I adored this book. It was the perfect romantic read. There are so many times in life you meet someone interesting and spark with only to never see them again. In London the chances of bumping into people are rare but not impossible. I thought this book dealt with a large range of topics in a delicate and sympathetic manner. Death, marriages ending, children growing up, dating as parents and office politics to name a few. It was all very relatable and although a little unrealistic at times, not wildly unrealistic. I think we all knew where this book would end up from the start but this didn't prevent the need for the tale to be told, some of the twists were unpredictable and it definitely wasn't smooth sailing. I really enjoyed that Izzy was a speech and language therapist and loved the dynamics of her best friends. The book really reminded me of One Day in December which I also enjoyed and was a Reece Witherspoon bookclub pick. I would defintely recommend this book as an enjoyable, feel good, romantic read. Perfect for cold evenings, by the fire with a hot drink.

This was a cute, easy read, slow burn romance. Loved the idea of the way they met. Just seemed like it took so long for them to meet again. Totally feels like a 90’s film.

Thank you netgalley for the chance to read this one.

I love the premise of this book -- that sometimes when a person meets The One, the timing isn't right. But that doesn't mean they aren't meant to be together.

That's Izzy and Sam's story. They meet on the most unexpected day. Izzy is a waitress in a greasy spoon and tired of being harassed by the unwelcome sexual innuendos of her male customers. Then Sam walks into the diner. Izzy seems the sympathy and understanding in his eyes, and she's immediately drawn to him. It's more than the subtle sparks that fly between them. Izzy feels a deeper connection, which is crazy since she's only spoken to him for a few minutes while he ordered his breakfast. She's sure he feels it too, so when he finishes his meal and leaves the diner, she runs out after him and nervously asks him if he would like to meet for coffee sometime.

She detects sadness and regret in his eyes when he tells her that he's on his way to the church down the street because it's his wedding day.

Feeling foolish, Izzy rushes back into work and tries to forget him.

Soon afterwards, she meets Dominic. She doesn't feel the same spark as she felt with Sam, but he's loving and considerate and she decides to marry him.

The years pass. She wonders about Sam. Does he and his wife have children now? She even thinks she sees him one day at the library, but he doesn't acknowledge her.

More years pass. Now she's pregnant with her and Dominic's first child. She's been shopping for baby things and her hands are full of packages, when she bumps into Sam. It's uncomfortable at first, but they quickly establish a rapport and she invites him to lunch so they can catch up. They share an enjoyable lunch and go their separate ways, each again realizing the special connection they have that can never turn into anything more than casual acquaintance because of circumstances.

However, fate isn't done with their relationship yet. They meet again 14 years later. Sam's a widow with twins -- Liv and Barney. Sam works long hours as a corporate lawyer, and is fighting the guilt of not spending enough time with his kids. He's also fighting guilt over a near-fatal car crash that left Liv in the hospital for months. The car crash also affected Barney, who has developed a stutter and has withdrawn into himself to avoid being teased by his teenage friends.

Sam has tried everything he can to help Barney overcome his stutter. They've visited a myriad of doctors and speech therapists, but Barney has not responded to any of their therapies. Sam remembers Izzy telling him (at lunch, when she was pregnant with Ruby) that she was a speech therapist. Desperate, Sam emails Izzy and asks her if she could try to help his son. She responds and they agree to try a few over-the-phone speech therapy sessions (since she lives in England and Barney/Sam/Liv live in New York). Barney immediately takes to Izzy's compassionate manner and begins responding to Izzy's techniques, gaining confidence that allows him to minimize his stutter.

In the meantime, Sam and Izzy are developing a friendship via email, sharing their experiences with parenting and balancing work and family life. Izzy begins to feel guilty because she's still married to Dominic, although it's just a marriage in name because they were having problems and decided to separate when he moved to Milan, Italy for a job. Dominic really isn't a part of Izzy and Ruby's daily lives, but Izzy still feels guilty because she's not formally divorced. She fights even more guilt over her feelings for Sam, which have not changed despite their lives taking completely separate paths. Deep inside, she knows they belong together, but she puts those feelings on the back shelf, knowing that if she divorced Dominic, she would hurt her daughter Ruby.

Throughout the story, we see the struggles that Sam and Izzy each face, knowing in their hearts that they belong together, but knowing that they can't be together because of a variety of circumstances -- their marriages, their children, their jobs, and the fact that they live on two different continents.

Throughout the book, fate teases them with glimpses of what they could have if they were together. It gives them small fragments of time together so they can realize how perfectly attuned they are to each other. But then fate pulls them apart again. For example, Sam visits London with his children and Izzy and Ruby have a picnic in the park with them. Everyone seems to get along wonderfully until Sam's teenage daughter Liv realizes there is strong bond between her father and Izzy, and then she starts to cause trouble, mainly because she's afraid that her father will have even less time for her if he has a girlfriend.

