Loved the premise of this book...so timely, and scary. As a mom, it was so eye opening, devastating. Fans of the author will not be disappointed, if anyone has never read her, this is a good one to start with. Love the cover art, so appropriate and the title is perfect!

A catching tale of love and loss

One moment was all it took for Mackenzie Coopers life to change completely. One moment, when she took her eyes off the road to check the map on her phone. The next moment, a car accident. Her five-year-old daughter dies in the accident – and Mackenzie finds her life unravelling before her eyes. One moment, and her life turned upside down. Her marriage dissolving, friends and family turning away. Five years later, she has built a new life in a peaceful Vermont town, where she is not happy, but content, with several close-but-not-too-close friends, most of which have no idea about her past. She is using her maiden name, working a new career as a make-up artist and is almost through her five-year probation. She has virtually forgotten her previous life, when suddenly it all comes back to her. Can Maggie actually get past the death of her daughter? Can anyone? And does moving on equal forgetting?

Delinksy tells the heartbreaking story of losing a child, the pain and grief that comes with it and elicits how not just immediate family but whole generations can be affected. A story of friendship, love, loss, guilt and overcoming immense challenges. Delinksy has a gift for storytelling. Her writing managed to pull me right into the cold Vermont winters, and left me curious enough to keep reading on. I truly enjoyed reading this book, although I found the end to be a bit too much of a happy end.

If you have read Barbara Delinsky, you already love her. Before and Again which publishes on June 26th, 2018, has an even deeper layer of emotional touchstones than she has had in her wonderful books in the past. If I could, I would give this ten stars.

Mackenzie and Edward have caught the brass ring at the merry-go-round. They have everything money can buy, a smart, pretty 5 year old and a mutual love and respect that keeps them smiling. Until the accident.

I appreciated Vermont - in the summer months - before this novel. It is on my bucket list. But the setting of Before and Again in the imaginary town of Devon made me appreciate year round life in Vermont as well. If you only read one book this summer, Before and Again should be it.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Barbara Delinsky, and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

This was a slow read for me. Lots of repetition on the same themes over and over again. I did enjoy the various characters and townspeople. The author does a good job describing the town, I could picture this small town and the people based on her descriptions. I was hoping for some twists but overall the story was somewhat entertaining. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

It’s been years since I’ve read a Barbara Delinsky book but I have fond memories of the ones I’ve devoured in the past. So I was really looking forward to this and it didn’t disappoint. Her writing is fluid and the story drew me in quickly. It was a touching journey of grief and learning to forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made in the past. My only struggle was with the Epilogue – I’m not a fan of using it to wrap everything up in hindsight. I would have preferred to walk through the unresolved conflicts with the characters. But I highly recommend this and am giving it a solid 4 stars.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this character driven novel. I felt like I was walking right in Maggie's shoes -- I sympathized with her so much. And I loved the twists and turns throughout as well.

While driving her five-year-old daughter to a play date, Mackenzie Cooper glanced down at her GPS just long enough to run a stop sign, causing an accident that killed Lily. Mackenzie was devastated, and blamed herself, accepting the probation agreement set by the court. Her marriage to Edward disintegrated, and after the divorce was final, Mackenzie moved to Devon and became a makeup artist at the local Spa. She also changed her name, going by Maggie Reid.

Maggie made friends in Devon, and began to rebuild her life. No one asked about her past, even her best friend Grace, who was harboring dark secrets of her own. When Grace’s teenaged son Chris was arrested for computer hacking, Maggie did her best to support her friend, though her probation agreement stated clearly she wasn’t supposed to be in contact with known criminals. To add to the confusion and upset, the new owner of the Inn and Spa was none other than Edward Cooper, who was willing to give up everything in order to win Mackenzie – now Maggie – back.

I really enjoyed this book, and was pleased by the – spoiler alert – HEA. Maggie is an incredibly strong character, and I appreciated her determination. Her family’s involvement in her life, even though she did her best to keep everyone at arm’s length, was both heartwarming and a bit unexpected. My attention was captured early on, and I was always hopeful that Maggie would find true happiness. I wasn’t disappointed.

