This book felt real, like life, a bit messy and imperfect. Lily's navigation of grief and love are beautifully written.

Synopsis:
Two days before her wedding to Adam, Lily’s best friend Josh unexpectedly walked out of her life, and she hasn’t seen him since.

Lily and Adam are blissfully happy, until he falls ill. As she cares for him in his final hours, Adam asks her to make a promise: to find Josh―and forgive them both.

Always You and Me was an emotional read. This is my second time reading a book by Dani Atkins. Dani does a great job writing deep and emotional stories. Always You and Me follows Lily's life after the death of her husband, Adam. I thought Dani's portrayal of Lily's grief was done carefully. I enjoyed Lily's character. I liked her resilience and relationships with Adam and Josh. I appreciated the way Dani used past scenes to tie in and progress the story. I enjoyed the glimpses of her relationships with the men. Despite having their issues and mistakes, I was rooting for both men. Josh was so gone for Lily! The treehouse and globe scenes were heart breaking. The forced proximity was done perfectly in this book. I loved all of the snowed in scenes with Josh and Lily. All of the Fletcher scenes were cute. That dog was so adorable! I liked the writing style and the plot. The only thing I had to nitpick was Andie's character. I felt like her character should have been added into the present-day scenes. The ending was super sad but also heartwarming. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

Fractured, by Dani Atkins remains my favourite book of all time and I will always read everything she writes, but this book was probably my least favourite of hers. That said, I still enjoyed it very much, especially the beginning and the ending.

The multiple timelines jumped around a bit too much and the story was fairly predictable but Dani’s writing is so good and there were some really funny moments amongst the emotion which I loved.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Dani Atkins and Lake Union for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Always You and Me by Dani Atkins is a heartfelt exploration of love, friendship, and resilience. With vivid character development and emotional depth, the story captivates readers through its poignant narrative. While the pacing may feel slow to some, it allows the emotional intensity to shine. This is a perfect read for fans of character-driven dramas.

This was a sweet story with the happy ending that we all crave. The story itself was a little slow going, and I almost wish for more of the flashback chapters later in the book for more fluidity. The last chapter, albeit sweet with closure, was a little confusing. The first page or two, I thought she was in labor. I’m not sure if that was the author’s intention, but I got a bit of whiplash at the end. I understand why the author did that, but it felt a little disjointed. Overall, it’s a sweet book I would recommend to others.

The amount of tears this book made me shed is insane. This is such a beautiful and emotional story.

The book is told from Lily’s point of view and goes back and forth from alternating timelines. It’s a love triangle of sorts, but deeper than that as the man she “chooses” has passed away 5 years into their marriage and his dying wish is that she goes to the “other man” and reconciles their life long friendship that ended when she got married. Her late husband, Adam, is the sweetest man & seeing how they fell in love and he was taken way too soon broke my heart for them. They were such a perfect love story themselves that I have so much respect for this author as she was able to make me also fall in love with the love story that comes after him for Lily.

You also fall for her lifelong best friend who grew up in fostercare thinking he could never be enough for her, so he let the love of his life slip through his fingers. You get to experience them coming back together in a new stage of life as Lily seeks to learn why her husband would want her to get to know Josh all over again.

This story was extremely well written when I feel many elements could have given off weird vibes, Dani Atkins killed it! Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union publishing for this incredible ARC :)

I enjoyed this book, and I know the thing these days is to list 'trigger warnings' and 'tropes', but I hate that. Just read a book and you'll recognize them or not as you go along. Just give yourself a chance to get immersed and enjoy.

For example, this book would fall under romance I guess and normally I shun those books but I took a chance because I wanted something easy. Right away I was moved because Lily was grieving a loss and I am dealing with my own different grief. And I knew almost immediately who she would end up with and the core issue that would keep them apart for a time but I still enjoyed this book.

It is nicely written, and has some of the coziness of a Hallmark movie with the cupcake shop and the woodworking and the snowy interlude, which again, trite, predictable, but sometimes, when done well, perfectly enjoyable. Additionally, I guess living in the US, books set in the UK have an additionally coziness, or at least I'm more willing to chalk things up to being a British thing vs just a corny romance thing.

This book was like an episode the Great British Bakeoff, even the so called unlikeable character is only so because of love and a difficult past. Everyone else is gentle and solicitous and hopeful and love wins out in the end.

Thank you to #NetGalley & the publisher for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First off, I have never read anything by Dani Atkins before, but this will certainly not be my last.

