His wrist tattoo, their shared way of signing notes to one and other, her necklace (long enough to rest underneath the hollow in her neck, his favorite place to kiss her)... Each one of these snippets of memory adorned with the mathematical Möbius Strip symbol. For teenagers Adam and Sophie, the Möbius Strip represented their love story: how interconnected they are for life, never truly apart. But tragic circumstances break them up, with neither one of them ever truly able to get over the other: regardless of their separation, that one symbol elevated them from having puppy love to being the enduring love of each other's lives. Achingly so, through distance and time.

One day, Adam walks into a dry-cleaners having spotted a mathematically patterned quilt in the front window, wondering who made it. Shop keeper Bernard helps him connect the dots: it's Sophie... his Sophie. The love of his life, the girl he hasn't gotten over, the girl he hasn't seen in 10 years. 
Sophie, having heard everything from the back of the store, escapes the moment she realizes Adam's here... her Adam. She can't bear to see him, because seeing him means she'll see His Number. Like she sees every possible number, ever since she got into a horrible car accident 10 years ago. How many tiles there are in a floor. How wide your bathtub is. The number of hairs on your head. The number of days you have left to live. But through his persistence, they reunite, and she's confronted with the awful truth: Adam, a now 28 year-old single father, has 24 days left to live. And there is absolutely nothing Sophie can do about it; she's tried to intervene before with other people, and fate always Final Destinationed them.

Oh, this book hurts in the best way. I felt a welcome array of emotions as I read this, cover to cover. It never stopped. I was very nervous, a little on edge, about how the story would unfold. I could only hope, hope and hope. Counting Down to You is a romance novel, but that's not always a guarantee... I was legitimately feeling quite a bit of despair, forcing myself not to skip to the end. I was so invested in these characters and their love story, in sweet Adam and his family. Books with this amount of emotional impact are so special, especially when it was balanced, gentle enough not to feel overdone or sentimental. There is so much hope in all of this, so much value placed on the smaller moments of togetherness. Despite the heavy subject matter, this book was very comforting at times.

Sophie's experience as she's sort of grieving Adam while he is alive is superbly written. Her feelings are always full of conflict: her wish to avoid him, avoid the pain of having to likely lose him all over again, is tenderly human. And when she finds the strength to take steps in his direction again, to make the most of her time with him AND help him live his last days with meaning... there is so much love in that. She cycles through this course of inaction versus action a few times, but bravely finds her way back to Adam every single time - like their Möbius Strip symbol. From her perspective alone, this book is a stunning love story.

Adam, having no idea about what is going on, is going through his own series of emotions: his yearning for Sophie - of what they had, and what they could still have - is achingly beautiful. The sweet, nostalgic moments they experienced as teenagers, the significance of their mathematical symbol, regarding her now...

Both characters feel a sort of grief for the years they've missed out on, coming to terms with being adults who have changed. They are forced to confront the fatal accident that changed their entire lives, flashbacks of which play out on page in both Sophie's and Adam's PoVs. These chapters are graphic and quite hard to read, but I think it's necessary to show the impact not only on Sophie as the sole survivor, but on Adam and their friend Tom as well, as powerless bystanders (a position Sophie now finds herself in as well). Their survivor's guilt is collective. Harris doesn't shy away from writing more of these kinds of hard scenes, but it's never overly sensationalized. They help the story.

Sophie and Adam as individuals and as a pairing definitely can carry this entire book, but oh, how I loved the side characters Harris brings in. Adam's daughter Wren is as 8 years old as she can be, and had me cringing on Adam's behalf several times. She's... not making it easy on him. The story of her and Adam navigating life without her mother Carley in the picture is very realistic. This isn't instant-love for the girl. And Adam messes up a lot. It's perfectly imperfect.

Some people from their shared past appear in the story with various amounts of impact on the whole. But the person who stole my heart and had me weeping (think UP levels of tear drainage) was Walter, an elderly man who's dying of cancer, and is the catalyst for Sophie to rethink the meaning of all of those numbers. That man is responsible for about half a jam jar full of my tears and for many of the good lessons that this book left the main characters and myself with.

