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And Then You Loved Me
Readers who have enjoyed the emotional, heartfelt stories of authors like Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks may enjoy "this great read about life, love, and the consequences of choices and actions."
A contemporary romance for anyone who's ever believed that true love never leaves our hearts. . .
People say you can’t ever go back. That some of the things that happen to us simply cannot be redone. But the paths of a life journey are rarely straight. They twist and turn and wind back across those once visited and long thought to have faded from existence.
Becca Miller has lived her life trying to do the right thing, even when its cost has been giving up the boy she loved and wanted to marry. The sacrifice she made for her sister isn’t one she regrets because there was no other choice for her to make. And for eighteen years, she lives this choice with full commitment and as little looking back as she can manage.
When Matt Griffith returns to Ballard County for the funeral of his grandmother, the path that had seemed so straight begins to loop back and take her across feelings she thought she had put away for good. As it turns out, those roads we’ve traveled do not fade at all. They simply wait to be retraveled, leaving us with the decision to follow them exactly as we did before, or make a different choice and find out where it will lead us.
A contemporary romance for anyone who's ever believed that true love never leaves our hearts. . .
People say you can’t ever go back. That some of the things that happen to us simply cannot be redone. But the paths of a life journey are rarely straight. They twist and turn and wind back across those once visited and long thought to have faded from existence.
Becca Miller has lived her life trying to do the right thing, even when its cost has been giving up the boy she loved and wanted to marry. The sacrifice she made for her sister isn’t one she regrets because there was no other choice for her to make. And for eighteen years, she lives this choice with full commitment and as little looking back as she can manage.
When Matt Griffith returns to Ballard County for the funeral of his grandmother, the path that had seemed so straight begins to loop back and take her across feelings she thought she had put away for good. As it turns out, those roads we’ve traveled do not fade at all. They simply wait to be retraveled, leaving us with the decision to follow them exactly as we did before, or make a different choice and find out where it will lead us.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 2014
66 people are currently reading
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About the author
Inglath Cooper
63 books933 followersVirginia author Inglath Cooper fell in love with reading as a little girl, devouring most of the books in her elementary school library. At some point, she decided she wanted to pursue a writing career, creating romance fiction that did for others what her favorite books have done for her. “I love character-driven books that leave me feeling as if I’ve really known these people and make me wish I didn’t have to turn the last page.”
“Romance fiction has always appealed to me because it deals with so many of the relationships in a woman’s life. Not only the love of her life, but often her relationship with her mother, sister or best friend. Romance authors have so much room to explore many of the meaningful moments and transitions in women’s lives. And who doesn’t love a good love story?”
Inglath most often writes stories about love and life that are set in small Virginia towns like the one where she grew up. “I like to think the flavor of my hometown shows up in my books both in their setting and through the characters who people it.”
When aspiring writers ask her how to be an author, she says, “Everything I know about writing books I learned from reading books.”
Inglath has been chosen as a RITA® Award winner for best long contemporary romance novel given out each year by Romance Writers of America. Her books are available through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, itunes.com, and Kobobooks.com.
Outside of writing, Inglath is actively involved in dog rescue, working with The Franklin County Humane Society to place dogs and cats in need of rehoming. She volunteers her time in every capacity possible: serving on the Board of Directors, fundraising, photographing dogs and cats available for adoption and serving as a foster home. “Helping an abused or neglected dog go on to have a wonderful life with a family who loves them is more rewarding than I can possibly say.”
“Romance fiction has always appealed to me because it deals with so many of the relationships in a woman’s life. Not only the love of her life, but often her relationship with her mother, sister or best friend. Romance authors have so much room to explore many of the meaningful moments and transitions in women’s lives. And who doesn’t love a good love story?”
Inglath most often writes stories about love and life that are set in small Virginia towns like the one where she grew up. “I like to think the flavor of my hometown shows up in my books both in their setting and through the characters who people it.”
When aspiring writers ask her how to be an author, she says, “Everything I know about writing books I learned from reading books.”
Inglath has been chosen as a RITA® Award winner for best long contemporary romance novel given out each year by Romance Writers of America. Her books are available through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, itunes.com, and Kobobooks.com.
Outside of writing, Inglath is actively involved in dog rescue, working with The Franklin County Humane Society to place dogs and cats in need of rehoming. She volunteers her time in every capacity possible: serving on the Board of Directors, fundraising, photographing dogs and cats available for adoption and serving as a foster home. “Helping an abused or neglected dog go on to have a wonderful life with a family who loves them is more rewarding than I can possibly say.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
October 31, 2018
The plot of this book had good bones, and I enjoyed the Quotes listed at the beginning of each chapter, but after that, the author & editor(s) failed miserably. This appears to me more like a rough draft and the grammar issues appear to be those of high school students (or again, someone writing quickly on a rough draft). There are so many sentence fragments that at times a paragraph or sentence string simply do not make sense.
