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Maybe in Another Life

Taylor Jenkins Reid (Goodreads Author)

3.75 · Rating details · 30,097 ratings · 4,077 reviews

From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her ...more

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Paperback, 342 pages

Published July 7th 2015 by Washington Square Press

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Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid

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3.75 ·

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· 30,097 ratings · 4,077 reviews

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Apr 09, 2019 Emily May rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019, contemporary

“Life is long and full of an infinite number of decisions. I have to think that the small ones don’t matter, that I’ll end up where I need to end up no matter what I do.”

This is a such a sweet story. It filled me with so much happiness and contentment. That's not to say this is all a simple and feel-good tale. There's heartache and mess contained within these pages, but Maybe in Another Life is mostly a mature coming-of-age story about fate and choices and finding happiness when you're around ...more

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Jul 16, 2015 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it really liked it

I have no apartment and no job. I have no steady relationship or even a city to call home. I have no idea what I want to be doing with my life, no idea what my purpose is, and no real sign of a life goal. And yet time has found me. The years I’ve spent dilly-dallying around at different jobs in different cities show on my face.

I have wrinkles.

My life may be a little bit of a disaster. I may not make the best decisions sometimes. But I am not going to lie here and stare at the ceiling, worrying

I have no apartment and no job. I have no steady relationship or even a city to call home. I have no idea what I want to be doing with my life, no idea what my purpose is, and no real sign of a life goal. And yet time has found me. The years I’ve spent dilly-dallying around at different jobs in different cities show on my face.

I have wrinkles.

My life may be a little bit of a disaster. I may not make the best decisions sometimes. But I am not going to lie here and stare at the ceiling, worrying the night away.

Instead, I go to sleep soundly, believing I will do better tomorrow. Things will be better tomorrow. I’ll figure this all out tomorrow.

Tomorrow is, for me, a brand-new day.

This was an incredibly heartfelt and sweet coming-of-age story, a rather unusual fact given that our protagonist is technically an adult at 29 years of age.

As we all know, age means very little in terms of wisdom, maturity, and growth. Children have all sorts of beliefs about adulthood, mostly that one will eventually settle down. Life doesn't always work out that way, and some of us take longer to reach a final destination. As such, Hannah Martin's story and growth is one that I think is something to which most of us 20 and 30-somethings can closely relate.

It's an understatement to say that Hannah can't settle down. Since college, she has moved countless times, switched jobs (and boyfriends) relentlessly). She hasn't grown up, her haphazard lifestyle supported by a wealthy family. Why the wanderlust? Hannah doesn't even know herself.

I don’t move from place to place on purpose. It’s not a conscious choice to be a nomad. Although I can see that each move is my own decision, predicated on nothing but my ever-growing sense that I don’t belong where I am, fueled by the hope that maybe there is, in fact, a place I do belong, a place just off in the future. It’s hard to put into words, especially to someone I barely know. But then I open my mouth, and out it comes. “No place has felt like home.”

“Sometimes I worry I’ll never find a place to call home.”

After the latest incident in which Hannah ends up sleeping with a married man---and actually contemplating a future with him---Hannah decides that maybe it's time to go home.

“Look, I don’t even know that he’s married,” I said. But I did. I did know it. And because I knew it, I had to run as far away from it as I could. So I said, “You know, Gabby, even if he is married, that doesn’t mean I’m not better for him than this other person. All’s fair in love and war.”

Two weeks later, his wife found out about me and called me screaming.

He’d done this before.

She’d found two others.

And did I know they had two children?

I did not know that.

It’s very easy to rationalize what you’re doing when you don’t know the faces and the names of the people you might hurt. It’s very easy to choose yourself over someone else when it’s an abstract.

And I think that’s why I kept everything abstract.

Home being Los Angeles, California. (Or as a Southern California resident like me, calls it, Hell-A).

