What an amazing novel! I alternated between smiles and teary eyes. This is one of those books that you think "it could have/be me." It's a cautionary tale of love and loss that I thoroughly enjoyed. I don't know if the author meant to rely a message, but she did and it affected me positively.

MacKenzie (Maggie later in the book) is a loving wife and mother who makes a mistake with overwhelming consequences. Her story is heartbreaking and redemptive. The changes she makes and how she comes out on the other side are at the heart of this book. She is a wonderful character in a story full of wonderful characters. I loved this book and plan to read it again.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This book is about courage. Courage to go on, courage to change and courage to speak up when needed. Maggie had a life altering accident that cost her almost everything. Moving and moving on, she is extremely careful about who she lets close. But when circumstances in her town start to change, she needs all the courage in her to move forward.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

This book absolutely wrecked me. Before And Again had me emotionally invested from page one. It was an emotional rollercoaster and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride! This is the story of Mackenzie Cooper. A wife and mom, she took her eyes off the road for only a moment but that quick look resulted in a crash that killed her daughter and another motorist. In the ensuing fallout she also lost her marriage, her family, and her friends. Now going by Maggie Reid, she is attempting to rebuild her life in Devon, VT. Things are going well in that regard until her friend has trouble with her son and their town is thrust into the national spotlight. Pretty soon, Maggie has to face reality and the ghosts of her past. As a mom, this book absolutely wrecked me. My heart hurt for her loss and I was reminded of how quickly life can change and to savor every moment. This is a beautiful book that captures so many emotions. I've always been a fan of Barbara Delinsky and her newest did not disappoint! For me, Before And Again was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Thank you @stmartinspress for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

My first experience with a Delinsky novel was unexpectedly positive! Women everywhere will find something to relate to in this novel.. It's also an important wake up call for anyone that may drive while distracted. I will 100% be exploring more Delinsky novels in the future.

What an interesting book this turned out to be! I think the only thing I wasn’t crazy about is the title as it doesn’t do this book justice. Devon, Vermont, a place where anyone can live and your past will not be questioned. This community is made up with these people looking for a new start and this story is told from the view of one of those, Maggie Reid. We learn her story throughout this amazing story. This is not your run of the mill “light” woman’s fiction. There are some great themes, involving loss, redemption, and the power of love. I hadn’t read a Barbara Delinsky book in a couple of years, but she outdid herself with this one.

“When we lose someone we love, we can either die with them or live on to celebrate their life. I’m tired of focusing on what we lost. I want to focus on what we had.”-Before and Again

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky. I honestly didn’t read the synopsis. I loved the color and the title. It is bright and warm. However, this is not the case at the start of the book. Mackenzie Cooper was driving her daughter to a playdate, looked down while driving, and crashed. The crash killed her five-year-old daughter, Lily. It became a high profile case. She was tortured by the press, lost her family and her marriage in the process. She then changed her name to Maggie Reid and became a makeup artist in a new town. She made a few friends but kept a low profile. Everything she worked for seems to go up in smoke when her friend’s son gets arrested for hacking. The press is everywhere and to make matters worse, the new owner of her place of employment is her ex-husband. How is she supposed to move on with her life when the past keeps coming back to haunt her?

I am blown away. I just closed the book less than an hour ago and I doubt I will be able to sleep just thinking about this book. The book started off extremely slow. I ended up putting it down a few times. Then, when Maggie’s ex-husband, Edward shows up, I was hooked. The story touches on so much like grief, forgiveness, loss, love, and domestic abuse. One would think that tackling all these subjects would make the story overwhelming. In this case, not at all. Those who have experienced loss, specifically the loss of a child will definitely be able to relate to Mackenzie/Maggie. The guilt that she places on herself is something that anyone in her situation would do. To watch her grow throughout the story is absolutely beautiful. She has been forgiven by those around her but the hardest part is forgiving herself.

This women’s fiction is a book I think everyone should read. These subjects are universal. Everyone can relate or learn from something in this story. I loved the main character, she truly embodies strength. Her ex-husband is also an amazing character whose grief led him back to his wife. I loved the diversity and how real these characters are. Be prepared for an emotional journey. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I even plan to read this book again. I definitely see this as a book club read in the future! Check it out, the book is released June 26th, 2018!

Thank you, NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve enjoyed quite a few novels written by Barbara Delinsky and as soon as I read the description for “ Before and Again ”, I knew I had to read it. I’m thrilled to say that I really enjoyed this novel.

After a very heartbreaking beginning, I was immediately pulled into the story…

Mackenzie Cooper has a wonderful life. She is a talented artist, she has many good friends and above all, she has a wonderful husband and five-year-old daughter.

But in one moment she loses it all.

A shattered version of her former self, Mackenzie, now known as Maggie Reid, slowly begins to build a very different kind of life. She craves privacy and she finds it in a small town in Vermont. Four years later she lives a quiet life in her secluded little house with her beloved pets. Maggie has also found meaning in the work she now does. Helping people feel good about themselves is very healing.

