Thank you to Gallery Books and Net Galley for the Gifted Digital Copy of Before I Saw You.

This novel has multiple narrators, Alice and Alfie, who wound up in the hospital.

The writing was easy for me to follow. I enjoyed the story.

4.5 Stars. I devoured this book in one sitting. I had no expectations for this book. Usually hospital / medical books are not my thing and I was a little apprehensive by the tagline I’ve seen comparing it to Me Before You (don’t worry no ableist main character death here), but I was very pleasantly surprised.

The book is filled with short chapters alternating between Alice and Alfie’s points of view. The structure made me feel like the book was progressing very quickly. Like so many books with “a novel” on the cover, this book straddles the line between women’s fiction and romance. On the romance side there is a HEA and the dual POVs. On the fiction side the story is equally if not more-so about the main characters healing physically and mentally from their injuries. TBH I didn’t quite buy into Alfie and Alice’s as romantic partners, but I do think that they have a very deep friendship that will last.

I loved the large cast of characters. I felt like I knew exactly who each of the other people in the hospital ward were and enjoyed being briefly immersed in their community. Both Alice and Alfie were wonderful main characters. Alice is a prickly hard to love heroine and I think we need more books with women like that. Alfie is warm and I’m very happy that in addition to showing Alfie attending physical therapy he attended therapy therapy on the page.

I’m honestly amazed that this is Emily Houghton’s first book. I will absolutely read whatever she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to read this beautiful story. Th cast characters that make up this story made it all that much better. The slow build to the best ending I’ve read in a long time. Definitely recommend for anyone who want to slowly fall in love.

Before I Saw You is simply beautiful. I really enjoyed reading this one. This is all about falling in love when you do not expect it. Alice is stronger then she thinks and has had a tough go of things. From the unsure of how her scaring will turn out to nearly giving up you will see a lot of transformation from this girl behind the curtain. Then there is Alfie who is learning how to get around again mine a leg. He has survivor guilt and really tries to be the uplifting support for the rehabilitation floor. I loved the meeting behind curtain Alice and Alfie have. They build this beautiful connection as they share a wall and never seeing each other with the curtains between them. Alfie lifts Alice up so much during her recovery and it is a beautiful thing. There is such a wonderful connection and slow build that goes on in this one. I could not get enough of Alice and Alfie.

This book had a lot going for it. However, in parts this one was so slow in parts and then amazing in others. I think that you should take your time with this one if you choose to read it. I loved the story and the characters and the issues that they were going through. I will check this author out again.

Before I Saw You is a highly unique among the books I've read. A love that unfolds between two people who spend weeks feet apart, talk for hours but never see each other is different and I like this kind of outside the box situation.

Poor Alice has suffered a horrendous disfiguring burn and the overachieving workaholic's entire life has been changed in seconds. Her carefully structured career is, at a minimum, on hold for months. Alfie's injury is also hugely traumatic. His life is also on hold until he can heal enough to resume his former life. These two could not have more diverse personalities and lives. Where Alice has no friends, Alfie is liked by all. She won't talk to the ward patients while he is everyone's cheerleader and confidant.

There were so many tears in this story, both happy and sad. Such tragedy for both hero and heroine. To watch them accept, however reluctantly for Alice, their situations and altered futures was intriguing. Just when you think their relationship is solid, the tears come again for the loss of something special. The reunion and conclusion are highly rewarding though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC.

This book was so hard for me to put down. You would think a book set in a hospital ward, where the patients can't really move around might have some plot issues, but Houghton kept drawing me back in, chapter after chapter.
This book is emotional, but you could figure that out from the teaser alone.
I loved the complexity of Alice and Alfie. The supporting cast of characters were touching and lovely. This story is so empathetic and moving.
I was impatient with the last 25% and a little sad there wasn't some sort of epilogue to give it more of a HEA, but in the end, this is Chick Lit so much more than it is romance, so I can accept that.
Perfect for fans of Katherine Center (like me!).
Thanks so much for the ARC!!

Before I Saw You by Emily Houghton, 400 pages. Gallery Books, 2021. $17.
Language: R (221 swears, 42 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Alice, at 31 years old, has been in control of her life and successful career for years now and doesn’t need anyone else -- until she nearly dies in a fire and finds herself in the hospital. After being in a car wreck, 28-year-old Alfie is on his way to recovery, bringing joy to the hospital ward that has become his temporary home even while he still struggles emotionally. Both Alice and Alfie have to make the tough decision to ignore their broken pieces or start the process of picking themselves back up.
Houghton skillfully addresses the emotional scarring that cannot be taken care of in a hospital as easily as our physical wounds -- scarring that might even be overlooked by those around us. Emotional health is just as important as physical health, and I love that Houghton illustrates different coping skills and encourages readers to build -- and be -- support systems for those around us, be they friends, family, or strangers you help through kindness. Story-wise, though, I feel that the ending was a let down. Alice and Alfie’s story was built up with compelling anticipation, and then I got to the last page and still looked for more because it felt incomplete. The mature content rating is for mentions of sex.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Alice and Alfie are both in the hospital in England, after being involved in separate horrible accidents. Their beds are next to each other, and the majority of the book covers their developing friendship, as the speak to each other and become each other's confidantes without ever seeing each other.
The book is well written, and I felt like I knew both characters. It is fairly long and gets a bit repetitive at times. I would say the story is hopeful at times but quite heart-wrenching, not a lighthearted book. I wanted there to be more to the ending, maybe an epilogue or something to tie it up a bit better.

