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Das Leuchten unserer Träume
Sophie ist 15 Jahre alt, als ihr geliebter großer Bruder bei einem Motorradunfall ums Leben kommt. Alles hat sich seither geändert: Aus dem fröhlichen Mädchen ist eine einsame junge Frau geworden, die ihr Herz fest verschlossen hält.
Als eines nachts in ihrer Wohnung ein Feuer ausbricht, wird Sophie in letzter Sekunde von einem Passanten gerettet. Danach weicht Ben ihr praktisch nicht mehr von der Seite. Sophie ist dankbar, gerührt – und macht mit Bens Hilfe erste, langsame Schritte zurück ins Leben.
Sie kann nicht ahnen, dass ihr Retter mehr als eine erschütternde Wahrheit vor ihr verbirgt.
Dani Atkins neuester Liebesroman überzeugt mit ganz viel Gefühl: Trauer, Schmerz, Verlust, Hoffnung und Liebe. Die Geschichte einer jungen Frau, die trotz schwerer Schicksalsschläge zurück ins Leben findet.
Als eines nachts in ihrer Wohnung ein Feuer ausbricht, wird Sophie in letzter Sekunde von einem Passanten gerettet. Danach weicht Ben ihr praktisch nicht mehr von der Seite. Sophie ist dankbar, gerührt – und macht mit Bens Hilfe erste, langsame Schritte zurück ins Leben.
Sie kann nicht ahnen, dass ihr Retter mehr als eine erschütternde Wahrheit vor ihr verbirgt.
Dani Atkins neuester Liebesroman überzeugt mit ganz viel Gefühl: Trauer, Schmerz, Verlust, Hoffnung und Liebe. Die Geschichte einer jungen Frau, die trotz schwerer Schicksalsschläge zurück ins Leben findet.
448 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2017
243 people are currently reading
2031 people want to read
About the author
Dani Atkins
25 books1,166 followersDani was born and brought up in Cockfosters- a small London suburb at the end of the Piccadilly Tube Line.
This served her well for commuting into the city, where from the age of 18 she worked in a succession of secretarial positions in companies as diverse as a BMW car dealership to the BBC. Dani spent her two hour commute avidly reading and dreamed that one day she would become an author herself.
When her two children grew up and left home, Dani set about turning this dream into reality and devoted her time to writing. She now lives in a rural Hertfordshire cottage with her husband, a soppy border collie dog and a haughty Siamese cat.
Her first novels FRACTURED (called THEN AND ALWAYS in the US) and THE STORY OF US published in 2014. In January 2016, her third novel, OUR SONG was published.
This served her well for commuting into the city, where from the age of 18 she worked in a succession of secretarial positions in companies as diverse as a BMW car dealership to the BBC. Dani spent her two hour commute avidly reading and dreamed that one day she would become an author herself.
When her two children grew up and left home, Dani set about turning this dream into reality and devoted her time to writing. She now lives in a rural Hertfordshire cottage with her husband, a soppy border collie dog and a haughty Siamese cat.
Her first novels FRACTURED (called THEN AND ALWAYS in the US) and THE STORY OF US published in 2014. In January 2016, her third novel, OUR SONG was published.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
August 23, 2020
Actual rating: 3,5
If you’re looking for a damsel in distress story done right, look no further!
This Love is the story about Sophie Winter who finds herself in a hard situation in which she can’t cope without someone’s help.
The story starts with drama. Sophie’s flat is on fire and she’s trying to get out before the fire swallows her too.
She managed to save her little cat Fred by letting him go out of the window (I really loved that cat, it was my mission the whole time to know that Fred is save), but for her it is a bit harder to get out.
That’s where Ben, our knight in shining armor plays his part.
He gives her directions what to do to get out of that flat alive.
Ben’s kindness doesn’t stop right there. Oh, no! He helps her find her cat Fred, and even (because of some circumstances) offers her the place to stay.
I know stories about ladies who need to be saved are not in fashion anymore, but as I already stated, This Love is done right. Sophie didn’t want to find herself in the role she played, but her entire home burned and she was in a really bad situation. She had no choice but to accept other people’s help.
At first I really liked Ben. He is that type of character women all over the world dream about. He has a good heart, always knows what to say and is kind, plus he looks really, really hot.
He is way too perfect to be real, and that is where my adoration for him fall back.
I wished he had at least one flaw (actually, in my had I started plotting a story in which he was really a psychopath with great acting skills).
The writing style is really good. Dani Atkins pulls you in with her voice and makes you forget about the rest of the world. I was thinking about the book even when I was not reading.
It is written in third person.
This Love is a perfect title for this novel because you can feel and see the love in so many shapes through the story.
It is no wonder that it received RNA award in category “Romantic Novel of the year”.
I enjoyed reading This Love, and I feel like I gained a lot as a reader from this book, but it is my duty to mention that this story also reminded me of two very popular novels: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and Ten Tiny Breaths by K. A. Tucker.
