There are so many things I would love to say about When You’re Gone and I am afraid anything that I do say won’t give this book the justice that it deserves. Brooke Harris’ talent for writing an emotionally gripping story will just grab you so deeply and never let go. Harris hits you hard with all the feels, all the emotions will just bubble forth and at times, will make you cry your eyes out. It is not often I read such a powerful story with such a strong message where I want to sit back and just remember and then go right back to the beginning and start reading all over again. For an example, my all time favorite movie is The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I went to see this movie every weekend in the theatres with a friend of mine and cried every single time until sadly, it left the theaters. Nothing I have ever read and no other movie ever came as close to what I felt for The Notebook, until I read When You’re Gone. Harris has done what so many other authors have tried to do….make me fall in love with a story.

Brooke Harris has created wonderfully written characters that you can root for, that you want to see their happiness even through all of the sadness. Holly is such an exceptional character. She is going through a tough time with her breakup from Nate and even tougher time accepting the fate of her unborn baby who is very ill. Sadly, during this time, her grandmother is also very sick and does not have much time left. Here we learn about Annie and her story and it so emotionally heartbreaking. But, Annie’s story is two-fold as it opens up Holly to learning how to live and find the strength within herself to go on and to find happiness.

When You’re Gone is told in the present and the past interweaving Annie’s story along with Holly’s in the present. I really found myself savoring every moment of this story as I just did not want it to end. I teared up for many scenes, sighed through many scenes (it just grabbed my heart), and then sobbed my eyes out. Wow! I am still in awe by what I have just read. Brooke Harris is a tremendously talented writer and it is times like this where I am so glad I read books.

When You’re Gone is simply captivating. It is emotionally heartbreaking and yet uplifting at the same time. It is a story about family, love, acceptance and knowing when to let go. I can not recommend this book highly enough. There are not enough stars to show just how much this book meant to me you will just have to read it for yourself in order to understand how much of a great book this truly is. Top read of the year!

I just LOVED this brilliant book from start to finish. A story that stays with you long after you've finished reading. One to savour. Just beautiful! Very highly recommended.

This is a story about a very close-knit family. Holly is home to visit her ailing grandmother. All signs indicate that her nana, Alice, doesn’t have long to live. The family is devastated. They are struggling to deal with the impending loss but also trying to hold on to Alice and keep her on earth just a little longer. It is during this time that the family discovers Alice’s writing about her first love.

This story in narrated in a dual timeline. I was utterly captivated by the 1958 timeline. Alice’s story was so poignant and well detailed. I found myself looking forward to her narration, maybe because I enjoy historical fiction or just because of her character and the unfolding love story. Holly’s narration was also interesting though for some reason, it didn’t pull me in like Alice’s.

This is a story about family, love and loss. It is both beautiful and heartbreaking. There were moments that had me smiling while others made me a little teary. I lost my grandparents way back in the 90s and can’t remember much about them. Reading about Alice and her family makes me feel like I missed out on important relationships and some great stories too.

<b><i>When it rains look for the rainbow, when it’s dark look for the stars.</i></b>

A beautifully told story filled with heartbreak and hope. Brooke Harris sure knows how to paint a story with emotion and heart that will tug at your heartstrings. This book touches on some pretty depressing subject matter but it is handled with warmth and compassion. If you have ever suffered a miscarriage or had issues with pregnancy/fertility there could be some possible triggers. But as someone who has had two miscarriages herself I really feel as though this was handled with care.

At its core this is a book about love, especially the love between grandmother and granddaughter. Holly is called home when her beloved grandmother Annie is dying. The bond between them is amazing and the last days they spend together are priceless. Annie still has a story to tell and Holly is the one that needs to hear it. The story bounces back and forth in time Annie’s story in 1959 and Holly’s story in present day. Earth grandmother and granddaughter’s stories are heart wrenching and emotional bursting with love and family and grief. Annie’s story is about a magical love of a lifetime a tale that will not only pull at your heartstrings but squeeze them until they hurt. Holly story is equally as emotional this is a book that requires at least one box of Kleenex!

