This book was heartbreaking. What a gut wrenching way to tell a love story, a life story, through the eyes of someone who is nearing the end of theirs.

What's funny is that throughout the story, the children fixate on how perfect their parent's marriage was, how much they loved each other, how fairy-tale like their lives together were. And then we get to Evelyn and Joseph's perspectives, and their love story is shockingly...normal. Their lives were filled with ups and downs and all of the difficult moments of marriage, the fights and the stressors, the shared grief over losing loved ones, and the moments of uncertainty. It was refreshing to read a book, a love story, that shows how a "great love" still takes place in and is affected by real life.

I also liked that the children's' POVs were included, and that their feelings on Evelyn & Joseph's decisions were fully explored.

Did I agree with Evelyn and Joseph's big decision? Not particularly. And that frustrated me as I was reading. I agreed with the kids the entire time. I also wish that the author had immersed us a little more into the time period that E&J passed through as they were thinking back on their lives together. With the exception of the war when Joseph & Tommy enlisted, everything could've taken place in 1950 or 1990 and I wouldn't have noticed much of a difference.

Overall a lovely book and simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking.

I really enjoyed this book, even though I found it hard at times to remember all the characters. It's a heartbreaking story, but one that is filled with love. The obstacles life puts in front of us make for an interesting and fluent read. The only thing I found a bit tricky was the fact that the writing style was the exact same throughout the book. I'm guessing people in their seventies use different vocabulary and have some different ideas on life than let's say someone in their twenties. So overall really nice read that might have caused some tears towards the end.

What a beautiful read. Joseph and Evelyn have been together since they were teenagers raised three children and had grandchildren but when Evelyn becomes ill they make a pact that they will never live without each other.. The story is so poignant and beautifully written full of warmth and charm but you will need tissues, the ending is perfect and the family they have created together all gel perfectly.A 5 ⭐read and a fantastic debut novel

I absolutely adored this book, it brought waves of emotions during this book. I would definitely recommend this book and for book clubs

You literaly need a box of tissues! Struggled with this book as it was so emotional. However ao stuck with it and loved it!

Thank you to Netgalley, the Author and the publisher for the advance copy to read.

This was a truly emotive read that shares the highs and lows of a lifetime together. The writing is so beautiful and rich in description. I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and the dual timeline between present day and moments through their shared past.

I really found myself within these pages, especially Evelyn with two young children yearning for a life that never happened.

This is a poignant tale of love, family, grief and longing for a life that you haven't lived.

I highly recommend for anyone to read this who is looking for a heartfelt and relatable book.

Don’t you just want to grab this, switch off the phone and curl up on the sofa
By far one of my favourite books I've read this year… I loved every minute… I laughed out loud so many times!!… And loved every moment happy and sad. Adorable!

What a beautiful and insightful look into the complexities of what it really means to be in love and for that love to span a lifetime.
The Days I Loved You Most is so accomplished it's hard to believe this is Amy Neff's debut novel. From the wonderfully descriptive passages of the coastal seaside resort the main characters Joseph and Evelyn live in, to the evocative way their relationship is portrayed it is a book full of big emotions with a plot that holds them up with its craftsmanship.
The story follows their lives and those of their family and deals with a massive range of issues like terminal illness, marriage breakdown, single parenthood, drug addiction, not to mention the 9/11 disaster! It is heartbreaking at times but also incredibly wholesome and healing, perfectly encapsulating the cost of loving along with the joys of a lifetime of love.

I will be watching Amy Neff's writing career with interest and look forward to what she does next.

Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance release copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for a review copy of this book. With a beautifully rendered narrative this is a book not for the emotionally fainthearted. I am one of those, it seems because I had to stop so many times because I found it so wrenching to read. The novel centres around a couple, Joseph and Evelyn, who are in their later years of life and gather their children and grandchildren around them to announce the decision that they made regarding ending their lives. Evelyn has a very aggressive form of Alzheimer’s and since Joseph can’t live without her they will end their lives in a year. The ensuing novel explores their life together, from the time they were children, their summer houses next door to each other, falling in love before the second world war and the struggles faced after. Their story and the impact of their decision is threaded through different viewpoints, so the reader is able to see all sides to this terrible question of their right to decide when they die and if it is indeed, when the time comes, something they will do.

A powerful book, told in a moving, sensitive manner it captures the reader’s attention while leading them through a rollercoaster of emotions and perhaps a greater understanding of the issues raised.

Oh my goodness - this is what you call an epic love story! I really found myself invested in the story of Joseph and Evelyn, as well as all their children and grandchildren. The story has a very natural development which I enjoyed. It was nice to see there doesn't need to be huge explosions or car crashes etc. that come out of the blue in order to propel the plot forward. In particular I liked the past storyline and catching up on them every few years, but the present day timeline had plenty of action to keep you gripped as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC.