I’m not saying it is a reap off of those two novels by any mean, I’m just saying it has some of the same elements as those two.
Overall, This Love is a perfect book for romance lovers and for those who want to read a good book about damsel in distress.
Read this and more reviews on my blog: https://bookdustmagic.com
If you’re looking for a damsel in distress story done right, look no further!
This Love is the story about Sophie Winter who finds herself in a hard situation in which she can’t cope without someone’s help.
The story starts with drama. Sophie’s flat is on fire and she’s trying to get out before the fire swallows her too.
She managed to save her little cat Fred by letting him go out of the window (I really loved that cat, it was my mission the whole time to know that Fred is save), but for her it is a bit harder to get out.
That’s where Ben, our knight in shining armor plays his part.
He gives her directions what to do to get out of that flat alive.
Ben’s kindness doesn’t stop right there. Oh, no! He helps her find her cat Fred, and even (because of some circumstances) offers her the place to stay.
I know stories about ladies who need to be saved are not in fashion anymore, but as I already stated, This Love is done right. Sophie didn’t want to find herself in the role she played, but her entire home burned and she was in a really bad situation. She had no choice but to accept other people’s help.
At first I really liked Ben. He is that type of character women all over the world dream about. He has a good heart, always knows what to say and is kind, plus he looks really, really hot.
He is way too perfect to be real, and that is where my adoration for him fall back.
I wished he had at least one flaw (actually, in my had I started plotting a story in which he was really a psychopath with great acting skills).
The writing style is really good. Dani Atkins pulls you in with her voice and makes you forget about the rest of the world. I was thinking about the book even when I was not reading.
It is written in third person.
This Love is a perfect title for this novel because you can feel and see the love in so many shapes through the story.
It is no wonder that it received RNA award in category “Romantic Novel of the year”.
I enjoyed reading This Love, and I feel like I gained a lot as a reader from this book, but it is my duty to mention that this story also reminded me of two very popular novels: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and Ten Tiny Breaths by K. A. Tucker.
I’m not saying it is a reap off of those two novels by any mean, I’m just saying it has some of the same elements as those two.
Overall, This Love is a perfect book for romance lovers and for those who want to read a good book about damsel in distress.
Read this and more reviews on my blog: https://bookdustmagic.com
March 26, 2017
More book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
I raced through This Love in a few days, even without that much time to read, because it’s gripping, uplifting (sometimes) and poignant (a lot of the time!), all rolled into one brilliant and moving read.
I don’t want to give much away about the storyline other than what you can see on the back cover, but one of the reasons I loved this book is that it’s full of love – there’s plenty of romantic, cute moments between characters – but they’re portrayed well, without straying too often into the ‘cheesey’ category, which is a pitfall that I often find with other novels in this genre. This Love picks you up and envelopes you into this story, which, thanks to interesting, likeable characters, means you really care about what happens – particularly to protagonist Sophie and her knight in shining armour, Ben. (Ben… there are no words for Ben; he is bound to be the new favourite love interest for many people which would not surprise me).
The first half of the story starts with high drama but then calms down a bit and moves much more slowly, before the second half ramps up the tension (and emotion) again, leaving me a bit of a blubbling wreck at the end! That being said, it’s got light-hearted parts too, and is a story I really enjoyed reading, from first page to last. There are surprises and some parts I didn’t see coming.
This Love will stay with you long after you finish reading it!
* Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review *
I raced through This Love in a few days, even without that much time to read, because it’s gripping, uplifting (sometimes) and poignant (a lot of the time!), all rolled into one brilliant and moving read.
I don’t want to give much away about the storyline other than what you can see on the back cover, but one of the reasons I loved this book is that it’s full of love – there’s plenty of romantic, cute moments between characters – but they’re portrayed well, without straying too often into the ‘cheesey’ category, which is a pitfall that I often find with other novels in this genre. This Love picks you up and envelopes you into this story, which, thanks to interesting, likeable characters, means you really care about what happens – particularly to protagonist Sophie and her knight in shining armour, Ben. (Ben… there are no words for Ben; he is bound to be the new favourite love interest for many people which would not surprise me).
The first half of the story starts with high drama but then calms down a bit and moves much more slowly, before the second half ramps up the tension (and emotion) again, leaving me a bit of a blubbling wreck at the end! That being said, it’s got light-hearted parts too, and is a story I really enjoyed reading, from first page to last. There are surprises and some parts I didn’t see coming.
This Love will stay with you long after you finish reading it!
* Many thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review *
August 27, 2018
Ok, so I read this book because it was free on iBooks. The beginning of the book was a great start, I LOVED IT, but then things just started bothering me! It could have been a good book and here is why it wasn't:
1. The main female character just kept getting more and more annoying.
2. I guessed two main plot twists (I don't even know who wouldn't).
3. Some bits were too cheesy I had to throw my phone away.
4. The book tried to be "sad & emotional" but failed. Hard. I'm a very emotional person and I don't mind sad books at all but this one was annoying rather than sad. It was just trying way too hard that it got ridicules.
