Mia should be happy. Or at least that’s how she feels. She’s happily married to a wonderful man and they’ve just bought their first home together in a small town aptly named Hope Springs.

But hope is all that Mia seems to have these days. Because what would make her world complete would be to have a child of her very own. After several heartbreaking attempts, it seems that fate has other plans for her.

Strangely, her dreams are always haunted by a mysterious man that she’s certain that she should know but can’t seem to place. Until the day when she comes face to face with him in the most unexpected place.

“And I freeze. A cold electric current runs from the base of my skull down my spine. My heart thuds once and then stops.
Maybe forever.
It’s him. And then, as if I’ve willed him to do it, he looks up, eyes locking with mine.”

Unlike his sister who settled in a small town, Oliver always refused to put down roots. He travelled the world searching for something that he could never quite grasp. And then there was her.

The woman that came to him in his dreams is now flesh and blood. The connection that they share is undeniable but only one of them is free. The more that they delve into each strange coincidence, the more questions that they uncover.

Do soul mates really exist? Is fate written in stone? And does love really last forever?

“That’s love. For all the great mysteries in the world, perhaps it’s the most mysterious of them all.”

In You Were There Too, Colleen Oakley leads you on a poignant exploration of love in all its forms. Her writing is lush and introspective. It makes the unexpected twists of the story that much more astonishing.

Each of the characters shine brightly even as they fight their own inner battles. The choices that they make are guided by their strength. Everything then culminates in an ending that left me both stunned and hopeful all at the same time.

This is a book that had me devouring every word until the wee hours of the night. And I'll always remember the mark it made on my heart...

What initially appealed to me about this book was the metaphysical dream element. The meeting of souls through the dream world and the possible meaning behind it. Could two people know each other before they ever really meet? Are we predestined to be drawn to one person over any other in our lifetime, or is everything purely circumstance and chance? The idea of a married woman having a bizarre connection to a mystery man in her dreams was highly intriguing to me! You Were There Too was masterfully choreographed to its heart-pounding ending by Colleen Oakley with perfect precision. When I flipped the last pages, not only was I a soggy mess, I was turning over how and why we got there and managed to feel at peace with it. Without spoiling things, the ending of this is pretty difficult to read. But it's a mixture of happy and sad tears because she wrote a lot of beauty in that pain.

Mia and Harrison are a married couple who just moved to a small town from Philadelphia. They needed a change of pace and scenery, but now that they're starting fresh it's been difficult for them to acclimate and adjust. On top of having a new home to furnish, a new town, and new job for Harrison, they tragically dealt with miscarriages. This has been a heavy blow to their otherwise seemingly healthy relationship and your heart really goes out to both of them for the pain they're going through. The author does a phenomenal job helping you to know each character in an insightful way. Almost from the very start you feel as if you understand what sits so heavily on their hearts and minds. You care for what happens to them without having to try.

Mia is floundering to find her creative inspiration as an artist, and trying to make her new house become home. But after their horrible losses, she becomes fixated on finding a way to carry a healthy baby to term. She once wasn't sure she ever wanted children, and now isn't sure can live without one. She goes through many stages of emotions: devastation, helplessness, hope, and depression. When a couple isn't on the same page about having children, it can be a ticking time bomb for the marriage. In Harrison and Mia's case, the fissures start early and crack a wide gulf that they struggle to bridge. There is a huge lack of communication on his part as he internalizes his guilt and pain, which makes it hard for her to be the support that she needs to be. On the other hand, she was stuck in her own confusion and heartache that she often failed to see the signs that he needed her.

Despite the faults they each had, I loved them both equally. I rooted for them, I ached for them, and shed lots of tears. They had a natural camaraderie of two people who've been together for years and know each other's idiosyncrasies. The banter between them, and revisiting those moments they cherish in their relationship journey were really special. It brought some much needed levity and heartwarming moments. I loved his dry sense of humor and how he was as solid as a rock for her when she needed him. She was under an unbelievable amount of stress, and always managed to try to see the positives in her situation. To keep putting one foot in front of the other and face hard circumstances in life, head-on. They were, in a word, special.