Fantastic read! Holds your attention throughout. No dull moments here!

Five difficult years after her accident (fatal for her daughter), Maggie thinks of herself as a "new person."
She has been working as a make-up artist at a plush spa and enjoying creating new pottery. While working at the Devon Inn & Spa, Maggie secures a number of friendships; among them is Grace - whose son has just been accused of major computer hacking. Maggie's ex-husband is seen about town. She is trying to create a new life for herself since her daughter's death and her subsequent divorce from Edward. He is currently taking over the top management position at "Maggie's" spa.
Meanwhile, Ben Zwick, a popular press commentator, has been hacked by Chris 15,who is also allegedly involved in school hacking as well.
Maggie lost her court battle over her daughter's death and is on parole. Her parole officer is always in her shadows. Maggie weighs her friendship with Chris' mother and her possible chances of losing her parole. This, especially since Chris admits to Maggie that he is guilty of the hacking felony. Maggie's brother Liam arrives during this uproar and tells Maggie that Edward has hired him as a chef! Eventually, Maggie and Edward confront each other about their past difficulties and quickly become intimate, again. Overtly, Edward wants Maggie back.
Maggie's feelings are harder to read at this point.
Eventually, Edward, Ben Zwick, Grace, Maggie and her lawyer meet over the hacking case. BUT all is not what it seems! Apparently, Grace had kidnapped Chris when he was 2 years old. This major secret has Maggie looking at a possible loss of probation and prison time for "conspiring with known felons". During this meeting, Chris' father is nearby as are the police and FBI - they go through Grace's (Greta - her original name) house and possessions. On the same day, Edward shows Maggie elaborate plans for his new house that he wants to share with her. However, Maggie...

A real gem of a book! Holds your interest throughout.
Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for making my review possible!

I have not read a book by Barbara Delinsky in awhile but after reading this I need to go back and find others that I haven’t read. This book was really good. It was emotional and had a lot of heart. I would definitely recommend it!

Before and Again is my first book by Barbara Delinsky but definitely won't be my last! What a gripping, beautifully written, poignant novel!

This is a family drama with so much heartbreak and emotion at the beginning that I cried and wasn't sure if I could read anymore because of the nature of the tragedy since it just made me think of my own daughter and set off more and more tears, but I did. And I'm so glad! The characters are wonderfully realistic, flaws and all, and I love the dynamics between the characters. The plot is full of drama that at times was just a bit over the top, but it was highly entertaining as we find out that all the characters, not just Maggie, have their own secrets they are keeping and are hiding from something in their pasts.

This is a fantastic novel about not losing yourself after a tragedy but remembering that life does go on. It is not just a tale of heartache, grief, and loss but of forgiveness, hope, redemption, and especially of friendship and love in the face of immense loss. I highly recommend it!

**Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my review copy to read in exchange for my fair and honest review. **

Mackenzie Cooper learns that life can change in a blink of an eye. She had a devastating event occur to flip her life upside down and cause her to start over in a small town where no one knows her. .Mackenzie works hard to fit in and establish a home, but she can't ever feel comfortable or feel forgiveness towards herself. Barbara Delinksy artfully creates complicated characters that you want to champion to overcome adversity.

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Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky was an interesting read. Barbara Delinsky has written a story that tugs the heartstrings when it is not making you MAD. It has made me think more and more about the media coverage of events. It has made me more careful to pay attention to the reasons for people’s anger. It made me understand that scapegoats do exist, but that is just what they are a person who is chosen to forced to endure anger for other people who were truly guilty.

Maggie Reid lives in Vermont in a very quiet life. She has a small home, works in an elegant spa as a makeup artist, and seems to find many things very difficult. Slowly as the story moves forward, it also moves backward and we find out why Maggie lives the way she does. We meet Maggie’s ex husband and her probation officer. We realize why she has both and how her life as been destroyed and then rebuilt.

