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Before You
From USA Today bestselling author Marni Mann comes Before You, a new contemporary romance and a devastating examination of the things we find, the things we make, and the things we lose.
It was supposed to be a typical work trip. New York to San Francisco, window seat, exit row. Maybe a mimosa.
Then, seat 14B sat down. When our eyes met, the flight became anything but routine.
I could pinpoint the moments in my life where everything changed forever.
Meeting Jared on that flight was first.
Falling in love with him was second.
Discovering the secrets he kept was third.
Putting my broken self back together and forgetting what I learned would be difficult. Forgiving Jared would be impossible.
He said, before me, nothing mattered. But after him, nothing would ever be the same.
It was supposed to be a typical work trip. New York to San Francisco, window seat, exit row. Maybe a mimosa.
Then, seat 14B sat down. When our eyes met, the flight became anything but routine.
I could pinpoint the moments in my life where everything changed forever.
Meeting Jared on that flight was first.
Falling in love with him was second.
Discovering the secrets he kept was third.
Putting my broken self back together and forgetting what I learned would be difficult. Forgiving Jared would be impossible.
He said, before me, nothing mattered. But after him, nothing would ever be the same.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 22, 2019
About the author
Marni Mann
54 books5,751 followersUSA Today Bestselling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts sexy, titillating stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives in Sarasota, Florida, with her husband and their Yellow Lab. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, working on her next novel, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, or devouring fabulous books.
Visit her at:
WEBSITE: www.MarniSMann.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MarniMannAuthor
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/marnimann/
NEWSLETTER: http://marnismann.com/e-mail-signup/
Visit her at:
WEBSITE: www.MarniSMann.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/MarniMannAuthor
INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/marnimann/
NEWSLETTER: http://marnismann.com/e-mail-signup/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 529 reviews
September 21, 2022
I would not even recommend this to my enemy. I want to give this book negative stars but I can't.
Before I start I just want to say that not everything is redeemable. Not everyone deserves a redemption arc. Jared does not deserve a redemption arc.
This review will have spoilers so please be ready for that.
This book is about Jared and Billie but we get another perspective from a woman called Honey. That perspective however is from 1984-1989.
The prologue introduces us to characters we don't ever hear from again but it is from the year 1989 and is about a guy named Casey who's 17 years old. Something happened and now Casey is gone and apparently this "thing" could have happened to anybody.
We then skip to present time where we meet Jared, a 47yo man, and Billie, a 30yo women, who sit next to each other on a plane. This plane proceeds to crash and both of them form a deep connection from this crash that they lived through together.
From Billie's perspective we can clearly tell that she feels something for Jared and Jared is trying to not let anything happen because of the pain it will cause.
Over the course of the book they start forming a deeper connection from eating together and Jared wanting to help Billie overcome her fear of flying. At one point the start kissing and fall in love.
At the same time we get the perspective from Honey from the past. We read about her falling in love with a Andrew, who works at a hospital where they first met and how their relationship develops. They fall in love, get engaged and both want to have children. However, they go through complications and Honey has difficulties getting pregnant so after multiple years they decide to adopt. At the same time, Honey miraculously gets pregnant and they have an adopted daughter and a biological son that are only months apart.
At the height of the book, we get a perspective from Billie (in the present time) where she goes through old photos of her dead mother and brother. She is at her dad's place when she sees the photo of a young man that has features that remind her of Jared. That young man is Casey.
Then we go to the day of the event that ties everything together and we get Honey's perspective. In 1989, Honey's and Andrew's son is sick and Honey decides to walk to the hospital to have her son checked out. She has her daughter in a stroller and is carrying her son in her arm.
When she crosses a street at the bottom of a hill because her light was green, she sees a car swerve down the hill towards her. The car does not stop.
She tries to save them all but the car swerves towards them. Before the car hits her and her baby son, she makes the decision to push the stroller as hard as she can so it does not get hit by the car. It works but sadly Honey and her baby son die.
The car that killed Honey and the baby boy, was driven by Casey who fell asleep. Casey is Jared.
Jared, the man who Billie, who is the surviving baby in the stroller, falls in love with, is the man that killed half her family.
You might think it couldn't get any worse than that but it does.
When Billie confronts Jared (Casey), he proceeds to tell her that he knew from the beginning who she was. He also tells her that he PLANNED THE FLIGHT AND BOOKED THE TICKETS SO HE COULD SIT NEXT TO HER.
Basically Billie's boss is somehow connected to Jared and he then pretend to be the boss and booked the tickets like this. Aka Jared is a manipulative sick man.
He also confesses that he has been checking up on Billie throughout the years to make sure she is somewhat happy after killing her family.
When I tell you my jaw was on the floor, I am not lying.
Billie the obviously wants Jared to get away from her and he proceeds to beg for another chance because they love each other.
Fast forward through a couple chapters where Billie feels betrayed and never wants to see him again.
And now buckle in.
SHE FORGIVES HIM.
This all happens in the time span of one year: The crash, the relationship, the truth coming out and the forgiving.
After she forgives him for killing her family, the part way because Billie says she needs a bit more time but on the one year anniversary of the plane crash where they "met", they go on a plane and fly together to tackle Billie's fear of planes.
And just to make this book even worse we get this line in the epilogue:
"I would like to meet him"
Jared said that to Billie. And you know who him is?
Him is Andrew, aka Billie's father, aka the man that lost his true love and baby boy in the car crash caused by Jared.
I cannot even fathom how Jared cam up with this idea and then said it and BILLIE THINKS THIS IS A GOOD IDEA????
this is my last thing to say I am not completely flabbergast and never want to read again.
Before I start I just want to say that not everything is redeemable. Not everyone deserves a redemption arc. Jared does not deserve a redemption arc.
This review will have spoilers so please be ready for that.
This book is about Jared and Billie but we get another perspective from a woman called Honey. That perspective however is from 1984-1989.
The prologue introduces us to characters we don't ever hear from again but it is from the year 1989 and is about a guy named Casey who's 17 years old. Something happened and now Casey is gone and apparently this "thing" could have happened to anybody.
We then skip to present time where we meet Jared, a 47yo man, and Billie, a 30yo women, who sit next to each other on a plane. This plane proceeds to crash and both of them form a deep connection from this crash that they lived through together.
From Billie's perspective we can clearly tell that she feels something for Jared and Jared is trying to not let anything happen because of the pain it will cause.
Over the course of the book they start forming a deeper connection from eating together and Jared wanting to help Billie overcome her fear of flying. At one point the start kissing and fall in love.
At the same time we get the perspective from Honey from the past. We read about her falling in love with a Andrew, who works at a hospital where they first met and how their relationship develops. They fall in love, get engaged and both want to have children. However, they go through complications and Honey has difficulties getting pregnant so after multiple years they decide to adopt. At the same time, Honey miraculously gets pregnant and they have an adopted daughter and a biological son that are only months apart.