Enter Oliver. A figment of her imagination, until he waltzes into her life in the flesh and her emotions go into a tailspin. Even stranger, not only has he dreamt about her too, but they share a specific dream. They are both noticeable shaken and confused, determined to make sense out of a mystifying situation. As they race to find answers, you feel as if you're running downhill on unsteady legs. Trying to reach the final destination as quickly as possible but not sure you can make it there without falling. You just know you're heading for heartache, but you have to know.

I don't want to give too much away about the plot and spoil the experience for anyone. What I will say is that if you're on the fence about reading this one, worried that it may not be the book for you, I urge you to at least give it a chance. This is one talented author and I'll definitely be revisiting her work in the future. It's not often that a book rips my heart out the way this one did, and for me to have that reaction she did her job well. I was worried that the ending might feel manipulative for emotion's sake, but that wasn't the case at all. Looking back, everything happened for a reason, and the sacrifices were not senseless or in vain. This is on the heavier side, but so worth the difficult moments. This was my first read of the year, and I really started things out with a bang.

Artist Mia Graydon and her husband, Harrison, a general surgeon, move from Philadelphia to Hope Springs, Pennsylvania, a quiet suburban town, where they hope that the quality of life will be more to their liking. They are happy together, but because Mia has been unable to carry a pregnancy to term, her heart is breaking. A combination of factors, including Harrison's hectic schedule, a lack of critical acclaim for Mia's paintings, and her history of miscarriages, has taken a toll on the Graydons' marriage. Another strange element comes into play. For a long time, Mia has had recurring dreams about a man she has never met, but one day she comes face to face with that very individual, whose name is Oliver. Mia and Oliver get to know one another, and soon realize that they have a great deal in common. However, the mystery remains: Why do they have such a strong psychic connection?

In flashback, we learn a bit about Mia and Harrison's backstory, and we also observe how well they fit together, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately, daunting challenges lie ahead for this couple. Harrison is and guilt-ridden over the loss of one of his patients, an eight-year-old boy. In addition, Mia is professionally unfulfilled and is considering looking for a paying job. The most serious test of their relationship is the attractive and sensitive Oliver, who has broken up with his latest girlfriend; he is as attracted to Mia as she is to him.

"You Were There Too," by Colleen Oakley, is at times, romantic, funny, and heartwarming. However, too many of its heavy-handed and melodramatic developments feel contrived. Furthermore, Oakley spends too much time focusing on secondary characters who, for the most part, serve as little more than sounding boards for the angst-ridden hero and heroine. Nor does the author provide clear-cut answers to explain the book's supernatural phenomena. Instead, she lets us draw our own conclusions about what is actually going on. Colleen Oakley has shown in the past that she is a gifted author, but this novel is not as compelling and polished as some of her earlier works of fiction.

YOU WERE THERE TOO was a wonderful, heartbreaking book. It was one that I couldn't wait to get back to, while at the same time dreading that it will end. I knew going in, with that premise, how could it not be a tearjearker? And it was, for sure, though surprisingly in a different way than I expected. The characters are genuine and flawed, and I cared deeply about them. This is a gripping story about love and fate, dreams and their meanings, and about what is and what could have been. Unique and thought-provoking...tissues a must. ♥

You Were There Too stole my heart and captured all of my attention. I simply could not stop reading this latest novel by Colleen Oakley. She has created amazingly unique stories in her books and each one somehow tops the last.

Dreams are a fascinating thing we experience and no one really knows why. Is it our mind decompressing the day, making sense of our emotions, our stresses? Can we predict the future? Do they mean absolutely nothing at all? What if we dream about someone and then meet them? Which I coincidentally did this weekend and it blew me away. I didn’t even remember the dream until I was in the moment. This wasn’t just deja vu. This was a portion of a dream I specifically remember having. Creeped me out a little to be honest. Anyway, as I was saying. Oakley takes this mysterious phenomenon almost all of us experience and gives us something so emotional, raw, and imaginative, it makes you believe the wildest things are true.

You Were There Too will grab you in a hold and won’t let go until the final page. You’ll fight yourself on whether to devour it or savor it. This is one of the most unique stories I have ever read and it was expertly executed.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This first review of 2020 is a very confusing one. You Were There Too has both good and bad aspects, but I'm not completely sure I love the final product.

We follow Mia, who, though having a seemingly perfect life, has been having dreams containing a guy she's never met. When she comes face to face with the guy in real life, the two discover that they both share the same secret. Now, Mia must choose between her husband and the guy she seems to be irrevocably connected with.

