This is the second book I’ve devoured by this author, and once again, it left a profound impact that lingers long after the final page. Told from the perspectives of four potential siblings, the story masterfully explores the complexities of love—whether new, enduring, or lost. It weaves together themes of relationships, second chances, missed opportunities, friendships, family, and the intricacies of parenting. The narrative is incredibly moving and powerful, making it impossible not to become deeply invested in the characters, flaws and all. You find yourself rooting for them, feeling every twist and turn of their journey. This book takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions, gripping you from beginning to end. A big thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is my second book by this author, and I'm already a fan! The book was a joy to read, and the cover was particularly appealing. We are introduced to "The Almosts" - Samuel, Lucy, Thomas, and Eliza. They came into being when Becca Valentine was born and have shadowed her throughout her life, anticipating whether she will one day become their mother. They are aware of their potential conception dates, yet Becca's life doesn't always align with the plan, risking The Almosts' very existence. The plot is ingeniously crafted and utterly unique, captivating me from the start.

Initially, the concept of The Almosts was a little confusing, but it became clearer after a few chapters. The narrative is primarily from Eliza's point of view, offering us a window into Becca's life. Becca's story is compelling; she's an endearing and relatable character. It's heartbreaking to see how her life diverts from her plans, yet it's inspiring to see her resilience. The suspense of whether all her children will be conceived is heightened by the presence of two men in her life, complicating matters for Becca.

As the story progresses, we see Becca's character develop, and I love how she deals with everything life throws at her. Observing the lives of Eliza and the other Almosts is equally engaging, and their shared emotions are palpable. One can't help but root for the existence of all four Almosts. The author has a knack for writing a story that pulls on the heartstrings with every page turn. The book is cleverly written, with strong themes of family and friendship woven throughout. It features a cast of remarkable characters, not all of whom are likable or virtuous, yet each is crucial to the plot. Overall, it's an easy read but does have some trigger points. It captivated me completely and I enjoyed every single word!

2.5 stars, rounded up. This book's unique premise is what made me request an ARC: the story is narrated by one of four "Almosts;" unborn potential children who are with a woman from the day she is born. The Almosts know their date of conception and who their father is, and they have a one-time-only pass to inhabit any human to try to increase their chances of being conceived. For the first half of the novel, I just felt incredibly creeped out but couldn't put a finger on exactly why. I think it was partly because the mother of these potential children was just a teenager, and she was making really poor choices that the Almosts were rooting on. I was also disturbed at the thought of these unborn children observing everything their mother did and said. I did appreciate the book more fully by the end of it, and it was certainly a creative novel. A lot of people are loving this book and I encourage you to give it a try if the premise intrigues you. This was definitely a case of "It's me, not you," as the book is well-written. Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a digital review copy.

This is my fourth book by Laura Pearson and I have loved every one of them. The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up, I Wanted You To Know and Missing Pieces have all been four or five star reads for me and The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine is no different. This one though was utterly unique…A group of children called The Almosts watch over their mother as she decides between two men and the children she may or may not have.

Full disclosure, I do not like love triangles because one way or another someone always gets hurt. I also did not like the way Becca flip-flopped between these two young men, it drove me mad. She kept claiming she had to keep doing what was best for her son Sam but dragging him back and forth between homes and having these men in and out of his life was not a good idea. But then I considered her age and realized it was probably true to life I was the same age as Becca 17 when I had my firstborn and while I didn’t flip-flop between men I also didn’t always make the best decisions. Also like Becca, I had a very understanding parent who was also very supportive…her dad and my mom.

The almost siblings act like real siblings, there is envy and fighting and I loved the idea behind this book…family isn’t always about blood. We don’t use the term step sibling or half sibling in my immediate family. Written with love without being too saccharine this story really touched my heart. The Almosts showed very real sibling rivalry but they grew to love each other the more time went on even sacrificing for each other before they were even born. This was such a wonderful take on siblings and a perspective that was so unique I was blown away.

I can always count on Laura Pearson to mess with my emotions through her characters. Once again they were all over the place, I laughed, I cried, I cheered them on…It was a roller coaster ride of emotions. This book asked the question “What would you sacrifice for the ones that let you love the most?” Beautifully written with a concept so different than anything I’ve ever read before The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine deserves all the stars.

Well, I’m pretty emotional after reading that.

Poor Becca, after having a mum who clearly didn’t love her and getting her future turned on its head completely the night she lost her virginity, didn’t really stand a chance. Especially when the person she lost her virginity’ to was Ryan.

I hated Ryan from the start. Loved Becca’s dad and poor Eliza too.

Anyway, I won’t give anything away, just go and read it, please.

P.s. I suppose if people believe in the afterlife then surely you can believe in the beforelife. It’s got me thinking now, haha.

4.5 stars

Well, I’m pretty emotional after reading that.

Poor Becca, after having a mum who clearly didn’t love her and getting her future turned on its head completely the night she lost her virginity, didn’t really stand a chance. Especially when the person she lost her virginity’ to was Ryan.

