This story completely stole my heart and I was sad when it ended. I think Emma and Lise were great characters that felt so genuine and authentic. I was invested instantly and hoping they would realise what a strong connection they had and how valuable those memories are. I love the way @helen_j_rolfe uses dual timeline to illustrate what happened in the past and how it has shaped their current situation, the question is can they change the future before it's too late?

Another fantastic novel from the very well known Helen Rolfe, her books never let the reader down. and this one is no exception. Certainly a 5 star read and I recommend it and all her books to everyone. Thank you Helen for giving us all this great story to read.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC.

A great read! Lise and Emma have been the best of friends since they were young girls. Emma is part of a loving family while Lise lives with her cold and distant parents. They dream of having an adventure in Paris, and finally realize their dreams. But events in Paris leave them estranged for more than sixteen years, until they realize that holding on to the past only hurts them both.

Helen Rolfe is a favourite Author of mine, I couldn't wait to read this book. This is a standalone novel which is set both in the past and present and in England and Paris. It was well written and easy to follow.
This is an enjoyable read, I couldn't wait to find out the secret of what happened to ruin Emma and Lisa's friendship. There were lots of dramatic and emotional scenes although it was still a lovely heartwarming read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for my ARC.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Year That Changed Us' by Helen Rolfe.

Read and reviewed for Helen Rolfe, Boldwood Books, Book & Tonic, The Bold Book Club, NetGalley and Rachel's Random Resources Tours.

Publication date 8th February 2024.

This is the second book I have read by this incredible author. I have previously read 'Summer At Forget-Me-Not Cottage' which is the second book in Helen's 'Little Woodville Cottage Series' and another book I would highly recommend!

This novel consists of 30 chapters. The chapters are short in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book has fantastic descriptions that set you straight in the scenes.The cover, title and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolutely beautiful, emotional and unforgettable page turner!! An absolute must read!!!

OMG!!! Yet another absolute stunner from the extremely talented Helen Rolfe!! An emotive storyline with amazing characters that will be staying with me for a very, very long time! I absolutely adored the unique storyline which is hard to come by when it comes to books as there are so many out there but Helen has created an absolutely beautiful one of a kind!!!! Many people have had close friends as children that they no longer have has adults for several different reasons. You may have just lost touched, moved away or fallen out. Do you ever think how life would have been different if you were still friends? Do you regret losing touch? This book tells the story of Emma and Lise who were inseparable as kids but have not seen each other for 16 years. Lisa comes from a family that could want for nothing material but emotions and love were something that she craved. Emma's family are bursting with love and Lise quickly became part of her family sharing the love with them. However when the girls decide to spend a year together in Paris things change forever. Helen does an absolutely amazing job of bringing us a beautiful story with not only multiple protagonists but also taking us on a journey into Emma and Lise's childhood where we watch them grow together and apart, see everything they got up to and later discover whether their friendship can be saved. This really is an absolutely stunning book that takes you from Bath to Paris and and take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. This is a story filled with friendship, secrets, heartache and a few unexpected twists!!! I was completely invested in this book from the very first page and was hooked throughout. I just could not put it down and ended up devouring it in one sitting!! Helen's stunning evocative writing skills really do bring the locations, emotions and the characters to life!! This is one of those books that is very easy to read and perfect for any reading situations whether you are laying on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. It is an absolutely ideal read for anyone who is looking for a beautiful and heart warming read that will have you hooked from beginning to end. I absolutely LOVED the realism of this storyline which made it so easy to picture everything that was going on which had been helped by Helen's fantastic evocative writing skills. I cannot wait to get hooked into more of her books so I hope she is busy writing her one while I get stuck into her previous books!! This is definitely one of those books that will stay with you for a very long time. Congratulations Helen on yet another absolutely stunning success!

Well done Helen on yet another absolutely beautiful book!!! Clear your schedules and pick up the tissues before turning the pages of this unputdownable emotional page-turner!

The characters were all an eclectic mix and each one of them were realistic, relatable and well defined. I was completely invested in them all. It also makes them more realistic, believable and made me feel even more for them than I normally would. They each had their own unique personalities with positive and negative behaviours. The main protagonists are Emma and Lise who were once the best of friends who were completely inseparable but after a falling out 16 years ago they had not seen each other since. Emma and Lise both had completely different upbringings and backgrounds but yet it was these differences that brought them so close together. I absolutely love that we got to meet them during the present as adults as well as back in 1995 when they were young best friend teenagers. The fact t hat we got to know how each of them were thinking and what they were feeling with them having their own chapters to voice their thoughts through, both in the present and past ensured that I really got to know them as individuals and I really felt for each of them during different periods in their lives. Rather than reading the lives of fictional characters it felt like I was getting to know two new friends that I will miss now that I have finished the book. Helen's fantastic and emotive writing skills and descriptions made me feel everything that Lise and Emma were feeling from joy to sadness, happiness to grief and so much more. They really came to life for me and I was devastated to have to say Goodbye to them. It was lovely getting to know them as individuals but also seeing how their relationship with each other changed over time, the secrets they kept from each other and the reasons. There were just so many amazing characters that I loved getting to know that I could write about them all day but I don't want to bore you so I'll start to wrap it up here. Each of the characters are memorable and unique in their own ways and Emma and Lise are two that I wont be forgetting any time soon! Congratulations Helen on creating such amazing characters that will stay with me for a very long time!!


