“It doesn’t feel like this is where I’m supposed to be.”

You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley is our first book by this Author, and what an impact she’s left on our hearts! We were intrigued by the synopsis, however, the story is so much more than what is hinted at. In fact, the synopsis really doesn’t touch the depth of the lives of Mia and Harrison. The emotional psychology and human behaviour in the face of tragedy was brilliantly written. It felt raw and painful to bear witness too. It left us heartbroken at times, yet it showcased strength, resilience, compassion and ultimately healing through love.

‘…he knows one thing for certain: Mia’s sadness is his sadness and he’d carry it around with him like water in a bucket until the end of his days if it meant that she didn’t have to.’

Mia and Harrison have recently settled down in a small town where Harrison continues his surgical career in the local hospital and Mia continues her aspirations of becoming a renowned artist. They are fleeing the city –emotionally- and the move almost serves as a new beginning for them. However, unresolved emotion has a tendency to follow you. Harrison has a heavy weight on his shoulders and Mia cannot escape her dreams, dreams which features a man who she recognises. She needs to know what these dreams mean and we were right there alongside her, marvelling at the vivid imagery and hidden symbolism. Our heart broke for her and we understood her frustration, her confusion and her sadness. Her need to solve a mystery directing her thoughts and feelings away from the intense pain in her heart.

“I dream about you, too.”

Harrison is silently going through a rough time after a grave tragedy for which he blames himself. Not only that, he shares a heart-breaking loss with his wife. Mia, caught up in her own deep sorrow, chasing a dream analysis, is unaware of Harrison’s internal struggle. His erratic behaviour and decisions. Unbeknownst to her, Harrison is suffering, greatly. Whist they have their bad days, never once did we question their love nor their marriage.

‘I learned happiness was a fleeting thing – something that’s here one minute and snatched away the next, like a shooting star or a moonbeam that can’t be caught or held or locked up in a cage.’

Going through life, how many of us have questioned the plausibility of whether there truly is a connection between our dreams and our reality. Whether the extremity of our dreams have a base in some deep-rooted feeling or fear of something yet to come. Many of us have felt déjà vu, subconsciously triggered memories and premonitions or had that nagging gut feeling before something happens. It’s a fascinating area of psychology and we loved how well it was written in this novel. Whilst we absolutely loved You Were There Too, we did feel that the ending was rushed and we didn’t feel quite convinced of closure. When you feel like your heart has been dragged over barbed wire and you didn’t see it coming you need something extra to give you your breath back.

I think of the banal platitude: Love isn’t supposed to hurt. But really, if you’re doing it right, love hurts all the time.’

I'll start by saying this is not a fun read. It's not light, carefree, or fluffy so tread lightly if that's what you're into. What it is is heart-breaking, distressing, and a complete page-turner. If you don't cry by the end of this book it's only because your eyes are broken.

Mia has a pretty shiny life. She and her gorgeous doctor husband have just bought a house in the suburbs and she's pregnant with their child. But underneath the glossy top layer, there's trouble brewing. This is Mia's third pregnancy, and she's desperate for it to stick, her husband is dealing with a deep depression after having one of his patients die during surgery, and most mysteriously, Mia can't stop dreaming about a man who's not her husband. A man she's never met before, but has dreamed about for years.

And then she means the man of her dreams. And he is pretty dreamy in real life. Of course, this adds stress to a marriage that is already pretty stressed out. What ensues is a story about marriage, grief, and the idea of fate.

It took a little while, but once I got into this book I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what these dreams meant, where the carousel came into play, and who Mia would pick. There were so many horrible, emotional moments in this story. It takes true talent to evoke so much. I've never read anything by Colleen Oakley before, but I definitely will in the future. The ending of this book killed me. I'm still recovering.

This book started slowly for me but ended up giving me exactly what I hoped for. Love is a real thing and this book reminded me over and over that everything happens as it is meant to. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who enjoys a bumpy ride to.happiness.

I'm gutted.
What a heartbreaking book.
But yet...a beautiful story of love, and loss, and love, and real life.
Usually when I read a book like this, I think "Why don't they act like a real person would in this situation?" I never said that once about this novel, they all acted exactly like they should, and that is what makes this book so utterly gut-wrenching, because of the stark reality, even in the face of fanciful unexplained circumstances.
I loved Mia and Harrison and Oliver. Tears are still in my eyes.
I wanted a different ending, and yet this was the perfect ending.
Fans of Karma Brown will really like this book.

I really enjoyed Oakley's sophomore novel but STILL have managed to skip her debut. Regardless, I knew I needed this one. It reminded me of an adult version of my YA favorite Dreamology, where the main character has recurring dreams with a man/boy and then finds that they actually exist in real life... and they've been dreaming about her too. Mia has been dreaming of Oliver for years and discovers he's also been dreaming of her too. They don't share/live out the same dreams at the same time but they do have similar ones sometimes.

