This was an incredibly thoughtful and empathetic read told from the viewpoint of Sofie who has been frightened of commitment since her dad died when she was a teenager and left her fearful of losing someone she cared about. Her husband Rory was so understanding of her fears and worked hard to reassure her over time so when she discovers she’s pregnant after a bout of sickness stopped her pill from working she realises she’s ready to have a baby and grows increasingly braver as the pregnancy advances.

This book starts by exploring Sofie’s feelings about pregnancy and how she blooms as she grows but the main focus is on the life in the immediate aftermath of delivering her stillborn son with the positive experience the hospital helped her have followed by weeks of grief as she tries to process the loss of her son and how her greatest fears have been realised leaving her unable to deal with the upset those close to her are also experiencing. The book explores different ways we process loss and how important it is to grieve but also to talk about what you’ve lost. The relationship between Sofie and her husband in the aftermath was a big focus on this as each dealt with things in their own way and were unable to truly help the other grieve which understandably puts their relationship under strain. Whilst I wouldn’t describe this book as uplifting it does end in positive ways with a focus on support and positive activities you can do to help you process events and start the healing process. Whether you or someone close have suffered such a loss or you want some understanding of such a situation this is a very balanced read told with an understanding that makes Sofie feel so very real.

Words can’t describe how much of an impact this book has. The grief, heartbreak, love and friendships truly make it such a beautiful yet soul destroying story. This is a book I feel will stay with me for life, I will be adding a physical copy to my shelf when this is published.

This Wasn't Meant to Happen by Ali Harris is an absolutely captivating read that took me on an emotional rollercoaster. From the start, I was drawn into the lives of the main characters, each with their own unique struggles and challenges. The way Harris develops them throughout the book is nothing short of brilliant. I loved seeing how the relationships evolved, particularly between Sophie and her estranged father, and how they both navigated the difficult terrain of forgiveness and healing.

The plot itself was full of surprises, and I was absolutely hooked as the story unfolded. The twists were so well-done, particularly the moment when Sophie’s secret is revealed, and it shifts everything we thought we knew about her past. Watching her finally confront the truth was a powerful, emotional experience.

But what really sets this book apart is the character growth. Each character, especially Sophie and her family, goes through such a profound transformation, and it felt incredibly satisfying to witness. The journey of self-discovery and the theme of second chances are woven into the narrative in such a thoughtful and impactful way.

I can’t recommend This Wasn't Meant to Happen enough. It’s a beautifully written, suspenseful, and emotionally charged novel that will stay with you long after the last page. Ali Harris has definitely earned a place on my list of must-read authors!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this incredible book. I loved how realistic this book felt to read. As someone who has suffered a pregnancy loss it made me feel seen. I think any woman can read this even if they have not experienced loos. I enjoyed the writing style and the characters. I loved the epilogue it made me cry. Great book!

This is a rollercoaster of a read, it is so emotional, I cried a lot but it made me smile too. The author has used her own experience of loosing a child at birth, it is a story of immense love and emotion. It is beautifully written and shows how everyone affected deals differently. I found the book hard to put down and became very involved in the characters lives and emotions, it wasn't an easy read at times but it was a book I am glad I did read.

This book will have triggers for some people because of the subject matter. However, whether you have been personally affected or not by a similar loss, it is a story of hope. Highly recommended.

I never expected This Wasn't Meant to Happen by Ali Harris to resonate so deeply - but it did, right from the very first page.

Like Sofie, I never pictured myself as a mother - until I met my husband and saw what an incredible father he could be.

Even throughout my pregnancy, I carried fear with me. I knew the heartbreaking statistic: 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss.

Friends of mine have gone through that pain. I was fortunate to welcome a healthy baby girl, but I’ve never forgotten that many others are not so lucky.

Ali Harris tells this story with such tenderness and truth, drawing on her own unimaginable loss to craft a novel that is raw, emotional, and incredibly brave.

The way she explores grief its many shapes, how differently we carry it, and how it reshapes us; is nothing short of extraordinary.

This book broke me, and I mean that in the best way.

The quote that will stay with me forever: “One in 225 pregnancies ends in stillbirth in the UK. That’s seven stillbirths every day... And now we’re part of that statistic. We – our boy – is that one.”

