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 … 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.
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Marni Mann always has a way of shocking and then destroying me with all her words, this book was no different. Billie has an amazing life as a food blogger. She travels around trying food and writing about all her adventures. She’s making a great living doing just what she loves. Then one day she ends up on a flight with Jared. A man of mystery who seems to be traveling for his job. However, there is this instant connection between the two. Both Billie and Jared feel the spark but seem reluctant to act on it and before they have a chance tragedy happens. Marni Mann twists a tale between these two like no other. Just when you think you know what will become of these two she’ll send you on a different journey all together. Don’t miss out on such a heartbreaking story of love and lost.
4 WTAF Stars!!
Beautifully well-written, with a Jaw-Dropping Plot Twists you won’t see coming, and will hit you with such force, that all you’ll be hearing is yourself say “WHAT THE ACTUAL F*CK”!!
Just do yourself a favor and keep reading, don’t give up to soon. Author Monica James structures her book around four main characters, two interlaced stories that will be pulling all the emotions out of you. My only complaint, though, I needed more of Billie and Jared. (Hence the 4 stars).
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!!
This is, hands down, my absolute favorite Marni Mann book to date! This is actually two separate but interwoven love stories in one that definitely kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat wanting to know how everything would turn out. The characters were well-developed; open, honest, shy, sweet, dark, mysterious, intriguing. It took a while for everything to merge together, but once it down I wasn’t able to put my e-reader down till I finished. And once I got to the end, I had to marinate on my feelings about this whole book because my emotions were all over the place! I loved the angsty-ness and the bit of suspense in wondering how Ms. Mann would bring it all home for a satisfying conclusion and once I got to the end, I was happy (and all-the-way tired) reader!
What an emotional read. The chemistry between Jared and Billie is electric from the beginning and their journey will grab you until the end. The storyline is unique and captivating. It’s definitely worth the read!
Speechless!!! As i started reading Before You, I was perplexed. There were two different stories going on. I was absorbing every word so i wouldn’t miss anything and i still couldn’t figure out what was going on, until I got closer to the end! I mean talk about a huge bright light that reveals all!! I was so stunned!! I thought, how freaking brilliant!! Just wow!! Fantastic book!!
What a very confusing book! I stayed confused for a while because the prologue and the two story lines didn’t match. It didn’t make sense until about 70% into the story and then it all came together. The mood of the book was very somber and angsty. I liked the characters, they were either very sweet as with Honey and Billie and Andrew, or very enigmatic and intense as Jared.
In the case of Honey and Andrew, their story was like a fairytale come true. They meet when Honey goes to the ER for a bad abdominal pain and Andrew is the attending doctor. From then on, it’s a meet cute that ends in a marriage with an eternal honeymoon, except for fertility problems.
In the case of Billie and Jared, they meet in an airplane, Flight 88, that ends in tragedy, with a crash that included 8 fatalities and many injured. Jared protected Billie and is the reason she came out mostly harmless. Even so, she remains with a terror of flying, which is necessary for her job. He makes it his goal in life to help her out of her trauma, and yet remains aloof to their attraction. There’s an element of mystery and forbidden love in their relation which is what confused me more. There’s a sense of fatality and calculation in his approach to Billie, and some second agenda related to her trip. It was all very mysterious and riveting. Of the two stories, I liked this one better because it had more angst.
Once both stories clash together, it all makes sense and it gets totally angsty and that’s when I got into my element. I love angst! It was interesting and riveting, but the somber mood throughout the book was not my favorite thing about this book. Even so, I congratulate the author because she was very crafty and ingenious writing this book and keeping me in the dark. Good job!
He said before me, nothing mattered. But after him, nothing would ever be the same. Powerful words! This was my first book by this author. I loved it so much it only took me a few hours to read it. I couldn’t put it down. The love, the emotional journey and the forgiveness! This book was amazing. I can’t wait to start another book by Marni.
Before You
By: Marni Mann
Narrated by: Virginia Rose, Ava Erickson, Jason Clarke
When you listen to a book, you want to become invested in the story and find something to relate to with each character. It doesn’t always happen, but Marni Mann has the talent to do this every time I listen to her stories. With this book, she features two couples, Andrew and Honey from the past and Jared and Billie from the present. Each has their own issues, heart breaking and heart warming. But the intertwining of their lives, the unexpected tragedies, grief, guilt, happiness all lie just underneath the surface and when revealed is like a sucker punch to your heart! It’s one of the best listens this year for me as Mann shares her incredible craft.
Now the casting of this audio is impeccable. First we have Ava Erickson as Billie. A little edgy, full of insecurity yet has a toughness about her all given to us with Ava’s voice. Virginia Rose comes in as Honey, letting us live through her happiness and heartbreak and making our hearts ache and soar with her performance. Lastly with Jason Clarke as Jared, warm, protective and guarded, leaving us loving him. The pick of these three really brought the emotional charge to life, letting us live their stories with them. The perfect listen.
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Two intertwining love stories that keep you guessing all the way through. An amazing story line that captivates to the very end.
I love this author’s original writing style as you never really know where the story will lead you.
The ultimate challenge is to stop trying to guess and just let yourself be led to the very essence of the story. Love will prevail.
