TW: Miscarriage, death of child

Have you ever had a book that has been on your TBR for so long that when you do pick it up, you’re so mad at yourself for not doing it sooner? This is one of those books!

First, I’d like to thank Berkley and Colleen Oakley for the review copy. Originally, it was an ARC, but life got hectic so here we are!

I adored Mia’s character. She has a strong head on her shoulders and I agreed with her all the time. She is driven and she fights for her loved ones. She is realistic, but also believes that her dreams about a man mean something. That particular man being Oliver. When Oliver admits to dreaming about Mia, I was so psyched to see what would happen. Mia is willing to dive into the research to understand what is happening between them. And what I love and respect about both characters is respecting the fact that Mia is married. Oliver isn’t a “pick me” guy, and I love that. Mia’s husband, Harrison, is also a really good character. I found myself agreeing with him on a few things. He did question the authenticity of Oliver’s dreams about Mia, and frankly, I did too. What if this supposedly love story turned serial killer? That would be a plot twist.

Speaking of plot twists: It takes a lot for a book to keep me guessing! I had no idea where we were going with this. I really enjoyed the ending, as I think it fit the characters really well!

Overall, phenomenal book. Definitely give it a read!

Heart wrenching, great relationships, so suspenseful. This is the first book I've read by Colleen, and I truly loved it. She was a guest on my Crime & Wine show.

You Were There Too is somewhat of a mystical novel of real life blended with dream life. Perhaps a life we all live to some extent. Mia, Harrison, and Oliver survive together as Mia exists and tries to live her life. But the ending of the novel is one of Colleen Oakley' s best yet. Wow! You must ' read it.

Mia is an artist, and her husband Harrison is a doctor. Having moved to Hope Springs from Philadelphia, both are hoping for a fresh start after a series of letdowns. Somehow, she begins dreaming of another man. And then she sees him in real life. His name is Oliver. I felt like for the majority of the book I was waiting for an emotional punch that never came until the very end. A main theme of this book is the notion of fate, and how much we are an agent in choosing our fate. Despite loving the premise of this book, for some reason I just couldn't connect with Mia and I'm not exactly sure why. I thought this would be more emotional and it felt like the the author held back or something. Overall it was an average read

I read this book in a day! And honestly it was even better than I expected. I related to a lot of aspects of this book in terms of my personal life, so I connected with the characters and plot on an even deeper level. The ending produced a few tears in my eyes too, which automatically gives this book a special place in my heart. I was very impressed by Oakley's writing, and I felt so immersed in the story. I appreciated it when the plot became unexpected and did not go the way I was expecting things to go. Honestly this book just checked every box on my wishlist for a book, so my recommendation for this one is glowing.

This was so good! It was a bit of a departure from my typical romance read - definitely more Women’s Fiction than romance. I don’t want to try to summarize this because I went in not knowing anything about it, and I think you should too. This is the kind of book you are thinking about days later. My only complaint is there wasn’t an epilogue that put a pretty bow on the whole story, but it wasn’t that kind of book. Put this on your TBR list!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC!

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2021 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

I try to read across the genres to be aware of what diverse book buyers are likely to enjoy. And while Romance and Women’s Fiction are not my favored reading categories, the premise of the novel was so appealing I couldn’t resist requesting it. The description was accurate and the characters did not, for the most part, disappoint. At a few points I questioned the logic behind each of the main character’s actions. But in real life, another’s actions won’t make sense to you- and in fact the doer may not always be sure of his or her motive. I enjoyed the writing, and I think the author cleverly tied together diverse threads of the plot.

Mia is married to an amazing man. She however keeps having this reoccurring dream with a random man in them. Then she meets the man in her dream in real life. Is it fate?

With characters you will be drawn to,Colleen Oakley has written an brilliant new book. Stories of dreams and struggles of real life dominate this story. Fascinating! There is no rhyme or reason to some things in life. We doubt our own actions and look for what might have been. This is more about love than anything else. Grab it up!!

I felt like the plot of this book was completely out of left field and there were so many aspects of the plot that I just didn’t understand why they were there. Not a favorite of mine for sure.

What an interesting concept this book was. It was an emotional experience overall and even though I saw the ending coming, I was entirely too unhappy with it. I thought the writing was really lovely and I'm sure I'll pick up something else from Oakley in the future.

