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Who We Were Before
Romantic Novel Award Nominee Zoe knows that it wasn’t really her fault. Of course it wasn’t. But if she’d just grasped harder, run faster, lunged quicker, she might have saved him. And Edward doesn’t really blame her, though his bitter words at the time still haunt her, and he can no more take them back than she can halt the car that killed their son. Two years on, every day is a tragedy. Edward knows they should take healing steps together, but he’s tired of being shut out. For Zoe, it just seems easier to let grief lead the way. A weekend in Paris might be their last hope for reconciliation, but mischance sees them separated before they’ve even left Gare du Nord. Lost and alone, Edward and Zoe must try to find their way back to each other―and find their way back to the people they were before . But is that even possible?
266 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2016
2280 people are currently reading
4719 people want to read
About the author
Leah Mercer
21 books249 followersLeah can't remember a time when she didn't love writing. From creating fake newspapers to writing letters to the editor, scribbling something was always on the agenda. Even the rejections she received after completing her first novel at age 13 didn't dent her enthusiasm.
So it makes sense, then, that she pursued a career in anything but writing. Public relations, teaching, recruitment, editing medical journals -- even a stint painting houses -- until she finally succumbed once more to the lure of the blank page.
When she's not being jumped on by her young son or burning supper while thinking of plot-lines, Leah can be found furiously tapping away on her laptop, trying not to check Twitter or Facebook.
Leah also writes romantic comedies under the name Talli Roland.
So it makes sense, then, that she pursued a career in anything but writing. Public relations, teaching, recruitment, editing medical journals -- even a stint painting houses -- until she finally succumbed once more to the lure of the blank page.
When she's not being jumped on by her young son or burning supper while thinking of plot-lines, Leah can be found furiously tapping away on her laptop, trying not to check Twitter or Facebook.
Leah also writes romantic comedies under the name Talli Roland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 842 reviews
September 6, 2016
Two years after the death of their son Milo, Ed and Zoe have not been united in their grief. In fact they are poles apart and can barely stand to be in the same room at the same time. When Zoe’s parents treat them to a weekend in Paris, will this be enough to draw them back together or will they end up even further apart? They have spent the past two years floundering around in ever widening circles steadily moving away from each other and consistently failing to connect and communicate with each other and I loved the way the whole trip to Paris metaphorically reflected this.
It is a very deep read indeed, very introspective as the characters find the memories of their past relationship flooding back to haunt them. You get to know Ed and Zoe’s most secret thoughts about their marriage and at times it is extremely moving reading. Neither of them are perfect but they do come across as very believable and real in their grief. We all deal with grief in different ways and this couple certainly do, yet I found I could understand how they had got to this point in their marriage. I felt I had got to know them inside out by the end of the book. They are characters you can empathise with although I did find myself going hot and cold with Ed throughout the read. There are times when I wanted to strangle him and others when I wanted to hug him.
There were a couple of Americanisms that crept into the book. A British woman would never call it a wallet (always a purse) and I don’t know anyone who goes to a “mall”. Apart from that, however, this was a fabulous read that really drew me in right to the end.
It is a very deep read indeed, very introspective as the characters find the memories of their past relationship flooding back to haunt them. You get to know Ed and Zoe’s most secret thoughts about their marriage and at times it is extremely moving reading. Neither of them are perfect but they do come across as very believable and real in their grief. We all deal with grief in different ways and this couple certainly do, yet I found I could understand how they had got to this point in their marriage. I felt I had got to know them inside out by the end of the book. They are characters you can empathise with although I did find myself going hot and cold with Ed throughout the read. There are times when I wanted to strangle him and others when I wanted to hug him.
There were a couple of Americanisms that crept into the book. A British woman would never call it a wallet (always a purse) and I don’t know anyone who goes to a “mall”. Apart from that, however, this was a fabulous read that really drew me in right to the end.
August 25, 2019
Depressing
Okay this book was just depressing. Edward was a pig and was emotionally cheating on his wife with a co-worker, Fiona. After he lost Zoe at the train, by the way she was mugged and wandering around Paris looking for him, he was calling Fiona and asking her to come to his hotel and take their flirting to a different level so to speak. And she jumped on the train. In the meantime we are treated to flashbacks of a pregnancy, an engagement, a child dying and two people I don't think ever really loved each other. The ending was anticlimactic. I liked how it was done but I wish we would have had an epilogue too. This is not what I would call a romance, not really but more chick lit maybe. Plus I hate the back and forth in time in every other chapter. I read all the 'before' chapters and all the 'current' ones together, or at least I tried to. Personally I don't like the style. I do think the author writes remarkably well. Just needed some zip.
Okay this book was just depressing. Edward was a pig and was emotionally cheating on his wife with a co-worker, Fiona. After he lost Zoe at the train, by the way she was mugged and wandering around Paris looking for him, he was calling Fiona and asking her to come to his hotel and take their flirting to a different level so to speak. And she jumped on the train. In the meantime we are treated to flashbacks of a pregnancy, an engagement, a child dying and two people I don't think ever really loved each other. The ending was anticlimactic. I liked how it was done but I wish we would have had an epilogue too. This is not what I would call a romance, not really but more chick lit maybe. Plus I hate the back and forth in time in every other chapter. I read all the 'before' chapters and all the 'current' ones together, or at least I tried to. Personally I don't like the style. I do think the author writes remarkably well. Just needed some zip.
