Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. This book shattered my heart. I was captivated throughout and utterly invested and Sophie and Adam's story. The book explored grief sensitively, it was emotive, tense, and I loved the characters. It is hard putting into words how much I loved this book. A beautiful look at the precarity of life.

The premise drew me in but I wasn't sure if I would actually enjoy this book. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

I really like dual pov narrations where each character's thoughts are laid out almost to the point of exhaustion. It helps me really get to know how their brain thinks, what they prioritize, and which action they decide to take. I'm learning that I prefer this because that's how I am. Although both Sophie and Adam's minds were overflowing with numbers, I liked that Sophie was detail oriented and neatly organized while Adam was drowning in unfinished tasks that he didn't even know he had because he was constantly forgetting things. That contrast made me root for both of them and wished for the best. I enjoy found family and as annoying as Wren was in the beginning, her attitude was completely justified in my opinion.

Which brings me to... The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars was because of Adam. He was insufferable. Completely self-absorbed and self-pitying. Incompetent. I can't stand people who are just words and no action. When he dropped the ball on finishing up the sewing right when Wren was 80% open to accepting him as a dad, I was so mad and disappointed. Then he goes to Sophie to have comfort sex(?) and run away from his problem (although that's not exactly what happened, that's exactly how it felt), I almost didn't care for what happened to him at the end. I felt like he wasn't worth Sophie anymore and all that love he received was unworthy. I know, I do feel terrible saying this but I really didn't like him towards the end.

The writing was captivating. The characters were well written. There were many moments where I was guessing who was blackmailing Sophie and I was pleasantly thrown off. All the memories were sweet and lovely. Nothing felt too cheesy except maybe Adam saying ditto and 100 per cent 10 too many times. This was a heartwarming summer read.

My Initial Thoughts
This had me sobbing just from the first chapter! I knew from the blurb this one going to be a book that kept my heart in an hourglass and I was still not prepared to be crying in shock so early on! The cover is also beautiful!
Plot
The plot of this is so captivating, it truly brings you on the ride alongside Sophie. I felt like I could fell the time falling away as the story went on and each day making me more anxious of what was to come. I absolutely love a book that can make me feel all the emotions and pull me in so intensively!
Characters
I honestly loved the characters in this book, but the one that truly caught my heart unexpectedly was Walter. I felt raw just reading his story and then joy and then pure heartbreak. I guess the elderly characters always win a special place in my heart. Then there was Wren, that poor darling, my heart hurt for her throughout the book. Adam is so loveable and it has you constantly thinking how are his days numbers, never expected what could happen and its not guessable until it is. I enjoyed the fact that with Sophie we got to go back at times to 2015 to find out exactly what happened to her and why her world is now dictated by numbers everywhere she looks.
Recommend
If your looking for an emotional powerful read then this is for you! Don’t forget your tissues you’ll need them.
Favourite Quote
“Good and bad things happen; we’re all made of the light and dark. Somehow, they manage to co-exist and make us who we are.”
Favourite Chapter/s
My favourite chapters were 25, 31, 44, 47, 49 and 51.
Summed up in one sentence
The emotional turmoil I didn’t expect my heart to need, but it did.
Overall Wrap up
I loved everything about this book, including when I was sobbing my heart out. To the point my 13 year old commented on it asking what was wrong as they are just fictional characters. Oh I can’t wait until she actually reads enough to cry over “just fictional” characters. This is the perfect mix of romance, learning to live with grief and the mural that shouts so clearly throughout all the numbers… To live everyday as if its your last as you never know when your number hits 0.. Do the scary things and live. Shed the tears and laugh. Honestly this book has left a huge imprint on my heart!
Stars & Spice – 5 stars and 1 bell pepper.

Book Information – Counting Down To You by Sarah J Harris.

Genre – Romance.

Pages – 410 pages.

Tropes –
Childhood sweetheart.
Second chance romance.
Numbers… lots of numbers!
Available on Kindle Unlimited – Counting Down To You is available on kindle unlimited!

Available Formats – Available on kindle, audiobook and in paperback.

Publishing Information – Published on 15th July 2025 by Lake Unison Publishing.

Format in Which I Read – I read this on Kindle.

Where my copy come From – My copy came from Netgallery.

POVs – This is written in dual POVs both Sophie and Adam.

Single/Dual/Multiple Timelines – This is written on a dual timeline as we go back to the past and Sophie and Adams history.

1st, 2nd or 3rd person – This is written in first person.

HEA, HFN or Cliff hanger – HEA!

Series or Standalone – This is a standalone.

Trigger Warnings – Please check content warnings before reading if necessary and please always remember that your mental health matters.

This book offers a truly unique and refreshing premise, which immediately set it apart from others in the genre. While it took me a little time to fully settle into the story, once it gained momentum, I found myself thoroughly immersed and eager to see how things unfolded.

One of the standout elements for me was the character of Sophie. Her journey is filled with genuine growth, and I appreciated how layered and realistic she felt. Her emotional arc was both relatable and inspiring, making it easy to connect with her on a deeper level. The romance was also thoughtfully developed—nothing felt rushed or forced, and the relationship added meaningful depth without overshadowing the broader narrative.