5. The book went for too long, it could've been way shorter.
So yeah, that's all.
1. The main female character just kept getting more and more annoying.
2. I guessed two main plot twists (I don't even know who wouldn't).
3. Some bits were too cheesy I had to throw my phone away.
4. The book tried to be "sad & emotional" but failed. Hard. I'm a very emotional person and I don't mind sad books at all but this one was annoying rather than sad. It was just trying way too hard that it got ridicules.
5. The book went for too long, it could've been way shorter.
So yeah, that's all.
September 20, 2018
This started beautifully ....
... it was too good to last.
It ended up a mawkish tale with twists that were obvious from pretty early on.
I had the horrid feeling that the author enjoyed making readers fall in love with her characters only for her then to slap us around the face with a dead haddock.
This could have been stonkingly great. It wasnt.
It was a quagmire of misery and lies and deception with an ending so sickeningly and depressingly icky I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room.
And yet this author can really write.That opening scene was phenomenal. Just a damned shame it went downhill from then on.
... it was too good to last.
It ended up a mawkish tale with twists that were obvious from pretty early on.
I had the horrid feeling that the author enjoyed making readers fall in love with her characters only for her then to slap us around the face with a dead haddock.
This could have been stonkingly great. It wasnt.
It was a quagmire of misery and lies and deception with an ending so sickeningly and depressingly icky I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room.
And yet this author can really write.That opening scene was phenomenal. Just a damned shame it went downhill from then on.
March 11, 2017
Emotionally drained is one way of describing how I feel after reading this simply spectacular book, I have found completely unputdownable from start to finish.
It is a book that begins with high drama and really hooks you into the action and introduces you at the same time to the main characters, Sophie who usually leads a rather reclusive life, for very understandable reasons that you find out as the book progresses to Ben who is instantly cast in the hero role, but whether he is too good to be true is to be seen.
There is a great deal of depth to both Sophie and Ben and very little in this book goes particularly smoothly, there always seems to be back story to be revealed, which it is on a need to know basis.
In This Love there is so much going on but realistically if I mention any specifics I feel like I would be spoiling your enjoyment of the tension, or the turns that the book takes. The writing grabs you instantly and just doesn't let you go, even after the book has ended.
There were moments that I sat there gasping open mouthed as I didn't expect the story to go in that direction, there were some more light hearted moments too, but on the whole this is a book that you will almost certainly need a box of tissues by your side, if you are even slightly more emotional than I am!
This Love is a story unsurprisingly about love, please note I mean love and not necessarily romance. It deals with the love of a family, love of friendship, as well as falling in love against perhaps your better judgment. It surrounds these themes as well as a lot more into a compelling story
It isn't just about Ben and Sophie, their friends play a huge part in the book too, often providing some light relief. Watch out for Carla the hairdresser, an incident involving a rolling pin, and Sophie's best friend's husband Gary putting his foot in his mouth big time.
In a story that is as dramatic as it is emotional, as tender and touching as it is amusing, there is one thing I can say for certain. This Love is a fabulous story, written by an incredibly talented author, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone! My only suggestion would be to make sure you set aside a day to read this, ideally somewhere you won't be interrupted as I can promise you will resent anyone besides Sophie and Ben trying to get your attention!
It is a book that begins with high drama and really hooks you into the action and introduces you at the same time to the main characters, Sophie who usually leads a rather reclusive life, for very understandable reasons that you find out as the book progresses to Ben who is instantly cast in the hero role, but whether he is too good to be true is to be seen.
There is a great deal of depth to both Sophie and Ben and very little in this book goes particularly smoothly, there always seems to be back story to be revealed, which it is on a need to know basis.
In This Love there is so much going on but realistically if I mention any specifics I feel like I would be spoiling your enjoyment of the tension, or the turns that the book takes. The writing grabs you instantly and just doesn't let you go, even after the book has ended.
There were moments that I sat there gasping open mouthed as I didn't expect the story to go in that direction, there were some more light hearted moments too, but on the whole this is a book that you will almost certainly need a box of tissues by your side, if you are even slightly more emotional than I am!
This Love is a story unsurprisingly about love, please note I mean love and not necessarily romance. It deals with the love of a family, love of friendship, as well as falling in love against perhaps your better judgment. It surrounds these themes as well as a lot more into a compelling story
It isn't just about Ben and Sophie, their friends play a huge part in the book too, often providing some light relief. Watch out for Carla the hairdresser, an incident involving a rolling pin, and Sophie's best friend's husband Gary putting his foot in his mouth big time.
In a story that is as dramatic as it is emotional, as tender and touching as it is amusing, there is one thing I can say for certain. This Love is a fabulous story, written by an incredibly talented author, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone! My only suggestion would be to make sure you set aside a day to read this, ideally somewhere you won't be interrupted as I can promise you will resent anyone besides Sophie and Ben trying to get your attention!