April 21, 2022
2 ⭐⭐ - Meh!
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Very depressing and oppressive.
Wow, Zero is a piece of shit who doesn't care about his wife disappearing and is totally in lust with another woman... even buying her lingerie while the wife is lost without wallet or money. He doesn't even answer the calls and only thinks about the arrival of OW. He simply takes advantage of the weekend in Paris paid for by his in-laws to have a sexual encounter with OW. I was completely disgusted with Zero and wanted to push him on the train tracks along with the cow he was waiting for.
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Very depressing and oppressive.
Wow, Zero is a piece of shit who doesn't care about his wife disappearing and is totally in lust with another woman... even buying her lingerie while the wife is lost without wallet or money. He doesn't even answer the calls and only thinks about the arrival of OW. He simply takes advantage of the weekend in Paris paid for by his in-laws to have a sexual encounter with OW. I was completely disgusted with Zero and wanted to push him on the train tracks along with the cow he was waiting for.
That bloody phone! He and his mobile have more of a relationship than we do, not that it would take much.
I just want to get away for a few minutes to ring Fiona, to hear a friendly voice before spending the next two days with my wife, who barely even notices I’m in the room.
Fiona and I haven’t kissed, we barely even touch. But the more time we spend together, the more I want to.
Well, I’m not hanging around. I’ve wasted enough time in the past two years worrying about her, and right now, I’m done.
I’m going to have that drink for Fiona.
‘Fiona?’ I say quickly, trying to hold the feelings at bay. ‘Want to come to Paris?’
Last night, when we went for a drink after work (or, more accurately, several drinks), I leaned in to kiss her goodbye on the cheek. She turned her head, and my lips brushed hers – just briefly, but enough to feel the air spark between us. Having sex with Fiona is just what I need right now,
Fiona seems to like my makeover. When I first turned up at work with my new jeans and crisp shirt, she told me she’d been dying to get me into some decent threads for years – after I caught her ogling my arse.
Shit! She won’t be here until tomorrow morning?
‘I’m not going home,’ Fiona says firmly. ‘I’m coming to Paris if it kills me! Anyway, if I do arrive early tomorrow morning, we’ll have all day together before we need to go home. Let’s make the best of it.’
I’ve seen her before . . . ah. It’s Fiona, from Edward’s work. I’ve met her a couple of times at company functions, and she’s always been friendly with Edward – maybe a touch too friendly, although Edward and I laughed about it at the time. I attempt to unravel the chain of events, trying to understand why she’s here. If Edward arranged to meet her, he knew she was arriving. But why – why would she come to Paris?
My cheeks flush as I realise that nightgown, the champagne, weren’t for me. They were for her. My fingers slide down to my pocket, where the ring is, and a bitter laugh emerges. I guess now I know why his ring was off.
I picture him leaning in to kiss Fiona, and resignation sweeps over me. I’ve lost him, lost us.
September 22, 2016
This was one of those ones you can read from Amazon Prime before they're published, and next time I need to avoid a Brit Lit book, because they're all the same these days.
This book is cribbed from Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, it seems. British multi-voiced fiction where the timeline is all jumbled up, I guess to make you want to read, but I just wanted to stick to the "present day" posts instead of hearing the tedious non-chronological backstory. I ended up skipping parts of it because it was ridiculously tedious, and the gambit of people constantly missing each other got real old. It was basically a book about two broken people who cannot communicate and are too proud to even try, and so they live in a hell largely of their own making. Instructive, perhaps, but not uplifting.
And, of course, with no real ending so there's room for a sequel.
This book is cribbed from Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, it seems. British multi-voiced fiction where the timeline is all jumbled up, I guess to make you want to read, but I just wanted to stick to the "present day" posts instead of hearing the tedious non-chronological backstory. I ended up skipping parts of it because it was ridiculously tedious, and the gambit of people constantly missing each other got real old. It was basically a book about two broken people who cannot communicate and are too proud to even try, and so they live in a hell largely of their own making. Instructive, perhaps, but not uplifting.
And, of course, with no real ending so there's room for a sequel.
April 5, 2024
Women's Psychological Fiction
Narrated by: Simon Mattacks, Henrietta Meire
Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
Publication date : October 1, 2016
I haven't read anything by this author before, so I didn't know what to expect of the writing style and characters. I must say I had higher expectations. From the description I expected emotional journey of a woman who try to find ways to work through her grief and loss.
The dual POV gives us a glimpse of two parents who don't know how to move forward after trauma - in life and in love. I have to say that the constant switching point of views and timeframes made story disjointed and tiresome to follow. Zoe talks about her perfect life she had but author didn't show me what their life was before. As the story begins 2 years after the tragic accident, then I didn't have the chance to meet the child in the beginning of the story, see how the couple's relationship was before the accident, how it started to degrade till they ended up being distant and hurtful towards each other. It was difficult to connect with the present day events and get the character's emotions without knowing what had happened back then, "Who They Were Before". How the accident had happened? Was the accident avoidable because why else the husband blamed his wife?
I really tried but I simply could not connect with the characters. Alternating POVs didn't make the story any better because I didn't want to know some of the things they felt...
Read A Day Like This, which will be less depressing and more hopeful!
Narrated by: Simon Mattacks, Henrietta Meire
Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
Publication date : October 1, 2016
I haven't read anything by this author before, so I didn't know what to expect of the writing style and characters. I must say I had higher expectations. From the description I expected emotional journey of a woman who try to find ways to work through her grief and loss.