Before You by Marni Mann is a contemporary romance standalone novel ripe with twists and turns that keep you on tenterhooks the ENTIRE book. The main focus of the story is on Billie Paige, a renowned food vlogger and her trip to San Francisco where she meets Jared Morgan, her seat neighbor on the plane. But we also get two other storylines that take place woven throughout Billie and Jared’s story. The melding of these threads as they come together towards the epic conclusion to this story is heartbreaking but also heart-mending. There is a happily ever after but good god does the author make you work for it! If you want an emotional story that may make you cry a little and feel sad a lot but also is spicy and steamy then I highly recommend this. Enjoy!
Oh the tears of joy you might shed in this book… I was just blown away throughout this story and the ending is simply wonderful! The mystery of the story keeps the pages turning. It was very hard to put down. I kept running through all sorts of things in my head trying to figure out just who Jared was. I admit I dreaded figuring out for the longest time, thinking all sorts of bad things about him. But I was totally shocked upon finally understanding. I kept doing the math as the second timeline went by trying to figure out the link. I assure you it’s mouth-watering, intense, and addictive. You won’t be able to put it down!
Wow! Just, wow! There is so much to say about this book, yet I want to say so little. Read it. Devour it. FEEL it. It’s emotional and angsty, and I was captivated from the start. Before You is a rollercoaster of the unexpected. It’s impactful and beautifully written. With every turn of the page this author knocks it out of the park. Go in blind but, go in.
This book had me from the start. I had a few sleepless nights because I was drawn into each chapter and I just had to see what was going to happen next with these characters. This book was a page-turner, tear-jerker, wrong place at the wrong time kind of story, and even an emotional rollercoaster at its best. And of course, an ending you just don’t see coming when you read any of Marni Mann’s amazing books.
Oh my! I don’t even know how to review this book. I’ll admit at the start of the book it was very confusing. We get 2 love stories that had twists and turns to it, and while I was like ummmm what is going on at the start I did get addicted and needed to know what was going to happen. Some things I saw coming and some I didn’t. All the characters were great and made my heart ache for the things that they have to go through. This author never seems to disappoint me. She puts her characters in my heart and then I get sad when they are over. I can’t wait for what comes never with her writing. It seems like each is better and better. 4 stars #2OCCJD
I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit lost for the first few chapters – and I may still go back to the prologue now that I’ve finished the book and see if it makes sense to me now – because of the switch back and forth from third person to first person narrative and the multiple POVs and timelines. BUT once I figured it out, I found the storytelling method utilized by Marni Mann to be utterly riveting and I actually completed the book in one sitting. It was intensely emotional and action packed in a way I so was not expecting, in addition to being sexy and gripping in a real and mature way. If you are afraid of flying, I recommend that you might want to avoid the book, but if that’s not an issue I think you’ll find Before You to be unique and compelling. The way that the timelines reconcile and the big reveal are an absolute gut punch that left me breathless and longing for resolution. In fact, I think that may be my only issue with the book – the swiftness with which resolution is reached due to the use of a time jump. I found it to be vaguely unsatisfying due to the magnitude of the issues between the heroine and hero. Speaking of which, after reading (and enjoying) a handful of New Adult romances, it was so refreshing to read a book about grown people (there’s a delicious age gap with a heroine in her early 30’s and the hero in his mid 40’s), dealing with real grown folks ish. And there was A LOT to deal with. 4 out of 5 wine glasses.
“Billie, in all these years, I’ve never loved anyone … before you.”
Before You was the first book of Marni’s that I read, and it won’t be the last! Marni has a way with words that keeps a reader glued to the pages from start to finish. Before you was two stories blended into one. There was a mixture of sensuality and suspense. I had no idea what tied the two stories together, and no matter how hard I tried to guess it, I never came close to figuring it out. This is the heartbreaking story of love in many forms, and forgiveness in its purest form. Jared and Billie are two characters that will stay with me long after this review is finished. The only think I wished for was more of an ending… I’m the reader that loves the 2.5 kids, and white picket fence. So I wish I would’ve gotten more towards the end, but I also understand why it was written the way it was.
Before You was a great read! If you are a fan of contemporary romance, and a bit of suspense… this book is definitely for you!
I loved this book so much that I couldn’t put it down. The twists are brilliant and unpredictable. Jared and Billie are great characters who have an instant chemistry between them. A chemistry that Jared tries to fight. It’s a beautiful and emotional read that you won’t want to miss. I listened to the audio book, and the wonderful narrators brought the story to life. I highly recommend.
The most important thing I can say about Before You by Marni Mann is this is a book you read blindly, devour and just experience. It was full of angst, emotional and gripping and I was riveted from start to finish. The characters will take you on a roller coaster of a ride that was unpredictable and unforeseen. You experience the story in unexpected ways that show the versatility of this author. This is a must-read!
4.5-gripping stars!
Happy reading!
Marni Mann is one of my favorite authors not only because her writing is so good and fresh but because of her adept way of storytelling. Before You is no exception. This book will no doubt blow you away. In fact it feels as though there is a story within a story. I loved reading about Honey & Andrew and craved all of their next chapters to get more from their beautiful love story. Surrounding them is Billie & Jared who board Flt #88 from NY to CA and end up seated next to each other. And on that fateful flight their journey is forever changed. The way they come to love each other touches the soul. There are so many twists and turns. There is tragedy, pain, loss, love so much love, and redemption. This will definitely be a favorite of 2019 and an unforgettable book!
“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.
*Arc kindly provided for an honest review