I really wanted to like this one, but it felt quite convoluted and could have benefitted from being longer.

Name of Book: I Think We’ve Been Here Before
Author: Suzy Krause
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Pub Date: September 24, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 317

How would you feel if the end of the world was just around the corner; a sure thing?

Story involves two sisters - Hilda and Irene.

Hilda and Marlen Jorgensen’s 20 year old daughter Nora goes to Berlin on a student visa to pull herself together after her break-up with her long time boy-friend. .She doesn’t know that her father has terminal cancer.
When she finds out that a massive cosmic event is heading their way that will affect everyone ~ she wants to go home but the world is ending and she can't get back home.

Irene and her husband Hank have been considering divorce, when the news breaks they reconsider as they know their teenager Ole will need both of their support.

There are a lot of emotions going on in this story.
At first this totally had my interest and then I started to struggle staying with it; wasn’t sure if it was the right story for me.
Although NetGalley lists the genre as Women’s Fiction; it is also listed under the genre of Christmas; not what I was expecting for a Christmas story.
I believe the timing just wasn’t right for me.

Want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 24, 2024.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

I honestly could not recommend this book enough. It really is amazing and so beautifully written. The focus on how a family copes at the end of the world truly is mind blowing and every aspect of this story made my heart break for those experiencing it.

Hilda and Marlen Jorgenson are reeling after a terminal cancer diagnosis but all of this is blown out of the water when a sudden news announcement describes how a solar flare will imminently lead to the world ceasing to exist within a matter of a few months. The feeling of desperation, fear and urgency all was very apparent throughout the book and I myself felt that I was somehow living out this story too. In particular when Hilda and Marlen's daughter is stuck in Europe with no way to get home I really felt despair for them all. The descriptions of how technology started to fail and how everyday life soon came to a standstill really was masterfully written.

The concept of time is a big feature in this book and as you continue to read their are strange anomalies but by the end of the book this all makes sense.

The final chapter is beautifully written and has stayed with me long since reading the book. The feelings of love, togetherness and even the final sights were truly outstanding in their descriptions. I would highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an opportunity to listen to read this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.
A cheerful, hopeful dystopian novel!? Yes!
This is the story of a world killing event and how the knowledge of it impact’s one family. We have two middle age sisters - Hilda and Irene. Irene and her husband, Hank are on the brink of divorce when they get the news that the world is ending in a few months. Their young teenage son Ole was and continues to be bereft of the support he needs. Hilda and Marlin’s 20 year old daughter Nora has just broken up with her high-school sweetheart, and has escaped to Berlin on a student visa. She doesn’t know that her father Marlen has terminal cancer. To her, the world is still full of possibilities. Hilda and Irene’s Father Iver also lives near by and is trying to find meaning in his life after the loss of his wife a few years back, and has settled on the role of curmudgeon.

When the news breaks, life as they know it stops in their small town, each questioning what really matters- not money, not possessions, sometimes jobs , sometimes not.
As each character navigates the future- they go though all the stages of grief, first alone then finding strength in each other together. There are a series of coincidences, I wont say more because its part of the delight of the story, but they are beautifully executed in tying it all together.
My favorite parts are when Nora is together with her new friend Jacob, a man who she knows deeply but has just met.
I finished reading this book a few days ago and found myself thinking about it alot- one of the quotes that stuck with me was “ Time goes so quickly; she’d thought she had much more of it, even after finding out how little was left.” For each of us , right now in our lives, have so little time left- how do we want to spend it?
Beautifully executed. Satisfying Read. Highly recommend.

I didn't know what to expect from this book, but I was drawn in by the fluid and interesting writing. Pretty soon I couldn't put it down, and was desperate to see how the author would resolve it; whether the world really was ending or not. It's SO clever and I know it will stay with me for a long time, due to the fantastically-drawn characters and relationships. I loved 'Mr and Mrs Schmidt', as well as Hilda and Irene - all the characters were great, no matter whether they played a major or minor part in the drama. Loved it (although it did give me nightmares about the world ending!!)

