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There are currently 35 member reviews
for Maybe in Another Life
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Laurie H. (Stuart, FL)
Great read!!
I loved this book~~such a different approach to a story. I love the idea of what happens from a single choice. I think we always wonder "what would have happened if....." Both arcs were believable and satisfying. Well done!
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Chris W. (Temple City, CA)
"the road not taken ..."
I'm so glad I was able to read this book and I enjoyed it very much. This book made me think about the many difficult choices we have to make in life and whether our lives would have been different if we went in another direction. I liked the alternating chapters dealing with the two choices, and the story lines were believable. It was actually a page turner because I cared about the main character and the consequences of her choices. Who hasn't wondered about a romantic partner from the past? The friendship between the two women was amazing and well developed. It was well written and much better than I initially thought from the story description. It would be a good book for a book club or for people who want to discuss relationships and "what ifs" and who are agonizing over life decisions. Is there a plan already written for our lives but there are different paths to get there? Are there parallel universes? For these discussions, I'll bring the cinnamon rolls. I now want to read more books by this author.
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Karen L. (Chicago, IL)
Ethan or Gabby
This book was charming! It a stayed with me long after I finished reading it. It is cleverly written in alternating chapters of different, but concurrent story lines, causing the reader to ponder the question: Can one inconsequential decision change the course of your life? The characters are well developed, very real and easy to connect with. Hannah is representative of so many young women trying to discover who they are and what they want. It is a unique modern romance that offers a fresh perspective on friendship, choices and fate.
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Susan B. (Rutledge, MO)
Well done, moving, engaging read
I was expecting the plot device (following two parallel stories branching out from a single decision a woman makes) to feel contrived or difficult to follow, but the author did a lovely job of it. I was engaged, interested, surprised, and moved. Excellent job with something that could have been horrid. Highly recommended, especially as a fun-but-deep summer read...
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Lori H. (Puyallup, WA)
A great book to spark discussion
I enjoyed the premise of this book immensely. The main character in this novel lives out the consequences of her actions/decisions in two parallel story lines. As a reader I found myself drawn into each scenario and wondered how each would play out in the end. I found both story lines believable and well written. I think this book would make for a fabulous book club pick as there is much to consider and ask what if? I have now read all of Taylor Jenkins-Reid's books and will anxiously await her next!
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Marcie M. (Chantilly, VA)
Why has this author not been on my list
I have never read a book by Taylor Jenkins Redi before. Now I have another author to love. I've always wondered about the idea of if you could go back and make different decisions in life. Reading about the parallel lives gave me great insight in to those choices. I couldn't quite decide which love story I wanted to win in the end. Can't wait to read her other books.
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Sharon R. (Deerfield, IL)
What If.....
What If? What if you did not move to a new town? What if you did not go to college? What if you simply did not get out of bed one morning?
Maybe in Another Life is all about "what ifs". There are two love stories told in alternating chapters with all the same characters. There are best friends who have remained devoted to one another despite one, our main character, Hannah, who has lived all over the United States in search of a "home" to call her own. She returns to her hometown, Los Angeles, and this is where the alternating stories takes place.
Ms. Reid explores all of life's themes, fate, chance encounters, soul mates. The choices that Hannah makes affects her friend's and family's lives in different and very believable ways. Her best friend Gabby stays true in both scenarios but the other characters change based on the decisions that Hannah makes.
I found myself cheering for both love stories and at the end of the book I'm not sure which one I wanted to believe more. I also must admit to reading the entire book in one sitting!
I challenge everyone who reads this book and I encourage everyone to do so, to look back at their own life and say "what if I had done......"
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