I enjoyed this book. Joseph and Evelyn fell in love in 1941. Now, 60 years on they have called their 3 children together to tell them something. It turns out that Evelyn has been diagnosed with Parkinsons and is likely to deteriorate quickly. The pair have decided to live for one more year and then to take their lives together, as Joseph says he cannot live without Evelyn. The story tells of their life together and their last year and how the family come to terms with decision. I liked the characters but found it a little too sentimental at times.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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A love story that meanders back and forth through different times. The ups and downs of the couple's romance and their family's life are drawn out with the backdrop of the couple's plan to end their lives together in a years time.

I’m so heartbroken I’ve had to go lie down on my bed so I could cry.

My face is a mess. I’ve soaked through so many tissues, and still my tears fall. I don’t know a book that has ever pushed so many of my personal emotional buttons.

Evelyn and Joseph’s story is heartbreaking and uplifting. It’s a story that spans decades. It’s a story of family love and how it survives. The love between mother and child, father and child, siblings, and husband and wife are all examined with such poignant detail. My heart, my tears, this book was worth the hurt, the tears and the snot.

I’m a daughter who fell out with her mother as a teenager. I shouted at her. I belittled her. I was hormonal, she was hormonal. I hate myself for it.

I’m a daughter who stopped visiting my mother with my children because I didn’t realise the changes in her character were because she had early onset dementia. I hate myself for it.

I’m the daughter who watched her mother crumble as dementia took hold and took her away. I never grieved because her death felt like a release. I hate myself for it.

I’m the mother who worries that my kids won’t love me. That they’ll go off the rails. I mollycoddle them but then I feel like I let them down.

I’m the wife with the post baby stretch marks and saggy boobs wondering how he could ever fancy her again after I’ve pushed his babies out of my body.

I’m the wife who knows that marriage isn’t easy. It takes work. It needs open and honest conversation and it needs compromise.

It makes me want to be happy with my lot. Enjoy my garden, enjoy my flowers, enjoy my sunshine and forgive myself.

Please read this book so I can talk to you about it.

I already know this book will be on my best reads of the year list.

Beautiful, devastating, and life affirming all in one go, this is already one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s nothing like I expected but in the best way possible - it’s a beautiful read that made me reflect on my life and how I want to live, and the legacy I want to leave behind. Definitely a book I’d recommend.

I loved everything about this book.

Stories that span decades always have a special place in my heart as you really get an in-depth feel for the characters, and Joe & Evelyn were prime examples of this.

Tender, heartbreaking and nostalgic, The Days I loved you most was a beautiful true love story. And although it made me cry on numerous times, I enjoyed every minute of it.

The Day I loved you most spans 60 years and seamlessly goes backwards and forward in time during the loving relationship of Evelyn and Joseph and their three grown up children.
When told together Thomas, Jane and Violet are heartbroken and devastated when told that their parents have made a suicide pact and have decided they will die together in a years time, the reasoning being Evelyn has an incurable disease and Joseph will not be able to live without her and nothing they say will deter them.
Going back to the start of their relation in 1940 we visit the years in between of this family and their lives until 2002.
An emotional book that has a great cast of characters and a storyline with great depth where the emotions of all concerned are well described. For me though, and I know I will be in the minority here and a lot of readers will disagree with me I however just could not warm to Evelyn, Joseph however I adored with his steady all consuming love for Evelyn and the strength he showed throughout.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Following the lives of Joseph and Evelyn from their blossoming teenage lives to their 70's through a life well lived and full of love this book is all the more readable by the flaws in the characters and some of their decisions. It is refreshing that true love does not have the easy path, that doubts exist for both main characters and their offspring in their relationships within the family and with others and the book delivers on all counts.

This was an incredible story that truly touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes in the middle of the night. It was a beautiful family tale, with childhood friends turning into lovers. It portrayed how love can require sacrifice and compromise, yet endure through time. The story follows three distinct, yet deeply interesting children, and then expands to include grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I just love family sagas and this felt a little like that so, I was just in love reading this.

Evelyn’s parents had a relationship devoid of affection, while Joseph’s parents shared a deep, lasting love. Their three children led different lives—one had a large family, one chose not to have children, and the other had a child but wasn’t married. It was intriguing to explore their varied paths, highlighting both the advantages and challenges of having children versus not having them wich I personally love to see discused in books. This story really shows how love is sometimes not enough, but that doesn't mean it's useless. In reality, I think that the strength that the characters have makes the relationships that form between them much more meaningful.

The narrative has several perspectives, primarily Evelyn and Joseph, with glimpses from their adult children. The story shifted between the past and present. In their youth, Evelyn, Joseph, and her older brother were close friends. When Evelyn went to live with her aunt and attended an all-girls school, she returned as a young woman, catching Joseph’s eye. They became a couple but soon had to part ways when both Evelyn's brother and Joseph enlisted at 19. In the present, Evelyn and Joseph reveal to their grown children the state of Evelyn’s health and their decision to take charge of their remaining years. It was really hard to read at times but still, so worth it when you want to read something deep and have a moment of sadness to reflect on your life.

