Wow! Where to even begin with this book? I’ve taken some time to reflect and I’m still utterly shocked by the affect this had on me. It’s been a while since a book had me openly sobbing like this one did.

Counting Down To You is a gripping, strongly narrated story with elements I’ve never seen before. I struggle to know what to class this as, whether it be fantasy realism, contemporary romance or something entirely different. But I truly loved every second of it.

There were a range of complex characters to fall in love with, and fall I definitely did. Adam is an anxious single dad, coming to terms with a plethora of wild changes to his life and was an extremely easy character to love. Sophie, on the other hand, was a deeply troubled girl, struggling to cope with the condition/power she possesses to see the date in which everyone around her will die. I initially struggled to connect with her, mainly due to the way she treated those around her, but as her re-introduction with Adam progressed, I did begin to better understand and connect with her story.

As someone around the same age as these characters, also not living far from Bristol, it felt especially relatable and real to me. I deeply resonated with Adam, and his pressure to pick up the pieces when his life and career didn’t end up how he expected.

There were a few phrases that were repeated endlessly throughout this book - “100 per cent” being the one that stuck out to me. I do appreciate this very well may be a quirk of the character, (mathematician Adam and his love for numbers) but it very became repetitive and drew away from the personality of the character. I went back and searched the phrase to find it was used a whopping 30 times in the book, absolute madness.

The ending, though should have been entirely expected, was cleverly and almost evilly written. I may be facing ridicule from my partner for weeks to come for how explosively I cried for these characters, so thank you for that Sarah.

But overall, I’m really glad to have read this book, definitely recommend it, and thank all involved for the opportunity to read this book ahead of release.

After Sophie was involved in an accident when she was younger that left her with a brain injury she was left with the ability to see numbers everywhere and one of these numbers she sees is the amount of days a person has left to live. When her old school boyfriend returns into her life she agrees to meet him and can't believe his number is so low, 24 days. As old feelings resurface she wonders if this is the person she can help or is it too late?

Such a good story and premise, i found it took me through every emotion and really makes you think about life and the what ifs.

Highly recommend!

Last year, I read and was in love with Meet Me on The Bridge by Sarah J. Harris. It had such an inventive premise and left a lasting impression on me. So naturally, I had to read Counting Down To You, when I saw it here and I am grateful for the opportunity to read it early. It was just fabulous, quick moving and immersive throughout.

Sophie has been bestowed a unique gift after an accident. As incredible as it is, it weighs heavy in her life. Her feelings are so well portrayed as she navigates seeing numbers everywhere, includingthe days someone has left to live, and deals with repressed grief from her accident in which not everyone survived. Sophie has done her best to move on and surrounds herself with wonderful members of found family for a feel-good adventure that I was totally lost in from start to finish.

For the single Dad lovers 😍 you will be falling hard for Adam and his daughter Wren.

h this is such a fun idea for a story - Sophie has the unwelcome ability to see a number for each person she meets, which tells her exactly how many days they have to live. It’s definitely not a gift that I would want, and Sophie is no different, struggling to come to terms with the knowledge, especially when she realises that she isn’t able to change anyone’s number. Disaster strikes when she is reunited with her first love, Adam, and his number is very, very low.

It takes a little while to get going, but the momentum really builds and by the second half I was truly invested in the story and how it would end. This book is also packed with really fun side characters, many of whom could be the stars of their own books!

Highly recommend if you are looking for something both fun and emotional; the premise is what drew me in and I think it’s a really fun idea!

I don’t cry easily. But stories about abandonment and rejection? They get me every time. This book with those themes AND the concept of processing grief hit me so hard I would’ve bawled—had I not been at work. And yes, I absolutely still recommend it. (I’m a sadist like that.)

This was my first book by the author, and while I could’ve reread the blurb before diving in, my ADHD brain gifted me the best experience: going in blind. What do you mean she can see how many days people have left to live—and her childhood sweetheart only has 24 days when they reunite 10 years later????

Gut-wrenching. Absolutely gut-wrenching.

The story alternates between past and present with dual POVs, which can feel a little disorienting at first, but I found my rhythm quickly and couldn’t put it down! The emotional bond between Sophie and Adam in their youth was so tender, and watching them rebuild that connection later felt incredibly earned.

The concept of numbers was also especially fascinating—possibly autistic-coded in the best way. Plus, even without any background in math or quilting, I found those details beautifully woven into the story without being overwhelming.

