All the Ways we Almost Met

by Laura Tapper

Rose wakes from a vivid dream about a man she doesn't recognize.

Then she starts remembering him.

A boy from her childhood. A stranger at a college party. A chance encounter she can't quite forget. As memories she thought were long buried begin resurfacing, Rose realizes one impossible truth: the same man has been crossing her path for years. The more she remembers, the more she wonders how many times two people can almost find each other before they finally do.

Because sometimes love isn’t about finding the right person. Sometimes it’s about realizing they've been there all along.

Published October 1, 2026

About the author

Instagram: @lauratypedthis
Substack: lauratypedthis.substack.com/
Pinterest: pinterest.com/lauratypedthis/

Reviews

[Nicole Pichler · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10 ⭐

** The author provided me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

🗣️ 1st person, single POV
📖 Novella
🍂 Autumn vibes
📼 90s vibes
✨ Fate
🕰️ Missed connections
💚 Green flag MMC
🫑 No spice


I was lucky enough to beta read an early version of this story, so I was incredibly excited to read the finished novella.

What it’s about:
Rose has this weird dream about this tall man with brown hair over and over again and has the feeling that she knows him, but every time she tries to remember his face it just slips away.
She thinks that she has met him before on several occasions. Throughout the day, Rose experiences flashbacks of moments from her past where she met a boy - or later a man - and she begins to wonder if he’s the same person from her dreams.


This was my first novella and now I’m wondering why I waited so long to try one.

Once again, I loved Laura’s writing style. The best way I can describe it is warm and comforting. You’re able to dive into the story easily.

This is such a cozy read, full of autumn vibes and romance. It kind of gave me Gilmore Girls vibes. And let me tell you: This is so for the 90s kids! I loved the references to all the stupid things we did in our teens. 😂

I enjoyed following Rose through her day and all her flashbacks of this man. You know that feeling when a memory wants to surface, but you just can’t quite grasp it? That’s so well described here.

We get lovable side characters and a green flag MMC.

The ending gave me goosebumps and the epilogue added so much emotion to the story (I had tears in my eyes).

This is a great romantic novella and I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author.

[Christa Viada · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌿🧣A R C • R E V I E W🧣🌿

This book releases 🍂 OCTOBER.

🧣 This is a cute, fun, fated love novella that will have you wanting more!

🌹 Rose wakes up from a vivid dream about a man she does not recognize. Then slowly, memories start replaying in her mind and she begins to remember him. A boy from her childhood. A stranger at a college party. As memories start resurfacing, Rose realizes this man has been crossing her path for years. How many times can two people almost find each other before they finally do?

🧣 Laura makes it extremely easy to just dive into her books and get connected to every character and part of the story so fast. This one is such a cozy, autumn read and 90s nostalgia! You can’t pass on that! Have fun going through the day with Rose and her memories start to resurface and meet this dream man with her!

The epilogue was beautiful 😭 💯 recommend you pick this one up in October!

[Liza Cranor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect cozy fall read! 🍂 If you’re looking for something quick and fun, definitely add this one to your fall TBR!

I loved Laura’s writing style and how easy it was to connect with the characters. I felt completely pulled into their world and was rooting for Rose to find her man the entire time! I also loved the little bit of mystery surrounding who he was and how their paths kept crossing.

This novella was such a feel-good read and gave me all the cozy fall vibes. It genuinely made me happy, and sometimes that’s exactly what you want from a book! 🤎

-The author provided me with a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Erika Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third story by Laura that I've had the pleasure of reading and I loved it with my whole heart. All the Ways We Almost Met is a beautiful story about missed opportunities and how fate brings people together when the time is just right. Everything about it was perfection - the pacing was spot on for a novella, the story was complete without feeling rushed, the writing style was smooth and hooked from the first page, and the story itself was captivating in all the best ways. Honestly, I don't think Laura could have done this any better than she did - it's exceptional!

What an absolute pleasure it was to read this. Laura - you amaze me over and over again!

[Ashley Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you @lauratypedthis for this opportunity to read and review another arc!

✨️My thoughts✨️
Short but sweet! I loved it!! I enjoyed seeing all the almost meets between two individuals and how fate was at play! It gave me warm and cozy vibes as I was reading. If you want a heartwarming romance, add this to your tbr.

This part made all the Butterflies for me. You definitely will have to read the book to understand. 😘

"You."
"You."
"I... I know you."

✨️Question✨️
Do you enjoy novellas?

#lauratapper #romancebooks #allthewayswealmostmet

[Cara Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura has not disappointed me yet! This little novella was so cute! It reminded me of movies I would watch with my mom growing up of people who were always meant to be together but timing was never right.
It has such a cozy vibe, I loved going through Rose’s memories and watching everything unfold.
If you want a simple cozy romance for the fall time, check this book out! I got teary eyed at the epilogue. I cannot wait to read the others in this Fate Series she has planned. <3

[Caitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an eARC of this book by the author in exchange for my honest review ❤️

How this short little story managed to pack so much nostalgia, hope a yearning inside, I will never know! But Laura Tapper managed to write a book that took me back, filled my senses and made me giddy over the way that fate can pan out sometimes.

This story was perfection for diving into fall and for people who believe the universe really does plant us where we’re meant to be.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC copy received from author in exchange for an honest review

This had me hooked from the get-go. I had to know what happened. The connections felt so palpable. The friendships were so nice too.
I need more. I need to have more of Rose and Brendan and their next chapter.
This was such a great read. Loved it so much ❤️

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this magical and dreamy story before it was even finished. So grateful I got to beta read this novella. It’s warm and it’s cozy. Makes you believe that the feeling of love being a dream come true is real. There’s so much story packed into this story. Each memory… coming back to the present and back to the dream. Reading their happy ever just truly makes me smile.