To start off this review with something positive, I was really intrigued by the premise of this book. The paranormal aspect this book possesses isn't something you'd think of when you see the cover. It also reminded me in some way of Josie Silver's One Day in December or Jewel E. Ann's Transcend duet.

Furthermore, I also really liked the topic at hand. Mia has been dealing with miscarriages all throughout her marriage, and the book really digs into how taxing the grieving process is, as well as the struggles she faces trying to conceive again. Both of these heavily affect her marriage and I liked the drama that it brought with.

Now, here comes my main issue with the book. I didn't fully think this should be classified as a 'romance' per sé. The book does heavily feature romantic relationships, but the ending is so unsatisfying in the romantic department, that I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if it was marketed as a drama, or women's fiction. I went in expecting some kind of romance to develop, but the end result just didn't fully deliver on that front.

This all being said, I didn't hate the book. I thought it was fine, and certainly kept me reading, however I wouldn't say I was satisfied in the end, which is the main reason I'm giving this book 3 stars. I urge you to pick this up if you're into dramas, and want to read about grief/miscarriage or if you're looking for something with a hint of paranormal, but I'm not so convinced on the romance of it all.

This book was so heavy in so many ways that I was completely not expecting, and even though the synopsis doesn't lie at all, it still somehow felt like it wasn't really describing the book I read.

Colleen Oakley writes beautifully, and I was wholly invested in the story from the first page - but man I was not expecting the heartbreak of this story. Major trigger warnings with infertility and miscarriage; I have never read about them in such an unflinchingly honest and real way. I have conflicting feelings on the relationships of almost all of the characters, but I did like that there was no infidelity in any of the relationships, as that's rarely a trope that ends up working well for me.

It's hard to really talk about this book without giving something away, but I would say the main takeaway is that even though it was sad, I think it was written beautifully and worth the read. Just have the tissues handy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted book and opportunity to read and review it prior to its publication date! This in no way affected my review, all opinions are my own.

4.5 STARS

What an outstanding novel! I am obsessed with stories about what might have been. Why do certain people come into our lives? Is it all just coincidence? Mia and Harrison have a wonderful life together. Things are not 100% perfect but whose life really is? They are happily married but have experienced real sadness in their marriage. Nonetheless, they remain in love and devoted to each other.

Mia has dreamed about a certain man for years and once she and her husband move to a small town in Pennsylvania, she is stunned to actually meet him in real life. The stranger from her dreams turns out to be the real-life Oliver. Did Mia and Oliver know each other at some point in their lives? Mia is shocked when she learns that incredibly, Oliver has dreamed about her as well. What did all of this mean? Oliver and Mia cautiously share their ideas with their family and friends and begin to explore the meaning behind their shared dreams. All of this also leads Mia to question her current life with Harrison.

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

As Mia slowly begins to adjust to her new life with her husband in their new home, she also senses Harrison pulling away from her. He works long hours as a physician and recently experienced a traumatic event that deeply scarred him. Mia has also suffered, and Harrison shares something with her that she is not sure their marriage can recover from.

"I can’t help but wonder if Harrison’s stopped choosing me. If we stopped choosing each other."

There is no question that Mia is deeply committed to her husband. But what if she was meant to be with Oliver? Every person in this story, every scene is meaningful and it all comes together in the end. I could not put this book down! I love Colleen Oakley's writing style. The characters are all fully developed and the emotional impact of the story was profound. My predictions about the book were completely wrong and the ending was filled with surprising twists and turns. This is an extremely emotional book and the ending had me reeling. I love books about married couples and all throughout the story, I was on the edge of my seat, guessing which direction Mia would take.

"I’m standing on a precipice with him in this room and if I take a step—if I move my foot three inches forward to brush against his, there’s no turning back."

This was a standout read for me and I highly recommend this book. It is filled with some very powerful and emotional scenes so be prepared to have your heart broken a few times. Don't expect a perfectly neat ending tied up with a bow. This is an original and very moving novel that should be on your must-read list.

"Maybe instead of wondering why we’re all connected, what’s important—the only thing that’s important—is to know that we are."