January 23, 2020
Dani Atkins is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I loved Our Song and this matches it or I could even say it tops it. I have never felt disappointed by one of her books. The story is gripping from the start and really keeps you guessing up until the last few pages. I didn't struggle getting into it, the story didn't get boring in the middle and the end was so gripping. It's a perfect love story dragged from an awful event (or two awful events including the past) until tragedy strikes. Warning: The ending is so sad.
April 29, 2019
My heart!!
August 26, 2018
This isn’t my usual choice of book, being a more horror/crime/thriller kind of woman, but it was free on iBooks and I’m so glad I decided to give it a go. I was riveted, devoured it over two days and ended up absolutely sobbing my heart out as much as Sophie seems to do. Highly readable, enjoyable and so wonderfully full of emotion.
May 30, 2019
I'm having such a hard time deciding whether I want to include spoilers in my review or not, and those who have read the book know exactly about the state of my dilemma. God, this is SO hard! I will try my very best to do it without spoilers for now and see how well I'll fare. Going into books without even reading/remembering the blurb is basically my thing now, and explains why until the very 3/4 of the book I had no idea if this was going to be a love story, mystery novel or crime thriller. In a way it was all of those, even though I'd have to say that the love story part was the strongest ingredient in this mix of genres. I remember telling a friend that I was going to be so disappointed if it ended up being a romance story after all, but now I changed my mind 180 on that. Because guess what and big surprise after handing out 4 stars, I enjoyed this book anyway! I don't know what it is about the writing style, it doesn't feel all too special to me and yet I found myself basically glued to this novel. The main character Sophie is nice enough, albeit somewhat annoying in the constant mentioning of her brother, and Ben seemed the very stereotypical male protagonist, but still was the perfect counterpart to Sophie's neuroticism. I have to say that I was a bit disappointed in how everything solved itself; there were a couple of mysteries and secrets in the book, all of which I guessed pretty early on, and I can't say that the book scored any points in those parts. But Sophie's and Ben's relationship was such a very sweet slow-burner (pun intended given the beginning of this novel, where Sophie's apartment catches fire) and felt so very realistic, that I couldn't help but fall a little bit in love with them - even though it did feel somewhat too perfect in its execution. I might be a cynic, but...those things just don't possibly happen in real life! I'm sure if an (obviously handsome) stranger were to rescue me from my burning apartment (IN MY PYJAMAS) (probably my Snoopy ones) he wouldn't even stick around long enough to get to know my name, let alone give me money for a taxi, or LET ME MOVE INTO HIS HOME'S BASEMENT THAT COINCIDENTALLY HAPPENS TO BE A FREAKING MANSION (this is so creepy!!! If it were me, I'd have made Ben a mass murderer and Sophie would have died at this point!) Writing about the fire, which actually takes a major backseat during the second half of the book because in the end it wasn't more than a plot device to get Sophie and Ben to meet each other, actually just reminded me of the existence of Fred the cat - and yes, this is a little spoiler, but it's a very important one, because Fred is hands-down the best character and ultimate POV of the book. Just the fact that he's a cat and is named Fred makes him utterly and completely adorable to me and I was very much invested in his fate, so I thought he deserved an off-stray mention. If someone needs to survive, it's always the cat (/pet), let the human burn for all I care. To get back to the actual topic, even though all those weird oh-so-completely-random "chance" meetings with Ben did feel a little bit too good to be true, when you get to the end of the book (or, like me, to the half) it all makes sense rather quickly and even if it didn't, I can forgive the author for putting some very convenient coincidences in there. A lot of parts of this book even made me wish that my apartment would just burn down as well if it happens to set off a chain of events like this one (which it wouldn't, but just for the sake of the argument) (did anyone ever notice that sake and sake (the greek alcohol) are the same word, I feel like my mind is a little bit blown right now), because Sophie makes it seem like it's not such a big deal to lose all your posessions to a fire: after she managed to find an apartment and a good hero-rescuer to take care of her, the fire was basically forgotten. It has served its purpose after all. Maybe I'm just not chill enough, but losing all my mementos, and documents, and utter life basically, would definitely have driven me A LOT crazier. Especially if I am to believe that Sophie really is as nostalgic and afraid of loss as the author draws her to be. Then again, if I ever were to have such a thing/fling as she has with Ben, maybe I'd be putting my priorities straight (or rather wavy) as well. And I have to say that mentioning the fire throughout the whole book probably would've got quite old after a while, so I understand where the author was coming from in deciding to put the fire in the past without constantly digging up its ashes (see what I did there).