The dual POV gives us a glimpse of two parents who don't know how to move forward after trauma - in life and in love. I have to say that the constant switching point of views and timeframes made story disjointed and tiresome to follow. Zoe talks about her perfect life she had but author didn't show me what their life was before. As the story begins 2 years after the tragic accident, then I didn't have the chance to meet the child in the beginning of the story, see how the couple's relationship was before the accident, how it started to degrade till they ended up being distant and hurtful towards each other. It was difficult to connect with the present day events and get the character's emotions without knowing what had happened back then, "Who They Were Before". How the accident had happened? Was the accident avoidable because why else the husband blamed his wife?
I really tried but I simply could not connect with the characters. Alternating POVs didn't make the story any better because I didn't want to know some of the things they felt...
Read A Day Like This, which will be less depressing and more hopeful!
December 17, 2016
This book may be a difficult read for some. It deals with the aftermath of losing a child... a terrible event too many have experienced. We see it through the eyes of both Zoe and Edward, alternating perspectives throughout the book. Because the terrible accident that took their little boy from them happened while he was in the care of Zoe, she deals with awful guilt and he has had periods of blaming her. They've been dealt with it differently to a similar end result... a strained marriage where they barely touch or have any kind of meaningful conversation. Zoe's parents send them on a brief trip to Paris for their anniversary, hoping some time away in such a romantic city will bridge the wide gap between them. But they separate for a few minutes at the train station and Zoe has her money and cell phone stolen. She wanders, at first trying to find Edward before giving up and deciding to stroll around the city herself. It's not as if either of them enjoy each other's company anymore. Edward has come to prefer the company of a beautiful co-worker... and though they haven't been physical, he's clearly been embarking on an emotional affair that is going to escalate. The rest of the book focuses on their separate journeys in finally coming to term with their loss and the likely end of their marriage.
It's not a long read, but it's very emotional. Well written and heartwrenching. Would absolutely recommend.
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for my honest review, thank you!
It's not a long read, but it's very emotional. Well written and heartwrenching. Would absolutely recommend.
I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing in exchange for my honest review, thank you!
September 11, 2016
I knew going into this story that I was going to be torn apart because of the parallels that exist between the plot and certain life experiences I've survived. With that being said, I feel as if the suspense aspect—will they/won't they find each other—used as a plot device to move the story along overshadowed the anger/grief turned healing that I expected from a subject so heartbreaking. I can't claim to have enjoyed this story. How does one love a book full of such tragedy? But it was mostly well written. If it weren't for my own experience with such loss, I don't know if I, as a reader, would have been able to sympathize with the characters, though.
September 17, 2017
Started out interesting enough learning about how they met and how their relationship evolved. The book eventually became monotonous and I skipped through much of the middle. The ending was very abrubt.
January 7, 2020
This is my next read for book club for early April. Before I read this I will be reading a book or two on My Kindle which I will record here later. Busy for next few weeks so probably will not be on Goodreads. Back soon.
Having been travelling I have been late picking up this months read for Book Club which is tomorrow!
What an enjoyable read it was. A relationship novel with a very cleverly written approach. It was not until I turned the last page earlier today that I realised I did in fact know this author's writing after all! Having read this book thinking Leah Mercer was an author new to me, I discover that she is none other than Talli Roland a talented author whose writing I have been following 201o.
Full review to follow for publishing on LindyLouMac's Book Reviews asap.
Meanwhile I highly recommend and look forward to discussing tomorrow at Book Club.
Having been travelling I have been late picking up this months read for Book Club which is tomorrow!
What an enjoyable read it was. A relationship novel with a very cleverly written approach. It was not until I turned the last page earlier today that I realised I did in fact know this author's writing after all! Having read this book thinking Leah Mercer was an author new to me, I discover that she is none other than Talli Roland a talented author whose writing I have been following 201o.
Full review to follow for publishing on LindyLouMac's Book Reviews asap.
Meanwhile I highly recommend and look forward to discussing tomorrow at Book Club.
January 18, 2020
There's nothing worse than losing a child. She knows it wasn't her fault, he doesn't blame her. But she should have been faster and he can't take back his bitter "how could you let this happen?"
Zoe and Edward arrive to Paris. But as soon as they leave the train, they're seperated. She wanders through the streets of Paris alone without wallet or phone, trying to find a hotel, she doesn't know the name of, he drinks at the hotel bar not knowing how to make sure she's ok, when she shuts him out again.
They need to find their way back to each other and back to who they were before they became this broken version of them.
She leads grief lead her, he's tired of being shut out. We learn so much about these two people here. From their first date to their recent past. The events that changed their relationship and their lives and their thoughts on all fof it. I understood both of them here and their reasoning, I felt sorry but I didn't like either much. I hated and got angry over how they dealt with things. But I was also absorbed into this story, on the edge all the time and loved being part of it.
Lots of times I was like "no he didn't" or "why'd he do that?" and was quick to judge him for lusting his little friend and losing his wife. And even more when he so effortlessly adjusted his plans.
But we learn that there's so much more to their story. Then I felt sorry for him, for how she distanced herself from him and everyone else by lies. You get them and you don't, that's what happens when a couple becomes this dysfunctional and they don't have their priorities straight.
