Firstly I would like to say that I’ve read and loved this authors other books which were written u dear a different name. So I was very excited for the opportunity to read and review her first romantic novel. This book started off really well and I loved reading about how Anna and Adam met and Anna’s friendship with Nell. Halfway through the book however I just felt it went a bit flat. I found the scientific aspect a bit far fetched and it just went over my head at times. There was various things happening that I just couldn’t make sense of and thought it was a bit ott. However looking at all the brilliant reviews I am definitely in a minority. Event though this book wasn’t totally for me I will have no hesitation in reading more books by this author.

Having never read any books previously from this author, I had no presumptions of What to expect. I am so pleased I was accepted to read this book through NetGallery. It is not your normal love story but one that will pull at your heart strings and have you routing for the main characters. Would highly recommend!

Tissues at the ready!!
The Life We Almost Had is not your typical love story. With a prologue written in the voice of Anna, seven years after her relationship with Adam, this is a love story that will make you laugh, make you smile, make you rant at life’s injustices, make you think and make you cry.
If you’re a hopeless romantic, the beginning of Anna and Adam’s story will satisfy your belief in love at first sight as they meet in a holiday resort where the sun shines, the sea is sparkling and life is for living. They make an adorable couple and you can’t help hoping this is a match made in heaven, maybe even envious that they are fortunate to have found their happy ever after.
Fast forward a few years and Anna and Adam could be any married couple. Just as it is easy to fall head over heels in love, so it is equally easy to fall out of love. Life is full of ups and downs and through the characters of Anna and Adam, the author is able to explore and tackle some hefty topics. Grief, loss,infertility, the desperation of wanting something so badly that is just outside of your grasp are all emotions and problems our lovebirds encounter. But it is the idea of letting go of a loved one and with them all your hopes and dreams that evoke the strongest emotions. I felt like I was experiencing all the highs and lows alongside Anna and Adam as life deals them the worst possible deck of cards. Can their love stand the test of time? Read on but be prepared for some heart wrenching emotion as you immerse yourself in their lives.

The concept of state of the art technology allowing individuals to connect with a loved one’s consciousness in their final days is the thought provoking angle in this bittersweet novel. The idea that we could have the opportunity for one more hour, one more day with a loved one,tapping into their mind, and experiencing all their thoughts and feelings, hopes and dreams sounds like a chance we’d willingly grab. Think about it for any length of time and the moral implications of such technology are impossible to ignore. It’s also a reminder to cherish the time we have with loved ones whilst we can and don’t hold back when it comes to difficult conversations.

I think you can tell the author is a master of the psychological thriller because there is definitely tension in some of the writing, which took me by surprise. It’s at this point in the narrative that my heart was in conflict with my head. I knew which direction Anna and Adam’s story was taking them but my heart was telling me to slam on the brakes and derail them down another path. Wishful thinking on my part I know!

I loved that Anna and Adam had two fantastic witnesses to their love in the form of Nell, Anna’s best friend and Josh, a brother like figure to Adam. Friends like these are worth their weight in gold as is Oliver, but for very different reasons. I also loved all the little details that add up to make Anna and Adam’s love story unique to them, like the watch and the coin. We all at some point have trinkets or mementos that hold sentimental value of a past love and our fictional pair are no different. It’s these extras that enhance the story and make you forget these characters exist only in the author’s imagination.

Approaching the end I felt emotionally wrung out, chiding myself for shedding a bucketful of tears over a piece of fiction. I’m so glad I was alone reading the final pages because I was a mess!! Reading this felt akin to ripping off a plaster. You know it’s going to hurt and the longer you take the more pain you will feel but you have to do it!!! I can’t express how appreciative I am to have had the opportunity to read such a thought provoking love story. The balance between romance, sentimentality and realism is just about right. I will be recommending to fellow die hard romantics without a doubt.

The Life We Almost Had is a compelling beautiful love story that totally got under my skin. If you’ve read and loved Holly Miller’s The Sight of You then this is most definitely a book you’ll enjoy and remember. Although it only took me a few hours to read from beginning to end, Anna and Adam are characters that will remain in my mind for a long time to come. I eagerly anticipate book number two from an author whose writing has left such an impression on my heart.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

I read this book in one sitting, I could not put it down. This book was beautifully written. It covered topics such as endometriosis and infertility which aren’t covered enough and the story of these characters was both gripping and heartbreaking. I am excited to see what comes from this author next.

