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Book Summary and Reviews of You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley

You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley

You Were There Too

by Colleen Oakley

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  • Jan 2020, 352 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Acclaimed author Colleen Oakley delivers a heart-wrenching and unforgettable love story about a woman who must choose between the man she loves and the man fate has chosen for her, in a novel that reminds us that the best life is one led by the heart.

Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, her loving husband, and dreams of starting a family. But she has other dreams too—unexplained, recurring ones starring the same man. Still, she doesn't think much of it, until a relocation to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face to face with the stranger she has been dreaming about for years. And this man harbors a jaw-dropping secret of his own—he's been dreaming of her too. 

Determined to understand, Mia and this not-so-stranger search for answers. But when diving into their pasts begins to unravel her life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question—what if?

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"There is a splendid blend of humor throughout Oakley's alternately romantic, idiosyncratic, and foreboding love-conquers-all tale that easily engages new readers and will please the author's fans." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Readers expecting a simple happily-ever-after should look elsewhere, but those looking for a Me Before You-style sobfest are in the right place. A heartbreaking and thought-provoking exploration of fate, love, and choice sure to bring on a few tears." - Kirkus Reviews

"You Were There Too is a surprising and incredibly satisfying story of chance and fate. From the book's enticing first pages to its startling and electrifying conclusion, Colleen Oakley knocks it out of the park." - New York Times bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid

"A rare gem of a novel. Colleen Oakley checks all the boxes with this one: exquisite, careful writing, beautifully drawn three-dimensional characters, and a twisty plot that defies premonition. This is a book about connections, and discovering that why we are connected to each other is a lot less important than the fact that we are. I couldn't wait to find out what happened next, while at the same time hated for this lovely book to end. This is the kind of book we all long for, one to read and savor, and then read again." - Karen White, New York Times bestselling author of Dreams of Falling

"I have been a fan of Oakley since her debut novel, but with this book, she has risen to a new level. You Were There Too took me through the gamut of emotions--confusion, anticipation, grief, hope. Oakley's writing is taut, fresh and doesn't waste a single word. I devoured this novel in three sittings but I will be thinking about it for much, much longer. A slam dunk bestseller for sure." - Sally Hepworth, bestselling author of The Family Next Door and The Mother-in-Law

This information about You Were There Too was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

Reader Reviews

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Laureen S. (Aurora, IL)

Emotional Read
From the description of the book, I thought I would like it, but I more than liked it - I loved it! It was so well written and the characters so well developed, I felt empathy for all of them. Part love story, but much more with just the right amount of tension to keep me reading far past my bedtime. From the beginning of the Prologue to the end, it evoked the full gambit of emotions like all good books should.

Amy W. (Federal Way, WA)

Different Topic
I wasn't sure if I was going to like the book, but early on I found the dream aspects an interesting thing to think about. I finished the book a few days ago, but still thinking about it and how believable the story line is. Also, very well written, I felt everything that Mia was feeling (Oliver and Harrison too!)

Ilyse B. (Howell, NJ)

Not your standard love story
I read a lot, and I can often figure out what's going to happen at the end of a book before it's revealed. That was not the case with You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley. The author takes a story that could be confusing, and makes it easy to understand, but more importantly impossible to put down. It had so many aspects that I liked-a good love story, some unexplained happenings, sympathetic characters, and an ending you could never see coming. I think this book would interest fans of many genres and I highly recommend it.

Tracey S. (Largo, FL)

Great read
I really enjoyed this book! It kept my interest from beginning to end. For Mia to find out that Oliver had been dreaming about her too was a real twilight zone moment for me! At one time, I thought that Oliver just might be making up that Mia had been in his dreams just to get close to her, because I like a twist in a book, but I soon began to believe him. This book also made me think about reoccurring dreams that I have. I wasn't that happy with the ending. I don't want to leave any spoilers.

Tiffany V. (Colora, MD)

What Is Meant To Be Will Be
This book has a unique premise from the get-go: a happily-married woman has been having dreams of another man for years. No harm, no foul. They are only dreams. The twists begin when she runs into him in real life. Oh, and secondary twist? He's been having dreams of her, too. The out-of-the-ordinary play upon an alternate lives yet "everything happens for a reason" theme, as if you could almost see where the characters might have ended up if they had made different choices, was very appealing. Each character is battling their own internal struggles. And while not being too heavily focused on any one of the minor players, their problems are linked and fleshed out for the best possible understanding of each person. And for good reason, when the ending in revealed. It was gasp-inducing and tear-jerking with a twist ending that I (gratefully) did not see coming. This may have been my first Colleen Oakley novel but it certainly won't be my last. In fact, I wanted to re-read it the second I closed the cover.

Five heart-wrenching stars and a huge thank you to BookBrowse, Colleen Oakley, and Berkley Publishing for supplying me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Penny

Emotional and thought-provoking story
I want to thank BookBrowse for the advanced reading copy of this novel. I went back and forth about how to rate it, but I based my rating on the fact that I could not stop thinking about the story after I was finished reading it. It is such an emotional rollercoaster that most of the time I loved it but I wish it had ended differently. The humor incorporated throughout made me laugh and then I would be crying soon after. I think I felt every emotion at some point in the story and I love that about a book.

Since the story focuses on dreams, I found myself trying to analyze my own dreams to see if I could figure out what they mean like Mia and Oliver did.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a thought-provoking story that sticks with you long after you put it down.

...38 more reader reviews

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Author Information

Colleen Oakley Author Biography

Colleen Oakley is the USA Today bestselling author of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island, You Were There Too, Close Enough to Touch, and Before I Go. Her books have been named best books by People, Us Weekly, Library Journal, and Real Simple, and have been long-listed for the Southern Book Prize. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her husband, four kids, and the world's biggest lapdog.

Link to Colleen Oakley's Website

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