Counting Down to You is a unique magical realism story about big heartaches, demonstrating the immeasurable, infinite value of enjoying whatever moment you can with those you love. 

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.

What would you do if you could see when your first love will die? And if it's soon? Sophie has struggled with her unusual ability since she was a teen and she knows that she's not able to change things. But this time it's Adam. Sophie is. more worried (and this was nice) about Adam's strained relationship with his daughter than she is about herself (although make no mistake she's concerned about that as well). Know that this has dual time lines that might be a bit confusing at first but that you'll be fine one you settle in. No spoilers from me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced reader copy of this novel.

If you could know the exact date of your death, would you want to know? This is the question explored within the pages of this second chance romance. After a tragic accident as a teenager, Sophie now sees numbers everywhere. At a glance, she knows the height of a building, the pieces of gravel on a driveway, the number of leaves on a tree, and the amount of days each person has left to live. Knowing when her loved ones will perish and being able to do nothing to stop it has caused Sophie to push everyone away until she stumbles upon her first true love, the one thay got away, and is unable to walk away again, especially when he has less than a month to live.

This is so much more than just a contemporary romance. This novel explores grief, trauma, and parental relationships with a cast of characters you can't help but fall in love with. The author reminds us to cherish the small joys in life and be in each moment while we still have them.

The character work within this was excellent, and the pacing never lulled. Despite the ending being a tad predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed this work and look forward to reading more by this author.

4.5 ⭐️
Tissue count= 1/2 a box
Spice 🌶

Counting Down to You has an intriguing premise and delivers an emotional second-chance romance. While the concept of seeing people’s remaining days was compelling, i struggleed with some of the timelines. The number details were a bit overwhelming early on, but the final quarter picked up and had real emotional impact. A good fit for readers who enjoy romance with a twist of the supernatural.

This book comes with great premise that demonstrates the truism that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Sophie's ability to see how many days of life each person has left is an unwanted blessing that feels more like a curse, especially when she rediscovers her lost love, Adam, who has a horribly low number of days left to live. This is a book with great characters, pace and an ingenious time-slip, dual point of view plot. It delves into heartbreaking subjects while also delivering a super-smart twist on the romance genre and would make the perfect summer read.

I was really excited to get this as an ARC as it's something I feel I would genuinely pick up from the blurb.

Sophie and Adam were high school sweethearts until a fateful car accident at their high school prom killed Sophie's best friend and left Sophie with significant head injuries. A side effect of this head injury is she now sees numbers EVERYWHERE - how many leaves are in a tree, how high the bench is, how many days everyone has left to live...

She feels responsible for the accident and starts pulling away from everyone she's known. She tries hard to help people avoid their fates but has been unsuccessful in altering anyone's number yet. One day, 10 years later Adam walks into her workplace, she runs away, she doesn't want to see him or know his number. But eventually agrees to meet up with him and his number is LOW, 24 days low. All the feelings from their dating days come rushing back, can this finally be the person she can help? Is there any possibility of happily ever after for these 2?

The premise was cool, not necessarily unique but I did enjoy it. I didn't love the way it was written, there was something that felt a little clunky with the timelines and dates. I also found the number talk in the beginning a bit overwhelming and it dragged in the middle. The last quarter or so picked back up and I genuinely wanted to know if she could save him. And yes, my eyes welled a little, it was a bit of an emotional ride. I think this will appeal to readers who enjoy a second chance romance with lots of mathematical data.

A beautiful premise, a very well written book that will touch your heart and leave you thinking about it for days. Very enjoyable read!

This book has a really unique premise which was refreshing and much appreciated. I took me a bit to get into the story but once I did I reallu enjoyed it. My only complaint is that it was a little too long. Sophie, the main character, showed a lot of character development throughout and I really connected to her. The romance was also well-developed. I would recommend this to other readers.

⏳Time can be a gift and a curse.⏳

What happens when exact numbers are assigned to everything? From precise dimensions, volume, height, totals, to the number of days a person has to live counting down daily. This becomes Sophie's reality following a prom night car accident and her resulting head injury.

