Maybe in Another Life: A Novel

Product Information

Both stories were basic and unoriginal, so it didn’t feel real, I didn’t feel attached to the character. I'm starting to wonder if part of her charm is that - at least with both The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Maybe in Another Life - she lures us into asking the wrong questions. They are the type of friends who can read each other’s minds and are there for each other no matter what. Whether or not you agree, the term “ a sliding doors moment” has entered the lexicon, meaning a moment in a character’s life where their seemingly innocuous decision has far-reaching impact on how their life plays out.

On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

I have to think that the small ones don’t matter, that I’ll end up where I need to end up no matter what I do.

This subgenre that is wholly dominated by TJR is so addictive that it tricked me into thinking I was out of my reading slump. I may not have been here before, but I’ve been sending cards, baked goods, and various gifts to Gabby for months. When I come out of the gate, Gabby is holding up a sign that says “Hannah Marie Martin,” as if I wouldn’t recognize her, as if I wouldn’t know she was my ride. Shortly after moving back to her hometown of Los Angeles, she goes out to a bar with her best friend, Gabby, and reconnects with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.I've become fond of Hannah's character, even if there were times I found her a little annoying and a bit of a loser. Sometimes that road takes unexpected twists and turns, but the beauty of it is that sometimes you end up in a better place than you could have dreamed. But after the fact, I did get to thinking about the things I didn’t like, and it left me kind of scratching my head as to why I enjoyed it so much. Her characterization and creativity shone throughout this book, and gave me a much needed boost of sugary serotonin. The story starts with Hannah’s first night out back in LA, where 2 different people (her best friend, Gabby, and her ex-boyfriend, Ethan) offer her a ride home, and then the book splits into the dual storylines, showing how just one decision can change everything.