This was a heavy book (major trigger warning for miscarriage and infertility) - definitely heavier than I expected - but very impactful. The first line of the synopsis says "heart-wrenching" but I didn't expect this level of it for some reason.

I really enjoyed the rare pops of chapters we got from other points of view (Harrison, Whitney, etc.). It added a little something different to the story. I did enjoy reading Mia's point of view though. I felt her struggle and knew there was really no easy solution to her problems. The book just felt so REAL and raw, following the ebbs and flows of her relationship(s) in a way I could understand and empathize with. Like I said though: it made for a pretty hard read, and not every decision she made was perfect or logical. I didn't agree with everything she did or said along the way.

I'm a huge fan of books involving fate/destiny and the choices we make. Is everything meant to be and predetermined, or do our decisions shape our lives and futures? This book definitely dove into that topic and I loved it. It's hard to get into a lot of it without spoiling the ending (because holy SHIT did I not see any of that coming - I thought it was going to end quietly), but overall: this was another solid and fascinating book by Colleen Oakley. Also, I will never look at a pair of sweatpants the same way ever again ❤

What if had reoccurring dreams about a man you never met and then met him? When Mia and her surgeon husband move to a small town from Philadelphia, she hopes to have a baby and work on her art career. But she keeps miscarrying and her husband finally admits he’s not sure he wants a baby—and BAM in walks the man of her dreams. Turns out he has dreams of Mia as well. Well developed characters show the emotions all three are going through and the unexpected ending is much more satisfying that I had expected.

"...ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ ᴄʜᴀᴏs ᴏғ ʟɪғᴇ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴍᴇᴛ sᴏᴍᴇʜᴏᴡ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ᴇʟsᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ, ᴡᴇ ᴄʜᴏᴏsᴇ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ᴅᴀʏ.”
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𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 to @NetGalley and @berkleypub for my ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
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Get your tissues out. A heart-breaking/warming/wrenching story of grief, love, fate, and choice. This book pulls you into each emotion and makes you ponder the difference between the life you thought you might have and the life you’re really living. I will be picking up more @writercolleenoakley books for sure. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗪𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗼𝗼 is now on sale! I recommend adding this one to your 2020 TBR pile! 4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, her loving husband, and dreams of starting a family. But she has other dreams too—unexplained, recurring ones starring the same man. Still, she doesn’t think much of it, until a relocation to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face to face with the stranger she has been dreaming about for years. And this man harbors a jaw-dropping secret of his own—he's been dreaming of her too.
Determined to understand, Mia and this not-so-stranger search for answers. But when diving into their pasts begins to unravel her life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question— what if?

You were there too was released by Berkley on January 7th, 2020. I was given a copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

(Synopsis from Goodreads)

Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, her loving husband, and dreams of starting a family. But she has other dreams too—unexplained, recurring ones starring the same man. Still, she doesn’t think much of it, until a relocation to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face to face with the stranger she has been dreaming about for years. And this man harbors a jaw-dropping secret of his own—he's been dreaming of her too.

Determined to understand, Mia and this not-so-stranger search for answers. But when diving into their pasts begins to unravel her life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question—what if?

I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, I had a really hard time with it. Mia spends half the book talking about how she has feelings for someone other than her husband, and I just can't with those story lines. Maybe I'm old and married, but I don't think it's cute. It's not romantic. I won't get back on my soapbox, given my review for One Day in December.

I felt like the book was so slow. The ending didn't justify the rest of the book for me. It was too little too late. This won't be a memorable book for me. I'm bummed, because normally I love Berkley books. I guess this one just wasn't for me.

I was ready to give this 2 stars, but the ending did make it slightly easier to read.

🌟🌟🌟/5 Stars

I wasn't quite sure what I was going to get from this book and I was shocked by how much I ended up caring for the characters. So much so that the end of this book left me crying. If you don't like sad endings, then don't grab this book. But if you want a story about characters who are real and tangible, who develop well throughout the story and who you root for then this might be a great book for you. Of course the ending will probably rip your heart out but every once in a while I don't mind that. After all real life has a tendency to do that too. All in all I really enjoyed this story, even the end. I liked the dream aspect to it as well. To me the dreams, and what the signify, seemed to tell us two things - Fate is funny and sometimes the paths we end up on are changed by the tiniest actions, and that we make our lives what they are by our choices.

For years Mia has had dreams involving a man that she has never met. These recurring visions seem so real yet she has never shared their existence with anyone. She recently moved to a small town in Pennsylvania where her husband Harrison is a surgeon. He has a demanding schedule and Mia tries to occupy her time painting and looking for a crafty job. Together they dream of building a family but several miscarriages have put stress on their relationship.