<i>Counting Down to You</i> is told through dual POVs and a dual timeline. The timeline flashes back and forth between the year of her accident in high school and her current life. We get both Sophie's POV and Adam's. Sophie has tried to save people whose number of days was running out in the past but without success. She and Adam were high school sweethearts, and he was definitely 'the one that got away'. When their paths cross in the current timeline she sees that he only has 24 days to live. Adam is a single father to a young daughter that he has only recently learned of. He is also her only remaining parent. Sophie knows she can't stop the inevitable but is it worth the heartbreak to spend what time he has left reconnecting or should she cut her losses.

In the beginning the numbers were overwhelming being in Sophie's POV <b>BUT</b> it provided tremendous insight to her character. Sophie has a sewing/quilting business, and I liked how crafts were sort of a coping mechanism. The story builds momentum and becomes hard to put down. It was an emotional read with a lot to unpack. Learning to work through trauma is shown. Which is important because carrying guilt and heartache around can make a person stagnant in their development. The novel is a little on the lengthy side, but I felt like it was worth the time.⏳

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK | Lake Union Publishing for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you could know the day you would die, would you want to know? What would you do with your time and can we change fate?
These are the questions I pondered through out Counting Down to You by Sarah J Harris. I read this book as an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Numbers are all around us and for Sophie this is literally the case. After a terrible accident causing a brain injury Sophie sees numbers everywhere, including the number of days someone has to live. When she runs into her childhood sweetheart she is shocked to see his number and wonders can she change his fate.
I enjoyed this book it is marketed as general/women's fiction and includes a good dose of magical realism and second chance romance. The concept of Sophie having a brain injury and seeing numbers is unique and not one I've read before and this is what piqued my interest in this story.
The book is written in dual POV with dual timelines and we see the story of Sophie and Adams past unfold while counting down Adam's days in the future. I always enjoy a dual timeline as it explores how the actions of our past impact our future. The present day chapters are written calendar style, counting down Adam's days which built tension as his date drew closer. I was in a chokehold during those last chapters wanting to know what was going to happen.
This was a feel good read about love, loss, family and friendship that really gets you pondering some of life's big questions and reminds you to live for today.

I was immediately drawn into Counting Down to You, particularly as I'm a sucker for a second chance romance. I loved all the layers, the flip in timeline, the dual narration by Adam and Sophie. There were so many clever details that pulled the story together and to remind us to live life to the full. Ultimately, this is a love story with a heartbreaking realisation that had me desperate for a happy ending. Beware - you won't want to put this book down!

I really enjoyed this book! The premise of seeing the number of days people have left is such a good story line.

Thank you for the ARC!

The premise of this story is a fascinating one; a girl suffers a head injury, from a traumatic night, and receives superpowers that allows her to see when people die. Upon reading this story, I wasn't sure on what to expect. The continuous references to numbers was a bit of a headache for me, but very fitting for the story. It's ultimately something that united the protagonist and her love interest. I loved the history that the characters shared, it felt genuine and fluid in a way relationship would.

While I'm not the biggest fan of the ending, it was still pretty good. The story is magnificent. The ending was decent and allows for it to feel like it ended in a satisfying manner.

The premise of the book really pulled me in. Sophie had an accident on prom night that left her with an ability to now see numbers of everything. From distances, number of leaves on a tree, angles and degrees of everything. There are numbers above people and she finds out that these are the numbers of years a person has left. She has turned this ability into a sewing career as she can create unique shapes and designs in quilts. She vows to not date anyone with less than 55 years as she has not had any luck changing anyone’s time they have left. I just loved the concept and how Sophie took this ability and created something from it. The guilt and loneliness associated with this new ability too. It’s a heartwarming but also thought provoking story of love, second chances and found family.

The audiobook was beautifully narrated by Shakira Shute and John York. These two were the best voices for Sophie and Adam. It kept me engaged in the story and wanting to know more as their reconnection happened.

Thank you Amazon Publishing Uk / Lake Union and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

Sarah J Harris you’ve done it again. I loved “The Colour of Bee Larkham’s Murder” which was based on a neurological disorder called synaesthesia so I was excited to dive into your latest, “Counting Down To You”.