My heart. I think its broken! This book made my eyes leak!!!!

Wow….I was NOT expecting this AT ALL! The tagine of the book ‘this is not a typical love story’, is absolutely bang on. I probably would even go as far as to say that I have never, ever read a love story quite like this. Don’t get me wrong, the psychological situation towards the end wasn’t a new thing to me, however everything together was and it caught me off guard big time.

Anna and Adam’s relationship was one of a kind. They loved hard, and they fought hard. Being together sometimes was difficult, yet being apart was even more difficult, something which was put to the test dramatically.

Its really difficult reviewing a book like this without giving away spoilers, because the storyline and every situation in it, are intricately woven together, making talking about one thing in particular a tricky thing to do incase something gets accidently spilled. Not going to lie though, I want to shout about what happened from the rooftop of my house! I want to talk about Anna’s love for Adam, and Adam’s love for Anna. I want to talk about when life threw them both a curveball. I want to talk about Oliver! Oliver! The random person who I thought was about to break both of their hearts!

I want to talk about the very last part of the book, and how a new character was brought to life! My mind couldn’t make sense of how that came to fruition, yet on the other hand, I didnt need to know the whys and wherefores because I didnt want to sheer beauty of it to falter. I call it magic. I call it perfection. I call it meant to be.

A bit like this book in all honesty. ‘The Life We Almost Had’ was meant to be written, it was meant to be read. Anna and Adam’s love story was meant to have been told, and i absolutely cannot fault one single thing about it.

Yes, my heart broke and I was in tears, but i would have been incredibly shocked if I hadn’t reacted at all to the storyline in one form or another.

It was an absolute honour to have been given the chance to fall in love with this beautiful story, just like Adam and Anna fell in love with each other.

Probably the best book I have read so far this year, and I have no doubt whatsoever that Amelia Henley will be touching hearts all over the world with such a detailed, emotional, and outstanding tale of true love, and learning when and how to trust your heart.

I absolutely love discovering new authors and Amelia Henley is certainly a new author for me. However I will let you into a secret (well not really but it sounds better) Amelia Henley is a pen name of Louise Jensen, who writes psychological thrillers. Louise has branched out into writing romantic fiction, so it makes sense to write under another name. Anyway back to the point. I love Louise's books so I had the impression that I would love 'Amelia's' book too. I just love it when I am right. I loved reading 'The Life We Almost Had' but more about that in a bit.
It took me next to no time to get into this book. In fact as soon as I started to read, I knew that this was going to be one book that I would be unable to put down at all! I was so taken with the characters and the beautiful story that I just couldn't put the book down. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. I managed to read this book in one long reading binge over the course of a day. 'The Life We Almost Had' was one of those books that you couldn't wait to finish because you needed to know how the story ended but you were enjoying reading the book so much that you just didn't want it to end.
'The Life We Almost Had' is extremely well written. Louise/ Amelia has proved that she can turn her hand to any sort of fiction. She has a way of grabbing your attention and drawing you into the story. In fact with one of Louise's/ Amelia's books, the reader actually feels as though they are part of the story themselves. That's how I felt at any rate. 'The Life We Almost Had' certainly took me on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride. I would find myself becoming emotionally in tune with the different characters. I would switch between smiling and becoming quite choked up. 'The Life We Almost Had' gripped me from start to finish and it really is a beautifully told story.
In short, I really enjoyed reading 'The Life We Almost Had' and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Amelia's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This book was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed it. It was light, fluffy, warm and a great read.i found myself compelled to keep reading, to keep turning the pages.

This was definitely a book that took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I mean it had love, sorrow, hope, friendship and determination. A book that definitely made you sit up and think about family and friends and those that you love. Amelia Henley definitely had me sob a little whilst reading this book.

This book is about Anna and Adam. They met by chance whilst on Holiday in Spain and as the movies say the rest is history. Anna has left an abusive relationship, she left her ex-fiancé after she found out that he was cheating on her. He was psychologically and emotionally abusing her and she found out before it got worse. He best friend Nell ever her most strident supporter encouraged her to go on her "Honeymoon" which she did and that is where she met Adam. The thing is Anna doesn't want another relationship so soon.

