A beautiful story of love, loss, grief, mourning and trying to figure out how to move forward. Chloe and Jack were in love when the unthinkable happened. Chloe is heartbroken and while trying work through her unimaginable grief she is dealing with her family and friends not understanding why she is in such pain. According to them “she was only with him for a few minutes”. Apparently to them the time allowed to grieve is commensurate with the length of the relationship. Chloe is left adrift as she mourns heir five months together, but the loss of their future . She loved Jack and truly believed in her heart that they’d have a lifetime together. Even Jacks family is dismissive of her. We get a birds eye view of her figuring out how this smart young woman tries to navigate her new reality. No one should ever judge who and how we love or grieve. Its an emotional, but beautiful read. Be sure to have a big handful of tissues at hand while reading this heartwarming and heartbreaking story.
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon UK for this wonderful book.

This was both emotional and heartbreaking. The book gets straight into it - with the reader only just introduced to Jack and Chloe and beginning to learn about their relationship before it is shattered by tragedy. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this as the reader isn’t really given time to become invested in the characters or their relationship before they’re torn apart.

However, the novel is really about Chloe’s grieving process as she mourns the loss of the future that she and Jack would have shared, whilst also questioning the validity of her own grief due to the short nature of her relationship with Jack. The novel also reveals more and more about the relationship that has been lost through snippets of Chloe’s memories and stories she tells other characters about the relationship. Despite being about the process of grief, there are many humorous and light moments sprinkled throughout. Overall, a good read - it made me want to hug my loved ones a little tighter (when I can!).

Chloe Roscoe was a bit of a butterfly when it came to jobs and men. Now she is 36 and finally thinking about settling down as she may have found "The One". However, when Jack is suddenly and unexpectedly killed she starts to drift again as she tries to understand who Jack was since her view seems to differ from those of his family and old friends. The story is about Chloe's journey of self-discovery and finding herself a life after Jack..

Thanks to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

Chloe and Jack are in their late 30s, have been dating for five months and have recently moved in together. All is well until Jack dies in an accident. The man Chloe loves is gone, now what will she do? Did she know the real him?

I read the synopsis and thought this could be a tearjerker with an uplifting feel good end. I'll admit I didn't get teary eyed once and I felt very little about Jack being dead because I never got to know much about him. I think if a few chapters had been dedicated to before his death I could have felt Chloes loss.

The side characters are all mostly awful except for Chloes brother, brother in law and neighbours. If my best friend acted the way hers did it'd be friendship over.

3 Stars

I received a free copy of this book via netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Grieving after losing someone (or even something, such as a pet) can be incredibly difficult to deal with and everyone deals with it in different ways. It does not matter if it is a loss from a long relationship or a short one as the loss is still tremendous. Last year I read and greatly enjoyed The Happy Ever After Playlist, which takes the subject of loss and illustrates how you attempt to move on. This novel sets out with the same goal as our character tries to figure out the next steps to move forward. One key difference is that Playlist is written about a character’s loss after a long-term relationship and Love, Almost features a character’s loss after a much shorter one. Is there a difference for how grief affects you if you have not even been together long? This novel sets to find out the answer as our character journeys to heal.

Chloe Purdue is in her mid-thirties from Liverpool. She is currently a drama teacher after many career paths, including acting. She met Jack Carmichael while attending a performance at a theatre in January. The two of them hit it off and soon became an item. Soon after meeting, they even found themselves on vacation together in Bangkok, Thailand where they had the time of their lives and even reckoned they loved each other. They also found themselves so happy in their relationship that they soon decide to move in together. Life together was bliss until one day Chloe finally meets Jack’s parents and it is not for a happy first meeting. Jack has unexpectedly passed away after an accident. Chloe now faces the bewildering idea that she is now without her significant other and how to move forward. They were only together five months and they had endless possibilities in front of them so how can she figure out what to do next alone when the future of what to do in the future as a couple was unknown. Readers journey along with Chloe as she tries to find the next steps.

The story is written very organically as it starts slower as Chloe is in the initial shock of the sudden loss of Jack. She goes through all the stages of grief in her own time. The author balances Chloe expressing her own feelings on the matter while integrating outsiders’ perspectives. To those outside the relationship, they have a difficult time understanding Chloe, as they believe that she should not have been as devastated over the loss of a five-month relationship. It is very well done in this story as there is no timeline for how much grief can affect you as you could be devastated by a loss of a one-day relationship equally to a fifty year one as each person is different.

As Chloe and Jack were in their honeymoon phase “bubble,” they never fully had a chance to introduce their relationship to others. Even Chloe and Jack’s parents had not met the other yet. Their respective friends had not had the chance to fully meet yet. How can you create a proper network of support when those that knew Jack have never heard of you? This was an extremely well done aspect of the story as you can feel Chloe’s frustration yet she also understands that they cannot really relate to her feelings if they never knew she existed. It was nice to see Jack’s friends and family try to move on and how it all relates to Chloe.