While shopping with her husband, Mia sees the man who lives in her dreams. His name is Oliver, and his sister is Harrison’s patient. It turns out the Oliver has had parallel dreams connecting him to Mia. Together they try to unravel the mystery of this connection while deciphering the significance and truth of these visions.

Colleen Oakley's novel touches upon the joyful and complicated aspects of life and love. The characters are portrayed as complicated and relatable as they forge through decisions about the future. I anticipate more unique books by this author.

Colleen Oakley gives the reader an opportunity to consider the gray area of dreams. You Were There Too is thought provoking and lets the reader think about "what if".

Wow. This book. This book was not for me. At all. It is marketed as a romance, but it was far from romantic. I was really annoyed by the time I finished this book.

Mia Graydon is happy with her life, or so it seems. She has an amazing husband, she just moved to a quaint new town, and she gets to paint whenever she wants. There is nothing Mia wants more than to have a baby. It’s devastating to her that she keeps miscarrying. It’s something that she doesn’t understand and she blames herself for. It eventually affects her living her best life and her relationship with her husband.

Mia loves her husband, Harrison, dearly, but she has a secret. Since she was in college, she’s been dreaming of a man. She doesn’t know why and doesn’t think it’s relevant enough to tell her husband. Especially considering that some of the dreams are rated R. Mia has written it off as being a little crazy and gives it no further thought. Until she runs into a man that looks exactly like the man in her dreams. When she learns that he has been dreaming about her, Mia knows she has to find out what’s happening.

Oliver hasn’t been dreaming about Mia long, but she dies in every dream he has. Together then visit experts on dreams and try to figure out what is happening to them. Mia is so involved in figuring things out that she doesn’t notice her marriage to Harrison imploding. Harrison has been beyond amazing about Mia and Oliver, but he has problems of his own. Problems that affect him deeply.

I didn’t like Mia. She was self-absorbed. The author tried to write it off as a woman that was caught up in what she lost (her babies) and trying to find her way. The fact was that she has always been selfish. She’s always let Harrison take care of her and never returned the favor. The status quo worked for awhile until Mia finally (finally!) realized what a selfish bitch she was being.

I hated, hated the ending. There was no HEA and I don’t think she plans on another book. If she does, I won’t be reading it.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

This is my first book by this author and it won’t be my last. This book had it all and I really enjoyed it.

I had missed feelings when I finished this book. Mia loves her husband Harrison but she can’t get the man of her dreams out of her head. She never thought the man in her dreams was real let alone meet him. Oliver has been dreaming about Mia as well.

I kept wondering what was going to happen and hoping things were going to go the way I wanted. There were times my heart broke and others my heart was happy. I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.

This is the first book by the author I have read and holy raw emotions. There is such heartache and turmoil in this story. I really loved the concept and the flow of the story. It was not my usual read but I found I couldn't put it down!

This book kept me on my toes.

Harrison? Oliver? Harrison? Oliver? I liked how I constantly was going back and forth on that.

The ending seemed both to happen too quickly and to be a bit of a copout. But something about Mia endeared herself to me. I'm not usually fans of novels where the female MC is "I want a baby! I want a baby!"
all the time, but Mia's story was a little different. She was funny and silly and passionate. I LOVED the tattoo story!

If you want a romance that will keep you second-guessing, this book will definitely fill the bill. You'll hold onto Mia and her love for quite some time.

This book hit me in the feels and then kicked me in the gut... hard! Colleen Oakley, WOW! What an emotional ride you took me on with your evocative storytelling! A beautiful story about marriage, grief, and fate. Have you ever had a dream and wondered what it meant? What if you dreamed about the same person over and over and over again? And then you met that person? Would you think that it was faded? Mia is happily married to Harrison. After the couple relocates to a small town in Pennsylvania she meets a man named Oliver. Oliver is no stranger to Mia, because he has been making an appearance in her dreams for years. When Oliver reveals to Mia that he has been dreaming of her as well she is convinced there is a profound reason for this. What follows is an intense story full of what ifs and hard choices.

I was so invested in this story and it was heartbreaking, there was just no possible good outcome. Both these men Harrison and Oliver were genuine good guys with compassionate hearts. Mia was going through a terrible time having just gone through her third miscarriage and now questioning everything. I totally empathize with Mia having gone through two miscarriages myself I understand what it is like to be consumed with having a baby and simultaneously feeling like a complete failure. I could completely understand why she was questioning her marriage even more so because Harrison was distancing himself. Three remarkable characters in a terrible conundrum. I really don’t want to say much more about this but I have read several reviews that allude to the ending. The ending of this book is brutal and heart wrenching, but in my opinion it was the perfect ending. I might be in the minority on this, but I thought it was the best way for this powerfully emotional story to end. OK well maybe not the best way, but the only way, the ending just really worked for me. I highly recommend this if you enjoy emotional stories, but be prepared to have your heart broken and don’t forget the Kleenex!