At the height of the book, we get a perspective from Billie (in the present time) where she goes through old photos of her dead mother and brother. She is at her dad's place when she sees the photo of a young man that has features that remind her of Jared. That young man is Casey.
Then we go to the day of the event that ties everything together and we get Honey's perspective. In 1989, Honey's and Andrew's son is sick and Honey decides to walk to the hospital to have her son checked out. She has her daughter in a stroller and is carrying her son in her arm.
When she crosses a street at the bottom of a hill because her light was green, she sees a car swerve down the hill towards her. The car does not stop.
She tries to save them all but the car swerves towards them. Before the car hits her and her baby son, she makes the decision to push the stroller as hard as she can so it does not get hit by the car. It works but sadly Honey and her baby son die.
The car that killed Honey and the baby boy, was driven by Casey who fell asleep. Casey is Jared.
Jared, the man who Billie, who is the surviving baby in the stroller, falls in love with, is the man that killed half her family.
You might think it couldn't get any worse than that but it does.
When Billie confronts Jared (Casey), he proceeds to tell her that he knew from the beginning who she was. He also tells her that he PLANNED THE FLIGHT AND BOOKED THE TICKETS SO HE COULD SIT NEXT TO HER.
Basically Billie's boss is somehow connected to Jared and he then pretend to be the boss and booked the tickets like this. Aka Jared is a manipulative sick man.
He also confesses that he has been checking up on Billie throughout the years to make sure she is somewhat happy after killing her family.
When I tell you my jaw was on the floor, I am not lying.
Billie the obviously wants Jared to get away from her and he proceeds to beg for another chance because they love each other.
Fast forward through a couple chapters where Billie feels betrayed and never wants to see him again.
And now buckle in.
SHE FORGIVES HIM.
This all happens in the time span of one year: The crash, the relationship, the truth coming out and the forgiving.
After she forgives him for killing her family, the part way because Billie says she needs a bit more time but on the one year anniversary of the plane crash where they "met", they go on a plane and fly together to tackle Billie's fear of planes.
And just to make this book even worse we get this line in the epilogue:
"I would like to meet him"
Jared said that to Billie. And you know who him is?
Him is Andrew, aka Billie's father, aka the man that lost his true love and baby boy in the car crash caused by Jared.
I cannot even fathom how Jared cam up with this idea and then said it and BILLIE THINKS THIS IS A GOOD IDEA????
this is my last thing to say I am not completely flabbergast and never want to read again.
October 12, 2019
'BEFORE YOU' Is a full length, stand-alone romance novel by Author Marni Mann. Spoken in 'Dual POV's..In BEFORE YOU we get FOUR people and TWO stories..
I WAS Literally counting down the days!! And then it hit my kindle!!
This author has been going from strength to strength, bringing me everything I need/want/seek in my books, the mindF#cks, the dark and gritty, she seems to always know what I need before I know myself!! But this book took it up another level yet again, it took me on such a profound emotional journey that I wasn't prepared to encounter..There's no easy way to describe this novel.
Unique, Unputdownable, Unbelievably good, Utterly captivating as you get caught up in both stories a game changer is thrown your way which sends you on a tailspin and that's exactly what makes this author stand above the rest!! Nothing can prepare you with what she throws at you!!
* Teaser used is off the authors facebook page *
October 11, 2019
Some stories had the power to change lives forever.
I'd say EVERY STORY Marni writes, makes you a better reader, an in depth reader. She changes your perspective, makes you more observant. You discover emotions you never thought you had...
I'd been dying to read this book ever since Marni started it in March this year. She'd forewarned me,"my next book will make you cry even worse" and I believed her, But still I like climbing the altar to lay my heart for her to Pierce with her stories every time!!
Marni is truly a versatile writer, every book manages to surprise me, annihilate me and impact my soul. From super sexy to dark, from mysterious psychological thrillers to poignant heart crunches, she rocks each Genre, each trope. She showcases her ability to hit bullseye in readers with every word. Her characters are compelling and impactful, her writing superbly sublime. This time she has delivered a layered story revolving around grief and healing in a way that strikes every emotional chord. It's beauty lies in the plot complication coupled with Infinite angst, an unputdownable read that had me turning pages at breakneck speed. I read continously and rapidly, racing towards the end with a thumping heart.
Chapter one gives us a mystery which hangs like a curtain against which the story plays out. Happenstance plays a role in getting Jared Morgan a seat next to vivacious and successful food vlogger - Billie Paige on the airplane. Their chanced meeting takes a violent turn and the whole world turns upside down. Their life legit goes heads down feet up in the air from that point on....
"It needed to stop. The chemistry, the teasing—all of it. I had to make my intentions clear and remind her again of why I was here before this went too far, and I couldn’t pull us back. Because if we really went there, all I would do was hurt her, and she couldn’t handle any more pain. That just meant things had to halt right now."
I KNEW she couldn't resist twisting the story around, but NOTHING could have prepared me for the big bang theory that just hit me in the face like a falling brick.
I loved the fact that Marni didn't let the situation resolve easily.
Trust and forgiveness had to be earned and closure was achieved after the gauntlet was run through.
The BEST PART was the Ending!!! Perfectly tied up on a note of hope of Maybe.........
Jared Morgan was intense, profound and complete lover. His capacity for suffering and patience to seek redemption was staggering. His righteousness made him a beautiful and attractive human being inside out
"You didn’t stare at this man because of his looks, although he was extremely handsome. You stared at him because underneath his piercing gaze and expensive suit was someone profound."
He's matched in equal fervor and passion by Billie, who's a dogmatic professional personality. She hides her guilt and suffering as well as Jared does. It was a perfect match made in heaven...till the accidents on earth make it a living Hell.
I cant/won't /sha'nt tell you anything more except that this story makes you dread & sigh.... You MUST read this fabulous story, which speaks to my heart as a foodie. Lots of sentiments get referred to food, which makes my heart and Tum very happy🥰
That was our friendship. Like a spicy tuna roll—simple with a kick.
It's easily one of the top books of the year!!!
No amount of Stars can do this mindblowing book justice. All the accolades, praise and infinite stars belong to her
5 buckets full of tears
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I'd say EVERY STORY Marni writes, makes you a better reader, an in depth reader. She changes your perspective, makes you more observant. You discover emotions you never thought you had...
I'd been dying to read this book ever since Marni started it in March this year. She'd forewarned me,"my next book will make you cry even worse" and I believed her, But still I like climbing the altar to lay my heart for her to Pierce with her stories every time!!
Marni is truly a versatile writer, every book manages to surprise me, annihilate me and impact my soul. From super sexy to dark, from mysterious psychological thrillers to poignant heart crunches, she rocks each Genre, each trope. She showcases her ability to hit bullseye in readers with every word. Her characters are compelling and impactful, her writing superbly sublime. This time she has delivered a layered story revolving around grief and healing in a way that strikes every emotional chord. It's beauty lies in the plot complication coupled with Infinite angst, an unputdownable read that had me turning pages at breakneck speed. I read continously and rapidly, racing towards the end with a thumping heart.
