The Sight of You,

by Holly Miller

Publication: G.P. Putnam’s Sons; June 9, 2020

About:

The Light We Lost meets How to Walk Away in this romantic and page-turning American debut that poses a heartbreaking question: Would you choose love, if you knew how it would end?

Joel has sworn off falling in love. But when he meets Callie, he can’t help being drawn to her. In Callie, he sees a second chance at life. And in Joel, Callie discovers the kind of love she’d always hoped was real. They challenge one another to take chances, to laugh, and to trust that no matter how hard each falls, the other will be there to catch them.

But Joel has a secret. He dreams about the people he loves, and these dreams always come true. One night, Joel has the dream of Callie he’s feared the most, and each must decide: Can Callie stay, knowing her fate? And if her days must be numbered, is there a life she is meant to live?

Told in Joel and Callie’s voices, The Sight of You is a sweeping, romantic, and unforgettable American debut, about the bravery it takes to love, especially when we think we know how the story will end.

My Review

Holy Kleenex alert! The Sight of You is the upcoming and debut novel by author Holly Miller. It is such a tear-jerker, but bear with me, it’s so worth it. Joel has lived his thirty-some years with a secret. In his dreams, he has premonitions about things to come for those that he loves. Sometimes they are wonderful things and other times they are sad things, but it only happens in regards to those that he loves. Due to the weight of his dreams and after previous failed relationships, Joel has resigned himself to a life without a significant other – until he meets Callie. After the loss of her closest friend Grace, Callie takes over Grace’s coffee shop and her dog, Murphy. Although she’s always longed for a career involving nature and animals, Callie feels a loyalty to her late friend tying her to staying at the cafe. When Callie and Joel meet, it’s as if they are both waking from a deep sleep. They’re suddenly excited about life, making plans, and falling in love. But when Joel has a heartbreaking dream about Callie’s future, he isn’t sure how they can go on together.

So, the age-old question: if you knew how/when/where/why a relationship would end, would you still pursue it?

Joel and Callie’s love story is such an amazing one and Holly Miller’s writing is impeccable in its ability to bring their feelings to life. I felt like I could truly feel the emotion between these characters, during both the happy and the sad times. Joel has suffered guilt throughout his life for premonitions about loved ones that he either did not or could not prevent, so when he has a dream about Callie (thus realizing that he truly loves her), he struggles about what to do what his new-found knowledge. Callie is intrigued by and begins to trust Joel’s dreaming premonitions once he tells her the truth about himself. But when she finds out that he had a dream about her, she doesn’t think she wants any information.

Which brings up another question: could you stay in a relationship knowing the ending, if the other person refused to hear the information?

As I stated before, have the Kleenex by your side before you start this book. It is romantic, emotional, happy, and sad all at one time. I can’t begin to count and/or name all of the different emotions I felt while reading this. I will say that overall, I felt the beginning was a bit sluggish, however, once everything picked up, I was completely hooked. I fell in love with all of the characters and wanted nothing but good things for each and every character. I won’t lie and say this is the most feel-good novel I’ve read this year. However, I can’t remember the last time I read a book that conveyed so much love. The Sight of You is an outstanding debut and I cannot wait to read what Holly Miller brings us next!

*Thanks to NetGalley & G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!