I hated Ryan from the start. Loved Becca’s dad and poor Eliza too.

Anyway, I won’t give anything away, just go and read it, please.

P.s. I suppose if people believe in the afterlife then surely you can believe in the beforelife. It’s got me thinking now, haha.

4.5 stars

I seem to be on a run of strange/different books. I'm not sure whether this one would be classified as sci-fi or fantasy. Neither one of these is a genre I read but somehow I got drawn into this one and a couple of others.

The premise is that “beforelife” is a place where one's “spirit” (for lack of a better word) or “Almost” exists before conception. The Almost knows what their conception date is and tries to steer fates to make it happen. They watch over their parents-to-be. This is outside the reality of my mind.

The earthly characters are realistic. They are teens and young adults, living in the moment, not always making the right choices. But, there are some lessons learned from the poor decisions. Their part of the story is easy to follow, easy to understand.

The Almosts are very interesting. They have their own distinct personalities. They're all looking forward to their conception date, which might or might not happen. They have feelings. Such an interesting concept. And, who knows, it might be possible in an alternate universe.

I enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would. I have mentioned before that my mind deals with logic and reality. But, sometimes it’s good to take a detour.

I think this could be also classified as a Young Adult book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.

Samuel, Lucy, Thomas, and Eliza were "born" when Becca Valentine was actually born. They are her potential children and they know their potential date of conception. They also recognize their father when he meets Becca. This is Becca's story mainly seen thru Eliza's perspective. It turns out the 4 potential children have two different fathers and that Lucy and Eliza's dates are too close together for them both to actually be born. As Eliza watches more of Becca's life, it becomes clear are can impact it and she'll have to choose how .

There are four of us: Samuel, Lucy, Thomas, and me – Eliza. We came into being the day Becca Valentine was born. We’ve been by her side ever since. What she doesn’t know yet, is that one day she might become our mother.

Then two men come into her life. Both seeking her heart. And then we realise: everything rests on Becca’s love story. Because one of the men is Lucy and Thomas’s father. And the other is mine and Samuel’s. And there’s simply no way we can all be born. We all want her to make the right choice. We all want to be born. To hold her hand one day. To feel her stroke our hair. To call her our mother.

Then we discover there is something we can do. We can change Fate. But we only have a single chance each. How would you make sure you were born? And what if doing that isn’t what’s best for the person you already love the most in the world – your mother?

This is the fourth book I've read by Laura Pearson, and she's become a must-read for me by this point. She always has a very unique premise, her writing is exquisite, and she always pulls all the emotions out of me. The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine did this in spades. Another brilliant gem from a superb author!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

After reading a couple of books by this author, I was delighted to get the chance to read this one.

It is a very different idea that starts the book and one that I had to get my head around quite quickly - teenaged Becca is born and her four possible babies come into being at the same time. For Becca, this is 4 possibles that will follow her life until their conception dates. The main problem for these future babies is that there are two different dads int he picture, meaning that all 4 are unlikely to be brought to life. What does that mean for Eliza?

I really enjoyed this book and Eliza’s story, with Becca’s too. I was rooting for them both throughout. A book to savour.

What an amazing book. I loved the premise of almost- future possible children of a woman who watch over her until it’s their time of conception. It was sad, heartbreakingly so, in places and so filled with love and hope. I needed that epilogue in order to tie up loose ends but, like Eliza, often felt like I wanted to intervene with Becca. An absolute must-read!!

This book truly is incredible! We talk about the afterlife, we write about the afterlife and we definitely speculate about the afterlife, but what about the beforelife?

In this story, Eliza and her potential future siblings are with their mother to be from the moment she is born. They watch her grow up and are with her at every moment. They even know the date they are due to be conceived. When Thomas and Lucy spot their future dad and Samuel and Eliza realise that he isn’t their dad as well, they realise that there is a strong chance that they won’t all get to be born and that it very much depends on their future mum’s choices.

Without drifting into spoiler territory, I can only say that it’s about so much more than a case of which dad will she choose and who will get to be born. As well as the love and rivalry between the four potential siblings, they watch their mum’s life unfolding and see the difficulties she faces as she becomes a woman and then a mother, for the first time. They see her laugh, cry, love, lose and fight.

Laura Pearson’s writing is as captivating as always and I went though every conceivable emotion while reading this amazing story,

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Laura Pearson and Boldwood for an ARC in return for an honest review.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗸𝗲 𝗨𝗽 was an amazing read, so I was very excited to receive Laura's new book. The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine is such a unique and creative concept, and unlike anything I've read before.

We've all heard of lingering spirits "after death. " Laura Pearson has taken that concept and turned it completely around and explored people "before birth, " called 𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀. A woman's potential children

As soon as a female is born, these "almosts" are attached to her, watching her grow up and navigate her life through the ups and downs and messy relationships, hoping for the best. Hoping, because even though they exist, it doesn't mean they will be conceived. The only thing they know is the name of their father and the date of their potential conception.

