This book was devastating in the best way possible - it made me laugh, it made me cry and everything in between - I feel lucky to have read this one !

The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the debut novel by Amy Neff and what a book to start with, full of emotion from the start this book is both heartbreaking, and thought provoking whilst being full of family and love.

The Story follows Evelyn and Joseph and their lives together since they first fell In love In 1941. However now Evelyn has received a diagnosis which will affect the rest of her life and they have both decided to have just one more year together along with their family so that they will always be together and neither of them will be without the other.

The story goes between the past and the present telling the story of Evelyn and Joseph life’s they have lived as well as focusing on the year they have left to share and their feelings about the coming event and the affect it has on not only on them but their family too.

Amy Neff has written the characters with such detail you really feel like you know each one and get an in depth view of their thoughts and feelings both happy and sad.

The end is full of surprises which I won’t ruin but you will not be disappointed with this book and it really is thought provoking in a lovely way.

I was lucky enough to read this early thanks to netgalley and Bloomsbury but you can read this from 3rd July 2025 so add it to your TBR lists now.

An absolutely beautiful and heart breaking debut. The characters are so well written and the story just beautifully written. Highly recommended.

Wow what a beautiful but sad book! The journey of Evelyn and Joseph’s life from different pov was really lovely. It was nice seeing the kids perspectives occasionally and how their parent’s decision affects them also. I really truly didn’t expect the ending and thought something might have changed but it did wrap the story up quite nicely. A book that shows how life isn’t always simple and love conquers all. It’s definitely not an easy book to read with the subject matter but I 100% recommend it!

Despite the subject matter this was a beautiful and heartbreaking debut novel. It tells the story of Evelyn and Joseph, who we meet as they tell their grown up children that in a years time they will take their own lives. Evelyn has a diagnosis of Parkinson’s and Joseph cannot live without her. The reader follows their children’s reactions and we learn about Joseph and Evelyn’s relationship as the novel moves across different timelines.
I loved the New England setting and the author really brings their relationship to life. The subject matter and their children’s reactions are explored thoughtfully and with sensitivity. This is a novel that will stay with me for a long time.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC,

I did enjoy this read, however it wasn’t everything for me. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and their journey of their love over the decades. Not every relationships is what it seems from the outside.

Wow. What a debut! This book is achingly beautiful and will stay with me for a long time.
Told from multiple points of view and across two different lifetimes we follow the journey of Joseph and Evelyne as they go from pre-war friends , to a married couple with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. When one of them gets a life limiting illness they decide as a couple that they do not want to navigate life without each other so make the decision to end their lives together in a years time. Each of their children react in very different ways to the decision their parents have told them they are going to take and it is an interesting process they all go through as the year progresses.
Deeply thought-provoking, tear-jerking and tender. This book will make for many an interesting book club decision.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this highly recommended book.

This should have been just my cup of tea... but starting a love story with the announcement of the death of the protagonists was something I just couldn't cope with. I didn't want to go on and get to know these characters better, to discover the story of their life together, the ups and downs, the regrets and memories, to then go through their planned death.
I know that many stories that span the decades feature the deaths of key characters, but this felt different - and too traumatic.
It's probably a reflection of my feelings on the whole issue of assisted suicide etc. but I couldn't read this.
Grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC.

This was a beautiful love story of two great characters Evelyn and Joseph. It was endearing to follow their lives from when they first met right up to the current day. I loved all the twists and turns in their children’s lives too, they were a very close family indeed which made all the storylines feel very believable. The main subject matter is a very debatable one and I was intrigued how the story was going to end, I was not disappointed. A very emotional read and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing PLC and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

An emotional but enjoyable read following Evelyn who has been diagnosed with Parkinsons and determined to live one more year before taking her own life. The story is also a love story over the decades with her husband Joseph whereby on the outside their marriage was strong and ideal there are cracks below the surface. Joseph is a gentle soul whereas Evelyn is somewhat headstrong.