3.5-4 stars
So I believe in fate and I believe that dreams are either subconscious wishes or maybe foretelling of past or future events. I love the idea of what could be, what could have been, and the choices we have to make in our lives that could lead us down different paths in life. Reading the blurb for this book made me feel like it was right up my alley.
I loved Mia and her husband Harrison. Seeing their real life struggles with their marriage, their wishes for children, the on the job stresses was so realistic and so heartbreaking at the same time. I loved Harrison so much because he really tried to make his wife happy but my heart broke for him because some of inner struggles with his profession.
When Mia encounters Oliver, the guy she’s been dreaming of for years, I didn’t know how this story would go. With their missed encounters over the years, the connections between friendships, were they meant to be something more than friends? I was torn because I truthfully loved both men.
I was captivated by this story and couldn’t stop reading but when we got to the end, I felt rushed, I wanted more, and above all else I wanted closure or some kind of HEA and I felt that I was left wanting more.
I was so sad about the ending hence the rating but I do love this authors stories and will definitely read more.

4+ "I bet you can't read this book without needing tissues" stars for this poignant and drama-filled book. I had my hand over my mouth with tears running down my face at one point and I don't want to spoil it for anyone else. When you read the plot synopsis, you may have an idea of what will happen. I suspect you will be wrong. The way this book deals with issues like fertility and infidelity turned me into a fan by the end. Great choice for book groups, too!

A big thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and Colleen Oakley for the opportunity to read and review her latest book. I was a huge fan of her previous book, Close Enough to Touch, so was excited to get an opportunity to read this book - I wasn't disappointed! 4.5 stars!

Mia and her husband, Harrison, have the seemingly perfect life - he's a doctor, she's an artist, they have a great relationship, and they are trying to start a family. When they move from Philadelphia to a small town where everyone knows everyone, Mia is startled to see the man of her dreams - literally. Mia has been dreaming about the same man for years and she meets him in the market and then finds that he has been dreaming of her too. While issues happen in Mia's marriage, she feels pulled towards her dream man, Oliver.

You may have to suspend a little belief in the subject of dreams and psychics, but this is a wonderfully-written story of love, fate and choices. Great read!

I’m already looking forward to the day I re-read this book and experience the excitement, joy, ache, anticipation, and awe for the second time. You Were There Too is un-put-downable and sits atop my 2020 Favorites list!

I don’t want to say too much about the plot because I don’t want to ruin even the smallest detail, twist, or nuance for readers. But what I do want to say is I thoroughly enjoyed the writer’s voice, the characters she created, and the mysterious dreams facet of the story. And the emotions! Oh my. I was pulled through a multitude of them!

Mia is easy to like, and though this story includes multiple points of view, it mainly centers on her. I sympathized with her desire to have a baby. I connected with her quickly and loved that she was a creative soul married to a professional. The opposites-attract adage is true in my own life.

Harrison is an active, attentive, and complex doctor and husband. His thoughtful yet logical demeanor pairs well with Mia’s imaginative, artistic view of life. I love the humor they share, and how their comfortable relationship is tested.

Oliver is both familiar and mysterious. He exemplifies understanding, tenderness, and appeal. I was charmed by his sincerity and honesty and absorbed by his place in this story. I eagerly trekked beside him on his search for the possible meanings and outcomes of his (and Mia’s) dreams.

I’ve always had vivid dreams and I’m fascinated by how our brains continue delivering images, thoughts, fears, joys, and messages as our bodies sleep. My guess is, this story will come to mind if I have any surreptitious dreams in the future.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher.

I had very high hopes for this book, and I was let down big time. I thought the idea of two people dreaming about each other was aa cute premise. However, I feel like that wasn't the focus of the second half of the book at all, and something that was never really resolved either. Which made me feel like I had wasted my time reading all about the dream stuff in the first half of the book.

There is a lot of talk about pregnancy, miscarriages, and infertility in this book. There was nothing in the synopsis to let you know this, but it was a huge topic in this book. I didn't like the way it was wrapped up at the end of the book. It was too cheesy and predictable. Just a magical happy ending.

The ending of this book really frustrated me. First of all, it seemed to wrap up really quickly. The book moved pretty slow until the ending and then all of a sudden several major things happened. Second of all, the storyline kind of went astray for me. < spoiler > I hated that they killed Harrison right as things were getting happy for them again, and then she's just magically pregnant. And she gets the baby that she wants without having to convince him to have a baby. < /spoiler > Not only that, but I feel like the whole idea of the dreams was still not resolved!

