Dani Atkins is a fab author.
I really enjoyed this.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Rating edit: 3.5 stars (because, for me, it was unputdownable til the 30 th chapter).

So, Adam is dying and right before his death he makes his wife (of six years), Lily, promise that she would go find Josh ―her childhood friend and first love―and fix things with him, and forgive him and then eventually forgive Adam too.

Why did he ask for forgiveness? And what did Josh do six years ago that caused him and Lily to part ways on a bitter note?

Well, to be honest, I am not a fan of this theme. I am all for second chances but I feel it should happen by chance, naturally —not in a planned way. No matter how an author tries to portray that it's because of her dead husband that she is reconnecting with her past lover, I find it insensitive and somewhat opportunistic. In fact I have abandoned one such novel solely for this reason.

However, if I connect with the writing style and the characters, the basic storyline doesn't make much of a difference. This exactly happened with this book. I really like the author's writing style (I liked her previous book, The Memory of Us, too). More importantly, I loved Josh and Lily, especially Josh. Interestingly, although Josh is practically everywhere, he doesn't even physically appear until the seventh chapter (except for a chapter where he is a little boy). And yet, I found myself rooting for him, eagerly waiting for him to make his appearance.
There was an effortless, sparkling chemistry as well as innocent bonding. Their conversations, the moments they share are so interesting. So basically, for me, the book was unputdownable until the 30th (of 40) chapter. And just when I began to think it was going to be one of my favourite reads, it started to meander, unnecessary incidents and conversation filling the pages. I didn't really want to know how she met Adam and her moments with him. The author drops some secret or pieces of information occasionally but it seems she tries too hard to build the suspense. The only saving grace in the later chapters was Claire's appearance with the most important secret. Even Josh's reappearance didn't excite me because by then we already knew everything.

Sometimes dragging an instance to build too much suspense breaks the intrigue and the flow of the story. That’s exactly what happened in the last ten chapters.
And the most disappointing part was the last chapter. It was totally unnecessary and forced. In the end, it felt like even the author wasn't sure about Lily's feelings.

I would recommend it if you enjoy love stories―just for the sake of Lily-Josh chemistry and engaging writing style.

I went into this novel with no expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed Dani's writing style. Those last few chapters had me feeling all the things. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this.

Thank you NetGalley for this copy of Always You and Me! The beginning and ending left me heartbroken but I loved reading the story in between! I loved the time jumps because we got to see how the relationship between the FMC & MMC developed throughout the years. How lucky is Lily 💕

Dani how do you do it? I have read all of her books and each one stays with me for different reasons. I always compare each one to fractured which was a book that I loved. I think the stories have an element of magic and afterlife which I always enjoy.

This book made me cry in the first two chapters. What an acheivement! IF I cry at a book (rare) its at the end when the characters have become real and you feel invested. This was a story about young love, mature love and refinding love. There wasnt really the element of magic but that didnt detract from the story.

Thank you for the advance copy and I cant wait for the next one.

Dani Atkins always crafts a beautiful novel. This one had me in tears more than once. It’s a beautiful but emotional story.

Oh Dani has done it again.

I cannot read any of her books with tissues at the ready.

Once again the emotions are perfect, she get right to the heart with her characters and they are so well written that you cannot help to fall in love with them (even their bad sides)

Lily and Josh have been friends since they were 11 years old, when Lily 1st climbed her neighbours sycamore tree and found a strange, rude little boy up there. They soon became firm friends, with Lily secretly hoping for more. When the family moved away Lily's heart was broken when now 16 year old Josh, failed to keep his promise and stay in touch.

While at university several years later a chance meeting brought Josh back into her life, but despite Lily hoping for more, he always kept her at arms length and they remained friends only.

When Lily, finally met and married Adam, they lost touch after a huge argument where they both said they never wished to see each other again.

6 years later, Lily is a widow and on his deathbed her husband Adam made her promise to find Adam and listen to his story.

When Lily does eventually make that contact, things don’t initially go as planned at it seems their friendship cannot be salvaged


I absolutely loved all the characters, I loved the way the story unfolds and I knew what the symbols on Josh’s tattoo meant too 🥰


Thank you Netgalley so much for the opportunity to read yet another fantastic book from Dani

wow, this book is a killer for making me cry! from the first pages to the last it is just full of emotions.
i loved this book and fell in love with the characters. a tragic love story, with so many twists.
an amazing book

Emotional and story which brought me to tears near the end, Dani Atkins as always writes beautifully.