Back where she started, living with her best friend (an awesome black woman and her handsome husband, Mark! DIVERSITY, FUCK YEAH!), Hannah runs into a long, lost high school love, Ethan. High school sweethearts, first loves, broken up, as so many other couples are, when the inevitability of distance and circumstance separated them in college. Their reunion is bittersweet, full of questions for which there is no good answer.

“Something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while,” he says. “Why did we break up?”

I look at him and feel my head cock to the side ever so slightly. I’m genuinely surprised by the question. I laugh gently. “Well,” I say, “I think that’s what eighteen-year-olds do. They break up.”

The tension doesn’t dissipate.

“I know,” he says. “But did we have a good reason?”

I look at him and smile. “Did we have a good reason?” I say, repeating his question. “I don’t know. Teenagers don’t really have to have good reasons.”

The book almost feels like a choose your own adventure as two different timelines, two different possibilities unfold. That night splits, and Hannah's story unfolds in ways one would not expect. But in this universe of infinite potentials, in the string theory of love (cheesy, I know! Pun intended) anything is possible.

"There is another version of you out there, created the second the quarter flipped, who saw it come up tails. This is happening every second of every day. The world is splitting further and further into an infinite number of parallel universes where everything that could happen is happening. This is completely plausible, by the way. It’s a legitimate interpretation of quantum mechanics. It’s entirely possible that every time we make a decision, there is a version of us out there somewhere who made a different choice. An infinite number of versions of ourselves are living out the consequences of every single possibility in our lives. What I’m getting at here is that I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices that led me somewhere else, led me to someone else.”

“And my heart breaks for every single version of me that didn’t end up with you.”

This was a great book, with great writing and characterization. You think you know the ending? Just wait. ...more

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Jul 05, 2015 Aestas Book Blog rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 6-star-books

::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED ::: 5 STARS!!!

WOW. WOW. WOW!!! Refreshing, thought-provoking, and highly addictive, this was easily one of the best books I’ve read this year! The story was unlike any other I’ve read, the writing was amazing, and it kept me glued to the page. Everything about this book was totally unconventional and gave a unique perspective on finding your soul mate and one true love. I cried, I laughed, my heart felt like it was bursting with emotions. I LOVED IT!!!

The story is ...more

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Oct 26, 2018 Zoë rated it liked it

An interesting concept, but unfortunately this didn't resonate with me the same way her other books (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and After I Do) have. The alternate timelines mimic one another even down to the same sentences being repeated, which obviously became repetitive. Though, of course, this is a TJR book so I couldn't put the book down! This was one of her first novels, so it's great to see how her writing has improved.

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Jul 05, 2015 Christy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016-audios

5 stars

photo 9EE4834A-638F-4CFE-8C7B-EBE219D20255_zpsymcv23ul.jpg

“Fate or not, our lives are still the results of our choices.”

Thought provoking, completely unique, brilliant and beautifully written. Maybe in Another Life is unlike any book I’ve ever read before. It’s my first Reid novel, and after reading, I want to go and gobble them all up. It was SO GOOD!

Hannah Martin is almost thirty and doesn’t quite know what she wants in life. She’s traveled a lot, but she’s back to LA where her best friend, Gabby lives. Her first night back, Hannah goe ...more

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Nov 05, 2015 Jennifer Masterson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, favorites-2016

This is probably a 4 Star read. Then why did I give it 5 Stars? Because this book MADE ME FEEL! And why do so many of us love books? It's for the feels!

I listened to the audio version. Julia Whelan's narration is nothing less than amazing! If you are looking for a good audio book look no further! This one is fantastic!