Chapter one gives us a mystery which hangs like a curtain against which the story plays out. Happenstance plays a role in getting Jared Morgan a seat next to vivacious and successful food vlogger - Billie Paige on the airplane. Their chanced meeting takes a violent turn and the whole world turns upside down. Their life legit goes heads down feet up in the air from that point on....
"It needed to stop. The chemistry, the teasing—all of it. I had to make my intentions clear and remind her again of why I was here before this went too far, and I couldn’t pull us back. Because if we really went there, all I would do was hurt her, and she couldn’t handle any more pain. That just meant things had to halt right now."
I KNEW she couldn't resist twisting the story around, but NOTHING could have prepared me for the big bang theory that just hit me in the face like a falling brick.
I loved the fact that Marni didn't let the situation resolve easily.
Trust and forgiveness had to be earned and closure was achieved after the gauntlet was run through.
The BEST PART was the Ending!!! Perfectly tied up on a note of hope of Maybe.........
Jared Morgan was intense, profound and complete lover. His capacity for suffering and patience to seek redemption was staggering. His righteousness made him a beautiful and attractive human being inside out
"You didn’t stare at this man because of his looks, although he was extremely handsome. You stared at him because underneath his piercing gaze and expensive suit was someone profound."
He's matched in equal fervor and passion by Billie, who's a dogmatic professional personality. She hides her guilt and suffering as well as Jared does. It was a perfect match made in heaven...till the accidents on earth make it a living Hell.
I cant/won't /sha'nt tell you anything more except that this story makes you dread & sigh.... You MUST read this fabulous story, which speaks to my heart as a foodie. Lots of sentiments get referred to food, which makes my heart and Tum very happy🥰
That was our friendship. Like a spicy tuna roll—simple with a kick.
It's easily one of the top books of the year!!!
No amount of Stars can do this mindblowing book justice. All the accolades, praise and infinite stars belong to her
5 buckets full of tears
#BookBistroBlogApproved
Follow me on:
BookBistroBlog@gmail.com
https://Twitter.com/BookBistro
www.instagram.com/BookBistroBlog
https://bookbistroblogger.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookB...
October 22, 2019
From the moment I start to read this book it caught me so bad. I literally brainstormed about Jared but until I found out the truth about him I questioned myself whether to love him or to hate him.. And I slowly hesitate to gave 5 stars to this book because I kind of hated that plot twist because I wasn't expecting that truth can be hurt really bad!... (Marni Mann, you're a cruel woman! :-/) And Lord knows just for one second I even thought to give 1 star to this book too... So why I gave 4 stars? Because this book was so damn well written and I'm giving 4 stars because Ms.Mann kept me edge of my seat... So just because of that this woman deserves all my respects! ;)
Long story short, I highly recommend this book to you!
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. ❤❤❤
October 22, 2019
❤️5 unique stars❤️
My heart, seriously this book is amazing, all the feelings ! It was addictive, captivating and intense! I fall in love with the story and I just couldn’t get enough of this one! Marni Mann takes the reader to an emotional roller coaster!
I fall in love with the story, it touched me in so many ways!It's refreshing,original and unique!You are going to fall in love with this one!I loved the alternative POV made the story intese!
"Some stories had the power to change lives forever. This story changed an entire town."
Before You is a heartbreaking story with an emotional romance!I loved it so much, favorite book for this year!!
My heart, seriously this book is amazing, all the feelings ! It was addictive, captivating and intense! I fall in love with the story and I just couldn’t get enough of this one! Marni Mann takes the reader to an emotional roller coaster!
I fall in love with the story, it touched me in so many ways!It's refreshing,original and unique!You are going to fall in love with this one!I loved the alternative POV made the story intese!
"Some stories had the power to change lives forever. This story changed an entire town."
Before You is a heartbreaking story with an emotional romance!I loved it so much, favorite book for this year!!
October 20, 2019
4.5 stars! ⭐
This book has two storylines: Honey and Andrew's story, that takes place in the 1980s and Billie and Jared's, in the present. 💘
It was clear from the start that there is a connection between them, but I didn't know what... During the reading I had a lot of ideas (even some really sick ones 😂), but in the end I didn't see it coming... because I was SO wrong!!! 😱
📚 "𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻." 📚
Honey and Andrew met when he was her doctor. Andrew courted her and I fell in love with him along with Honey. 💘
Their love story was innocent, sweet, powerful and... 🤐
📚 "𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲," 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆.
"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀?" 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱.
"𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂." 📚
Billie is a food vlogger who travels around the world to review restaurants (Talk about a dream job!!! ✈). One day, when she was boarding a flight to California, a handsome stranger named Jared, sat next to her. ❤🔥
What Billie didn't know is that this stranger is going to turn her life completely up side down... Their bond becomes intense, passionate and... forbidden! 🤐
📚 "𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲, 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲.” 📚
It is a story of love, tragedy and forgiveness - it has 4 amazing characters and 2 storylines full of emotion and heartbreak. But how do these stories connect together...? 😱😱😱
I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was thrilling, emotional, surprising and felt so real. 💘
I loved the way the story unfolded and the way it was presented... I loved the tension and the mystery building... I loved that the chapters were short and their ending made me bite my nails from tension... I loved the crazy surprising twist... but mostly I loved the message behind it - that every action has the power to influence so many other people!!! 💘
And hey, even an Israeli food is mentioned in it! (respect! 💪😉)
📚 "𝗪𝗲’𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. 𝗜𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗼𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗼. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁. 𝗚𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲. 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗹 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝘃." 📚
But because it has two different story lines, it felt like I was reading two different books and sometimes it confused me... until almost half of the book, I still didn't understand exactly what was happening... LOL 😂😂😂
Plus, I loved the characters - I felt all their emotions- pain, hope and love... but I didn't have a connection to any of them. Instead, I connected to their stories. ❤
📚 "𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 ���𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿." 📚
The two plots fascinated me and I couldn't stop reading until all the pieces of the puzzle became a full picture... And to my delight, Marni was able to put all the dots perfectly together to an amazing story I will not forget for a very long time! 👑
This was my first read by Marni Mann... It will certainly won't be the last. 👏💘
*** 𝕀 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕟 𝔸ℝℂ 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒𝕟 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ***
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This book has two storylines: Honey and Andrew's story, that takes place in the 1980s and Billie and Jared's, in the present. 💘
It was clear from the start that there is a connection between them, but I didn't know what... During the reading I had a lot of ideas (even some really sick ones 😂), but in the end I didn't see it coming... because I was SO wrong!!! 😱
📚 "𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻." 📚
Honey and Andrew met when he was her doctor. Andrew courted her and I fell in love with him along with Honey. 💘
Their love story was innocent, sweet, powerful and... 🤐
📚 "𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲," 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆.
"𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀?" 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱.
"𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂." 📚
Billie is a food vlogger who travels around the world to review restaurants (Talk about a dream job!!! ✈). One day, when she was boarding a flight to California, a handsome stranger named Jared, sat next to her. ❤🔥
What Billie didn't know is that this stranger is going to turn her life completely up side down... Their bond becomes intense, passionate and... forbidden! 🤐
📚 "𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲, 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲.” 📚
It is a story of love, tragedy and forgiveness - it has 4 amazing characters and 2 storylines full of emotion and heartbreak. But how do these stories connect together...? 😱😱😱
I enjoyed every minute of this book. It was thrilling, emotional, surprising and felt so real. 💘
I loved the way the story unfolded and the way it was presented... I loved the tension and the mystery building... I loved that the chapters were short and their ending made me bite my nails from tension... I loved the crazy surprising twist... but mostly I loved the message behind it - that every action has the power to influence so many other people!!! 💘
And hey, even an Israeli food is mentioned in it! (respect! 💪😉)
📚 "𝗪𝗲’𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱. 𝗜𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀. 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗼𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗼. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁. 𝗚𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗲. 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗹 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝘃." 📚
But because it has two different story lines, it felt like I was reading two different books and sometimes it confused me... until almost half of the book, I still didn't understand exactly what was happening... LOL 😂😂😂
Plus, I loved the characters - I felt all their emotions- pain, hope and love... but I didn't have a connection to any of them. Instead, I connected to their stories. ❤
📚 "𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲.
𝗬𝗼𝘂 ���𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿." 📚
The two plots fascinated me and I couldn't stop reading until all the pieces of the puzzle became a full picture... And to my delight, Marni was able to put all the dots perfectly together to an amazing story I will not forget for a very long time! 👑
This was my first read by Marni Mann... It will certainly won't be the last. 👏💘
*** 𝕀 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕖𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕕 𝕒𝕟 𝔸ℝℂ 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕞 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕒𝕦𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕒𝕟 𝕙𝕠𝕟𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ***
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July 8, 2020
★4.5★
Before You is a beautifully crafted contemporary romance full of passion and complex emotions. Billie Paige is a woman who finds herself emotionally trapped by post-traumatic stress syndrome due to a terrifying plane accident. Her savior, Jared, is someone who seems to calm her fears and the attraction between the two is strong.
✈️❤️This was a (F)BR with my girls Loyda, War, and CC! ✈️❤️
Before You is featured in
.
My review:
Blog- https://bit.ly/3270hZV
GR- https://bit.ly/3iDTHzG
Available now on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2VXVnu9
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
"I desperately wanted that piece of me back."
Before You is a beautifully crafted contemporary romance full of passion and complex emotions. Billie Paige is a woman who finds herself emotionally trapped by post-traumatic stress syndrome due to a terrifying plane accident. Her savior, Jared, is someone who seems to calm her fears and the attraction between the two is strong.
"The second we kissed, every every fear I'd had was confirmed."Told in multiple POV (and two different timelines), Before You is a thought-provoking read full of mystery, suspense, and tender romance. The twists and turns that slowly ebb and flow throughout the read will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are complex and exploring the timelines concurrently kept me guessing the entire read. As always Ms. Mann has crafted a truly beautiful story with a unique plot exploring the depths of emotions and what we will do for the ones we love.
"I've never loved anyone...before you."Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend this read to anyone who enjoys a contemporary romance with a side of angst, passion, and unforgettable moments. I am a huge Marni Mann fan and once again she did not disappoint!
✈️❤️This was a (F)BR with my girls Loyda, War, and CC! ✈️❤️
Before You is featured in
.My review:
Blog- https://bit.ly/3270hZV
GR- https://bit.ly/3iDTHzG
Available now on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/2VXVnu9
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
October 15, 2019
“Some stories had the power to change lives forever. This story changed an entire town".
Marni Mann, what did you do to me???? Holy emotions!!!! There is nothing that I can put into this review, that will give this book justice. This was timeless. This was heartbreaking in every sense of the word. This was emotionally driven in the best possible way and this right here? Was FANTASTIC!
Told in different pov's, this is the story of finding your soulmate, love, friendships, secrets and heartbreak. You’re immediately sucked in to this passionate heart stopping tale of these characters and once you're in, there’s no going back. Their story is profound and the impact that they made on not only each other’s lives but people around them, was a sight to see.
I’ve read my fair share of love stories and I’ve felt a lot of emotions while reading them. Some were selfless sacrifices, others were passionate whirlwind romance, and the special ones, gave you an emotional turmoil with endless love. When I think back on the some of the stories that I’ve read and loved, one thing comes to mind quickly: How the book made me feel. There’s a warmth that spreads through your chest just from reading a few chapters but that’s nothing compared to what is going to hit you. So many times I’ve said that I want to feel what these characters bring, and what they’ve been through because I want to feel connected to the story. Well I got my wish with this one and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.
Billie and Jared's story is so poignant and intricately woven with so many emotional turns that you will never fully grasp what will happen next.
October 14, 2019
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Dual and Third Person
Rating:
Billie Paige thought getting on Flight 88 was just like another day on her job. The long flight made bearable when a handsome stranger sat beside her. Little did she know that Jared Morgan would change her life in a way she could never imagine.
Before starting this book, I had very little idea what it’s about. But right from the prologue, the story captured my attention to the last page. I loved the different timelines and the short chapters because it consistently maximized the intrigue.
Billie was bright and outgoing, while Jared was compassionate and protective. I liked both of them and understood the choices they made and the actions they took.
Very few books could surprise me and this one did. I loved forming theories while reading and was heading in the right direction but the author cleverly threw me off and the move was perfectly executed.
Before You is a story of inner strength and finding closure. It would appeal to readers who enjoy an emotional romance.
🔹✈🔹... (F)BR With Twinsie CC, Loyda & Liz ...🔹✈🔹
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person – Dual and Third Person
Rating:
Billie Paige thought getting on Flight 88 was just like another day on her job. The long flight made bearable when a handsome stranger sat beside her. Little did she know that Jared Morgan would change her life in a way she could never imagine.
Before starting this book, I had very little idea what it’s about. But right from the prologue, the story captured my attention to the last page. I loved the different timelines and the short chapters because it consistently maximized the intrigue.
He pulled back after he exhaled over my face, and his eyes almost took my breath away. They were haunted, so painfully intense. And as his struggle, I was the reason for it.
Billie was bright and outgoing, while Jared was compassionate and protective. I liked both of them and understood the choices they made and the actions they took.
I’d conquered many things in my life. Getting a handle on myself when it came to Billie should be the easiest. It was proving to be the hardest.
Very few books could surprise me and this one did. I loved forming theories while reading and was heading in the right direction but the author cleverly threw me off and the move was perfectly executed.
Before You is a story of inner strength and finding closure. It would appeal to readers who enjoy an emotional romance.
