A rom com with a difference, I've never read a love story set in a hospital before! Alice and Alfie are two strangers lying side by side in hospital. Their relationship develops slowly, especially as Alice is so embarrassed by her appearance that she can't let herself be seen. But this book isnt just about their physical issues, there is lots of attention paid to their emotional journey too. An uplifting and emotionally rich story

Interesting concept and for the most part a story that I loved. "Two patients who fall in love as they recover from traumatic injuries in the same hospital ward…all without seeing each other"

The characters were brilliant, I had a lot of love for both the MCs and all supporting cast. I was invested in all their stories, and the relationships (both growing and established - with one exception) between them all were just wonderful to read about.

This could have easily been a 5 star read for me. I laughed. I teared up. I was even willing to forgive a slightly dragged out latter part of the book but that ending. So abrupt! I was left wanting and a little disappointed.

Edit - I was contacted by the publishers after this review was posted with an epilogue to the story, and informed that this would now be included in the published version. I'm not entirely convinced it fixes the problems with the ending, but it certainly helped.

I thoroughly loved this delightful debut novel from Emily Houghton. Set mainly within a hospital, this is a beautiful story of friendship, loss, grief and discovery! Alice and Alfie are a formidable duo that take you on a real roller coaster ride of emotions. For them to have had to endure so much at such a young age was unimaginable for me and I took inspiration from both of their stories! The epilogue was just the perfect way to end this book in my opinion! Fantastic start to 2021 and one of my first 5 star reads!

This was such a big tear jerker.
Being in hospital for long periods of time is something that I am used to.
Alfie and Alice were characters I instantly fell in love with and felt so attached to them as they individually and together dealt with the trauma life had thrown at them.
It was such a cute romance book, set in a very unique situation which was refreshing but beautiful all the same.
Definitely recommend to anyone who wants a sweet romance that will probably make you cry

I adored this book! It’s only January but this will definitely be in my favourite books of the year.
If I could give it more than 5 stars I would. I was fully expecting the usual cheesy romance story but I was wrong!
Love, friendship, heartache this book has it all and for the reader it has smiles, laughter and tears!
Alice and Alfie ‘meet’ in the Moira Gladstone Ward both are there to recover from the tragedy that touched their lives. Alice hides herself behind a curtain refusing to let any other patients see her but in the bed next to her is Alfie and they build a friendship through the curtain.
It’s not just their friendship that touches your heart but also Alfie’s friendship with Mr Peterson another of the wards patients.
I truly could see this novel being made into a movie as it’s a feel good, touching movie.
Thank you Netgalley for this arc.

What a quick and life-affirming read! I loved the focus on healing and growing as your own person in this book! Especially in times of the pandemic, it's just nice to read a book that's comforting and will paint a smile on your face every now and then! Also loved that we got both sides of recovery in this novel.

CAN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN?

Alice and Alfie are strangers. But they sleep next to each other every night.

Alfie Mack has been in hospital for months recovering from an accident. A new face on the ward is about as exciting as life gets for him right now, so when someone moves into the bed next to him he's eager to make friends. But it quickly becomes clear that seeing his neighbour's face won't happen any time soon.

Alice Gunnersley has been badly burned and can't even look at herself yet, let alone allow anyone else to see her. She keeps the curtain around her bed firmly closed, but it doesn't stop Alfie trying to get to know her. And gradually, as he slowly brings Alice out of her shell, might there even be potential for more?

This book has some wonderful characters that it’s very easy to fall in love with. Alfie, who is recovering from an amputation is delighted to be getting a new neighbour in his hospital bay. The bay has a happy, friendly, atmosphere with a close knit group of patients convalescing over a long stay in the unit. On Sundays Alfie’s mum and dad come in with a Sunday dinner for everyone! However, a happy and chatty bay is exactly what Alice dreads. She doesn’t want to socialise or have a natter with other people. They’d have to see her and she doesn’t want that. In fact the ward sister, Nurse Angles, has to make a promise in order to get her moved. When she has to go down to physiotherapy, everyone else in the ward will have their curtains closed. Not everyone is happy about it, but they all promise Nurse Angles because she’s so hard to refuse. Alfie is undeterred though, he has always been a cheerful little soul and makes it his mission to get Alice talking.