It’s a gut-punch, and yet this story is filled with so much compassion and hope.

When Sofie starts to realise she can't navogate her grief journey in isolation and lets friends, family, colleagues and even strangers in she starts to learn to live with the loss of Leo and the things she achieves are brilliant.

Watching Sofie’s relationships, especially with her mother and her mother's new partner, slowly rebuild was powerful.

Her journey of confronting her past, uncovering secrets, and learning to forgive herself is deeply relatable - especially for anyone who’s ever lost someone.

This book should come with a trigger warning due to its themes of child loss and grief but it is one I wholeheartedly recommend.

It's an emotional rollercoaster, but one worth riding. Harris has written a story that will stay with me forever.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’m so grateful to have read this brave, beautiful book. Ali Harris is now firmly on my must-read list.

This Wasn't Meant to Happen is a heartbreaking, incandescent love story. Sofie and Rory meet, fall in love and marry. Although Sofie has never wanted children, a surprise pregnancy transforms her and she joyfully awaits her baby’s birth. Their son Leo is stillborn. In an instant, their dreams die with him. Grief shatters their marriage. Sofie’s pain is raw, physical, and all-consuming, while Rory retreats into quiet sorrow.

This Wasn't Meant to Happen is haunting, beautifully written novel that shimmers with emotion. Drawing from her own experience of the stillbirth of her daughter, Ali Harris brings raw honesty to every page. Rory leaves us with this heart-rending phrase. “Stillborn, still loved.” 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Ali Harris for this ARC.

This is one hell of a story. So moving. I do think it needs a warning for pregnant woman. I learnt loads . Communication is so important in a marriage . One amazing emotional read. Read it .

A gorgeously moving read. Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an ARC.

Wow! An emotional heartbreaking read following the loss of a baby at term. Certainly powerful and brings awareness to the very common subject of loss during pregnancy, early on by miscarriage or later with stillbirth and neonatal death. An unimaginable and horrendous experience endured by many. Gives an insight to helping friends and relatives who maybe going through similar experiences. Maybe not a book for any vulnerable pregnant woman when one is more susceptible to possible things going wrong. Having said all that, what comes shining through is the immeasurable love in the face of adversity.

Ali Harris has courageously used her own personal experience to craft a captivating yet highly emotional story about loss, love, grief and how each journey is unique and very much self led.

I can only applaud Ali for the characters and how they grow as the story progresses. What I found truly remarkable was the transformation not only in the main protagonists but in all the characters as they dealt with their grief and their own lives. This made them so relatable and actually I felt quite inspired.

I loved how second chances was incorporated into each characters journey accompanied by understanding and forgiveness.

An absolute emotional rollercoaster of a story that will have you reach for the tissue box multiple times but will also leave your heart full by the end. Best book I've read this year by far.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC.

I hadn't read anything by this author before but after reading 'This Wasn't Meant To Happen', I will definitely be reading more by them. The author's writing is beautiful and even though there were some sensitive subjects they were handled with care. I can't recommend this book enough. I look forward to reading more by the author.

Tell me, what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? This line really resonated with me as myself included, often take life for granted and because of that, do not take risks that could create happiness far beyond what I could have imagined. Sofie was completely risk adverse and therefore, believed that her job was her extension of her. She calculated risks on a daily basis and used such numbers to dictate what she chose to do. Nothing deviated from the norm and how she wanted her and Rory's life to be. When she found herself unexpectedly pregnant, she immediately felt fearful as to what could occur. What happened to her with respect to Leo was a sadness that without a loss of a child, could not be imagined. She wanted Leo. As a result, she buried herself in grief and shut out those including Rory and Nishsa as she felt like no one could truly understand how she felt. However, she began to realize that both physically and emotionally, Leo would always be a part of her. She is a mother. She chose to live and whether it be working with her Mom and Midge at Per's cafe, swimming in the sea, or presenting a new idea at work that would set the company apart, that she is extremely strong and worthy of happiness and love. She knew she could do this. I found the book to be heartfelt and inspiring. A wonderful read.