Told through the eyes of Adam and Sophie and in dual time lines of 2015 and 2024, Sarah’s latest book is another beautiful read. It had me laughing, sobbing and feeling everything in between.

In 2015 Sophie sustains damage to her brain resulting in her seeing numbers floating above peoples heads. These numbers are the number of days they have left to live. She uses this “gift” to attempt to bring people with limited numbers together with their loved ones, in their final days. Wound throughout surfing, quilting, friendships and the Mobius strip theory Sophie reminds us to find joy in the small moments, no matter how many we may have left.

A beautiful book that I couldn’t put down and that I highly recommend.
I give this a hearty 4.5 stars.

Thank you for this ARC and the opportunity to review with my honest opinion.

Counting Down to You is a romance about Sophie and Adam, high school sweethearts who drift apart after a terrible accident. Following the accident, Sophie sees numbers in everything, including how long someone has left to live. She’s tried desperately to save people before their death date but has been unsuccessful. One day she runs into Adam but finds he has a strikingly low number. She’s torn between embracing the days she has left with him or continuing to push him a way to prevent herself from getting hurt.

This book had my emotions all over the place. I was back and forth on how the book would up until the last chapter. The idea of Sophie being able to see everything in numbers was really intriguing to me and I loved all the characters. I’d rate this book 4/5 stars. ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

Sophie and Adam used to be childhood sweethearts. Then Sophie got into a car accident that killed their friend Lily, and retreated from her friendship group as she felt responsible for the accident.

She also received a brain injury and now sees numbers everywhere - from numbers of tiles in a bathroom to how many days someone has left to live. It's not something you can go broadcasting around, and it drives Sophie mad.

Ten years later she has become a quilter doing memory blankets, and one day Adam, now a teacher with an eight year old daughter, comes to the shop she works in. She realises she still has feelings for him but does everything to put him off when she realises his number is only 24 days. She has tried before to save people with a low number but has never succeeded as they just died a different way instead, Iike her beloved mentor Joan.

There are flashbacks to the time of the accident ten years ago, and both Adam and Sophie get a POV. This works well to get to know both of them. I don't know much about maths and Möbius strips but I loved the side characters - Adam's daughter Wren, Joan, Sophie's boss Bernard and old Walter who'd rather know what fate has in store for him.

While I had nothing against Sophie's weird magical realism condition, I thought it was solved a little too quickly and illogically at the end, like the author didn't know how to actually deal with Adam's probable death. Also that stalker thing was a bit weird and overblown.

It was lovely how Sophie and Adam found together again and became a little family unit with Wren, plus Adam and Wren getting a closer father-daughter bond too. I liked this a lot more than the author's previous book "Meet Me on the Bridge". The book reads well and is a nice slow-burn second chances romance, if you don't mind magical realism and maths talk.

This book made me feel like I was actually at the beach and I absolutely adored the characters. Such a sweet love story! Loved every minute.

@currentlyreading__
Book 26 of 2025

The second book of June was a really beautiful one and one which should be on your pre-order list. Big thanks go to the author Sarah J Harris, the publishers and @NetGalley for the ARC. I read (and loved) One Ordinary Day at a Time in March so was thrilled to receive Counting Down to You. Sophie is our FMC who, after an accident, sees numbers everywhere and these correspond to how many days they have left. So when Adam, her first love returns, she finds that he has only twenty-four days left to live. After failing to save so many people, why would she want to get involved with Adam once again when her heart is sure to be broken?

I love Sarah’s writing- warm, full of heart with characters I care about. And I love a dual timeline too! I love a bit of magic realism so this tender, emotional page turner had all of the elements to make me smile. A definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. Thank you @sarahjharriswrites.


Out 15th July - pre-order now https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0D31YD2LL/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

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You know when a book is good, because you want to re-read it as soon as you've finished reading it the first time! I was hooked straightaway on this. The love story is very cleverly written. I love the mathematical references. Adam, Sophie, and Wren are wonderful characters. And Adam is swoon-worthy! The story weaves between past and present, and honestly, I can only say good things about this book. All the side characters are interesting and add to the story, just like the pieces of fabric all add up to make an amazing quilt. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.