“To live through trauma and thrive? That was my goal”

Though she likes to keep to herself, she has made a few good friends. She's become especially close with a co-worker, Grace. Grace also likes the privacy the town provides. By an unspoken rule, they don’t discuss the past….

“Our friendship was about the here and now”

But everything changes when Grace suddenly needs Maggie’s help. On top of that, people from her past start turning up; disrupting the life she has made for herself. There are three things Maggie avoids as much as possible “law offices, police stations, and the press – and now here they all were”

Will Maggie help her friend? Even if it means that her own anonymity may be threatened?

This was such a great read! The story was engaging and I thought the characters were wonderfully fleshed out. I loved Maggie along with many of the other characters, their stories captured my heart. Even the characters with smaller parts were intriguing.

“When you lose the most precious thing in your life, how do you go on?”

The story shows that no matter how old we, we continue to learn from all of our experiences… including trauma. We may try to keep things locked up in a box (real or imagined) but eventually, we will likely need to go through that box to confront things that may be painful to think about.

I love how Barbara Delinsky tells a story. The story was very emotional at times. However, this well-written novel also had many humorous moments that kept things from being too heavy for too long. “Before and Again” is a touching story about loss, grief, blame, love, and forgiveness.

This was a fantastic read that I won’t soon forget.

I'd like to thank St. Martin’s books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Maggie is a grieving mother trying to rebuild her life and find redemption in annonymity and starting over. Her refusal to face the past comes to a head after her husband moves to the small town and they are forced to move forward. This book has all the right elements for a gripping tale of live and loss with a few twists along the way. I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Oh my! I loved this book! I can't believe I have not read any of Barbara Delinsky's books until this one. Now I will definitely be reading more of her books. Before and Again is full of so much emotion, it had me crying, gasping and smiling throughout the book. Wonderfully written with many lovable characters that are so flawed but seemed very real to me. My heart ached for Maggie, and Edward, well, he stole the show for me, though at first I wondered why, after five years, he would show up in Maggie's town after she'd established a new life for herself there, but I could really feel the love he felt for Maggie coming through those pages. It melted my heart. A heartbreaking but touching story about overcoming tragedy, forgiveness, importance of family, and learning to love and trust again. I could not put this book down!

In "Before and Again," Barbara Delinsky brings us to the town of Devon, Vermont and the lives of the people in it. Here you will meet local residents and the others, or those who came to escape their pasts and reinvent themselves. Makeup artist Maggie Reid lives a quiet life used to the routine she has set for herself. All of this changes when massage therapist and friend Grace Emory receives a frantic call about her son Chris. When her past shows up and starts to invade her present, Maggie must decide how she will go forward and who she ultimately wants to be in life.

Barbara Delinsky shares a story with universal themes of love, friendship, family, and forgiveness and how fragile and exposed a person feels when their whole world crumbles and they are left with nothing. I enjoyed the story lines between Maggie and those she came in contact with in Devon and learning about its residents. I was excited to read about how the issues that came up would be resolved. I found it frustrating at times when Maggie held onto her self doubt tightly and tried to keep the past exactly in the past jeopardizing the possibility of leading a truly happy and fulfilling life.

Could not put it down! Maggie Reid lost everything and this is the story of how she tried to rebuild but found herself swept back into her old life. The development of characters and backstory was rich and I found myself rooting for everyone! The town of Devon was where I want to visit so I can befriend the entire cast of characters! A must read!

Before and Again was good, but not for me. For anyone who can relate to grieving the loss of a child, this could be a powerful experience that inspires hope.
The main character is great. I think the others are less impressive. The plot was good, but overall it felt like it moved slow. Maybe a bit too long for what it is.

This is a highly emotional and powerful story. It's a story of horrendous loss, self loathing, forgiveness, and starting over. The characters are well developed. They are flawed, engaging, and lovable. The story is memorable and I enjoyed the small town flair. My only complaint, and I never thought I'd say this but, the writing is almost too descriptive making the flow slow and the story feel drawn out. I found myself skimming several pages - how much do I need to know about applying makeup to get the gist of the story? Even with this I walked away from the book with a warm heart and a smile. I would definitely recommend it.

Barbara Delinsky is in her element again, doing what she does best - building full, rich characters, scoping out a plot with lots of complex issues and relationships and unexpected twists.

Mackenzie Cooper, took her eyes off the road for an instant to look at her GPS and in that instant, she ran a stop side, was hit by a truck, and lost everything she held dear: her 5-year old daughter's life (as well as the life of another driver), her marriage, her family, her job, her friends. She moves to Devon, Vermont to start life anew (under probation) as Maggie Reid. She can't bear to think of the past, and wants no one in her new hometown to know anything about her past, a tall order given all the media attention her case drew. Over time, she makes friends, buys a small isolated home and works as a makeup artist in the spa connected with the large town inn. She may have moved, but she hasn't moved on, because she cannot forgive herself for that one mistake.

