Warm, witty and wise, The Year That Changed Us is the gorgeous new novel from Helen Rolfe.

Lise and Emma had been the best of friends. From the moment they met, the two of them had formed an instant bond that nobody could sever. With Lise’s parents being distant and uninterested in their daughter’s life, Emma’s parents had been kind and welcoming and they had treated her as if she was one of their own. For the first twenty-six years of their lives, Lise and Emma were inseparable – until they decided to spend a year living in Paris together. What was meant to be a wonderful adventure had quickly turned into a nightmare of epic proportions and Emma had returned to Bath whilst Lise had decided to stay put in France.

With their friendship in pieces, Lise and Emma had made new lives for themselves. They never imagined that they would ever see or speak to one another ever again – until Lise returns determined to put things right. However, she is fully aware that she cannot just pick up where they left off. In order to heal from the past, she must face head on harsh truths that she has spent years running away from. But with Emma refusing to speak to her, is a reconciliation at all possible? Or will this friendship never get repaired?

Helen Rolfe’s The Year That Changed Us is an astute, emotional and heart-warming tale about friendship, secrets and the bonds that break women everywhere will relate to. A book that will make readers laugh and cry in equal measure with two heroines it is impossible not to empathize with, fans of Shari Low and Milly Johnson will not want to miss out on Helen Rolfe’s The Year That Changed Us.

A story about friendship
Two girls growing up together
And how life changed for them
You will not want to put this book down
Thanks NetGalley

A bittersweet story of love and friendship. It is well written with a few unexpected twists. I enjoyed the journey and the sweet HEA.

A lovely book about two childhood best friends Lise & Emma. They’d always planned to take a trip to Paris when they were older. Something happens that makes Emma return to England not speaking to Lise for years. When Lise returns to her childhood town in her 40s is it too late to sort out her dispute with Emma?

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down, such a great story

I enjoyed this story, loved that it was focused on a friendship and interesting characters. Enjoyable book

What a lovely story. Annalise or as she likes to be called Lise and Emma immediately became best friends when they met at primary school and remained so until they took a year out to live in Paris after they both finished university, but they became estranged after a terrible event occurs and Emma returns back home to Bath leaving Lise in Paris.After having no contact for almost 20 years Lise suddenly returns home wanting to try and put things right by trying explain her side of the story but can Emma find it it in her heart to forgive her and also heal herself. A story of love, family and relationships but at the heart of the story is friendships which was beautifully written with sensitivity and healing. I really loved this book

For someone who has been through a friendship that drifted apart and then came back together this one resonated with me. It was a well written book. Sadly the pace fell a bit in places. But it was good none theess

Heartwarming read that shows the power of female friendship. I laughed and cried along with the characters!

16 years ago, Emma and Annalise (Lise) shared all they had. They loved spending time together and were the perfect best friends. Will they ever get that friendship back on track?

The Year That Changed Us started well and I liked the backstories and flashbacks. I felt the pace lagged in parts which was a shame.

The Year That Changed Us has a lot of home truths and raised a lot of questions for me: Can a friendship really ever go back to what it was? Do we know our friends as well as we think?

Everyone has had friends come and go, and I always value those who are there through thick and thin.

Even after the estrangement, are Emma and Lise what they once were and will that last this time?

Thanks to Helen Rolfe, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

3.5 stars

This captivating book delves into the complexities of female friendship, exploring the strong bonds that tie Emma and Liese together and the challenges they face. Growing up in contrasting households, their vow to prioritize their friendship over everything is tested when they spend a transformative year in Paris. The dual timeline and alternating perspectives add depth to the narrative, keeping readers engaged as secrets unravel and tensions rise. With compelling storytelling and believable characters, the book skillfully navigates themes of loyalty, betrayal, and reconciliation. Overall, it's a heartfelt and moving exploration of female relationships that readers won't soon forget.

Thanks to netgalley for the. Nance to read this book.

Another brilliant book from Helen.

After 26 years of living in the same close knit community friends Lise and Emma spend one year living in Paris together. It was the year that changed everything between them. Sixteen years later Lise returns to Bath to try and put things right, she must face up to what happened in Paris but Emma refuses to talk to her. Can they put that year behind them and rebuild their friendship?

