Reviews with content warning for Medical trauma - Maybe in Another Life

4.5 stars

I myself have always wondered, "what if I did this one thing differently, how would my life have turned out"? That is the concept around the book Maybe in Another Life, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I am a huge TJR fan and have read almost everything she has published. Maybe in Another Life is a good book, just not my favorite one by her. You can't blame me when other books like "Daisy Jones and the Six", "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo", "Forever Interrupted", and "One True Loves", have had a lasting impact on me. Maybe in Another Life centers around Hannah, who in her mid twenties is unsettled and doesn't feel like she has ever had a place to call home, not to mention she is currently running from a disastrous relationship. Hannah runs back to her home town and back in the life of her bestfriend Gabby. Once home Hannah runs into her old high-school relationship Ethan. But what starts off hopefully catapults Hannah into two sperate scenarios one being what happens to her if she leaves the bar with Ethan and one where Hannah leaves the bar with her best friend Gabby.
Taylor explores both lives through beautiful writing that stir all the feelings up in the reader. The only issues I had with Maybe in Another Life is how fast Taylor has wrapped up the story. It felt extremely rushed at the end, just trying to tie up both lives in a happy little bow. But it left me with questions. How did Hannah's life with Ethan look like, what about Henry her night nurse. I wanted those missing fast forward moments written out. I wasn't ready for the rush and in her other books there was never a feeling of it being rushed. I just needed more from Taylor. But it was still the classic Taylor Jenkins Reid book and I will continue to read whatever she publishes.

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culzean's review against another edition

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emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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ruthreadsbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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

3.25

A really fun chick lit read with a happy ending. Much like an Emily Henry or Beth O'Leary. Definitely not that similar to Taylor Jenkins Reid's later books which are truly phenomenal. This book was enjoyable and a bit predictable - I enjoyed every moment I spent reading it but now that I've put it down I probably won't ever think about it again.

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gracedunne's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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mchaw's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-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

3.5

I guess the point is that both realities can be happening concurrently but that really stretches the boundaries of my brain function. I found myself liking one version of the story more than the other but not really loving the outcomes of either. This is not, imo, TJR’s best novel. It was cute, interesting, heart-wrenching but ultimately, just okay.

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