When I was younger, I used to write phrases like "This or that made me feel all the feels" all the time and I hate to turn back into 20-year-old-me, but in this case the expression is so very true that I just can't help it. This book made me feel a lot of things indeed! And I can't exactly say which things because duh, but I feel them very deeply and the last chapter was the perfect ending for the book. Like, I can forgive the lazy "mysteries" when being rewarded with an amazingly fitting ending chapter like that. The book was somewhat cheesy, but not in a bad way. It felt mature and very sweet without making me cringe, and first and foremost and despite the crazy and partly too-good-to-be-true circumstances, it felt believable. I just didn't like the author's too-hard-approach at being funny. I could recognise the efforts at wanting to make us chuckle throughout the darker parts of the book, but maybe because I've read so many funny books before that, it felt very forced and somewhat out-of-place. Still, it's such a little thing that it didn't influence my overall rating in the book in the slightest. The book was an extremely emotional rollercoaster and I have to say that even though I'm the horrible nitpicker that I am, I thorougly enjoyed every second of it. Just to give you sense of how much exactly I enjoyed it: I actually finished the last 200 pages of the book in one sitting! Which, if you knew me, says a lot, especially since I'm very easily distractable. But this book sucks you in its story and doesn't let you go until the very end. I have to say, being held hostage could feel a lot worse.
Further notes, which are all VERY MUCH spoilery:
When I was younger, I used to write phrases like "This or that made me feel all the feels" all the time and I hate to turn back into 20-year-old-me, but in this case the expression is so very true that I just can't help it. This book made me feel a lot of things indeed! And I can't exactly say which things because duh, but I feel them very deeply and the last chapter was the perfect ending for the book. Like, I can forgive the lazy "mysteries" when being rewarded with an amazingly fitting ending chapter like that. The book was somewhat cheesy, but not in a bad way. It felt mature and very sweet without making me cringe, and first and foremost and despite the crazy and partly too-good-to-be-true circumstances, it felt believable. I just didn't like the author's too-hard-approach at being funny. I could recognise the efforts at wanting to make us chuckle throughout the darker parts of the book, but maybe because I've read so many funny books before that, it felt very forced and somewhat out-of-place. Still, it's such a little thing that it didn't influence my overall rating in the book in the slightest. The book was an extremely emotional rollercoaster and I have to say that even though I'm the horrible nitpicker that I am, I thorougly enjoyed every second of it. Just to give you sense of how much exactly I enjoyed it: I actually finished the last 200 pages of the book in one sitting! Which, if you knew me, says a lot, especially since I'm very easily distractable. But this book sucks you in its story and doesn't let you go until the very end. I have to say, being held hostage could feel a lot worse.
Further notes, which are all VERY MUCH spoilery:
January 13, 2019
I was hooked from start to finish. It was such an emotional rollercoaster. Thank you for this beautiful journey, Dani Atkins!
WOW WOW WOW.
This is yet another amazing read of 2019. THIS LOVE left me sobbing my eyes out. It was so well written and obviously, tear-inducing. I still can't get over this book despite finishing it a few hours ago. It will definitely haunt me for the rest of my life. Plus, it is going in my 2019 favourites for sure.
I definitely wasn't prepared for the tornado of emotions although I did suspect that I was going to cry at some point.
Despite being lengthy ( over 400+ pages) and a tad predictable, it was unputdownable thanks to the top-notch writing style and likeable characters.
I only read the Prologue when I first started the book on the 7th of January. I pushed it aside for a while because, to be frank, I had doubts before diving into the book. However, I picked it up again yesterday, on the 11th of January (10 pm) and I finished it in one sitting ( approximately 6 hours ) on the 12th. TOTALLY WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT.
Kudos, Dani Atkins for playing with my heart strings. You blew me away. This book will stay with me forever.
P/S: I need to cool off before starting a new book.
WOW WOW WOW.
This is yet another amazing read of 2019. THIS LOVE left me sobbing my eyes out. It was so well written and obviously, tear-inducing. I still can't get over this book despite finishing it a few hours ago. It will definitely haunt me for the rest of my life. Plus, it is going in my 2019 favourites for sure.
I definitely wasn't prepared for the tornado of emotions although I did suspect that I was going to cry at some point.
Despite being lengthy ( over 400+ pages) and a tad predictable, it was unputdownable thanks to the top-notch writing style and likeable characters.
I only read the Prologue when I first started the book on the 7th of January. I pushed it aside for a while because, to be frank, I had doubts before diving into the book. However, I picked it up again yesterday, on the 11th of January (10 pm) and I finished it in one sitting ( approximately 6 hours ) on the 12th. TOTALLY WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT.
Kudos, Dani Atkins for playing with my heart strings. You blew me away. This book will stay with me forever.
P/S: I need to cool off before starting a new book.
December 17, 2021
Das Buch fing vielversprechend an, der Schreibstil der Autorin ist toll. Ich finde es schön und realitätsnah, dass bei Dani Atkins neben der Liebesstory auch immer das Thema Trauer, Schicksalsschläge und Tod behandelt wird.
Allerdings gab es für meinen Geschmack davon zu viel. Während der ein oder andere plot twist durchaus seine Berechtigung hat, war es mir hier zu viel hin und her.
Ben empfand ich als sehr unehrlich und grenzüberschreitend und die Beziehung der beiden daher als nicht sehr romantisch.
Allerdings gab es für meinen Geschmack davon zu viel. Während der ein oder andere plot twist durchaus seine Berechtigung hat, war es mir hier zu viel hin und her.
