Reviews with content warning for Miscarriage - Maybe Next Time

Sometimes a "what if" story comes along that feels so relatable and sad and lovely all at once. Marriage and parenthood. Work/life balance. What would you do if you had the chance to SEE the things you missed the first time? The opportunity to love your partner the way they deserve? The chance to protect your kids? What if...

"I'm so glad you let me stumble into your life."
"All of this starts and ends with us..."
“I wanted to cuddle my husband and hold him close and appreciate how bloody lucky I was to live with my best friend, a really decent human.”

Content Warnings

what_heather_loves's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

"I had to try. I had been so close to giving up, so close to losing everything I loved. This was a chance to get things right.
...I'd been missing so many of these small, precious moments, not just in this loop but before too, leaping ahead on the To Do List in my head rather than pausing to look around, to feel, to taste, to smell: to live."

Working for a publisher in present day London, Emma has no time for beloved husband Dan and children Poppy and Max. A tragic accidents sees her reassessing her life. Groundhog day ensues for her as she tries to save Dan and ultimately be a better mum, wife and friend.

This is such a beautiful and poignant read about making life worth living by spending time with those you love. I enjoyed getting to know Emma and her relationship with Dan through her memories and through the letters he wrote every year on their first date anniversary (or dataversary as he called it). Her interactions with others were provided through mixed media - WhatsApp messages and voicemails, which also demonstrated to constant phone alerts interrupting her. My only criticism was how long it took people pleaser Emma to realise that she needed to invest time in her family and friends in order for both her and them to find peace, but equally it is sadly understandable with the pace of modern life! I cried reading Dan's last letter to her. Bittersweet and poignant, I'm glad I read this lovely novel for #TheBookTasterBookClub

Content Warnings

kiercarnahan's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

It’s not exactly a time travel trope like others but it’s groundhogs day for Emma. Just a fair warning that this book is DEPRESSING. Emma lives the same day over and over (for MONTHS) where her husband always dies at the end of the day. Emma and her husband’s marriage has been rocky and her kids are going through something while she’s super busy with work and all her other responsibilities. It’s the day of their “date-versary” and when Dan goes out to walk the dog, he is struck and killed by a car. And then Emma wakes up and lives it all over again and again. I almost gave up on this because it was just sad but I pushed through and I can’t say that it got much more uplifting so proceed at your own risk.

Content Warnings

babyleo's review

Go to review page

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

lindsayerin's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

caseythereader's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

chloelj27's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What I liked:

🧡 The yearly letters which showed their lives and progression of their relationship.

🧡 The range of emotions the book made me feel.

🧡 The lovable characters.

🧡 Dan & Emma being perfect for each other, but also showing their relationship wasn’t perfect.

🧡 The writing style.

If I had to sum Maybe Next Time up in three words they would be heartbreaking, powerful and beautiful. There were some really heartwarming moments, but some equally devastating ones. I loved Dan and Emma - they showed the hardships of relationships, but also the beauty. The letters throughout were so insightful to their relationship, and that last letter absolutely broke me! I honestly cannot say a bad word about this book and will certainly be buying a physical copy. Stunning!

Thank you Net Galley, Harper Collins and Cesca Major for accepting me as an ARC reader in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings

More...