In the end, this was a deeply emotional read that kept me at the edge of my seat. The side characters may not have been fully fleshed out, but each played a meaningful role. And that was more than enough.

Heartbreaking, moving, and unforgettable. 10/10 will not read again because I don’t like to cry 😭

Sarah spends a lot of her time living in a constant state of what happens next if I do or don’t intervene. Her ability to see lifespans has a lot of negative consequences for her, despite her obsession with changing the inevitable. So what happens when love invites itself back inside her life and her obsession is torn between living in the here and now or the reality of death at her door everywhere she looks?

I really enjoyed the concept, it has a mathematical theory meets magical realism in number-space synaesthesia kind of way. I also welcomed the fact the author didn’t feel it necessary to change the interesting concept to suit the needs of a romance driven read. Instead the concept evolves with the story, and in a way that allows for magical realism to walk hand-in-hand with reality.

It also plays a little bit with a butterflyesque effect Sophie’s gift or affliction brings with it. Does trying to change the inevitable with sheer force or the elimination of possible threats change the outcome, slow the outcome, speed it up or make the event more severe? If that is the case, then why try to change the outcome at all. Does it throw up a question of morality if Sophie just leaves people to their end, regardless of what that end may look like?

It was an intriguing combination of contemporary romance read with a side dish of maths or rather a portion of individual doomsday counters. It does make you wonder whether the knowledge of expected time available would change the way people interact with others and indeed with themselves, it certainly does for Sarah.

His wrist tattoo, their shared way of signing notes to one and other, her necklace (long enough to rest underneath the hollow in her neck, his favorite place to kiss her)... Each one of these snippets of memory adorned with the mathematical Möbius Strip symbol. For teenagers Adam and Sophie, the Möbius Strip represented their love story: how interconnected they are for life, never truly apart. But tragic circumstances break them up, with neither one of them ever truly able to get over the other: regardless of their separation, that one symbol elevated them from having puppy love to being the enduring love of each other's lives. Achingly so, through distance and time.

One day, Adam walks into a dry-cleaners having spotted a mathematically patterned quilt in the front window, wondering who made it. Shop keeper Bernard helps him connect the dots: it's Sophie... his Sophie. The love of his life, the girl he hasn't gotten over, the girl he hasn't seen in 10 years. 
Sophie, having heard everything from the back of the store, escapes the moment she realizes Adam's here... her Adam. She can't bear to see him, because seeing him means she'll see His Number. Like she sees every possible number, ever since she got into a horrible car accident 10 years ago. How many tiles there are in a floor. How wide your bathtub is. The number of hairs on your head. The number of days you have left to live. But through his persistence, they reunite, and she's confronted with the awful truth: Adam, a now 28 year-old single father, has 24 days left to live. And there is absolutely nothing Sophie can do about it; she's tried to intervene before with other people, and fate always Final Destinationed them.

Oh, this book hurts in the best way. I felt a welcome array of emotions as I read this, cover to cover. It never stopped. I was very nervous, a little on edge, about how the story would unfold. I could only hope, hope and hope. Counting Down to You is a romance novel, but that's not always a guarantee... I was legitimately feeling quite a bit of despair, forcing myself not to skip to the end. I was so invested in these characters and their love story, in sweet Adam and his family. Books with this amount of emotional impact are so special, especially when it was balanced, gentle enough not to feel overdone or sentimental. There is so much hope in all of this, so much value placed on the smaller moments of togetherness. Despite the heavy subject matter, this book was very comforting at times.

Sophie's experience as she's sort of grieving Adam while he is alive is superbly written. Her feelings are always full of conflict: her wish to avoid him, avoid the pain of having to likely lose him all over again, is tenderly human. And when she finds the strength to take steps in his direction again, to make the most of her time with him AND help him live his last days with meaning... there is so much love in that. She cycles through this course of inaction versus action a few times, but bravely finds her way back to Adam every single time - like their Möbius Strip symbol. From her perspective alone, this book is a stunning love story.

Adam, having no idea about what is going on, is going through his own series of emotions: his yearning for Sophie - of what they had, and what they could still have - is achingly beautiful. The sweet, nostalgic moments they experienced as teenagers, the significance of their mathematical symbol, regarding her now...

Both characters feel a sort of grief for the years they've missed out on, coming to terms with being adults who have changed. They are forced to confront the fatal accident that changed their entire lives, flashbacks of which play out on page in both Sophie's and Adam's PoVs. These chapters are graphic and quite hard to read, but I think it's necessary to show the impact not only on Sophie as the sole survivor, but on Adam and their friend Tom as well, as powerless bystanders (a position Sophie now finds herself in as well). Their survivor's guilt is collective. Harris doesn't shy away from writing more of these kinds of hard scenes, but it's never overly sensationalized. They help the story.