Overall, the story does have a lot of heartbreak and sadness, as it is a story of grief. There are additional themes of friends and finding yourself, which are nicely, weaved together. The supporting characters were great, although I absolutely could not stand the amount of times Chloe’s best friend said “Babes” in this story. If I took a shot of alcohol every time the word was used, I would have been in the hospital for alcohol poisoning. Aside from this, Beth was a good friend to Chloe and it was nice to see how she was there for Chloe even though she was going through a lot herself. It is a great storyline as it illustrates how even though a tragic loss occurred, life still goes on with both the good and the bad. Although the story does have a conclusion, it is not one that wraps up everything fully and that made it very relatable as the journey through grief never fully concludes. The story was great read and I would gladly read more by this author!


**I give a special thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC to read and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.**

The 2nd Hayley Doyle book I’ve read in the last few months. First thing I need to say is : I’m officially her biggest fan.

‘Love, almost’ is a fantastic story about (almost) love, loss and how you move forward after losing the person you (almost) love. I have nothing bad to say at all about this book. It took me just over one day to read because I was so invested in Chloe’s world. I loved the use of ‘me’ to emphasise Chloe is a scouser. I found myself reading ‘me’ even when ‘my’ was written!

You won’t be disappointed.

5 stars. Amazing.

Instagram : @Raena_Reads

"I reckon I love you" - Jack and Chloe meet and journey on a whirlwind romance which seems to be blossoming. After 5 months of dating and as Chloe is just about to move into Jack's flat, Jack is involved in a road accident and is killed. We then accompany Chloe on her journey to process the news and cope with the loss of someone she thought she had a future with, and continue to live her life without him. Should she just forget about him? Should she carry out the plans she made with Jack without him? Can she accept he is gone?

This is an unapologetic and touching story of a person dealing with sudden grief and loss. We witness all the stages of grief that Chloe goes through: denial, numbness, anger, anxiety, sadness, bargaining and acceptance. We also see Chloe face questions of whether she is entitled to grieve given how short her relationship with Jack is, but it's really interesting and compassionate to see Doyle deal with this topic and highlights that there is no judgment to grief/loss. Everyone deals with it in different ways - it is very personal and those feelings are valid. This is also highlighted through interconnected stories via Chloe's close friends and family. I think anyone reading this book who has encountered grief or loss (in whatever shape or form it may be) will find this read relatable, and will connect to Chloe's story. While this is a story tinged with sadness (especially when you realise the meaning behind the title of the book), there are many humorous points dotted throughout the book to lighten the mood!

In the initial chapters, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book as I felt Doyle did not provide the relationship between Jack and Chloe enough foundation to reinforce the bond and connection between them despite the short time they knew each other. However, I see that Doyle slowly reveals the stories between them as well as the individual lives they both had prior to meeting, which fills in the gaps from the early chapters.

Readers of books such as PS I Love You will enjoy this one!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK for letting me read this advance copy.

.•*Book Review*•.

Love Almost by Hayley Doyle
Pub Date: January 7th

Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK for my early e-arc!

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》Chloe and Jack are soulmates. But life has other plans…

Chloe is deliriously in love for the very first time. But when Jack, her boyfriend of five months, is killed in a tragic accident, she is left reeling. Their relationship was amazing – but it never really had the chance to get started.

Grieving but determined, Chloe decides to live life for the both of them and makes her way through the list of things they’d planned to do together – this time on her own.

A heartwarming read about falling in love and coping with loss. 

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▪︎Chloe and Jack's romance was cut short. Completely shattered by tragedy. Going into this I tried to prepare myself as best as I could for total heartbreak. Chloe spent so little time with Jack before he passed away (think honeymoon phase of dating!) But you could feel the love she had for him was much bigger than anything they could of had. It only continued to grow as she began to tackle the bucket list they were supposed to journey on together.

This story is raw and emotional and though I enjoyed it, it was a bit too slow for me. I tend to struggle with slow burns, always have, always will!

That aside, I flew through this book because I thought there would be a big reveal at some point but this book is soley all about love, loss, and grief. There is something so beautiful about it though and I can see where some people said it is special.

I liked this story. It had definite P.S. I Love You vibes. With that being said, there were a few places where I believe it fell a bit short. There were a few times where Chloe would be arguing with someone, and the argument will stop rather abruptly. I also felt like some of these arguments were unnecessary, and just added in there to add some drama. This made it difficult for me to connect with the characters. Some of the things I did like was Chloe finally connecting with her neighbors, students, and Jack's family. Overall, I enjoyed the story and will try this author again!