Hannah Martin is a twenty maybe early thirty something living in New York City. She's moved around for many years, making bad choices and not laying down roots. Until everything c ...more

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Feb 11, 2017 Melissa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, netgalley, not-for-me, predictable

This was my third Taylor Jenkins Reid novel and the final nail in the coffin. MAYBE IN ANOTHER LIFE convinced me it’s time to cut ties with her writing and never look back. Despite the glowing and infectious declarations of adoration from other readers and friends, the promises of emotional and heart-wrenching storylines her blurbs tend to toss out and the often unique look at relationships she strives to deliver, I’m bailing. I’m done trying to convince myself that I should like her writing whe ...more

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Dec 28, 2017 Chelsea (chelseadolling reads) rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-ive-reread

Re-read 1/30/19: I liked this A TON but I'll be honest and say I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I remember enjoying it the first time. Although tbh I would probs die for Henry so take that with a grain of salt lmao

Original read 12/28/17: Omg. THE FEEEEELS.

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Feb 26, 2015 Geri Reads rated it really liked it · review of another edition

So I’m having a difficult time reviewing this book because until now, I’m still grappling with that ending. I finished it in one sitting, which is always a plus but the ending left me wanting more. Maybe because I’m a romance reader at heart and the ending, while it can be considered HEA, it wasn’t the ending that I really liked. It’s hard to explain without really spoiling a lot of things and I’d rather not spoil the ending or the whole plot really. But if you’ve watched that movie Sliding Door So I’m having a difficult time reviewing this book because until now, I’m still grappling with that ending. I finished it in one sitting, which is always a plus but the ending left me wanting more. Maybe because I’m a romance reader at heart and the ending, while it can be considered HEA, it wasn’t the ending that I really liked. It’s hard to explain without really spoiling a lot of things and I’d rather not spoil the ending or the whole plot really. But if you’ve watched that movie Sliding Doors, then you already have an idea what this book is about more or less. It is similar to the movie in a way but not really. The book starts out with Hannah moving back to Los Angeles after a disastrous break up. She’s 29 years old and feeling as lost as ever. She moves in with her best friend Gabby and her husband. That night, Hannah reconnects with her old high school boyfriend AKA the she never got over.

At the end of the night she had to make a decision, go back home with Gabby or go with Ethan? The book then takes the reader through two journeys: one where Hannah went back with Gabby and the other where she stayed with Ethan. Each of decision has a different outcome and affected Hannah and the people around her differently.

The story itself was interesting. It kept me up all night, flipping the pages eager to see where both Hannah’s choices would take her. Hannah herself was very indecisive. She’s very flawed and I had a hard time relating to her character. I couldn’t quite put my finger to why this was the case. She was a bit bland to me and I actually found Gabby a lot more interesting. And yet her character made sense and her characterization fit with the overall story.

As for the ending, it was a surprise. I was expecting a more romantic ending to be honest, and until now, I still don’t know what to make of it. In a way, it made sense and I agree with it but the romance reader in me wanted more. Let me be clear, there is a happily ever after ending here, but it’s different. This book isn’t really romance, which is why I hesitate recommending this book to hardcore romance readers. This is more about Hannah’s choices and the consequences of those choices she made. But the premise is very unique and the ending was quite surprising that I can’t help but encourage romance readers to give this book a chance.

So while there is a love story here, it’s not the main focus, so in a way, like I said, the ending made sense. It’s realistic and surprising, which is why I give this one 4 stars. Plus, TJR’s writing is stellar as always.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for honest review.

...more

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Jun 14, 2015 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it really liked it

Recommended to Aj the Ravenous Reader by: Alex

Shelves: love-love-love

For starters, this isn’t YA and I can’t remember the last time I’ve read (really read) a non-YA contemporary. I feel like I deserve a reward! Lol. But honestly, it already feels rewarding to read about people my age for a change (hey, that rhymed!) and to have that close feeling of connection to their life experiences.

Somewhere out there, in a parallel universe, there is a version of me that chose to read another YA novel that might have ended up in a mess and that might have caused me days of ...more

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Jun 17, 2016 Jennifer Kyle rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

5 “Cinnamon Bun” STARS

description

I had one book left to read by this author and little did I know that it would be my FAVORITE of her releases. I adored this story and simply every page, every line of this book. It is such a good read having all the components that go into making a story special to me.

description

The story was so well written while being witting and enchanting. The humor is spot on, the fantastic friendship with Gabby is beautiful, the loss and the love just epic!

