Book Review: You & Me and You & Me and You & Me
You & Me and You & Me and You & Me by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees will be released in the United States on Feb 10, 2026.
You & Me and You & Me and You & Me asks the question, what would happen if your favorite mix-tapes and CDs, made at the height of your love story, could transport you back in time to those lovely days?
You & Me and You & Me and You & Me is for those readers who love music and nostalgia, who spent hours curating playlists on cassette tapes and mix CDs, writing titles in sharpie and to send messages to their loves ones and friends. This romantic and slightly sci-fi novel will appeal to those who remember the late 80s, 90s, and early 2000s with fondness and nostalgia. Gen X and elder millennials will relate to this book!
Second-Chance Romance in the Multiverse
At its heart, this novel is a second-chance romance for two people who are struggling in their marriage and their lives. Adam and Jules have been together 25 years; their adult children are living at home, and they are blaming each other for their lost dreams and lapsed careers. Things come to a head when they attend a party of a successful friend and get into a big fight. You can tell they are in a cycle of “what ifs” and blaming each other. Right after that, Adam listens to a mix tape from the early days of their romance, and he somehow goes back in time, living in that moment when he gave Jules the first mix-tape he ever made for her.
Once he shares the secret with Jules, they are all-too-tempted to find out where things went wrong in their lives by traveling back in time and trying not to ruin the multiverse. They promise each other they won’t change anything, but of course, they are tempted…
Playing with something they don’t understand could have consequences in the present time. Will they regret the choices they’ve made? Is reliving your past something that will bring love and joy or chaos?
My Thoughts
You & Me and You & Me and You & Me is set in Brighton, England. There are lots of British-isms and references to pop culture and British culture. While that may confuse some American readers, you can also learn some new things, especially about new bands or music artists you’ve never heard of.
I will also say that when I read the first few chapters, I wasn’t connecting to the characters. It was rough going because Adam and Jules were miserable and stuck: unhappy in their lives, careers, and with each other. However, I am glad I kept reading, because I ended up relating to the characters, enjoying the way they not only relived the years they fell in love, but also looking back, they saw moments in their roles as parents and friends and learned about enjoying the moment more. They realized memories can be false and appreciated new things about their lives they’d taken for granted, but it wasn’t corny or anything. There were lots of funny moments when Adam and Jules were making some trainwreck decisions and the end of the book felt truly suspenseful!
Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