🔹✈🔹... (F)BR With Twinsie CC, Loyda & Liz ...🔹✈🔹
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
September 2, 2022
This book is actually 4 characters. 2 characters in the 1980 and 2 characters in present day. Toward 40% of this book, I was bored to death. I almost shelved it under DNF. It contains so much OTT that insta lust and insta love. And the sex scenes are not hot. So you can imagine I lost my interest.
Then the story picks up. The author suddenly adding twists, clues, complex plot into the story. It makes me guess how these 4 characters connected to each other. It is revealed about 90% of the book. I gasped. I did not see it coming at all. Then I worried, can the author rounds it up the finale with only 10% left? And I am glad to report, Miss Mann rounds it up nicely. We got HFN ending.
Maybe a sequel is follow up? Because there are some issue still left hanging.
I admire all of the 4 characters. All of them contributing to the story. This is my second book by Miss Mann and I am looking forward to read her other books.
4 stars
Then the story picks up. The author suddenly adding twists, clues, complex plot into the story. It makes me guess how these 4 characters connected to each other. It is revealed about 90% of the book. I gasped. I did not see it coming at all. Then I worried, can the author rounds it up the finale with only 10% left? And I am glad to report, Miss Mann rounds it up nicely. We got HFN ending.
Maybe a sequel is follow up? Because there are some issue still left hanging.
I admire all of the 4 characters. All of them contributing to the story. This is my second book by Miss Mann and I am looking forward to read her other books.
4 stars
October 30, 2019
Mind. Blown! One of the most unique and cleverly written stories I have read in a LONG time!
October 12, 2019
4.5 Stars
At 30 years old, Billie Paige is a food vlogger who enjoys traveling to experience new flavors. On a flight to California, Billie meets a man that makes her feel alive, but her life abruptly changes bringing new challenges her way.
This narrative unfolds with uniquely shifting timelines and a focus on different couples. With the use of brief chapters punctuating the rising tension surrounding the need to connect all the dots, the plot arc comes together in a twisty fashion.
What I liked about this story was the unknown, and how at times it made me feel off kilter as a reader, because I wanted to make sense of it all. I also liked how these characters had to endure pain. Though the shorter chapters added to the overall enigmatic tone, at times, it prevented me from fully connecting with the emotional turmoil embedded within characters. But, with the reveal, all the plot points coalesce into a broader story showcasing the need for forgiveness and love.
Before You is a moving account of love and tragedy reinforced by strength from within.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.*
*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey, Lonestar Liz and Loyda!*
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
At 30 years old, Billie Paige is a food vlogger who enjoys traveling to experience new flavors. On a flight to California, Billie meets a man that makes her feel alive, but her life abruptly changes bringing new challenges her way.
”You treat everything like a recipe, Billie. But you’re not going to be able to figure out the ingredients of this one.”
This narrative unfolds with uniquely shifting timelines and a focus on different couples. With the use of brief chapters punctuating the rising tension surrounding the need to connect all the dots, the plot arc comes together in a twisty fashion.
“This is fucked!" She took a few more paces. “So fucked!”
What I liked about this story was the unknown, and how at times it made me feel off kilter as a reader, because I wanted to make sense of it all. I also liked how these characters had to endure pain. Though the shorter chapters added to the overall enigmatic tone, at times, it prevented me from fully connecting with the emotional turmoil embedded within characters. But, with the reveal, all the plot points coalesce into a broader story showcasing the need for forgiveness and love.
Before You is a moving account of love and tragedy reinforced by strength from within.
*An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.*
*This was a (F)BR with Twinsie Hawkey, Lonestar Liz and Loyda!*
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
November 7, 2019
I was in suspense for most of the story and felt a bit let down and dissatisfied at the end. Felt abrupt and with multiple questions. gurrr. Quite enjoyed the writing though.
December 26, 2019
4 Stars ⭐️
October 18, 2019
4.5 Stars
‘Some stories had the power to change lives forever. This story changed an entire town.’
Marni Mann wowed us again with the dark emotional romance Before You, absolutely blindsiding us with a compelling and thrilling story-line that had us guessing until the very end. It was oh so very clever and packed an incredible emotional punch. We urge you to go into this story blind so we will not be telling you anything about the actual story in this review, we’d rather tell you about how we felt on this brilliant reading journey.
‘I squeezed her as tight as I could, and I said the one thing I could promise her, “I’m not going to let go of you.”
The way in which Before You is written felt unique and was surprisingly intense, considering the way in which the chapters were outlined. Two heart-breaking and emotional romances entwined into one impactful story of love, tragedy and forgiveness. We felt like we were reading two different books, needing more as each chapter finished. The angst level was intense as was the powerful character connections. Our hearts broke over and over again throughout this story and at times we had chills on the back of our necks when the fear and emotions hit an all-time high. The romances were on one hand sweet and very soulful, and on the other side, dark and oh so sexy.
‘It hurt like hell to know, after only six months, we were already here. At the end. And the look on her face told me I’d shattered her heart.’
We cannot explain how much we loved this story, how it was written and the way in which the story developed and played out. It was literally riveting to the point that both of us read it from start to finish, in one sitting. So why not five stars? We loved the characters so much that we wholeheartedly felt their every emotion, their pain, their devastation, their hope and their love. What we did feel was missing was an epilogue. Some stories need them, some don’t, however Before You really needed one in our opinion. A very important aspect for a specific character’s story didn’t get the much-deserved closure needed, and we craved to hear the voice of this particular character. When you fall in love as deeply as we did with all the characters in Before You, you need closure for them all. We clicked to the very end, hoping there was an epilogue hiding somewhere and so wish there had been. Despite this though, we have to say that this book needs to be on your kindle because it’s so very powerful and poignant.
‘She loved him with an intensity she hadn’t known existed. A feeling that went beyond words.’
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September 10, 2019
* Beta Read *
Gah!! Words can not describe how much I love this story by Marni Mann. It is so poignant and romantic it took my breath away at times. It will make you feel a whole gamut of emotions. I laughed and cried and could not help but feel like this author had a peephole into my soul as this story burrowed it's way into my heart forever changing me! This was perfection!
Without going into any details, in typical Mann fashion, Before You was a twisty mindboggler where the unexpected is the only thing that can be expected. This story is filled with equal amounts of love and heartbreak with a twist that no one will see coming. I loved all the characters in this story and the overall message of how one little ripple can cause lasting consequences. I will cherish this story because of how it made me feel during and after reading it. That's a main takeaway after reading a story by Marni Mann: You will walk away forever changed, viscerally affected and gasping for more . Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
Gah!! Words can not describe how much I love this story by Marni Mann. It is so poignant and romantic it took my breath away at times. It will make you feel a whole gamut of emotions. I laughed and cried and could not help but feel like this author had a peephole into my soul as this story burrowed it's way into my heart forever changing me! This was perfection!
