Every now and again a book turns up that you really struggle to put down, you are reading it till your eyes close at night and you put off daily chores, like walking the dog, just to get to the end. This is one of those books. Written from several viewpoints 'It was always you is about the marriage breakdown of Will and Ella. An overriding theme of the book is how we really don't know how people see us and how we can blow insecurities up in our heads that no one else ever notices. We are taken on an emotional journey to help put the jigsaws right in their lives and find the significant moments that made another part of the puzzle. This is a sublimely beautiful novel, tender, and emotional but written with gentle humour. Unlike other novels of this genre it isn't predictable and this makes the book very likable. A five star read!

I was intrigued by the story it really peeked my interest, I didn't take to the main character so it did put me off a bit, it was also set in two time lines which could be confusing, over all a good holiday read

I have mixed feelings about this one. There is no doubt that it’s well written. You delve into the world of three people who have known each other most of their lives. A kind of love triangle but not really. I just didn’t like the characters and they annoyed me. I’m sure plenty of people would enjoy this book and that’s why I have given it a good rating. The story flows well and I will be interested to read other books from this author, this one just wasn’t for me. Thank you #netgalley

It’s the last night in October 1999 and the clocks are going back. Will and Ella are teenagers at the fair with a group of friends and that’s where their love affair began.

Fast forward through marriage, children and empty nest and life suddenly takes a jolt for Ella. She remembers back to the night when she first met Will and recalls bits of a conversation with a woman in a green coat and red scarf. Facing a crisis in her marriage, Ella has to confront the past to see if her marriage has a future.

I am really mixed about how I felt about characters in this book- there were times when I loved Ella’s strength yet there were other times when I found her really annoying and irritating especially when she spoke to Robin – she seemed to regress into a teenager.

Will and Ella’s friend Cole was another enigma for me – he was a constant in their life and almost a cuckoo in the nest, but no one seemed to notice and there were times when I really wanted to shout at him.

Saying all this, the story was a compelling read, and you turn the pages wanting to know what’s going to happen next. There was a part near the end that I wasn’t expecting and when I read it, it felt like a body blow.

This book kept me gripped right up until the last page!

What an enchanting book! I wish this made into a prime video or Netflix movie this would be ideal and I think everyone would love it

I’ll start off by saying I love Emma and her books bring me such joy. Well joy and also she makes me absolutely sob 😭😂 Her new book, It Was Always You was gorgeous and life affirming. I loved the character of Ella, I immediately warmed to her. Will and Cole were brilliant complex characters too. The story was so moving and has its darker moments. No spoilers 🤫 I love the dialogue Emma writes for her characters. Such laugh out loud moments, especially between Amira (Ella’s best mate) and Ella, and Ella’s family. The book gave me a lot of nostalgic vibes to late 90s/ early 00s. What a time to be alive 😂

It had me hooked from page one and I raced to find out how it was all going to end. Oh and what an ending 💕🥹 I loved the romance and the emotion. All the feels. I have loved all of Emma’s books and will always recommend them. For fans of contemporary fiction and Beth O’Leary/ Cecelia Ahern.

Ella's two children have both left home and now it will just be her and Will, the love of her life; but when he suggests a divorce Ella must find out why as well as do everything she can to let him know she will always choose him.

This novel reminded me of The Gift by Cecelia Ahern, intriguing as well as mystifying. This novel switches between the past and present, with the present being shown through the first person POV of Ella and the past in the second narrative of Will or the character of Cole.

This novel does cross genres, majority romance with a hint of the supernatural but this is only subtle, not taking away from the main genre and only pushing the reader deeper into the narrative.

Something I loved about this novel is the imagery used throughout. Cooper writes allowing the reader to visualise everything that is happening as though it is in front of them and are 100% involved in these characters' lives.

The ending has a slight twist but I felt this was beautifully done and had an equilibrium any reader would accept.

