Maybe in Another Life
Ratings132
Average rating3.8
4.5 stars
I love Taylor Jenkins Reid's older books as much as I love her newer ones. They make me think about things books don't really make me think about such as things like fate or choice. She's quickly becoming my favourite author and honestly I'd read anything she writes.
I love her older style of writing in this book and the parallel universes and I'm in love with both Ethan and Henry and I'm so happy that Hannah is perfectly happy with each of them in whatever universe.
I think what I love most about this book was Hannah and Gabby's friendship. Halfway through I just wanted her and gabby to forget about men and live in their own universe with dogs and cinnamon rolls.
Her books make me think I'm gonna be okay no matter what's happening now even though that's not entirely true but at least they make me think that and I love it.
If there are people in this world we are supposed to love, we'll find them. In time.
It's not bad - Hannah is just boring. Luckily TJR has improved her writing over time so I still will recommend her newer books but these older ones are a little flat. None of the characters feel real and the dialog is pretty rough.
If I had a dollar for every time a Cinnamon Roll was mentioned. This was cute, it's like cute stories rolled into one book, although half the time, I'm not sure what's even the plot is anymore.
Little slow, didn't get into the book quickly but I did enjoy the story. Tending towards the Hospital version more then the other one.
4.75 Stars
I loved it and it was an easy read as I expected since I loved 7HoEH. I'm now a fan of TJR's writing. Took me about 3 hours to read. I can relate in some way. I often have “what ifs” thoughts and could've/should've paths I would take.
I'm on Team Henry if I have to pick either Henry or Ethan hahaha Also I never liked Mark since the beginning. My gut feeling was right.
“If there are an infinite number of universes, I don't know how I got so lucky as to end up in this one.
Maybe there are other lives for me out there, but I can't imagine being as happy in any of them as I am right now, today.
I have to think that while I may exist in other universes, none is as good as this.”
I think the goal was to portray Hannah as a sympathetic and fun character. But for me it seemed she was just annoying and the whole “I look at the cup half full” was bs, or else she would stop complaining or something would happen in which she wouldn't be oh so pretty, with the best friend in the world, cherished by many others btw, semi adopted by her friends parents but also deeply loved by her own and find not one but two amazing men just laying there hahahaha. Come on find some real challenges. I finished it because the author is do often recommended to me, but next time I might give it a miss.
I couldn't put this book down. It made me reflect on life, on love, and made me appreciate the life I have and all the things we have, however simple. I couldn't recommend enough
i don't even know how to express my love for TJR books at this point
this book seems pointless and trivial at times, but wraps up beautifully with conversations on the meaning of fate and soulmates. the converging yet intertwined timelines kept me hooked and i'm so glad i found the energy to just barrel through this book because i couldn't get enough. again, it's mostly the nosy person i am when it comes to life drama but also TJR knocks it out of the park every time
i'm running out of her books to read tho it's Spooky
2.5 stars. It isn't terrible, but it isn't good either. This book follows two parallel stories of a woman (who happens to be my age) trying to get her life together in LA. By exploring two different narratives, we see how life can change drastically because of one small decision — but also, how some things stay the same. It brings up (too explicitly for my taste) questions of fate. But really, at its core, this is a predictable romance novel. And romance novels aren't my thing.
This book makes me feel all sorts of things. It is a true romance book and I was waiting with anticipation any new moment I could read the book and know more about what would happen next. The last two chapters are the weaker point and would have needed to be re-edited. It is way too repetitive and this Jesse doesn't feel like a real person. I wish the author could have based this character on someone she knows to give him more consistency. Also, it was an interesting choice to bring Henry into her world when she hasn't met him at the hospital. Meaning that they were meant to meet, one way or another, either friends or lover. Same with Ethan in the parallel version, I guess. I liked it better than After I do, but still not as much as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, which was so well written. I just found on her instagram that her new book Malibu Rising will be out on June 1st! Excited!
Edit: It's available on netgalley and I requested it! I might read it earlier than I thought huhuhu ^^
But to come back to Maybe In Another Life, it is the story of this 29 year old woman who has been living in many cities and decides to come back to her hometown Los Angeles. She stays with her best friend Gabby and meets again her first love Ethan at a bar. In one instance, she stays the night with him, in the other, she goes back home with Gabby. In the first instance, she ends up pregnant with her ex-married-man-boyfriend-in-new-york, gets a job, and a car, and separates with Ethan before going back together. In the other, she got hit by a car, lost her baby, and fell in love with her night nurse, until finally marrying him. And Gabby in both instances get a divorce and goes back with her high school crush. That part I didn't like, but it was just to close the loop and make sure everyone was happy. And there were a lot of cinnamon rolls huhuhu. I liked this part ^^
She is not very good at talking or describing people of colors or queer people, but well, at least she is trying and actually includes a diverse cast in her books.
Read and reviewed: 2021-02-27
I'm disappointed in this, especially because Taylor Jenkins Reid has been hyped like crazy in the past few years. I love the multi-verse trope but I was not fond of the execution in this book.
I thought the characters were bland. I couldn't care less for Hannah and her poor choices. I love a well crafted flawed character but she was simply not compelling for me. Nor were any of the other characters. The plot felt kind of cheesy and unimaginative. I almost gave up on it several times but forced myself to get to the end hoping it just might surprise me. It didn't.
I had such high hopes for it, I wanted to love it, but it didn't turn out that way.
Picked this book up because I was so impressed by Reid's new release, [b:Daisy Jones & The Six 40597810 Daisy Jones & The Six Taylor Jenkins Reid https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1551887263s/40597810.jpg 61127102], but despite its gimmick Maybe in Another Life is pretty standard chick lit. You basically get two love stories in one, as Reid portrays the different paths that the heroine travels based on one decision she makes. There's a bit to ponder about whether certain events are “meant to be,” no matter which path we choose. And indeed the two stories diverge in some ways but end up at the same point in others. The one true constant in both versions is the heroine's relationship with her BFF, which is a nice plug for Girl Power. I'm not sure which of the two endings is most satisfying, but both are HEAs so you get your money's worth. A quick entertaining read, maybe not as thought-provoking as the author wanted it to be.
Okay, that was really sweet. I'm a sucker for any sort of “Sliding Doors” type thing, so this was right up my alley.
I read this book in one enormous gulp. It's not deep and it's not particularly philosophical, but it is wish fulfillment: all the what-ifs made real. Sometimes you just need a gentle read over spring break.
I really enjoyed this book. The premise that the essential flipping of the coin could decide your fate one way or another. This books explores 2 of those possible options. Both are beautiful stories in their own right, and both prove that you are the product of your decisions.