Emily Houghton

Before I Saw You

"A poignant and moving novel about two people recovering from traumatic injuries in the same hospital ward ... and who begin falling in love without ever seeing each other"--

Cynthia

Elaina 

4.5* 
Super cute little story with likable characters!

Sandra

A fast read that was so lovely, short chapters and good storyline. I would definitely recommend if you search for a cute and soft book.

Ravinder Kaur

** spoiler alert **
           "If you're not willing to die, you have to find a way to live."
Pg 232, Chapter 45.

"All I ask is that you support me. That's all I ever wanted. I just wanted you by my side, in my corner."  
Pg 276, Chapter 52.

Sofie

One of the hardest lessons he’d had to learn was that time doesn’t stop for anyone. If you don’t go with it, there’s a risk people will move on without you too. But to take that first step feels so much like betrayal it roots you to the spot.

Before I Saw You is a dual perspective contemporary romance about two people, Alfie and Alice, who occupy beds beside each other in a rehabilitation ward in the hospital. Over the course of the novel, through ridiculous jokes and deep chats, the two end up forming a bond. The catch: Alice was badly injured at work, and she hides herself behind the curtain that surrounds her bed.

Contrary to the blurb of Before I Saw You, I would not call this book a romance. Yes, it had romance, but the book went deeper are darker than your average adult contemporary novel. Most surprisingly, to me, were the deep themes of mental illness, self-acceptance, and childhood trauma.

Usually, when an author throws in some tragic past for their characters, or some half-assed attempt at dealing with deep themes in the context of a light, fluffy romance, I roll my eyes. It rarely works. It's nearly always a surface-level addition to add "depth" to otherwise generic characters.

That was NOT the case here. This was a story about 2 people who go through some traumatic things, who struggle to accept their lives as they are now, who are deeply wounded because of their pasts, and who seek comfort in each other during their recovery. It just happens to have a romance in there, too.

I adored the way Houghton handled (view spoiler)[Alfie's depression after he got out of the hospital. I especially adored how she handled Alfie's sensitive moments; in the contemporary fiction genre, you don't often see male characters show heart-wrenching emotion or ask for help when they need it. Alfie was a welcome departure from the stereotypical male love interest character. (hide spoiler)]

And my heart broke for Alice. I could feel her insecurities, the hollowness she feels (view spoiler)[after she finally sees herself in the mirror. I could see the ways her childhood tragedy shaped the person she became. And as much as I wanted her to let Alfie in fully before it was too late, I knew why she couldn't. (hide spoiler)]

Of course, there were things that disappointed me about the story, mainly(view spoiler)[ that we never even got a kiss. I know the romance wasn't the main focus of the story but I was still eager for some sort of resolution before the epilogue. (hide spoiler)]

So really, this isn't a romance. If you read this with the expectation that it is, you might be disappointed. And don't get me wrong, I still fell in love with Alice and Alfie's relationship. But what really stood out to me was the care Houghton put into the sensitive themes of the novel.

Definitely worth a read, and keep some tissues nearby!

Sade Pramberger

⭐️4.25 

Such a good read! I believe this is the author’s debut novel and I really enjoyed it! I’m in LOVE with the character Alfie (true fictional boyfriend goals)😍 A solid 4.25/5 because it had its slow moments but overall I really enjoyed the story and the two main characters. It had dual POV which I love and I am very excited to see what else this author puts out ☺️

Shannon Thomas

I received an e-ARC of Before I Saw You via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book made me laugh, it made me cry (like really ugly cry). It made me feel a whole kaleidoscope of emotions.
I absolutely loved it. It was such a heartfelt journey of a book.
I love the concept of Alfie and Alice falling in love without ever having seen each other. It definitely made me think on how superficial people can be and act. How you can know someone without knowing what they look like. Appearance definitely isn’t everything.
Both Alice and Alfie go through their own struggles. They’re both coming to terms with difficult injuries that have altered their lives permanently and by chance, they happen to help each other more than they could ever realise.
It deals with some difficult topics in a tasteful and realistic manner.
I’d highly recommend reading this.