Defiance, wrong decisions, unfortunate circumtances and coincidences make getting back on track seem impossible for these two.
It became exhausting after a while because I was so captured by it all. And it was ironic that this was also the way they started. But they're also so stupid. Why didn't she just wait for him when she realized she had nothing but ran off?
And what kind of man leaves his wife to call another woman and invites that woman to a romantic getaway his in-laws booked for him and their daughter? I understand defiance but NO! It's such a loathly move.
And what kind of woman starts such a sort-of-relationship and drops everything when he calls?!
But he's also much more reasonable than her. Her behaviour made it hard to denounce his longing to hear Fiona's friendly voice calling him honey. Especially with Zoe's description of her, I imagine Fiona lurking for her chance to comfort Edward, who can't stand the emptiness of his house and his wife after he lost his son and then her. Hence it's kind of natural, though immoral, that he's attracted and imagines being with her. And therefore it's in his favour that nothing happened there yet. And as he plans it, he can't stop comparing the two women.
But him daydreaming about a night with Fiona, one weekend for himself without the complications of the past, while she's desperate to find him makes him the bad one. It's just sad to watch her all broken but hopeful, even learning how broken and patient he was and what a hard time she gave him, before he decided that his marriage might be over but his life wasn't. Because she sits there, wearing a nightie that was meant for another woman. But I loved how clear it becomes that he adored her in the beginning.
Only the end didn't do it justice.
In the end that's 4 Stars for such an emotional, gripping read full of angst.
Zoe and Edward arrive to Paris. But as soon as they leave the train, they're seperated. She wanders through the streets of Paris alone without wallet or phone, trying to find a hotel, she doesn't know the name of, he drinks at the hotel bar not knowing how to make sure she's ok, when she shuts him out again.
They need to find their way back to each other and back to who they were before they became this broken version of them.
She leads grief lead her, he's tired of being shut out. We learn so much about these two people here. From their first date to their recent past. The events that changed their relationship and their lives and their thoughts on all fof it. I understood both of them here and their reasoning, I felt sorry but I didn't like either much. I hated and got angry over how they dealt with things. But I was also absorbed into this story, on the edge all the time and loved being part of it.
Lots of times I was like "no he didn't" or "why'd he do that?" and was quick to judge him for lusting his little friend and losing his wife. And even more when he so effortlessly adjusted his plans.
But we learn that there's so much more to their story. Then I felt sorry for him, for how she distanced herself from him and everyone else by lies. You get them and you don't, that's what happens when a couple becomes this dysfunctional and they don't have their priorities straight.
Defiance, wrong decisions, unfortunate circumtances and coincidences make getting back on track seem impossible for these two.
It became exhausting after a while because I was so captured by it all. And it was ironic that this was also the way they started. But they're also so stupid. Why didn't she just wait for him when she realized she had nothing but ran off?
And what kind of man leaves his wife to call another woman and invites that woman to a romantic getaway his in-laws booked for him and their daughter? I understand defiance but NO! It's such a loathly move.
And what kind of woman starts such a sort-of-relationship and drops everything when he calls?!
But he's also much more reasonable than her. Her behaviour made it hard to denounce his longing to hear Fiona's friendly voice calling him honey. Especially with Zoe's description of her, I imagine Fiona lurking for her chance to comfort Edward, who can't stand the emptiness of his house and his wife after he lost his son and then her. Hence it's kind of natural, though immoral, that he's attracted and imagines being with her. And therefore it's in his favour that nothing happened there yet. And as he plans it, he can't stop comparing the two women.
But him daydreaming about a night with Fiona, one weekend for himself without the complications of the past, while she's desperate to find him makes him the bad one. It's just sad to watch her all broken but hopeful, even learning how broken and patient he was and what a hard time she gave him, before he decided that his marriage might be over but his life wasn't. Because she sits there, wearing a nightie that was meant for another woman. But I loved how clear it becomes that he adored her in the beginning.
Only the end didn't do it justice.
In the end that's 4 Stars for such an emotional, gripping read full of angst.
October 21, 2016
Zoe and Edward have been dealing with the accidental death of their toddler for a little over a year now, but the grief and guilt have been driving them more and more apart rather than them being able to gain strength from each other. Zoe has been in a fog for months and Edward has been wanting her to get on with life, though his anger over the situation also stems from grief.
Zoe's parents gift them with a weekend trip to Paris, and they go more for the sake of the parents than for themselves. Naturally, it gets off to a wrong start from the moment they get off from the train in Paris and Zoe and Edward are separated. Zoe has lost all her money, her phone, and doesn't recall the name of where they were supposed to be staying, and Edward doesn't immediately look for her because she's done the "vanishing act" before and figures she'll just turn up later as usual.
From time to time I found myself getting frustrated with these characters, but also understood the reasoning behind why they didn't always seem rational. I was very curious as to how the weekend would end. Would something bad happen to one or both of them while they were separated? Would something good happen to them individually and they go on happier without each other? Or would they ultimately get together again and overcome their difficulties. It seemed like nearly anything could happen at this point.
Zoe's parents gift them with a weekend trip to Paris, and they go more for the sake of the parents than for themselves. Naturally, it gets off to a wrong start from the moment they get off from the train in Paris and Zoe and Edward are separated. Zoe has lost all her money, her phone, and doesn't recall the name of where they were supposed to be staying, and Edward doesn't immediately look for her because she's done the "vanishing act" before and figures she'll just turn up later as usual.