I have re ad a lot by Helen, her books are either in parts - that then make up a large book Or in individual books set in a particular area like Heritage Cove or USA. This one is totally different. It is a then and now book the Now part is 2003, the then begins where they meet at school, teenage years, Uni and the trip to Paris. This is where it goes wrong. We meet the families and the lives . Then Lise comes back on the scene and Emma is still upset.

A fantastic 5* read which IU can well recommend

This was a nice and easy light read about female friendship, growing up and how secrets can change everything. It was a warm hearted story that I enjoyed reading, the dual timeline worked well.

I have read and enjoyed several of Helen’s books so I knew I was in for a treat when I started this one. This story is not part of a series and is a somewhat more serious story then the others I have read. The story is mainly about Emma and Lise who have been estranged for 16 years when Lise comes back home. Can they rekindle their friendship? While finding out whether this is possible we are also taken back to their childhood and start twenties so we can see how they were best friends and what went wrong. What could possibly have come between two such close friends? There were some really touching moments and some that made me smile and others made me sad. I loved that the story focused on rekindling their friendship.

"The Year That Changed Us" by Helen Rolfe is a poignant exploration of friendship, mistakes, and the passage of time. Lise and Emma, once inseparable, embark on a year in Paris that transforms their lives and fractures their bond. Sixteen years later, Lise returns to their hometown, determined to mend the friendship.

I rated "The Year That Changed Us" 4 stars as Rolfe masterfully weaves a narrative that spans decades, delving into the complexities of human relationships. The story navigates between the past and present, revealing the consequences of choices made in the City of Light. The characters are well-developed, and the emotional depth adds resonance to the tale. Rolfe skillfully explores themes of forgiveness and redemption, making this novel a compelling and heartfelt exploration of the enduring impact of pivotal moments in our lives.

This incredibly special book celebrates friendship. It is rich with perfectly flawed characters and relatable themes that had me visiting many emotions. Ultimately, it’s perfect and I can highly recommend it.

A really good story, and I was captivated by how it unfolded throughout the book. I was desperate to read about why the girls friendship collapsed and the reasons behind it. This book was a sweet, easy read a d I enjoyed it. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This was a bittersweet read of friendships and life’s regrets.

The story was written over a
Dual timeline and I enjoyed reading about the friends exploits when they had spent a year in Paris as this is one of my favourite places to visit.

At times I found this a heart wrenching and emotional read and it did reduce me to tears at times.

From the time they were in primary school, Lise and Emma have been the best of friends, even when Lise is sent to boarding school.

When it is time for them to spread their wings, they decide to spend time in Paris. They are excited about their adventure. However, when the two women fall out and Emma returns home without Lise, their friendship seems forever broken.

Can they repair what was lost or is their bond broken forever?

Having previously read Christmas Nights at the Star and Lantern and loved it, I was excited to have the opportunity to take part in the blog tour for Helen Rolfe’s latest novel, The Year That Changed Us.

First, I want to give a shout out to the cover. It’s so pretty. The plot also sounded interesting and so I couldn’t wait to get started.

As predicted, I completely fell into this novel. Told from the point of view of both Lise and Emma, it goes between the present and flashbacks to the past, which gradually explains what happened between the two women. I found this style of storytelling compelling and it kept my interest. I had to know what happened and whether it was going to be resolved.

Emma and Lise complement each other well and are proof that family can come in all guises. I did occasionally find them frustrating and wanted to bang their heads together. Haha. However, they offer an insight into female friendships and how important they are but how they need to be nurtured just like any other relationship.

There are many sad moments in this book. Themes such as death are tackled but I feel it’s done with sensitivity and it reminds us that we never know how long we have with the people we love.

There’s sadness but also a lot of life affirming moments too.

The Year That Changed Us offers a beautiful tale about friendship, love, family, life and faith. Above all, it tells us that it’s never too late to make things right.

If you’re looking for that perfect holiday companion or a book with great, relatable characters and a story that leaves you with a smile, this book is perfect.

I loved it.

(Thank you to Boldwood Books, Netgalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Lise and Emma had a close-knit friendship growing up, but when they decide to spend a year living together in Paris, their relationship takes a turn for the worse. Lise returns to their hometown determined to put things right, but Emma refuses to talk to her. As Lise tries to get close enough to share her secret, she must confront the truth about what happened in Paris. A poignant and emotional tale of friendship, forgiveness, and the power of honesty.