The Art of Loving You starts out hopefully and you think you're in for a light hearted read as Jack and Libby move into their new home. But this belief is swiftly shattered when a trip out for lemsip and prosecco ends in a mugging and stabbing.

Without giving away any more spoilers, I will say that this story was incredibly moving, and was a love story in more than one way. It's a testament to the power of love in its many forms. It's a sensitive and real portrayal of intense grief and also shows there is always hope even when it feels like all is lost.

Intense from the beginning, I was completely absorbed in the story of Jack and Libby and the supporting cast were also brilliant, especially Sid. A really good read that captured my heart.

Libby and Jack have just bought their first home, with the help of their friend, Sid and they have so many plans for their future together, then tragedy strikes which turn their lives upside down and it seems nothing will ever be the same again.

The Art of Loving You is a tale of hopes, dreams, love and loss, which completely enveloped me from the first page, I was so invested in Libby and Jack, theirs was a perfect love story, with so much to look forward to, whilst never knowing what's around the corner and just shows that you should live for today because tomorrow is never promised.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3..5/5.

I thought that I'd like this book more than I did. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice story and rather heartbreaking but I just felt detached from most of the characters. I did love Sid though. He was a ray of sunshine throughout the book. Libby's grief really was heartbreaking and there are a few surprise twists throughout the book which did make me want to keep reading. It's not just a love story, it's a story about family, friendship and finding yourself after heartache.

I loved this book, although it made me cry a lot. It is a heartwarming and emotional book, which really pulled at my heart strings. The writing was beautiful, the characters were lovely and the story was sweet.

Libby and Jack were starting their new life together, but unfortunately, Libby had to go on without Jack. However, this brought her strength and she had to cope in new ways that she was not used to. She found strength within her and she was determined to show Jack that she could move on and be successful.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are looking for a book that will bring you all sorts of emotions and messages.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing in so many ways.

The story is touching, inspiring and revealing all at the same time, the strength of all the characters not just the main from the mother, sister to young protoge.

I loved this book and have recommended to many friends.

I have never cried so much whilst reading a book!! An emotional read - you will need a box of tissues, I know I certain did. A story of love, loss and hope and one I won’t forget in a hurry.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and HQ for approving me for an ARC of this exceptional book. This is the first book of Amelia Henley’s that I have read but it will not be my last. I have had her debut ‘The Life We Almost Had’ on my kindle shelf for a while and I plan to read it asap.

The Art of Loving You will break your heart. I was 30% in when the tears started to fall and they did not stop. Had it not been for needing some sleep I could of easily read this one through the night, I was a sponge absorbing all of Amelia’s beautiful words.

Jack and Libby are the couple that you can’t help but be happy for but when the unthinkable happens this story takes a different turn. Being a similar age to Libby I sympathised with her a lot. I can’t imagine going through what she did but I never foresaw her story having the kind of bumps it did. To say she was resilient would be an understatement and whilst her paranoia was explained I actually thought she was justified in what she suspected.

This story was so much more than Libby and Jack though, We had Sid, Alice, Faith and of course Liam. All of these characters were well developed and relatable in so many ways. Each of them had their own struggles and whilst Liam was an unexpected surprise my favourite was Sid. I can see why him and Jack got on so much, they both had an optimism about them that was infectious. By the end of the story I was firmer in my belief that if we could all be more Jack than the world would be a better place.

Words can not describe what this did to me emotionally. It was captivating, raw and portrayed the essence of grief perfectly. It shows us that life is short, precious and not to be taken for granted. An outstanding read that will stay with me for a long time.

My favourite part of this book were the characters! Sid has to be my all time favourite character, he is the glue in the book that keeps everything together.

It is such an emotional book which touches on how people deal with grief and the many different stages and layers.