The story is told from the POV of four potential siblings "Almosts" who already have a personality and sometimes act out with sibling rivalry and envy but also love each other and even sacrifice for one another.

You can't help getting attached to Eliza, Samuel, Lucy, and Thomas. You will root for them and feel all their emotions. 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲, 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲.

I am excited to read whatever Laura writes next. Be sure to read the author's note for more information on how this story was conceived.

A big thanks to Netgally and Boldwood Books for my copy. My review was voluntary.


My review on Instagram
http://wwwinstagram.com/sheilasenchantedbookshelf

I loved this book! There is hope, family, and love in each page.
The premise of having a personality before you are born and knowing that these "kidlets" are always around their future mothers waiting for their conception was neat.
It's an interesting concept and it truly made me want to know what would happen with these four "almosts" as they tried to figure out who would be their father and who would be a sibling. Would they know them, remember them and love them once they were born?
Would they all come into the world?
It makes you think, wish and wonder and it is a great story.
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Bodwood Books for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.

This book really struck a chord with me, and I think it’s going to stick with me for a long time. The premise is so unique—this idea of “Almosts,” children who might be born depending on their mother’s choices, really pulled me in. I especially loved the relationships between the Almost siblings; it was both touching and complex, with all the love and rivalry you’d expect from real siblings, even though they haven't been born yet.

The story dives deep into what it means to love selflessly, especially from a child’s perspective, which made me think a lot about the sacrifices parents make. It’s easy to read, but don’t let that fool you—it’s thought-provoking and really makes you feel. I found myself getting emotional, especially towards the end, but the story wrapped up with a sense of hope that felt just right.

If you’ve ever dealt with the loss of a mother or child, or if you’ve faced fertility issues, this book will probably hit home even more. It’s the second book I’ve read by this author, and just like the first one, it didn’t disappoint. I’m really glad I had a chance to read it, and I’d recommend it to anyone who loves a story that’s both heartfelt and a little bit different.

The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine by Laura Pearson had me stretching my imagination and crying now and then, from imagining the story she painted so brilliantly.
I enjoyed it tremendously.

#TheBeforelifeOfElizaValentine
#LauraPearson
#NetGalley

What a unique and wonderful concept. The before life of your possible babies.
It totally put a new twist on relationships and how they can be influenced by outside forces.
I loved the rivalry and support of the 4 possibilities and how they interacted.
Such an easy read that will make it hard for you to put the book down.
I will be looking out for more books by Laura

Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for an early read of 'The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine'. What a unique concept. Samuel, Thomas, Lucy and Eliza are "almosts", Becca's children who haven't been born yet. It's beautifully written from Eliza's point of view. I enjoyed reading this unusual and heart warming story.

Another beautifully evocative tale of the 'Almosts' from Laura Pearson.

Becca Valentine is 17 and on the precipice of life after school but unknown to her four "Almosts" are circling watching her every move. These are Becca's potential children and their conception dates are coming up pretty quickly but why do they have different fathers in the wrong sequence?

An original coming of age story, of one young woman and her struggles.

I believe this is Laura's sixth book - the others being The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up, Nobody's Wife, I Wanted You to Know Missing Pieces. This is the third I have read along with the first two in that list, but I also have the other three on my shelf. I am never disappointed with her books and know I am in for an absolute treat.

What I love about her books is they're so unique. She creates worlds and stories that I read nowhere else and I think that's such an achievement, because if we're honest, most ideas have already been done, just with each author giving it their own spin, but I read things I only get from Laura's work.

What is interesting is how Laura has managed to combine what are effectively fantasy characters and a sci-fi premise, with very real, relatable, everyday feelings and goings-on.

This one took me a little longer to get into than her others. Not because it was bad (I'm not sure Laura has the word "bad" in her vocabulary), but because the other's I've read are rooted in reality, recognisable and familiar things that could happen to you or I. Whereas this one asks you to suspend belief a bit to believe what's going on, and so I wasn't expecting that, but it is really jolly good.

It's about love - new, old, and lost - relationships, parenting, self-identity, loss, second chances, lost opportunities, friendships, family - related and those found. It's so powerful. It's so moving without being heart-breaking; it's funny without being comedic; it's beautiful without being corny. It's the correct amount of everything.

Laura's books...how do I put this...they read like she's written them with so much love and kindness, like she truly cares for these characters and their lives as if they were her own children. She has a huge heart and she leaves a small slice of it in every book she writes, and it shows.

I am very much an advocate for reading the author notes at the end of the book and this is no exception. Laura has been open and honest as ot how this book came about and what it meant to her, and that made it more beautiful.

It's not an upsetting book, although there are some difficult upsetting bits, but I actually found the beauty (especially the last few lines - which I won't spoil) the most moving thing about it.

Once again, Laura has created a stunning book and I will continue to collect and read them for as long as she writes them. As dramatic as it may sound, her books make for a better world in my opinion.