From time to time I found myself getting frustrated with these characters, but also understood the reasoning behind why they didn't always seem rational. I was very curious as to how the weekend would end. Would something bad happen to one or both of them while they were separated? Would something good happen to them individually and they go on happier without each other? Or would they ultimately get together again and overcome their difficulties. It seemed like nearly anything could happen at this point.
September 26, 2016
رواية رائعة بسيطة وعميقة في آن واحد. أحداثها ليست بعيدة عن الواقع ويمكن أن تحدث في حياة كثير من الناس. في كل فصل من فصول الرواية ينقل القارئ إلى فترة زمنية محددة. تتحدث بطلة القصة زووي وزوجها إدوارد عن علاقتهما قبل الزواج وكيف تعرفا على بعضهما، وواجهت علاقتهم كثير من التحديات حتى تم الزواج. وتصل سعادتهما إلى أوجها عندما يرزقان بطفل يسمى ميلو. ولكن ولسوء الحظ يتعرض الطفل لحادثة ويتوفى. تنقلب حياة زووي وإدوارد رأسا على عقب وتصل إلى البرود والتبلد العاطفي. لتجديد حياتهم الزوجية يسافران في عطلة قصيرة إلى باريس ويفترقان لأسباب خارجة عن إرادتهم. وخلال ابتعادهم يتأمل كل منهما في حياته السابقة ويبحثان عن نهاية أو بداية جديدة. الرواية الورقية لم تنزل إلى المكتبات حتى الآن وقد استمعت بقراءتها الكترونيا. أتمنى أن تحول الرواية إلى فلم سينمائي أو مسلسل تلفزيوني.
March 26, 2017
Zoe e il marito Edward hanno perso Milo, il loro amatissimo figlioletto di due anni, per colpa di una tragedia. Il senso di colpa attanaglia Zoe, mentre Edward, colpevole di averlo fomentato, non riesce a concedersi un momento per affrontare il lutto, nel tentativo di sostenere sua moglie. Ma Zoe, nei due anni successivi alla tragedia, si è trasformata in uno zombie, un essere vivo solo in apparenza, una donna chiusa nel suo dolore, intrappolata in un silenzio assordante che finisce per allontanare da sé tutte le persone care. Edward, invece, dopo aver provato inizialmente a star vicino alla donna, comincia ad allontanarsi da lei, stanco di vivere accanto ad una persona bloccata a quel giorno di due anni prima. Così, passa il tempo fuori casa, cercando di ritrovare la sua giovinezza e di provare di nuovo l’ebrezza della vita.
Quando i genitori di Zoe regalano alla coppia un weekend a Parigi, i due pensano che potrebbe essere un’occasione per ritrovarsi. Ma, appena scesi dal treno alla Gare du Nord, una serie di eventi e di imprevisti li fanno separare. I due si perdono di vista e quello che provano, all’istante, è…sollievo! Sollievo di non dover più sopportare i silenzi di Zoe. Sollievo di non dover fissare lo sguardo accusatorio di Edward. Puro e semplice sollievo.
Da qui, la trama del libro si dirama, mostrandoci cosa capita ai due nelle loro solitarie giornate parigine e portandoci indietro nel tempo per scoprire come è nata la loro storia d’amore e cosa l’ha quasi distrutta.
Questo è un libro che parla dell’incubo peggiore che possa capitare ad un genitore, e solo a pensarci mi sento mancare la terra da sotto i piedi. La morte di un figlio è qualcosa che ti cambia e questa coppia non fa eccezione. La reazione al dolore è differente per Edward e Zoe, e segue un cliché che ho già ritrovato in un libro dalla trama simile: la donna si chiude nel suo dolore, mentre l’uomo cerca svago altrove.
Il passaggio tra presente e passato ci fa conoscere, in realtà, quattro persone: la Zoe di allora e la Zoe di oggi; l’Edward innamorato e l’Edward disilluso. Ed è evidente notare le differenze tra quelle quattro anime: se Zoe, un tempo, era allegra e vivace, ma anche scostante con un uomo che le avrebbe dato il mondo, ora è un involucro magro e infelice, ma per cui è impossibile non provare un’immediata empatia. Al contrario, l’uomo meraviglioso del passato, si è trasformato in una persona veramente antipatica e spesso crudele, con cui mi sono molto arrabbiata durante il romanzo. Ma, in effetti, le persone che soffrono non sono sempre buone e gentili, non trovate? Continua su CrazyForRomance
Per acquistare il libro clicca qui
Quando i genitori di Zoe regalano alla coppia un weekend a Parigi, i due pensano che potrebbe essere un’occasione per ritrovarsi. Ma, appena scesi dal treno alla Gare du Nord, una serie di eventi e di imprevisti li fanno separare. I due si perdono di vista e quello che provano, all’istante, è…sollievo! Sollievo di non dover più sopportare i silenzi di Zoe. Sollievo di non dover fissare lo sguardo accusatorio di Edward. Puro e semplice sollievo.
Da qui, la trama del libro si dirama, mostrandoci cosa capita ai due nelle loro solitarie giornate parigine e portandoci indietro nel tempo per scoprire come è nata la loro storia d’amore e cosa l’ha quasi distrutta.