Adam also had a really harsh breakup, his ex was cheating on him with her boss and Adam literally caught them in the act.  Adam spotted Anna straight away at the hotel they were staying. For him it was love at first sight. He couldn't forget about her. A freak accident seeing Anna nearly drown brought them together and they were inseparable.

So the book, I enjoyed the storyline of the book, the chance meet the insta love. I know some people don't like it but sometimes there is just a need for it. They fell in love but it wasn't all hearts and birds chirping merrily like a Disney film. There were ups and downs in Anna and Adam's relationship and it made them seem more real to me as characters.

The main focus for me in this book is around Anna and Adam trying to conceive a child together. I personally don't have any knowledge around this not having a child myself but you can see the sorrow and pain in each of them when they fail to conceive. The strain on their relationship is real and they both try things to make it better. I can sympathise with them for their struggles.

All things take a turn for the better when Anna finds out she is pregnant and they return to Spain where they first met for time to relax and find themselves again. To communicate their fears and wants. Tragedy strikes things take a turn for the worse when Adam is injured.

This is when for me the book doesn't quite fit what i thought it was going to be. I mean I didn't not like it I just felt that it was a bit disjointed from the book. Adam is now in a coma and Anna is approached by a scientist who is doing research on persons that are in a coma, he is trying to find out the persons last memories.

Anna wanting to know about Adam's takes the risk and does under with Adam. The thing is his memories aren't just memories it feels to Anna like they are living their life with their child, happy and safe.

I really did enjoy the concept of this book and the style of writing. It definitely brought out my emotions and my heart literally broke for Anna. Having been a witness to my best friend lose the love of her life brought home how fickle life can be and how you need to tell the ones close to you how much you love them.

This is not your typical love story. It is so much more complex. It's tragically sad and wonderfully romantic. It's clever and sweet and deep. Adam and Anna's relationship is not smooth sailing but it's their love story. Tragedy strikes and turns everything upside down. Can they ever recover and have the life they dreamt of?

The science in this book is so thoroughly researched it's impressive. Kudos to Amelia for that! There is so much emotion in this story and I laughed and cried. I sobbed actually.

Beautiful from the first page.

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from NetGalley.

Anna and Adam's is beautiful love story. There are a lot of pause for thought moments in this book and cause to reflect on your own relationships and how you would respond. I was concerned at the turning point it was going to become a Sci-Fi book! But thankfully this didn't happen. I felt there were things left unexplained, exactly like real life, and I know it's a book that will stay with me for a long time.

Kindle available now!

