Good Evening,

Hope you’re all having a good week. The last few days have been ok for me, however time seems to be moving at a snails pace. After a super quick week last week, I think reality has hit me hard and everything seems to be dragging on and on. Well not everything, just the work day. Not much else is going on really. Lockdown all day everyday, but I have books coming out of my ears at the moment, so I have lots to be getting on with.

Book 📖

I am a sucker for a story that pulls on the heartstrings and when I read that this book was perfect for fans of Me Before You, I was instantly interested. Thank you to @HarperCollinsUK and @HayleyDWrites for this audio copy of Love, Almost in return for an honest review. Love, Almost is available to read now and you can get a copy here.

Description 🔖

Thirty six year old Chloe has found real love for the first time in her life with Jack. They’re soulmates and despite only having been together for five months, they are deeply in love and excited for their future together.

However it is taken away too quickly when Jack dies in a tragic accident. Chloe is devastated, but embarks on the life they had planned together; only she’s doing it on her own.

General Thoughts 🤔

I was expecting tears to be shed over this book and they were. I felt so much sadness for Chloe for many different reasons but so much hope all at the same time. Whilst so much of the story is focused on Chloe’s grief, it is also about her seeking happiness and a life after Jack.

What really broke my heart was that Chloe had so much more to learn about Jack that she would never get the chance to do. She knew little of the Jack before Chloe and the people in Jack’s life knew absolutely nothing about her. She suffered through her grief whilst everyone else seemed to be minimising her pain.

Characters 👫👬👭

Chloe was such a warm and loveable character. You couldn’t read this book and not fall in love with her. She’s vulnerable yet strong, soft and funny. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I would do if in Chloe’s position and I still don’t know the answer. The scene that has really stuck with me is Jack’s funeral. Chloe staying in the church during the service truly showed her strength and how very much in love with Jack she was.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I could not warm to Chloe’s mother. I found her to be over bearing and patronising. At times it felt like she didn’t want Chloe to have her own life and make her own decisions yet was angry with Chloe for trying to manage her sadness and grief in her own way. I’m sure that she meant well, but the way she treated Chloe made me dislike her character.

Writing Style ✍️

I adore that this audio book was narrated by the author; and in a lovely Scouse accent too. I always think there’s something special about listening to an author read their own words, it feels very personal.

I thought that Hayley Doyle had a fantastic balance of heart breaking emotion, humour and inspiration throughout the book. Yes, it’s an incredibly sad story, but she was able to sprinkle some really funny moments in there that I thought made the story very relatable.

Conclusion & Scoring 🏅

Everyone loves to read a book they can have a good cry to right? There’s something cathartic about it. I cried to this book and laughed through my tears too. I really enjoyed listening to this story and fell in love with Chloe whilst doing so. WHEN you read this book, have plenty of tissues, chocolate and wine on hand; you’re going to need it.

😍😍😍😍😩