(54)Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Sunday, July 5, 2015


Hannah Martin is twenty-nine year old woman with a dead-end job and a married boyfriend. She knows that her life needs a new direction so she moves home to Los Angeles and to her best friend, Gabby.  Gabby has always been the one constant in her life and Hannah needs her stability now more than ever.  Her first night back in town she goes out with Gabby and runs into her ex-boyfriend, Ethan. Her first true love.  When the night ends Hannah has a choice to make - does she go home with Ethan or does she go home with Gabby.  The rest of the book continues in parallel universes told in alternating chapters.  The different scenarios produce different experiences and different consequences, but one thing is the same.  In both "universes" Hannah believes she has found the man who is her one true love, but they are different men.  Which life is Hannah meant to live?

Maybe in Another Life was a unique book to read. It took me a few chapters to realize that it was a parallel universe for Hannah.  Once I got into the pace of the stories the book moved rather quickly.  There were a few things that were consistent in both versions of Hannah's life.  One was Hannah's strained relationship with her parents and the other was Gabby's relationship with her husband.   The thing I really liked was Hannah's relationship with Gabby and her parents.  They were the one stable, constant thing in Hannah's life and because Hannah realized that she had a great respect for the Hudson family.  I was about two-thirds of the way through the book when I decided which version of Hannah's life I liked better.   The ending was just as unique as the rest of the book and I was okay with that.  The author has a lot of faith in her readers and I love that kind of confidence.


Bottom line - with each new book Taylor Jenkins Reid writes I become more of a fan.  Maybe in Another Life is a unique tale about a unique woman.  I think it will generate a lot of chatter among your friends and your next book club meeting.  You can find it on bookstore shelves near you this Tuesday, July 7th.

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