”I know there may be universes out ...more

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Feb 16, 2019 Brandice rated it really liked it

I breezed through Maybe in Another Life and really liked it! Told in dual timelines, this is the story of 29 year old Hannah, who has floated from job to job in various cities throughout the U.S., and now returns home to Los Angeles after a bad breakup, still unsure of what she wants to do with her life. The story starts with Hannah’s first night out back in LA, where 2 different people (her best friend, Gabby, and her ex-boyfriend, Ethan) offer her a ride home, and then the book splits into the ...more

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Jun 26, 2015 Pavlina Read more sleep less blog❤❤ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: want-to-read-soon, best-cover

4 STARS

“We don’t know what would have happened. But whatever would have happened wasn’t supposed to happen.”“You really believe that?” Ethan says. “I think I have to”

description

Hannah is facing with a dilemma to go home with her best friend or go home with the ex boyfriend.In this story we can see both decisions and how Hanna's life would have been if she had picked one of the two choices.

How can a decision change your life?

Such a wonderful,unique,brilliant and sweet story.First book from this author but ...more

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Dec 17, 2018 Bibi rated it it was ok

Shelves: scribd

The mistake Taylor J Reid made was assuming we cared enough about whatshername (Hannah) to want to read two -entirely too tedious- versions of her life, and in all honesty, the giant Cinnamon bun was the star of this story.

Further, it was infuriating that the men were portrayed as either spineless or jerks. Note to authors: you don't need to denigrate men in order to write strong female characters, and TJR, in particular, writes men who really are incidental which is okay although it does seem

...more

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Jul 04, 2015 Rachel Reads Ravenously rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ebooks, romance

Now available!! http://amzn.to/1Ma6V00

4 stars!

"There is a larger plan out there. Everything happens for a reason. Isn't that what they say?"

Rating this book was tough for me. I devoured it entirely in one sitting and I absolutely love the way this author writes, but that ending man. There's a few things I cannot get past.

Last year I read this author's marvelous book After I Do and fell in love with it. It was a top book of 2014 for me I (so if you haven't read it, please go do so right ...more

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Jul 08, 2015 Brandi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this one, such a unique story.

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Jul 06, 2015 destini mia rated it really liked it

My fate will find me.
So I decide to . . .

Well, this was certainly different. Almost like two books in one. I really enjoyed how Maybe in Another Life explored the idea of alternate universes. While it only focused on two, you really understand how one decision can take you anywhere.

After living day by day, and ending up unhappy with the results, Hannah decides to take control of her life. She doesn't have it all figured out yet, but her first step is to hightail out of a toxic relationshi ...more

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Jan 13, 2019 Trina (Between Chapters) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019, adult, audiobooks, contemporary

I am a huge sucker for books that explore the multiverse and showing the different branches one person's life could take. This had a wonderful friendship and found family and I adored how the MC was completely happy in both versions of her life. That made it impossible for me to have a favorite! She had a great growth arc in both scenarios and I found her very relateable.

Audiobook: This is narrated by Julia Whelan. I've listened to quite a few audiobooks by her and I don't love how gruff she re ...more

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Feb 26, 2016 Mo rated it liked it · review of another edition

Maybe my expectations were too high. It was a good enough read. Hannah annoyed me. I found her to be immature ... I actually found all the characters immature. The concept of the story was original, I guess but overall, it was not a 4 or 5 star read for me. Here is where I wish Goodreads had half stars ... 2.5 stars but will bump it up to 3.

And if I had to read about a "cinnamon roll" one more time ...

Will I read this author again? Maybe. Not sure.

I have stopped and started about 5 books in the ...more

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Nov 10, 2018 Tan Markovic rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks-scribd

Listened to via Scribd!