The thing I enjoyed most about this was that the author didn’t just concentrate on the physical damage done by their accidents. She makes it clear that the emotional scars are potentially even more damaging and more difficult to manage because they can’t be seen. Alfie wakes up screaming some nights and sweating, hoping he hasn’t woken the whole ward. For him there’s the addition of survivor’s guilt, because he wasn’t the only one in the accident where he lost his leg. She describes his journey thus far to make it clear that it isn’t as easy as strapping on a prosthetic and becoming a Paralympian! That meant a lot to me as someone with a disability who works with others with disabilities. Many people don’t realise the healing that has to happen, that getting used to a prosthetic means chafing to the skin, skin breakdown, pain in the leg, but also to the rest of the body as it gets used to moving in a different way. Mentally, he will have to get used to a change in how others see him, how he sees himself and his masculinity. We all have an image of what we look like in our head. When you acquire a disability, as opposed to being born with one, that self-image is still the same until you catch sight of yourself in a mirror or window. That’s a pivotal moment, because the new reality of how you look is a huge shock. Alfie has had to let go of that image, and is building up a new sense of self that includes his disability.

Alice has to take the same psychological journey, arguably more difficult because she’s a woman. Once Alfie gets used to his prosthetic, and improves his mobility, people may not realise he has a disability. Alice’s burns are on her face and hands. There’s nothing she can do to cover them up completely and this affects everything - not just dealing with the change herself but dealing with how others now see her. It will change how she feels as a woman, and she will worry about whether men will see her as desirable. We hear a lot of Alice’s inner monologue so we really do get the enormity if what has happened to her. I felt choked up for Alice. It’s a really big deal if Alfie can get her talking. There’s a point when he needs comfort and Alice gives him her hand under the curtain. This us Alice trusting him, her hands are damaged and she’s openly giving them to him, which shows an enormous amount of trust. She seems all alone in the world. She’s not let her best friend know because she’s living so far away. Her mother eventually arrives though, and shows within seconds why Alice wouldn’t want her to visit. When Sarah does find out she arrives like a whirlwind of love and care.

I’ve had long stays on hospital rehabilitation wards and I’ve never experienced one like this. There are some aspects of hospital life that would never happen on any of the rehab wards I’ve stayed on recently, such as the Sunday dinner. Although one I stayed on in the late 1990s let my parents bring my dog to the day room for cuddles once a week. I did recognise Nurse Angles though - she seems formidable but really she cares deeply for her patients. I’ve come across the odd matron or ward sister who is like this - one particularly fierce German night nurse, during a long stay in 1995, used to bark at everyone and seem very strict, but would let my hospital friend Tony and me, stay up late to watch the rugby World Cup. She even brought us illicit toast and tea when it was quiet! I think the strength of this novel is in its characters. I enjoyed Alfie’s mum, who is a force of nature albeit a kind one. Alfie is like a big puppy, playful and clumsy but ultimately good and kind. Alice is more complicated and it’s interesting peeling away each layer like an onion. Her accident and subsequent injuries are transformative and I kept thinking how lucky she was to have ended up in a bed next to Alfie, who seems to spread happiness, despite the difficulties he faces physically and mentally. These characters kept me reading. They felt real to me. I also really appreciated the author’s obvious understanding of the psychology of acquired disability. Despite heavy subject matter the author managed to keep a light, easy feel to the novel and that’s a difficult thing to achieve. I found myself rooting for both of them and sorry when their story ended.

This review will appear on the blog tour today.

Cliche, soppy romance books have taken over my life right now as they are the ultimate escape from everyday life and this book delivered to the fullest extent. I loved this book!

Alice and Alfie are both on a rehabilitation ward after being involved in accidents and reside in the beds next to one another. I loved the dual perspectives between Alice and Alfie and the character development was out of this world. At the start, Alice came across as an uptight, independent woman who's life is taken over by her job and Alfie is portrayed as am upbeat, joker who always wants to make people laugh. As the story progresses the background behind both Alice and Alfie unfolds and you begin to realise there is more to them than meets the eye.

