Two patients at a hospital Alice & Alfie.. strangers who are next to each other day in and out.

Firstly thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC

If you take the book as a cute romcom you’re dead wrong but also dead right. This book is funny and a fresh take on the whole “hospital romance” genre thats plagued the YA scene for a while. (Hey I ain’t complaining their so, so good!)

Emily Houghton’s Before I Saw You is a book about healing and needing others surrounding you to do some, that it’s okay to let someone in when you’re at your lowest and that also the people you love the most can and will disappoint you.

Alfie Mack is in St Francis Hospital for Rehabilitation after a horrid car crash that left him with an amputated leg while Alice Gunnersley is in after being badly injured in an office fire.
Both protagonists struggle with the outcomes of their situations with differing approaches Alice; is not talking and does not want company.
While Alfie; is making as many friends as possible and WILL NOT shut up.

This is a pretty slow read I will admit but I’m not mad at it, their contrast in personalities is so interesting and they being out the emotion and physical pain in each other.
The supporting characters are a stand out with Sharon and Mr. Peterson as well as the nurse staff they become a family and it’s really lovely to see that play out.

Not bad not the best.
I appreciate this story for what it is, it’s a light heart read about a meaningful topic and I’m okay with that.
The writing was pretty good and if I see another book by the author on NetGalley I’d request it or I’d buy it in store.

4 stars.
#beforeisawyou

"Our scars are simply the mark of our stories. They show we've lived our life, and most of all that we have survived it. Don't hide your story away in the shadows."

Alice has been badly burned in a fire and is so traumatised she does not speak. Alfie has had a leg amputated after a car accident. They are in adjoining beds but the curtains remain closed as Alice just wants to hide away.
What follows is so more than a simple rom-com.....I laughed out loud, I ugly cried, I made new friends, said some goodbyes and truly didn't want the story to end.
Emily Houghton has given us a beautifully written, poignant novel that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. I will look forward to more books from her.... hopefully soon?
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book.

*Received as an ARC on NetGalley*

A truly beautiful and emotional book. It is written well and the characters are developed brilliantly. It touches on many topics, including trauma, depression, loss and learning to love yourself after a life changing accident. The author explores these things in a light, uplifting way and includes the perfect amount of comedy throughout the book to keep the plot realistic but positive. I loved seeing the relationships between the main characters and the secondary characters blossom throughout the book. An easy, heartwarming read that I will definitely be recommending.

This book was one I had to read very quickly, I found it compelling and heart warming. You will need a box of tissues and It is a story of being kind to each other but remembering kind to your self as well. Well worth reading

This was a cute and light read considering the struggles both our main characters are facing - amputations and burns recovery.

The characters really balanced each other out and worked through their struggles - physically and emotionally.

A quick and enjoyable book!

4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Well this may be a perfect Uplit book, it had ups and downs, sad bits and happy bits too.
Both Alice and Alfie have had accidents and have ended up in hospital. Alfie is upbeat and constantly helping other people on the recovery ward and then Alice is placed in the bed next to him.
Alice who is less than upbeat and is a bit of a loner and so begins the to and fro of conversation between the pair, never seeing each other, just the pleasant banter through the cubicle curtain.
I loved Alfie for his constant pleasing and Alice for her grumpy nature. I loved the relationships Alfie had with the nurses and other patients and how the nurses tried to get Alice to come out of her shell.
The puzzle aspect was fun and added another dimension to the book too.
There were some bigger topics in this book including rehabilitation, depression and how it feels to adjust to a new you.
Loved it and would highly recommend.