Ben empfand ich als sehr unehrlich und grenzüberschreitend und die Beziehung der beiden daher als nicht sehr romantisch.
December 18, 2018
This Love is an emotional and thought provoking romance.
July 26, 2017
It's 11:10pm and I'm sitting here crying my heart out - sobbing and runny nose included.
This book packs such an emotional punch. Atkins has created these characters and plot that draw you in and encompass you with such a sincere development. The attachment I had to the characters was amazing, Atkins successfully creates these characters that feel like you know them personally. The plot pace and intrigue was fantastic - never felt too slow or boring at any point.
I certainly wasn't prepared for this amount of emotion though - I loved it but I kinda hate it (in the crying sense)
SERIOUSLY THAT ENDING HIT ME SO HARD
Overall I absolutely loved "This Love" and this book and these characters will always have a special place in my heart.
This book packs such an emotional punch. Atkins has created these characters and plot that draw you in and encompass you with such a sincere development. The attachment I had to the characters was amazing, Atkins successfully creates these characters that feel like you know them personally. The plot pace and intrigue was fantastic - never felt too slow or boring at any point.
I certainly wasn't prepared for this amount of emotion though - I loved it but I kinda hate it (in the crying sense)
SERIOUSLY THAT ENDING HIT ME SO HARD
Overall I absolutely loved "This Love" and this book and these characters will always have a special place in my heart.
February 10, 2021
If you are in search for something in the lines of Me Before YouMe before you, Postscript or You're Not You Do not look further.
Once again Dani Atkins shows us how love and despair go hand in hand. How what almost destroyed you, will heal your wounds, how what could destroy you will be worth the all the pain and loss and makes one come out on the other side stronger...
Let yourself be swept away in this heart breaking and captivating love story. Keep tissues nearby.
Once again Dani Atkins shows us how love and despair go hand in hand. How what almost destroyed you, will heal your wounds, how what could destroy you will be worth the all the pain and loss and makes one come out on the other side stronger...
Let yourself be swept away in this heart breaking and captivating love story. Keep tissues nearby.
March 6, 2024
Ich mochte dieses Buch, ich mochte den Plot und ich mochte den warmen und sehr detaillierten und bildlichen Schreibstil. Von Anfang an hatte ich den Eindruck, dass ich die Geschichte nicht einfach als Leser, sondern als stummer Zuschauer begleite. Dadurch wurde alles viel persönlicher und viel emotionaler. Auch wenn ich irgendwann wusste wie die Zusammenhänge sein werden, so waren sie dennoch ganz anders. Es gefällt mir sehr, wenn der Autor es schafft, meine durchaus richtigen gedanklichen Entwicklungen dann doch logisch und schlüssig in eine andere Richtung zu lenken.
Stellenweise war es schon ein bisschen schnulzig und plakativ. Aber mit Blick auf das Gesamte, werte ich dies nicht zu hoch.
Stellenweise war es schon ein bisschen schnulzig und plakativ. Aber mit Blick auf das Gesamte, werte ich dies nicht zu hoch.
March 31, 2017
Thank you to the publishers Simon & Schuster for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Oh, but that Dani Atkins knows how to tug at the old heart strings, even of a cynical middle-aged woman like me. She writes about heartbreaking situations with a sensitivity which goes deeper than typical Hollywood saccharine schmaltz. I start reading each of Dani's books with almost a sense of trepidation; I just know she's going to make me cry, and I'm going to enjoy doing so.
The story starts with a dramatic event, introducing the main character, Sophie, right in the midst of the flames. The way Dani describes Sophie's fear is very real, and I found myself holding my breath several times. I was drawn right into Sophie's story, feeling every bit of her grief and reluctance to let anyone get close to her.
Dani's characters are great. Ben, Sophie's random rescuer, is an angel (figuratively - not literally!). He is the perfect leading man; gentle, kind, and perfect for helping Sophie find salvation. The supporting cast is, as usual, excellent. We meet some beautifully written characters, who make us laugh and smile in equal measure, with their own back stories.
There is so much more to this story, but I don't want to spoil it for other readers. Just be prepared to be wrong-footed at every turn and to have your emotions toyed with by this fabulously tormenting author in her latest moving novel.
Never stop making me cry, Dani - you know I love it!
Oh, but that Dani Atkins knows how to tug at the old heart strings, even of a cynical middle-aged woman like me. She writes about heartbreaking situations with a sensitivity which goes deeper than typical Hollywood saccharine schmaltz. I start reading each of Dani's books with almost a sense of trepidation; I just know she's going to make me cry, and I'm going to enjoy doing so.
The story starts with a dramatic event, introducing the main character, Sophie, right in the midst of the flames. The way Dani describes Sophie's fear is very real, and I found myself holding my breath several times. I was drawn right into Sophie's story, feeling every bit of her grief and reluctance to let anyone get close to her.