The way the author approached the sensitive aspects of this book was done with such compassion and sensitivity. Houghton didn't delve in to the details of the topics but gave the readers enough information that they were able to feel these topics deeply which for me is a skill in itself.

Mr P, Nurse Angles, Sarah and all of the other characters in this book were all so likeable and I did not expect to be drawn to tears multiple time!? I mean the scene with Mr P.. I can't even. My heart.

The only thing that I will say is.. THE ENDING?! What?! I need more and I need more now. Please can someone tell me there will be a sequel to this book?!

'Our scars are simply the marks of our stories. They show we've lived our life, and most of all that we have survived it. Don't hide your story away in the shadow."

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Emily Houghton, Random Things Tours and Transworld Publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Thankyou to NetGalley for giving me an e-ARC of Before I Saw You in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Oh boy i don't even know where to start. I put off writing this for so long because i still had to process my thoughts feelings! I'll be the first to say that i'm never really the biggest fan of romance novels. The plots are predictable and the writing is cheesy and everything always works out in the end...

But oh boy, did i LOVE this book!! I loved the dual perspective between Alice and Alfie, and the dimension Houghton gave to her characters was amazing. Not only is Alfie this upbeat, happy-go-lucky loudmouthed class clown, he's also heartfelt, traumatised, loving, caring and insightful. He cares for everyone around him and always wants to go the extra mile for the people he loves. I love Alfie.

Alice is uptight. I think that's how she's supposed to come across right? Corporate 9-5 slave? But throughout the book we come to understand why she became the way she is, why she's has her walls built up so high around her. I found myself sympathising and relating with Alice a lot. And although i'm not a burn victim, i felt i could relate to Alice over her fears of her appearance and how people will react.

I love the way Houghton approached the sensitive matter of this book. And though we didn't go into the gory details, it was easy enough to envision it from how she writes.

And damn, i did not expect for this book to make me cry. I won't go into spoilers but if you know you know. That scene with Mr P broke my heart and i wept at 2am, thank you Emily Houghton.

All in all, i was pleasantly surprised and this book broke all my expectations. And can we all appreciate that ending! Ah , love.

4 Stars!!

** DISCLAIMER: Before I Saw You was given to me for free in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Random Things Tours and Transworld Publishers for the opportunity. **

Before I Saw You was an un-putdownable read. It had me hooked so quickly and took me on a romantic journey I wasn’t expecting. You often felt as if you were on the ward with the characters. It was easy to become completely immersed in all the patient’s stories and want to know everything about them.

For me, this book wasn’t simply a romance. It delved far deeper into friendships, mental health struggles, and family-life than I’ve found most romances do. Whilst their budding romance felt like a slow burner, the story itself didn’t read that way. In my opinion, all thoughts and feelings were revealed at the right times for the characters.

Speaking of the characters, let’s start with Alfie and Alice. Yes, adorable in every way. I loved them. Alfie was the true light of the ward, he gave everyone all he had. From the endless sarcasm to the “world’s hardest puzzles” he was a very endearing character and it was impossible not to like him. Alice could be insufferable at times, but it became clear why she reacted in certain ways as her backstory became clear. Her character development was great, and she definitely became more likable as time passed.

Whilst I really loved this story, I found the ending disappointing. It left too many loose ends and didn’t fully delve into Alfie and Alice’s budding romance. This had a five-star read written all over it until I finished it. However, this isn’t to say that it isn’t brilliantly written as it most certainly is. Houghton brought the characters and the ward to life right before my very eyes. I felt all their emotions, cried when they cried, laughed when they laughed. It was an absolute pleasure to read.

Alfie and Alice meet in hospital where they are both recovering from near death experiences. They didn’t get off to a great start however it doesn’t take long for Alfie’s infectious personality to get under Alice’s skin. With a sheet between them they begin their friendship without ever seeing each other, their hands the old thing touching.

