Very sliding doors esq. I love the lives of the group and how they change depending on which decision you make. Sad and happy all at the same time with a side dish of pathos added in. Well worth a read

I love Shari Low and this sweet tale was no exception! My only regret is taking so long to read it. Shari’s books never fail to cheer me up regardless of the mood I start it in! Excellent well rounded characters too. The real deal.

Shari Low uses a really interesting 'sliding doors' concept in 'With or Without You,' to explore the nature of relationships, actions and consequences - and whether we are set on a destination in life regardless of the decisions we make about life.
Liv and Nate have been married for six years and sadly life is becoming routine and mundane. It is New Years Eve on the cusp of the new millennium, and as they see the new year in together, the couple finally decide to make that difficult decision and go their separate ways...Can they be sure, however, that it is the right decision?
Over the next twenty years Shari Low very cleverly explores two sides to Liv and Nate's story; in one scenario they remain together despite their doubts, in the other they do indeed go their separate ways.
The consequences of both actions make for a very thought provoking read!
I give this book 4 stars.

Good read. Interesting concept to follow your choice after it is made and the what ifs. Entertaining characters and story.

It’s the last moments of 1999 and Liv and Nate have decided after several years of marriage to separate. Despite caring for each other, things aren’t working but when Nate at the last minute asks for another chance Liv has to decide - stay or leave? In two alternate timelines, readers see what happens with each decision.

I really love alternate timeline stories and any kind of what if storyline so was excited to read this - particularly after reading Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Maybe in Another Life which follows the same alternate timeline depending on one decision.

This was definitely my least favourite out of the two unfortunately as it felt a little bit simple at times, and also repetitive. I found the main character Liv a bit bland and despite being just a general good person, I really didn’t feel like I got to know more of her personality and therefore couldn’t quite understand the appeal of her to the men who keep falling in love with her. I also found that Liv repeated phrases and descriptions a lot and it grew really irritating! For example, every time Janet appeared, Liv would mention her ‘inner bitch’.

I did appreciate the look at alcoholism and addition in this book through one of Liv and Nate’s friends though i can’t say I actually liked that storyline (especially as I felt like both timelines felt repetitive and there was nothing particularly new about the second one).

One of the things you don’t want to happen with an alternate timeline storyline happened to me with this book which is when I finished the ‘Without’ timeline, I was not interested at all in finishing the second half which was the ‘With’ storyline. I ended up finding the With timeline a bit boring and so many of the same things still happened and there wasn’t that much of a difference with some things. I prefer the ‘being happy with different outcomes’ rather than the ‘fate will always give you only one person.’

I also, for some reason, found it a bit creepy and unrealistic that they had the same kids in the timelines despite them being conceived at different times. Weird.

I really wanted to love this as it sounded great. Maybe it would work better as a film. There was just something not right for me. I found liv irritating in that in every scenario she wanted nate back even though it was her who had stepped away from the marriage. There were so many characters to get my head around and I found myself skipping the vast descriptions of things to get to the conversations. I didn't want to read more chapters of liv pining after nate whilst he moves on. And who thought that the whole group of friends going on holiday together would be a good idea?! Talk about awkward!

With or Without You is a romantic drama about Liv and Nate and two parallel stories of them splitting up or staying together after six years of marriage. I struggled a little with the repetitive nature of the story and the mundane, unimaginative writing.

I would like tot thank Aria for sending me the paper back and organising the blog tour for With or Without You.
We all make choices in life and the main idea running through the plot in With or Without You is what would or could have been? I lovely idea for s story and a romance.
I adored meeting all the characters and loved Sasha. I found it interesting how the story is told through two perspectives, with and without. You find elements of the story out before certain things had happened but it did not take anything away from the story. It is written so well.
Perfect for anyone who loves a good romance.

This is a compelling premise for a ‘Sliding Doors’-type story, looking at the different paths that life takes for Liv and her friends based on her decision to stay (or not) with her husband Nate. We move through years, birthdays, weddings, births and funerals on both storylines and the end result is an enjoyable read, albeit a little too chick lit for me in places.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

With or Without You by Shari Low is all about the little decisions we make that can, in hindsight, turn out to be the big ones that change the course of our lives.

The story begins on the eve of the new Millennium and the closing moments of 1999: Liv and Nate have been married for six years, and together since university, but have decided to separate. But at the last minute, Liv wobbles: should she stay, or should she go?

