curl up with on a cold winters evening. Is there such thing as love at first sight. And if there is , surely that love should run smoothly.  When a young Izzy meets handsome Sam in a coffee shop one day she believes she has met THE ONE. But this love does not run smoothly.  The book follows Izzy and Sam's life over different periods of time, told from their 2 view points. A totally,  loveable heartwarming book that you will love. The predictable ending but sure I'd have been disappointed with anything less. Loved it

First, I want to thank Jo Lovett, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review. 

If you believe in fate and love then you need to read Jo Lovett’s new book The First Time We Met. This is a sweet book that will put a smile on your heart and love in your heart. You will be rooting for Sam and Izzy throughout the whole book!

WOW!! There seemed like there was a spark between Izzy and Sam! She was bold enough to ask him out. What blew my mind was he turned her down-because-he was getting married that afternoon!! My heart ached for Izzy. 

Fate has brought Sam and Izzy together on and off throughout the years. Each time their connection got stronger. 

I love that Izzy had such a rewarding career in Speech Pathology and really loved it. 
She was able to help Sam’s son with his stutter after he was in an accident. 

Jo breaks the book up into four parts. 

Sam’s two kids pulled on my heart strings! They were too adorable! Sam was lucky to have them. My heart ached as they lost their mom at such a young age. 

I loved the email exchanges between Sam and Izzy back and forth.

Even though Sam Izzy’s life there was another man in her life. Dominic the father of Izzy's daughter. They still have a friendship. 

There was a very shocking and pleasant turn of events at the end that put a smile on my face!

A heart-warming and satisfying 'star-crossed lovers' story, this was a delight to read. I instantly fell for Sam and Izzy and felt equally invested in their stories throughout the years as well as the side characters of their kids and close friends. With a touch of Christmas in the storyline, this is a perfect cozy read for the holidays.

Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book - it delivered slow-burn romance and yearning at its best and had such an interesting premise: what if you meet The One but at the wrong moment in time? I loved all the characters, they felt very real and I was rooting for all of them throughout the whole book.

I hope to see more from this author! Thanks for the butterflies. Thanks for that gorgeous scene in the rain!

This book had me at “What if you met The One on his wedding day?” What a great hook this is and one that immediately captured my attention. It was nice to read this heartwarming tale and feel something other than dread with what has been going on in the world at the moment.

The First Time We Met, follows Izzy and Sam and their journey which runs over the course of a fifteen year period. It is a story about love at first sight, how timing is everything and if people are really destined to be together, how the universe can intervene It is an uplifting and a light hearted read and is the perfect escape to get lost in.

The characters of Izzy and Sam have been lovingly and beautifully created and you can’t help but become invested in them. With the story alternating the narration between the two, we get a great insight into each of lives after their first meeting. You just know that they are destined to be together and I was rooting for them throughout.

Jo Lovett is a new author to me and I thoroughly enjoyed her style of storytelling. It is very engaging, fluid and as a debut novel, she has done a really great job. It is well plotted, executed and with a cast of characters that you can relate and resonate with, makes this a very enjoyable read.

The First Time We Met is a gorgeous read that will have you feeling all warm and fuzzy. Jo Lovett has poured her heart and soul into it and she was able to capture this girl’s crime and psychological thriller obsessed heart! It was a pleasure to read and review The First Time We Met, which I recommend.

Thank you to Jo Lovett, Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of The First Time We Met, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I DNFed this book. . 

I felt the storyline was eh. I really doubt that 6 and 7 years later that these two would still be this infatuated. 

I liked the premise. Not the execution.

I just loved this book. It was exactly what I needed...right book at the right time. I think I am drawn to stories that revolve around "the one" especially when it isn't so nicely tied up in a bow. I adored the characters, there weren't any stupid miscommunications like some books tend to try to pull off and there was humor throughout that kept the mood light even in hard times. Beautifully written and I would recommend to anyone looking to find a little hope and love in their reading at the end of a very hard year. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'd like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for an ARC of The First Time We Met .

At a glance, I loved the premises of this book. What if you met the love of your life, on their wedding day? Izzy and Sam meet on the day he's getting married to Lana; he goes to the little cafe Izzy works at to have a quick meal to calm his nerves before his wedding and, as he's leaving, Izzy asks him out and that's when he discloses he's getting married.

In an alternate universe where he's not getting married, he would have said yes — but of course that doesn't happen.

Fast forward a year, and Izzy can't stop thinking about him, until one night she meets Dominic. Fast forward a bunch of more years and Izzy is pregnant and on the verge of giving birth to her and Dominic's first child, when she runs into Sam again and they go out for coffee and he later helps her bring her groceries home. The kicker is that by their second meeting, Sam's wife Lana has since passed away.

Fast forward again and suddenly Sam's living in New York with his twin children and he's a corporate lawyer. An accident his children were in has left his son, Barney, with a stutter and they've tried multiple therapists until he remembers that Izzy was a speech therapist back in England. So he somehow tracks her down to email her to see if she can help.

This is obviously a love story, and I loved the idea of it but this one fell flat for me. So much time had passed between their meetings and their correspondence was largely through emails -- which is fine -- but Sam is supposed to be in his late 30s and his behaviour and thoughts any time he and Izzy email are so.... juvenile. 

I just couldn't buy into their feelings, and it seemed to drag. There was so much of the same - should I feel this way, shouldn't I, omg I'm acting like such a teenager - that it got a bit repetitive. I would've been more intrigued if there were more story lines close after they met, his marriage with Lana, and his thoughts after meeting Izzy then - not years later.

It just fell flat for me in every way and I found myself skimming the latter half and not really missing out on much. I appreciated Sam as a devoted father to his kids, but I didn't particularly find the characters very endearing or likable.

I loved the cover though!