Before You Go by Clare Swatman @clareswatman @BoldwoodBooks

Book Description:

When you’re meant to be together forever, you want forever to start today.

Zoe and Ed were made for each other. After meeting at college and having a whirlwind romance, their lives travel on separate, parallel paths, but always destined to meet. When love does finally strike, Zoe and Ed are sure they will be together forever.

Then the unthinkable happens – one morning, on his way to work, Ed is knocked off his bike and dies. Zoe is left facing a lifetime of what-ifs and could-have-beens. How can she let go of all the memories they made, all the missed chances they’d had to be together…

But what if Zoe had the chance to revisit all their important days again, the chance to say all the things she never said? And what if Zoe had the chance to change Ed’s destiny…

Clare Swatman’s heart-breaking novel is an unforgettable tale of sliding doors, a life well lived, and a forever love. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Sophie Cousens and Isabelle Broom.

My Thoughts:

I have become a huge fan of this author’s books and this one was another all consuming read.

My heart broke for Zoe on being told her husband and love of her life has been killed in an accident. I didn’t want to think of the amount of emotional pain she would have to go through. In this story the author gives Zoe the chance to go back to certain moments in her life with Ed and live them over again. You would think this would be a wonderful opportunity but poor Zoe is weighted down with what happens in the future and not knowing if she can change the out come.

I loved going back and seeing how Zoe and Ed met and how their relationship comes together and grows. You can’t but help get caught up in the romance of it all and the strong connection they both have. It is far from plain sailing though as with any couple, there are bumps along the way, some bigger than others and it makes for an emotional rollercoaster not just for the characters but for the reader also.

Along with her relationship with Ed, we see her relationships with her best friend Jane, her sister and her mum and dad. It was a nice reminder how we always need others in our lives and to make sure we make more effort to spend some quality time with the ones we love and how it can do us good. Jane is quite a fun character who I don’t think has ever really grown up and her and Zoe’s friendship was very endearing and fun to read.

Before You Go was a beautiful yet emotional story that put my heart through the wringer. The author has created a wonderful cast of characters that deal with issues that many of us face such as loss, grief and trying for a baby. It was both heart-breaking yet captivating reading of the love that two people can have and I was an emotional wreck by the end but loved and devoured every minute of this book.