Throughout this book I was always so tempted to write down my thoughts on how this book was making me feel🤔✍🏻💭And to be honest I was unsure at times? Usually I always know what character I’m rooting for in a romance novel but this one threw me for a loop. Without giving too much away(since I feel this is a must read for a lot of you) I felt like this read took me by surprise in the best way possible. Emotions were on high alert 🚨 and I must say the last 40 pages were mind blowing and totally unexpected 🤯. Overall my heart felt full and complete with this read giving it a solid 4.5 🌟’s.

Synopsis: Mia and her husband Harrison leave Philadelphia and move to small-town Hope Springs on a spur of the moment decision to escape their personal and professional blunders. As Harrison settles into being the surgeon at the local hospital, Mia, an artist, struggles to find work and a way to occupy her time. Pregnant for the third time, after experiencing two heartbreaking back to back miscarriages, Mia has a hard time trusting that her pregnancy will make it full term and also struggles to find inspiration for painting.

For years, Mia has been plagued by dreams of a handsome stranger. These dreams began when she was a teenager and though she recognizes him in her dream world, he is a stranger to her in real life. The dreams are often intense, some sexual, and the others very intense. Then one day, while she is out and about in Hope Springs, she unexpectedly comes face to face with him. As they begin talking Mia is shocked to find out that he has been dreaming of her also.

Mia begins a quest to find out what her dreams mean and why they are happening. Putting her marriage to the test, Mia must make some hard decisions and do some soul searching on what she wants her future to be like.

Review: Wow! Where do I even begin with this story? This book certainly gave me all the feels, and I wasn’t expecting it. Colleen Oakley draws readers in with her well-developed characters, that are both likable and relatable. You Were There Too is an emotional rollercoaster, centering on marriage, fate, and grief, with a strong character-driven storyline. The tone is moving and romantic, and her writing style is engaging. Just when you are expecting a happy ending, WHAM! Colleen Oakley sucker punches you in the gut and rips your heart out.

“Maybe all that matters is that love is a circle. Infinite. Eternal. Present, even when the person you want to be there most is absent.”
― Colleen Oakley, You Were There Too

Overall, You Were There Too is a captivating and worthwhile read. It’s earnest, thought-provoking, and poignant.

This is another interesting book from one of my favourite authors. Mia and Harrison decide to move from the city to a small town where they hope to start their family. Mia is a little unsettled as she adjusts to the move. Sadly Mia suffers a horrible miscarriage and it’s not her first one. Mia also has been having dreams of another man for quite some time. She is confused about the dreams as they are very vivid and she doesn’t remember ever meeting the man recurring in them. By chance Mia and Harrison meet the man that Mia is dreaming about. Mia is stunned and Oliver, the man in the dreams, appears to recognize her too. As Mia and Oliver spend time together they try to piece together what the dreams mean and if they have ever connected with each other in the past. Meanwhile Harrison is changing before Mia’s eyes. He now abruptly decides he doesn’t want to have children. What does all this mean? Which man should Mia be with? This book has some interesting details about dreams and makes you wonder about your own dreams.

I didn't expect to like this book. It deals with hard, heavy topics, but I couldn't put it down. Mia was an engaging character and I truly connected with Harrison. I was able to understand both sides of their marriage and hard situations. This book did deal with so much: miscarriages, accidental death of a patient, guilt, aldultery, death of a loved one, a shooting. All of this is dealt with along with the main character's dreams of another man and then the real life meeting of that mysterious man and what it means for her life. It was an incredibly heavy novel and yet I couldn't put it down. I was so enthralled. I think many people could love this book, but I could also understand how it's not for everyone. I will be putting this author on my to read list and look for her novels in the future.

You Were There Too is a spell binding mystery. Mia seems to have the perfect life and husband, but she still has these weird dreams staring another man. A relocation and soon Mia meets the man in her dreams literally. Now things are getting even more and more strange and her world start to unravel around her. Will she get to the bottom of these strange dreams and the mystery man before her world blows up? Read You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley and find out for yourself.

You Were There Too is a heartbreakingly beautiful and equally suspenseful tale about love, life, and the twists and turns along the way. Colleen integrates the fascinating concept of dreams and the psyche in a way that feels realistic and believable, just like the characters she creates.

What is there to say about this book and author? I LOVE HER! I have always read her stories and could easily read her books in one day. This was no different. It was such an intense read and so full of feelings. This was easily a story that I could connect to and relate to as someone who has gone through fertility issues. Wanting something so much and going through losses to achieve that dream is devastating. This book was captivating.

This book tried to be cute and mysterious, but it failed on all accounts. I could easily put this book down and move onto another project. There were not any likable characters in the entire book.