Reviews with content warning for Car accident - Twice in a Lifetime

😭😭😭💙💙💙😍😍😍😭😭😭

TW: mental illness, panic attacks/disorders, death, grief, suicide, suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, cancer, death of a parent, car accident, and alcohol, to name several.

⏰💞💙 Timey-wimey romance set in St. Louis? Okay! My first finished book of the year was Twice in a Lifetime by Melissa Baron. This was a pretty quick read, but don't let the page count fool you. It's packed with so much emotion. This book equally encouraged me and wrecked me. 😭😍 Rating: 5⭐

As a result of all of the rollercoaster of emotion this book evokes, there is a considerable list of TW: mental illness, panic attacks/disorders, death, grief, suicide, suicide attempt, suicidal thoughts, cancer, death of a parent, car accident, and alcohol, to name several.

Isla wants a fresh start after her mother's death, so she leaves Chicago to start a new life in St. Louis. Making a life as a graphic designer living in a cute, little cottage outside of the city, Isla is trying to heal from loss when a text from the future turns her life upside down. The text is from her husband, Ewan. But... Plot twist ... Isla isn't even married! 😳 Once her shock wears off and determines Ewan isn't a creeper, she uncovers a plan spanning years to save not just her life but her sanity as well.

I can't even describe the range of emotions I experienced while reading this book. So many healing moments for Isla, not just as she moves through her grief of the loss of her mother, but also discovering how to care for her own mental health. I was encouraged by the encouragement of her friends who taught her what loving herself truly meant. Yes, this was a love story, not just for Isla and Ewan, but also for Isla loving herself. 😭💙😭💙😭💙

Content Warnings

chris_reads's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

linnypesto's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Content Warnings

louisekf's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

Content Warnings

amobrien's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Wow! I was so amazed with Twice in a Lifetime. I love when stories can manage to be both heartbreaking and hopeful. I also loved these characters and the relationships they form both romantically and platonically. Overall, it's an amazing read! I highly recommend it, but please check content warnings before diving in.

Content Warnings

starklinqs's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC! God, at first I was delaying with reading this book, I’m not going to lie. I kept telling myself I wasn’t sure about the writing and that I was just going to read it later (and this was only a few pages in, I don’t know why I was hesitating so hard LMAO).

Then I finally got out of my book slump and forced myself to start again, and I did not put the book down once (literally, I started getting thirsty and started walking down the stairs trying to watch the steps and the book at the same time). This book isn’t perfect of course - the time travel is only loosely described (which I forgive sins I loved everything else so much) and while it’s not necessarily a flaw, I cringe a little when main characters obsess over their looks/not being pretty enough. But god, I loved Ewan and Isla so, SO much. I was invested in their story through and through, and I liked them both as characters. They both have their own sets of flaws, but are lovely and love each other so much, and it’s just SO wonderful seeing Isla and exploring her nervous disorder and all the pain and struggles that come with that while still reiterating that YES, she’s worthy of love. Sometimes I felt frustrated at her in a way that mimicked how I get frustrated at myself, and it was just so very true to form and relatable. I could honestly go on for ages about this book, but to keep it short I just loved it so much. I would read another book about these two, and I know I’m going to reread their story again.

Content Warnings

More...