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.
YOU WERE THERE TOO by COLLEEN OAKLEY
Series: Standalone
Genre: women's fiction
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: January 7, 2020
Synopsis:
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?
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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“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 beautifully woven story of love, grief, and the power we do and don’t have to choose our fate, You Were There Too brought me to tears. I read it in one long gulp and didn’t want it to end.”—New York Times bestselling author Jill Santopolo
“Hypnotically beautiful, You Were There Too delves into the chasm between the life we have and the life we imagine for ourselves. Unique, lyrical and thoughtful.”—New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins
“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
“A heartbreaking and thought-provoking exploration of fate, love, and choice sure to bring on a few tears.”—Kirkus
“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)
“Fans of relationship fiction that explores women’s inner lives and choices by Jennifer Weiner or Amy Hatvany will be unable to put this book down.”—Booklist (starred review)
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Praise for You Were There Too:
“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 beautifully woven story of love, grief, and the power we do and don’t have to choose our fate, You Were There Too brought me to tears. I read it in one long gulp and didn’t want it to end.”—New York Times bestselling author Jill Santopolo
“Hypnotically beautiful, You Were There Too delves into the chasm between the life we have and the life we imagine for ourselves. Unique, lyrical and thoughtful.”—New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins
“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
“A heartbreaking and thought-provoking exploration of fate, love, and choice sure to bring on a few tears.”—Kirkus
“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)
“Fans of relationship fiction that explores women’s inner lives and choices by Jennifer Weiner or Amy Hatvany will be unable to put this book down.”—Booklist (starred review)
About the Author
Colleen Oakley’s novels BEFORE I GO and CLOSE ENOUGH TO TOUCH have been named best books by People Magazine, Us Weekly, Library Journal, and Real Simple, and both were long-listed for the Pat Conroy Southern Book Prize. Formerly the editor-in-chief of Women’s Health & Fitness and senior editor of Marie Claire, her articles and essays have been featured in The New York Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, Women’s Health, Redbook, Parade, Marie Claire and Martha Stewart Weddings. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, four kids and the world's biggest lapdog, Bailey. Her third novel YOU WERE THERE TOO will be published by Berkley/Penguin in January 2020.
REVIEW
You Were There Too by Colleen OakleyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
What initially appealed to me about this book was the metaphysical dream element. The meeting of souls through the dream world and the possible meaning behind it. Could two people know each other before they ever really meet? Are we predestined to be drawn to one person over any other in our lifetime, or is everything purely circumstance and chance? The idea of a married woman having a bizarre connection to a mystery man in her dreams was highly intriguing to me! You Were There Too was masterfully choreographed to its heart-pounding ending by Colleen Oakley with perfect precision. When I flipped the last pages, not only was I a soggy mess, I was turning over how and why we got there and managed to feel at peace with it. Without spoiling things, the ending of this is pretty difficult to read. But it's a mixture of happy and sad tears because she wrote a lot of beauty in that pain.
Mia and Harrison are a married couple who just moved to a small town from Philadelphia. They needed a change of pace and scenery, but now that they're starting fresh it's been difficult for them to acclimate and adjust. On top of having a new home to furnish, a new town, and new job for Harrison, they tragically dealt with miscarriages. This has been a heavy blow to their otherwise seemingly healthy relationship and your heart really goes out to both of them for the pain they're going through. The author does a phenomenal job helping you to know each character in an insightful way. Almost from the very start you feel as if you understand what sits so heavily on their hearts and minds. You care for what happens to them without having to try.
Mia is floundering to find her creative inspiration as an artist, and trying to make her new house become home. But after their horrible losses, she becomes fixated on finding a way to carry a healthy baby to term. She once wasn't sure she ever wanted children, and now isn't sure can live without one. She goes through many stages of emotions: devastation, helplessness, hope, and depression. When a couple isn't on the same page about having children, it can be a ticking time bomb for the marriage. In Harrison and Mia's case, the fissures start early and crack a wide gulf that they struggle to bridge. There is a huge lack of communication on his part as he internalizes his guilt and pain, which makes it hard for her to be the support that she needs to be. On the other hand, she was stuck in her own confusion and heartache that she often failed to see the signs that he needed her.
Despite the faults they each had, I loved them both equally. I rooted for them, I ached for them, and shed lots of tears. They had a natural camaraderie of two people who've been together for years and know each other's idiosyncrasies. The banter between them, and revisiting those moments they cherish in their relationship journey were really special. It brought some much needed levity and heartwarming moments. I loved his dry sense of humor and how he was as solid as a rock for her when she needed him. She was under an unbelievable amount of stress, and always managed to try to see the positives in her situation. To keep putting one foot in front of the other and face hard circumstances in life, head-on. They were, in a word, special.
Enter Oliver. A figment of her imagination, until he waltzes into her life in the flesh and her emotions go into a tailspin. Even stranger, not only has he dreamt about her too, but they share a specific dream. They are both noticeable shaken and confused, determined to make sense out of a mystifying situation. As they race to find answers, you feel as if you're running downhill on unsteady legs. Trying to reach the final destination as quickly as possible but not sure you can make it there without falling. You just know you're heading for heartache, but you have to know.
It feels a little dangerous. Not deadly dangerous, like swimming with sharks, but mildly dangerous, like touching a candle flame on a dare. Although, sometimes, I guess, it only takes a tiny flicker to burn an entire house straight to the ground.
I don't want to give too much away about the plot and spoil the experience for anyone. What I will say is that if you're on the fence about reading this one, worried that it may not be the book for you, I urge you to at least give it a chance. This is one talented author and I'll definitely be revisiting her work in the future. It's not often that a book rips my heart out the way this one did, and for me to have that reaction she did her job well. I was worried that the ending might feel manipulative for emotion's sake, but that wasn't the case at all. Looking back, everything happened for a reason, and the sacrifices were not senseless or in vain. This is on the heavier side, but so worth the difficult moments. This was my first read of the year, and I really started things out with a bang.
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