I found the main character a little frustrating in how she dealt with (or, realistically, avoided dealing with) things in her life, but the premise was interesting, and I think that the author did a good job of putting this story together, overall.

This was actually really lovely. Aged 18, Sophie was involved in a horrific accident which left her with an irreversible brain injury. Along with the brain injury Sophie has a new talent that is both a gift and a curse. She has developed the ability to see numbers everywhere, the curse is to see people s numbers, as in how many days they’ll live. For years Sophie has been trying to intervene, to alter the numbers, but has never had any success. Where she has found huge personal success is in her memory quilt making - I can’t tell you how much I’ve always wanted one of these.

When Sophie’s first love reenters her life with his daughter. Sophie is shocked to see how low his number is, and she realises that the relationship between father and daughter is strained. With time against her Sophie is determined that she helps repair the relationship before time is up.

The start of the story was a bit choppy and I think I was around a third of the way in before I was wholly immersed hence the slightly low rating. It did gather momentum though and I was soon desperate to see what would happen.

The audio narration aswell took a bit of getting used to in the outset.

3.75 🌟

Huge thanks to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

The premise of the book is quite interesting, with an original element you don't normally see in your average romance novels. The supernatural aspect of Sophie being able to see people's day of death, of people she cares about like her boss and especially of the man she has once loved and found again is very interesting.

For this audiobook, one thing that did distract me was the male narrator, especially the voice he put on for Adams daughter, a small girl. It just was a bit overdone. Otherwise, it is an interesting book with an original supernatural element. But for this audiobook specifically, not the story in general, I will take off a star for the voice.

This was such a great book—I enjoyed it from beginning to end. It kept me engaged the whole time. It’s thoughtful, well-written, and the character development was really solid.

It even made me cry a little. 🥲
But honestly, it’s not just your usual rom-com. It dives into deeper stuff—life, regret, grief, second chances. I love when a book gives you more than just a love story. When it makes you pause and think about your own life, your choices, what you’re doing… or what you’re not.

This book is about new opportunities, growth, and finding your way back—to love, to yourself, to life. And yes, the second chance romance is lovely, but what stood out the most to me was everything around it: the friendships, the reflections, the quiet reminders that it's never too late to start again or that you need to enjoy life fully because you never know when your last day is.

I listened to the audiobook thanks to NetGalley and loved it. The narrators did an amazing job—so much emotion in the right places. It really added to the experience.

I honestly think this book is going to blow up. It’s the kind of rom-com that actually deserves the hype.

4-Star Review
Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the advanced listening copy!

This was such an intriguing premise—Sophie can see how many days people have left to live, and when her first love Adam shows back up with only 24 days remaining, everything changes. The story blends grief, fate, and second chances in a way that’s both emotional and thought-provoking.

The narration was strong and kept me engaged, and I flew through the audiobook. I really wanted to love this more, but something felt like it was missing. Maybe it was the emotional depth or how little we really got to know Adam. The core concept was fascinating, but I found myself wanting more explanation, more exploration—especially around Sophie’s “gift” and the countdowns.

Still, it’s a lovely, bittersweet story about love, hope, and fighting for the people who matter. I’ll be recommending it to others who enjoy speculative romance with a twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! The premise felt unique (at least to me), and it took me on quite an emotional journey. The story was gripping, and I found myself quickly invested in Sophie, the female main character — I really liked her. I also loved the dual POV format and honestly just wish the book had been a little longer!

The accident that killed Sophie's best friend 10 years ago left her with a bit of an intrusive numbers problem... Everywhere Sophie looks there are numbers: the height of a fence post, the dimensions and volume of a bucket, even the number of hairs on a person's head. Everything is quantified, even people, because the worst thing Sophie sees is the number of days until a person dies. She has tried a dozen times to save people from their number to no avail, which has taken a toll on her mentally. Adam, Sophie's high school sweetheart, is a young single dad when their fates intertwine again for the first time since the crash. But Adam...Adam has less than a month to live.

These characters grew on me after a while but it took more than a quarter of the book to get there and I still don't really like them, I just understand them. Both Sophie and Adam start the book rather spineless and lost, yet together they learn how to be somewhat-functioning humans. The powers Sophie has could have been so much fun to explore if we weren't solely focused on death. If you don't like thinking about mortality, maybe skip this. Overall, the novel is fine. The premise is nothing new, but the implementation of it is passable. I just was not surprised at all by this book. If you really like straightforward plots where a woman is struggling with the moral dilemma of whether to tell the man she loves that he is dying, you will probably enjoy it. Otherwise, I'd probably recommend reading something else.

The format of the epilogue was really cute and clever though, if a little unrealistic (I don't think Sophie would allow it because of how anxious of a person she is).