Dani's characters are great. Ben, Sophie's random rescuer, is an angel (figuratively - not literally!). He is the perfect leading man; gentle, kind, and perfect for helping Sophie find salvation. The supporting cast is, as usual, excellent. We meet some beautifully written characters, who make us laugh and smile in equal measure, with their own back stories.
There is so much more to this story, but I don't want to spoil it for other readers. Just be prepared to be wrong-footed at every turn and to have your emotions toyed with by this fabulously tormenting author in her latest moving novel.
Never stop making me cry, Dani - you know I love it!
November 27, 2024
Es hat so so gut angefangen & der Schreibstil der Autorin hat mich richtig in den Bahn gezogen.
Leider bleib nur der Schreibstil malerisch.
Die Story war wirklich süß (gegen Ende wurde es mir doch etwas zu wild mit den Grenzüberschreitungen & ich empfand die Hauptcharaktere als wirklich anstrengend.)
Die beiden Hauptplots hat man eigentlich schon von weitem kommen sehen. Finde ich aber im ehrlich zu sein nicht schlimm - ist ja ein Liebesroman und kein Krimi.
Es ist halt per se nichts neues - hat mich sehr an "Ein ganzes halbes Jahr" erinnert.
Ich fand es süß & hat mich gut abgelenkt.
Leider bleib nur der Schreibstil malerisch.
Die Story war wirklich süß (gegen Ende wurde es mir doch etwas zu wild mit den Grenzüberschreitungen & ich empfand die Hauptcharaktere als wirklich anstrengend.)
Die beiden Hauptplots hat man eigentlich schon von weitem kommen sehen. Finde ich aber im ehrlich zu sein nicht schlimm - ist ja ein Liebesroman und kein Krimi.
Es ist halt per se nichts neues - hat mich sehr an "Ein ganzes halbes Jahr" erinnert.
Ich fand es süß & hat mich gut abgelenkt.
August 31, 2018
I don't know if I'm just hard-hearted or what, but this was only an ok read for me. It felt as if it was designed just to make me cry, which never works. I don't like it when a story tries to manipulate me into feeling various things.
Charlie Sanderson was good on the audiobook, but when I listened at 1.5 speed everything was so clipped and short that it lost the tone of the book. Maybe that's a contributing factor to the response I had.
So overall? Meh.
Charlie Sanderson was good on the audiobook, but when I listened at 1.5 speed everything was so clipped and short that it lost the tone of the book. Maybe that's a contributing factor to the response I had.
So overall? Meh.
August 3, 2019
Vilken bok! Herregud! Så glad att jag blev tipsad om den. Sorg, kärlek, drama, twister, humor och en gullig katt - kan det bli bättre? Sista och första scenerna var dessutom mästerligt skrivna. Det kommer att dröja länge innan jag slutar tänka på den här berättelsen.
May 22, 2017
Another lovely read from Dani Atkins, her style of writing just draws you in, totally enjoyable
February 24, 2020
Dieses Buch erhält von mir 5 ⭐️.
May 15, 2022
I absolutely adored this book. This genre is not something I would typically go for, but I was intrigued after reading a review. Sophie and Ben are such lovely, warm characters, as is everyone else you meet in this story. i can't remember the last book that made me cry so much, while giving me equal amounts of joy and heartbreak. This is a story I will never forget.
October 2, 2022
4,5/5
July 9, 2017
So, I've just finished this book and I cried. Proper tears.
What a rollercoaster of emotions, I loved Ben right from the moment he caught Sophie in his arms, he caught so much more than that - he caught her heart.
I kinda guessed about her brothers accident - as soon as I made the connection (I thought it was because of his limp, I thought the accident had caused it, but I was wrong. It was worse, so much worse...) but that made me want it not to be true...
If you do read this book, don't read the last few chapters while on public transport. I warn you - it won't be pretty, you *will* be an emotional mess! Be prepared at home with a box of tissues!
It takes a lot for me to give a book a 5* rating, but this book deserves every star, and more!
Thank you Dani Atkins for such a wonderful read, you shattered my heart into many pieces!
What a rollercoaster of emotions, I loved Ben right from the moment he caught Sophie in his arms, he caught so much more than that - he caught her heart.
I kinda guessed about her brothers accident - as soon as I made the connection (I thought it was because of his limp, I thought the accident had caused it, but I was wrong. It was worse, so much worse...) but that made me want it not to be true...
If you do read this book, don't read the last few chapters while on public transport. I warn you - it won't be pretty, you *will* be an emotional mess! Be prepared at home with a box of tissues!
It takes a lot for me to give a book a 5* rating, but this book deserves every star, and more!
Thank you Dani Atkins for such a wonderful read, you shattered my heart into many pieces!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2017
Every so often I pick up a book to which I become completely addicted. This is one of these, and Dani Atkins' books never fail to be unputdownable.
But... and here's the warning - it's VERY sad. If you are allergic to books with tearful endings, this won't be for you. I also found the character of Sophie to be slightly shallow and annoying, but I can see exactly why and how she has become like this, and she does reach a much more mature personality by the end. The book is too good to deduct anything more than a quarter of a star for what may simply be a personal opinion.