Pick up this book and get lost in this absolutely gorgeous page turner! This has got to be one of the most unforgettable books I have ever read 💜!!!

Congratulations Helen on yet another absolutely stunning read that I just could not put down!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is the exact reason you are on my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first chapter of Helen's 'Coming Home To Heritage Cottage' which is the first book in Helen's 'Heritage Cove Series' and it promises to be just as gorgeous as this book. It is one I'm definitely looking forward to reading myself!!

Overall an unputdownable, gorgeous, STUNNING page turning book filled with emotions, memories, forgiveness, friendship and so much more!! An unforgettable, memorable and unputdownable read!!!!

330 pages.

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback at time of review via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews.

#TheYearThatChangedUs #HelenRolfe #BoldwoodBooks #BoldwoodBloggers #BookAndTonic #RachelsRandomResources #rararesources #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #NetGalley #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #NetGalley #KindleUnlimited
@TheYearThatChangedUs @HelenRolfe @BoldwoodBooks @BoldwoodBloggers @BookAndTonic@Netgalley @RachelsRandomResources @rararesources @Bookworm1986 @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited @NetGalley

https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks

https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R

https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86

https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFZ2XZBSFHIHXBXGZLBQ666XVK4A?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_mb_l_prf

I have been a fan of Helen's work for a while now, although by no means have I read everything that she has written. I read the synopsis of 'The Year That Changed Us' and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Helen Rolfe- an emotional but ultimately heartwarming story. Well it was that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Year That Changed Us' but more about that in a bit.

As soon as I started reading, I knew that I was reading something special and that I would struggle to put the book to one side for any length of time. I was spot on too. I was drawn into the story from the start and I ended up feeling as though the main characters of Lise and Emma had become friends of mine rather than characters in a book. I thought that I had an inkling as to how the story was going to pan out and whether or not the two girls were going to be able to repair their friendship. I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off in the opposite direction. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Year That Changed Us' and had to say goodbye to Lise and Emma. I found 'The Year That Changed Us' to be a gripping, emotional and ultimately heartwarming and uplifting story.

'The Year That Changed Us' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Helen Rolfe. Helen has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading one of Helen's books often feels more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book- I hope that makes sense. Helen certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be a special story. Helen's love for her characters shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. As I mentioned earlier, the two main characters ended up feeling more like friends than characters in a book. For me, the story hit the ground running and maintained a steady pace throughout. The story is set mainly in the present day with each chapter being from the point of view of a specific character with occasional flashback chapters to explain how things got to be the way they did. The chapters interlinks well and the story flows seamlessly. I love the way in which Helen makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Year That Changed Us' and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Helen's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek's board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Lovely story of second chances at friendship, the story flips between the present time and the time of the fracture in the friendship. Thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

The story of best friends Lise and Emma. This book goes back and forth to then and now; Emma and Lise were best friends from childhood; who appear to not longer be friends. This is the story of what happened during their Paris adventure that changed their relationship for so many years: and then moves forward to ‘now’ so see if there is any chance they can rekindle their friendship. A really great enjoyable read.

It's a Helen Rolfe book, so it's worthy of nothing less than five stars!!

The Year That Changed Us is a beautifully written story of second chances, but not the kind you're thinking of. It's a best friends, fractured relationships and the bonds that bind them forever kinda book.

The characters are realistic and their story is definitely one I could relate to.

Narrated in both the past and present, Rolfe takes us on an emotional roller-coaster coaster ride full of drama, love and that thing we call life.

An absolute delight to read, enjoyable, engaging and on that note, I'm off to give my bestie a buzz!

Helen Rolfe - The Year That Changed us.

I’m a big fan of Helen Rolfe’s writing, so reading and reviewing this one was a no brainer for me.

Immediately I liked this story. It’s well written, with depth and emotion.
As we dip back and forth from the present day to twenty odd years ago, we follow the lives, loves and fall outs of Emma and Liese.