“Before I Saw You," in the YA genre, offers a softly glowing, quite predictable, but tender tale of hardship and love. Alfie, who lost a leg in a car accident, finds himself engrossed with traumatized Alice, a burn victim who is horribly disfigured. Of the two central characters, yakking, action-oriented Alfie rings truer, while shrinking Alice could have been gingered up more. The hospital setting, our main locale for most of the book, is well portrayed insofar as the patients and doctors and nurses are concerned, but again, I found myself wishing for a bit more truthfulness about the bludgeoning depressiveness of modern medicine. The author unwinds the narrative with a sure hand, dialogue (especially Alfie's) adds flavor, and the ending, if soppy-inevitable, crashes through with a bang. Overall, a diverting read.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Before I Saw You’ by Emily Houghton in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Alfie is on the Moira Gladstone Ward following a car accident where he loses a leg and two of his friends never recover. Following a fire in her office, Alice is suffering from severe burns to one side of her body and when she regains consciousness finds herself in the bed next to Alfie’s. Alice doesn’t want anyone to see her burns and stays hidden behind her curtains but Alfie isn’t put off and gradually they form a friendship, unburdening themselves to each other albeit through a blue curtain. Alfie might not have seen Alice but he thinks he’s falling in love. Alice misses Alfie when he’s discharged, but are his feelings reciprocated?

What a lovely story! When I first read the description of ‘Before I Saw You’ it sounded like a book I’d enjoy but I didn’t envisage the depth of feeling it arose in me, it had me smiling, laughing and crying in equal measure. Early on I formed an affection for the characters, Alfie the ward comedian, Alice scared to see her own reflection, elderly Mr Peterson who sees Alfie as his temporary son, and Nurse Angeles the ‘mother’ to them all. This novel has been beautifully-written with an emotional and heart-warming story-line and I’ve loved every second of it from start to finish

Plot

CAN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN?

Alice and Alfie are strangers. But they sleep next to each other every night.

Alfie Mack has been in hospital for months recovering from an accident. A new face on the ward is about as exciting as life gets for him right now, so when someone moves into the bed next to him he's eager to make friends. But it quickly becomes clear that seeing his neighbour's face won't happen any time soon.

Alice Gunnersley has been badly burned and can't even look at herself yet, let alone allow anyone else to see her. Keeping the curtain around her bed firmly closed, it doesn't stop Alfie trying to get to know her. And gradually, as he slowly brings Alice out of her shell, might there even be potential for more?

Review

I really liked this book!

A unique take on the boy meets girl story, I was drawn in from the first chapter and indeed read the whole thing in two sittings. Alfie and Alice’s stories are tragic but yet the author manages to find the lightheartedness especially in Alfie’s point of view. Both are damaged but slowly both are willing to get better.

The secondary characters are just as important as the primary with each helping to move the story of our unseen couple along. Even though there is one primary setting for this being the rehab ward of a hospital, there isn’t a depressing feel.

Yes there are some subjects that are triggering but they are sadly also real and are dealt with in a gentle and delicate manner.

The only downside is the ending. It just felt like stopping dead but I can understand why.

All in all like I said I really enjoyed this and look forward to more of the author’s work.

Rating

Four stars

Recommend

Yes

Thank you to Penguin Random House for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book as I loved the concept of it. I struggled to put it down but the last 10% or so I struggled through which was a shame and I found the ending quite abrupt. The rest of it I adored but I was reading it so quickly because I enjoyed it so much at times I mixed the names up as they're spelt so similarly! I would recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author. The characters were wonderful even through their struggles they felt very real.

I loved the idea of this story but found myself drifting as I read more. I don't know why but it began to seem overly contrived, the way in which a burns victim and an amputee lie in beds next to each other, move towards recovery and fall in love with each other. I was hoping for more of a Flat Share kind of tale but I'm so sorry to say I was a bit disappointed. Perhaps I'm simply the wrong target audience. I wasn't a fan of A Fault in our Stars so maybe it's more enjoyable for those people who loved that book and film.

This is a sweet enough story.

Alfie is recovering in hospital after an accident when Alice, a burns victim, is bought in.

Slowly they become friends and share their stories, but Alice won’t let anyone inside her cubicle.