If I had one critique, it would be that the story felt slightly longer than necessary in parts. A bit of tightening in the pacing could have made the reading experience even more engaging. That said, the overall execution, especially in terms of character development and emotional resonance, made the journey well worth it.

I would absolutely recommend this book to readers who enjoy emotionally rich stories with strong character arcs and a touch of romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I highly recommend this book. This is a romance like no other. I love a good romance but I find that they are hard to come by because the relationship doesn’t always feel believable but this one had me in love with them. I love the added magical realism of the book and just an amazing story with a great setting as well.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishiny for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

wow,what a gorgeous and thought provoking read. i was immediately hooked to the premise and instantly more so when i started reading. i felt so much for our Fmc. what a things to be lumbered with!? i think it would drive you made. id walk around with my eyes shut or not want to see anyone at all. what about family!? but this was the result of Sophie's accident, she is left with a gift or more like curse of seeing how many days people will live and a life that is ruled and measured and seen in numbers.
of course Sophie thought she could or should intervene in this. she had to right? to change the numbers. but shes never been able to.
but then a real scupper to her life comes back into it. her first love. and what does Sophie see that shocks her? that this man has such a low number left...no!Sophie needs to do something. she cant not do something and that is exactly what she tasks herself to do. change things for him.
i was totally immersed into this book and the story. i fell so hard for our Sophie and he risk and tension about what she had been cursed with and then how would she ever change the fate of the man she loved so much? wow. i was both anxious and in need to see what would happen.
how can this possible end well. she cant love him enough to make his death date ok can she? she cant change his death date can she? so how would this ending be ok???argh.
could this be a lesson in taking the moments and time you have and grabbing it with both hands. for me this book hit home at this time in my own life. and so hit home hard. i enjoyed every minute and needed a book like this right now. to make sure we all hold those we love. and dont ever fear doing so because too late is the next minute in some case. and life or a future is not guaranteed.

Counting Down To You is unlike anything I have read before. I love magical realism so when I saw this book and read its blurb I was instantly intrigued.

Sophie and Adam were young and in love but one tragic night changes everything. Her and Adam part ways and the head injury Sophie sustained that night gives her the ability to know how long someone has left to live. Ten years later Adam and Sophie’s paths cross again and she finds he only has a short time left to live. She has to make the decision to either walk away or make the most of the little time she has left with him.

Even when I wasn’t sure how I felt about this book I was still glued to it and had to know how it would end. It was fast paced and will have you on the edge of your seat. It is also so full of emotion. This book covers loss and grief, strained family relationships, and character growth through learning to face their personal demons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing/Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC of Counting Down to You. The premise of this book was unique to me, as I had never read anything like it before. I was intrigued by the magical realism and literary fiction vibe, and I was also surprised that there was a lot more romance woven in than I had expected.

The story begins in 2016 when Sophie is in a car accident on prom night, and she suffers a traumatic brain injury. After the accident, Sophie has a sudden ability to see numbers everywhere around her, including the number of days each person has left to live. No matter how hard she tries to save people from their fates, she is unable to alter their destiny. She unfortunately loses her best friend Lily in this accident and ends up cutting ties with her boyfriend at the time, Adam Bailey. During the book, we are not sure what happened between Sophie and Adam, until one day their paths cross again. We also learn that Sophie’s mother passed away, and she was unable to save her as well.

Once Sophie and Adam reconnect years later, she is more determined than ever to find out how to control the numbers, and her elderly friend Walter gives her faith that she can do so. This story is filled with family connections, a second chance romance, and philosophies about our short time here on Earth.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed in how the story unfolded and found myself struggling to pick this book up. It was such an interesting concept to me and I was excited to read it, but the writing got boring and felt all over the place. The author overused exclamation points in a way that was distracting, and I felt like I was reading a Dr. Seuss book. It made the dialogue seem unnatural and corny. I really did not enjoy the way this was executed and was waiting for the story to be over. The only thing that kept me reading was to find out what would happen to Sophie and Adam by the end of the book.

Topics/Themes/Trigger Warnings:
*Second chance romance
*Single dad
*Dual POV and dual timeline
*Grief/death
*Car accident
*Cancer
*Traumatic brain injury
*House fire/explosion
*Drowning
*Panic attacks
*LGBT rep

Wow! Where to even begin with this book? I’ve taken some time to reflect and I’m still utterly shocked by the affect this had on me. It’s been a while since a book had me openly sobbing like this one did.

Counting Down To You is a gripping, strongly narrated story with elements I’ve never seen before. I struggle to know what to class this as, whether it be fantasy realism, contemporary romance or something entirely different. But I truly loved every second of it.

There were a range of complex characters to fall in love with, and fall I definitely did. Adam is an anxious single dad, coming to terms with a plethora of wild changes to his life and was an extremely easy character to love. Sophie, on the other hand, was a deeply troubled girl, struggling to cope with the condition/power she possesses to see the date in which everyone around her will die. I initially struggled to connect with her, mainly due to the way she treated those around her, but as her re-introduction with Adam progressed, I did begin to better understand and connect with her story.