Questo è un libro che parla dell’incubo peggiore che possa capitare ad un genitore, e solo a pensarci mi sento mancare la terra da sotto i piedi. La morte di un figlio è qualcosa che ti cambia e questa coppia non fa eccezione. La reazione al dolore è differente per Edward e Zoe, e segue un cliché che ho già ritrovato in un libro dalla trama simile: la donna si chiude nel suo dolore, mentre l’uomo cerca svago altrove.
Il passaggio tra presente e passato ci fa conoscere, in realtà, quattro persone: la Zoe di allora e la Zoe di oggi; l’Edward innamorato e l’Edward disilluso. Ed è evidente notare le differenze tra quelle quattro anime: se Zoe, un tempo, era allegra e vivace, ma anche scostante con un uomo che le avrebbe dato il mondo, ora è un involucro magro e infelice, ma per cui è impossibile non provare un’immediata empatia. Al contrario, l’uomo meraviglioso del passato, si è trasformato in una persona veramente antipatica e spesso crudele, con cui mi sono molto arrabbiata durante il romanzo. Ma, in effetti, le persone che soffrono non sono sempre buone e gentili, non trovate? Continua su CrazyForRomance
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October 23, 2016
How do you deal with the loss of your two-year old son? The unbearable grief, The neverending guilt, The aching sorrow, The self-induced blame, The despair of not wanting to go on, The agony of knowing you will never hold him again...
This is the heartbreaking story of Zoe and Edward, whose son's accidental death is tearing them and their marriage apart. Instead of leaning on each other for support, they pull away from each other.
Struggling to survive day after day, Zoe and Edward were given a trip to Paris to hopefully mend their broken marriage and find each other again.
The story tends to get a little confusing. It is written from two points of view, Zoe's and Edward's. Adding more confusion is the fact that it is written in both past and present times.
In my opinion, given the sensitive nature of this story the continuously switching points of views and time frames took away from the story rather than enhance it.
After arriving in Paris, Zoe and Edward become separated due to the fact Zoe was mugged and they can't find each other. This gave the reader the opportunity to get to know each character better and what they were feeling. However, the constant she's here.... He's there than he's here and she's there.. becomes rather monotonous.
Simply put, this is not the type of writing that draws me in.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read "Who We Were Before" in return for an honest review.
This is the heartbreaking story of Zoe and Edward, whose son's accidental death is tearing them and their marriage apart. Instead of leaning on each other for support, they pull away from each other.
Struggling to survive day after day, Zoe and Edward were given a trip to Paris to hopefully mend their broken marriage and find each other again.
The story tends to get a little confusing. It is written from two points of view, Zoe's and Edward's. Adding more confusion is the fact that it is written in both past and present times.
In my opinion, given the sensitive nature of this story the continuously switching points of views and time frames took away from the story rather than enhance it.
After arriving in Paris, Zoe and Edward become separated due to the fact Zoe was mugged and they can't find each other. This gave the reader the opportunity to get to know each character better and what they were feeling. However, the constant she's here.... He's there than he's here and she's there.. becomes rather monotonous.
Simply put, this is not the type of writing that draws me in.
Thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read "Who We Were Before" in return for an honest review.
November 22, 2016
Let me just start off by saying this book will grab you, heart and soul, on the very first page.
Zoe and Edward are fighting to stay in love after the death of their son 2 years before. Zoe blames herself as does her husband. They have drifted further apart as time goes on. They go on a weekend getaway to Paris that Zoes parents set up. While there they are separated and soon they come to realize they do love each other and need each other, now more than ever before.
This is a hard review. Not because the book isn't good, but because it's so real and very good. I'll say that this book was a big time tear jerker. I cried through most of the book. From the first page to the very last it will break you. It was written so well and is so real. I have never lost a child, but I do have two children and I cannot even imagine the pain and loss. Maybe that's why this book had such an impact on me. This book covers so much. It covers the pain and loss of a child, the depression that follows, and the horrible effects that something like this can have on a marriage. It also shows the renewal of a love thought to be gone. It shows hope for a better future through all the rubble of a shattered life. This book was simply amazing and well written....Stormi
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Zoe and Edward are fighting to stay in love after the death of their son 2 years before. Zoe blames herself as does her husband. They have drifted further apart as time goes on. They go on a weekend getaway to Paris that Zoes parents set up. While there they are separated and soon they come to realize they do love each other and need each other, now more than ever before.
This is a hard review. Not because the book isn't good, but because it's so real and very good. I'll say that this book was a big time tear jerker. I cried through most of the book. From the first page to the very last it will break you. It was written so well and is so real. I have never lost a child, but I do have two children and I cannot even imagine the pain and loss. Maybe that's why this book had such an impact on me. This book covers so much. It covers the pain and loss of a child, the depression that follows, and the horrible effects that something like this can have on a marriage. It also shows the renewal of a love thought to be gone. It shows hope for a better future through all the rubble of a shattered life. This book was simply amazing and well written....Stormi
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https://www.facebook.com/BBReviews
September 17, 2016
This book left me with a bad taste in my mouth. What a depressing story, the past? Terrible. The present? Terrible.
I guess, if I'm being honest, I can say, this kind of things can happen. The change towards the ending...eh...dunno. But the way some react to loss? Yeah. Does happen. BUT...dammit...what a waste of time, of life. Poor Zoe, I expected her to have a better ending, she freaking deserved it. The Edward dude? Hope he choke on a neon sock. I struggled to felt empathy, after all, he lost a part of his soul. But since I had the nonpleasure of reading the past too...well...he is just a common piece of shit in my mind.