There are a large number of other characters, some more realistic than others, (Ruby was supposed to be 12? She read no older than 8) and mostly just there to keep the plot moving.

Obviously, we knew how it would end- we just didn’t know when. It was a satisfying enough book to spend a morning with but I didn’t LOVE it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Could not put this one down! Loved it! A burns victim and an amputee have beds next each other on the ward. They cannot see each other but start talking. They help each other through the pain of their injuries and the pain of their pasts. No angst, no cringe moments, it all makes sense why they can't see each other until they finally do. Was sad when I cam to the end, as I enjoyed it so much.....

I devoured this one in a day. This is such a heartwarming tale of how no matter what life throws at you, with the kindness of others and friendship you can get through anything.

Alfie and Alice are both going through life changing situations. The story is set mainly in a hospital ward, and is centred around the rehabilitation of the two main characters. Alfie has been on the ward longer and is slowly coming round to dealing with his new way of life. However, Alice has only been admitted and is finding it tough to come to terms with things. Can Alfie be her saviour?

It was a very touching read as Emily Houghton dug deep into the characters emotional well-being. The difference in Alfie and Alice's social and personal lives showed the differing effects this has on people's ability to cope.

The secondary characters in this story brought so much into the storyline. Special mention must go to Mr P and Sarah. Their input and thoughts into the characters rehabilitation was truly wonderful. Everyone needs a friend like Sarah in their lives, the way she handled the situation with Alice was truly beautiful.
"Firstly, and most importantly, you are not defined by what you are on the outside. Do you hear me? Whatever you see in that mirror will never ever reflect the incredibly special person you are." These are just some words of wisdom from Sarah.

This story may not be action packed, it is more about the characters. It may be predictable in the outcome. But, it's a story that will tug at your heart strings. It will make you evaluate what you think.

"Our scars are simply the marks of our stories . They show we’ve lived our life, and most of all that we have survived it. Don’t hide your story away in the shadows."

I have seen a few reviews that were disappointed with the ending. That they wanted more elaboration. But, I've got to say in my honest opinion I think it was perfect. This way it leaves things open to interpretation. Let us imagine what happens next. Just like Alice and Alfie had to imagine what was behind the curtain and take the plunge at life. We don't need to be told everything, some things are best left behind closed doors.

Or, obviously a sequel would be amazing 😊

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for my gifted digital copy.

A 2 Star read for me. I was hooked for the first ten pages and read a third of the book before I decided it was too much of a chore to carry on.

I gave up because while it had caught my heart, it didn’t have my mind. Not one that occupies the mind. A little like The Fault In our Stars- that level of mundane and non-humour...

More of a miss than a hit!

I loved the premise of this book and was looking forward to immersing myself in Alice and Alfie's respective stories. I'm a huge fan of romance fiction and I'm well versed in the formula (so this was not a barrier to my enjoyment in any way). I found it really challenging to engage with Alice and Alfie's journey to rehabilitation and finding love. I found myself speed reading through large sections of the book to get to the end. This isn't something I normally do, and overall for me, it was a disappointing read. Thank you Netgalley for the advance review copy.

Very interesting take on a love story. Some great characters here, especially Nurse Angel. I liked the way that coming out from hospital was portrayed, its all so easy to see it as a celebration, when in many cases it's a shock. Can you really fall in love without seeing someone?

Alfie has been in hospital recovering from a horrific car crash for months. Alice has been badly burnt in a work accident and will not let anyone see her, except for the hospital staff. When these two patients are assigned to beds next to one another Alfie offers his had in friendship which Alice very slowly accepts.

This is such a beautiful moving novel. I loved every word.

I loved the idea for the story but sorry it wasn't for me and I really couldn't get into it, and found it a bit too sad. I prefer stories to be a bit more uplifting.

Grief, loneliness, pain and finding your way back from the darkness are the theme of this book. A bit bleak and depressing for me so couldn't fully engage with the book. It was an alright read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.