How long does it take to really know and fall in love with someone? The story stars with a glimpse of Chloe and Jack’s relationship. The two are together for 5 months before he dies suddenly and then the focus shifts to Chloe and how she copes with the loss of someone she thought she loved and the loss of the future and life they had planned. I felt for Chloe throughout this book, grieving a love/ almost love but also having to deal with people who don’t quite get it because the relationship was still fairly new. The book was heartbreaking at times but also had some really lovely moments once Chloe started working through and processing her grief. There were also some interesting, sometimes difficult well rounded supporting characters. A well written, compelling story from start to finish.

This is a perfectly wonderful book about love and loss and the complicated nature of grief. The author tackles these topics beautifully and with heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy read, although I did keep stumbling over the use of "me" instead of "my". Yes, it's supposed to make the protagonist relatable and girl-next-door Scouser, not too polished etc. I just found it annoying. The premise is intriguing, certainly not a typical romance, and tackles some heavy topics in a good way. The characters were well developed and relatable, including supporting characters .However, I was a bit puzzled at the fact that the protagonist seemed to still be so aimless in her mid-30s - the description of her would have suited a mid-to-late 20s better. I got bogged down in the middle third of the book, and found it very slow going, but overall a worthwhile read.

This story follows Chloe Roscoe, a thirty-something, who's been in a relationship with the man of her dreams Jack Carmichael for five short months. The pair travel together, 'reckon' they love one another and have just moved in together when Jack is killed in a tragic accident. Armed with a list of plans the pair had in place, Chloe decides to go ahead with them in honour of Jack. There's a hilarious skiing incident, an Italian meal, and an adventure to find the meaning behind a photograph to keep Chloe distracted from the grief of losing a loved one. There's a certain 'journey of discovery' path that Chloe leads after he has gone where she is given a fresh perspective on her life, her job as a teacher, and the things that bring her joy.

This has a unique theme of grief - Chloe's family, friends and Jack’s don't really empathize with her grieving process, and the phrase 'it was only five months' is tossed around frequently. Her grief and their relationship are subjective to her alone. She's not only grieving the man she loved, but also the missed opportunities that come with being with someone long-term. It's an emotive and moving story, and whilst it is a slow-builder, it's got a warming burn to it. Chloe's friend Beth is a tad annoying, and the use of Liverpool dialect felt a tad strained at times, hence why I'm not rating this higher.

If you're a fan of One Day, you might like this, it channels the bittersweet notion of making the most whilst you can, and a look at love and taking a chance too late. A stand-out quote that seems to be equally loved by lots of reviewers is 'So, word of warning for anybody who- like me- has fallen into the habit of taking photos of a rainbow salad; two glasses of wine by candlelight: feet on a beach: don’t. Take photos of people. You will never, ever, ever care about your toes painted neon pink on the sand, ever. But you’ll wish you had more photos of the person you loved.'

*Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books for my review copy

Chloe and Jack were together for 5 months before he died. Chloe is left reeling from the loss, and in order to find closure, she sets out to tick off all the plans that she and Jack made when they were together.

I’m a sucker for books that will leave me sobbing, and when I read the synopsis for this book, I knew I had to give it a try.

Ok so, it didn't make me cry, BUT it was still a pretty touching story. We get to follow Chloe as she grieves a relationship that was just getting started, so not only do we see her grief the loss of her partner, but we also see her grief the future they both lost. Yes, it was sad, but there were still humorous moments and lighter scenes. Read if you liked PS I Love You or Forever Interrupted and books about British characters.

Thank you Avon books and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @avonbooks for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
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I just finished this book in two sittings. It was a tale of love, loss, grieving, and finding oneself.
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This book is emotional and raw, as we join Chloe on her journey of self discovery, following the unexpected loss of her boyfriend.
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For me, I really enjoyed the side characters. I always enjoy a book that portrays more than just romantic relationships. This is a story that encompasses family and friends as well, so making the side characters a main point in the story made it feel more realistic.
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All in all this was an enjoyable, quick, and emotional read. Pub day is January 7th. Be sure to check it out and I look forward to reading your reviews!

''I RECKON I LOVE YOU, CHLOE ROSCOE.
This is what we were. What we will always be. Not love. But almost. ''

Chloe and Jack were in love. Just moved in together. But then he died. Jack hasn't spoken about Chloe to his parents or his friends yet, and nobody knows who Chloe is and how serious they actually were. But Chloe is 36 and after all that time she has found her true love. Only for it to be taken away from her.