I really enjoyed reading this book - I always love books that span a families history. Be ready for some tears though as this is a heartbreaking story whilst also being sweet and tender.

The author managed to bring the characters to life and showed us a true love story. Thanks for the chance to read this!!

The novel starts with a couple who have been together nearly sixty years Evelyn and Joseph - making a momentous decision that rocks their family.
The novel then goes there and back in time across their lives, narrated by them and other family members.
Overall I found this ab enjoyable read. But it did sag about a third of the way through, picking up in the second half.
It’s quite sentimental but that also means it’s touching; ostensibly this is a novel about love and what that means.
I would recommend it - it did touch my heart. But if your experience is like mine, you may find you need to persevere to get into the much better second half.

I just didn't like this, I read 30% was bored and drifting. I can appreciate the sentiments of the story just not for me.

My first 5 stars of the year.

I feel incredibly lucky to have read a book I know will be highly regarded upon its release.

It’s a story that will truly stay with me from every evoked sob, laugh and smile that accompanied each page.
A beautiful book from start to finish.

Amy will now be an immediate buy Author for me. Thank you for letting me read this prior to its release.

I absolutely love this book! It was such a moving romance and a very immersive story. This book has multiple points of view but mainly focuses on Evelyn and Joseph who were childhood friends to lovers, and we flick between the past and present with their characters which enables the reader to see them grow and work through problems together. If you like the film 'The Notebook' then you'll love this as they have similar tone.

I enjoyed this book. Joseph and Evelyn fell in love in 1941. Now, 60 years on they have called their 3 children together to tell them something. It turns out that Evelyn has been diagnosed with Parkinsons and is likely to deteriorate quickly. The pair have decided to live for one more year and then to take their lives together, as Joseph says he cannot live without Evelyn. The story tells of their life together and their last year and how the family come to terms with decision. I liked the characters but found it a little too sentimental at times.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

A love story that meanders back and forth through different times. The ups and downs of the couple's romance and their family's life are drawn out with the backdrop of the couple's plan to end their lives together in a years time.

I’m so heartbroken I’ve had to go lie down on my bed so I could cry.

My face is a mess. I’ve soaked through so many tissues, and still my tears fall. I don’t know a book that has ever pushed so many of my personal emotional buttons.

Evelyn and Joseph’s story is heartbreaking and uplifting. It’s a story that spans decades. It’s a story of family love and how it survives. The love between mother and child, father and child, siblings, and husband and wife are all examined with such poignant detail. My heart, my tears, this book was worth the hurt, the tears and the snot.

I’m a daughter who fell out with her mother as a teenager. I shouted at her. I belittled her. I was hormonal, she was hormonal. I hate myself for it.

I’m a daughter who stopped visiting my mother with my children because I didn’t realise the changes in her character were because she had early onset dementia. I hate myself for it.

I’m the daughter who watched her mother crumble as dementia took hold and took her away. I never grieved because her death felt like a release. I hate myself for it.

I’m the mother who worries that my kids won’t love me. That they’ll go off the rails. I mollycoddle them but then I feel like I let them down.

I’m the wife with the post baby stretch marks and saggy boobs wondering how he could ever fancy her again after I’ve pushed his babies out of my body.

I’m the wife who knows that marriage isn’t easy. It takes work. It needs open and honest conversation and it needs compromise.

It makes me want to be happy with my lot. Enjoy my garden, enjoy my flowers, enjoy my sunshine and forgive myself.

Please read this book so I can talk to you about it.

I already know this book will be on my best reads of the year list.

Beautiful, devastating, and life affirming all in one go, this is already one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s nothing like I expected but in the best way possible - it’s a beautiful read that made me reflect on my life and how I want to live, and the legacy I want to leave behind. Definitely a book I’d recommend.

I loved everything about this book.

Stories that span decades always have a special place in my heart as you really get an in-depth feel for the characters, and Joe & Evelyn were prime examples of this.

Tender, heartbreaking and nostalgic, The Days I loved you most was a beautiful true love story. And although it made me cry on numerous times, I enjoyed every minute of it.