The First Time We Met: An utterly heart-warming and unforgettable love story

I loved this debut by Jo Lovett. Much more than the meet-cute I expected, The First Time We Met is filled with a slew of 'what-ifs' and the journey it takes for two soulmates to finally get their timing right. I enjoyed the jumps in time, giving us just enough of a glimpse as to how Izzy and Sam first meet and the struggles they endure as their few and far between meetings give each a pang of regret they can't seem to shake. Both Izzy and Sam are wonderful characters who put their children first and their hearts last. Izzy is a born nurturer who loves her life in London but always feels like 2nd best with those she loves. From her absent parents to her hard-working soon-to-be ex-husband, Izzy just wants to be someone's priority but is forever doubtful that could ever happen. Of course, she has the requisite bestie who prods her to forget Sam and the eternal crush she has had ever since they met that fated day 14 years before. But together with a few twists and decisions to see each other again even though Sam lives across the pond in NYC, there is no denying these two still harbor that feeling that they both let "the One" get away. Sam's own life has seen a slew of ups and downs and way too many regrets with his cautious nature oft-times leading his heart and mind astray. But he's a good man, trying his hardest to be a good father and somehow balance his demanding job with the tough task of parenting all the while loving a wonderful woman he may not be able to keep. The story flowed well for me even when I was frustrated and almost gave up the notion that these two would find the way to each other. But I will say that despite all the stops and starts, it made the conclusion that much sweeter appreciating a firm ending and not just the usual happy for now I find with these kinds of stories. I would not hesitate to read more from this author as her storytelling is full of the kind of emotion I crave in my books. With that being said, I happily give The First Time We Met a solid 4 stars!

I love the premise of this book -- that sometimes when a person meets The One, the timing isn't right. But that doesn't mean they aren't meant to be together. That's Izzy and Sam's story. They meet on the most unexpected day. Izzy is a waitress in a greasy spoon and tired of being harassed by the unwelcome sexual innuendos of her male customers. Then Sam walks into the diner. Izzy seems the sympathy and understanding in his eyes, and she's immediately drawn to him. It's more than the subtle sparks that fly between them. Izzy feels a deeper connection, which is crazy since she's only spoken to him for a few minutes while he ordered his breakfast. She's sure he feels it too, so when he finishes his meal and leaves the diner, she runs out after him and nervously asks him if he would like to meet for coffee sometime. She detects sadness and regret in his eyes when he tells her that he's on his way to the church down the street because it's his wedding day. Feeling foolish, Izzy rushes back into work and tries to forget him. Soon afterwards, she meets Dominic. She doesn't feel the same spark as she felt with Sam, but he's loving and considerate and she decides to marry him. The years pass. She wonders about Sam. Does he and his wife have children now? She even thinks she sees him one day at the library, but he doesn't acknowledge her. More years pass. Now she's pregnant with her and Dominic's first child. She's been shopping for baby things and her hands are full of packages, when she bumps into Sam. It's uncomfortable at first, but they quickly establish a rapport and she invites him to lunch so they can catch up. They share an enjoyable lunch and go their separate ways, each again realizing the special connection they have that can never turn into anything more than casual acquaintance because of circumstances. However, fate isn't done with their relationship yet. They meet again 14 years later. Sam's a widow with twins -- Liv and Barney. Sam works long hours as a corporate lawyer, and is fighting the guilt of not spending enough time with his kids. He's also fighting guilt over a near-fatal car crash that left Liv in the hospital for months. The car crash also affected Barney, who has developed a stutter and has withdrawn into himself to avoid being teased by his teenage friends. Sam has tried everything he can to help Barney overcome his stutter. They've visited a myriad of doctors and speech therapists, but Barney has not responded to any of their therapies. Sam remembers Izzy telling him (at lunch, when she was pregnant with Ruby) that she was a speech therapist. Desperate, Sam emails Izzy and asks her if she could try to help his son. She responds and they agree to try a few over-the-phone speech therapy sessions (since she lives in England and Barney/Sam/Liv live in New York). Barney immediately takes to Izzy's compassionate manner and begins responding to Izzy's techniques, gaining confidence that allows him to minimize his stutter. In the meantime, Sam and Izzy are developing a friendship via email, sharing their experiences with parenting and balancing work and family life. Izzy begins to feel guilty because she's still married to Dominic, although it's just a marriage in name because they were having problems and decided to separate when he moved to Milan, Italy for a job. Dominic really isn't a part of Izzy and Ruby's daily lives, but Izzy still feels guilty because she's not formally divorced. She fights even more guilt over her feelings for Sam, which have not changed despite their lives taking completely separate paths. Deep inside, she knows they belong together, but she puts those feelings on the back shelf, knowing that if she divorced Dominic, she would hurt her daughter Ruby. Throughout the story, we see the struggles that Sam and Izzy each face, knowing in their hearts that they belong together. Will the stars ever align for them?

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it. This book was a great way to get away from the world for a little while. It's a story of missed connections, right place and wrong time. When we first meet Izzy, she's working in a greasy spoon diner trying to make ends meet while she's pursuing her dream of being a speech therapist. She's serving breakfast one morning, when she meets "The One", Sam. The chat, they flirt, and he goes on his way. She runs after him to ask him out, only to learn that it's the morning of his wedding. There are a few other connections between the 2 over the years, but it's never the right time for them to get together (for various reasons). Then, after years of not seeing him, Izzy gets an email asking for help with Sam's son's stutter. This reconnection is just what they both need at that point in their lives, and it's interesting to see how it all unfolds. Thanks to Bookouture & NetGalley for this Advanced Reader's Copy.