Wow, just wow! I cannot believe this is a debut for the author, Emma Steele, as this will not only be looked at as the love story of the year but in my view, it will become a love story to remember for many years to come once it is published. My heart is bursting with emotion having finished this book.

At the start of the story, we meet Jenn and Robbie, who are back together after eight months apart, but on their way home their car is involved in a collision with a truck. As the truck comes hurtling towards them, Robbie sees Jenn’s memories play out before him like a spectator. What is happening? Why are these memories important? Can he learn something from them he doesn’t yet know? And if he does learn from them, will that make a difference to him, to Jenn, to them as a couple?

First and foremost this book is about love. But not only Jenn and Robbie’s love for each other. Through their stories, together and their own, our eyes are opened to all the kinds of love we may know in life: parental love; the enduring love of friendships, whether it’s the everyday kind or the one where you can pick up the phone after years of not speaking and start where you left off; the steadfast love that goes the distance or the love which is like fireworks and consumes you with all its spark; the once in a lifetime kind of love and of course the love for ourselves, which we so often lack but it influences so much. I loved the view that not all of these loves are supposed to last forever because life moves us forward but their imprint remains and that imprint is often as important as the moment it was left on us.

I always love the sentiment that through the memories we share with the ones we love and have loved, they never truly leave us. This is also explored in Emma’s novel. For me personally this gives me comfort on the days I miss those who are no longer with us but in the story we also see the flipside of this: how sometimes these memories can make it hard to move forwards.

The story is also about living in the moment, about making the most of the time we are given in this life, about never giving up on our dreams, about not being scared to make that first move if that’s what it takes and trying while we still can but it also shows that in all that, what is important are all the tiny things we sometimes take for granted. Just like Robbie realises in one of the flashbacks, that often we don’t appreciate the small ordinary moments with the people we love and yet looking back on life, they are what makes us happy.

One other sentence also stood out to me in the book and that was when a stranger in Australia said to Jenn: “Remember, you’re exactly where you need to be right now.” This is also such a comforting thought. We often think of what ifs but I love the acceptance that comes with the idea that each decision we’ve made brought us to this moment and as long as learn from what brought us here and make the most of the now then the future will be ok and we are exactly where we need to be.

I always like to pick out favourite quotes from my reads and I can’t finish this review without mentioning one more quote: “Because some types of love are like that. They imprint on your soul and change you forever.”

So incredibly grateful to Netgalley, Mountainleopardpress and Headlinebooks for giving me the chance to read Emma’s book before it is published on 6 June 2024.

𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚♡ — 𝖠𝖱𝖢 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐


3.5 ★


𖤐 𓈒࣪ ᭡ ˖ 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖽, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝖿 𝗌𝗊𝗎𝖾𝖾𝗓𝖾𝗌. 𝖲𝗁𝖾'𝗌 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗂𝗍.
𝖠𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾.
𝖧𝗂𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗇 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝗌.
𝖨 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎.

꒰ ⊹ ˚ . The plot 𖧧 ७
୨♡୧ ִ° ⋆ ʚɞ ꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱

As they are about to have an accident, Robbie finds himself immersed in what appears to be Jenn's memories.

Just like him, we don't really understand what's going on since one moment we find Jenn during her life, then the next moment we find her when she had just met Robbie.

So we alternate between past and (more or less) present. And we try to understand what's going on, how it is that Robbie can see Jenn's past. And the further we go, the more interesting it becomes. Robbie must discover a secret.


꒰ ⊹ ˚ . My thoughts 𖧧 ७
୨♡୧ ִ° ⋆ ʚɞ ꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱

I'm unwell. I deserved a happy ending.
Robbie and Jenn deserved a haply ending. And like a fool, until the last page, i was hoping that i'll read a happy reading. But i knew. And even if i knew i needed to believe there was a happy ending.

𝖨 𝖼𝖺𝗇'𝗍 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗆 𝗍𝗈 𝖽𝗈 𝖺𝗇𝗒𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀.
𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗌.
𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖺𝗆 𝗂𝗇𝖼𝗁𝖾𝗌 𝗃𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗂𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝖿𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈𝗐𝖺𝗋𝖽𝗌 𝗎𝗌, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖨 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝗂𝗀 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗈𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗌𝗂𝖽𝖾 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗀𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗌.
𝖬𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖾 𝖺 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝖼𝗄, 𝗆𝖺𝗒𝖻𝖾 𝖺 𝖻𝗎𝗌 - 𝖨'𝗆 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝖾.
𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗂𝗍'𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗎𝗌.
𝖠𝗇𝖽 𝗌𝗁𝖾'𝗌 𝗌𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗂𝗍 𝗍𝗈𝗈.

I'm so sad right now, the ending changed everything for me. I was hoping to read a beautiful love story with a beautiful happy ending. And here i am, heartbroken.

It was unexpected, but in the end i likes this reading. Thanks to end. Yeah, i know, i'm complaining about this sad ending, but it was so beautiful ? Beautifully sad. And i think i have a thing with this sort of ending. A sort of love/hate thing.

Robbie was a dick, but he deserved a chance to make up for it. to make Jenn happy like she deserved.

Regarding the secret, I didn't really expect that. I was expecting something more? even if in the end it was "a good secret"

No matter what I say about what I didn't like. I liked this book. I wouldn't say it was a favorite, but I enjoyed reading it.

I really enjoyed learning about Jenn and Robbie's story.


꒰ ⊹ ˚ . What i liked 𖧧 ७
୨♡୧ ִ° ⋆ ʚɞ ꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱

I loved Robbie ans Jenn's relationship. They were everything. It was great to discover the past of Jenn, to navigate trough her past.

𝖳𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾'𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗐𝖺𝗒𝗌 𝗌𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗒 𝗈𝗋 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝖾𝖽𝗒 𝗇𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗈𝗋 𝗈𝖻𝗌𝖼𝗎𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝗂𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝖱𝗈𝖻𝖻𝗂𝖾'𝗌 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗉𝖾𝗋𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗌𝖾𝖾; 𝗐𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗌𝗐𝖾𝖾𝗍, 𝗒𝖾𝗍 𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝗆𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖺𝗀𝖾 𝗁𝖾'𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖺𝗍 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗄 - 𝖨 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝖳𝖺𝖻𝖺𝗌𝖼𝗈 𝗌𝖺𝗎𝖼𝖾 𝗈𝗇 𝖾𝗀𝗀𝗌, 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝖺𝗒, 𝗈𝗋 𝖨 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗇 𝖳𝗈𝗉 𝖦𝗎𝗇 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝗁𝗎𝗇𝗀𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋 𝖲𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖺𝗒, 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝗀𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍 𝖽𝖺𝗒.

I enjoyed reading this book even more around the 50/60% mark of the book. I was captivated and needed to know what Jenn's secret was. I loved even more seeing Robbie realize he acted like shit towards Jenn.
I liked seeing him try everything to find Jenn in order to change the predent and love her as she deserved it.

The ending is definitely what made me love this book. I find that it is in these last pages that there were the most emotions. It was super touching. My heart really hurts just thinking about it.



꒰ ⊹ ˚ . What i disliked 𖧧 ७
୨♡୧ ִ° ⋆ ʚɞ ꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱

There's not some particular things that i disliked. It's just that a moment i was "bored". I was losing interest even if the story was interesting. Like, i liked the concept and all but i lost interest.

It was long, maybe too long for me. It felt like nothing was moving on at a point. I had trouble getting back to reading for a while.

+ I read with the same emotion until the ending changed everything. No sentence really struck me except those I put above. It's a bit of a shame, but after all it only concerns me.

—

☆ 🖇️ 𖥻 ＜꒱ Trying to change the format of my reviews for something better but it feels like it's not me.

Oh my, this story was beautiful on so many levels yet heartbreaking as you follow the tale of Robbie and Jenn and flashback through their lives together

The Echoes of Us by Emma Steele is a beautifully written page turner that captures the evolution of a relationship using a unique and thought provoking narrative.

After 8 months apart Jenn and Robbie have found their way back to each other. The evening after their reunion, they are in the car together, thinking about their future - a future which could be taken away from them when they find themselves in the path of a truck. In this moment Jenn’s life starts flashing before her eyes, and it’s not just her that can see it.

Robbie finds himself jumping through Jenn’s memories, some are from her childhood others are from their time together and then their subsequent break up. Through these memories the author tells us a glorious story of love, family, friendship, growing up, heartbreak and healing.

The Echoes of Us is definitely one to read, it is a cleverly layered novel that answers one question then creates another on the following page - in a very pleasing way. Even when you think it’s all wrapped up, the author surprises you with more of her gratifying turns that make this book so readable. It will leave you broken but also hopeful.

I loved this book and will be recommending it to anyone who listens.

This book was cleverly written - I cared more with it showing both perspectives. It was interesting & intriguing, I found myself wanting to read on. It felt bittersweet & was emotional, I couldn't have guessed the ending until the last minute & the last page stopped me in my tracks!

What a fabulous love story! I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended by me.
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

I loved this. I knew that it may be an unconventional romantic story but I was wholly unprepared for the layers within the plot and the characters. I finished the book within a day because I seriously couldn’t stop reading - I was hooked from the very beginning. I loved the characters, even the antihero and I was surprised by how much I was rooting for both of them individually. This novel is going to stay with me and I can’t wait to reread it.

Omg my heart What an incredible and unique love story. So beautiful and heart breaking and sizzling with romantic chemistry.. I adore this book and I can't wait to buy it for my daughters who I know will treasue it as much as I do.

Such beautiful prose and meticulous plotting. I found the narrative mesmerising and Jen and Robbie will haunt my thoughts for a very long time.

It goes straight into my best books of all time.

3.5 ⭐️

As Robbie and Jenn drive home one night, the impending collision with a truck causes life to flash before Jenn’s eyes and for Robbie to be a spectator of her memories.

Told in dual POV the novel examines fallibility of human memory, the secrets we keep to ourselves and above all the terrifying prospect of trusting someone completely. Chapters told from Jenn’s perspective were heartbreaking as we follow her journey through sometimes fragmented, sometimes blurry memories. Robbie’s chapters however, were repetitive to say the least. His inner monologue sounded like a broken record that got a bit boring after a while. There is an element of mystery that keeps you reading as we try to figure out what Jenn’s secret was. What I enjoyed most was the somewhat cyclical structure of her memories - that in a way start and end with their meeting, giving such a gut punching force to that last chapter.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.