I have no complaints about the audiobook. The narrators are lovely and it even worked incredibly well at high-speed since I was somewhat rushing through this book to get to the end at points.

Fatal Countdown vs. Love

After a traumatic brain injury on prom night, Sophie sees numbers everywhere, including the days each person has left to live (all, except her own). Since she cannot face the heartbreak, she decides to only date people with decades left. But then her ex boyfriend Adam reenters the picture. The problem: his countdown is 24 days and he has a young daughter. Will Sophie be able to prevent the inevitable?

Sarah J. Harris' newest is a romantic take on the 'seeing other people's remaining life time' trope. The audiobook, narrated by Shakira Shute and John York clocks in at around 11 hours, so plenty of listening time. I enjoyed the narration a lot, especially the narrators' cadence. It was pleasant and gripping without becoming grating or dull.
The story itself was equally gripping, the plot lines very solid and the characters complex. It was a wonderful journey to discover (partly in flashbacks) how Sophie and Adam's backstory leads them to present-day Bristol. The narration is equally balanced between both POVs and Harris clearly knows how to use structure and narration to craft a gripping love story - to the point where the ending felt too short and more would have been better. The mark of a good book!

The only thing I want to criticise is the cover, since it is quite misleading. It has more to do with the characters' backstory than the actual plot. This is not a seaside romance. It's set in Bristol and Devon, the characters are in their late 20s and very much no longer young adults.

A great book for romance lovers and for people who enjoy Gayle Forman's writing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC.

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.

Audiobook Review thanks to Brilliance Audio <3

Narration:
Both male and female narrators did a fantastic job here. Something about their intonations felt conversational almost, as if they were friends talking directly to me, very well done!

Description:
After a tragic accident in her youth, Sophie has been able to see numbers everywhere- the number of tiles on the ceiling, the number of miles from point A to point B,  but worst of all is seeing each person's number, the number of days they have left to live. No matter how hard she tries there's absolutely nothing she can do about it, no way to save her loved ones from their ill timed fates. 

That's why she has a rule for herself, no dating anyone with small numbers, her heart just can't take it. But then her highschool sweetheart Adam, the love of her life, reappears after years apart, and all the feelings come wooshing back. Except he only has 24 days left to live. 24 days. Try as she might she can't resist the pull. She has to at least make these days memorable since there's nothing she can do about it- or is there?

Review:
This is my second read from this author (I absolutely loved Meet Me on The Bridge) and it swept me up just as much as her previous novel. This is magical realism at its best.Her characters are just so earnest, the most likeable and you can't help  from getting invested even as it's tugging hard on your heartstrings. The secondary characters were wonderful as well, creating that found family feel. I loved it from start to finish.

Dual narration- John York & Shakira Shute

This was great narration. Great accents.

This was a very interesting listen. Sophie experiences a major brain chemistry change after accident on her prom night. She can now she calculations of accidents and peoples deaths. There are parts that seem a tad hard to follow but it was a good listen overall. If your looking for something different this is it

I guess main characters that can see death dates or the numbers of days people have left to live is a whole trope now because I keep reading/listening to and loving these books.

After an accident on her prom night, Sophie can see numbers everywhere, including the number of days people have left to live. What happens when the man she loves, and has loved many years, has a number in the double digits?

This one was heart wrenching and heart warming. I loved the depth of the characters, both the main characters and the side characters. It is a story of growth, family, friendship, forgiveness and love. Get your tissues ready!

I read this book because I was curious about the main character’s ability. It seemed more like a burden than a gift, and that made the story quite sad at times. I felt sorry for the characters and everything they had to go through. The story focused a lot on how they were given a second chance to face their struggles and try to change their lives.

The writing was straightforward but didn’t really capture my attention. The pacing was slow, and there wasn’t much emotional connection for me with the characters. I found myself moving through the book without much excitement. The story was clear and easy enough to follow, but it didn’t really stick with me after I finished reading.

The themes about hardship and second chances were present, but I didn’t find the story very engaging. The characters’ struggles felt heavy but distant, and I didn’t feel invested in their outcomes. I think this book might be more appealing to readers who like slow, thoughtful stories and don’t mind a lack of strong emotional moments.

This audiobook really packs an emotional punch. The story deals with some heavy themes, and the emotional depth is handled beautifully. There were moments that genuinely hit hard, and the narrator did a great job conveying that vulnerability and intensity.

At the same time, I did find parts of the narrative a bit hard to follow, especially with the way the timeline or inner thoughts sometimes blurred together. It wasn’t enough to take me out of the experience entirely, but I had to rewind a few sections to stay on track.

Overall, it’s a powerful, moving listen with strong emotional resonance, even if it requires a bit more focus than usual.
The narrators did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.