Do the stars ever align so that Sam and Izzy finally come together as a couple? I don't want to spoil it for you in this review, so you will have to read the book and find out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for an unbiased review.

I want to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the synopsis of the book I was very intrigued and was looking forward to reading the story. Izzy does not believe in love at first sight but when she meets Sam she has a feeling he is the one for her. However, the day she asked him out was the same day as his wedding. The story travels through a time of a year, 6 years then skip ahead another 7 years. 13 years after their first meeting is where the story really starts. Through the times we see both of them married, having kids, separations and much more.

The premise of the synopsis is why I really wanted to read this book. The novel reminds me of the movie Sleepless in Seattle. It’s a very 90’s romance type of book.

The beginning was a bit far-fetched for me and I just couldn’t wrap my head around someone falling in love with someone with just one conversation. Sam was literally just being nice to Izzy because everyone else at the diner was not … In my mind, it felt as if she might be falling in love with every person who showed the slightest bit of kindness to her.

The fact they were able to remember each other from that one meeting! I’m not sure what was so significant about the interaction that made them remember each other for so long. It was just not realistic for me.

The beginning had started off great it was too much for me. If their first meeting was a bit longer and Sam had actually said some things that would stick with Izzy it would have made a bit more sense as to why they remembered each other for so long. There was just too much time between their first meeting and the time jump for them to significantly connect or really know each other.

I thought Izzy was an okay character and Sam seemed pretty boring to me. Aside from being handsome and kind, there weren’t a lot of other qualities he had that would make him rememberable.

The pace of the story is also very slow. The two started communicating through email when Sam enlisted Izzy’s help. Izzy is located in London and Sam in New York. There wasn’t anything within the emails that helped them connect. When they did meet in person it was, I’m not sure how to explain it other than lacklustre. There wasn't any chemistry between the two and the romance fell a bit flat for me. It seemed as if they would have connected better as friends.

Things I enjoyed:
1. Izzy and her friends have such an amazing friendship. I loved how much they cared for each other and the things they did for Izzy’s birthday were adorable. Hi, where do I find friends like this??

2. I actually loved the relationship between Sam and his son Barney. Yes, he was busy but the fact he was trying his best despite his situation in life and work. You can tell how much he cared for Barney.

3. The conversations between Izzy and Barney warmed my heart. The confidence she poured into him and he was able to move forward. Also, I laughed out loud when Barney had his first chat with Izzy and he wanted to bake afterwards as Izzy loved to bake. I thought it was adorable.


Final Thoughts:
A slow-paced romance that fell just a bit flat for me. Unfortunately, this book was not a win for me. However, if you love 90's romances such as Sleepless in Seattle, Message in a Bottle etc.. This book is for you!

This was cute! I am not a big fan of 90's rom coms so anything relating to "You've got mail" is lost to me but I adored the email correspondence. The rush of seeing emails (or texts! or omg even letters in 2020??) fro your crush is everything/ The writer captures it beautifully here and I enjoyed reading the book. I love second chance romance and while there were a few things that didn't vibe with me in the book, I still ended up enjoying it.

The First Time We Met was just a lovely romantic breath of fresh air. I’ve been on a romantic comedy reading kick lately. Even better that is was a British Romantic comedy. Fans of Beth O’Leary would enjoy this story. I got nervous at first. Within the first few pages I thought we were headed for insta-love territory for our two leads, Izzy & Sam - which is not something that I insta-love. But what this book really turned out to be, as I continued forward, was a long drawn out breath for two people who were meant to be and couldn’t get their timing right. As they age and experience life in different ways, their love very much takes will-they-wont-they turns. There’s no earth-shattering villains or moments of distress, but just a gorgeous glimpse at real life & love circumstances and how one could over come them to find a happily ever after. In today’s world, I was so pleased to find some escape in the pages of Izzy & Sam. Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for lovely British banter by way of You’ve Got Mail.

When I read the synopsis of The First Time We Met, I knew this would be a book right up my alley. Izzy meets Sam at a diner (after burning his bacon) and asks him out right away only to find that it's his wedding day. What if he was The One but your timing is so terribly off? She can't seem to forget this perfect man. The next time they meet 6 years later, Izzy is married and pregnant but there is still that spark. Sam is now single with his own family. But as the cross paths throughout time, will they ever be single at the same time and finally get together?

I loved the first half of this book. I looked forward to reading how their next chance meetings would go, but then it got a bit bogged down in the middle. The banter between them was cute and believable. They spent a lot of time communicating through email due to geographic and time zone challenges. Jo Lovett perfectly captured the thrill one gets when you see an email (or get an alert) about a message from a crush. Parts of it were very relatable.

It was mostly enjoyable and I give it 4 stars.