Character Issues
Spoiler from start of Triple Asterisks till end with Triple Asterisks!! Character issues do not seem to have been fleshed out... for instance *** Emmy appears to be catatonic, yet we are privy to her thoughts. Those two ideas seem to be counterintuitive. Also, later we find out she is being treated for depression? Again, even though she doesn't talk throughout the entire book? That is not Depression or even M.D.D. (Major Depressive Disorder). That is something way past it. Yet another contradiction... (sorry for the repeat) she doesn't speak for 18 years or write as far as we know, but writes 2 letters at the end? These things simply do not add up. And this is just one charracter.***
Additionally, the author seemed to try to come up with grandiose ideas in order to have her own great quotes, but w/ the book falling flat in so many other ways this was never going to happen.
I enjoy books from many genres: other cultures, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, non-fiction, children's, Y.A., even some chick-lit. But especially books about life in general all across these boards. The one thing I require is good writing. I was so surprised to find people who enjoyed this book so thoroughly. The only thing I can hope is perhaps there were updates to the paperback edition I received and these issues were corrected.
Still very disappointed and will think twice before reading this author's other books.
Character Issues
Spoiler from start of Triple Asterisks till end with Triple Asterisks!! Character issues do not seem to have been fleshed out... for instance *** Emmy appears to be catatonic, yet we are privy to her thoughts. Those two ideas seem to be counterintuitive. Also, later we find out she is being treated for depression? Again, even though she doesn't talk throughout the entire book? That is not Depression or even M.D.D. (Major Depressive Disorder). That is something way past it. Yet another contradiction... (sorry for the repeat) she doesn't speak for 18 years or write as far as we know, but writes 2 letters at the end? These things simply do not add up. And this is just one charracter.***
Additionally, the author seemed to try to come up with grandiose ideas in order to have her own great quotes, but w/ the book falling flat in so many other ways this was never going to happen.
I enjoy books from many genres: other cultures, historical fiction, mystery, fantasy, non-fiction, children's, Y.A., even some chick-lit. But especially books about life in general all across these boards. The one thing I require is good writing. I was so surprised to find people who enjoyed this book so thoroughly. The only thing I can hope is perhaps there were updates to the paperback edition I received and these issues were corrected.
Still very disappointed and will think twice before reading this author's other books.
October 10, 2018
I really liked this book on so many levels but one. First, the author's style is appealing and her descriptions of things are beautiful. Also I could really understand the characters' thoughts and feelings. And the story line flowed well. I had a hard time putting it down.
The one thing that I am uncomfortable with is the idea that love is not a choice and that in order to truly be happy we must follow our passionate loves from our youth. I get that Becca was pressured into a marriage she didn't want and gave up the boy she loved so that she could help the family hide her sister's pregnancy. (Which was not a good thing) But once Becca made the marriage commitment to Aaron and together they raised a wonderful girl and spent 18 years committed to each other, I DO NOT think it was OK for her to dwell on her relationship with Matt and pine after him. Love IS a choice and we choose where our loyalties lie. We learn to love by serving our husbands and children. We sacrifice for them and lose ourselves in a lifetime of commitment and loyalty. I also DO NOT think it was OK for her to meet with Matt secretly those many times. In doing so she was being unfaithful to her husband. I suspect that many divorces today involve a situation where a person fantasizes about a first love/high school crush when their marriage seems routine or stale. Then a contact is made, they meet up and the flame is reignited. Lives are shattered as the person divorces and children/spouse are reeling. The person will realize after awhile that the affair eventually dies out and becomes routine or stale.
In the story I felt like the husband, Aaron, and the daughter backed her up on the choice she made and seemed to make it easy for her. Reality would be different.
The one thing that I am uncomfortable with is the idea that love is not a choice and that in order to truly be happy we must follow our passionate loves from our youth. I get that Becca was pressured into a marriage she didn't want and gave up the boy she loved so that she could help the family hide her sister's pregnancy. (Which was not a good thing) But once Becca made the marriage commitment to Aaron and together they raised a wonderful girl and spent 18 years committed to each other, I DO NOT think it was OK for her to dwell on her relationship with Matt and pine after him. Love IS a choice and we choose where our loyalties lie. We learn to love by serving our husbands and children. We sacrifice for them and lose ourselves in a lifetime of commitment and loyalty. I also DO NOT think it was OK for her to meet with Matt secretly those many times. In doing so she was being unfaithful to her husband. I suspect that many divorces today involve a situation where a person fantasizes about a first love/high school crush when their marriage seems routine or stale. Then a contact is made, they meet up and the flame is reignited. Lives are shattered as the person divorces and children/spouse are reeling. The person will realize after awhile that the affair eventually dies out and becomes routine or stale.
In the story I felt like the husband, Aaron, and the daughter backed her up on the choice she made and seemed to make it easy for her. Reality would be different.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2018
I loved this book far more than I thought I would. It’s almost a character book. Through incredible differences and many years the two people meet again. The issue is this. Does pretending that differences are insurmountable and going on with life work or does that love remain waiting to be fanned into flames once you meet again? It’s poetically written with serious characters. It’s a worthwhile read.
September 29, 2019
Unfortunately, everything about this story (blurb and cover) is presented in a way that is very misleading. To begin with, Becca's family is ... Amish just without being called such? I'm sorry I don't know a better way to describe them. They live a certain way, they expect their children to stay in the life (and although they claim not to shun people who marry outside the faith, throughout the entire book Becca's mother doesn't recognize her son's marriage or her own grandson... although maybe that isn't because Linda wasn't one of them, but because she's black? I don't know it was never specified).
