MacKenzie was involved in an accident that left her daughter dead. Unable to cope with the aftermath, MacKenzie divorced her husband, left town, and changed her name. She has built a new life in a small town and has made friends, unfortunately one of those friends has become involved in a criminal case at the same time that MacKenzie's husband shows up in town as the new owner of the Inn where she is employed. Mackenzie doesn't want to face her past but now she has no choice. I thought this was a very engaging story and heartwarming. My only complaint is that it is a very wordy story and dragged on a lot in the middle, still it was worth the read.

Thank you Net Valley for the free ARC.
This book did not have enough depth for me. I was hoping to read how a mother adjusted to the death of her daughter which was caused by her accidentally. i felt this woman was pretty callous in her life after the accident and had little sympathy for her.

Thanks to St Martins Press, “Before and After” is my first Barbara Delinski novel hence I don’t know if this particular book represent her normal style but it simply is not a book I would normaly pick up.
More than a Woman’s fiction the books reads more like a Chick Lit and is one page away from being a Romance Lit.

We are following the tribulations of Maggie who tragically lost her daughter Lily in a car accident five years prior and is now trying to reconstruct herself in a quiet Vermont town.
Within a three weeks time span, Maggie reconcile with her now ex-husband, reconciled with her estranged brother, reconciled with her estranged mother all the while getting sucked into her new best friend legal problems. And yes, all gets sorted out before the end of the three weeks.
It really seems too easy, too fast, too perfect and without the emotional depth one would expect in real life.

The story has multiple themes ( tragedy, mourning, emotions, regrets, guilt, love, family, friendship, legal battle, money, the Press, relocation…) and it really is too much for one book.
In parts, the story drags on, in parts it is very repetitive ( how many times can one read that ‘his’ eyes were silver-blue or that ‘he was tall and dark’ or that ‘she killed her daughter’ i mean … we got it the first time ).

The only lesson from this book is that succeeding in moving forward after a tragedy can only be achieved with the support of one’s family and at one’s own speed.

It simply was not my cup of tea.
Thank you to St. Martins Press for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

If you're a fan of Barbara Delinsky's small-town world-building, this novel offers a really wonderful one in the town of Devon, Vermont. If you're a fan of Delinsky's more psychological thriller-type novels, you'll be disappointed. This is a small town romance through and through. Interesting though somewhat idealized characters populate this mostly well-paced novel.

I received this book through Netgalley. I enjoyed the book and the main character, who shows a great deal of strength to move on from a tragedy. I don't usually read this type of book, it seemed more like a soap opera type of novel and I felt that, unlike life, everything was tied up in a neat bow at the conclusion.

Beautifully written novel of forgiveness and redemption. Maggie's heartbreaking loss and her lack of ability to forgive herself caused her to run from her past. When her past comes to find her, Maggie struggles with acceptance.

Great ending.

Aptly titled, Before and Again takes us into the life of Maggie Reid, formerly known and MacKenzie Cooper before moving to this small town of Devon in Vermont She now works at a resort spa doing make-up, whereas she used to be a sculptor. It is a tale of starting over after tragedy has altered one's life so that life is intolerable being who you were. It's also a tale of forgiveness, of one's self, and of others. I loved it. Maggie's ex-husband Edward is every woman's dream. Their marriage failed after the death of their 5 yr old daughter. It is a tear jerker, admittedly, but well written in true Delinsky style. A dual plot line involves her best friend who also moved to Devon and has secrets of her own. Almost everyone has a past here, but they all come together to support each other.

My only complaint is that it was repetitive at times, and a bit too long. It did keep me vested in the outcome and was a very worthwhile read for me. I don't think Delinsky fans will be disappointed. Watch for it in June, 2018.

I really enjoyed Maggie, watching her evolve was well done. Her inability to forgive herself, her shutting down, reinventing herself, her pain all while attempting to begin life while simultaneously wrestling with Mackenzie and her heartbreaking past. Devon is depicted as a upscale quiet hamlet where people start anew and find the sleepy secluded town somewhat of a haven for privacy and rebirth which is easily visualized. The chemistry between Maggie and Edward is explosive, loved this couple. Two people having lost so much yet discovering, accepting and forgiving after an incredible loss, together swimming through murky waters of great change together and separately.

I learned much about make up and its application, a bit more than I cared for. At times I found the writing overly detailed and drawn out. The press being blamed was one sided and repetitive but point well taken.

Super fast read encompassing love, loss, forgiveness and acceptance not to mention the fine art of moving forward when your world has been turned upside down.

This is a book about hope and the power of forgiveness and love. Mackenzie Cooper makes a mistake and it in a brief second she is filled with grief, loss and is now considered a criminal. Leaving the life she knew and settling into a quiet Vermont town, she is plagued by the demons of her past and riddled with guilt because of her mistake. Her marriage is over, her family estranged and her new life is drastically different from her past. When her friends son is charged with a crime, Maggie Reid is forced to deal with the past she has tried to push away and must let pieces of Maggie return. There are so many beautiful moments of love and forgiveness in this story, between family, lovers and friends. Delinksy does a wonderful job drawing the reader into the Maggie's story and keeping them with her as she faces her past. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Before and Again
Maggie had a terrible accident that caused the death of both her young daughter and her marriage to Edward. She escapes to a small town in Vermont to hide from the past and start a new life. She becomes a makeup artist and befriends Grace, a single mother to Chris. Turns out Grace has her own secrets. I found the story completely unrealistic, part of it totally predictable and the writing very boring. I can’t give this story more than two stars. Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

Loved this book! No matter how we may try to leave the past behind, it has a way of catching up with us. Can we build on the past to make a better future? Maggie Reid's carefully constructed life in Vermont is all about keeping the past in the past, and seems to be working well until her ex-husband and brother turn up, and her best friend 's son is accused of hacking. It's hard not to feel vulnerable when life throws curve balls at you. And yes, you can overcome the mistakes of the past and move on.