The third book I have read by Taylor Jenkins-Reid and the 3rd 5 star rating I have given her. There is something about her writing style which is stunning to me. The way in which she tells a story makes me fall so deep into the story that I forget about everything else which is what reading is all about to me. The main character was written so well and raw and made the story all the more relatable. I also very much recommend the audiobook version of this book as the narrat ...more

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Jul 05, 2015 Beverly rated it it was amazing

Talk about a story just coming out of nowhere and hitting you in the feels, hello, this book! I devoured Maybe in Another Life in one sitting. I absolutely loved it!! I have a group of friends and when we are reading something remarkable we text each other. Well, I blew my friends up today with this one. I couldn’t stop sharing how much I loved this story.

“I have no idea what I want to be doing with my life, no idea what my purpose is, and no real sign of a life goal. And yet time has found me
...more

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Nov 10, 2015 Elyse Walters rated it really liked it

Loving these audiobooks!

I downloaded "Maybe In Another Day", onto my overdrive app from my library ...and was immediately entertained.
Storytime and walking... Storytime while in the sauna.... Storytime while doing laundry.....Storytime while cleaning the bird cage! Love it!

I didn't think it was possible to become so involve with characters choices - thoughts-
and feelings in a fiction audiobook book as much as if I were to read it physically
myself... but I sure can vouch for this novel.

The v ...more

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Mar 08, 2018 Lucie rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, sliding-doors-genre

Have you ever wondered what would've happened if you'd just made a different decision?? What would your life have looked like??

In the same genre as 'Sliding Doors', this book takes you down two separate pathways, the two possible outcomes which stem from a single decision Hannah makes at a single moment in time.

The chapters trade back and forth, continuously depicting one resulting life versus another. Those two lives have a few similarities and, of course, many differences.

What happens when H ...more

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Feb 18, 2018 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018

SO GOOD

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Aug 22, 2016 Gabby rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: 5-star-books, adult, all-time-favorites, amazing-ending, books-to-reread-in-the-future, contemporary, emotional, favorite-female-characters, incredible-plot-twists, inspirational

"Life is long and full of an infinite number of decisions. I have to think that the small ones don't matter, that I'll end up where I need to end up no matter what I do. My fate will find me."
Damn, this book was so so so good. Yes, this is a love story, but more importantly this story is about friendship and fate and how unpredictable life can be. This book is so unpredictable and so unique, I've never read anything like this. This is my second time reading a book from Taylor Jenkins Reid and sh "Life is long and full of an infinite number of decisions. I have to think that the small ones don't matter, that I'll end up where I need to end up no matter what I do. My fate will find me."
Damn, this book was so so so good. Yes, this is a love story, but more importantly this story is about friendship and fate and how unpredictable life can be. This book is so unpredictable and so unique, I've never read anything like this. This is my second time reading a book from Taylor Jenkins Reid and she has quickly climbed to the top of my favorite authors list. This book follows Hannah, a girl who has moved from city to city and decides at the age of twenty nine to move back home to Los Angeles, where her best friend Gabby and her husband Mark are currently living. On the night she moves back she runs into her first love Ethan, the one that got away basically, and she decides whether or not she should leave the party with him or go back home with Gabby and Mark. So we get to see both of Hannah's decisions play out in alternate universes, one where she goes home with Gabby and Mark, and one where she decides to stay out with Ethan, and each universe is playe dout in alternating chapters. It might sound a bit confusing, but it's really easy to tell which universe is which and it's such a fast-paced and easy-to-read writing style.

There are so many wonderful things about this book, it's almost overhwleming to try and capture it all in this review. For starters, I loved Hannah as a main character. She was completely relatable in the sense that she has no idea what she wants to do with her life. I love this quote she says in the very beginning of the book: "I'm not scared of flying. I'm scared of sharks, hurricanes, and false imprisonment. I'm scared that I will never do anything of value with my life. But I'm not scared of flying." I feel like once I reach twenty nine I might feel the same exact way and it was comforting to read about a character who is so relatable in that way. Now, let me talk about my favorite character in this book: Gabby. (And no I'm not biased because I share her name haha). Gabby and Hannah's friendship is the highlight of this book. They are actual friendship goals and probbaly the most beautiful friendship I have ever read about in a book. Gabby is a strong, and loyal friend and she also happens to be black so bonus points for diversity. Gabby and Hannah are their for each other through absolutely everything and it's honestly SO REFRESHING to read about a strong friendship like this. They never allow the shitty aspects of life to ruin their friendship and they are there for each other through EVERYTHING. It's amazing.