Barbara Delinsky is one of my favorite go to writers. Before and Again is not my favorite of all her books. I found the story line a little too dramatic in places. However, I never even paused in my reading. I was determined that the story would end correctly. I enjoyed the book and enjoyed the storyline - even a bit of the drama. Gossip in a small town, like the one I live in, is a fact of life. Perhaps that needs to change.

Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky was a good read.

Too formulaic for me, but this isn't my typical genre. Delinsky devotees will likely enjoy it much more.
It's an ok mindless beach read.

Maggie (formerly known as Mackenzie) has left her life in Boston after a tragic car accident that caused the death of her beloved daughter Lily. Now living in Vermont under her new name, she tries to move on and create a new life after dealing with the media frenzy in Boston after the crash.
Her new best friend, Grace, suddenly encounters trouble when her teenage son Chris is accused of computer hacking. Does Maggie retreat to keep her identity safe or thrust herself back into the spotlight to stand by her friend in her time of need? Adding to her stress are people from her past life in Boston showing up in Vermont. Can she make peace with her past that has caused her so much guilt and shame?
This book was very moving and intriguing and kept me reading. I was rooting for Maggie and her second chance at happiness!
Thank you to Barbara Delinsky, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this great book!

I did something that I keep swearing that I'll stop doing. I judged the Before and Again by its blurb. I figured it would be one of those chick lit books where the heroine was insufferable. Guess what. It isn't. Instead, this is a beautifully written book about accepting loss and second chances. I will warn everyone, you will need Kleenex. You will cry. Not a "maybe" you will cry but a definite yes you will cry.

I felt bad for Mackenzie/Maggie. In a short amount of time, she lost everything. She decided to start over in Vermont because of the media frenzy that surrounded her court case. She fought hard for every bit of peace and quiet. When her ex-husband showed up as the new owner of the spa that she worked in, she could see her hard-won peace of mind slipping. I know that I wouldn't have been able to handle it if my ex showed up. I would have lost it. I don't blame her for acting the way she did. She was dealing with a lot.

What got me the most with this book was the amount of pain and guilt that Maggie had. My heart broke every time she thought about Lily. When Edward showed up in her town, it brought back all those memories that she tried to suppress came back...good and bad. Everything that she didn't get a chance to resolve started bubbling up. My heart broke during those scenes between Edward and Maggie. So much was left unsaid 5 years before. So much that it drove them apart.

I will be honest, I didn't like Grace at all. She was self-absorbed. I thought her friendship with Maggie was one-sided for most of the book. Maggie tried to be there for her and kept getting pushed away. Even when Maggie was instrumental in finding out Grace's big secret and getting her help, she was still ungrateful. She kept pushing her away. Made me think that she was an ungrateful idiot. Plus, her reaction when Chris was first brought in for questioning grated on me too. More concerned about what people would think about her than the trouble her teenager was in.

The storyline with Maggie's mother was another one that had me ugly crying during it. The regret that her mother had been almost tangible. I felt bad that it took 5 years and a broken hip for the reconciliation to happen.

The end of the book was what I expected. Everyone's storyline got wrapped up. Some I was happy with and some I was not. I did think that Grace's big secret should have been revealed earlier in the book. I felt that it was kind of a letdown when she finally told what it was. I also didn't like how Maggie's brother showed up out of nowhere after no contact for 5 years. And acted like everything was OK. Everything was not OK.

What I liked about Before and Again:

A) Well written characters

B) The storylines. Fantastic

C) Great world building

What I disliked about Before and Again:

A) How much this book made me cry

B) Grace. Couldn't stand her

C) Maggie's brother showing up out of the blue

I would give Before and Again an Adult rating. There is sex. There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are trigger warnings in Before and Again. They would be a traumatic loss of a child.

I would reread Before and Again. I would also recommend this book to family and friends

I would like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Before and Again.

All opinions stated in this review of Before and Again are mine

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Before and Again was an emotional novel that left me feeling incredibly grateful for my children, my husband, my family, and my friends. I cannot imagine dealing with the issues that these mothers did, nor do I ever hope to be in those situations that I would have to. Barbara Delinsky was able to convey the emotions and actions of her down to earth characters dealing with unfortunate circumstances in such a compelling and believable way. I loved the themes of the strong bonds of family, friends, trust, and love. It was refreshing to see how people are able to move through, and past, difficult times when they have the support of those who matter most around them. I also loved the charm of the small town setting of Devon, and how tight-knit the community is. I did truly enjoy this novel and recommend it to others.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader copy! Publishing Date June 26.