I couldn't read a romance every book but every once in a while it's a little treat (& escape). I really enjoyed this story and the main characters and found myself willing them together. It's a little bit christmassy too, so a perfect winter read. thanks to #Jolovett #bookouture and #netgalley for my arc.

I devoured this book in one evening and safe to say, I shed a tear!

A delightful romance with well written and likeable characters - very You've Got Mail ! Would recommend to all fans of a romantic will-they, won't they.

I received this early copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
There is a lot of things I loved about this book. I loved the story how the couple Sam and Izzy kept finding each other thru out the years. I actually had wish there were more of that then the relationship they do develope. I do love the feel of it. There is something warm and inviting reading a book where the characters are from London. I know that seems strange but to me all the love stories I've read where the characters are from London have the same feel to them, best way to describe them as cozy reads.

There were a couple things I disliked tho, Sam's daughter Liv was obnoxious and so rude. And I can understand Sam's willingness to instantly placate his kid it was also annoying that he never discplines her. Does that happen in real life? Just constantly say, I love you kids so much...and that's it? I lost count how many times Sam says it thru out the book. Don't get me wrong I have a son, I tell him I love him a lot but come on, it's not ok to act the way Liv was acting, that family dynamic was a bit much to relate to.

There were a few dynamics in the story that didn't mesh well for me, Izzy and Dominic's reconciliation didn't seem to make sense either, nor their connection as a couple as you're not really sure why she married him in the first place.

It also would have been nice to be privy to some of these funny joke emails that Sam wrote to Izzy. Like make us fall in love with Sam...the author did a good job at making us understand Iźzy but besides that Sam was a good looking man, had a nice voice and was a good father I'm not really sure why she falls in love with him, it would've been nice to see more of his sense humour.

But I did like the idea behind the story and how it comes together in the end, there were just some small things I would've like to seen to make it feel a bit relatable.

Thank you for writing your book!

The premise of this book intrigued me and I was looking forward to reading it but I found The First Time We Met to be just ok. I give it 3 stars for being a light and easy to read romance but found the timeline to be unbelievable. There is a lot of time in between the characters meeting and it just didn't feel realistic they would still be on each other's mind after so many years had passed with no contact. The timeline aspect of the book bothered me but there were good parts. I enjoyed the characters and the misunderstandings along the way to them finding love. The ending was also happy, which I always enjoy. I would recommend this if you like romance books in general and don't mind some unrealistic plot lines.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review #netgalley

This looked and sounded a lovely read, right from the front cover down to the blurb! Who believes in love at first sight? Izzy does, especially when she meets the gorgeous Sam in the café where she is working. Unfortunately, it’s Sam’s wedding day, and whilst he obviously feels the same, he still turns around and walks out of her life just as quickly as he came into it. We then follow their lives over the coming years until they finally meet up again!

This was such a lovely read! I enjoyed both of the main characters but I have to admit, at times, I could have just banged both their heads together for not having the courage to tell each other how they really felt! I had to feel sorry for Izzy though who spent so many years hung up on a guy who she didn’t really know, but let’s face it we probably all know someone who’s done that! Sam had a lot going on, trying to juggle work and home commitments, and he did carry a lot of emotional baggage around with him. I did like their emails bouncing backwards and forwards across the Atlantic, starting off friendly and professional and then becoming more and more.

It was such an easy to read story. There isn’t a huge amount of characters to get confused with, and the ones that are there fit into the storyline perfectly. The writing was great and flowed effortlessly from chapter to chapter, told equally from Izzy and Sam’s points of view. The timeline did, however, jump over the years initially and I did find myself having to check what year I was in! You sort of had an idea where the storyline was heading, but it didn’t take the easy path choosing instead the longer route negotiating ex-husbands and wives, children, work issues and of course living in different countries.

This book was light-hearted and funny at times, and tender and romantic at others! I was hooked into the storyline from the very first page and thoroughly enjoyed watching Izzy and Sam’s characters grow! Heart-warming, humorous and a wonderful love story!! Would recommend!

What happens if you meet the right one at the wrong time? Izzy and Sam's story spans over the course of 15years, with marriages, babies and transatlantic moves in between. Does love at first sight exist? What if "the one" has other plans?
I really enjoyed this story. Often with a drawn out tale like this I feel like it goes on forever (and not in a good way) but this was not at all like this. I have read this from start to end within 10hours because I just loved their story so much. I loved that there was so much storytelling involving the kids as well. Often I think when there are single parents their kids can be glossed over and are not necessary to the story other than for a sob story for a character. These kids were integral to Sam and Izzy's tale.
I loved that they communicated over email, we always text or WhatsApp and books follow that but the emails feel so old school and more personal like we were watching their love unfold through a series of electronic love letters.
It was a light romantic comedy which ticked all the right boxes for me.