As for the love interest, Ethan: I personally thought he was just okay. Maybe I would feel more attached to him if I knew more about his back story and their back story together, but it felt like one of those relationships where they have a lot of history together but we never actually get to see any of that history. I thought Ethan and Hannah were cute, but they definitely weren't a couple I shipped and I didn't necessarily care if they ended up together or not. However, Henry is my favorite male character in this book. I love everything about him, and I can't talk much about his character without spoilers but omg I love him. (view spoiler)

The main reason I loved this book though wasn't because of the characters but the idea of fate is so thought provoking and interesting to me. It leaves me questioning: do we have any control over our own fate, or are some things just bound to happen to us no matter what? Is fate really inevitable or is it something we can change just by making certain decisions? Can one single decision really drastically change our lives so much that if we hadn't made that one decision we woulddn't even be who we are today? It's shit like this that I love and that I think about often, and this book is just so beautifully written. This book is so eye-opening and really shows you how every single decision you make - big or small - can change your life forever. But it also shows you how some things are inevitable and are meant to be and are going to happen to you at one point or anothing in your life. Every single minute we are making decisions that have the power to completely change our lives, and maybe there's a version of us out there who is living the life of the decision we didn't make. It's so powerful to believe that we might have control over our own fate, but that maybe there's some things that will happen to us no matter what we do. I absolutely love that no matter what happens in Hannah's life, her one constant is Gabby throughout everything. Gabby is the only person in her life who never leaves and is always there, no matter where Hannah's decisions lead her. It's so beuatiful and hopeful.

"I was really taken with this one theory that states that everything that is possible happens. That means that when you flip a quarter, it doens't come down heads or tails. It comes up heads and tails. Every time you flip a coin and it comes up heads you are merely in the universe where the coin came up heads. There is another version of you out there, created the second the quarter flipped, who saw it come up tails. This is happening every second of every day. The world is splitting further and further into an infinite number of parallel universes where everything that could happen is happening. This is completely plausible, by the way. It’s a legitimate interpretation of quantum mechanics. It’s entirely possible that every time we make a decision, there is a version of us out there somewhere who made a different choice. An infinite number of versions of ourselves are living out the consequences of every single possibility in our lives. What I’m getting at here is that I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices that led me somewhere else, led me to someone else.”

“And my heart breaks for every single version of me that didn’t end up with you.”

It's passages like that one that made me love this book. I am so fascinated by this idea and I feel like this book is executed so well. It was heartfelt and emotional (seriously, I was crying like a baby at the end) and it was just written so beautiful. The only reason I knocked off half a star is because I wasn't a huge fan of the romance between Hannah and Ethan. I guess I just never really warmed up to Ethan. This story is written so fast pcaed though and it was unpredictable and I love that there were so many plot twists that I didn't see coming. (view spoiler) The overall mesage of this book gives me so much hope, because no matter where we end up, we have to find happiness with what we've been given in life. Our decisions make us who we are and we have to embrace it. We might have some control over what happens to us but there is so much more that isn't up to us and is inevitably going to happen and we have to embrace it and find the happiness in the little things.