This book was just perfect, the highs and lows of a lifetime of loving each other and where this is going to take them.

Such an emotional journey and worth every moment!

What a beautiful tale, full of emotions, life and the journey the characters make along the way. It will definitely make you smile and cry, but definitely a worthy read

Oh my heart ❤️ a deeply moving love story. Beautifully written with such visual and colourful characters that place you in the book so you feel everything.
You’ll need your tissues at the ready and be ready for your heart strings to be pulled throughout this book as you realise how deep love can be.
A tale of families, loyalty and devotion. How love can shape and mound us- shaping your choices and decisions.

What a beautiful book. This epic tale takes us on a journey of love, family and most importantly life. The book is a slow burner so one to curl up with on long nights. Well developed characters and an intricately woven story make for the perfect read.

This looks like the most gorgeous heartfelt cry your eyes out love story. I cannot wait to,share my full review and thoughts on this beautiful story. I hope it will get made into,a book or movie.

This is a beautiful, emotional and memorable read. I finished this a few weeks ago but the story has stuck with me. I’d really recommend this stunning story.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

The Days I Loved You Most follows Evelyn and Joseph's relationship and time together spanning a 60 year period.

I did enjoy this read, which has a cast of mostly likeable characters although I found Evelyn quite unlikeable and struggled to relate to her. Evelyn and Joseph give their children some very unexpected news which they struggle to accept and come to terms with. I think the writing is good here, a little to descriptive at times for my liking though, and feel the story could be slightly shorter without losing anything from the plot. I liked that the story was told through different characters views and the plot line moves from past to present times effortlessly and is easy to follow. This is a book about family angst and drama, relationships, grief, loss and enduring love. It is a poignant read at times and the author eloquently captures her characters feelings, thoughts and emotions through her writing.

Overall a good read with a fitting ending. If you enjoy reads about family drama and relationships you'd enjoy this.

3 stars

✨ ARC REVIEW ✨

Title: The days I loved you most
Author: Amy Neff
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release date: 30/07/2024

Amy Neff the author of this book stated in her acknowledgement’s that this book has taken her ten years to finish & you can see why. It is a complete labour of love and the story is timeless & heartwarming.

Amy Neff shows the good, the bad, and the beauty of love through Evelyn & Joseph’s story. The story jumps timelines between the 1940’s to the 2000’s and from several characters perspectives.

This isn’t my usual genre, but I really did enjoy reading this and I even shed a tear, which is RARE for me💓

This was an atmospheric read featuring septuagenarians Evelyn and Joseph who have been married over fifty years and literally known each other forever. When Evelyn receives a distressing medical diagnosis she makes the decision to end life on her terms in a year, however Joseph cannot imagine life without her and decides to end his life then too to the distress of their family.

Told over the course of their last year and looking back on key moments in their life we not only get to see key moments but also the stark reality of their relationship showing the challenges and compromises in amongst the romance. Whilst their relationship is an aspirational romance I loved how it was stripped bare to reveal how there are days you just wish you lived a different life and the events that can push couples apart as well as those that pull them together. This had a very sedate pace that I sometimes found challenging but also has a huge amount of emotional depth that I found very thought provoking.

"No one in love gets out of this life unscathed"

The Days I Loved You Most is a book told from multiple perspectives, across different time stamps, as far back as 1940 when Evelyn and Joseph were teenagers, until their current time period of 2002, in which they wish to live out their greatest dreams with what little time they believe they have left, chronicling all they have been through and achieved throughout their lifetime together.

This book was written beautifully with an ending that was just as lovely and peaceful as the book deserved, I am grateful that the book did not end the way the synopsis was promising, which was an and unexpected plot twist, after much of the book is spent trying to justify Evelyn's decision.

I will say that I did struggle with the first roughly 40% of the book and was considering to DNF it, but I am glad I didn't as eventually after those first slow burn 100 pages, the book really sinks its hooks into you, and you are captivating and invested in the story and its characters.

The real vibe that I got from this book was that of a memoir of a high school couples 60+ years of marriage, and it was refreshing to see a realistic marriage and relationship on display in a book, it was not all sunshine and rainbows, and there were various times Evelyn and Joseph had disagreements and arguments and they just felt so real, their marriage came across as very steadfast and strong that had been through numerous battles and a literal war!

I would call this quite a heavy read as the premise of the book could be triggering for some, plus this is a real thought provoking and tear-jerking novel, once I was emotional invested, I found myself crying at so many points.