Lots of twists and turns and quirky incidents.This was about a quirky family in Southwest Saskatchewan, Canada and their daughter Nora who has moved to Germany to get over a broken heart. Set over three months in the present time.

Not long after Nora leaves her father announces he has cancer and does not have long to live.

Over-shadowing his Cancer diagnosis is an announcement that there was an explosion in outer space that could destroy earth. Nora struggles to get back to Canada to be with her family.

The pace is slow at first but quickens half-way through.

I loved the way strange things happen, Nora’s cat appearing in two places, feelings of familiarity and déjà vu and the murals on the walls in Germany.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a chance to read and review this E-Book.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I’m giving this book a 4 star review as it really swings between 3.5-4, so I’m rounding up.

I really had no idea what to expect when I read this book. The cover and title were so intriguing to me and it sounded good, and ultimately it was. The story hit hard and I found myself getting emotional at times while reading. It’s a wholly realistic approach to how a family copes and deals with the knowledge that the world is ending in a few months; a family that deals with heartache, where Nora is in Europe and must struggle to get home in time before the end, Marlen has cancer, Hilda believes in the end but desperately wants her daughter home, Irene doesn’t believe and fights with her husband Hank about it which drives their son Ole away to Irene and Hilda’s father’s house, Iver. It’s a beautiful, wonderful story about a family during the end times. But, I do feel like there were one too many POVs in this story as I often found myself struggling to remember who was who as we went from Hilda to Hank to Irene to Nora to Marlen, etc.. While I initially thought that Nora was the main character, all the additional POVs really take away from Nora’s story and this leads to the progression of things in Nora’s chapters to be quite fast and feeling a little underdeveloped. This said though, it was really lovely to see everyone’s POVs and to experience just how different each character was in dealing with and coping with the world ending and their own personal struggles too.

I did also find that the story dragged in the middle; while obviously having to build on everyone’s feelings towards the world ending and their personal struggles, the story dragged, parts became boring and I did find myself skimming through chapters and reading bits and pieces just so I could get to a good part again. That’s not a knock on the book or the writing, I think both are done quite well, I just personally wanted/maybe expected just a little bit more to be happening. The ending was a bit of a let down too, I did expect the ending to be a bit different, a bit *more.* However, the ending very much fit the story and very much fit with how the author had been dropping hints and clues towards the ending of the book for how things were about to play out. It was a very satisfying ending based on the writing, but from a personal standpoint I just wanted something a bit bigger (but this is coming from someone who enjoys big action elements and this story is very much not that kinda book, so that’s purely personal tastes). Overall, a good, emotional read about family, love and loss and the end of the world and I’m happy I requested to read this arc. Thanks again NetGalley!

I went into this book blind, not having read anything by this author before and not even reading the synopsis. It was such a fun read! I loved the characters and how they interacted. I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately but this one has brought me out of it!

Is the world really ending?

Well that's what the scientists are saying.

Marlen & Hilda's teenage daughter is uncontactable in Berlin and Marlen has had some life threatening news.

Dealing with family drama such as missing nephews & elderly fathers guarantees that this 'last' Christmas will be anything but boring.

Yet why does everything feel like it's already happened before?

An unconventional yet uplifting tale of families and the apocalypse.

Thank you, Netgally for the ARC and Suzy for writing such a sweet, heartfelt novel. Another review calls this story a nesting doll and that image completely sums up the book for me: with the cat and the necklace and the Deja vu and the murals. At first I was greatly confused by the cat but then it clicked at the end. Such an interesting take on time travel without it being about time travel and a way to make something science-based not too science fictiony.

This definitely provides an alternate, thought-provoking view of life. It was definitely not what I was expecting as it was listed under "women's fiction," and it didn't feel like it fit into that genre, but it was interesting and easy to read.

How would you feel if the end of the world was just around the corner; a sure thing? The premise made it impossible for me to pass on this one!