Despite their very different families and upbringings, Emma and Liese form the sort of friendship that you would expect to last a lifetime. However a year away in Paris, on what should be the adventure of a lifetime, pulls them apart in spectacular style.
Twenty years later, the two women fall back into each other’s orbit. With so much ill feeling, their feud looks set to continue. But there are secrets bubbling to the surface that could change everything.

#TheYearThatChangedUs is a captivating and engaging story. It’s full of the highs and lows of friendship, the importance of family and the joy of true love in its many forms.

A charming and heart warming read.
My new favourite book from the lovely Helen Rolfe.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources, Netgalley and Boldwood Books for a digital arc of this title.

This is such a heartfelt story of two best friends told in present day and also told from when they were young. until they fell out. Lise family has everything, but they don't share much love, not even with Lise. Emma's family has love and laughter and are very close. Lise becomes part of Emma's family. They are like sisters, even the fact that Lise is sent to Boarding school doesn't put a dent in their friendship. They write and share all details of their teen angst with each other. The women even spend a year in Paris, where their friendship is tested.

Now in the present day, Lise finds herself back in Bath, moving into her childhood home with her daughter. Emma still not talking to her, even though they have been through losses and life experiences where they would have needed each other. Can their friendship be saved? What about the men in their lives and those who impacted their youth? You'll have to read this 5 star book to find out, I can't give everything away.

The premise was what drew me to the book. 2 best friends have a falling out? Absolutely relatable. But the book was so repetitive it got tedious. I'm pretty sure it was in every chapter we were reminded how distance Lise's father was. Or how wonderful Toby was. And what was with literally everyone dying?

The Year That Changed Us by Helen Rolfe

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

As young women, Lise and Emma had the kind of friendship people dream about. While Lise's own family was distant and disengaged, Emma's was welcoming and warm, and for the first twenty-six years of their life, growing up together in a close-knit community, the duo were inseparable. But when they decide to spend one year living together in Paris, what starts as the adventure of a lifetime becomes a disaster that changes everything. And when Emma returns to Bath the following summer, Lise stays behind in France, their friendship in tatters.

Now, sixteen years later, Lise has come back to their hometown, determined to put things right. But to do so, she'll have to face up to the truth about what happened in Paris. And with Emma refusing to talk to her, can she get close enough to share her secret?

My Opinion

Helen Rolfe is an author that I will always read. This was an emotional read about how a friendship can change. This story will take you on a journey and you will find yourself both laughing with the characters and getting frustrated with their actions. Told in two different timelines, you will learn about the past and present in the friendship of Emma and Lise.

I started this book during my lunch break and I really didn't want to put it down. When I finally got the time to read this again, I read it as slow as I could as I wasn't ready to reach the end. This was a lovely read and another great addition to Helen Rolfe's catalogue of books.

Rating 4/5

My most recent review features the wonderful novel The Year That Changed Us by the equally wonderful Helen Rolfe.

The story revolves around best friends Lise and Emma, who were inseparable in their youth until a fateful year in France led to their estrangement. Now, twenty-eight years later, Lise is determined to reconcile.

Helen has a remarkable talent for immersing readers in the narrative, making you feel like a part of the story! I couldn't put it down and read it in one go! Don't miss out, get your copy today!

I am a fan of Helen Rolfe and have read every book, enjoyed every series, characters and setting. I have been looking forward to reading ‘The Year That Changed Us; and was as happy as ever by the fabulous story Helen has shared with us.
We meet Emma and Annalise (Lise), the best of friends, since childhood into their young adult lives. Inseparable, Emma was a safe haven for Annalise’s’ unhappy childhood, they shared all parts of their lives and promised nothing, and nobody would ever come between their special friendship. When their dream adventure goes wrong, promises cannot always be upheld, and their lives are changed forever.
Many years have passed, lives have moved on and Emma’s life is again turned upside down by the arrival of Annalise. Emotions are high, feelings of hurt, anger and betrayal cannot be easily overcome, if at all, but could there be a way for these two women who shared so much?
Well... incredible. I loved it from start to finish.
Interesting and likeable characters, Emma and Annalise are very different; their personalities, upbringing, and families; yet their bond is clearly very special. I found myself on Emma’s side at first, I liked Annalise but found my loyalty sticking with Emma. She has the comfortable childhood, surrounded by her very loving family whereas Annalise had money but parents that didn’t seem to care that much. Emma’s family became Annalise’s – which only serves to make the pain of her actions later hurt even more for Emma. Emma has clearly been through so much, loss, pain and heartache. Annalise’s life wasn’t what she envisioned; her choices had consequences, but she is back wanting to change things if she can. I was rooting for the characters to find some way to reunite. Neither character is perfect, both have flaws and have made mistakes; both have hurt the other in some way. There is no right or wrong in the situation, that’s perhaps what makes this story so engaging, how people can be blind to see their own errors, not face up to what they did wrong because of how much hurt they feel.
Brilliant writing from this wonderful author, I think this book really stands out amongst the others I’ve read by her.
A story about the power of friendship, the bonds that bind people and the chance to discover if they are ever fully broken or could there be some way back.
A story with conflict, heartache, and drama yet an important message of the importance friendships and forgiveness.
Excellent read, highly recommended.

