What a great read. I savored every page with such beautifully written detail. I love this authors work, and this is no exception.

RATING: 4 stars, definitely worth reading!

GENRE: Literary Fiction; Women’s Lit

REVIEW: Maggie Reid lives a quiet life in the small, luxe town of Devon, Vermont. She enjoys her close group of friends, her job as a makeup artist at a local spa, and her lovely cabin and sweet pets. She lives a small but comfortable life, until events conspire to thrust her in the spotlight, bringing back her past and threatening her future.

Five years earlier, she had been a happily married mother of one. She and her husband Edward had built an enviable life, complete with a beautiful five year old daughter. Lily was their heart, their center. Sadly, it only took a few brief seconds for a tragic accident to rip their life apart.

Healing has meant building a new life, foregoing the family that abandoned her for the circle of friends she developed in Devon. When the son of her friend, Grace, is accused in a serious case of hacking, Maggie chooses to stand behind her. The situation becomes more complicated when Maggie’s ex-husband shows up in town as the new owner of the local in and spa. To further enmesh the threat of her past coming to light, her brother Liam pops into town as the future chef of a restaurant Edward plans to open.

All in all, this was an extremely well-written story. There were several points that left me in tears, both good and sad. Delinsky brought empathy, loss, and new beginnings to these pages in the way few authors can.
Of course there were a few sticking points for me. Maggie’s friend, Grace, was not as sympathetic a character as she could have been. Throughout the book, she seemed rather narcissistic and callous regarding the plight her son was going through. As the book moves along, some of her actions become more understandable, but she could have been crafted a little warmer and caring than she was.

I did enjoy reading this novel, and was quite satisfied with the ending. It seems like I’ve finished the first of what will be many blockbuster beach reads for this summer.

*Tremendous thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC.

I have loved Barbara Delinsky's books in the past & this book was no exception. This story was an emotional read & very thought provoking. I was captivated by the plot. I felt horrible at times, for the heroine, suffering from guilt & what if's, but it also made me stop & think about my past mistakes & how I have let them impact my present & future life. Thank you for this great story!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Mackenzie Cooper took her eyes off the road for just a moment, but that moment was enough to destroy her life as she knew it. She escaped to Vermont under a different name and has somehow created an okay life. She can't tell anyone about her past, but her story begins to ravel when she comes out of her comfort zone to help a friend.

Yeah, I somehow thought that this was supposed to be a thriller. It's not, and I was disappointed. After a few chapters in, I quit. The story was so slow, and it felt as if it was going nowhere (and getting there at a snail's pace). The story about Maggie/Mackenzie could have been more interesting, but then there's this plot about a friend's son getting arrested due to hacking. What? I felt as if the book had an identity crisis and was trying to be multiple things. If not a thriller, then focus on Maggie/Mackenzie. That story line could have had heart. Instead, everything felt underdeveloped. DNF

Enjoyed this book. Highly recommend! Looking forward to reading more by this author

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

When Mackenzie Cooper takes her eyes off the road for a second to look at her GPS, her entire life changes. Her 5-year-old daughter died in the resulting crash; her marriage fell apart; her family stopped speaking to her, and she even had a state law named after her to remind people of what she had done. Unable to cope, she moves to Vermont to work as a makeup artist under the name Maggie Reid. She likes her new life and fears losing it again when, on the same day, Maggie's best friend's son is arrested for hacking, and her ex-husband shows up in town as the new owner of the Inn and Spa where she works. Burying her past will no longer work; she has to face her demons head on.

This story is at times gut wrenching and at other times heartwarming. The emotions Maggie feels really comes through. I would highly recommend this book to readers who love women's fiction.

Before and Again...how does what happens, mistakes that we have made, impact our view of the past, our present and our belief in the future? These big issues are fictionally brought to life in Barbara Delinsky's newest novel.
Early on in the book, the reader learns that a moment of inattention led to the death of the protagonist's daughter, Lily. Any parent can, but does not want to, imagine what this could mean. The reader watches as Maggie tries to move on and start fresh but...can/should the past be denied? A concurrent theme involves Grace who has secrets and stories of her own. In addition, Grace's son is accused of computer hacking and the consequences of his act may impact his future, just as Maggie and Grace are impacted by their pasts.
I found the characters to be sympathetically drawn and would recommend this book to readers of women's fiction.

I quickly got pulled into this book. There are several smaller story lines that all connect in some way. . I enjoyed this book

Barbara Delinsky has written another thought-provoking story that should empower ever reader to sit back and examine their own life. We meet Maggie Reid, a mother struggling to carve a new life for herself in the aftermath of her daughter's tragic death. Maggie zealously guards her privacy in a manner that she ultimately realizes has prevented her from moving beyond her grief and appreciating the affect her daughter's death has had on others. When her life before the tragedy arrives on the doorstep of her current life, Maggie must learn that going through some of the fallout again is the only way she can ever hope to truly live the new life she has struggled to build.

Sadly, this novel begins with a tragedy, the death of a child, but it takes the reader through the slow rebuilding of love and hope.
Delinsky tells the story of Maggie who has rebuilt her life after the death of a beloved child. She carries all the guilt for the tragedy and ultimately watches it destroy her marriage.
As if the reader watches a lovely bloom unfold, we watch Maggie’s life blossom as each person she believes has abandoned her moves back into her life. Her guarded existence suddenly fills with love and, ultimately, life.

