I struggled a little bit at the beginning because of the extremely pretentious writing—which made sense in The Atlas Six because of the academic setting but felt excessively ostentatious in this one—and the overly tangential internal monologues. But then I ended up getting quite engrossed in Regan and Aldo’s story and the author’ discussions on mental health and codependent relationships.

Reagan and Aldo both suffer with mental health issues and have their own ways of handling them. Then they meet. They couldn’t be more opposite of each other but they are both strange and so they both spend more and more time together until ultimately they become a couple.

This was a beautiful love story, the way it’s written is absolutely astounding and unlike anything I have ever read before. I loved how the parts were written differently, the first part having the different narrators and then the conversations being the main focus later on. It’s just so incredibly well written.

At times I struggle to like the characters but that also felt like it was done purposefully as eventually it came back around to loving them and understanding their actions and how they lead up to the overall purpose and point of the story.

I don’t have personal experience of mental illness but this seems like it’s so well portrayed, I really got an understanding of who they are why they are doing what they are doing.

I highly recommend that everyone reads this book.

this book was a struggle, in more ways than one. that’s not to say that i didn’t enjoy it because i did, and i finished it which proves i liked it.

this is the first book of Olivie’s that i’ve read so i don’t know if the way this book was written is her general style or if she just wrote it this way for this book specifically. either way, it took me a hot second to get into it. not only the style of writing but also the depth of her writing was apparently too much for my small brain to handle so i struggled to focus. but when i did focus, GOD the writing, the content, the characters, it was devastatingly beautiful.

and here’s where my other struggle came. i saw so much of myself in these two characters, it hurt. i saw how compulsive Regan was and i thought fuck, that’s me. i saw Aldo and his need to be obsessed, or at the very least occupied, with something in order to live and not just be stuck and i thought double fuck, that’s me down to my core. it was disconcerting to see myself represented so clearly on paper. and yet, the hope that this book gave me. that if these two people, who were so different from each other and the rest of the world, could find one another and choose one another and be able to see each of themselves underneath all of the lies and bravado and theoretical ideas, then maybe, just maybe… there’s hope for us all.

My head hurts after reading this.
Im glad i had the audio book to tandem read as i dont think i would havent gotten through it otherwise as i dont think i'm actually smart enough for it!

I do really like the characters (ALOT)
Very heavy writing style... i know why and i get it, but made it difficult for me to follow at times
Liked the switching of narrative part way through the thought process's but it did require alot more concentration than im used to

Will definitely give it another read at some point as i feel like its a book thats going to stick with me, and a book that i will get new and different things from it every time i read it!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Alone With You in the Ether' by Olivie Blake in exchange of an honest review.

A book told about two people, both of whom have personality flaws . Written from their different viewpoints, with occasional input from the narrator , it took me a while to get used to the writing style and to get into the book. As I did become more enthralled by the book, the bigger picture became clearer and I began to enjoy the book more. I suppose it is a love story , though not all loose ends are tied up throughout the book ( we only see the relationship with Regan's parents from her point of view) and the book is not really action packed,, but more about feelings and how the characters relate to each other.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

WOW! This book was exactly what I needed I absolutely adored it in every single letter. My heart was one with the characters and the story throughout. AND THE ART MUSEUM OMFG I CAN'T what a dream. I love museums. I am also endless grateful for a bit of the authors next book which sounds incredible and I can't wait to read it.

This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read.

I honestly don't know what else to say about it. It felt so real in a way love stories never felt for me. Olivie Blake once again took my breath away with her gorgeous way of writing. The characters might be a bit pretentious for some people and you might find that there is only "a bit" of plot, but this is obviously a character based book and I find the behaviour and thoughts of both characters deeply relatable, though I would have never expected it.

If you plan on reading awyite expecting it to be like any love story, I'm sorry to disappoint you. It's a book about mental health, hurt and healing, and of course love and how it effects us.

Absolutely beautiful and one of my favourite books!

Words cannot do this book or its author justice. When you are broken you can learn to accept and love yourself, as you deserve this. An amazing read.

Eughhh.... I just.... I think I've had it trying to read anything by Olivia Blake now. I'm so glad I got to read this before purchasing unlike I did with the Atlas Six as it will save me wasting my money again.
I just HATE her style of writing. It's like in every book she writes nothing really happens but at the same time ALOT happens and you're always left feeling confused and unfulfilled.
Definitely not for me.