Then we add to it that both Becca and Matt are MARRIED to other people when he comes back to town? And even though Matt can claim his marriage is falling apart, he sure makes it a point to come around Becca time and again even when she nearly begs him to stop doing so.
Goodness, this was a trainwreck of a story.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE second chance stories. I was utterly drawn in by the synopsis of this one, and maybe that is why I hated it so much. By the blurb, I expected two people who had loved and lost when they were young finding a second chance.
What I got? A married man, unhappy with his wife, comes back to his old hometown and begins pursuing the girl he had once loved who was now also married with a teenage daughter. Sure, they had left things unresolved when they were young, but they had moved on, and it was a definite turn off to watch Becca tell Matt time and time again that he shouldn't be there, that they couldn't do this, whatever - only to have him push his company on her time and time again.
Then we add in Emmy.
When I look back, the entire story revolves around her. Something catastrophic happens to her and her intended (although we never really do find out what), something so bad that her sister ends up giving up her own hopes, dreams, and life to protect her, and something that keeps Emmy from .... well ever speaking, dressing, moving, addressing basic hygiene, etc ever again.
And yet, as a reader, I am expected to believe that after all of this, Emmy is not only capable of writing two well-worded letters to both Becca and Abby, but she is capable of doing what else she did. After not even so much as walking to the window or dressing in years?
This book, unfortunately, was just one unbelievable thing after another. Making me sorry I ever wasted my time with it.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
Then we add to it that both Becca and Matt are MARRIED to other people when he comes back to town? And even though Matt can claim his marriage is falling apart, he sure makes it a point to come around Becca time and again even when she nearly begs him to stop doing so.
Goodness, this was a trainwreck of a story.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE second chance stories. I was utterly drawn in by the synopsis of this one, and maybe that is why I hated it so much. By the blurb, I expected two people who had loved and lost when they were young finding a second chance.
What I got? A married man, unhappy with his wife, comes back to his old hometown and begins pursuing the girl he had once loved who was now also married with a teenage daughter. Sure, they had left things unresolved when they were young, but they had moved on, and it was a definite turn off to watch Becca tell Matt time and time again that he shouldn't be there, that they couldn't do this, whatever - only to have him push his company on her time and time again.
Then we add in Emmy.
When I look back, the entire story revolves around her. Something catastrophic happens to her and her intended (although we never really do find out what), something so bad that her sister ends up giving up her own hopes, dreams, and life to protect her, and something that keeps Emmy from .... well ever speaking, dressing, moving, addressing basic hygiene, etc ever again.
And yet, as a reader, I am expected to believe that after all of this, Emmy is not only capable of writing two well-worded letters to both Becca and Abby, but she is capable of doing what else she did. After not even so much as walking to the window or dressing in years?
This book, unfortunately, was just one unbelievable thing after another. Making me sorry I ever wasted my time with it.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
October 13, 2019
I rarely DNF, but this one gave me a bad feeling from the beginning. At 11% I skipped to Ch 49 (83%) and read the remainder of the book, which confirmed my suspicion that this book was not worth my time. Even more, though, I was so disappointed in the story overall. It is just depressing from start to finish, with an abrupt and unsatisfying ending. Aside from the morose and depressing storyline, this is precisely the sort of ending I despise - a few threads tied, but most of it incompletely resolved. Furthermore, I am not into , and it is so at odds with the cultural setting of the story. If you're going to write that, there should be a warning to readers who aren't interested.
Read my other reviews to see how infrequently I post a negative review. I love books (have read 300+ this year) and find entertainment and interest in a wide variety of stories. But this one is definitely the worst book I picked up in 2019.
Read my other reviews to see how infrequently I post a negative review. I love books (have read 300+ this year) and find entertainment and interest in a wide variety of stories. But this one is definitely the worst book I picked up in 2019.
November 20, 2018
And Then You Loved Me is an adventure into another world. When an Old German Baptist Brethren family takes in a troubled outsider during his work related sentence, Becca and Matt fall in love but circumstances and family responsibility keep them from making a life together. The story gives us an glimpse into the torment one woman must endure after witnessing a tragic death. It also plays on the need to let the truth be told so the a family can live happily after such a tragedy. Ms Cooper definitely is a storyteller who believes in the good of family relationships.
April 5, 2019
A sweet book all tied up with the perfect ending.
May 17, 2021
And Then You Loved me
This was a clean read and I always admire that in today’s world. Family bonds, love, heartache, secrets, loss and tragedy are just a few terms that make up this storyline.
I really liked this book. The author did a great job with descriptions and the characters seemed so real.
After years of being a part and married to another Matt and Becca came back together and rekindled the old flame. Then when tragedy strikes for the second time truths are revealed that will forever change those involved!
I had planned on giving this book a three even though it is well written I just couldn’t get into it, but by the end I wanted to give it a ten but settled for a four just because it was so hard for me to get into.
A great read!
This was a clean read and I always admire that in today’s world. Family bonds, love, heartache, secrets, loss and tragedy are just a few terms that make up this storyline.
I really liked this book. The author did a great job with descriptions and the characters seemed so real.
After years of being a part and married to another Matt and Becca came back together and rekindled the old flame. Then when tragedy strikes for the second time truths are revealed that will forever change those involved!
