I'm not really one for time travel or anything of the sort. Do I love magic and mayhem? Of course! But this feels very... Hallmark, if that makes sense. Don't get me wrong it was a good book and I enjoyed reading it but the story felt lackluster and over done to me. Perhaps it wasn't my taste and I'm not really the right audience for it, but I definitely struggled getting through it. It was really a tug-of-war between the main character and the people she loved and that sort of trope kind of irritates me to my core. Again, I think it was well written but the story itself just wasn't my cup of tea.

A multiverse romance how interesting! I enjoyed the storyline, but just didn’t connect with the characters, and that’s what kept me from loving it. Then ending was also meh.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

"The Love I Could Have Had" by CJ Connolly is a captivating exploration of life's what-ifs, earning a solid four stars. Olivia, the story's protagonist, seems to have it all—great job, a loving family, and an impending marriage to the love of her life. Yet, at twenty-eight, she's never left her hometown, and Jake is her one and only boyfriend. When a chance accident leaves her with amnesia and a blank slate, Liv has the opportunity to revisit her life choices.

This novel presents a thought-provoking premise that delves into the complexities of destiny and soulmates. As Liv navigates her unfamiliar reality, readers are taken on a journey of self-discovery alongside her. The narrative is both engaging and emotionally resonant, raising questions about the roads we choose in life and the potential for second chances.

While "The Love I Could Have Had" is an extraordinary and unforgettable read, there are moments when the pacing could be more streamlined. However, this minor concern doesn't detract from the overall impact of the story. For those who have ever wondered about the paths not taken and the power of love to transcend time and memory, this novel is a thought-provoking and heartfelt exploration of those themes.

This book was very interesting for me. I'm not into time travel, parallel universes or sliding doors type of stories. But this one really got to me.

Olivia and Jake were meant to be from the start at age 11, but what else is out there? What if Olivia believes maybe Jake is just settling for her? What if she is just settling for him? After an accident Olivia finds herself in a different world where she died a the age of 12 by drowning.

Olivia has to navigate this new world in which nobody believes she is who she claims to be. Meanwhile Jake is stuck in the original world in which he's suspected of having something to do with Olivia's sudden disappearance.

The topic of grief and regrets weighs heavy in the story. It was such a unique concept for a romance novel. I was confused at times because of the parallel worlds so it's important to focus on each chapter and who is telling their point-of-view.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffee Books for an e-copy of THE LOVE I COULD HAVE HAD to review.

I rate THE LOVE I COULD HAVE HAD four out of five stars.

What a fun read, a girl jumps into another time line where her life is completely different and figures out her future. So entertaining, and thoughtful and sad and happy.

I liked the story.
It did grab my attention and I wanted to stick with it to see how it would end.

I wish the ending was different. It felt very fast and predictable.

Overall, it was worth the read just wish the ending was different.

I think I was expecting a more light-hearted romance with the amnesia/time warp aspect, but this one felt pretty deep. There was a lot of serious ramifications for being "stuck" in another time dimension, even as it offered clarification for the romance we were supposed to be rooting for. I'm not totally convinced it all the way worked for me, but I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen and stayed engaged the whole time. The ending felt pretty rushed though and wasn't totally satisfying.

This has a very promising plot. From infinity possibilities of how every decision has a different universe of the decisions you made in it. However there was something that was missing. But with this type of plot it was light and breezy and I did find Olivia knowing how it ends a bit annoying - because if she knew it was going to come to a end - why wait to come back to her normal reality when she felt so lonely in the alternative universe? Just my thoughts.

I did feel the characters were not strong enough as people. For example, Olivia in both universes did not come across having much interests. Her only life goal was about a person, Jake. She wasn’t strong within herself.

Overall, I was intrigued by this interesting plot line and do recommend it as a read.

Absolutely loved Olivia and Jakes love story. Such a fantastic and fascinating premise and I was entranced by the two parallel worlds that they lived in. It gave me tones of Back to the future and The Butterfly Effect.

The characterisations were authentic and the accomplished prose kept me turning the pages to find out how it all ended.

Such an original novel and one that I highly recommend.

I was so excited for this book, and unfortunately, I struggled a bit getting into it, and couldn't fully enjoy my experience with it. I do believe that this book has an audience that would love it, but for me it was bland and forgettable

I struggled with this one, because as much as I love a multiverse, this went a little off the rails in terms of plot holes, etc. It was super readable, and had great character development, but it was difficult for me to get behind the ending.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me share my opinion about this book.