I was very taken by this story, I admit to being teary eyed through a large part of it. Delinsky tells the story beautifully and builds the character of both Maggie and her ex-husband with care. I wanted a happy ending for these haunted souls, so will every reader.

This book has a lot of moving parts. There is a lot going on. At first I was afraid it was going to be too busy for me. The heroine, Maggie, has a past that is about to catch up with her in a town where she has worked hard to start over. As a matter of fact, it seems almost everyone in this town has a hidden past. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to keep up with the story. But I’m glad I did ~ I really enjoyed the book. I’ve read several of Ms. Delinksy’s books and continue to enjoy them. This book has shown me to not give up on a book because it seems to have so many moving parts ~ it might just turn out to be one of my favorites. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest review. I will recommend this book to family and friends.

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this title. There is nothing more frightening than the thought of losing a child. Even more so if you are responsible. The fall out from the death of their young child is realistic and poignant in this title by a author I admire. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters. You can't help but be changed, but can you move forward? Can you rebuild your life? These are all dealt with in this book as well as some current topics such as caring for older parents in the midst of an already full life. There is some romance, which was also well done. Great job and highly recommended title.

Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky
Have enjoyed many years of this authors works and know this will be another KEEPER.
Starts out with Mackenzie Cooper and her daughter. Then we are at present time with Maggie and she's an artist and it's a small town in VT, Devon. Things advance to present day but many reflections on the past events that took others from her life.
Love hands on with the clay and other forms of art being displayed at the gallery, so very descriptive.
She's also a makeup artist that others rely on.
Her ex shows up in town and she tries to avoid him. He's moving there, he even bought a place there and she learns even more.
Complicated details as she visits with her Probation Officer as we find out why.
Super loved hearing about the chaos at the yarn store.
Love generosity she shows to burn victims with the craft she's enhanced.
Just when she's getting comfortable with her job and friends others from her past show up.
Another story within this one involves hacking into the Internet spa files.
Family medical emergency throws them all off balance...
So up to date events occur, love how the book was given a chance by just the click of a mouse and all the research that went into a lot of this book. Fascinating to read about.
Love how it all comes together and then you understand how all the other stories are linked together. Handful of characters and easy to keep track of.
I received this review book from St. Martin's Press via Net Galley and this is my honest opinion.

Before and Again is a compelling read that could definitely come straight out of today's headlines. The characters are well developed and quite likeable. The story hums along, pulling the reader through the pages as Maggie tries to hide from herself and her former life.

I spent an entire summer once reading all of the books written by this author and I was very excited to see a new one coming out. This book definitely won't disappoint. The author tells a very powerful story of coping with the lose of a child and being able to rebuild one's life and relationships with people. I loved this book and look forward to reading even more by this author.

I can't remember the last time I read a book by Barbara Delinsky, but I know it's been years. I use to love her books and storytelling- so I was excited to get a chance to read Before and Again!

This was an incredibly moving story about managing grief, forgiveness, family, friendship, and marriage. This story flowed very easily and you will definitely connect with the characters!

An amazing book about love, loss and redemption. McKenzie Cooper was distracted for one second in time which caused her life to collapse. We meet her five years later as she's picked up the pieces the best she can, changing her name, her town, her career, but shutting down her heart. Until the past rises up and she is made to confront her all that she was and all she has become. I loved this book and highly recommend.

4.5 Stars
An page turning read that I did not want to put down. A wonderful story about managing grief, forgiveness, family, friendship and marriage. My only issue was the relationship between Maggie and Grace was not initially developed enough for me to understand why Maggie was so close to Grace and why she would put herself at risk for Grace. And the more I learned about Grace the more I didn’t get the friendship. Grace to me for most of the story was not a sympathetic character. Maggie seemed closer to other characters that if something happened to them I could understand her putting herself at risk...but not for Grace. Aside from this, I loved the book.
P.S. I want to live in Devon

I have long been a fan of Barbara Delinsky, but haven't read recent books of hers- and was excited for the opportunity to read and review Before and Again. Ms. Delinsky has always had the gift of weaving a multi faceted emotional novel, as evidenced yet again in this story. The main character, Maggie, has reached a place in her life where she feels a tentative peace after a horrible tragedy took her daughters' life- a tragedy many, including herself, and her ex husband and extended family blamed Maggie. Maggie has made new friends, carved out a life for herself in a quiet New England town, and found fulfilling work, but can't quite keep the nightmares out. Her carefully constructed new life threatens to come tumbling down when her ex husband moves to Devon, and when her close friends' son is accused of a serious crime. It is quite heartrending to read as Maggie wrestles within herself, and aloud to her close friends about how to proceed , whether to help her friend and the friends son at great risk to her own new life, whether to trust her ext husband and so forth. This is quite a page turner! Ms. Delinsky strikes deep emotional chords in this novel.

Devon Vermont is a sleepy little down where many people have gone to reinvent themselves or just to get lost. It is the perfect place to do so because no one asks questions and no one pries.
But like all secrets, they tend to come out. You can run from your problems but you cannot hide, they always follow you.
The question is when people’s shady pasts come to light will it be healing or devastating?