Alice’s trauma keeps the curtains up at all times just like her guard. She’s grown up with an heartless mother and worked stupid hours in her corporate job never having a life outside work. Work was where she also suffered burns to 40% of her body. It isn’t until she begins opening up to Alfie that she begins making progress. Alfie is the life of the ward, he cares deeply for his room mates always putting a smile on their faces.

While underneath he’s still coming to terms with the accident, loosing his friends and his leg. It hasn’t been an easy rod to recovery but Alice has made it a little easier. After an argument the two are separated and it’s time for Alfie to be discharged. Life isn’t roses on the outside but Alfie hangs on the hope that Alice will find him and love him back.

Holy moly this was beautiful. Such a heroic love story.

This is sweet and charming and very gentle, about healing and what really matters inside of a person. It does read rather like a young adult book, the characters really don't seem as old as they are supposed to be but it is a quick, romantic read that will heal your worries.

This book just left me heart broken. Not in the bed way, but it was a little hard to read about some things.
This is about healing. And about falling in love...
It was sweet and really real book.

3.5 stars for me.

Since turning the first page, I must have smiled over ten times reading the conversations between Alfie and Alice. The authenticity between these two characters who clearly had struggles were fascinating and overwhelming to read. I don't think that I've ever read a romance quite like this and to be honest, I don't think I ever truly will again.

Even as the majority of the plot is weaved into a hospital environment and the ins and outs of every day life there, somehow it is not morbid. The characters that live and work in these four walls are all riveting yet amusing. Whether that is the relationship between Alfie and Mr P, Ruby and the whole ward, Sarah and Alice, Mother Angel and Alfie or even Alfie and Alice. It is fascinating to see each dynamic played out on the page.

Compared to other romance books in the market, this book is fairly more dumbed down in terms of romantic moments, instead opting for heart-felt deep conversations and reminding everyone that it is ok to talk when you feel like you can't cope by yourself. This is a refreshing change from the usual formulaic tropes that we somehow have all come to accept in the romance genre.

However, would I consider this book to be a full-blown romance? Not really, but when is anything really full-blown romance. It is realistic and doesn't try and put itself in that category of romances that we all know are too high in terms of expectations. That is probably why one of the main aspects that I did like about this book is how there isn't any pressure for the main characters to be Instagram worthy people. I think we could all learn something from this book when it identifies that sometimes our scars make us the people that we are today, because of the stories that we have lived so far.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this story which I will be happily be talking about in the near future to all my fellow bookworms.

This is a sweet story, full of love and stories to keep each other going in a hospital bed. What a feel good story to keep us going, especially in the times we are in.

Ok ... So where do I start with this one??

Firstly I absolutely loved this on many levels! I like my romance to have a bit more structure and something more going on than the love story and this delivered on this! Alfie and Alice are both recovering from life changing injuries in hospital, and although they are in the bed next to each other they have never seen each others face. Through their friendship they both get get stronger and stronger and the romance blossoms from there.

I really enjoyed seeing from both their points of view how it felt to be recovering. As someone who has had a lot of surgery I really knew what they were both going through.

However.

I don't know if this is just me because I have worked in hospitals for so long but I just couldn't get out of my head some of the bits I didn't believe. Firstly, there injuries would have them both recuperating in different specialties. They also wouldn't have been in beds next to each other, as most wards unless they are specialist areas are single sex. This to me was like having a small stone in my shoe, something really small that irritated me throughout the book. I really wish the author had written this as a same sex couple because it would have taken much of that annoyance away for me, and wouldn't have taken anything away from the story.

I also felt the timing/ pacing was off at times as Alfie and Alice would be having a conversation which made me think it was night time, but then all of a sudden there would be visitors. I also found the end quite lackluster.

