maybe in another life // taylor jenkins reid

life is long and full of an infinite number of decisions.  I have to think that the small ones dont matter, that I'll end up where I need to end upon matter what I do. My fate will find me. 

published: 2015
pages: 333
heard/read: 7/14-15/2020
book: 58 in 2020

SYNOPSIS

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 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 story lines, 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 Life raises 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.

THOUGHTS 

this was an okay read. 

there are definitely some gems in there and there are times where the overall message in a chapter itself is really great but overall, this wasn't a fave of mine.

i listened to a good chunk at work and i felt like the first half didn't really do much. it just dragged. once i got home and started reading it i was more invested so maybe it lies in that? but idk, i usually dig audiobooks. 

its not that Hannah was bad, she just made bad life choices. I'm no one to judge her. we've all fucked up here and there. i just didn't connect with her. 

in the beginning we have just the one Hannah, flying home to LA from NYC. 

her best friend Gabby and her husband pick her up and the next night or something, they go out with friends. 

Han reunites with Ethan, the love of her life, the one that got away (same for him)....when the night is over, when Ethan asks her to stay and she chooses to leave, THAT'S when it starts going both ways. and it wasnt bad, i just idk, didn't care for it. 

in one timeline she manages to get back with Ethan rather easily just to lose it again juuuuuuust  to end up married to him whereas in the other timeline she decides to leave Ethan just because he took someone else home and they both end up with someone else. (ALTHOUGH! they still touch bases about what could have been soooooo...iiiidddkkkkkk!) 

in the end, we get 2 endings BUT there are some similarities in both stories. i think i would have preferred it if the story would have ended in just one way. more....closure. but i think the point of the story is that no matter what you choose, in the end, its mostly kinda similar. 

idk. 

overall, it wasnt a bad read cause if it was i wouldn't have stayed up until almost 2 to finish it but something about it left me wanting more. more...closure. idk. 

"I'll see if there's any way to make it work. That's what you do when you want something. You don't look for reasons why it won't work. You look for reasons why it will. 

So I'm searching, I'm digging, for ways to make it happen."

anyway, jump over for spoilers. 

thanks for reading!

#bookslesreads on IG

SPOILERS

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SPOILERS

Hannah is flying home to LA from NYC after she decides to leave because of her failed relationship with Michael. 

turns out he was married with kids and she kinda knew buuut decided to brush it off until his wife found out and she finally had names to his wife and their kids. 

she lands in LA goes with Gabby and Mark and they go out the next day or something. 

she meets up with Ethan and at the end of the night when he tells her he'll take her home she decides to leave with Gabby and Mark. 

in an attempt to get her to stay in LA permanently, Gabby suggests they stop at LACMA to look at the lights. Han decides to take a picture of Gab & Mark so she goes on the street when she is in a hit and run. 

in timeline one: 

she wakes up in the hospital and learns of her accident. she also learns that she lost the baby she didn't even know she had. 

she ends up having Henry as a nurse and she grows feelings for him. they're mutual but he can't act upon them because of his job. in the end, other nurses notice so they relocate him and once Hannah is released she tries to get a hold of him to no avail. 

he could have lost his job but she ends up playing the stalker part. 

once she is back at home at Gabby's, Mark ends up leaving Gabby for another woman. he's left her the house but asks for a divorce and lets her know there is someone else. 

eventually Gabby sees that she never really LOOOOOVED loved Mark but they both went along with it because they were there. 

in the end, Gabby ends up with some dude Jesse whom she crushed on in high school. and after "running into" Henry at a bakery, he and Han end up married with a child on the way while she earns her degree to become a nurse. 

Hannah and Ethan are on good terms but they still wonder what would have been if they'd never broken up. 

in timeline two!: 

hannah goes home with ethan they decide to work it out, she finds out she's pregnant with Michael's kid, she tells Michael, he tells her to fuck off and that's it for them. 

she needs to tell Ethan. 

so she does. and for every reason he gave her as to why they would never break up this time around, he ends up breaking up with her because she is having another man's child. (of course he's not to blame that's a lot to take in) 

in this timeline, Gabby and Hannah catch Mark cheating on her. 

they go visit him at his office when they leave Hannah's OB-GYN apt and sho' nuff there he is being trifflin'

Ethan eventually ends up coming back to Hannah and they end up married, having their baby and trying for another. 

Hannah is also still in school on her way to becoming a nurse. 

Gabby still ends up with Jesse. 

and now that Hannah is leaving her job at Gabby's dads job (he hooked her up with a job) there is an open position. Carl (the dad) doesn't get along with this other doctor who wants to recommend someone. Hannah takes it upon herself to meet the new candidate and it turns out to be Henry. 

i guess the only lesson in this story is that the people that are meant to be in your life will be in your life one way or another. 

there's also a bunch of other shit that i left out but im over it and i wanna move on so yea.