She still spends her nights and days writing in a very professional and mature manner. Which roughly translates to ‘type, panic, eat a biscuit, type and panic, eat another biscuit, type and panic’, then repeat for ninety thousand words. Man, I was not expecting to feel so much when I started this book. This would make a fantastic book club selection. There is so much to discuss here. I found this book to be well written and well thought out. I also enjoyed the pacing. The other two didn't say a word, just eyed her expectantly, waiting for her reaction. Ten minutes ago, she'd decided she wasn't going, and she stood by that decision. She wasn't the kind of woman to be swayed by mushy words that romantic fairy tales. She was too old and too long in the tooth to go chasing after fantasies. The Story of Our Secrets” is a stand alone novel that was released in the year 2021. Colm O’Flynn was loved by his close circle of friends and family, but his death came much too soon for everybody to make peace with their own past. I still harboured that dream of writing, and I eventually acted on it when I hit 30, had a mid-life crisis, and penned the first three chapters of my book What If?.

I really loved Nancy. I think she’s my favorite character. She has become an honorary aunt for Tress, who doesn’t have much family to call on for help, and she has known both Max and Noah their entire lives, having been neighbors for decades. While the world seems to be imploding all around the other characters, it seems Nancy becomes the calm for everyone, balancing everything out. I also enjoyed the plotline where Eddie is concerned. Although Nancy doesn’t regret the relationship and marriage she’d had with her recently deceased husband, there had been points in her life where she had questioned what life would have been like, had she chosen Eddie instead. My only tiny gripe would be the way that one character’s evolution comes to fruition, in a way that I felt might have been too abrupt. I wanted to see more from the potential fall out with relationships–to see where things would go, to see how this character would deal with things going forward, but I didn’t get to see that. Despite it, though, One Day With You was an amazing and thought-provoking experience, with a lens inside of the human condition. It was a definite five-star experience! Sigh...I expected a lot from this, but so far I only learnt that no one becomes happy except for one elderly couple in this book. That is it. And that life is only but one sad metaphor of existentialism. Nancy I couldn't sleep last night for thinking about seeing you again tonight. We've got so many years to make up for. Counting the hours. Love, Eddie.'At the same time, Max’s best friend Noah Clark said goodbye to his wife, Mya, blissfully oblivious that he would soon discover the woman he adored had been lying to him for years. Max's best friend, Noah Clark, also said goodbye to his wife, Anya, that morning, who was also on her way to a conference. They had tense words the night before and he wanted to reach out to her. When she didn't answer her phone, he called her office and learned his wife had lied to him. And living alongside the two couples, their recently widowed friend, Nancy Jenkins, is getting ready to meet Eddie, her first true love at a school reunion. Will Nancy have the chance to rekindle an old flame, or will she choose to stay by Tress’s side when she needs her most? Thank you, NetGalley, and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I also love a bit of gritty scandal, so I write edgy, glam, dramatic thrillers with TV presenter, producer, Hollywood expert and old pal, Ross King MBE. You can read more about them here. Another aspect I liked was the age gap between Tress and Max. It wasn’t highlighted or used for the plot. It was what it was. ( Tress is older than Max by 6-7 years).With or Without You” is a stand alone novel that was released in the year 2018. Two stories, two lives. One decision is going to change it all. Have you ever made a life altering choice before wondering if you had made the right one?