So... would I read it again? Yes, I think so, but not for a while.
But... and here's the warning - it's VERY sad. If you are allergic to books with tearful endings, this won't be for you. I also found the character of Sophie to be slightly shallow and annoying, but I can see exactly why and how she has become like this, and she does reach a much more mature personality by the end. The book is too good to deduct anything more than a quarter of a star for what may simply be a personal opinion.
So... would I read it again? Yes, I think so, but not for a while.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2019
Ich bin wütend. Wie passt so viel Klischee in ein so schönes Buch? Die Charaktere waren flach, handelten widersprüchlich und dieses ganze „ich wollte dich in Ordnung bringen“-Gerede ist einfach nur Schwachsinn. Ich kann keinen Menschen „in Ordnung bringen“, was auch immer das heißen soll, ich kann ihn höchstens unterstützen, bei dem was er tut.
July 1, 2020
I have enjoyed Dani Atkins' writing and somehow missed this novel when it first came out. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.
Overall, This Love was a good story. I loved the connection formed between Sophie and Ben after he rescued her. The descriptions made the everything easy to visualize without weighing down the narrative. The dialogue moved the story along nicely. This novel was sweet romantic for a while, but then it reached the point of a topic that's been in a bunch of books I've read lately (even though this was written a few years before the topic became a big thing in books). After that, it was hard to read with the same feeling I had three-quarters of the way through. However, I enjoyed getting to know the characters. One aspect reminded me of Cecelia Ahern's novel Postscript in some ways.
While this is an easy read that is hard to put down, I'd recommend having some tissues handy.
Movie casting suggestions:
Sophie: Carey Mulligan
Ben: Harry Lloyd
Julia: Elizabeth Henstridge
Carla: Jenny Agutter
Holly: Lotte Verbeek
Overall, This Love was a good story. I loved the connection formed between Sophie and Ben after he rescued her. The descriptions made the everything easy to visualize without weighing down the narrative. The dialogue moved the story along nicely. This novel was sweet romantic for a while, but then it reached the point of a topic that's been in a bunch of books I've read lately (even though this was written a few years before the topic became a big thing in books). After that, it was hard to read with the same feeling I had three-quarters of the way through. However, I enjoyed getting to know the characters. One aspect reminded me of Cecelia Ahern's novel Postscript in some ways.
While this is an easy read that is hard to put down, I'd recommend having some tissues handy.
Movie casting suggestions:
Sophie: Carey Mulligan
Ben: Harry Lloyd
Julia: Elizabeth Henstridge
Carla: Jenny Agutter
Holly: Lotte Verbeek
April 13, 2020
Jag höll ihop! Det är den känslan som fyller mig när jag har läst sista sidan. Inte sedan jag såg filmatiseringen (filmen berörde mig konstigt nog mycket mera än boken) av Livet efter dig har jag blivit så otroligt berörd av en bok.
Jag läste boken med en ständigt närvarande känsla av undergång, detta kommer inte att sluta lyckligt. Kanske just för att jag nu känner igen tecknen som fanns inbäddade även i Livet efter dig, kanske för att det den här gången var för nära det verkliga livet.
Men läs detta lilla guldkorn till bok, lova mig det! Den är rörande, fylld av fina karaktärer. Lite förrädiskt enkel men mera uppenbar än andra i samma genre. Så värd att läsas!
Jag läste boken med en ständigt närvarande känsla av undergång, detta kommer inte att sluta lyckligt. Kanske just för att jag nu känner igen tecknen som fanns inbäddade även i Livet efter dig, kanske för att det den här gången var för nära det verkliga livet.
Men läs detta lilla guldkorn till bok, lova mig det! Den är rörande, fylld av fina karaktärer. Lite förrädiskt enkel men mera uppenbar än andra i samma genre. Så värd att läsas!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2017
Yet again what an incredible story! Just as you think another one of Dani's books can't live up to the other ones (which you should definitely get reading if you haven't) she blows you away again! What a beautiful story and the way she writes is brilliant! What I'd describe as an in depth chic lit.. could not put it down! You really do bond with the characters! Just gutted I read it so fast and I have to wait for the next book! She really has a way with words and is definitely up there as my favourite author!
December 5, 2017
Weer een mooi boek van Dani Atkins. Het is dramatisch en misschien een beetje voorspelbaar, dat wel, maar het was met momenten hartverwarmend en tegelijk breekt het dat hart dat net zo warm werd door dit verhaal in twintigduizend stukjes. Af en toe had ik een beetje problemen met het hoofdpersonage (get a grip, meid!), maar al bij al vond ik het een aangenaam boek om te lezen. Het is zeker geen hoogstaande literatuur, maar het is ook niet een chicklit zoals je er dertien in een dozijn vindt. Dat weet ik wel te appreciëren aan Dani Atkins en haar boeken.
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