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

Such a beautiful and emotional story, it’s a fantastic read which stays with you long after you’ve read it. I will be reading other titles from this author, loved it.

I thought that this would be inspiring and it was in some ways. However too close to personal circumstances to be a comfortable read so I decided not to finish it.
The writing is good and the characters well described so for some it will be a sensitive portrayal of an emotive subject.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

This is such a beautiful heartwarming story. It will break your
heart but will then help you mend it

I was so excited to be given this book as an ARC and I literally couldn't wait to read it. I wasn't disappointed at all - what an amazing book.
I cried and I cried and I cried.
It broke my heart but I just couldn't get enough.
I'm still not over it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Days I Loved You Most by Amy Neff

Evelyn and Joseph, a couple in their seventies, gather together their three children to tell them that they have decided to end their lives in one year's time. We go backwards to every stage of their life together over the course of the book, and their epic love story is revealed. But will the pull of family change their minds about not wanting to live without each other?

Wow, what a fantastic story! I absolutely loved the way the author covered their entire life together and the joy and challenges they faced along the way. Lovely family, lovely setting and lovely ending. Very VERY highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

A heartwarming and sweet book featuring an old married couple who tell their families they will be ending their lives in a year….this allows us the journey of how they fell in love and their ups and downs. Sweet but a little bit slow, I’m not sure I truly connected with the characters either.

When Evelyn and Joseph tell their family that she is ill and that they plan to take their lives together in a year’s time, they are met with horror, anger and disbelief. They particularly cannot understand why Joseph would choose to end his life when he is not ill, but he knows his life will be nothing without his wife by his side.
The book alternates between the two of them telling their story, and between the past and present. When their youngest daughter says she wants a divorce, partly because her marriage cannot live up to that of her parents, we go back in time to find out about their trials and tribulations, mostly that Joseph and the life he provided for Evelyn were not always enough for her, and how they got through them.
This is a beautiful book which explores the relationship between the main characters and also between them and their children. It also explores euthenasia and attitudes towards choosing to end your own life when illness becomes too much. Highly recommended.