This reminded me of the brilliant “Numbers” trilogy, but a more grown-up version!

When Sophie looks at a person, she sees how many days they have left to live. It can be wonderful, to see someone with literally their whole life ahead of them and it’s also difficult and devastating when she sees someone with a very short time left. After trying to save someone who meant a lot to her and failing, Sophie knows that you can’t change fate. So when her one true love, Adam, reappears in her life, with only 24 days left, Sophie is bereft.

This was a quick, fun read, predictable in places, but with a lot of heart at its core. I often feel, in romance books, that I want to give the potential couple a shake and tell them to just flipping communicate! This was the case here, at times, but then how do you tell someone their time is almost up?

Enjoyable with some touching moments.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Sarah J. Harris and Amazon for an ARC of this book.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

The storyline of this one was really interesting. It reminded me of a K-drama I watched a long while ago called About Time, so I was instantly drawn!

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style of this book. It made it a bit difficult to get through. There was an excessive amount of exclamation points, which the MMC does mention for some odd reason, and apostrophes being used rather than quotation marks really threw me off. I don’t usually include anything about the writing in reviews, but I am including it here because it affected my reading experience.

Sophie and Adam’s story was a lovely one to follow. Second chances aren’t easy to write, but I feel like it fit so well in this story. I also loved seeing Wren open up to Adam. It was a very wholesome story.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read this!

After surviving a devastating car accident as a teenager, Sophie is left with an unusual condition. Everywhere she looks, she sees numbers…the measurement of things, how many leaves on a tree, the degree of angles around her. As annoying as that may sound, it’s not the worst part. She also sees a specific number whenever she looks at a person. She sees exactly how many days they have left to live. At first she tries everything to prevent people around her from dying, but eventually she realizes there’s nothing she can do to change fate. So she learns to live with it. And then her high school sweetheart walks back into her life. Their paths may have gone in different directions but the passion is still there. Can Sophie open herself up to love again? Or will her condition prevent her from taking that chance? This was a really good story, different from what I normally read. It’s kind of a romance, but it’s also a lesson on living each day to its fullest.

the premise of this book was so promising! i was really interested with the fact that our fl sees numbers and that our ml is a math professor!! this read so easily like a rom-com.

special mention to wren - i loved her character a lot (which is surprising, because most books that include children doesn’t actually make them feel or talk like kids!!).

overall, i enjoyed this book! thank you, netgally, for the arc!!

The premise of this book sounded amazing! Sort of like The Measure but only 1 person knows your "end date". But I really struggled to get into this one unfortunately. I didn't find the main character all that likeable and all the talk of number was kind of a slog to read through. But the idea is interesting so maybe it's just not for me. I honestly think this would be better as a movie!

While the pacing may feel slow to some, the emotional payoff is worth it. It’s not just a story about trauma — it’s about survival, love, and finding the courage to speak up even when it’s hardest.

Sarah J Harris excels at books with a hook, and this one is no exception. When Sophie has an accident which leaves her able to see how many days each person has left to live, it is an added complication when the love of her life returns to her, ten years later, with only 24 days before his untimely death. Sophie’s anguish at how to manage her emotions and deal with this dilemma is beautifully drawn out, as is the relationship she begins with him and his young daughter. Amongst the will-they-won’t-they, the emotional push-and-pull of a romance novel, several poignant themes are woven throughout the narrative: the importance of friendship and family ties; the idea that it is the small moments in our lives that matter, because we really don’t know how much time we have left. Funny, sad and hopeful, this is a great concept that will keep readers guessing until the very satisfying end.

What if you had an accident that changed your life entirely - you lost your best friend, you distance yourself from the love of your life because you feel responsible for what happened, and, on top of that, you wake up in hospital and can suddenly see numbers everywhere, including the number of days people have left to live? It's such a clever idea for a book, and I lived Sophie's life along with her as she struggles to reconnect and to accept the fact that she can't change peoples' numbers and life expectancy no matter how much she wants to. It's an emotional read that keeps you turning the pages as you wonder how - because surely there will be a way - for Sophie to reconnect to Adam, her lost love, who has a very small number of days left indeed. Loved it.

thank u NetGalley for the ARC!! i enjoyed this book, the premise was interesting and the overall message was sweet, reminding us to live life to the fullest. i do, however, think the MMC used way too many exclamation points for my liking.

Counting Down to You by new to me author Sarah J. Harris, published by Lake Union Publishing is a touching feel good story.
Sophie has the sight, knows how many days a person has left on Earth - and understandably she shyes away frompeople with low numbers.
When her first love, Adam comes back into her life she has a decision to make. Accept limited time with him or step away now.
A truly beautiful story that gives all the feels, is literally unputdownable, 5 stars. This book goes on my reread pile for sure.

Review of ‘Counting Down to You’ by Sarah J Harris due to be published on 15 July 2025 by Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing.

Sophie had an accident on her prom night that changed her life forever, a brain injury that left her with the ability to see numbers everywhere - the number of leaves on a tree, the dimensions of a table, and the amount of days people had left to live.

When Sophie reconnects with her first love, Adam, she is devastated to learn his number is 24 - and sets about trying to prolong his life in any way she can, despite having failed to help people in the past.

This is a very profound, thought provoking, emotional and moving story about the power of love, family, friendships and forgiveness. A tearjerker to the very end.

I loved it and highly recommend the book.

I received this as an ARC. if you liked They Both Die At The End you’ll love this book - it has a similar plot with the main character Sophie being able to see everyone’s death dates. To be honest I was a bit lost in the beginning with the dual POVs and dual timelines but I caught on fairly quickly. I sped through the second half of the book because I was dying to see how things would end with Sophie and Adam. I kept going back on forth on how I thought the book would end and was pleasantly surprised when I finished. It’s a quick read with a wholesome story!