What follows is the outcome of both decisions, seen over the course of twenty years. In the first half of the novel, we see how their lives play out when Liv leaves Nate, and in the second half, we see what happens when they stay together. We see what changes and what stays the same, and how some things are meant to be, no matter the choices we make.

The first version of their lives felt more fleshed-out than the second, maybe because as the reader, we already know the rough outlines of the characters’ trajectories, and so the second half felt slightly less engaging – although I still wanted to read on to see how their stories, and those of their friends, ended.

With or Without You is an enjoyable quick read, one that covers all the ups-and-downs of life, love, and loss, and one that will leave you thinking about all those little moments in life that turned out to be the big ones after all.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book had me curious from the beginning and it lived up to all my expectations! The characters are all wonderful and hilarious (I want to be friends with Sasha!) and distinct. I felt like I was one of them while I was reading. It was like I got to live out a life with them and experience all the highs, lows, laughs, and turmoil with them. That's magical.

It was both cool and weird to read the branching lives. Switching from Without to With was an abrupt shift of gears and I felt some grinding in there before we really found our stride. And to be honest, I tuned out a little at the beginning of the "With" portion because I knew a lot of those details. But there were still surprises and twists to be found!

This is a wonderful read. I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone who:
- is a romantic
- has ever pondered the quantum ramifications of our choices
- has ever been faced with a similar choice

This was a very interesting scenario and well developed. I thought the second part would be boring as you already had the main threads of the story. Fortunately the second part was very well done and kept my interest right to the end. Entertaining story.

I have two problems with this book:

1: I can't get the song out of my head.
2: It was impossible to put down. Very distracting.

We all wonder about what-ifs in our lives....even the happiest of us wonder what could have been. This is the premise of With or Without You. It obviously has parallels to Sliding Doors but rather than having the two alternative stories running alongside each other the results of one decision are told separately. That decision is made by Liv, as she decides whether to stay with her husband Nate or cut her losses and end their marriage. In both scenarios, her choice has ramifications not just for her and Nate but also her friends and even some strangers.

I must admit as I read the first pages I wasn't 100% sure this was for me. But suddenly it had me, and I think that wasn't just the story, it was the characters who at one point describe themselves as a less funny, less attractive and less rich version of the Friends cast. It could be said that's a fair description but you'd have to throw in that this bunch are more relatable and far more likeable (Don't get me wrong I love Friends but let's face it, they are a bunch of a-holes!).

The first half tells the story of if Liv leaves Nate. Pay attention as it's littered with clues about how the 'with him' story unravels. Both have their heart breaks and laughs but I think despite rooting for the'with him' scenario it was the 'without him' that was my favourite. But I did love the whole novel, its not my usual cup of tea but it made a nice change. It's well written and characterised throughout and certainly a book I would recommend.

Wow!  I really enjoy Shari Low's books and this one was no exception.  The idea presented in the blurb intrigued me - could one decision really affect your whole life?  

I loved the way the chapters were devoted to special events in the lives of this group of friends - parties, birthdays, weddings.  It was a chance to catch up with what had been going on with them all, without having a lot of 'filler' detail.  This meant that, rather than a frothy chick lit read, it became a more intriguing and enjoyable read.  There was difficult subject matter tackled well by the author.  Her writing is fresh, fun and moving - you really do get attached to these characters and wants to see what happens to them in both situations.  

Highly;y recommend this one and look forward to more from Shari Low!

This is a sliding doors type book, the decisions you make can alter your whole life. Enjoyable read and quite thought provoking in places.

Have you ever made a decision and then questioned it? This is the premise of this book. Very much a sliding doors/life in a parallel universe kind of story. Moving, poignant. Well written. 4* from me. One to recommend. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy..

I was expecting something quite frothy but was pleasantly surprised by the depth in this. I hadn't read the author before but I definitely will again.

This 'what if?' novel made a good holiday read. I enjoyed finding out about Liv and finding out what might have been.

Definitely the "sliding doors" scenario. We all have those "what if" moments and this book covers it all, The characters are believable and the book is interspersed with some very funny and interesting moments. I think this is wavering a bit towards the "reading in one sitting" holiday read, which is not normally my type of book but nevertheless enjoyed it.

This book took me on an emotional roller coaster. I ended up caring about the characters very much. It was beautifully written. My first Shari Low read and it certainly won't be my last. I am sure we all at some stage in out life ask the "what if" question. Thought provoking and a wonderful read. I thoroughly recommend this book and I will be reading more from Shari Low in the future.