This book in emojis. 🎨 🎠 💔 😭

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Mia and Harrison move to tiny Hope Springs from Philadelphia, each hoping to escape their own problems. Here they have a picture-perfect house and a supposedly matching perfect life. But Mia is struggling with infertility and her husband has his own hidden demons. Plus Mia has a secret: at night, she has recurring dreams about another man. So imagine her surprise when she runs into him--in the flesh--in Hope Springs. Even more surprising? He tells her he dreams of her, too.

This was an odd and intense read--nothing like what I expected, though I'm not sure what I was expecting, really. In fact, it was so serious at times, I had to read it in chunks. It was too much to take in, Mia's miscarriages and her emotions, the dreams and what they could mean. I don't really mean this in a bad way, either. The feelings in this book are just strong and extremely well-done.

I really liked the idea of dreams in the novel and how they are presented. I mean, what would you do if you were suddenly face to face with your fantasy, with someone who had been in your dreams for over a decade? What a particular situation.

"It's only that--at times--he feels so real. And has for the ten or more years that he's been starring in my nighttime reveries."

For me, where this book went off the rails, is when it started to meander. Oliver--Mia's dream guy in real life--and Mia join forces to try to figure out what their dreams mean. Mia laments about the men in her life. And then the book takes a turn and is just so damn sad. I felt betrayed, honestly, by its outcome. While I feel that it was very well-written--the way infertility is portrayed is well-done in a lot of ways--I felt as if I read an entire book for nothing. Why, I wondered, did we go through all that?

So, while I found the book to be quite captivating and emotional, what was going to be a 4-star read fell down to 3. Alas.

"Maybe time is a circle. Or maybe not. Maybe all that matters is that love is a circle. Infinite. Eternal."

I think I had forgotten what a binge read is and this book reminded me how I could be completely consumed by a story. The premise looked interesting for sure, but it's Colleen Oakley's writing, prose that is poetic and thoughtful, and character development, drove my obsession with this book. All thoughts of real-life left me as I dove into the story.

Admittedly I was worried about a love triangle, and that's probably what drove my need to complete this before I could even try to sleep. But this story is so much more. The story is shared through a few points of view, but our central character, Mia holds the key. Her life, her dreams, her relationships are what this story is about. She's a wholly complex and relatable woman; wife, sister, friend. She's an artist and a dreamer.

All this makes for a wonderfully consuming story. As I get to know Mia, I fell in and out of love with Harrison. They both experience inner turmoil, together and apart, and I rooted hard for them. Overwhelmingly, Harrison won my heart, even when we had cause to doubt him. I enjoyed her interesting connection with Oliver and admittedly wondered how this connection would impact her marriage. She's supported by a great group of friends, Raya, and her sister Vivian. What clinched it for me was being in her head, experiencing her inner dialogue. Her feelings and observations about people and life. The characters are probably some of the most emotionally complicated and real that I've read. Oakley creates a world where uncertainties of life and relationships are examined and I really connected with how conflicted Mia was with all aspects of her life.

I find my need to classify what a 5++ star read is to me, and this book sets a new standard. I found myself ruined and refreshed. I'm not sure how I escaped without a cathartic crying session. Maybe it's because I felt at peace with how the story ended. As a new personal favorite, I recommend this book as a #2020mustread. Colleen Oakley has found a new fan!

📚 Book Review 📚
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You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley - 5/5 ⭐️
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This book took my heart in a million different directions, then stomped on it. But I absolutely loved every second of it! This is only the second time I’ve ever cried while reading a book ( the first was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah). I loved the writing. It really conveyed all of the complex emotions of the characters. Everything was written so truthfully, nothing was black and white, which is real life. I felt so connected to all of the characters, which doesn’t happen often for me. I highly recommend you read this book! I can’t wait to read more books by this author. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book!

I devoured this book. I picked started reading as soon as I received the book and I couldn’t stop. I was invested in Mia. Harrison and Oliver were important to me also, but I focused on Mia and needed to be sure that she would find happiness and love. I went back and forth on what I wished would happen and I love how it ended.

Dreams, I never remember mine, but I know that many do and am intrigued by what they could mean. Mia has been having dreams and then she meets the man from her dreams. Harrison being a doctor had a little more trouble understanding how important this became to Mia. I love his reactions and they were all true to life. While they don’t entirely understand what each other are going through, they never disrespect each other. There are words said in love, anger, and frustration but that is true to most relationships.

Colleen Oakley shared a magnificent story that brought characters that were lovable and relatable. I look forward to more from her and am excited to talk about You Were There Too with other book lovers.