I had planned on giving this book a three even though it is well written I just couldn’t get into it, but by the end I wanted to give it a ten but settled for a four just because it was so hard for me to get into.
A great read!
January 15, 2019
Tedious. Gimmicky. Cliche. Annoying. Finished it for book club though.
August 4, 2019
I loved this story! So true to life.....
September 28, 2019
I read this book in one sitting, losing myself in a beautiful story of loss and heartache, friendship and pain. Tangled thoughts of having loved and lost, and questions of whether or not it’s possible to start fresh from the mistakes of life are brought before readers. At times I found the storyline to be sad because people chose circumstances over their own happiness, but at other times I found it to be hopeful when they chose to give hope a chance. Read the rest of the review on my blog: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress....
April 14, 2020
Couldn't get interested. While the premise is there about past mistakes and choices, I could see it all unravelling 20 odd years later. I couldn't really warm to the characters.
June 26, 2020
Depressing from the beginning to the end. I now have to read a cheery, nonthinking romance to get this book out of my head.
May 1, 2018
This is my second book by this author and again I just love her stories. The book goes back and forth from the past to present and many chapters are told from the point of view of the various characters. I truly appreciated the message of not judging those who appear different than you. All in all, a wonderful read.
January 31, 2025
The blurb sounded REALLY good, but after a few chapters I simply couldn't get into it. The family dynamics are really weird, the main characters are both married, and it's just overall a bore. Couldn't bring myself to finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2018
One of those books you just keep reading, in my case a little compulsively! Well drawn characters, a real sense of place, tons of plot twists, and ultimately a satisfying ending. It's not the style of writing I usually read, but I really enjoyed the change. The relationships between mom, daughter, and sister were really the heart of the book and for me the most compelling part.
November 9, 2019
Just..... no. While I respect anyone who can write an entire novel, pick your editors carefully. This novel read like a first book written by the author, which is fine, but it read like the first draft. Just not good at all.
November 26, 2018
Too many flashbacks and changes of point of view for me....
November 17, 2018
and then you loved me is by Inglath Cooper. This book deals with consequences of our choices. The consequences affect us and others we don’t expect it to. However, we all must live with the consequences of the choices we make. This book is written in a rather strange way. You get the background of the story in spurts as the characters tell their versions of what is going on. You hear from several different characters which makes it hard to get used to in the beginning. It made it a little difficult for me to get into the book; but once I pieces together the background story, it made sense and it caught my attention so I had to finish it without stopping. The book brings forth a multitude of emotions and reactions to the story so have a box of Kleenex handy.
Becca, Jacob, and Emmy Miller were members of the Old Order of German Baptist Brethren. They lived a life of simplicity. Their family was not as strict as others. They did dress in plain clothing and tended to stay away from society as we know it. The children did go to school but girls were expected to drop out and not finish high school to help their families. Dating and marrying the “others” was not prohibited but discouraged. Jacob tended to go his own way without questioning it. He married Linda, who was colored and was not accepted by his parents. He lived without seeing his parents after that. Becca questioned her Mother about the path she was to take. She could not understand why there had to be a “them and us” when we should all be the same. In the end, she gave in to what her sect believed was right: but still questioned things. Emmy tended to always do right. She fell in love with John who was of their sect and intended to marry him and live life as she had grown up to know. Emmy’s fiancé, John, was killed during an argument with some of the boys from town. They had come out to the farm to find Matt and Becca but came upon Emmy and John instead. Things got out of hand and in the hubbub, John fell on a pitchfork that had been forgotten earlier on the ground. Emmy could not face what had happened and could not tell what happened. She felt to blame because she had seen the pitchfork and hadn’t picked it up. She went into a deep depression and could not come out of it. She had to be helped to do anything. If left to herself, she would just lie in bed and sleep or stare at the wall. Becca gave up her plans to stay home and care for Emmy.
Becca had fallen in love with Matt Griffith. He was a big man on campus; but he fell for Becca during the summer when he worked on her father’s diary farm. He planned to go to the university in the fall; but wanted Becca with him. However, he left and Becca stayed home. When John died and Emmy went into a depression, Becca wrote Matt and told him she was staying home with Emmy and she was setting him free. Becca knew her place was with her sister. She couldn’t leave her. She married Aaron knowing she didn’t love him as she did Matt; but she loved him for other reasons and he truly wanted to help her.
Now, eighteen years have passed and Matt has returned home for his Grandmother’s funeral. He finds that his Grandmother had left her Lake house to Becca who had visited her over the years. He thought it was appropriate for Becca but she had reservations until her husband, Aaron, and her Mother want her to decline the gift. Becca kept it and took her daughter up there to clean it up. Becca thought it would be a get-away place for them. Things do not go as planned and Becca has to face what she feels for Matt, Aaron, her daughter Abby, Emmy and her Mother. What else can go wrong?