This is one of those books that will put your heart through the ringer and leave you with a book hangover the next day. A story that will evoke every possible emotion you have and some you didn’t even know you did. The characters are likable and relatable the type of characters that will stick with you long after the book has ended. Next time you are in the mood for a book with all the feels, beautiful storytelling, and a cast of amazing characters, this is your book! Absolutely recommend!

*** A big thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

I wish I could give this book 4.5 stars. I truly loved it but the ending made me so mad. I was so invested in these characters and loved their stories so much that the heartbreak was almost too much for me. I wish I could rewrite the ending, but maybe that's part of the point: life isn't fair and it's hard and sometimes breaks our hearts. There is a lot of pain in this book but there's so much love in just about every character's story. Most of the characters are quite loveable and feel like family. In fact, Holly's story with her mom and dying Nana is very relatable to me because I went through the exact situation. Needless to say, I cried often during those sections of the book. I couldn't get enough of Annie and Sketch's story and wish there was more to explore. I loved this book so much I devoured it in one day and I feel a little empty now that it's over. This will be one of those stories that sticks with me a while and I'll be thinking about the characters for weeks to come.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It has been previously released under the title When It Rains, but this copy does contain significant editorial revisions. This is the story of Holly and her family. She returns back to her family home when her Nana, Annie is dying. Whilst there, Holly discovers that Annie, wrote a story of her life back in 1958 when she met the love of her life, Albert ‘Sketch’ Talbot. Holly finds the handwritten book and together with her family reads to the story to Annie. As she reads it, Holly is forced to face the reality of her life at that moment – pregnant but her unborn baby is seriously ill, Holly’s relationship with Nate is also dying. Can Annie’s story help her through this time?

Wow, this was one seriously emotional book!! Told from two different timescales, present day from Holly’s point of view and in 1958 from Annie’s point of view, this book certainly took me on one hell of a rollercoaster ride of emotions! Beginning in the present day, my heart went out to Holly journeying back to her family home to be with her Nana in her last few days. Holly was such a likeable character, as was all the family, and it was clear to see how distraught Holly was with not only the upset of Annie dying, but also the news that her unborn baby had a serious illness and was unlikely to survive also. I couldn’t imagine what poor Holly was going through but admired her courage for staying as strong as she did throughout the book. I could see her broken relationship with her partner, Nate was one worth saving, and I was willing Holly throughout the book to also see that she needed him just as much as he needed her.

Annie’s story was just wonderful. Set back in 1958 when Annie was a teenage girl, her story is interspersed amongst the present day chapters. Again my heart went out to another generation of this family, and I absolutely loved the young Annie. This was though, another heart-breaking tale as Annie and her mother suffered physical abuse from the hands of her alcoholic father, but meeting Albert ‘Sketch’ Talbot gives Annie a chance of happiness.

Both stories was heart-breaking, yet with a strange sense of happiness. This book shows the strength of true love and family relationships. I have made it all sound like all doom and gloom, but it really isn’t like that at all! Yes, there are some overwhelmingly sad parts, but the gaps are filled with love and tenderness that make even the sad parts feel so much better. The writing was beautiful and the last few chapters certainly stay with you long after the book is finished. Whilst they are written very sensitively, it does have some topics which may be upsetting, so just a word of warning.

A story of love, loss, family, secrets and regret, this book will certainly tug at your heartstrings. I was completely hooked from the very first page and only managed to dry my eyes after I had finished the book. Would highly recommend, but would also make sure you have a large box of tissues at the ready as you are going to need them!

This is a beautifully written book. It is about two different generations and their loss, heartache and love. It I had me close to tears on several occasions. It is set in beautiful, scenic Ireland. The descriptions brought the characters and their surroundings vividly to life. This is a wonderful story that is definitely worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

WHAT A BOOK!!! Sorry for shouting, but it just feels right. It was a-ma-zing, fabulous, wonderful. 