Without going into any details, in typical Mann fashion, Before You was a twisty mindboggler where the unexpected is the only thing that can be expected. This story is filled with equal amounts of love and heartbreak with a twist that no one will see coming. I loved all the characters in this story and the overall message of how one little ripple can cause lasting consequences. I will cherish this story because of how it made me feel during and after reading it. That's a main takeaway after reading a story by Marni Mann: You will walk away forever changed, viscerally affected and gasping for more . Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
July 18, 2021
2.5 stars
I expected to like this much more than I did. It's probably my fault because I had thought it would be more mystery and less romance, the m/f type which I rarely read.
The audiobook was excellent. I liked all three narrators, but I was particularly impressed by Jason Clarke. In my experience, male narrators often make women sound silly, but Jason Clarke did a fantastic job with Billie's character.
I expected to like this much more than I did. It's probably my fault because I had thought it would be more mystery and less romance, the m/f type which I rarely read.
The audiobook was excellent. I liked all three narrators, but I was particularly impressed by Jason Clarke. In my experience, male narrators often make women sound silly, but Jason Clarke did a fantastic job with Billie's character.
October 26, 2019
What a ridiculous way to end a "romance".
And NO I do not forgive him nor do I think their relationship was appropriate. Regardless of the gross 17yr age difference...his actions changed the course of her life forever.
And how does the author decide to end this??
By not showing the readers the necessary repentance the Hero needed to show her father
What a waste of my time
And NO I do not forgive him nor do I think their relationship was appropriate. Regardless of the gross 17yr age difference...his actions changed the course of her life forever.
And how does the author decide to end this??
By not showing the readers the necessary repentance the Hero needed to show her father
What a waste of my time
October 24, 2019
4.5★★★★Stars
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Type:
Standalone
POV:
First Person – Dual and Third Person
"Some stories had the power to change lives forever. This story changed an entire town."
Going into this story without any clue of what you'll find is the best way to read this story. From the very first page I felt the story moved very quickly and was a total page turner. I found myself unable to stop reading it. We meet Billie Paige who had one of the best jobs in the world in my opinion. She reviewed food restaurants for living and travel all around the world. If that's not the best job ever I don't know what is haha.
Billie meets Jared Morgan on one of her flights to San Francisco. The events of the flight were so quick and scary. After a horrible catastrophic event they both had to continue on living but Billie just had the hardest time doing what she loved the most which was traveling.
"The space inside our row wasn't big enough. The sears were closing in. The air was gone. I couldn't breathe. I could barely hold on."
I found myself loving both of these two characters. I felt their chemistry was on point and I felt terrible for both of struggles. While the author gives us their story we have a background story from the past that had me intrigued. I honestly couldn't have guessed the events towards the end of this book which made the story so much interesting to me. I absolutely love it when a twist of the book happens and I find myself speechless trying to figure out why on the world I didn't guessed it hahaha.
"Billie Paige was more than a struggle; she was a fucking war."
Overall, Before You is such an addicting story. A fast pace book about love, loss, forgiveness and about being able to move on when bad things happen. Readers looking for an emotional romance will find this story appealing.
...This was a F(BR) with CC, War & Liz...
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
October 25, 2019
Where do I even begin? Before You is Marni's third contemporary standalone this year and I feel like they're part of this pattern of elaborate mind game stories that she wants you to get completely sucked into so your brain is fried and delighted by the end. Does that make sense? OK good.
"Even through her pain, I could still see her fire.
Before You is the story of Billie and Jared, their meeting, their love, their secrets. It is so intricately woven and told in such a way that you're guessing the entire time. Did I mention theirs a third POV? There is. It is wild and it is lovely and it is making me want to cry. I can't give anything at all away with Before You but I guarantee you will be hooked at the prologue! It captivated my heart and kept me guessing throughout.
"Jared wasn't the loudest sound I'd ever heard, but his voice caused my chest to ache the worst."
Marni Mann once again changes the romance game. I’m gasping for air and subsequently smiling like a school girl at her crush by the end. Like what just happened? It was EVERYTHING!
January 27, 2020
4 ⭐'s
This book is confusing especially at the beginning. There are multiple story lines and multiple characters and it's hard to know what's important and what's not. I did a lot of highlighting.
With that being said, I would advise you to go in blind. There is a twist and it's a doozy. It's very similar to .
Jared and Billie meet on a plane. There's some instant attraction but there's a lot of drama and lines get blurred. Jared wants to be there for Billie but for some reason he can't. Good thing he doesn't take his own advice.
Billie and Jared are really good together but there's that twist and all hell breaks loose. Good news is we finally get all the answers.
I wasn't really happy with the way things ended. It was too open ended but at least we were left with some hope. This is my first book by Marni Mann and it won't be my last.
This book is confusing especially at the beginning. There are multiple story lines and multiple characters and it's hard to know what's important and what's not. I did a lot of highlighting.
With that being said, I would advise you to go in blind. There is a twist and it's a doozy. It's very similar to .
Jared and Billie meet on a plane. There's some instant attraction but there's a lot of drama and lines get blurred. Jared wants to be there for Billie but for some reason he can't. Good thing he doesn't take his own advice.
Billie and Jared are really good together but there's that twist and all hell breaks loose. Good news is we finally get all the answers.
I wasn't really happy with the way things ended. It was too open ended but at least we were left with some hope. This is my first book by Marni Mann and it won't be my last.
October 17, 2019
Wow !!!
This book was amazing like alway this author really knows how to make me an emotional mess. This story is beautiful but heart breaking all at once. Again there is a twist but it's what this author does better. I luv how she makes me fall in luv with every character. Once I started this book I knew it was goin to be one of my favourites. I luv her writing and how she has me hooked into the story. I can just never get enough.
The characters in this book were so good they were all strong characters but had weaknesses in parts. My heart broke for them all I just wanted to hug them. It's hard to do this reviews without spoiling it so I'm not really goin to go into the story much. But you won't be disappointed when you do read this book and you have to read it.
Jared and Billie are great characters and there story isn't smooth at all. I don't think them getting on the same flight and sitting next to each other could change there lives so much but God does it. It really is a bumpy ride they go on. Together they are great there both very successful people and have worked hard to get them. There also very beautiful and strong people. But life hasnt and does plan to go easy for them but when destiny and a strong connection does they are perfect together.
I highly recommend this book everything was perfect. Like I said I luvd everything about it. The twist and turns this author can do are wow and these ones in this book were just wow to. I really did enjoy this book I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks to.
This book was amazing like alway this author really knows how to make me an emotional mess. This story is beautiful but heart breaking all at once. Again there is a twist but it's what this author does better. I luv how she makes me fall in luv with every character. Once I started this book I knew it was goin to be one of my favourites. I luv her writing and how she has me hooked into the story. I can just never get enough.
The characters in this book were so good they were all strong characters but had weaknesses in parts. My heart broke for them all I just wanted to hug them. It's hard to do this reviews without spoiling it so I'm not really goin to go into the story much. But you won't be disappointed when you do read this book and you have to read it.
