Review: Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Maybe in Another Life

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Pages: 352

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. 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. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Liferaises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.


Kritters Thoughts:  Taylor Jenkins Reid is by far an entertaining author, I don't know how she does it, but I can read her books in just two sittings and regret flying through them every time!

The main character Hannah Martin returns to her home town of LA to regroup and try to find her home as she has spent the last few years hoping from city to city and never feeling settled.  Her first night home she goes out with friends and she has to make a decision - go home with her best friend or stay at the bar with an ex boyfriend/best friend.  This book lets the reader see what would happen in each of these scenarios and I loved it!

I love thinking about the small decisions that you make EACH day and how if you made a very small change to that decision and went the other way your life could go down a completely different path and it could still be a good life, but it would be a different life.  The book alternated chapters with one path and the other and the first few switches were hard, but as her two paths start going down very different roads it was easy to switch back and forth.  I loved how you can see not only how her decision affected her own life, but the lives around her.

I love this concept and could read this scenario over and over again.  This is going on my must read list for the year and Taylor Jenkins Reid is now and officially an auto buy author for me!


As a side note - I went back in March to NYC with my husband to see a broadway show that I had been loving from afar!  It was called If/Then.  This book is that show and the show is touring and if you anywhere near liked this book, you need to see the show!


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Booksparks PR.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.