Becca, Jacob, and Emmy Miller were members of the Old Order of German Baptist Brethren. They lived a life of simplicity. Their family was not as strict as others. They did dress in plain clothing and tended to stay away from society as we know it. The children did go to school but girls were expected to drop out and not finish high school to help their families. Dating and marrying the “others” was not prohibited but discouraged. Jacob tended to go his own way without questioning it. He married Linda, who was colored and was not accepted by his parents. He lived without seeing his parents after that. Becca questioned her Mother about the path she was to take. She could not understand why there had to be a “them and us” when we should all be the same. In the end, she gave in to what her sect believed was right: but still questioned things. Emmy tended to always do right. She fell in love with John who was of their sect and intended to marry him and live life as she had grown up to know. Emmy’s fiancé, John, was killed during an argument with some of the boys from town. They had come out to the farm to find Matt and Becca but came upon Emmy and John instead. Things got out of hand and in the hubbub, John fell on a pitchfork that had been forgotten earlier on the ground. Emmy could not face what had happened and could not tell what happened. She felt to blame because she had seen the pitchfork and hadn’t picked it up. She went into a deep depression and could not come out of it. She had to be helped to do anything. If left to herself, she would just lie in bed and sleep or stare at the wall. Becca gave up her plans to stay home and care for Emmy.
Becca had fallen in love with Matt Griffith. He was a big man on campus; but he fell for Becca during the summer when he worked on her father’s diary farm. He planned to go to the university in the fall; but wanted Becca with him. However, he left and Becca stayed home. When John died and Emmy went into a depression, Becca wrote Matt and told him she was staying home with Emmy and she was setting him free. Becca knew her place was with her sister. She couldn’t leave her. She married Aaron knowing she didn’t love him as she did Matt; but she loved him for other reasons and he truly wanted to help her.
Now, eighteen years have passed and Matt has returned home for his Grandmother’s funeral. He finds that his Grandmother had left her Lake house to Becca who had visited her over the years. He thought it was appropriate for Becca but she had reservations until her husband, Aaron, and her Mother want her to decline the gift. Becca kept it and took her daughter up there to clean it up. Becca thought it would be a get-away place for them. Things do not go as planned and Becca has to face what she feels for Matt, Aaron, her daughter Abby, Emmy and her Mother. What else can go wrong?
May 9, 2020
https://openbooksociety.com/article/a...
And Then You Loved Me
By Inglath Cooper
ISBN# 9780991499724
Author’s Website: https://www.inglathcooper.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Becca and Emmy grew up in a religious home. Their family was a part of the Old Order Brethren Church. Their lifestyle made them outcasts in society with their old style of clothing that made them stick out like a sore thumb. To say nothing of their views on life.
As teenagers, both girls were in love. On one hand, Emmy loved everything about their lifestyle and worried that her sister and brother were going down the wrong path in life. However, Emmy was planning to marry her boyfriend, John, behind their families’ backs. John’s family was also part of their church and the couple figured their families would forgive them in time. They just wanted to start their lives together as soon as possible.
On the other hand, Becca was in love with Matt, who was not a member of the church. Matt was a star baseball player that had worked over the summer on their farm, his sentence from the judge for his DUI. His friends were popular, loud, and looked down on the families of the Order, and were very vocal about it! It’s a match Becca’s family would never approve of.
Both couples’ lives were changed forever in one tragic night. One horrible accident left John dead. It also left Emmy inside a prison of her own making. Becca did what she had to for her sister, even though it meant giving up the life she had planned with the man she loved.
Eighteen years later, Matt’s grandmother has died, and he’s come back to town to put her to rest. But when Matt and Becca see each other, all their old feelings come back to them. Can they close the lid on their past once again or is the temptation too much to resist?
I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn’t. I found the first half of the novel to be incredibly slow. There was also constant flashbacks and changing points of view that made it hard to really immerse myself in the story and the characters themselves. I think the author could have easily cut out Emmy and Martha’s points of views after the prologue to help the flow of the story. Also, I was expecting the book to be from Emmy so it took time for me to adjust to the story being more about Becca.
The book did improve as it went along. I actually really did enjoy Matt and Becca’s romance once we finally got to spend any time with them. They made me smile at times and were the bright spot of the book. I found Matt to be very sweet and understanding throughout everything. However, their scenes were always short and filled with trepidation and guilt.
Some of the turns in the story were predictable especially where Abby was concerned. And I wanted to see more of an ending with Becca instead of learning what happened through a letter written to her. I wanted to see it for myself, not read it from someone else’s perspective. All-in-all I just wanted more from this story.
And Then You Loved Me
By Inglath Cooper
ISBN# 9780991499724
Author’s Website: https://www.inglathcooper.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Becca and Emmy grew up in a religious home. Their family was a part of the Old Order Brethren Church. Their lifestyle made them outcasts in society with their old style of clothing that made them stick out like a sore thumb. To say nothing of their views on life.
As teenagers, both girls were in love. On one hand, Emmy loved everything about their lifestyle and worried that her sister and brother were going down the wrong path in life. However, Emmy was planning to marry her boyfriend, John, behind their families’ backs. John’s family was also part of their church and the couple figured their families would forgive them in time. They just wanted to start their lives together as soon as possible.
On the other hand, Becca was in love with Matt, who was not a member of the church. Matt was a star baseball player that had worked over the summer on their farm, his sentence from the judge for his DUI. His friends were popular, loud, and looked down on the families of the Order, and were very vocal about it! It’s a match Becca’s family would never approve of.