I thought this would be too sad to read and it was sad, but I felt like it was hopeful at the same time. Grief is hard? Everyone grieve differently and the book did a really great job of taking readers on various journeys in a way that felt real and not contrived.

This book will steal a little piece of your heart. Heartbreaking and quite hard to read in places. This is a story of hope and surviving the hardest grief. I was gripped in the emotions of this book.

Wow. This book will steal a little piece of your heart and stay with you long after you finish it. It’s heartbreaking and, at times, almost too hard to read, but it’s also a story full of hope, love, and the quiet strength that comes with surviving unimaginable grief.

I’ll admit, I thought this was going to be too sad for me, and yes, it is sad, but Ali Harris manages to weave so much hope into Sofie’s journey. Grief is messy, complicated, and deeply personal, and this book portrays that perfectly. No two people grieve the same way, and Sofie’s journey felt so real and raw; it was not polished or contrived, but deeply human.

The line that hit me hardest was: “Tell me, what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” It’s such a simple reminder of how easy it is to play it safe, to stay in the comfort zone instead of risking everything for true happiness. Sofie is the ultimate risk averse character. She calculates life by numbers, clings to routine, and defines herself by her job. But when her life is shattered by loss, she’s forced to reevaluate everything.

Her love for Leo, the baby she never got to bring home, broke me. The other line I loved was: "Stillborn, but still loved." That hit so hard. The way she shut herself off from Rory and her friends, the way she tried to carry her grief alone, felt so painfully real. But what made this book so special was Sofie’s gradual transformation; from realizing Leo would always be a part of her, to embracing life again, taking risks, and learning that she is strong enough to keep living, even after her heart was shattered.

Ali Harris drew from her own personal experience, and you can feel that honesty on every page. The writing is beautiful, the emotions are raw, and the character growth (not just for Sofie, but for everyone around her) was inspiring. I loved seeing themes of second chances, forgiveness, and love woven through such a heartbreaking story.

Yes, you will need tissues, but by the end, your heart will feel full. It’s emotional, devastating, and yet incredibly hopeful. I hadn’t read anything by Ali Harris before this, but I’ll definitely be reading more because her writing is stunning, and she handled such a sensitive topic with so much care and compassion.

Highly recommend, but be prepared because it’s an emotional rollercoaster, and it will stay with you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ali Harris, and One More Chapter for the eARC of this book.

This was an absolutely heartbreakingly, beautiful story that is impossible to put down. A truly difficult subject handled so well, this is an absolute must read for me! .
Well done with this book and I hope it reduces some of the stigma of talking about baby loss.

An extremely well written book about a difficult subject. Written using the author's personal experience of stillbirth but also touching on other issues of loss. An excellent heart-rending read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

What an emotional read this was. A difficult subject but beautifully written. This is a book to be read with a box of tissues on hand.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

Oh wow, what an incredibly emotional read. This is a book that so many people will be able to relate too. Just make sure you have tissues!

This book completely wrecked me. I spent most of my time reading it through tears. It’s so emotional and impactful.

I know this book will stay with me for a long time. Huge thanks to Ali Harris, the publishing team, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read it.

This book was so emotional and heartbreaking.

Sophie faced the most devastating loss. Grief is such a personal experience and everyone navigates it in their own way and this was explored in an emphatic and realistic way.

Losing a baby must be one of the most painful experiences and I hadn’t realised how common it was until reading this book. The writing is beautiful, raw and honest and I feel will help others affected (and their friends and family ) by such a painful loss.

This story will require a box or two of tissues close at hand. It’s full of emotions, courage, bravery , heartache and hope.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.
A sad but often uplifting book on love and loss . The story is told from a personal experience that is absolutely heartbreaking at times.
Quoted from the book “you never get over the loss of a baby but you get through it” .
5 stars

A wonderful emotive read. Sofie and Rory are mourning the still birth of their son, Leo. Brilliantly written by an author who has been through the loss of a baby. Displaying grief, love and changes to their relationship. I feel every student midwife should read the book to gain an insight into how such a tragic loss affects the parents , family, friends and work colleagues. Although very upsetting to read, I could not put the book down, to see how Sofie and Rory's story ended.