Got this thanks to my Prime membership, I guess I need to remember the name of the editor so I never pick something she recommend.
I guess, if I'm being honest, I can say, this kind of things can happen. The change towards the ending...eh...dunno. But the way some react to loss? Yeah. Does happen. BUT...dammit...what a waste of time, of life. Poor Zoe, I expected her to have a better ending, she freaking deserved it. The Edward dude? Hope he choke on a neon sock. I struggled to felt empathy, after all, he lost a part of his soul. But since I had the nonpleasure of reading the past too...well...he is just a common piece of shit in my mind.
Got this thanks to my Prime membership, I guess I need to remember the name of the editor so I never pick something she recommend.
March 25, 2017
E’ un libro straziante, ricco di sentimenti ed emozioni che ti travolgono come un treno in corsa. Soffri, soffri con loro perché è inevitabile. Che sia il pov di uno o dell’altro, la rabbia, il rancore, la tristezza, la delusione prendono il sopravvento e non ti resta che resistere, aggrapparti alla forza sconosciuta che tutti chiamano amore. Un romanzo che racconta la storia di una seconda possibilità, di due persone che hanno smarrito il cammino durante il corso della vita, che gli ha riservato il dolore più grande e difficile da gestire; soprattutto quando non ci si concede di affogare in esso e conviverci. Come puoi imparare a nuotare in quel mare, a te sconosciuto, altrimenti?.
January 5, 2022
A weird romance novel with cliché emotions driving the plot.
Basically I felt the characters were flat and unnecessarily abusive towards each other. The book can be summed up as too many near misses and swift changes of the heart. I also felt that a book about two Brits lacked all the charm and personality you would expect. This only added to my disappointment.
What on earth is this book about? The best I can figure is that it's either about two immature lovers who get married on the idea that a baby will give them everything they want and how quickly it falls apart... Or it's about two ex-lovers who come to terms with their unresolved anger and disappointment.
The premise promises that we will be torn apart by the riveting emotions of two distant lovers fighting to find their way back together. Instead we find ourselves reading over and over again the emotional loss and how they blame each other for their relationship. Considering how much time is spent on these emotions, it is surprising how the characters lack depth due to very little time actually spent on who they were before and how these life decisions actually changed them. Like when Zoe talks about her perfect life and the wonderful pattern her life was, the author misses an opportunity by wrapping up key moments with a nice paragraph before revisiting the loss... again. Or how they are at a loss of what the other is thinking and imagine the worst... but they know each other so well so intimately. It would have been less annoying if a couple chapters presented in the latter part of the book were in the first half. (The birthing chapters, the anniversary, things with their early life)
About half way through the book she suddenly has a change of heart and for no real reason she starts to see the world through new eyes. I'm not sure what brings this on but as she wants to now find her husband and close the gap... Her husband is equally determined to end the marriage in the arms of another.
The short of it: Too many cliches to feel sorry for either character for long. The book presents both Zoe and Edward as two dimensional characters and reads more like a dime store romance novel. (After making my husband read this to see if I was way off base, we decided we would rather have read a romance novel starring Fiona.)
Basically I felt the characters were flat and unnecessarily abusive towards each other. The book can be summed up as too many near misses and swift changes of the heart. I also felt that a book about two Brits lacked all the charm and personality you would expect. This only added to my disappointment.
What on earth is this book about? The best I can figure is that it's either about two immature lovers who get married on the idea that a baby will give them everything they want and how quickly it falls apart... Or it's about two ex-lovers who come to terms with their unresolved anger and disappointment.
The premise promises that we will be torn apart by the riveting emotions of two distant lovers fighting to find their way back together. Instead we find ourselves reading over and over again the emotional loss and how they blame each other for their relationship. Considering how much time is spent on these emotions, it is surprising how the characters lack depth due to very little time actually spent on who they were before and how these life decisions actually changed them. Like when Zoe talks about her perfect life and the wonderful pattern her life was, the author misses an opportunity by wrapping up key moments with a nice paragraph before revisiting the loss... again. Or how they are at a loss of what the other is thinking and imagine the worst... but they know each other so well so intimately. It would have been less annoying if a couple chapters presented in the latter part of the book were in the first half. (The birthing chapters, the anniversary, things with their early life)
About half way through the book she suddenly has a change of heart and for no real reason she starts to see the world through new eyes. I'm not sure what brings this on but as she wants to now find her husband and close the gap... Her husband is equally determined to end the marriage in the arms of another.
The short of it: Too many cliches to feel sorry for either character for long. The book presents both Zoe and Edward as two dimensional characters and reads more like a dime store romance novel. (After making my husband read this to see if I was way off base, we decided we would rather have read a romance novel starring Fiona.)
October 9, 2016
This was a heart wrenching read, told in alternating points of view from both Zoe and Edward. The time period moves back and forth between present day when they are on a trip to Paris meant to bring them back together, and the past when they first met, and fell in love. We also learn in these flashbacks how the loss of their child ripped them apart and left them in the precarious state they are currently in. Zoe and Edward thought they were going to be a happily ever after story, but real life got in the way. Fate seemed to put them together, but the loss of their child tore them apart. Each dealt with their grief in their own way, never quite able to come together and share how they truly felt. Edward was left feeling shut out, while Zoe was left feeling Edward blamed her and that he did not grieve as deeply as she. This was a heart breaking story of loss and the dissolution of a marriage, but where there is love, there is still hope.