Both couples’ lives were changed forever in one tragic night. One horrible accident left John dead. It also left Emmy inside a prison of her own making. Becca did what she had to for her sister, even though it meant giving up the life she had planned with the man she loved.
Eighteen years later, Matt’s grandmother has died, and he’s come back to town to put her to rest. But when Matt and Becca see each other, all their old feelings come back to them. Can they close the lid on their past once again or is the temptation too much to resist?
I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn’t. I found the first half of the novel to be incredibly slow. There was also constant flashbacks and changing points of view that made it hard to really immerse myself in the story and the characters themselves. I think the author could have easily cut out Emmy and Martha’s points of views after the prologue to help the flow of the story. Also, I was expecting the book to be from Emmy so it took time for me to adjust to the story being more about Becca.
The book did improve as it went along. I actually really did enjoy Matt and Becca’s romance once we finally got to spend any time with them. They made me smile at times and were the bright spot of the book. I found Matt to be very sweet and understanding throughout everything. However, their scenes were always short and filled with trepidation and guilt.
Some of the turns in the story were predictable especially where Abby was concerned. And I wanted to see more of an ending with Becca instead of learning what happened through a letter written to her. I wanted to see it for myself, not read it from someone else’s perspective. All-in-all I just wanted more from this story.
February 27, 2019
3.5 rating
This tale revolves around a German Brethren family (similar but not Amish) and two time frames, then and now. It opens in the “then” timeframe with a teenage couple in love and sneaking off to a barn for a clandestine meeting to discuss their future plans for marriage. They want to break away from the Brethren lifestyle and make a life of their own, outside the boundaries that they’ve been raised in. Tragedy interrupts them, irrevocably altering the future.
It has a good hook, but then ambles on at its own moderately slow pace. I had trouble staying engaged in the first half. The message here is that a Brethren family takes care of family. Outsiders, be it for their contemporary lifestyles, the color of their skin, or any difference at all is to be shunned and discouraged ~ even from friendship, as this could sway one of their own from their beliefs. The male in the family, be it father or husband, has the last word in any familial decisions. Sacrifices of one’s own desires are expected when familial circumstances require it, especially if one is a female, as main character Becca learns at a young age. But the heart wants what the heart wants, as it’s been said. Outsider Matt captured young Becca’s heart and stayed there even though she sacrifices her desires to protect and provide for her sister and marries another. 18 years pass before she sets eyes on Matt again. Their love story is the focal point of this novel.
It got better in the second half. Nothing remarkable but engaging, and I found myself highlighting some relatable statements and messages from the little gems interspersed here and there.
Many have complained about the “rushed” ending but I found it tied up all the loose ends nicely, as presented in a letter form from daughter Abby to Becca and allowing the reader a look at what transpired after the last chapter. It’s what we wanted to know, and at its conclusion I found myself satisfied with the read.
This tale revolves around a German Brethren family (similar but not Amish) and two time frames, then and now. It opens in the “then” timeframe with a teenage couple in love and sneaking off to a barn for a clandestine meeting to discuss their future plans for marriage. They want to break away from the Brethren lifestyle and make a life of their own, outside the boundaries that they’ve been raised in. Tragedy interrupts them, irrevocably altering the future.
It has a good hook, but then ambles on at its own moderately slow pace. I had trouble staying engaged in the first half. The message here is that a Brethren family takes care of family. Outsiders, be it for their contemporary lifestyles, the color of their skin, or any difference at all is to be shunned and discouraged ~ even from friendship, as this could sway one of their own from their beliefs. The male in the family, be it father or husband, has the last word in any familial decisions. Sacrifices of one’s own desires are expected when familial circumstances require it, especially if one is a female, as main character Becca learns at a young age. But the heart wants what the heart wants, as it’s been said. Outsider Matt captured young Becca’s heart and stayed there even though she sacrifices her desires to protect and provide for her sister and marries another. 18 years pass before she sets eyes on Matt again. Their love story is the focal point of this novel.
It got better in the second half. Nothing remarkable but engaging, and I found myself highlighting some relatable statements and messages from the little gems interspersed here and there.
Many have complained about the “rushed” ending but I found it tied up all the loose ends nicely, as presented in a letter form from daughter Abby to Becca and allowing the reader a look at what transpired after the last chapter. It’s what we wanted to know, and at its conclusion I found myself satisfied with the read.
January 20, 2020
This book was not what I expected it to be, I was looking for a small town 2nd chance romance and while this a part of this book it is so much more.
The Miller family are old religion, they live by old rules and simple ways of life and stepping outside of their way of life is not something they can do without losing their family. There is an accident in the very beginning that leaves a young boy (15/16) dead, it is unclear what actually happened and finding out the truth is plot twisting and heart breaking. The younger sister goes into a state of shock and doesn’t speak for the next 18 years, even though the book takes you in her head and she is aware of what is going on around her she has locked her self in a prison of her mind. The older sister (becca) sacrifices her happiness to take care of her and everything that comes from the accident. Becca was in love with someone outside of her religion, she was willing to give up her family just like her older brother did for that love, but the accident changes everything. She marries to save her sister who was pregnant, raises the child as her own and lives the life of the old ways. Matt Griffin who also loved her and was willing to do anything for her went away to college only to get a dear John letter and never knowing the truth. When he comes back to town for his Grandma's funeral everything is shaken. It is heart breaking and yet the author makes you love and care for all of the characters. It was one of the best surprise reads I have had. I was looking for something simple non-thought provoking and ended up with just the opposite.