I loved the concept of this book, but it was a good bit too slow for my taste. I like the idea of them falling in love without ever seeing each other, but it seemed a little implausible to have them develop feelings so quickly and with so little actual contact. I also found the book a bit repetitive - we get it, they're catastrophically injured.

The writing is lovely, especially for a debut novel, and the character development is definitely intriguing. I just wanted more.... story and fewer internal monologues.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced readers copy.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I had to keep reading and find out what happens next. The author paints the characters and scene so well. I would love to continue the story later and find out what happens next.

This book sounded very interesting to me so I had high hopes. It was ok....kinda slow and took me quite awhile to finish it. I felt that the ending should have provided more. The romance could’ve had more to make it seem real or possible. Some areas still need closure for me.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: May 4, 2021

For fans of Me Before You, this is an inspiring novel about recovery and relationships. The bonds between this cast of characters tug at the heartstrings and had me laughing, gasping out loud, or crying throughout!

A sweet story how love walks in without being seen . I’d loved the back and forth of Alice and Alfies stories. Despite the tragedies that befall them this was still a light read. I truly enjoyed this

Before I saw You is the story and Alfie written from alternating perspectives. They are neighbors on a rehab floor of a hospital separated by a curtain due to Alice's injury. They become friends as they learn to deal with their injuries.

It is a good story but it just ended. I wanted just a bit more of the their story

Alice and Alfie meet in the hospital when they are both recovering from life changing injuries. Before their hospital stay they likely would have never met and even if they had they would never have become close. Alfie is a charming and loud extrovert who tries to take care of everyone around him. Alice would just like be left alone so that she can do her work. She has wonderful friend who lives a half a world away ant that is all she feels she needs. Suddenly though they find themselves in beds next to each other dealing with both physical and emotion pain. What does it mean when you show your most vulnerable self to someone you have never even seen.

I loved the vivid cast of characters from the other patients to Alfie's mother and how Alice and Alfie had to slowly learn to trust and care for each other. The end was rather rushed after a story that takes its time to develop which I found a bit disappointing.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one had an interesting premise. A guy and girl meet (but never actually see each other) in a rehab ward at a hospital after life changing traumas. This book was very much more about personal growth than any romantic relationship, so if you don’t like romance but like women’s lit…this might be for you. It did drag just a little at times, and I felt like the ending was rushed. But I really did enjoy the story, one of the nurses, some of the patients, and of course Alice and Alfie’s story.

Bottom Line: It was an enjoyable read. A good book for grief and personal growth if you are looking for a book like that.

**I received a copy of Before I Saw You from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Similar to "Five Feet Apart", "Close Enough To Touch You", and "Me Before You" comes the tale of an burn victim and amputee who find love in the most unlikely of places, the rehabilitation ward. Both Alice and Alfie are charming in their own ways and you enjoy the journey you go on. It's a story of lost hope, found hope, crushes, love, loss, and loneliness.

The premise of this one sounded really interesting, and since it was marketed for fans of Me Before You I was sure I'd enjoy it. However, it ended up being so slow and the style was a bit more juvenile than I was expecting, After trying several times to get past the first few chapters of this book I sadly accepted that this would be a DNF for me. I would definitely still encourage others to give it a shot! I can definitely see it being a huge hit among readers that I know. I'm bummed that it wasn't for me, but I'm glad to have given it a shot! Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Before I Saw You was a very different type of contemporary romance novel, set in a rehab unit of a hospital in Europe. Our two MC's are recovering from traumatic accidents and help each other along the way as they share a room. Alfie loses a leg in a horrible car accident, but doesn't let it dim his positivity and outlook on life. Alice is the opposite, she is severely burned while at work in her office and doesn't speak for weeks after being admitted to the hospital. Alfie recognizes the pain and suffering in Alice, and works to make her feel comfortable in the unit.

If I had to sum up this book in a word it would be "heartwarming". Before I Saw You is a tale of grief and suffering, but also trust and redemption and finding love in the most unexpected places. Alfie and Alice's journey together was incredible to watch as they both dealt with their traumas and helped each other through it all. I loved the side characters and the serious notes. This is a not a light and fluffy rom com, it tackles intense emotions and topics while keeping a bit of humor.

I would have loved to see more of the romance aspect between Alfie and Alice, which would be my only critique. But that comes from someone who is just super romance minded and loves to read that! If you're looking for a fantastic contemporary read, light on romance, this will be right up your alley. I've always enjoyed TV shows set in hospitals but this is the first book I've read with that setting and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

**Thanks to Gallery Books and Netgalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**