I was surprised by how touched and emotional I felt over the ending of this book but it was absolutely beautfiul and I knew I had found a new favorite book. I just read One True Loves last month and loved it and I cosider it a new favorite of mine, so I was shocked to discover that I love this book even more than that one. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a phenomenal writer and I love the way she writes about love and fate and the way every single decision we make changes our lives. Her writing is so inspiring and thought provking and the situations she puts her characters in are so unique and I love it. I can't wait to read more from her in the future. Do yourself a favor and read this wonderufl book. ...more

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Jul 17, 2015 snowplum rated it liked it · review of another edition

(This is a relatively spoiler-ish review. You probably should skip it if you don't want any spoilers whatsoever, because there are lots of them littered about. Sorry, I just can't talk about this one without giving away plot points. Ye have been warned.)

This book was a quick read that periodically charmed but more frequently annoyed me. First of all, the movie Sliding Doors already exists. And given that it stars Gwyneth Paltrow (prior to her sometimes-hilarious but often-frightening insanity di (This is a relatively spoiler-ish review. You probably should skip it if you don't want any spoilers whatsoever, because there are lots of them littered about. Sorry, I just can't talk about this one without giving away plot points. Ye have been warned.)

This book was a quick read that periodically charmed but more frequently annoyed me. First of all, the movie Sliding Doors already exists. And given that it stars Gwyneth Paltrow (prior to her sometimes-hilarious but often-frightening insanity diminishing her popularity), a lot of people have seen it. I realize that there are infinitely many stories about possible parallel realities (and given that they all nod to quantum physics, that would mean there truly are infinite stories of parallel realities that exist in all the parallel worlds where people write their various stories about parallel realities), so you can't say someone ripped off a story just because she uses the concept and then discusses two possible futures.

But the resemblance to Sliding Doors is not just in concept! In Reality 1, it seems like everything goes wrong. Hannah is hit by a car, her supposed soul mate goes home with another girl, and everything is dreadful. In Reality 2, Hannah goes home with her supposed soul mate, they instantly declare their love for each other, she gets a new car and a new job, and the universe smiles benevolently upon her. BUT THEN! In the reality with the car accident where everything started out dire, things get better! And in the reality where everything started out amazing, things start going wrong! At this point, it would exactly = Sliding Doors, but then our author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, goes off script to say "Psych! -- both endings are Happily Ever After!" So put your finished book in your beach bag, have another daiquiri, and go get some mani-pedis with your bestie. Yey.

I promise I'm not just being snarky because this book has a super happy beach read ending. I like the beach (minus the people) and I like being happy (as long as I occasionally get to be angsty for the fun of it and dark for the sake of my art). I have some actual criticism of the book, even within the category of happy chick lit beach reads (for which I'm sure we all agree we are not setting the bar at the level of Great Classic; but when we are promised "breathtaking," some of us do set the bar... somewhere in higher altitudes).

My least favorite thing about this book is how little time passes. We don't even spend months in the story (aside from the final chapters that jump ahead three years, epilogue style.) Everything happens within a couple of weeks. It's not that I don't believe that a person occasionally has a span of a few weeks in life where 10,000% more stuff happens than happens in a typical year.... and what better to write a book about than such an intense period of time when if feels like everything is shifting, and (if you are of a fanciful nature) becoming what it was Meant to Be? Yet I finished this book so unsatisfied largely because it felt like I breezed through some appetizers and never had an entree. Or maybe the better metaphor would be tapas. All this material is supposed to add up to the equivalent of an entree; but if you like something, there's not much of it, and if you really want to sink into something, you're out of luck.

The second thing I don't like much is how flat both of the male leads are. Hannah manages to have two (differently) perfect guys fall in love with her in a matter of minutes in their respective realities. But they're only "perfect" because Reid doesn't have to tell you any of the details about them that make them imperfect-but-real -- due both to the short time-line of the story and the brevity of the content about the men. Some readers may like this, and just pin their own personal fantasies and specific thoughts onto Ethan or Henry; but I just found the characterization shallow and trivial, not enough to pin much of anything on other than a fluffy little fleeting thought or two.