I loved the way the author connected the past with the present and really let the raw emotions and love come full circle.

On his death bed Lily's husband, Adam makes her promise him she will find Josh, her childhood best friend (and first love). He wants her to find Josh, to forgive him, and to forgive Adam as well.

The only problem? The last time her and Josh spoke, the week of her and Adam's wedding, they argued - ending a lifelong friendship with no indication of any kind of reconciliation in the future.

- Second Chance Romance
- First Love
-Childhood love
-Grief
-redemption, love, forgiveness

This book was Chef's freaking KISS.
The ending had me sobbing like a damn baby.

Highly recommend this book!

There were a few things that took me by surprise here.
1. I did not realize the setting would be in the UK so the terminology was different for me (Texas girl here). It was a nice reprieve from reading about NYC, Washington D.C., or the countryside of Montana.
2. When I first started this, this was solidly a 4 star read for me but it was bumped up to a 5 within the last couple of pages. The "requests" really did me in on my feelings. I didn't cry during the first few pages but the last few pages pulled at my heartstrings.
3. I found the maturity of the characters almost refreshing. They were all good people who made people sized human mistakes. In the better interest of the other person, there were miscommunications and misunderstandings but how does one say anything at all when there's so much to lose?

Tropes:
*Second chance romance
*Forced Proximity
*Girl/Boy next door

Now, I love a second chance romance. It might be my favorite trope of all. It took me two days to finish reading this story. I think this was artfully and beautifully done. There was tons of pining and yearning throughout the alternating timelines in both past and current timelines for all of the characters. The insecurities felt real but the love was so obvious from all MCs.

On the eve of her wedding to Adam, Lily’s best friend, Josh, unexpectedly walked out of her life, and she hasn’t seen him since. When Adam falls ill, Lily cares for him, and when he asks her to find Josh and forgive them both, it takes a year before she begins to track him down. Tracking Josh down isn’t easy, but fate seems determined to bring them together. Cut off in his remote Scottish cabin by a fierce snowstorm, Lily and Josh explore their tangled feelings for each other, stretching back over the decades. Yet when she discovers the secrets that both Adam and Josh are keeping, Lily will question what she thought was true.
I have found a new author to love. This book had me captivated from the start, and I found myself totally immersed in both love stories. I loved the unpacking of the secrets until the very end. A wonderful read!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received Always You and Me for free in exchange for my honest review. Here it is... it was phenomenal! I didn't know where it was going, but enjoyed the ride the entire time. I laughed and cried. It was a beautiful story. I immediately looked online to purchase more of Dani Atkins' books after finishing this book. You will, too!

This book just wasn’t my cup of tea. I had trouble getting into it. I was actually sobbing just from the prologue, but that was the only good writing from there on.

I liked Lily but Josh came across as sort of a jerk. He had moments where he came across as companionate but then he would open his mouth and ruin it. I didn’t like him. My favorite character was Fletcher (the dog).

*_An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

Holy cow I absolutely adore this book. Emotional rollercoaster from the first page to the last. Everything happening as it should 😭 such a good story about memories, life, and how things always turn out as they should. Please give this book a read. It’s an emotional ride but one worth the read.

I’m a massive Dani Atkins fan, having read the majority of her books over the last 10 years. All of them have been either 4 or 5* and this book is no exception.

I was completely absorbed throughout. The prologue had me filling up and feeling so emotional - the prologue!! And from there, I feel like I got immersed into Lily’s life, and her history with Josh and Adam.

The descriptions of grief, and the life she’s lost, were quite hard to read at times, but it only added to the emotional journey this book takes you on. As you’re introduced to Josh, and their friendship as kids, you start to get a sense of where this is going.

Josh is stand offish, quiet and brooding. He’s trying to protect himself the only way he knows how, after the poor childhood he was dealt. I loved him. He was such a great MMC.

I found it very hard to put this book down. I also found it very hard to decide where I wanted this book to go. I was invested and I wanted that happy ending, but I didn’t really know how it would get there.

This is a wonderful story of love, and loss, and that there are many paths in life which can lead you to the right place.

I wholeheartedly recommend this to everyone!

Thank you for the opportunity to read & review this.

