If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin

If He Had Been with Me

by Laura Nowlin

** Over ONE MILLION copies sold **

An achingly authentic and raw portrait of love, regret, and the life-altering impact of the relationships we hold closest to us, this coming of age romance bestseller is perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Jenny Han and Lynn Painter.

If he had been with me, everything would have been different…

Autumn and Finn used to be inseparable. But then something changed. Or they changed. Now, they do their best to ignore each other.

Autumn has her boyfriend, Jamie, and her close-knit group of friends. And Finn has become that boy at school, the one everyone wants to be around.

That still doesn't stop how Autumn feels every time she and Finn cross paths, and the growing, nagging thought that maybe things could have been different. Maybe they should be together.

But come August, things will change forever. And as time passes, Autumn will be forced to confront how else life might have been different if they had never parted ways…

Captivating and heartbreaking, If He Had Been with Me is perfect for readers looking for:

  • Friends to lovers romance
  • Contemporary teen romance books
  • Unputdownable and binge-worthy novels
  • Complex, emotional young adult stories
  • TikTok books


Tropes
Coming of Age
Friends to Lovers
Fated Mates
Cruel Love

Also by Laura Nowlin:
If Only I Had Told Her
This Song is (Not) for You

Reviewed by Cocktails and Books on

5 of 5 stars

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I couldn't resist this book. I am a sucker for a best friends coming of age story and this one sounded like a heartrending, tearjerker...and it was that and more. I absolutely loved Autumn and Phineas. The book had such a rich mix of relationship dynamics from sisterhood to parent/child to male/female relationships. I think every single bond was explored in this book in a very relatable way with excellent writing by the author.

The author achieved quite a feat because you knew something tragic was going to happen, but you couldn't help but keep reading anyway. Most of the time if you know how a book ends there is no point in reading it, but this book had so much in the lines of the text and meaning between the lines that it almost seemed like I could focus more on the story at the time rather than how it ended.

I laughed at the quirks of childhood and adolescence. I cried at the growing pains that Phineas and Autumn had. My heart broke when Autumn described what it was like to live with someone with mental illness and experienced her own bout with it. I smiled when I read about the strong bond between the mothers of Phineas and Autumn. There's something about knowing your bestie (who happens to also be your next door neighbor) is right there with you through the thick and thin.

This book sucked me in and wouldn't let me go. I became far more invested in the storyline and these characters than I ever intended. I was doing the silent scream for Phineas not to leave...as if I could keep him from going. I actually found myself putting my hand over my ipad and saying no Phineas please change your mind, but he left and I cried right along with the characters. I'm not sure if I like the way the author left the story sort of hanging at the end. I would love to know the results of the test but then again could I stand it if it wasn't what I wanted it to be? So read the book and judge for yourself. It wasn't a fast paced read but you will enjoy the journey. This goes to the top of my MUST READ list.

Reviewed by Michelle for Cocktails and Books

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  • 17 April, 2013: Reviewed