Scan barcode
A review by _askthebookbug
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
5.0
• r e v i e w •
.
"The difference between life and death could be as simple and as uncomfortably slight as a step you take in either direction. Which means that I am here today, alive today, because I made the right choices, however brief and insignificant they felt at the time. I made the right choices." - Taylor Jenkins Reid.
.
Taylor Jenkins Reid does it every single time. Her books are surely magic portals which eludes the concept of time and place. It often feels like I'm on a mission to read all of her books and right after I finished reading Maybe in Another Life, I procured an ecopy of After I Do. Apart from the fact that her stories carry a unique concept, it's her writing that enthralls the readers. There's also a pattern that she follows in choosing her protagonists; strong and bold women. This book was no different. Maybe in Another Life turned out to be a real treat which I finished reading in two days. It was simply unputdownable, in spite of it being a romance novel. If you know me, you'd know romance is usually not my preferred genre. So that speaks volumes.
.
Hannah is twenty-nine and is having an existential crisis. With no boyfriend, no job and no home, she decides to go back to her hometown LA and live with her best friend Gabby and her husband until she can figure things out. She is fully aware of the fact that she is now living closer to her highschool boyfriend, Ethan, who also happens to be the love of her life. When they have a class reunion post her move, she meets Ethan and realises that she's still in love with him. Their breakup was a result of wrong timing, wrong place and wrong circumstances but now they're expectant of picking up the relationship where they had left off. When Ethan asks her to stay by offering her a ride later , Hannah hesitates. What will unfold if she decides to stay? And what happens if she leaves with Gabby?
.
Starting here, Taylor writes two stories parallely, one with Ethan and one without him. In simultaneous storylines, Hannah lives her life that has now been set into motion as a result of her decision. The narration switches easily between the two scenarios leaving the readers at the edge of their seats. We often wonder what course our lives would have taken if it wasn't for that one decision and Taylor's novel is just that. A single decision that has the power to change the direction of our lives. She plays with fate and destiny, the consequences and rewards. The two lives of Hannah are two sets of realities and I loved reading them. All the while it made me wonder how my life would have panned out if I had made my choices differently. Hannah's life can be anyone's and this is how real Taylor has managed to build the story. I especially loved the friendship that Hannah shared with Gabby; two women who support each other through thick and thin. Such female friendships are so inspiring to read about. This novel was such a refreshing change but then again it doesn't come as a surprise because Taylor always chooses such unmatched stories.
.
If you haven't read her work, now's the time to start. If there's one author who has consistently aced all of her books, I can't think of anyone apart from Taylor. I highly recommend this. Even if you aren't into romance, pick this up for the feeling that comes with living Hannah's fascinating yet utterly ordinary life. Excuse me while I now dive into After I Do.
.
Rating : 5/5.
.
"The difference between life and death could be as simple and as uncomfortably slight as a step you take in either direction. Which means that I am here today, alive today, because I made the right choices, however brief and insignificant they felt at the time. I made the right choices." - Taylor Jenkins Reid.
.
Taylor Jenkins Reid does it every single time. Her books are surely magic portals which eludes the concept of time and place. It often feels like I'm on a mission to read all of her books and right after I finished reading Maybe in Another Life, I procured an ecopy of After I Do. Apart from the fact that her stories carry a unique concept, it's her writing that enthralls the readers. There's also a pattern that she follows in choosing her protagonists; strong and bold women. This book was no different. Maybe in Another Life turned out to be a real treat which I finished reading in two days. It was simply unputdownable, in spite of it being a romance novel. If you know me, you'd know romance is usually not my preferred genre. So that speaks volumes.
.
Hannah is twenty-nine and is having an existential crisis. With no boyfriend, no job and no home, she decides to go back to her hometown LA and live with her best friend Gabby and her husband until she can figure things out. She is fully aware of the fact that she is now living closer to her highschool boyfriend, Ethan, who also happens to be the love of her life. When they have a class reunion post her move, she meets Ethan and realises that she's still in love with him. Their breakup was a result of wrong timing, wrong place and wrong circumstances but now they're expectant of picking up the relationship where they had left off. When Ethan asks her to stay by offering her a ride later , Hannah hesitates. What will unfold if she decides to stay? And what happens if she leaves with Gabby?
.
Starting here, Taylor writes two stories parallely, one with Ethan and one without him. In simultaneous storylines, Hannah lives her life that has now been set into motion as a result of her decision. The narration switches easily between the two scenarios leaving the readers at the edge of their seats. We often wonder what course our lives would have taken if it wasn't for that one decision and Taylor's novel is just that. A single decision that has the power to change the direction of our lives. She plays with fate and destiny, the consequences and rewards. The two lives of Hannah are two sets of realities and I loved reading them. All the while it made me wonder how my life would have panned out if I had made my choices differently. Hannah's life can be anyone's and this is how real Taylor has managed to build the story. I especially loved the friendship that Hannah shared with Gabby; two women who support each other through thick and thin. Such female friendships are so inspiring to read about. This novel was such a refreshing change but then again it doesn't come as a surprise because Taylor always chooses such unmatched stories.
.
If you haven't read her work, now's the time to start. If there's one author who has consistently aced all of her books, I can't think of anyone apart from Taylor. I highly recommend this. Even if you aren't into romance, pick this up for the feeling that comes with living Hannah's fascinating yet utterly ordinary life. Excuse me while I now dive into After I Do.
.
Rating : 5/5.