But, all in all, I did enjoy this book and will look out for more from the author in future

Before I Saw You by Emily Houghton is a very unusual love story. Full of humour and pathos, the humanity and daily struggles just push right through the pages. Emily does a good job of developing the characters and weaving a good storyline. This was a book that was hard to put down. The story flows as we get to know about Alice’s work and the awful fire she was trapped in alongside Alfie’s car accident and his subsequent survivor’s guilt. Their external injuries and pain are explored in the context of the internal emotional and psychological trauma and how they try to help each other heal. You just want to know what’s going to happen. Two main things I disliked about the book. Firstly the hard to swallow bit where everybody in the ward had to pull their curtains so that Alice wouldn’t be seen and secondly the total absence of Arnold the lovely man from reception. That feels like a big gap in the story. Overall the trauma was competently handled, the romance was also believable and the sudden ending leaves lots of scope for a sequel- maybe in Australia? Four stars for a decent read

I loved the look and sound of this story, with a colourful cover and an intriguing synopsis. So I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read and review this debut novel before publication. But would it deliver the escapism I was craving at the start of lockdown 3? Well I’m pleased to say it certainly did.

The style of the book reminded me of The Flatshare, where the story is told by both main characters in alternate chapters. In this story, we have Alfie, a sociable PE teacher recovering from a life changing car accident, who has been keeping the other patients on the rehabilitation ward entertained. Alongside Alfie, hidden away behind curtains is workaholic Alice, who was badly burnt in a work place accident.

Alfie may be recovering from his physical injuries but he is struggling to deal with the emotions of losing friends in the accident and the reaction of loved ones to his injuries. Alice is refusing to look at herself and to allow others to see her. Both have experienced a traumatic event and need support, can they help each other more than the professional staff at the hospital?

I loved this book, quickly I was so involved in the lives of Alfie and Alfie I didn’t want to put the book down and ended up staying up much later than normal to carry on reading. Alfie and Alice became real as they teased each other and gave each other the opportunity to talk about their worries. Life had been difficult for both of them since their accidents and both continued to have ‘bad’ days, made worse when they fell out on a number of occasions.

I liked the fact that this story didn’t wave a magic wand and suddenly make everything perfect. Alfie and Alice had to face up to their ‘new’ lives and to make major decisions, including whether they would stay in contact. As this is a no spoiler review, I will encourage you to read this emotional book to find out what happens to Alfie and Alice.

Thank you to Emily Houghton for a brilliant book to escape into, I look forward to reading more of your books in the future.

this book follows our first main character alice, who finds herself in hospital after her building burns down with her in where she finds her curtain neighbour alfie. Alfie is a character who is an amputee after being in a car crash who would never stop to catch his breath.

the book focuses on healing, recovery and self love. there was little romance in the book. it was nice, but a little difficult to read at times because it came off as dry.

but other than that, it was a nice book by an author who id read books from again.

CAN YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN?

Alice and Alfie are strangers. But they sleep next to each other every night.

Alfie Mack is on a rehab ward recovering from a horrific accident, despite his injuries he tries to stay positive and boost the morale of his fellow patients at the same time, when he hears that he's getting a new neighbour in the bed next to him, he's looking forward to making a new friend, but it's made very clear from the beginning that they won't meet face to face. Alice Gunnersley is recovering from the effects of a fire at work, she is severely burned and hasn't spoken since the accident, when she joins the other patients on the ward she won't let anyone see the damage caused by the fire, she can't even look at herself, and her curtains are continually closed, only the hospital staff are allowed in, but Alfie believes he can break down the barriers that Alice has built around her and be her friend, or maybe even more...

This heart-warming and uplifting tale by Emily Houghton tells the story of two people who would most likely never have crossed paths had it not been for their accidents, Alfie is a teacher and Alice a director of a high flying firm, but fate has brought them together, each telling their own stories in alternate chapters in a beautifully sympathetic manner. The author elaborates on the struggles they each face, coming to terms with their injuries and does this with compassion and dignity, highlighting how it affects them mentally and physically. I had no problems with falling in love with these two characters, shedding quite a few tears along the way and desperate for them to finally meet. The author creates a perfect balance of humour and emotion within the book, whilst never detracting from the seriousness of the hurdles they face in the outside world. I find it hard to believe this is her debut novel and look forward to more of her work, she is definitely one to watch!

I'd like to thank Random House UK Transworld and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.