This book may span over fourteen years but is a true testament that love prevails as told through the story of Izzy and Sam. It was beautiful to see how each one was vulnerable and honest through their emails but also.focused on what he/she wanted and deserved. As a result and as Izzy articulated, her heart expanded. They really became a family with Ruby, Liv and Barney. What a heartfelt and wonderful read.

Such a beautiful love story that spans along over 15 years from the time they met until they finally started talking. When Izzy first met Sam, it was love at first sight...and also his wedding day to another woman. Their paths cross throughout the years but when they are finally both single (and living in different countries), their worlds will collide. I gave this four stars because it was at times it dragged a bit for me, but I truly loved this book and I highly suggest you read it!

What a heartwarming read! I very rarely read romance books but I was craving for something light and refreshing and boy did I find it in this book.

I really enjoyed this story of Izzy who was working in a diner when Sam came in and she felt an instant attraction to him. By the time she had served him his breakfast and he was ready to leave, she was convinced they were destined for each other and he was the one. She gathered the courage to ask him to go out with her that evening but Sam confessed to her that he was getting married that day. Fast forward 14 years, Sam married and is widowed with twins, Liv and Barney. Izzy has married but is separated, has a young daughter and is a speech therapist. What happens when their paths cross again??? I will let you find out when you read this very interesting book..

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this refreshing book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was beautifully written. I loved the characters and the second chance romance. This book just felt so real and extremely relatable. This one hit you right where it hurts and is a tear jerker!! This was a very beautiful story and I recommend it to anyone who loves romance and also a good book cry.

A glorious fifteen year romance that begins on Sam’s wedding day to another bride. Beautifully written, this swept me off my feet and left me teary-eyed more than once. Big sigh. Ahhh romance!

The First Time We Met, Jo Lovett

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: Romance, Women's Fiction

Not Again!! Its 2020, not 1820. Men write romance, men read romance, and I'm tired of seeing this outdated genre.

Anyway, the book. I've mixed feelings, mainly because so much of the story took place via emails.
The premise was fun, the kids on both sides were great. Having had a granddaughter with severe speech issues ( she used only vowels! Spent a year at a language school, where the teachers for a group of nine primary age kids were two speech therapists) Speaking properly made a huge difference to her, and the struggles and successes Barney went through with his speech problems were very real. Liv, Barney''s sister was a typical young girl, liked Izzy until she thought she may take away even more of their very short time with their dad, and she brought out the dead mum guns. I cold see that playing out so well. Ruby, Izzy's daughter, was just adorable.
I loved Sam and Izzy, loved their practical everyday life, the one we all lead, with problems and stress, and as single parents that made some things even more of a juggle. Sam was torn between home life and career. His kids wanted more of him, so did the job. He's worked hard to get where he is, and the juggling he's currently doing isn't going to work. We can see that but it takes a while before he realises what he's losing, rather than what he is gaining. Kids need time more than material things, they grow so quick that its easy to miss it and that's whats going to happen to Sam. He was such a wonderful man, so honest, so caring. The way he talked about his wife and their relationship was very real.
I loved Izzy too, such a great character, enjoys her job, her friends, her daughter and has never really let go of the idea of Sam.
I enjoyed the ending but...it felt rushed. I like that the drama, the sad part was drawn out, that's perfect for me, but the ending just seemed a little underwhelming after that fabulous sad part, and was done so quickly.

So, some great characters but somehow the book was good, but not great. Its not a re-reader for me, though I enjoyed it. I think its the combination of the time hops, and the fact so much of their fledgling relationship is done via emails. It lacked the feeling of Real for me.

Stars: Three, a fun read, quite deep at times with the issues all parents face.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

The synopsis of this book reminded me a little of One Day in December. The idea that you meet someone by chance and the road to happiness together is spread over a decade or so...

This book started excellently. Izzy was serving in a greasy spoon cafe when she encountered Sam for the first time. It was live at first sight, except that it was Sams wedding day! We then fast forward to 6 years later and Sam and Izzy meet again, this time Sam is bereaved and Izzy heavily pregnant. Then it’s another 6-7 years later, this is where the story remains for approximately 75% of the book! I struggled to engage with the book several times, this was because the earlier parts of the ‘relationship’ were skimmed over, but the current storyline went on and on and on!!

The characters were well written, especially Sam. His character was great. Unfortunately Izzys character really grated on me. Completely annoying, whiney and quite unlikeable. My dislike of Izzy meant I was less invested in her and sam’s relationship, which was a shame as a few tweaks would’ve made her far more endearing.

Small query...Izzy is a speech therapist, but there’s reference later in the book to her working in social care? Not sure if this is an error or not?

I liked Barney’s storyline and Liv’s teenage reaction to Izzy. Also, the children’s reaction to their dads working hours etc.

Overall, this was a nice story. It didn’t grip me, I never rooted for the main character and I struggled to engage with parts of the book. However, it was a pleasant read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