Jared and Billie are great characters and there story isn't smooth at all. I don't think them getting on the same flight and sitting next to each other could change there lives so much but God does it. It really is a bumpy ride they go on. Together they are great there both very successful people and have worked hard to get them. There also very beautiful and strong people. But life hasnt and does plan to go easy for them but when destiny and a strong connection does they are perfect together.
I highly recommend this book everything was perfect. Like I said I luvd everything about it. The twist and turns this author can do are wow and these ones in this book were just wow to. I really did enjoy this book I can't wait to see what everyone else thinks to.
November 10, 2019
“In the forty-seven years I’d been alive, I’d learned something about women. There were those you couldn’t help but look at and those you just shouldn’t look at. She was both. That was rare.”
You know you’re reading a Marni Mann book when you’re hiding behind your cushion, with this feeling in your tummy that something major I’d going to happen, but nothing can prepare you for what’s really coming. Marni is such an incredible author and she has this knack of writing words so hypnotising and thought-provoking. I wasn’t able to tear my eyes away from my kindle, and was an actual nervous wreck...but it was all worth it in the end.
You know you’re reading a Marni Mann book when you’re hiding behind your cushion, with this feeling in your tummy that something major I’d going to happen, but nothing can prepare you for what’s really coming. Marni is such an incredible author and she has this knack of writing words so hypnotising and thought-provoking. I wasn’t able to tear my eyes away from my kindle, and was an actual nervous wreck...but it was all worth it in the end.
October 22, 2019
This was a story that kept me guessing until close to the end. There are two stories playing out, one in the now and one in the past. As I got closer to the end, I was filled with anticipation about how these would overlap and what the outcome would be for everyone.
Billie is a restaurant reviewer. She has a strong following and loves her job, often flying to fantastic places with equally fabulous food. When she boards a plane to San Francisco she had no idea her life was about to change. The man who sits beside her is incredibly handsome and she finds herself wanting to talk to him, she feels drawn to him.
Jared was hoping for a quiet flight, the last thing he wants is to engage in conversation with the woman beside him but there is something about her that has him listening attentively. When they are faced with a dire situation on the plane, Jared goes into protective mode, as Billie falls apart.
Weeks after the flight, Billie feels like she is wading through thick mud every day, her life as it she knew it has been forever changed. She can’t stop thinking about what she went through and the man who she believes saved her. She has no way of contacting him to see if he is feeling the same way as she does. And then they meet again.
Okay this is a cliffhanger review because I want you to go in as blind as you can so you can enjoy trying to unravel this story. Fabulous writing from Marni Mann!
‘Some things in life were a coincidence. My encounter with Billie Paige was not.’
Billie is a restaurant reviewer. She has a strong following and loves her job, often flying to fantastic places with equally fabulous food. When she boards a plane to San Francisco she had no idea her life was about to change. The man who sits beside her is incredibly handsome and she finds herself wanting to talk to him, she feels drawn to him.
Jared was hoping for a quiet flight, the last thing he wants is to engage in conversation with the woman beside him but there is something about her that has him listening attentively. When they are faced with a dire situation on the plane, Jared goes into protective mode, as Billie falls apart.
Weeks after the flight, Billie feels like she is wading through thick mud every day, her life as it she knew it has been forever changed. She can’t stop thinking about what she went through and the man who she believes saved her. She has no way of contacting him to see if he is feeling the same way as she does. And then they meet again.
Okay this is a cliffhanger review because I want you to go in as blind as you can so you can enjoy trying to unravel this story. Fabulous writing from Marni Mann!
‘Some things in life were a coincidence. My encounter with Billie Paige was not.’
April 3, 2020
this was my 2nd time reading a book by this author, and i can say that she likes to write heartbreaking stories. i also can admit that she has a unique talent in constructing her stories in a way that makes readers want to finish reading her books.
i appreciate the structuring of this book from how it has an interesting but seemingly unrelated prologue to the fact that we get two stories from four different characters told in alternating chapters between the past and present.
this composition is really compelling. unfortunately, flashback chapters is also one of my pet peeves. i dont like being constantly thrown back and forth from past to present. i understand the appeal and its importance, but at the same time it often gives me a whiplash.
in addition, i personally found the 'big reveal' to be slightly underwhelming bcs once you get the hang of everything, you can kind of see the plot twist coming. idk what was wrong with me but despite being an angsty book, this story didnt crush my heart the way i wanted it to be crushed.
i appreciate the structuring of this book from how it has an interesting but seemingly unrelated prologue to the fact that we get two stories from four different characters told in alternating chapters between the past and present.
this composition is really compelling. unfortunately, flashback chapters is also one of my pet peeves. i dont like being constantly thrown back and forth from past to present. i understand the appeal and its importance, but at the same time it often gives me a whiplash.
in addition, i personally found the 'big reveal' to be slightly underwhelming bcs once you get the hang of everything, you can kind of see the plot twist coming. idk what was wrong with me but despite being an angsty book, this story didnt crush my heart the way i wanted it to be crushed.
July 3, 2022
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Excellent - Highly Recommended
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - A good, solid read
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - An okay read
2 ⭐️⭐️ - Meh
1 ⭐️ - Not my cup of tea
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - A good, solid read
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - An okay read
2 ⭐️⭐️ - Meh
1 ⭐️ - Not my cup of tea
April 3, 2022
*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*
*DNF*
1 Kiss
Well…I have no one to blame for this besides me. I really tried to connect with this book and pushed myself a lot further than I normally would because I kept thinking the big reveal would be worth it…but unfortunately, Before You was just not the book for me. I hate when this happens…I never take it lightly when I do decide to DNF a book, but I know even if I had pushed through the remaining 6-7 chapters, it sadly wouldn’t have changed anything.
My first problem was the lack of emotion in the book. I will say it time and time again, I’m an emotional reader…I need those feelings in order to ground me in the story and connect me to the characters…without that I could be reading about silverware for all that it matters. And that was really frustrating – I live and breathe on that connection, especially since Jared and Billie’s chapters are written in 1st, that’s the easiest way to translate emotion! And yet I got none of it…just the facts. Towards the end there was one part – the most devastating part for Billie – where I was finally seeing about 25ish% of the emotion I would expect with what she was going through…but that was about it. I mean the things that Before You deals with are extremely emotional things – I don’t wanna spoil anything but all of the characters have their fair share of shit to deal with and yet I felt maybe 1/10th (if that) of what I would expect to feel. It was really disappointing.
Aside from the lack of emotion and connection…the writing wasn’t bad per se. I could see there was talent there and to try and weave two separate stories, past and present, multiple POV’s and without giving away key details that would spoil the big twist is not an easy feat to achieve. I will say the multiple POV’s did get to be a bit cumbersome at times – there wasn’t a lot of rhyme or reason in switching between past and present and between Billie and Jared and there were so many short chapters that it affected the flow for me and made the story feel choppy. I was able to get through the POV changes, it was a little frustrating that they changed from 1st person to 3rd and I think that was another contributor as to my lack of connection with Honey (Honey’s POV was in 3rd person). I’ll be honest…I can kind of/maybe try to understand why her POV was included…but it was absolutely not necessary and to me, it felt like shock value or a way to make the book longer. I mean it may have set up a tiny bit of context but it would have read much easier if her chapters weren’t included…and if the only reason she was included was for more pay out with the big twist then that’s in bad taste IMO.