OMG from the very first page I had tears in my eyes as this book started. I just love the way Dani Atkins writes her books. She carefully draws the reader in, makes you feel every word as if you are the one living the story.
This is a love story told over several time periods. It made me cry, it made me smile and it was just so realistic. I thought the characters were brilliant.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.
5 stars

I enjoyed this in a casual way👍🏽—it was an interesting read, but it didn’t have the kind of emotional impact that left me thinking about it🥀🔥. The first and last 10% of the book, which were meant to be the most emotional parts❤️‍🩹, didn’t really hit that hard for me🙅🏽‍♀️.

One of the biggest issues I had was the huge time skip in the last chapter⏳🗓️. It completely threw me off. I thought she was in the hospital about to give birth🤱🏻, but no, she’s seventy👵🏻. For a second, I was even thinking, “Wait, is she having a baby at seventy?” The jump🤾🏾 felt so out of place and almost unnecessary, like the author was trying to wrap 🌯 up the story and making sure there were no unanswered questions⁉️. I get that it was meant to leave readers reflecting💭 on Adam and the passage of time, but I personally would have preferred something like a birth or a wedding, and even just a glimpse of how Josh handled fatherhood🧑🏻‍🍼.

Another thing that stood out was how the IUI process wasn’t really explored🧬🧫. It felt like it was just thrown in without much depth. I don’t know if I missed🤨 something or if there was another time skip, but the whole process felt rushed🏍️, and I wish we had been given a deeper look into what the characters were feeling during that time🧭. It would have made the story more engaging and realistic.

Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC🔥👏🏽🃏

Wow, this book is a rollercoaster of emotions that starts right at the beginning and lasts right until the end. From reading the synopsis, I figured this book would be emotional but I wasn't quite prepared to cry several times while reading. I really enjoyed reading about and getting to know each character but I have to say that Josh was my favorite. I think the author definitely has a way of making the reader happy and sad all at the same time because why was I smiling and crying at the same time?

Anyway, if you are in the mood for a tear-jerking, heartfelt love story(ies?), look no further.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 because I enjoyed it. The comps used in the description of this book (“One True Loves” and “Seven Summers”) were perfect because this book really did remind me of those.

I didn’t really connect with the main couple, Lily and Josh. I liked her a lot better with her husband but I feel that the author purposely underdeveloped him so we can root for Josh. I would have preferred to see a bit more history with Josh before Adam came into the picture for me to really root for him.

i love coming back to these kind of books. but i tell you i have to force myself to have breaks in between them. for they completely take my heart a grip it tight throughout. and this goes on after ive finished and stick with me i think forever. like most books in lots of varied genres i truly feel books heal or stick with a little bit of my soul when i find the good ones. and for this genre they truly do make me feel so much. its an unexplained emotion. because these books feel just real enough but just not real enough to allow you to escape into the depth of feeling the make you feel. its romance and human emotions and lives on a scales that when done well truly grips you.
i dont know how authors of this genre do it. but they do. and im so grateful to them.
now, im not wanting anyone to think im sap. so fall for stuff easily in this novels. nope, i love a varied genre style from thrillers,crime, historical and all the in between. so im not biased just to this genre.
i do just love good books. and in this genre,of this type ive truly found so much joy from them. they are brilliant.
i dont want to give to much away. if you've reached this far of my review you probably wont want to know it from me either. as the waffle with have ee enough for you to switch off!
but everyone who loves these kind of books need to step on board and read it.
and i want you to come to each part of the book new as i did.
if you read the blurb as i once did and it did that phumpy phump to your heart and reading interest then you will love it.
Dani is a talent. and i applaud this book and her writing of it. wow. we are truly blessed to have such writers amongst us.

Tengo sentimientos encontrados. Por un lado, disfruté de la trama y me mantuvo atenta, pero por otro, no me agradó el personaje de Josh. Èl tuvo años para demostrarle su amor a Lily, pero no lo hizo hasta que ella ya estaba comprometida con Adam. Esto hizo que me resultara difícil empatizar con él.

Además, el final, cuando Lily debe decidir entre Josh y Adam, me dejó con dudas. La historia no me ofreció la respuesta clara de si Lily realmente amaba a Adam o si simplemente se casó con él porque era su única opción en ese momento.

La muerte de Adam fue triste porque era una buena persona. Me gustó que él luchó por lo que quería, mientras que Josh, se rindió demasiado rápido. Me dio pena su final, pues merecía más, por lo menos debio conocer a su hijo. La trama de amor y perdón tiene su punto emotivo, pero las decisiones de los personajes no me convencieron del todo.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.