A rollercoaster of emotions.

If you want a book that’ll make you cry here you go.

Thank you NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for this arc read.

Josh is a dirty little liar and Adam is well . . . you’ll see. Nevertheless I love them both and Lily does too which makes for such a compelling and thought provoking book. Wherever they all are in their fictional world, I hope it is full of happiness, cupcakes, and rainbows.

There’s not much I can say without giving any spoilers, but I didn’t want to put this down and was all in to the very last word.

*Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

If you're in the mood for a good cry, this is the book for you. My book club read it and we all loved it! It's a beautifully written story about second chance love. This was my first time reading a book by Dani Atkins, and it definitely won’t be my last. I highly recommend it!

#AlwaysYouandMe #NetGalley
Publication date- Apr 01 2025

I liked the connection the heroine had with both Adam and Josh. The second chance element and her chemistry and banter with Josh. A good read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

This was an emotional one. Many people get one chance at love. Some get two. Lily's experiences with Adam and Josh are beautiful and heartbreaking.
This book is a roller-coaster second chance romance. Love, loss, betrayal, redemption; I felt all the emotions. Bring tissues.

A solid three star read in the vein of coho. If you want weepy romance, this will satisfy your craving.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Ohhhhh - if you want to be wrecked emotionally - pick this one up! The alternating timelines help to tell one of the most beautiful and haunting stories about love, loss, grief, and healing. The emotions are just intense and expect to barely be able to see, breathe, or feel anything besides soggy after reading this! I started a new box of Kleenex with the prologue, and finished the box with the last pages of this book - I couldn't put this down; I was reading until 5am, and I don't regret it at all (even as I sit here with yet another espresso).

This book is beautiful - Some people get one truly great love story, others get none, and she had two? Two relationships that were beyond perfect, so much so that they feel as though they were made specifically for her!

Cannot wait to read more by this author, the sooner the better!

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Level: 🌶️ (it’s mostly closed door, but not completely zero)
Kindle Unlimited: Yes.

I was not expecting this book to hit the way it did. I went into it completely blind and was blown away. Lily’s arc and her stories with Adam and Josh hit so freaking close to home it’s not even funny.

I was so proud of her for living her life the way she felt she had to. In her position, I think I would have made all the same choices, she was relatable and funny, but also kind of sassy and her love stories were so beautiful even if they were a little messy. But that’s life right?

This was my first book by Dani Atkins and I’m thinking I need to add a few more of her books to my TBR because I was crying sad tears at the beginning and happy tears at the end.

Lily’s life is turned upside down after the unexpected death of her husband, Adam. On his deathbed, Adam makes her promise to find Josh, Lily’s best friend who walked out of her life years ago. As she embarks on a journey to fulfill Adam's last wish, fate reunites her with Josh during a fierce Scottish snowstorm. As they confront decades of unresolved feelings, Lily uncovers a shocking secret that will force her to choose between love, forgiveness, and her own happiness. A story of second chances, love, and forgiveness, this novel will tug at your heartstrings and leave you pondering the true meaning of love.

My first book from this author. I love Paige Toon's novels and this author rivals her ability to break my heart and piece it back together. It's not often that a book evokes enough emotion for me to cry, but Always You and Me had be sobbing at some points. I went into this blindly and got hit with a ton of bricks (in the best way possible). There's no words that can do this book justice. Just do yourself a favor and read it!

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing & NetGalley for this e-arc.



I enjoyed how the flashback scenes revealed details about Lily and Josh's relationship. The fact that those scenes showed us how things were before everything went wrong made them some of my favorite parts of the story. Additionally, it introduced us to Adam, Lily's husband, who tragically dies at the beginning of the story. It gives us a closer look at how deeply sadness can influence your daily life and be interwoven with the chapters set in the present. The way Lily struggles with her grief over Adam's death and then tries to make amends with Josh at her husband's request is really realistic and well-written. I really liked this story. I can't wait to read more from this author!!