Before You Say I Love You

Unforgettable Love Stories, Book 2

De: Sarah Gate

Narrado por: Freya Parker

Maddie Whittle can't let go of the past.

Life hasn't been the same since she lost her brother six years ago. She keeps the grief boxed away, instead focusing on turning her family's estate into a recovery retreat.

So the last thing Maddie expects — or wants — is James Byron, a former schoolmate, showing up at her home in search of a runaway pig.

He's infuriating, stubborn and a walking contradiction — a man who has no time for Maddie yet refuses to turn his back on the scruffy rescue dog who follows him everywhere.

But she needs help. And he needs a job.

The only thing they can agree on is their mutual dislike as they find themselves embarking on a winter of renovation, working side by side.

But against her better judgement, and the fact they couldn't be more different, Maddie finds herself drawn to James more than anyone she's ever met.

Maddie and James are entangled in something neither of them expected — an unspoken connection, a spark of something real.

Maddie has been living life in her brother's memory. Can she find the courage to open her heart and live it to the full . . . this time, for herself?

From an award-winning author, this is a heartwarming story about finding love — or it finding you — in the most unexpected places. Perfect for fans of Cecilia Ahern, Nicholas Sparks, Shari Low, Amanda Prowse, Jojo Moyes or Holly Miller.

©2025 Sarah Gate (P)2025 Audible Ltd.

Emotional maturity of the characters, refreshing

As someone who had to learn emotional maturity as an adult the hard way, it’s really nice to read characters that have it already. It’s reassuring and comforting experiencing relationships (through written word) that are safe. Love this series and the author!

Meaningful story line.

Recovery from family tragedy and what it might look like. Life goals. Life is all genres mixed together in random order, this book is reflective.

weak plots with slow delivery

story is wordy and sometimes sweet and sometimes boring . Some clever writing but often repetitive and drawn out

This is a great series

Unusual and wonderful and very believable characters. Contemporary romance. Contemporary characters . Great story and wonderful interpretations. A great read listen!

Great story line

Didn’t want to stop listening to this story! Loved the characters and the feelings between Maddy and James

Nice Sequel

I loved the book Before You Say Goodbye and the other day I was going to listen to it again. I stumbled across Before You Say I Love You without realizing it was the sequel! It was a happy find. I do love the first book more but this one was also good. It was nice to hear about this family again and how they have moved on since the death of their loved one.

Incredible character development

I love both part 1 and now part 2. I do think you absolutely should read part 1 first. You could probably figure it out if you don’t but you’d really be missing a lot of detail and character development. The story started off a little slow for me. I really liked the story, I feel very close with these characters and this family. I realized as I was listening something about either the story or narrator made me feel weird and I had a hard time understanding what it was. I realized the author has built such a perfect family and characters that are so incredibly in touch with their feelings, not only being self aware, incredibly empathetic and caring of others, recognizing others needs it was almost too perfect and not preachy but alwayssss talking about it. Like it was so embedded into each character and story it was just a lot. Not very real world like. Or maybe nothing I’m exposed to and it was so weird. Maybe I’m the only one who thinks this or notices. I just had to mention it. Again really good story I def enjoyed it and would read a part 3 if ever made just something a bit odd that felt a bit too much in listening.

precious 🌻✨️

This story takes place six years after Before You Say Goodbye - and six years after Bowie’s passing.

When I saw there was a sequel, I was convinced it would follow Bluebell’s POV. Instead, we step into the heart and mind of Maddie Whittle, the other Whittle sister - still caught in the quiet ache of grief. Maddie hasn’t moved on; she still speaks of Bowie in the present tense, carries his jacket like armor, and wears her grief like a crutch.

This book is such a beautiful exploration of grief, of being stuck, and of learning to let people in again. There’s a quote that lingers with me:

> “Like a mug without a handle — still functional in the way everyone needs you to be, but with a vital part of you, the part that makes things easier, missing.”



Then enters, James Byron - who quite literally stumbles into her world while searching for an escaped piglet. From that moment, I knew I was in for another binge read.

What follows is banter, tenderness, and slow healing. Maddie’s idea of creating a retreat for those living with or recovering from life-altering illness is what first drew me in, but her and James’s hilarious push-and-pull dynamic is what made me stay.

It warmed my heart to see Autumn happy - surrounded by love, her son, and her new partner after all the heartbreak of book one. The Whittle family dynamic remains the soul of the story - open, loving, and unashamedly supportive. It honestly made me reflect on how I approach my own relationships.

Also… the Whittles are vegan! I’m not quite ready to make that shift myself, but this book definitely made me more mindful about what I eat.

Another precious, emotional, laughter-and-tears-filled story from Sarah Gate.

Beautiful Story

This is a beautifully written, touching, and thoughtful story of love, loss, forgiveness, healing, and the beauty of a close family. And I also thought the narrator did a wonderful job with all the different voices!

This sequel could stand alone

I really enjoyed this next episode in the Whittle family saga. The book gives enough background to stand alone, but it’s even better if you have read the first book. Enjoyable narration.