Mackenzie Cooper and her husband led a luxurious, charmed life until she took her eyes off the road, which resulted in a vehicle accident that killed both her 5 year old daughter Lily, and the speeding driver of the other vehicle. She lost her marriage, family, and friends and endured non stop media coverage and was sentenced to 5 years probation. Mack then remade herself in the small town of Devon, where she went by the name of Maggie and nobody knew her past.

Flash forward 5 years and Maggie is happy with her 2 cats, dog, little cabin, and her job as a makeup artist at a fancy Inn. Then her ex-husband makes his entrance at the same time Maggie is thrown back in the spotlight due to a hacking incident by a friend's son and serious problems of that friend. All the while, Maggie is still dealing with the guilt of the accident, the grief of losing her daughter, marriage and relationship with family, and wondering if she can ever get past her past. With her ex-husband's arrival as the new manager of the inn and Maggie is thrown into a headspin of worry, shock, and dismay, Her carefully arranged new life is falling apart. Her ex husband wants to be with Maggie again while Maggie can't even imagine such a thing, due to her ever present feelings of guilt. I enjoyed every chapter of this book despite having no question in my mind about how it was going to end.

There was never really any tension in the book, other than that imposed by Maggie's refusal to forgive herself for the accident. That refusal led Maggie to think she could never do something that would really make her happy thus she was unwillingness to consider getting back with her husband, even though it was obvious they were made for each other and should never have divorced. The problems of her friend and friend's son, really took a back seat to Maggie's relationship with her ex, other than to be a way to add media exposure to her new life and put her probation into jeopardy for consorting with a suspected felon.

Much of the drama was due to Maggie's over thinking and self flagellation which could be tedious at times, Still, I enjoyed the book, and the characters of her ex husband and mother. This book is all about forgiveness and learning to forgive oneself. Very much worth a mostly stress free (for the reader) read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

I started reading Barbara Delinksy's books five or six years ago. At first I was daunted by how big (long) they were but as soon as I opened those pages I was quickly swept away. Before and Again was the same way for me! It is an unputdownable story of love, loss, forgiveness, acceptance, and what it means to move on from tragedy. I felt like Maggie, our main character, was a friend of mine. I could feel her pain and need for love as if she was sitting right in front of me. This was such a wonderful story that kept me turning the pages until the very last sentence. Now for the long wait until Barbara's next book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Enjoyable read, though the pace was a bit slow at times. I'd say the best part of the book for me was the relationship between the protagonist and her ex-husband, and the chemistry between them. Quick and easy women's lit read (albeit the slow pace at times) .

Hmm. I'll preface by saying I found this to be like a mix of Jane Green romance with Mary Kubica's internal dialogues- and the mix of which was very shallow and stuttering. While I can see how this could be viewed as a roller coaster of tension and sweet family moments, I was not convinced.

The main character Maggie Reid/Mackenzie Cooper, spent the whole book questioning herself and her daily activities in such banal detail as if in an attempt to convince the reader of what the rest of the writing could not do on its own. The thoughts constantly interrupted dialogue and I couldn't stand it. The explanation of how to apply makeup as if that best told how Maggie is definitely a real person who really likes living in a small town as a makeup artist despite being forced into a new life & a change in profession (from sculpting to cosmetics) after: she caused a traffic accident resulting in 2 deaths, one of them her daughter, is divorced by her husband, and put on a lengthy probation. There’s much waffling in her minute-to-minute self-evaluation and not nearly enough pain shown to match the emotions she supposedly felt. It doesn't end up sounding like it was written by a person who understands anxiety and comes across as incredibly formulaic. The ending is too neat and can be seen from less than a quarter of the way into the book, and the tension isn't really backed by much. Could see this as a successful summer beach read.