This is an absolutely fabulous book about female friendship, how strong those bonds are, what can break them, what can mend them. I defy any woman to pick this book and not be able to relate to the relationship between Emma and Liese in some way.

Liese and Emma grow up in two very different households, one wealthy but cold, the other less well off financially but close and supportive. The two girls look out for each other over the years and vow nothing will ever come between them, especially boys. But everything changes when they decide to spend a year in Paris.

The dual timeline worked really well, with early hints about why the girls became estranged which is eventually revealed through flashbacks as we see their year in Paris through the girls’ own eyes. As well as jumping back and forth in time, the story swings between the two women’s viewpoints, both now and then, so we get to see both sides, and are also privy to things that the other protagonist is not over the years. This works really well and is done in a way that makes it very easy to keep up with who is speaking and when at any given moment, so the reader remains engaged in the story through out. This takes some skill to pull off.

This book was a very compelling read and I was desperate to uncover the secrets of the girl’s year in Paris and what drove them apart, which kept me reading late into the night. The author had done so well to lay strong, seemingly unshakable, foundations to the girls’ friendship in the early stages of the book that it was impossible to comprehend what could possibly have driven them apart and it gave the book a sense of urgency that kept me reading.

I also loved the way they were forced to confront their issues with each other at the end of the book by circumstance. I don’t want to say too much and spoil it for anyone but I thought it was very cleverly done and the whole book was completely plausible, I believed every single word and circumstance. On top of this, I found the story really moving. It didn’t quite bring me to tears but there was a definite pricking of the eyes at certain points!

This is a very sweet, honest and emotional book about female relationships that I thoroughly enjoyed and would have no hesitation in recommending to anyone who enjoys this type of novel.

Childhood and teen best friends
A year in Paris suddenly ends.
From inseparable to disaster
Not speaking - ever after?

Sixteen years later, they meet again
Rekindling the angst and feelings of pain.
Can they put things right somehow
They have the chance, will they take it now?

Told on timelines from the present and past,
With revelations, of secrets shared at last.
Will this heal the breach after all these years
Or will the attempt end in more tears?

An emotive story with friendships at its heart,
Which circumstances tore apart.
There's family dramas and so much more
In this moving read I hope you're looking for.

Another emotional rollercoaster read from this author who
I have no hesitation in highly recommending to you.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

This book was absolutely gripping and absorbing & difficult to put down. A beautiful story about two life long friends, their family dynamics,relationships and life choices. The girls go from being in each others life almost every second of the day to being totally estranged, until one of them shows back up in their hometown. An absolute must read to see what happens next. Thanks netgalley for an advanced copy.

I loved the history Lise and Emma had. They’d spent so much time together when younger, in and out of each other’s houses, they were more like sisters than friends. The unconditional love and support Emma’s parents gave both girls growing up was wonderful to read about.
The episode in Paris was emotional, and I totally sympathised with Emma as she returned to her family and comfortable, familiar surroundings at home in Bath. The women’s reconnection so many years later was understandably wary and I really enjoyed how the story flicked backwards and forwards through their lives so as to give us the view from
both of them. A warm and sincere story about friendship in all it’s ups and downs.

Just wow, loved this book. Set in Bath, the story follows 2 women Emma and Lise who in their teens were inseparable, with no family life to speak of, Lise practically was part of Emma's family. After university the girls lived their dream and went to live in Paris, and there in lies the secret of why the 2 women now in their 40s haven't spoken since Paris and why Emma returned home and Lise stayed in Paris ... till now.
Both women are now single mums to teenage daughters, Emma has taken over the running of her family cafe and shares her home old family home with her dad. Lise has returned from Paris for a friend and old neighbours funeral and to check out her old family home, a few doors away from Emma's, after her letting agent has said her last tennants have left it in a mess. Not sure if she wants to do it up and sell it or live in it, she's at a crossroads in life. What she does know is she needs to explain to Emma and make amends. Emma refuses to talk to her old friend, but their daughters become friends, Lise also finally breaks her silence when she finds comfort in talking to Max, an old friend of Emma's brother Toby. As the daughters friendship grows, Emma is forced to start speaking to Lise and gradually they start to put their past behind them.

The story has hunour, love and also grief, its a truly wonderful read.

I received an early copy via Netgalley and Boldwood Books in return for an honest review.