Stunningly beautiful and funny and sad and heartbreaking. I bought this on a whim and then once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. Don’t miss this book, you won’t know it but you’ll regret it…

Wow! I loved this book. So well written, emotions clearly described and relationships easily related to. Characters are thoughtfully created and become so interesting. I love the gardening interest of Mia and Oliver helping her. The relationship shared between Mia and Harrison was sweet and tender, but also very realistic with stressful moments mixed in. Mystery and dynamics between Oliver and Mia made it hard to put this down. Thanks for this story.

I could really feel Mia’s confusion, pain and love. The premise gave me something to think about. Definitely worth reading.

Beautiful and funny and heartbreaking.

First time reading this author and I would read her again. A well imagined story that caught and held my interest throughout. The characters were well rounded and I felt such sympathy for them. The ending brought tears to my eyes.

4.5 stars You Were There Too was a beautifully heartbreaking novel. I was fascinated by the blurb and thought the story would go one way, but it ended up zig zagging a few times and ending in a way that may upset some readers, but that I felt was appropriate and fitting for the story. I will say that I would not classify this book as a romance. It has romance and romantic elements, but I think it would be better labeled as women's fiction. This story was so incredibly relatable. The excitement and exhilaration of new love. The comfort and happiness in the day to day. The struggle and heartache of loss and all the growing pains that go along with creating and maintaining a marriage and family. Harrison and Mia's story really resonated with me and made me reflect on my own marriage and journey to parenthood. My emotions were all over the place and there were times I had to put the book down and simply breathe. It was impacting me so profoundly that I even commented to my husband that the story felt almost too intense at times. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, so my review will be purposefully vague, but I will say that Colleen Oakley's writing completely blew me away. I highlighted so many passages and I was definitely reaching for the tissues by the end. The majority of the story is told from Mia's POV, but there are some point of view shifts that helped paint a clearer picture of the events, but that I also found a little distracting. I understand that the way this book concluded might not be for everyone, but for me it made sense. I think the greater message of carrying on is so important. We choose every day to fight or run, love or hate. I like the idea of fate and it's inescapable pull, but I think this quote says it best: "That in the random chaos of life, you and I met somehow. And out of everyone else in the world that we know, we choose each other. Every day." You Were There Too is a unique love story that is sure to take readers on an emotional ride. *I voluntarily read an advance review copy of this book*