The book contains two equally beautiful stories. Holly's love story is taking place in the present and Annie's in the past. The author alternates between the two and although Holly's story is very emotional as well, I was more attracted to Annie's. It really had my eyes fill with tears and the emotions were so raw that I felt her pain and happiness.

I have to say I have already read a fair amount of books. Some of them will stick with you forever and this is one that will be added to my shelf never-to-be-forgotten.

The book was heartbreaking, heartfelt, heartstopping. 

I liked the way the author chose her characters. They were perfect for the role they had to play.

I regret I did not buy shares from Kleenex before I started reading. I would have made myself a very rich woman ... 

I can only say one more thing : I loved it! 5 stars.

Thank you, Brooke Harris, Bookouture and Netgalley.

Holly is having problems with a pregnancy where the baby is seriously ill and a relationship that is falling apart and to make it worse her beloved Nana Annie is dying. Annie knows that Holly is suffering and so asks her to read out her journal to her, the story of her lifelong love for one man, Sketch........ can Annie's story help Holly find her way?

A lovely emotional story, compelling from the first pages and one that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it..... definitely recommended.

Well this has been a truly beautiful, emotional and heart breaking story from beginning to end.

I was pleasantly surprised by this story, it created so many mixed emotions within me. I felt so strongly for some of the characters and yet at the same time I wanted to yell and scream at some of them too. Never have I felt so angry towards a character. That in itself shows how talented this author is, the way she brings her characters to life that we almost forget they aren't real.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story, which is told in the present and the past, some parts were very sad to read and made me think how unfair life can be at times. This is a story that will seriously pull on the heart.

This has been my first read by this author but it won't be my last as I have two of her books sitting on my kindle waiting for me.

Lovely and emotional dual time line story. Annie has never told her family her whole story but she did write about it. Holly, her granddaughter, is having a tough time and, to add to it, Annie is dying. She asks Holly to read from the memoir. Oh what a journey! From a miserable awful life with an abusive father to her joyous relationship with Sketch, this felt so real. Harris has created terrific characters who you will root for (well, not all of them!). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Nicely plotted and written, this is the sort of novel you want to curl up with.

This is the story of Annie and her granddaughter Holly, the story is set over 2 time periods. The present day is told from Holly’s perspective and the past via Annie’s manuscript, which the family read at Annie’s deathbed.
A very emotive story about life, love and death.
Make the most of the time you have with loved ones no matter how short.
Beautifully written

This book is beyond amazing. How can I put into words how this book made me feel. The answer is that I simply can’t. It evoked all sorts of emotions inside me.
My advice is this is a must read book but please avoid mascara as you will definitely cry

A beautiful journey filled with family, relationships, pain, friendship, and at the core of it LOVE. Not the love shown in movies, but the kinds that connects the hearts and the souls, the kinds that is felt in life and beyond, the kinds that becomes the colors of the rainbow and the twinkle of the star!!

The story goes thus; Holly is called back home as her Nana is dying. She soon realizes that her Nana knows her far deeper than she can guess and has a message for her in the form of a book written and kept in the attic. Holly brings it out and starts reading the story of her Nana Annie. This is Annie's story, a saga of her pain and her eternal love for Sketch.

This story by author Brooke Harris made me cry as I read through the pages. Each chapter showed Annie's courage and love for her mother as both suffered through the torture and physical abuse at the hands of the father, but stayed strong for each other. In such a strife, came Sketch bringing with him a love which was like a balm to the damaged soul and a hope for freedom and dreams.

Brooke's writing brought out the bubbles of emotions, ripping my heart into pieces and joining them back. I cried when Annie did, it was so powerful, the last few pages saw me sobbing and breaking down completely. Brooke squeezed every last bit of my emotions out from my heart till I had nothing more left to give.

A book which touched my cold heart and made me long for the stars. I see my dreams as clearly as Annie saw hers!!
When it rains, look for the rainbow. When it's dark, look for the stars!!