It is so hard to review this book. It is emotional, intense, beautifully written, but just so sad. I want to be uplifted when I read but this story was so full of depressingly awful things. Even the house is depressing. There are moments of hope, a feeling of managing the situation rather than overcoming it, and we do get to see a way forward by the end, but grief dominates, and grief at this level is hard to read about.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚

THE ART OF LOVING YOU by
@msameliahenley
Swipe for Synopsis 👉

Thank you to Sian @hqstories for sending this one through. I really enjoyed it.
💕
OK so at first the love story between Jack and Libby was slightly sickening 🤢🤣 and I found myself thinking 'I hope we move' 🙈 Thankfully life happened and we moved along with the story. I liked how the author toyed with me, the reader, adding extra drama to Jack's situation and then in turn, Libby's.
💕
I do enjoy a much older character and Sid was perfect in his role, a really sweet old man who brought it all home to everyone that 'life ain't all beer and skittles' I felt he was an integral part but I wished I'd seen more of him rather than the almost background character he was here.
💕
Libby's journey however kept my interest piqued enough to not dwell on there not being enough Sid. Chapter's were ended on a little cliffhanger which I very much enjoy and I found myself racing to the end effortlessly. The little twist in Libby's story was also appreciated, different from the norm, I liked it and it made way for a good ending.
💕
A lovely story of the hand life deals you, making you think about what you DO have rather than what you don't.
Be more Jack
Be more Sid
and know that 'Life ain't all beer and skittles, duck'

Thanks again #HQStories
Who's with me on this one?

- Leanne 😊

This was a gentle but poignant read that was heartbreaking and heart warming all at once!
As someone who has been struggling with grief after losing one of my sisters last year, this was difficult to read at times, but Henley did a great job of evoking the feelings of raw grief and pain.
The story was good, with likeable and funny characters, but several events were a little predictable, and I'm not sure it was all that memorable in this genre.
Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable read, and would recommend it to readers of this genre, or indeed new ones. The predictability of this novel may be exactly what some readers need!

I don’t read a lot of books in this genre, but there are just a few authors that are too good to resist. Amelia Henley is one of them. Having had my heart broken by The Life We Almost Had last year, I couldn’t wait to read The Art of Loving You. This time around, I went in prepared with tissues and chocolate nearby to help me through the complete and utter devastation I was expecting. Well, Amelia certainly didn’t disappoint in that respect – if anything, I think The Art of Loving You broke my even more than The Life We Almost Had did.

Amelia Henley has such a gentle touch to her writing that it is sometimes hard to remember that she writes gripping psychological thrillers as her alter ego, Louise Jensen. She creates books with a real depth of emotion and characters that will touch your soul and make you feel that you are reading about your own loved ones. In particular in The Art of Loving You, Sid and Liam really got under my skin, although honestly I loved each and every character.

The Art of Loving You is a heart-breaking yet uplifting story about love, loss and the power of community. It is a real emotional rollercoaster, and just when you think things are calming down, you find yourself plummeting again. It is just wonderful.

Oh my goodness this beautiful novel really did pull at my heartstrings, It was stunningly romantic and reduced me to a hormonal weeping mess. I just knew something was going to happen to this lovely couple, because everything was perfect in their world and they were embarking on a project to help others. Libby and Jack were bringing to life his dream by developing an arts centre/retreat for underprivileged children.They already have the keys to the property and they’re ready to go, when a phone call change everything. Just as I’d fallen in love with this gorgeous couple, the author shatters their lives. I don’t want to ruin the plot for everyone, so I’m not going to talk about what happens, but I am going to talk about the characters.

Libby is our narrator and I really felt for her so much. Her world has been so rocked that she’s struggling with to trust anything or anybody. She’s scared of everything because now she knows that the worst things we imagine can happen. The author cleverly lets Libby drop little hints and ideas about what’s coming next, they work like cliff hangers, so that I kept jumping to the next chapter and reading a bit more. You can end up half way through without realising!