What a great book! The loss of a child can be devastating to a marriage. Barbara Delinsky describes the grief that each of them is going through so well. She shows how hard it can be to deal with your own grief and yet acknowledge the grief of your spouse as well, especially when you are dealing with the guilt that she is! Great read!

This was a good story about loss and moving on and leaving the past in the past. I generally love Delinsky's book and while this was a good read, it read like a mystery more than her usual women's lit novel. I wasn't expecting a mystery and so I struggled to get through the story. Some of the dialogs were slow and it took a while for all of the pieces to fall, but all in all, it was a good read.

Losing a child id tough for any couple, and this story illustrates just how tough it is. When Mackenzie took her eyes off the road, she lost more than a daughter. She lost her marriage and a large part of herself, her family and friends. Now, with a new name, she lives in Vermont, in a small house wither menagerie of animals and works as make-up artist at a luxury spa in the town. She likes staying under the radar, until her best friend’s son is accused of hacking into a powerful man’s twitter account. As her story unfolds, Maggie faces the unveiling of the truth of her past as well as of the truth of the small town. Maggie realizes the comfort we all need, especially in difficult times, bit she also realizes the importance of her past and how it can impact on her life in this small town

I really liked Maggie as she came across as a really good person. Every chapter had twists and turns and new characters who added to the tale while keeping the suspense and momentum going. The love and grief are ever present but mostly the healing and looking to the future. I enjoyed reading Maggie’s story as portrayed throughout. The tale is not always a always a happy one, but it satisfies. Once again, the author has managed to keep me focused on the story of Maggie while moving me along to new developments in her story I recommend this to all readers of Barbara Delinskly and to anyone looking for a good read. I received this from NetGalley to read and review,

When you find a book you are loving, do you hurry to get to the end or savor each page to make it last longer? This was my dilemma as I followed the lives of Maggie,Grace, Kevin and Edward. Maggie's inability to forgive herself, Graces's fear of discovery and Edwards need to rekindle the love he had for Maggie had me hanging on every word. It was a wonderfully written book.

Silly chick lit. I lost interest in it around halfway through. However, there are plenty of people who would find the premise and characters interesting. Just not my style.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
A novel about hope, love, moving on and fresh beginnings. The strength of this book is the detailed characters, their lives (past and present) and the way they interacted with each other. A well written novel set in a small town which I enjoyed reading. The more I read, the more I liked it as the individual stories fleshed out.
4 stars

After Maggie's life is shattered by a terrible accident, she loses everything that she holds dear.. Moving to Devon, she begins to build a new life. Her ex-husband also moves to Devon much to Maggie's chagrin. He purchases the spa where Maggie works as a makeup artist. Her friendship with co-worker, Grace, is special, but Grace Has her own personal problems.

Before and Again ia a tale of grief, friendship, and love. It is a warm story that comes together as Maggie faces the old and embraces the new. She has many challenges as she finds peace, acceptance and love. It is a heart wrenching tale, beautifully written, that will bring both tears and smiles

Thank you to Netgalley for providing the ARC for review..

I've been reading Delinksy's books for years, and she's always an author I can count on for a good read. This book is no exception. I did find it a little harder to get into than previous books, it seemed a bit disjointed at first. Thus 4 stars instead of 5.

The book is about Mackenzie Cooper, who moved to a small town to lose herself and get away from a tragic occurrence in her life. It delves deeply into the despair of losing a child (this happens at the very beginning so it's not a spoiler) and what happens between the spouses who are having trouble communicating their pain. It also deals with Mackenzie's mother and brother, and their estrangement.

Suddenly, Mackenzie's ex-husband appears, in HER town, HER haven. Can they find their way back together, or is the past too painful to forget?

I recieved an ARC of "Before and Again" written by Barbara Delinsky from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I would absolutely give this book 5 shining stars!

Mackenzie Cooper is your typical mom juggling life and her young daughter's social life, until she makes the tragic mistake of glancing at her GPS creating a tragic result for her daughter, her marriage, family and friends. In an effort to create a new life, she moves to Vermont, now Maggie Reid, she has been successful at reinventing herself. A new career as a make-up artist, new friends, new home, never mentioning her past life she moved away from. When one of her new friend's sons is charged with a felony, she is torn between remaining in hiding, or walking out into the public eye to support her friend. As time goes on, you soon see not everything, or everyone, is who they seem. Many living in this rural small- town Vermont have also run away from a past they were hoping to forget.

Let me start by saying, this is the first Barbara Delinsky book I have read, and it won't be the last. This was a well written, quick moving story, that kept you interested from beginning to end. Maggie is such a great character, you can just feel what a good person she is on the inside, your heart just breaks for everything she is going through. Such an injustice to not only lose your only child in an accident and blame yourself, when it was clearly not your fault, but to lose everyone you know and love as well. You can't help but be inspired by her strength to move on and help others when they need it. There are many characters introduced throughout the story, some from the past some from now, but the author does a great job of integrating past and present without the reader feeling lost.

If you are looking for a inspirational story of triumph, forgiveness and redemption...this book is definitely for you. I would highly recommend "Before and Again".