I love how the story progressed. It starts off with Chloe learning how to cope and deal with missing Jack, but it goes deeper and she widens her search from finding peace to finding herself. She first searches for some kind of a sign of affirmation that their love did exist, that she didn't imagine it, that she wasn't irrelevant to him. She is desperately trying to get that confirmation. So she goes through a lot to find peace and comfort. She goes from shock to feeling desperate, to feeling absolutely lost in life all together, to the point where she almost ruins all her relationships.

It shows us that we sometimes get caught up in grief, totally normal and that we sometimes forget to reach out to others who also have their sadness to deal with. We just go through it at different times, or through different aspects of our lives. People tend to have it together, but appearances are just appearances.

I guess the story also sends a message that you never know what people are going through. Use your words wisely. Show more kindness. And always be honest with your loved ones because you never know how you might help someone learn the truth about who they are.

Characters: Every character introduced was presented in the right way so that we understand their stories. We were given tidbits of their deep struggles and lives so that we understand them and their roles in this story. The relationship between her and her bestie was so raw and honest, it was amazing to witness it. Oh, and Justin! Justin was my cherry on top of a sundae at the end. I was a bit annoyed with her parents, especially in the beginning but it all kind of went away once I got deeper into the story. You start to slowly understand everyone's point of view, and that is what life should be about anyway. Understanding each other, even though we walk different paths in life.

I have to admit the last 10 minutes of reading had my eyes watering. It's definitely not how I imagined it would end, but it ended PERFECTLY. I am definitely picking up her other books.

Who would like it: Anyone who enjoys love stories, but isn't afraid of reading an unconventional one, If you'd like to get more insight into a different kind of a love story, that hasn't even begun properly, and want to learn more about how one deals with loss.

TW: death, grief

I read this book as an E-ARC via NetGalley.

When Chloe meets Jack, she knows what she wants in life. She is in her 30s and ready to find the person she wants to build a life with. After a few months, the pair are happy and living together when tragedy strikes. Jack is killed in a road accident, leaving Chloe grieving and trying to process what happens next as well as what she and Jack were and could have been.

I was drawn to this novel by the premise of it, and that is really what stayed in my head as I was reading. I felt for Chloe and understood her confusion and frustration at her situation and how other people were reacting to it. Other characters looked at a 5 month relationship as not yet too serious, but for Chloe, this was the one that was meant to last and she doesn't know how to deal with that (I don't know that anyone would).

Doyle's exploration of Chloe's grief was definitely interesting. What Chloe feels she needs is some kind of answer or explanation, at least just to know how Jack felt about her, but that is hard to know or find without Jack. As I read, I wondered how she would find whatever it was that she needed so that she could process what had happened and continue with her life.

Although the premise drew me to this novel, I struggled to be gripped by this book to begin with. I felt for Chloe, but I was unsure whether this was a book for me, especially as Chloe was (understandably) not in a good place and I didn't particularly like any of the other characters during the first half.

By the end, this wasn't a book that I loved, but it was a good read and I am glad that I stuck with it. Personally I preferred the second half of the novel, and this is where I began to get into it. I liked the characters that we meet and get to know in the second half, and I felt more attached to Chloe and wanted to find out what happened to her.

Overall, I'm still not sure this book was entirely for me. However, this novel has an interesting premise that gave me something to think about and I began to become more attached to Chloe and wanted to see a good ending for her.

Love, Almost will be released on 7th January.

Love, Actually is a book about finding yourself after losing someone you love.
Chole met Jack 5 months before his tragic death and she is having a hard time finding closure. Her relationship with Jack was still so new she barely knew his friends or family but she knew she had a connection and she spends the next few months finding answers to all her unanswered questions about Jack and if he truly loved her.

I really actually enjoyed this book and felt a connection with Chloe and her grief. I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose someone so quickly into a relationship but it is not hard to begin to feel your heartstrings being pulled.

I revived this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A fantastic feel good story that manages to have you in tears one minute and smiling the next. I was hooked allthe whole way through and didn't want it to end. Just what I needed and I'm already recommendeding to all my family and friends beautifully written

Drama teacher Chloe is deliriously in love for the very first time. Following a wonderful holiday to Thailand, Jack, her boyfriend of five months, is killed in a tragic accident, and Chloe is left reeling. Their relationship was amazing – but it never really had the chance to get started. Grieving but determined, Chloe decides to live life for the both of them and makes her way through the list of things they’d planned to do together – this time on her own.

If I am brutally honest, I really didn’t “get” this book – it was a quick read as I was desperate to know what was going to happen. Convinced there was a twist I kept coming up with my own theories, waiting for the big “reveal”, however there isn’t one, and I discovered this is a book about love, loss and grief.

Chloe is a nice character, but I didn’t fully understand her, there were a few other characters in the book who came and went during the story (the people who had a flat in the house conversion and also Justin who I adored), but I felt they didn’t really have any relevance to the story.