As someone around the same age as these characters, also not living far from Bristol, it felt especially relatable and real to me. I deeply resonated with Adam, and his pressure to pick up the pieces when his life and career didn’t end up how he expected.

There were a few phrases that were repeated endlessly throughout this book - “100 per cent” being the one that stuck out to me. I do appreciate this very well may be a quirk of the character, (mathematician Adam and his love for numbers) but it very became repetitive and drew away from the personality of the character. I went back and searched the phrase to find it was used a whopping 30 times in the book, absolute madness.

The ending, though should have been entirely expected, was cleverly and almost evilly written. I may be facing ridicule from my partner for weeks to come for how explosively I cried for these characters, so thank you for that Sarah.

But overall, I’m really glad to have read this book, definitely recommend it, and thank all involved for the opportunity to read this book ahead of release.

After Sophie was involved in an accident when she was younger that left her with a brain injury she was left with the ability to see numbers everywhere and one of these numbers she sees is the amount of days a person has left to live. When her old school boyfriend returns into her life she agrees to meet him and can't believe his number is so low, 24 days. As old feelings resurface she wonders if this is the person she can help or is it too late?

Such a good story and premise, i found it took me through every emotion and really makes you think about life and the what ifs.

Highly recommend!

Last year, I read and was in love with Meet Me on The Bridge by Sarah J. Harris. It had such an inventive premise and left a lasting impression on me. So naturally, I had to read Counting Down To You, when I saw it here and I am grateful for the opportunity to read it early. It was just fabulous, quick moving and immersive throughout.

Sophie has been bestowed a unique gift after an accident. As incredible as it is, it weighs heavy in her life. Her feelings are so well portrayed as she navigates seeing numbers everywhere, includingthe days someone has left to live, and deals with repressed grief from her accident in which not everyone survived. Sophie has done her best to move on and surrounds herself with wonderful members of found family for a feel-good adventure that I was totally lost in from start to finish.

For the single Dad lovers 😍 you will be falling hard for Adam and his daughter Wren.

h this is such a fun idea for a story - Sophie has the unwelcome ability to see a number for each person she meets, which tells her exactly how many days they have to live. It’s definitely not a gift that I would want, and Sophie is no different, struggling to come to terms with the knowledge, especially when she realises that she isn’t able to change anyone’s number. Disaster strikes when she is reunited with her first love, Adam, and his number is very, very low.

It takes a little while to get going, but the momentum really builds and by the second half I was truly invested in the story and how it would end. This book is also packed with really fun side characters, many of whom could be the stars of their own books!

Highly recommend if you are looking for something both fun and emotional; the premise is what drew me in and I think it’s a really fun idea!

I don’t cry easily. But stories about abandonment and rejection? They get me every time. This book with those themes AND the concept of processing grief hit me so hard I would’ve bawled—had I not been at work. And yes, I absolutely still recommend it. (I’m a sadist like that.)

This was my first book by the author, and while I could’ve reread the blurb before diving in, my ADHD brain gifted me the best experience: going in blind. What do you mean she can see how many days people have left to live—and her childhood sweetheart only has 24 days when they reunite 10 years later????

Gut-wrenching. Absolutely gut-wrenching.

The story alternates between past and present with dual POVs, which can feel a little disorienting at first, but I found my rhythm quickly and couldn’t put it down! The emotional bond between Sophie and Adam in their youth was so tender, and watching them rebuild that connection later felt incredibly earned.

The concept of numbers was also especially fascinating—possibly autistic-coded in the best way. Plus, even without any background in math or quilting, I found those details beautifully woven into the story without being overwhelming.

In the end, this was a deeply emotional read that kept me at the edge of my seat. The side characters may not have been fully fleshed out, but each played a meaningful role. And that was more than enough.

Heartbreaking, moving, and unforgettable. 10/10 will not read again because I don’t like to cry 😭

Sarah spends a lot of her time living in a constant state of what happens next if I do or don’t intervene. Her ability to see lifespans has a lot of negative consequences for her, despite her obsession with changing the inevitable. So what happens when love invites itself back inside her life and her obsession is torn between living in the here and now or the reality of death at her door everywhere she looks?

I really enjoyed the concept, it has a mathematical theory meets magical realism in number-space synaesthesia kind of way. I also welcomed the fact the author didn’t feel it necessary to change the interesting concept to suit the needs of a romance driven read. Instead the concept evolves with the story, and in a way that allows for magical realism to walk hand-in-hand with reality.

It also plays a little bit with a butterflyesque effect Sophie’s gift or affliction brings with it. Does trying to change the inevitable with sheer force or the elimination of possible threats change the outcome, slow the outcome, speed it up or make the event more severe? If that is the case, then why try to change the outcome at all. Does it throw up a question of morality if Sophie just leaves people to their end, regardless of what that end may look like?

It was an intriguing combination of contemporary romance read with a side dish of maths or rather a portion of individual doomsday counters. It does make you wonder whether the knowledge of expected time available would change the way people interact with others and indeed with themselves, it certainly does for Sarah.

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.