First time reading a multiverse book and I am not a huge fan. The story was intriguing with Olivia and Jake enjoying a blissful afternoon together and then her tripping and falling off a cliff into another universe. She goes back to another universe to her parents, after being dead from falling off the same cliff, when she was 12. She is now 28, and has been living a life where she had not died and life had continued on. Her parents don't believe she is alive after all this time, but after doing a DNA test, they confirm that she is their daughter. Her mom is delighted and since she had become religious after her death, thinks it's a miracle and embraces her into their lives . It takes a long time for her father and sister to come around.
Meanwhile, Jake, her fiance, is living in another universe, where he has just lost her at 28, and there is no trace of her in the quarry where she has fallen, only her engagement ring is left behind. His universe details how he is attempting to deal with Olivia's loss when they were to be married in three weeks. He is devastated, despondent and depressed. Social media is chock full of stories of how everyone suspects he is the murderer. He can't go back to work as a lawyer for refugee women and children, because of the optics of how he is being vilified in the media.

Olivia is trying to live a normal life with her parents but she has no identification and social security number, since is technically dead. She can't get a legal job and is dependent on her parents. She meets Jake in this new universe and tells him about her other "reality" where they both were together since they were 12 and were to be getting married soon. He becomes quite interested in her story and meets with her to learn more about it. He is dating one of Olivia's sister's friends, Charlotte, and seems quite happy with her. Although, after meeting Olivia and hearing her story, he reminisces about the times when they were growing up together.

Olivia decides to go back to her "reality" by jumping off the cliff at the quarry where she had fallen, so she could get back to her old life and back with Jake. They meet again and the story ends happily. There could have been more to the end of the story, since it ended abruptly.

I’m really torn on reviewing this novel. It was infinitely readable, and I enjoyed the character progression. It was quick and immersive…but at the same time it was just a little too far fetched for me - particularly the ending, which was a shame after a good buildup.

This turned out to be intensely gripping for me! There were points where I just couldn’t pinpoint a reasonable solution to everything, which kept me turning the pages late into the night!

I loved the premise - I always enjoy novels that focus on how one moment can change everything, and the idea of Olivia falling off a cliff and dying aged 12 in one reality and being saved in another, was fascinating. I loved all the crossovers and comparisons of those two realities - how all the things that did and could have happened were there with the potential to happen in either reality.

When Olivia is in the version of reality where she died at 12, I just didn’t see a way out for her. I was like, surely she is stuck there because her family can’t be put through the grief of losing their daughter AGAIN. So in my mind, I thought the novel surely had to end with her still there. I was pleasantly surprised it took a different turn!

I also love how absolute Jake’s love for Olivia was, and how hers became that for him. They truly did seem like soulmates ❤️

Wish there had been an epilogue though 😭

What to expect:

-blurred reality/fantasy
-dual timeline/POV
-family drama
-childhood sweethearts
-soulmates
-mild spice

I could not put this book down, I pulled an all nighter to continue to read! It is fast paced and thought provoking, with a sliding door moment that could change a life forever. I will be recommending this book to EVERYONE! I cant wait to read more from this author

In this book we meet Olivia and Jake who are childhood sweethearts. They are just about to get married but suddenly Olivia is starting to have doubts. While on holiday Olivia falls off a cliff and wakes up in an alternative life.

It wasn't really a book for me. It all felt a bit far fetched and a little bit too much. Sorry.

This book was a little underwhelming to be honest. It had so much potential, but it just kind of fell a bit flat.

This book could have had it all.
Alternative life is one of my favorite plots in stories. I love thinking about it and I love seeing were a writer goes with this trope.

Unfortunately I really struggled with this book and didn't enjoy it. The main reason for that are the huge plot-holes throughout the story. I know this is a alternative timeline / life story, so a bit magical, but that doesn't mean that the story in itself should not make any sense.

I really wanted to love this book, but it just fell completely flat for me.

Have you ever had doubts and thought what if? Jake and Olivia are each others first loves. They are engaged and are looking forward to the future. As the wedding date approaches, Olivia starts to wonder if she’s making the right decision. She has never been with anyone but Jake. Should that be enough? Should she know what else is out there? Well, she is going to find out. Olivia falls from a cliff and wakes up in an alternate reality where she died when she was 12. Nothing is like the life she’s been living. She sees Jake and wants to run in his arms, but remembers that she doesn’t exist anymore. He has found a new love. Will they make it back to each other. I was hooked on this book from the start. It really makes you think and also to appreciate the life you’ve been given.
Thank you to CJ Connelly, Joffe Books, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an arc of this amazing book!