2 stars
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.

The cover originally caught my eye, but the synopsis sold me. A happily married woman has been seeing the same man in her dreams for years. Then she meets him in person. And to complicate things he's been having dreams about her too.

The story left me with definite mixed feelings. For the first 80% I inhaled the pages. The story had depth and was emotionally gripping. I was invested in the characters. I had to know what would happen. Then the last 20% took a turn I didn't expect. It felt like my heart was being manipulated. It felt forced somehow. I know it makes me sound like a 7 year old- but I just didn't like the ending.

Ending aside, the writing was great and it certainly sucked me in. But- I just can't stop thinking about that last 20 pages.

For what it's worth- I would classify this book as Women's Fiction, not romance.

It was an ok read, but not memorable. I would recommend to friends. It was interesting but not predictable! I did not see the end coming

This is the story of both a marriage and the circle of life…or is it all just quantum physics? In this heart-wrenching novel, Oakley explores the meaning and significance of dreams, the challenges of marriage, the impacts of grief and guilt, and the idea that love is both infinite and cyclical.

As the book opens, artist Mia and her surgeon husband Harrison have recently moved out of Philly to a small PA town after he loses a young patient on the operating table. Shortly afterwards, Mia suffers her 3rd miscarriage and both events begin to put a strain on their marriage, although their love is a steady presence. However, the dreams and nightmares she’s been having since high school featuring the same man are a guilty secret she keeps from Harrison. When she meets Oliver in real life, the surreal connection between them makes her begin to question both her sanity and the purpose of their connection. Oakley masterfully combines the often painful realities of love with the unexplainable and unprovable mysteries of the subconscious, deftly using metaphors, rich dialogue, and descriptive characterizations to weave a tragic, yet magical love story that leaves us hoping for a sequel.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Berkeley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

“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.’

Thank you to Berkely Publishing for our review copy.

IF YOU DEAL WITH INFERTILITY, please read my review before reading this book.

I think this has been one of the hardest books for me to rate in my entire life of reading. I honestly have two different ratings for this book, depending on my life circumstances. My initial rating for this book was going to be a 4.5 star, because this book does so many things I love.
I LOVE the emotional writing, I LOVE the heartache, I LOVE the sad story, I LOVE the imperfection marriage, I LOVE the weird dreaming/almost magical realism/almost alternative reality, and I LOVE the infertility rep (for the majority of the book).
What made me upset and angry, is the ending - not the sad ending, but the happy ending, and I ended up also wanting to rate this book 2 stars to prove a point).

I would have been perfectly ok if the ending had ended with the huge heartbreaking, gut punch twist (if you've read it, you know what I'm talking about). I was extremely disappointed when the story kept going after that scene, and her infertility <spoiler> ended up with a miracle. </spoiler>

I HATE WHEN BOOKS DO THAT.

For those of us dealing with the ups and downs of infertility, we don't always get a happy ending. For those of us reading stories like this, it makes us feel EXTREMELY depressed, lonely, and life seems incredibly unfair.

Authors: please stop doing 2 things. STOP including infertility stories in your thrillers, where the lady ends up crazy and murdering everyone, and 2, stop including infertility stories where you pretend you relate to us, and then boom, you crush our dreams.

4.5 stars for the main storyline AND 2 stars for the lack of empathy regarding infertility.

Absolutely fascinating. A tale to share with a book club, or hoard to yourself. Surprising and scintillating, a great read!

I love the premise of this one, the whole reoccurring dream thing actually fascinates me to no end and this took that idea to a whole new level. It definitely requires the reader to be open minded and just take the book for what it is, but if you can just go with the flow and be open to strange happenings and odd coincidences you may enjoy it.

Based on the description alone I really expected this one to be highly emotional and gut wrenching and I felt like for the majority of the book I was waiting for an emotional punch that never came until the very end. It wasn’t even that there was a bunch of buildup and then a big payoff in the end, it was more that it was lacking something for me, maybe a connection with the main character, Mia? I’m not sure but there was definitely something missing for me and despite a tumultuous ending that packed a punch, I can’t say the rest of the book held up for me. This isn’t a bad book by any means, and it did have original components, but it didn’t wow me as much as I had hoped.