I loved Sid, just loved him. He has just moved into a care facility, because he needs extra support, and gifted Libby and Jack his house. This is how they’re able to realise Jack’s dream of opening the arts centre. Sid is like a surrogate grandfather to the couple, and the way his relationship develops with Libby as the novel progresses was really touching. At a time when she feels so hopeless and lost, he is so supportive, positive and uplifting. I wanted my own Sid for his wise advice alone. I would love to read a whole book about Sid’s life, because I want to know how he came about his philosophy on life.

Although the book has an obvious film inspiration, I kept thinking of the moment at the end of the Steve Martin film Parenthood. He’s panicking because he walked out on his job and his wife has just announced she’s pregnant with baby No 4. His grandma starts to talk about the fairground, and while other people like safer rides like the dodgems, she loved the rollercoaster. He doesn’t get it at first, but later at his children’s play when everything starts to go wrong, he realises that instead of panicking, he could just laugh and enjoy it. Sit back and enjoy the ride. It makes you realise that how you view life is a choice. We can’t

I don’t know much about the author but I’d hazard a guess that this is someone who’s life experience has informed these characters and their situation. Truth and real pain shines out from these pages. Readers can tell if a person’s writing comes from their heart, and this truly does. It seems easy to dismiss ‘romance’ as something silly and frivolous when it isn’t. Love, real love, changes our lives. We move house for love, we change lifestyle, we make lifelong commitments. If we think about the love we have, from partners, friends, family, it’s the most uplifting thing in our lives. When we lose someone we love it’s devastating and life altering. Yet, we still love. This is the most important thing we write about, because it’s the important thing in our life. I felt the writer understood this. The story teaches us not to waste time, to hold on tight to those we love and to love life even when it isn’t all beer and skittles.

This book really makes you think about love and life. And what happens when the unexpected happens. The book was really sad at some points but thought the ending allowed Libby to come full circle living the life she wants rather then the one she thinks she should be.

'Life ain't all beer & skittles'

The Art of Loving You is one of those books that catches your interest from the first pages then slowly reveals itself. I found myself with tears in my eyes a few times but mostly with a smile on my face as we hear about the stories of the characters. I really enjoyed hearing about Sid's life with Norma & I could imagine him vividly in his kindly 'grandfather' role.

A story of love & hope, a heartbreaking look at grief and its many faces, an exploration of what family really is & what we need to get us through another day.

Heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting, this book has soul & emotion, a lovely read.

Libby and Jack are happy, they have just moved into their first house when tragedy strikes. Can Libby continue with Jack's dreams ? Beautifully written,moving and emotional..

This book was sad and made me cry almost throughout but not in a bad way.
It’s thought provoking and really does make you think about grief and how people cope.
It is still a warm book
I loved it

A thought provoking read which dealt with the immense sadness of grief and love and how Libby tries to cope, does she succeed well you need to read the book. But it also looks at grief from those closest to the main victim and what they can do to support. It is not all sadness, it has humour and love in the real sense. I was made to think whilst reading the book, always a good thing, but I enjoyed the style of writing and the book. definitely a recommendation.

I always look forward to the 2nd book from an author - and Amelia's has not disappointed me.
Do you like being reduced to tears by a romance? Or any good story? Well, two guesses for how I ended up here! Correct. Amelia' writing held me from the start right to the very end, a singular skill I should like to possess. This is a book which will tear you down, fling you in up in the air and then put you back together, all the richer for it.
My thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the reading copy.

Libby and Jack have just moved into their house, a rambling building with potential for an art school and studios. But an accident when Jack goes to buy Prosecco changes everything and suddenly Libby’s life is thrown into confusion as she tries to work out how to carry on.

I wanted to enjoy The Art of Loving You, as there was promise in the storyline, but sadly it just didn’t work for me. I’m not a fan of dangling carrots at the end of each chapter - just like in TV programmes with the ‘after the break’ information, I’d rather find out for myself. I found Libby an irritating character, I know she’s suffering with grief and the affects of her brain tumour, but at times she was just annoying. And the ‘ghost or imagination’ element just left me uninterested.

Sorry, not a story I would recommend.