Sophie and Adam as individuals and as a pairing definitely can carry this entire book, but oh, how I loved the side characters Harris brings in. Adam's daughter Wren is as 8 years old as she can be, and had me cringing on Adam's behalf several times. She's... not making it easy on him. The story of her and Adam navigating life without her mother Carley in the picture is very realistic. This isn't instant-love for the girl. And Adam messes up a lot. It's perfectly imperfect.

Some people from their shared past appear in the story with various amounts of impact on the whole. But the person who stole my heart and had me weeping (think UP levels of tear drainage) was Walter, an elderly man who's dying of cancer, and is the catalyst for Sophie to rethink the meaning of all of those numbers. That man is responsible for about half a jam jar full of my tears and for many of the good lessons that this book left the main characters and myself with.

Counting Down to You is a unique magical realism story about big heartaches, demonstrating the immeasurable, infinite value of enjoying whatever moment you can with those you love. 

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

What would you do if you could see when your first love will die? And if it's soon? Sophie has struggled with her unusual ability since she was a teen and she knows that she's not able to change things. But this time it's Adam. Sophie is. more worried (and this was nice) about Adam's strained relationship with his daughter than she is about herself (although make no mistake she's concerned about that as well). Know that this has dual time lines that might be a bit confusing at first but that you'll be fine one you settle in. No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this novel.

If you could know the exact date of your death, would you want to know? This is the question explored within the pages of this second chance romance. After a tragic accident as a teenager, Sophie now sees numbers everywhere. At a glance, she knows the height of a building, the pieces of gravel on a driveway, the number of leaves on a tree, and the amount of days each person has left to live. Knowing when her loved ones will perish and being able to do nothing to stop it has caused Sophie to push everyone away until she stumbles upon her first true love, the one thay got away, and is unable to walk away again, especially when he has less than a month to live.

This is so much more than just a contemporary romance. This novel explores grief, trauma, and parental relationships with a cast of characters you can't help but fall in love with. The author reminds us to cherish the small joys in life and be in each moment while we still have them.

The character work within this was excellent, and the pacing never lulled. Despite the ending being a tad predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this work and look forward to reading more by this author.

4.5 ⭐️
Tissue count= 1/2 a box
Spice 🌶

Counting Down to You has an intriguing premise and delivers an emotional second-chance romance. While the concept of seeing people’s remaining days was compelling, i struggleed with some of the timelines. The number details were a bit overwhelming early on, but the final quarter picked up and had real emotional impact. A good fit for readers who enjoy romance with a twist of the supernatural.

This book comes with great premise that demonstrates the truism that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Sophie's ability to see how many days of life each person has left is an unwanted blessing that feels more like a curse, especially when she rediscovers her lost love, Adam, who has a horribly low number of days left to live. This is a book with great characters, pace and an ingenious time-slip, dual point of view plot. It delves into heartbreaking subjects while also delivering a super-smart twist on the romance genre and would make the perfect summer read.

I was really excited to get this as an ARC as it's something I feel I would genuinely pick up from the blurb.

Sophie and Adam were high school sweethearts until a fateful car accident at their high school prom killed Sophie's best friend and left Sophie with significant head injuries. A side effect of this head injury is she now sees numbers EVERYWHERE - how many leaves are in a tree, how high the bench is, how many days everyone has left to live...

She feels responsible for the accident and starts pulling away from everyone she's known. She tries hard to help people avoid their fates but has been unsuccessful in altering anyone's number yet. One day, 10 years later Adam walks into her workplace, she runs away, she doesn't want to see him or know his number. But eventually agrees to meet up with him and his number is LOW, 24 days low. All the feelings from their dating days come rushing back, can this finally be the person she can help? Is there any possibility of happily ever after for these 2?

The premise was cool, not necessarily unique but I did enjoy it. I didn't love the way it was written, there was something that felt a little clunky with the timelines and dates. I also found the number talk in the beginning a bit overwhelming and it dragged in the middle. The last quarter or so picked back up and I genuinely wanted to know if she could save him. And yes, my eyes welled a little, it was a bit of an emotional ride. I think this will appeal to readers who enjoy a second chance romance with lots of mathematical data.