I unfortunately had to stop reading this because it dealt with themes I find difficult to read about (which is a me issue, not the writer’s).

Up until that point however I was enjoying it. Olivie Blake is a brilliant, eloquent writer and I previously loved The Atlas Six and The Atlas Paradox.

I did feel that the random theatre/stage directions in the text were unnecessary and the story would have flowed better without them, but otherwise I was engaged until I needed to stop.

This obviously a good book, it’s just not for me.

This is a very different romance novel. Though well written, I found the style and narrative difficult to navigate. I failed to finish.

This book was written beautifully, the characters had so much depth and were so complex. It did take me some time to read this book but the beautiful storytelling made the book flow so perfectly. This book was like nothing I had read before, it was completely different to what I expected and was a fantastic book to read. I think everyone should read this book. (🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 5 stars)

Wow! What an amazing book!!
Would love to read more from the author.
Thankyou netgalley for the Arc!

I do not think that I like the writing style of this author, sadly. this is the second book I am trying and I hoped it would be better, but it is not. I did not feel that the relationship between the characters was a healthy one either. The plot and the writing style did not grip me :(

This novel is completely something different to my usual novels and I loved every single minute that I read this novel. I normally stay away from romance novels, but this sounded very interesting indeed

This novel is beautifully written by author Olivie Blake and the characters are absolutely astounding. To say I am a slightly bit in love with this novel is an understatement.

We meet these beautiful characters Aldo and Reagan who are just amazing. I was intrigued with both of them sooooo much. They are well-rounded, both have issues and alone in this big old world. Both are struggling,

Olivie Blake has written this year's best romance novel about two very amazing characters that I cannot get enough of.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and Olivie Blake for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I will preempt this by saying I misunderstood what the book would be like before reading which may have lowered my enjoyment of it.

We are following two characters throughout their every day lives and their relationship, and this is the biggest plot point. Some parts felt a bit mundane as it was so realistic as we follow the rawness of their relationship and mental health issues.

Blake’s writing is incredible, however some of the vocab used was difficult to understand and took away from some of the enjoyment as I was having to google definitions of works which took me out of the book while I was working out what was meant.

I think this book would be great for some people, such as fans of Rooney, but maybe not so much for me!

A beautifully elegiac musing on life and love. Two souls meeting and finding their way through the complexities of knowing another on a level never before experienced. Accepting their flaws and feeling consumed by need. This is a love story with such depth it cannot be absorbed in one reading, but must be read again and again to appreciate the nuance and poetry contained within its pages.

This is a novel that is nothing like the Atlas novels. It pushes boundaries. First by its structure, style and voice, which won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. There are two characters: Regan and Aldo who are flawed and driven by different things. Aldo isn’t well liked by his Science peers or his students, he has his own agenda and is driven by it. Regan is dismissive of most people, and like Aldo feels she is much more intelligent than the average person, despite being ordered by the courts to have psychotherapy after being arrested for art fraud. They meet at an art gallery and form a relationship that is complex and, in my opinion, not really healthy. The reader follows its progress and the progress of their mental health journey. The style, containing a narrator that interrupts to explain and the distant narrative voice all seem to suggest a psychotherapist reporting it, at times.

Overall I would have to say I have mixed feelings about the novel. The experiences of these two are raw and disturbing at times. It’s an insight that can be shocking even and the compulsion to write such an honest and raw novel can be admired.

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. I’ve already read The Atlas Six and The Atlas Paradox by this author and loved them, so was very excited to read this. While I did not enjoy it as much as the other two, I still really enjoyed this novel, from the characters and the way in which the plot unfolded. Overall, a really enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend, so I am giving this 4/5 stars, and cannot wait to read more by this author.

I would put money on this book being studied as part of English literature degrees in the future.

If you’re looking for a romance book that’s different from the norm, that makes you think and requires you to take your time, this is the book for you.

Olivie Blake does a fantastic job of making you read the book from the characters point of view without writing in the first person. Instead, the prose reflects the broken and disjointed feelings both characters are going through.

A very interesting read and one I’m sure will be talked about for years to come.

Thanks NetGalley and PanMcMillan for the ARC.