Beautiful but heartbreaking story.
Annie lives an awful life at the hands of her cruel father her world changes for the ether when her old school friend Sketch comes back into her life....Holly (Annues Grandaughter) is also facing turmoil her beloved Nana is really poorly & her unborn child seriously ill.. The book switches between 1950's Young Annie's life to present day with Holly & is wonderfully interwoven.
This story is so emotionally charged it's compelling,soul destroying but beautiful all at the same time. Loved every page!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it. Holly comes back home to say goodbye to her Nana who is dying. Holly finds pages to a book that was handwritten by her Nana. The book is the story of her Nana's life and so begins the present and past of this book. It is very unique in the way the story goes back and forth and I so enjoyed it!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy...

Oh my heart!!! That's such a heartbreaking story!! Oh my god!! It's amazing and beautifully written!!

Looking forward to read more book from new author..

Holly loves her Nana and has really fond memories of the times she and her brother spent with her when they were small children. So when Nana first falls ill and has her diagnosis, she is very upset. But the day her brother phones her and gently tells her that it is time for her to drive to Nana’s home in Abhenry, it seems that nothing at all in her life is right. She is already very stressed, having recently received the news that her unborn baby is very sick, but knowing that she is going to lose Nana very soon is just too heart-breaking for her to bear. All the time she is driving to see Nana, she hopes against all hopes that she will be in time. Whatever else can go wrong? She has already split up with her baby’s father and now she feels as though she is adrift in a sea of misery.
Nana in confined to her bedroom with a whole cacophony of medical paraphernalia and a nurse is in attendance when Holly arrives. She is so happy to see her though, but Holly is unprepared for how fragile her Nana is. She wants to do everything she can to make Nana happy and soon the opportunity to do just that is presented to her. Before she goes, she wants to hear the story of her one and only love just once more. They discover a handwritten manuscript in the loft. Bit by bit Holly begins to read about Nana’s life with an overbearing and cruel father who dictated everything she did. He abused both her and her mother, emotionally, physically and psychologically. Nana gets very tired easily and hardly has the strength to talk, but the wide smile that lights up her face when Holly reaches the part of the story about the day she met her childhood best friend Arthur Talbot makes it all worthwhile. Nana is happy at last as she listens to Holly reading.
‘When You’re Gone’ as an absorbing and beautifully written story full of emotion and family secrets. Although the story does deal with love and loss, it is also uplifting and joyful in other parts. The love story between Nana (Annie) and ‘Sketch’ as Arthur was nicknamed, is tender and full of love and light, as is the story between Nana and her mother, living in daily fear and totally downtrodden, but supporting and looking out for each other as well. I loved all of the wonderful characters created by Brooke Harris, but my favourites were Annie and Sketch. The novel is written in dual time frame, with Nanna’s story of her life in the 1950’s interspersed with the modern story. It was once published as ‘When it Rains’, but has been extensively remodelled into the present poignant tale of abuse, alcoholism, sacrifice and family bonds.
I received this excellent and moving novel through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Bookouture, all in return for an honest review. This is my 4.5* review. All the opinions are my own with no influence from other parties. It is going to go on my list of recommendations as highly readable and a real page turner.
Beautifully written story of family love, buried secrets, troubles and triumphs

I loved this book it was just amazing. Loved the writing style characters & would highly recommend this to anyone it’s just perfect in every way.

This book was a complete surprise. I picked it based on the cover. I have been burned, as all of us have, by that form of picking books. But, in this case, it was totally on the money. The cover is understated, and the book is as well. It is a love story but not exactly a romance novel. There are two storylines, as is common now, a grandmother as a younger woman and her granddaughter now. Both are dealing with loving someone when it is challenging. The writing is strong and the pacing good.

I don't want to give a spoiler, but I do want to note that there is a part of this book about a challenging pregnancy. If you have struggled with getting pregnant or losing babies, please be aware of this subplot. I found the treatment of this aspect probably the strongest part of the book. But, I am many years past my losses.