I think a large part of why I put off writing this review for a while is that there is a plot point that really frustrates and bothers me and I feel like I ought to mention it, yet I emphatically desire not to be drawn into any discussion about it that goes in a moral direction (for reasons that I expect many of you will understand once I get around to ending this disclaimer and explaining said plot point). Well, here it is: Hannah gets pregnant while having an affair with a married man. And in one of the realities, she loses the baby (and is ultimately grateful that she lost it because she is not ready to be a mother, and it is not exactly awesome in several ways to have an unplanned baby from a relationship that you regret with a married man you moved across the country to get away from when you have no money, no job, and no security of your own....) But in the other reality, Hannah does not lose the baby through divine intervention, and decides to keep it. I dunno, Internet Strangers Who Are Prone to Judge. I realize any number of you would contend that it's possible to be glad to have your baby and be a very good mother regardless of such circumstances. And I don't think it's not possible! I just never managed to get enthusiastic about the fact that the decision to have the baby instead of taking any other alternative seriously gets treated with less depth than Hannah's passion for cinnamon rolls. (This is not an exaggeration. We hear a fair amount about cinnamon rolls. We only discover in about three sentences that Hannah believes in a woman's right to choose, and presumably she knows that adoption is a thing that exists, but nope, she's having this baby. Come what may.)

I am probably talking way too much about that given that I meant it when I said I don't think we need to get into any sort of moral debate here. The point I'm trying to make as a reviewer is that I don't like the way Reid wrote about Hannah's thought process, which I feel I have much more right and reason to critique than I do her decision. I think some of you who generally get where I'm coming from would likely agree. (And if Reid glossed over this content because she felt backed into a corner by the difficulties of taking on a Serious Topic in a light summer beach read, then she should have amended the story, not glossed over it and hoped that most readers would just think it's nice that Hannah gets to keep her baby and be happy.)

As for it being possible to be blissfully happy in some very different ways... it is a nice thought. If you are in a state of sadness because you feel like you possibly missed out on a love connection with your Soul Mate, this book might cheer you up nicely. And hey, if you think you are questing for or even currently happily settled with a Soul Mate, this book isn't going to hurt your feelings by aggressively invalidating your delusions, so go ahead and read it if you want a light summer read.

Just never tell anyone Snowplum told you this book deserved the hype. ...more

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Aug 06, 2015 Daryl Altman rated it did not like it

What a great concept! Parallel universes, parallel life stories, diverging at a single decision!

Unfortunately, the characters were boring and unidimensional, the plot(s) were puerile and passé, and the dialog was redundant, even within the single stories. How many times must I read about the "high bun" hairdo or the friend's "eye rolling"? How much vomiting--oh, wait, "puking"--must a careless, sexually active woman have before suspecting a pregnancy? And is finding the right man still the drivi ...more

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Feb 26, 2015 Lucia rated it liked it

3.5 STARS

This book kept me glued to the pages until the very end. I really enjoyed this story about parallel universes.

UPDATE:
(view spoiler)

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Jul 09, 2016 Melisa rated it liked it

Shelves: women-s-fiction

"Fate or not, our lives are still the results of our choices. I'm starting to think that when we don't own them, we don't own ourselves."

This book will make you think and then make you think some more. What if you had made one slightly different, even seemingly insignificant decision? Would your life look totally different today because of it?

Maybe in Another Life is a story about Hannah, and the two different paths her life could have gone in based on a decision she made one night on her return ...more

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Nov 20, 2014 Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: emotional-angsty-books, read-in-2015

4 - 4.5 ★'s

After I read After I Do by the author, I knew that I would have to give another book of hers a chance. And after I read the blurb, I knew I would definitely read this. I'm so glad I did.

Hannah has basically been on her own since she was sixteen years old and has moved from place to place looking for a "home", not realizing she's had one all along. Moving back to where she grew up in LA, her best friend, Gabby, invites some of their friends to a welcome back party at a bar.

When thin ...more

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About Taylor Jenkins Reid

Taylor Jenkins Reid

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Taylor Jenkins Reid is the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, One True Loves, Maybe in Another Life, and two other novels. She lives in Los Angeles. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @tjenkinsreid.