This book broke me... I ended up an emotional wreck. Not that I have any complaints about that. Not at all. Just... yeah... wow.
We start in the past. In 1999. The night the clocks go back. And the first night of Will & Ella. They are at a bonfire, with others including Ella's best friend Cole. Ella spends her night jealous of the girl with Will and, having drank too much, wanders away from the fire. Towards a figure. She faints. Next day she has scant recall of a woman in green coat and red scarf who said something to her. Will comes round to check she is OK, concerned about her after the way it ended the previous night. And so begins the start of the great romance.
Fast forward some twenty odd years and Will & Ella are just setting their number two child off into the world. That done, Will proclaims that they are over. Done. Divorce pending. To say this comes as a shock is an understatement. But Will moves out. Ella turns to the only person left, Cole. But he has his own demons and these demons are overwhelming. But he is always there for her, always has been, always will. Best friends.
And then Ella opens her birthday presents to find a green coat and a red scarf... Leaving Ella faced with quite the dilemma.
I can't say how much I loved this book. Even though it broke me. All the emotions and then some. Rooting for all the characters even though doing so was contradictory. Accepting shock after shock as the author delivered punch after punch. Laughing one minute, bawling the next. Warning: do not read in public if you don't want people to see you cry and watch your mascara! Especially at the end which I can't say more about for fear of spoilers.
But I'll tell you what now. And I am shocked at this. Why have I never read this author's books before? I have missed out. It's not a genre I go to very often but when I do, I require a certain amount of substance along with the emotion and I got this from that book, in spades. So I am definitely adding her back catalogue to my every growing TBR.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I loved this book. It was unlike any book I’ve read before. I was unable to put it down, that’s how good it was!

Friends Emma, Will and Cole have a turbulent friendship spanning decades and like all has its ups and downs.

As a teenager Emma was visited my a mystery women in green and red, who helped shape her life. This mystery stranger remained unknown to her, until a gift of a red scarf and green coat helped answer questions that had been held onto.

Coming out on 01/09/22 this is a must read book!

I was absolutely captivated by this page-turner! It is romantic, unpredictable and a book that will keep you reading very late in to the night as you are so drawn in to the story. A fabulous book.

A well written a clever book. Everytime I had my mind made up, something happened to make me change my mind. I really enjoyed this.

Oh I loved this book and all the characters. It was very cleverly written to time jump back and forth to different periods in Ella’s life and tie in various events.
It kept me guessing throughout, and at different parts it made me happy, sad, thoughtful, cross - everything I would want from a great story.
From the Queen of Emotional Turmoil another fabulous book that I am happy to recommend and rated 5 stars.

A. Very original and enjoyable idea. I had a few different theories about how it might end but this changed as I went and there was more than one option right up to the end. I enjoyed the concept and generally liked the characters although it was a bit drawn out in one or two places this did not affect my enjoyment.

Arc received with thanks to the publisher & Netgalley

I love a well written romance and whilst this wasn’t one of my favourites I still found it enjoyable.
I wasn’t super invested in the characters but still managed to enjoy the book.
There are triggers so please search before reading

Many thanks to @netgalley for the read of this book. This book had me intrigued from the off. Based on the life of Ella we turn back through time to recall her life with her husband Will. Realising early on in the novel that she potentially could time travel back to her 17 year old self, Ella has a decision to make- would she choose a different life, if she could do it all again? Really well written, the story had me cry in places and I couldn't help but love the three main characters in this story. Really enjoyable story.

TW: alcoholism, car accident, death.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an easy read, and was quite funny in parts. I loved the main character of Ella. She’s bubbly and ditzy, and just so loveable. I didn’t really like Will at the start, but he had fab character development.

I also liked the flashback POVS, as it added more explanation to the story. I did feel some parts where a bit weird, but overall was an enjoyable read.

The premise of this book sounded right up my street, combining romance, drama and the prospect of second chances. The mystical hint of time travel further added to my curiosity.

The book is told in two timelines, the Then and the Now. The Then takes us back to the origins of Ella's relationship with now husband Will. In the Now we see that their relationship is falling apart and Ella reflects back on the earlier years and is prompted to consider if she made the right choices back then.

Unfortunately my enjoyment of this book was hampered very early on due to my dislike of Ella's character. The way she is portrayed came across as selfish, judgmental and smug to me so I wasn't exactly rooting for her to find a happy ever after. Very early in the book, in the Now, she visits the school where Will works as a teacher on Parent's Evening and sits in the corridor judging the "desperate" mothers who she thinks fancy her husband. The derogatory language used for her internal thoughts about these women and the smugness she feels sitting there as his wife was very off-putting and unnecessary here. I cannot fathom why so many books pit female characters against each other like this, it was very disappointing to encounter it in this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for the ARC.

Oh how I love Emma and her incredible talent for writing. This was such a fave! I'll be recommending it to everyone

I completely fell in love with this story and enjoyed reading this book very much. The characters were great and I really rooted for them!

I always enjoy Emma Cooper’s books so I was looking forward to this one.

Well written as always and hooked from the beginning.

We see the two main characters in two timelines. When they are teenagers and current day now they are married with children.

The book is well written and easy to read .I love the story and loved the book