The life we almost had
by Amelia Henley
Pub date 23 July 2020
Beautiful love story
Spoiler Allert
This book broke me In half in a good way I loved the book it made me cry so much the ending for bitter sweet. Anna and nell were going on holidays her fiancé left her so her and nell were going on holidays two the place they were going on honeymoon instead she fought why waste it. When they got two the hotel they both had a drink at the bar they were so tired after travelling they had one or two cocktails and nell noticed this boy staring at her by the bar Anna rough he was sweet indeed he was. So then when they got two the hotel room Adam was waiting outside two give her her flower back two him her his room was opposite theirs with josh. She cried he wondered why when they went into the room there was champagne and flowers on the bed for honeymoon suit that made Anna cry all night nell conformed her. Next day they went two the beach Anna was nervous of her body so she covered up well she decided two go for a swim but she was suddenly drowning she couldn't keep up in the water and Adam noticed her and swam two the rescue brining her two the beach he called josh and nell back at two get Anna some drinks she came round they went and had a drink uo by the beach bar> Adam noticed then he was starting two love Anna in a way he didn't think possible. He asked her out for a dinner that day first Anna refused she was tired upset but she fought she better go with him he saved her life after all.
They went two a lovely restaurant and had sangria paella limcillo for afters he had the same has her they got along great. The holiday was great they went two restaurant museum toured around the place they fell in love with place everynight they went two the cove where they drank red wine and watch the was. He gave her a locket and they put Anna and Adam on it they dint know if they would see each other again. The day at the airport Adam asked Anna two sea hi again she said yes he gave her they phones numbers he dint know if long distance would work but it did. When she was home with mum and nan Adam would come and visit her very other week one but he didn't feel comfortable there he was living with josh they had a flat together he going two sea Anna. But he was offered a job again travelling the world seeing different places he really wanted two go so he was going two tell Anna that weekend he hated travelling down there it was so long journey about four hour long but he id it fo love. Anna knew something was up he hadn't text her all week or spoke two her on the phone she was getting worried now her mother said nothing two worry about he does you she knew that. When Adam got there he arranged a meal and there was candles flowers and all that. Anna couldn't believe it she felt loved he told her about the job but Anna fought she was pregnant and couldn't wait two tell him that night he asked her two marry him and she said yes but the baby was a false alam. They had a lovely wedding josh nell came the fold was lovely her na gave her a coin that her husband gave two her she kept it. Josh and nell danced and kissed that all it was. Anna danced with Adam everything was going great. Then Nell met Chris and they started coming two the local pub where We used two play pool together It hurt josh that nell was with Chris he pretended two be happy with her but he was hurting inside Anna knew he like nell she never told nell that josh like her she kept his secret. New told them all that she was moving in with him and she did she become pregnant straight away with Chris and Adam would go over there and mind the kids she had three in the end. Anna and Adam were trying for a baby for five years they took all the test she had two operation she had problem with time of the month which meant she couldn't get pregnant first she was giving up slowly she felt jealous of her nell having all those kids and she couldn't. Anna was a teacher for second primary school her boss ross thy got along great and he texted her allot they had phone call allot about work then he asked her for a few drinks she wasn't getting along with Adam at the time things weren't great al all she went out had a few drink and they kissed it was only a kiss she really like ross and he'd like her allot and fought what if for a moment she could be with him they were planning a weekend away she felt guilty about it hurt she loved Adam but nothing was working out. She went home and fell asleep Adam new things weren't working out so he packed up a few things in his bag hoped she wouldn't wake up he was planning a holiday two go back two were she first met him they together seven years and now it was a struggle over the baby issue. He fought he surprised her with a holiday he phoned her boos roos and he said yes no problem. So when Anna woke up she wonderd where he went no sign of him all day she felt so bad about the kiss she fought Adam left here that some how he known and left her they argued and she told him to leave but now she wanted him back she felt sick she fought she was pregnant at first but was no way it could be she look around two sea Adam every went into shops where he worked no one scene him then she saw some coming out of the travelling agency he smiled told her they were going on holidays agin back two basic she couldn't believe it. On holidays she fell in love with Adam she was having a baby she told him that night back at the cove where they went for drinks very nigh the red merlot wine he bough another pendant for her and said Anna and Adam and little one they were so over joyed the holidays was what they needed.The apartment was lovely the food the beach they was offered two go on the yacht for free as a day trip two sea the other island. so they excepted the offer. The sea and yacht they explored every wear on the boat they were enjoying it then they heard a noise a crack every one screaming the boat was sinking from underneath her Adam kept saying don't panic now she couldn't swim only Adam could she took her in his arms and swam her two the other island it wasn't far but the sea was rough for him he was starting two get tired he left her on the sand told her he loved her but there was someone else an old lady stuck on the boat he went back two her he was so tired from swimming in the sea he couldn't save it the boat sank on him hitting hi two the sea the blood force of the boat was sinking him into the ground. He felt pain discomfort couldn't do anything Anna was going crazy someone bought him back two the sand they couldn't wait him two much water got two his brain the ambulance came and took him two intensive care but days went passed and they couldn't save him they tried everything Anna lost the baby when she found out they couldn't save Adam A scientist called Oliver offers two help Adam has a research team two sea if he can come back from the coma she dint have any life insurance he never sorted it so her and Adam could stay at the clinic for a week she was grateful Even nell cam out and helped her from it and spoke two Oliver it was days and experiment that Anna done two connect two his brain everyday but it was making her weak Oliver knew he was already dead but he tried two helped anyway.In t eh end Oliver told ana they could save him so Anna and Adam flew home she had lovely funeral the best lovely people and food was great and the service she had alter from Adam saying two list this place she went straigaway two a children homes where she met Henry and opened him it took her along time she new the baby was meant two be yers she felt has if it was Adam everyone loved the baby her mum her na was so overjoyed she loved loved two things worked out in the end she had a lovely baby boy but it hurt Adam was not there.
This book is so lovely it broke my heart the love story I doubt think I could do long distance relationship must be had I would have loved two sea josh and nell relationship bloomed I would have love two seen josh with someone like nell but nell chose Chris I fought she would have chosen josh.

I gave this four out of five stars.