I received a complimentary copy for review
I received a complimentary copy for review
September 23, 2016
Zoe and Edward don't want to go to France together, but Zoe's parents book the weekend in Paris for them, hoping it will help this grieving couple to reconnect after the death of their young son, Milo. They are separated at the train station upon arrival, and each of them spends the rest of the day and evening reminiscing about the past and speculating about what the future may hold. Told from alternating perspectives, the novel races toward the inevitable confrontation. Will their memories be enough to save the relationship or will their misconceptions finally tear them apart? An impressive debut which remains honest till the end, but the final two chapters both skip ahead in time, which took away the emotional punch the ending should've had, which is the only reason it didn't get 5 stars from me.
November 10, 2016
Who I am after I read this
I'm a big fan of multiple narrator perspective. And a marriage from both sides in particular is also something I'm drawn to. The author does a good job of balancing the perspectives and explaining how they each got to this point in their marriage. I appreciated knowing from the beginning that Milo died so it wasn't quite such a slap in the face of shock when it happens. I think the reader had to know in order to fully demonstrate how painful their emotional separation is.
I feel like there are a few too many conveniently timed "twists" that move the story along. And Edward's reaction to Zoe's "revelation" felt a little out of character but I can see why he may react that way.
A good book that I stumbled across in the Kindle store. I wish the author all the best.
I'm a big fan of multiple narrator perspective. And a marriage from both sides in particular is also something I'm drawn to. The author does a good job of balancing the perspectives and explaining how they each got to this point in their marriage. I appreciated knowing from the beginning that Milo died so it wasn't quite such a slap in the face of shock when it happens. I think the reader had to know in order to fully demonstrate how painful their emotional separation is.
I feel like there are a few too many conveniently timed "twists" that move the story along. And Edward's reaction to Zoe's "revelation" felt a little out of character but I can see why he may react that way.
A good book that I stumbled across in the Kindle store. I wish the author all the best.
September 20, 2016
The description made it sound as if it might be something I would enjoy even while dealing with emotions of grief. I read it over two days but it was more of a chore than most for me to finish. The style took some getting used to because it changed perspective between the wife and the husband as well as the past and the present. Overall, I think the author showed some stages of grief including denial and anger. Sad subject matter but it didn't work for me. I doubt I would read this author in the future.
January 10, 2017
A beach read. I liked the characters, the story was interesting but about half way thru it starts to drag on and on and on. It became very repetitive and stopped moving forward. I skimmed and read till the end. With all the detail in the story, the end was rushed and lacked the detail that is found with the rest of the story. It didn't suck but it wasn't great either.
February 23, 2017
This was very sweet and sad. Considering the story, I surprisingly didn't shed a tear. Though the story was interesting, it was very long and drawn out with a very abrupt ending.
September 11, 2024
This book...WOW. I was completely obsessed right from the very beginning and didn't want to put it down. It was heartbreaking the whole way through and I think I just sobbed through the last 25% of it...completely destroyed me. I don't know if all the author's books are like this but I absolutely need to read more. I felt so many emotions while reading this...I'm kind of angry it was sitting in my Kindle library for 8 years...unread...me being completely clueless about the greatness that was waiting for me. Glad I finally got it together and read it. It's a hard read though...so I'd only recommend it if you're looking for a good cry and have checked the content warnings. This is definitely not for everyone...but it was for me. So good.
July 3, 2017
When Edward and Zoe's 2 year old son tragically died, they grieved in different ways. He emptied Milo's room and got rid of clothes so they could move on. But Zoe needed to be surrounded by Milo's things and was angry that Edward took everything away so quickly. Edward needed comfort from people and Zoe wanted to be left alone in the dark in her bed. Both grieved deeply, but in completely different ways. How does a couple survive this and remain a strong loving couple?
May 22, 2019
Read this book in one day - it kept my attention! I was so rooting for this couple! I was also frustrated at times with them and wanted to shake both of them! All in all, a good story that showcases the need for communication and how a lack of communication festers and grows because each person is left to their own thoughts about what the other is thinking. I could feel their grief coming off the pages! Thanks for this story!!!
January 22, 2021
This was a sad story. Zoe and Edward each tell their story of how they met, married and the loss of their son Milo. The tragedy of that loss weighs them both down to where they never fully grieved. Zoe’s parents give them an overnight getaway to Paris. This trip is bizarre and it brings about numerous changes in them both. Such a great storyline.
January 6, 2018
potential spoiler:
This book is another kindle freebie, and like so many I have read lately, the timeline bounces around. I guess this is a fad or new trend in writing. With the first few novels like this that I read, I found it added to the interest, but with this one, I just found it tedious. In spite of the style, the story kept me interested and seemed to be heading toward an acceptable end, meaning something other than the trite happily ever after. Then the author succumbed to the need to tidy up the ending, and in my mind at least, lost a star in doing so.
This book is another kindle freebie, and like so many I have read lately, the timeline bounces around. I guess this is a fad or new trend in writing. With the first few novels like this that I read, I found it added to the interest, but with this one, I just found it tedious. In spite of the style, the story kept me interested and seemed to be heading toward an acceptable end, meaning something other than the trite happily ever after. Then the author succumbed to the need to tidy up the ending, and in my mind at least, lost a star in doing so.
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