A beautiful premise, a very well written book that will touch your heart and leave you thinking about it for days. Very enjoyable read!

This book has a really unique premise which was refreshing and much appreciated. I took me a bit to get into the story but once I did I reallu enjoyed it. My only complaint is that it was a little too long. Sophie, the main character, showed a lot of character development throughout and I really connected to her. The romance was also well-developed. I would recommend this to other readers.

⏳Time can be a gift and a curse.⏳

What happens when exact numbers are assigned to everything? From precise dimensions, volume, height, totals, to the number of days a person has to live counting down daily. This becomes Sophie's reality following a prom night car accident and her resulting head injury.

<i>Counting Down to You</i> is told through dual POVs and a dual timeline. The timeline flashes back and forth between the year of her accident in high school and her current life. We get both Sophie's POV and Adam's. Sophie has tried to save people whose number of days was running out in the past but without success. She and Adam were high school sweethearts, and he was definitely 'the one that got away'. When their paths cross in the current timeline she sees that he only has 24 days to live. Adam is a single father to a young daughter that he has only recently learned of. He is also her only remaining parent. Sophie knows she can't stop the inevitable but is it worth the heartbreak to spend what time he has left reconnecting or should she cut her losses.

In the beginning the numbers were overwhelming being in Sophie's POV <b>BUT</b> it provided tremendous insight to her character. Sophie has a sewing/quilting business, and I liked how crafts were sort of a coping mechanism. The story builds momentum and becomes hard to put down. It was an emotional read with a lot to unpack. Learning to work through trauma is shown. Which is important because carrying guilt and heartache around can make a person stagnant in their development. The novel is a little on the lengthy side, but I felt like it was worth the time.⏳

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK | Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you could know the day you would die, would you want to know? What would you do with your time and can we change fate?
These are the questions I pondered through out Counting Down to You by Sarah J Harris. I read this book as an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Numbers are all around us and for Sophie this is literally the case. After a terrible accident causing a brain injury Sophie sees numbers everywhere, including the number of days someone has to live. When she runs into her childhood sweetheart she is shocked to see his number and wonders can she change his fate.
I enjoyed this book it is marketed as general/women's fiction and includes a good dose of magical realism and second chance romance. The concept of Sophie having a brain injury and seeing numbers is unique and not one I've read before and this is what piqued my interest in this story.
The book is written in dual POV with dual timelines and we see the story of Sophie and Adams past unfold while counting down Adam's days in the future. I always enjoy a dual timeline as it explores how the actions of our past impact our future. The present day chapters are written calendar style, counting down Adam's days which built tension as his date drew closer. I was in a chokehold during those last chapters wanting to know what was going to happen.
This was a feel good read about love, loss, family and friendship that really gets you pondering some of life's big questions and reminds you to live for today.

I was immediately drawn into Counting Down to You, particularly as I'm a sucker for a second chance romance. I loved all the layers, the flip in timeline, the dual narration by Adam and Sophie. There were so many clever details that pulled the story together and to remind us to live life to the full. Ultimately, this is a love story with a heartbreaking realisation that had me desperate for a happy ending. Beware - you won't want to put this book down!

I really enjoyed this book! The premise of seeing the number of days people have left is such a good story line.

Thank you for the ARC!

The premise of this story is a fascinating one; a girl suffers a head injury, from a traumatic night, and receives superpowers that allows her to see when people die. Upon reading this story, I wasn't sure on what to expect. The continuous references to numbers was a bit of a headache for me, but very fitting for the story. It's ultimately something that united the protagonist and her love interest. I loved the history that the characters shared, it felt genuine and fluid in a way relationship would.

While I'm not the biggest fan of the ending, it was still pretty good. The story is magnificent. The ending was decent and allows for it to feel like it ended in a satisfying manner.

The premise of the book really pulled me in. Sophie had an accident on prom night that left her with an ability to now see numbers of everything. From distances, number of leaves on a tree, angles and degrees of everything. There are numbers above people and she finds out that these are the numbers of years a person has left. She has turned this ability into a sewing career as she can create unique shapes and designs in quilts. She vows to not date anyone with less than 55 years as she has not had any luck changing anyone’s time they have left. I just loved the concept and how Sophie took this ability and created something from it. The guilt and loneliness associated with this new ability too. It’s a heartwarming but also thought provoking story of love, second chances and found family.

The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Shakira Shute and John York. These two were the best voices for Sophie and Adam. It kept me engaged in the story and wanting to know more as their reconnection happened.