Linda Quintanilla

I keep surprising myself whenever I read a book that I was hesitant to read at first that I ultimately fall in love with. It's the best romance book to read. It will surprise you along the way without having any expectations. And boy, did Before I Saw You surprise me the whole way. It's different from what I am used to with romance books. I usually read a steady pace romance story with a particular trope in mind. But Before I Saw You is something else. I do not know how to describe it. It's a slow paced yet emotional build-up yet powerful journey yet ugly cries. That's how I felt when I finished Before I Saw You. I do not know what else to say but I have to say that Emily Houghton did incredible with Alice and Alfie. They have both experienced terrible tragedies and surviving the best they can. It may be sad at first but that's life. And I know you will understand once you finished Before I Saw You. P.S. I took a star away because I can believe how Emily Houghton left the ending like that.

Samantha King

Wow this book was so emotional and so well written. Not once did I feel it was unrealistic in fact it was sobrealoatic it tugged at my heart and I teared up on more than a few times. 
My heart sank for Alice on so many accessions and I wanted the best for both Alice and Alfie.
Brilliantly written and a story I will remember. I gave this 4 stars
Looking forward to seeing more work from this author in the future.

Isabella Stocka

Alfie and Alice are at a point in their lives in which they need the biggest support from their loved ones. Both being bed neighbors at a London hospital they have to face their new lives and in this big turning point where no light seems to be, they found a genuine friendship.
What a heartwarming story "Before I Saw you" is. First of all, I love the fact that there are no "perfect" characters, but broken souls who seem to have lost everything. Both characters couldn't be more different. One is lying on the ground not having the power to put yourself together, while the other seems to not want to give up.
The book doesn't hide the negative emotions and doesn't try to turn something bad into something good and doesn't rush through the turning point when someone realizes that there is an end to the suffering when you just try to give it a chance. 
Because of the cut, you don't know how Alfie and Alice will continue with their lives and how they will cope with the things ahead of them. I think it is a beautiful way to give them your imagined happy ending instead of being given one.

Irin 

This novel was unlike anything I’ve ever read. Even though some parts of the story left me a bit disappointed, I’m still really glad that I got the chance to read it. 💚

Readers, I’d like to let you know that my eyes are “puffy like cotton balls” right now, because Before I Saw You made me cry like a baby. I got approved to read the e-ARC back in September, and transferred it to my kindle back then too. So yeah, when I picked it up a few days back, I’d obviously forgotten that this book was being compared to Me Before You. 🙄 I wasn’t prepared for such an intense, emotional ride. But did I love reading it anyway? A hundred times YES!

In Before I Saw You, we join Alfie and Alice as they recover in a hospital ward after tragic accidents turn their worlds upside down. In the days that follow, Alfie and Alice get to know each other, and form a special kind of friendship, without seeing the other even for once. 

Things I loved about the book :
The friendship that blossomed between Alfie and Alice was so pure. They were two broken people who connected by not only sharing happiness but also through their deepest sorrows. The conversations that they had were so thoughtfully written. I was enchanted by their relationship, and cheered for them through and through. Sometimes you find the best version of yourself in an unexpected place, a hospital for instance – the heart of Before I Saw You beats with this very message. 

The book was filled with meaningful quotes, which made reading it a very memorable ride. The side characters, specially Nurse Angles, Mr Peterson, Sarah and Alfie's mom were the best additions to the story. I loved how each of the characters shaped the story of Before I Saw You in their own ways. My heart broke seeing how cruel life had been to both Alfie and Alice. The brightest smiles hide the deepest pain – I never felt this saying so strongly before meeting Alfie. I loved him with all my heart. I lived for his puzzle solutions, humor and kindness. Alice was an equally complex character, and I loved how she came out of her shell as the story went on. The author wrote the story in such a fascinating manner, I couldn’t help but keep turning the pages to see what route the characters’ lives take.

Things I didn’t like : 
Before I Saw You’s storyline dragged for a few times in my opinion, since some events kept being repeated. I understand that this book dealt with heavy and emotional topics, which is why light-hearted moments were needed, but some conversations felt too cheesy for my liking. I’m a fluffy, cheesy book lover, so if I’m saying this, you should know that I’m being very sincere. The ending was abrupt too, and I didn’t get the closure I needed from the story. 

Don’t let the things I didn’t like discourage you from reading the book though. It’s a must read for all, I promise!

Before I Saw You

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