The Miller family are old religion, they live by old rules and simple ways of life and stepping outside of their way of life is not something they can do without losing their family. There is an accident in the very beginning that leaves a young boy (15/16) dead, it is unclear what actually happened and finding out the truth is plot twisting and heart breaking. The younger sister goes into a state of shock and doesn’t speak for the next 18 years, even though the book takes you in her head and she is aware of what is going on around her she has locked her self in a prison of her mind. The older sister (becca) sacrifices her happiness to take care of her and everything that comes from the accident. Becca was in love with someone outside of her religion, she was willing to give up her family just like her older brother did for that love, but the accident changes everything. She marries to save her sister who was pregnant, raises the child as her own and lives the life of the old ways. Matt Griffin who also loved her and was willing to do anything for her went away to college only to get a dear John letter and never knowing the truth. When he comes back to town for his Grandma's funeral everything is shaken. It is heart breaking and yet the author makes you love and care for all of the characters. It was one of the best surprise reads I have had. I was looking for something simple non-thought provoking and ended up with just the opposite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2020
It was an engaging read but I'm disappointed with the lack of closure on what happened in the incident with John and Emmy. The book starts with it and your drawn forward to hear the answer that never really comes. The scene painted in the book led me to believe Emmy was raped. It would explain the additional trauma of the incident. Yet, we're told nothing about what happened after John died - that Emmy never said anything. I'm also perplexed that the baby was John's as I swear Emmy implied they had not slept together when they were in the barn that night. So again, I'm thinking this is a child of rape and I can understand another needing to raise the child. We also don't know what John's parents knew.
If in fact, it was John's baby and there was no rape then I'm not sure I'm okay with the actions taken. For Abby, you can't help but think she was screwed in so many ways by these adults - not getting to know her mom or her grandparents.
It's also disappointing that a book written in a modern setting didn't seem to know how to get Emmy better mental health support. I can't believe someone who essentially hasn't talked for 18 years would be under greater care than what was portrayed here. She needed help at the time of the incident and it appears they didn't get it for her.
If in fact, it was John's baby and there was no rape then I'm not sure I'm okay with the actions taken. For Abby, you can't help but think she was screwed in so many ways by these adults - not getting to know her mom or her grandparents.
It's also disappointing that a book written in a modern setting didn't seem to know how to get Emmy better mental health support. I can't believe someone who essentially hasn't talked for 18 years would be under greater care than what was portrayed here. She needed help at the time of the incident and it appears they didn't get it for her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2020
My rating 3.0
People say you can’t ever go back. That some of the things that happen to us simply cannot be redone. But the paths of a life journey are rarely straight. They twist and turn and wind back across those once visited and long thought to have faded from existence.Becca Miller has lived her life trying to do the right thing, even when its cost has been giving up the boy she loved and wanted to marry. The sacrifice she made for her sister isn’t one she regrets because there was no other choice for her to make. And for eighteen years, she lives this choice with full commitment and as little looking back as she can manage.When Matt Griffith returns to Ballard County for the funeral of his grandmother, the path that had seemed so straight begins to loop back and take her across feelings she thought she had put away for good. As it turns out, those roads we’ve traveled do not fade at all. They simply wait to be retraveled, leaving us with the decision to follow them exactly as we did before, or make a different choice and find out where it will lead us. (Previously titled Crossing Tinker's Knob.)
This was a Prime free book. It is basically a romance, though it tries to be philosophical along the way about how simple choices have life long consequences. It is a book that I will soon forget and wouldn't recommend.
People say you can’t ever go back. That some of the things that happen to us simply cannot be redone. But the paths of a life journey are rarely straight. They twist and turn and wind back across those once visited and long thought to have faded from existence.Becca Miller has lived her life trying to do the right thing, even when its cost has been giving up the boy she loved and wanted to marry. The sacrifice she made for her sister isn’t one she regrets because there was no other choice for her to make. And for eighteen years, she lives this choice with full commitment and as little looking back as she can manage.When Matt Griffith returns to Ballard County for the funeral of his grandmother, the path that had seemed so straight begins to loop back and take her across feelings she thought she had put away for good. As it turns out, those roads we’ve traveled do not fade at all. They simply wait to be retraveled, leaving us with the decision to follow them exactly as we did before, or make a different choice and find out where it will lead us. (Previously titled Crossing Tinker's Knob.)
This was a Prime free book. It is basically a romance, though it tries to be philosophical along the way about how simple choices have life long consequences. It is a book that I will soon forget and wouldn't recommend.
February 29, 2020
I wasn’t very sure about this book because I’d never read anything by the author and it was one of my free Prime Member selections. It took about 20 pages before I realized I was going to enjoy the story, even though the culture, beliefs, and community of Becca’s family was completely different from mine.