As for the big twist…I just can’t get on board. First of all…it went on far too long. Like 80+% of the book. I have never in over 7 years of reading, ever skimmed a book – if I want to skim, I’ll just stop cause that’s a huge sign to me. I skimmed Before You because I just had to know what the secret was. It was definitely unique…but it was too unique – unique to the point of believability. I could not wrap my brain around all of it…the fact that Jared kept the secret was bad enough in and of itself but I don’t care how much I love a couple, there are some things that are unforgiveable and even love can’t save you from – this is one of those situations. I had to stop reading because at that point, I didn’t want an HEA and if it happened (which I believe from what I’ve seen it does) I seriously would not be able to believe it.
I really wish this one had worked out for me – I know a lot of people have been reading and loving it and I’m happy for them. I know not all books work out for every reader but it never gets easier accepting it when they don’t.
*DNF*
1 Kiss
Well…I have no one to blame for this besides me. I really tried to connect with this book and pushed myself a lot further than I normally would because I kept thinking the big reveal would be worth it…but unfortunately, Before You was just not the book for me. I hate when this happens…I never take it lightly when I do decide to DNF a book, but I know even if I had pushed through the remaining 6-7 chapters, it sadly wouldn’t have changed anything.
My first problem was the lack of emotion in the book. I will say it time and time again, I’m an emotional reader…I need those feelings in order to ground me in the story and connect me to the characters…without that I could be reading about silverware for all that it matters. And that was really frustrating – I live and breathe on that connection, especially since Jared and Billie’s chapters are written in 1st, that’s the easiest way to translate emotion! And yet I got none of it…just the facts. Towards the end there was one part – the most devastating part for Billie – where I was finally seeing about 25ish% of the emotion I would expect with what she was going through…but that was about it. I mean the things that Before You deals with are extremely emotional things – I don’t wanna spoil anything but all of the characters have their fair share of shit to deal with and yet I felt maybe 1/10th (if that) of what I would expect to feel. It was really disappointing.
Aside from the lack of emotion and connection…the writing wasn’t bad per se. I could see there was talent there and to try and weave two separate stories, past and present, multiple POV’s and without giving away key details that would spoil the big twist is not an easy feat to achieve. I will say the multiple POV’s did get to be a bit cumbersome at times – there wasn’t a lot of rhyme or reason in switching between past and present and between Billie and Jared and there were so many short chapters that it affected the flow for me and made the story feel choppy. I was able to get through the POV changes, it was a little frustrating that they changed from 1st person to 3rd and I think that was another contributor as to my lack of connection with Honey (Honey’s POV was in 3rd person). I’ll be honest…I can kind of/maybe try to understand why her POV was included…but it was absolutely not necessary and to me, it felt like shock value or a way to make the book longer. I mean it may have set up a tiny bit of context but it would have read much easier if her chapters weren’t included…and if the only reason she was included was for more pay out with the big twist then that’s in bad taste IMO.
As for the big twist…I just can’t get on board. First of all…it went on far too long. Like 80+% of the book. I have never in over 7 years of reading, ever skimmed a book – if I want to skim, I’ll just stop cause that’s a huge sign to me. I skimmed Before You because I just had to know what the secret was. It was definitely unique…but it was too unique – unique to the point of believability. I could not wrap my brain around all of it…the fact that Jared kept the secret was bad enough in and of itself but I don’t care how much I love a couple, there are some things that are unforgiveable and even love can’t save you from – this is one of those situations. I had to stop reading because at that point, I didn’t want an HEA and if it happened (which I believe from what I’ve seen it does) I seriously would not be able to believe it.
I really wish this one had worked out for me – I know a lot of people have been reading and loving it and I’m happy for them. I know not all books work out for every reader but it never gets easier accepting it when they don’t.
Want to read
October 13, 2019
October 17, 2019
4.5 Stars
‘Some stories had the power to change lives forever. This story changed an entire town.’
Marni Mann wowed us again with the dark emotional romance Before You, absolutely blindsiding us with a compelling and thrilling story-line that had us guessing until the very end. It was oh so very clever and packed an incredible emotional punch. We urge you to go into this story blind so we will not be telling you anything about the actual story in this review, we’d rather tell you about how we felt on this brilliant reading journey.
‘I squeezed her as tight as I could, and I said the one thing I could promise her, “I’m not going to let go of you.”
The way in which Before You is written felt unique and was surprisingly intense, considering the way in which the chapters were outlined. Two heart-breaking and emotional romances entwined into one impactful story of love, tragedy and forgiveness. We felt like we were reading two different books, needing more as each chapter finished. The angst level was intense as was the powerful character connections. Our hearts broke over and over again throughout this story and at times we had chills on the back of our necks when the fear and emotions hit an all-time high. The romances were on one hand sweet and very soulful, and on the other side, dark and oh so sexy.
‘It hurt like hell to know, after only six months, we were already here. At the end. And the look on her face told me I’d shattered her heart.’
We cannot explain how much we loved this story, how it was written and the way in which the story developed and played out. It was literally riveting to the point that both of us read it from start to finish, in one sitting. So why not five stars? We loved the characters so much that we wholeheartedly felt their every emotion, their pain, their devastation, their hope and their love. What we did feel was missing was an epilogue. Some stories need them, some don’t, however Before You really needed one in our opinion. A very important aspect for a specific character’s story didn’t get the much-deserved closure needed, and we craved to hear the voice of this particular character. When you fall in love as deeply as we did with all the characters in Before You, you need closure for them all. We clicked to the very end, hoping there was an epilogue hiding somewhere and so wish there had been. Despite this though, we have to say that this book needs to be on your kindle because it’s so very powerful and poignant.
‘She loved him with an intensity she hadn’t known existed. A feeling that went beyond words.’
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June 23, 2020
I have to be honest here. I wish I hadn't finished this. I was in the middle of making dinner, cleaning etc when the big twist was revealed at around 90%. I would've dnf'd it if it weren't for that. This book didn't work for me. :(
Anyways...
I loved all the narrators. Jason Clarke is one of my top favorite male narrators.
But that twist? Wtf?
I have nothing against the 17 year age-gap. He's 47 and she's 30 when they meet on the airplane in the beginning of the book.
I was really enjoying this book until the twist was revealed but the twist was such a huge disappointment and ruined the book for me. :(
Anyways...
I loved all the narrators. Jason Clarke is one of my top favorite male narrators.
But that twist? Wtf?
I have nothing against the 17 year age-gap. He's 47 and she's 30 when they meet on the airplane in the beginning of the book.
I was really enjoying this book until the twist was revealed but the twist was such a huge disappointment and ruined the book for me. :(
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