4.5 stars!

*Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publishers for the ARC*

Grab your box of tissues, put your phone on silent and prepare to have your heart cracked wide open as you immerse yourself in the story of Joseph and Evelyn.

A love story that gets into the nitty gritty of love as it waxes and wanes through a lifetime. From first kisses, to loss, and to the stresses and strains of family life with its joys and tragedies.

Told from multiple points of view and moving backwards and forwards in time, this is a detailed account of a marriage, with a shadow haunting the whole family. It will make you question how you're living your own life and make you grateful for the little joys that abound even in the hardest of times.

Written with great depth and sensitivity it raises important questions and will make you long for the kind of love that endures.

In this debut novel, the profound tenderness of Evelyn and Joseph's love unfolds as they navigate their complex reality. The story explores their deep affection, a love that fills every space with its purest light. As Evelyn faces the challenges of Parkinson’s Disease—a condition she dreads due to painful memories of her mother’s decline—Joseph struggles with the thought of life without her.

The narrative is framed by a crucial conversation Evelyn and Joseph need to have with their three children:

“We have something important to talk to you three about.”

Told through alternating perspectives and timelines, the novel delves into Evelyn and Joseph’s relationship history and their children's upbringing. It reveals the emotional weight of their impending decision and its impact on their family. Readers are invited to explore how this decision will reshape their lives and what they will ultimately learn about love, sacrifice, and acceptance.

I adored this book. The real insight into the ‘perfect marriage’. I liked the past / present. I also liked all the complex relationships, both romantic and family. It really was all thrown into this book but it never felt like too much.

I really enjoyed this book. The authors writing style was great and had me hooked throughout. A book I really couldn't put down.

I found this to be a really moving story of one family's experiences from 1940-2002 and I found myself crying so often reading it.
Based around a contentious idea the book wove the present and the past together via a set of snapshots in time as we came to understand why Evelyn and Joseph make the decisions they do.
It is a bit trite to use such obvious cultural markers as JFK's assassination, the moon landings, and 9/11 but Neff used them to perfect effect to mix the wider world with intimate family life.
The ending was very clever too - letting you decide for yourself on how things play out

OMG What a fantastic debut novel!
I was in tears reading this love story! The story spans decades and tells the love of Evelyn and Joseph. Have tissues ready reading this one!

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

Beautiful. This is a lovely, gentle book. An ordinary couple with an extraordinary love. Evelyn and Joseph are each other's world. They have grown up together and live in an idealic location at the beach, surrounded by their children. Their story is told across the years in a moving and believable manner. They are truly made for each other.

This book is a beautiful and tender story. I adored the way it meandered through the years, really showing how love grows and endures. I loved the characters and there were so many relatable quotes and interactions that I just loved seeing in a book.

It was also moving and really sad to see how the story unfolded with the shared aim. The ending was handled beautifully.

4.5 stars.

The Days I Loved You Most is an emotional journey that captures the raw beauty and pain of love. The author’s writing is both poetic and profound, weaving together memories and moments that feel intensely personal yet universally relatable.

The story delves into the complexities of relationships, the lingering impact of past loves, and the bittersweet nature of holding on to someone who is no longer there. Each page resonates with heartfelt emotion, making it impossible not to reflect on your own experiences with love and loss.

This book isn’t just a story; it’s an experience that stays with you long after you’ve turned the last page. If you’re looking for a book that will touch your heart and soul, The Days I Loved You Most is a must-read

I tend to go into books without reading the synopsis. I’ll judge a book by its cover or I’ll be persuaded to choose my next read based on the author/title etc. so I didn’t know what I was stepping into reading this. I genuinely thought it was going to be a nice, light hearted rom com. The perfect summer read.

But this book is not that at all. It is real life. It is that nitty gritty real life love and it was one of the most beautiful stories.

I’ll start off by saying this was heavy at first and took me a while to get into, but only because my mum has Parkinson’s so the story felt a bit too close to home. But I’m trying to see the beauty in the tale over the disease. I also appreciated the fact Neff brought up the fact that you can lose your sense of smell due to the disease because after covid, this can go unseen or shrugged off.

But I must say I’m so glad I persisted in reading this. I don’t get overly emotional at books but I will admit I cried at this. It is such a raw, powerful read about love, loss and family and if you want your heart to hurt whilst, and for sometimes after, you’re reading a book - this is the one for you.

My first five star Net Galley read - thank you so to Net Galley for this arc and for Amy Neff for writing such a stunning love story.

What a wonderful debut novel this is. Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measures. I did love Joseph's final decision !!!!
Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC