5* review: The Night That Changed Everything by Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice

Available here from Amazon.co.uk

Rebecca is the only girl she knows who didn't cry at the end of Titanic. Ben is the only man he knows who did. Rebecca’s untidy but Ben doesn’t mind picking up her pieces. Ben is laid back by Rebecca keeps him on his toes. They're a perfect match.

Nothing can come between them. Or so they think.

When a throwaway comment reveals a secret from the past, their love story is rewritten.

Can they recover from the night that changed everything? And how do you forgive when you can’t forget?

Every now and again a book, quite innocent looking, just pops up and changes things. Not physically or outwardly, but when you've read it the world just seems a little bit different. This is that book for me.

I began reading with no expectations, and really quickly I began to see it was special - it had captivated me, made me laugh, cringe and really quickly feel for the characters. I was hooked. Then as the story progressed it drew me so far in I felt I was living it along with the characters; feeling their highs and lows along with them. And then BAM, the 'thing' happened, and it just blew me away. The book changed from a romantic, laugh along tale, to the most emotional thing I've read since Jojo Moyes' Me Before You, and since laying it down I've been unable to pick up another book (it was only a few hours ago but with a reading list as long as mine progress needs to be made).

The Night That Changed Everything follows a group of friends, some childhood school friends, some old uni housemates, some work colleagues, but more specifically is narrated in alternate chapters by Ben and Rebecca (told alternately by best friends Laura Tait and Jimmy Rice). You are drawn so quickly into their worlds by their razor sharp come backs and warm, insightful humour, and feel their dilemmas as though they are your own.

As with most late twenty-something groups, there are relationship issues, job stresses and the usual - and some more unusual - family problems, all talked and laughed about, roughly figured out between the gang and a bottle of whisky; and perfect couple Ben and Rebecca are just that, perfect together...and then a comment is made, and everything changes.

I did not see any of the shocks in this book coming, and one literally tore me apart - left me weeping and generally feeling as though this had happened within my friendship group - sad but true. 

By the time the book had finished - which I wanted to shake it vigorously just to see if I could squeeze another few chapters out of it to prolong my time with the gang - I was happy, I  they had overcome all my their woes and it was time for me to leave them to live their lives. Blimey...what a ride.

I would strongly urge everyone to read this book, it is a bittersweet, laugh out loud book that really will make you realise that life is for the living. And will someone find Jemma and make her be my best friend?

Many thanks to Rebecca Hunter at Transworld Publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.