This is the unique and emotional story of Adam and Anna.

It is not a typical love story, it is a complex and compelling, well written read, with well drawn characters.

I can't say much more as I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I read it in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.

Started full of promise, hit a period of frustration and angst with the standard two people who are not talking to each other, and then a reconnection cut short by a tragic accident. So far , OK. However, the book comes alive and enters new territory after this with the idea that we could connect with our loved ones when they are in a coma. Written with such feeling, you really go through the journey with Anna and Adam, and I loved the ending.

I was hoping to enjoy this book so much more than I did, by the blurb, it sounded like a more realistic take on a broken, strained relationship. Which it was when we first started the story with Anna and Adam first meeting when they were young and forming a steady relationship then after years of being together and a lot of issues dragging them apart which is perfectly normal. But then we get further into the story and that's when things started to go downhill and so unrealistic.

When Adam and Anna go on holiday to a place where they first met they are having a good time and reconnecting their lost love and it was sweet. They decide to go on a yacht and Adam has a horrible accident and he's hospitalised. A doctor comes in and offers Anna help into a clinical trial to help Adam wake up from the coma he's in and this is where I started to lose interest real quick. The whole scenarios of Anna going in Adams subconscious were so boring after the first time as it's so unrealistic and forced in some aspects.

Through the whole book, I really didn't like any of the characters I didn't relate to any of them and they were just annoying, Anna was rude and I couldn't get over on how rude she could be to Adam with the simplest things. She also blamed her actions of everyone else most of the time and I can get her grieving over having infertility and struggling to have a child but there's no need to be that nasty.

I wish i enjoyed this more but the story progression really threw me off, I didn't care for Anna and Adam at all in the end.

I read this for a blog tour.

This is a sad, sweet tale of love, loss and finding a new way to live. It tackles some big issues as well as some futuristic science.

The relationship between Anna and Adam is recognisable as pretty normal - not perfect but not terrible, they've faced difficulties and it's caused strain, which feels familiar to anyone in a relationship, we all have our ups and downs.

Be warned, this is a tearjerker, so have tissues handy. The ending is very bittersweet and lovely.

A completely original love story, so unique and addictive to read. I love the way each chapter ended in a mini cliffhanger so you always had to read the next, it was so hard to put this down. This is such an emotional rollercoaster of a read, the blurb doesn’t do it justice it’s heart wrenching at times and then laugh out loud, no spoilers though because I don’t want to ruin anything for anyone. Both Anna and Adam are perfect as characters, loved them so much and Adam has now set an ever higher target in the book boyfriend rankings. It’s just the perfect heartfelt romance, but not in the way you would expect, need to know why, pick it up and read it, you will not be disappointed.

One of my Favourite books for 2020


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

An original, emotional rollercoaster of a read!

Anna & Adam are such relatable characters you'll instantly be rooting for them and their happy ever after. They take you on a journey that will have you laughing one minute & floods of tears the next (definitely have some tissues at the ready for this one!).

I loved the way this was written in short chapters that always ended with a mini cliffhanger so you couldn't put it down and you had to read the next bit. I honestly didn't put it down until I had turned the last page.

This is so much more than a love story, I don't want to say too much and spoil it but I can say this is one all-consuming heart-wrenching read you do not want to miss!

A huge thanks to HQ Stories & NetGalley for gifting me a copy in return for an open & honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What an absolutely fabulous story. Just when you think you know where the story takes a twist. You are totally invested in the characters of Anna and Adam.
I laughed, I cried and kept my fingers crossed things would be OK at different parts of the story. No spoilers but a book I couldn't put down and will be recommending to my friends.

I personally feel this will be one of the hardest reviews I will ever write. Due to the fact that it is so hard ti put into words how much I loved it, and how beautiful this story is without spoiling it for the person that reads my review, before reading the book.

Adam and Anna are characters that are built so beautifully that you fall in love with them so easily. They have a love that a girl has always dreamed of from a young age. Being sweeped off your feet when you least expect it, but feeling the heartbreak that they feel.

What i loved about this book is that it had cliffhangers at the end of each chapter to keep you reading. But I think I would of anyway to keep being fully immersed in the world of these characters.

For a debut book in this genre from this author I am very excited to see where she takes this hidden talent, and where her next book will take me.

A truly original storyline which could come to fruition in years to come. Read it and become swept along with Anna and the other characters.