As the story goes on, I realize it makes no difference how close a community or family is, people still experience the same problems. Deaths, every day problems, love, prejudice, and living with secrets. Becca’s and her family’s story is full of half truths and trying to make themselves believe what they’ve sacrificed are for the right reasons. It was hard for me trying to pull Becca one way and then having her return to the old life. In the long run, it took her teenage daughter to voice what everyone was missing out on and she wasn’t going to do that.
Good book and even though it’s fiction, there’s so much truth in the story. I’ll be reading another book by Inglath Cooper in the near future.
As the story goes on, I realize it makes no difference how close a community or family is, people still experience the same problems. Deaths, every day problems, love, prejudice, and living with secrets. Becca’s and her family’s story is full of half truths and trying to make themselves believe what they’ve sacrificed are for the right reasons. It was hard for me trying to pull Becca one way and then having her return to the old life. In the long run, it took her teenage daughter to voice what everyone was missing out on and she wasn’t going to do that.
Good book and even though it’s fiction, there’s so much truth in the story. I’ll be reading another book by Inglath Cooper in the near future.
December 27, 2020
My sister gifted me a copy of this book because she had already read it and loved it! I had never read anything by this author! She is very talented!
This book had my emotions all over the place. There was sadness for love lost, but yet, the deep, abiding love between sisters. The special bond a mother has with her child, and the soul gutting grief felt when you lose the one person you know you are destined to be with. This book goes back and forth in time to give the history of the MCs and shows how the choices one makes, even when selfless and only done in order to protect one's family, can have far reaching implications.
My only problem with this book, and why I took a star off, was the ending. We worked feverishly to get to the point in the book where we deserved to see Matt and Becca have their HEA, and we were denied it! The book simply ended and we were left with a letter from Abbey which briefly mentioned a few things to close out the story. We really deserved more! But don't let that deter you, this book is a must read!
This book had my emotions all over the place. There was sadness for love lost, but yet, the deep, abiding love between sisters. The special bond a mother has with her child, and the soul gutting grief felt when you lose the one person you know you are destined to be with. This book goes back and forth in time to give the history of the MCs and shows how the choices one makes, even when selfless and only done in order to protect one's family, can have far reaching implications.
My only problem with this book, and why I took a star off, was the ending. We worked feverishly to get to the point in the book where we deserved to see Matt and Becca have their HEA, and we were denied it! The book simply ended and we were left with a letter from Abbey which briefly mentioned a few things to close out the story. We really deserved more! But don't let that deter you, this book is a must read!
December 17, 2018
This is one of the most engrossing novels I’ve read in quite some time. The many threads of the plot were expertly woven together; the characters were consistently and sympathetically developed; and the philosophical questions raised were thought-provoking. I marked a number of passages that gave me cause to think. “...those roads we’ve traveled do not fade at all. They simply wait to be retravelled, leaving us with the decision to follow them exactly as we did before, or make a different choice and find out where it will lead us.” “She’d never once been able to loosen the apron of righteousness behind which she’d justified her estrangement...”
Then there were two glaring grammatical errors a good editor should have corrected. “She lay the bonnet...” and “...where she had lain both husband and son...”. (In both instances the writer used the correct tense of the infinitive “to lie” - meaning to recline- instead of the correct tense of the verb “to lay” - meaning to place something.)
Then there were two glaring grammatical errors a good editor should have corrected. “She lay the bonnet...” and “...where she had lain both husband and son...”. (In both instances the writer used the correct tense of the infinitive “to lie” - meaning to recline- instead of the correct tense of the verb “to lay” - meaning to place something.)
May 6, 2019
I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. I felt the characters’ emotions pouring out of the pages. Their pain and suffering is so real and raw, and I constantly felt myself wanting to go back in time and change the decisions they made. The rejection of the truth that we’re all the same inside despite our outward appearances is what leads to so much unnecessary pain that ripples through generations.
My favorite quote: “[E]ven when lives were divided by boundaries...imposed by the beliefs of others, the people on either side weren’t so different. And even when people looked different on the outside, whether it was in the way they dressed, the color of their skin, or the way in which they spoke, on the inside they were much the same. That for the most part, people had the same needs, the same wants, the same desires. They wanted the best for their loved ones and grieved when life brought them short of that.”
My favorite quote: “[E]ven when lives were divided by boundaries...imposed by the beliefs of others, the people on either side weren’t so different. And even when people looked different on the outside, whether it was in the way they dressed, the color of their skin, or the way in which they spoke, on the inside they were much the same. That for the most part, people had the same needs, the same wants, the same desires. They wanted the best for their loved ones and grieved when life brought them short of that.”
April 7, 2020
Wowza if there is such a word this book is so heartbreaking its mind-blowing. The book is written in then/now format. The book opens up to a chilling scene where young lovers Emma and John are planning their future wedding only to be met by a tragedy. Fast forward eighteen years later we meet the main character Becca whose family is in a zealous religious group similar to the Amish people. She is raising her daughter Abby along with her husband Aaron on her parents farm. We find out during the story that Aaron was not Becca first choice that she was in love with a boy named Matt but he was not part of their culture and along with that issue we find out a tragedy happened. When I downloaded this book as my prime book it listed it as its top borrowed 2019 romance. I honestly beg to differ that this is just a romance, I see this more as possibly a woman's fiction with a pinch of romance mixed in. In conclusion this book turned out to not be what i thought when i read the synopsis.
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