This is a slow-burn from different point of views and even though I had a hard time connecting to the characters, it was still interesting to see how each one of them dealt with the end of the world.

The ending was beautiful and the title suddenly made sense, along with all the quirky inconsistencies *the cat, anyone?*, which were peppered throughout the book.

This was a very heart-warming read. Definitely recommend!

This was a really great read. Makes you consider your own existence and how you'd navigate hard situations. People trying for the best, and how that works out is always fun to read new stories of.

Okay so this book made me cry. Then made me read on into the night. Such a lot to face but so thought provoking and really quite deep. Good read but not without a hanky!

I’m not sure I know how to put the experience of this book into words. Although the blurb describes what’s happening in the plot, it doesn’t really capture what the book is about. Mostly, it dives into a group of interconnected characters’ innermost thoughts and outward reactions as they learn that the world is ending.

Even though the topic is the end of the world, the story only slightly covers the logistics of things, and focuses more on this one family and their small circle. The characters themselves are quirky and relatable in different ways, and were all enjoyable to read about, making the rotating POVs not a bother at all. (But I for sure loved reading cranky/sweet old Iver’s POV the most)

Although it’s an easy read, it is more complex than surface level as there are things occurring that don’t quite make sense until the end. This is one of those books where you want to pay attention to detail, as those little details really add to the ending being such a neat “ah-ha!” moment. I almost want to read it again right away to see what I missed.

4.5 stars for being able to tackle so many serious emotions and yet still leave the reader feeling more cozy than anxious. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a thoughtful, sweet, and refreshing novel about...the end of the world. Refreshing, because I've read so many about the inevitable climate-change caused apocalypse that the earth ending due to outside forces felt like a novel concept. We didn't start the fire!

Dark humor aside, this is a love story to life, family, and romance. It's well paced, suspenseful, and plays with concepts of time and space in really novel ways. A quick and very unexpectedly enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I Think We've Been Here Before just really hit all the right notes for me. It's sad, and thoughtful, but also hopeful with a note of zany cheer. It helps to answer the question that I think about most - how would normal people act in the face of impending doom? I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time and will be highly recommending once it's published.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me witn an ARC ♥️
Synopsis:
The Jorgensen family is facing a double whammy. One of them is battling a serious illness, and on top of that, a massive cosmic event is heading their way that will affect everyone. With time running out, they decide to make the most of their remaining days together. They pour their emotions into creating art, reconnecting with loved ones, and trying to find their way back to each other.
But here's the strange part - it all feels eerily familiar. Like they've been through this before. As they come to terms with their situation, the family's experiences become a reminder to cherish every moment, love each other deeply, and make the most of the time they have left.

Personally, I found this book to be a heart-wrenching yet beautiful portrayal of the human experience. It made me reflect on my own relationships and how I can cherish the time I have with loved ones. The author's use of déjà vu as a plot device added a unique and thought-provoking layer to the story.

I think ,Suzy Krause masterfully explores the complexities of love, loss, and legacy, leaving the reader with a renewed sense of empathy and appreciation for the preciousness of life. The subtle hint of mystery and the blurring of reality and memory add depth to the narrative, making it a truly unforgettable read. If you're looking for a book that will touch your heart and linger in your mind, this is it!

Marlen Hilda appear to be an ordinary, middle-aged couple, living in Canada, grappling with the fact that the earth is going to be imminently destroyed by a meteor.
This story is about how they, their family and their neighbours live with the imminent certainty of their demise.
There are unusual incidences of déjà vu, specifically, Marlen has prophesied the events which are currently unfolding in this story, also
how people interact with people, they have never met before, and yet feel very familiar to them.
I love end of the world disasters (in fiction) so this book was right up my street. I absolutely loved it and have been raving about it to other people already. Even though we have another eight months to wait for publication. Well done Suzy Krause. I am now a big fan of your work.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in advance of publication, in exchange for an honest review