When the 15 year old son of one of her close friend's is accused of a federal crime and mother and son are thrust into the national media spotlight, Maggie has to decide whether to stand by her friend, or do what her probation officer insists - distance herself from them. Though afraid that the spotlight might expose her own secrets or cause her probation to be revoked, she decides to be the type of person she wants to become and stands by her friend, knowing what it's like to be all alone in the spotlight of judgement.

Meanwhile, her ex-husband and her estranged brother both show up in town, with jobs there and no plans to leave.

This is a story of forgiveness (of yourself and others), of reconciliation, of feeling all the emotions you tried so hard to bury so that you can finally begin to live again. It is a story of loyalty, of false friends, of help from unexpected sources, of vengeance, of victory and joy. Delinsky skillfully takes us through every emotion a human can feel.

A good read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Before and Again is one of those rare books that once you start, you just cannot put down, and as soon as you turn the last page you want to start all over again. Yes, it’s that good. Once again author Barbara Delinsky has written a book that will catch your heart and soul and stay with you for a long time.

On the surface, Before and Again is about the terrible, terrible mistake Mackenzie Cooper made. Five seconds of carelessness that cost her not only her daughter but her marriage, family, friends, job, privacy, even her name ―and the ability to look at herself in the mirror without seeing a monster. A monster that deserves to remain unforgiven for the rest of her life. No one could be harder on Mackenzie, now Maggie, than she is on herself. She is only at peace with her cats and dog. But as we get to know Maggie, we see that she is much stronger than she believes, and she has a good heart. She has made new friends, although she has not revealed much of herself to them, and her work as a makeup artist has meaning and helps others.

Before and Again has so many twists and turns and is so full of suspense that it is almost a mystery. Maggie may be the main character, but all the characters are so well developed and have such compelling stories of their own that you become immersed in all their lives. Circumstances and events challenge Maggie: she is not the only one to experience family tragedy or need forgiveness or a fresh start. She is forced to make choices, and some of those choices may compromise the layers she has built to hide her past.

This is not a short book or a fast read, but the writing is so fluid it’s an amazingly smooth read. I read it nearly straight through because the world outside of Maggie’s life just disappeared. I hate spoilers and don’t want to reveal too much about the choices Maggie and others must make because I was on edge until the very end wondering how – or if – things would be resolved.

Before and Again will introduce you to characters that are flawed but so engaging you must know the end of their stories, and take you through their heartache, loss, grief, guilt, hope, friendships, family drama, romance, and most of all - love. Barbara Delinsky is always one of my go-to authors, but she has outdone herself this time. Before and Again is a riveting, completely satisfying story that I recommend without hesitation. Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this amazing book.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Barbara Delinsky for the opportunity to read her latest book - a true winner! I've been a big fan of Delinsky's books and this one will not disappoint. 4.5 stars!

Mackenzie Cooper was distracted for a moment, looking at her GPS, while driving her young daughter to a playdate when the unthinkable happened. In that moment, she lost everything that she held dear. She moved to a small town in Vermont to start over - a new name, a new job, a new life - and kept her past a secret. She has a job she loves, doing makeup at a luxury spa in the area and sculpting with clay at a studio as her release. Then a close friend's son gets into trouble for hacking and her friendship with his mom threatens to ruin her probation terms.

This is a great story that has lots of topics to consider - forgiveness, grief, family, media. Very character driven - I couldn't put it down!

I have enjoyed Barbara Delinksy's books for years. This book is no exception. It was such a thought provoking story and kept my interest throughout. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review a great book by a favorite author!

What happened to Mackenzie Cooper could happen to any of us. She took her eyes off the road for just a moment to look at her GPS. But that moment changed her life. Her daughter dead, her marriage destroyed, turned away by her family, and hounded by the media, she changes her name and location and starts over.
Devon is a quiet little village in Vermont. People there ask no questions about one’s past. Mackenzie, now Maggie Reid, has a warm little cabin, two cats, and a dog. She works as a makeup artist at the local spa. She has new friends but is always afraid they will discover her past. She has only four months left on her probation period and is trying to keep her probation officer at arms’ length. The last thing she is looking for is a romantic relationship.

But when her friend’s teenage son is accused of hacking into a powerful man’s social media account, Maggie has to decide which is more important – her privacy or loyalty to a friend. It is always said that secrets will come out, and so they do. Standing up for what she knows is right sets into motion events that Maggie never could have predicted.

Barbara Delinsky always writes compelling stories of love, heartbreak and healing, family, and relationships. Through her beautiful style of writing I am able to fall into her characters’ world and experience the heartbreak and grief she so masterfully laid out on the page. The characters are realistic, engaging and are written to remind us that everyone has a story. The story moved at the right pace. A true heartwarming story. I especially loved Maggie’s relationship with her pets. All pet lovers will relate. My only complaint would be that Edward is just too perfect. Where can I find a man like that!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book.

Note: WIll post on Amazon June 26. Posted on Facebook (Reading is My Passion), Edelweiss, BookMovement, Instagram (BettyLovestoRead), Litsy (Reading is My Passion), and LinkedIn.

I've had this book since December, but intended to read it close to its June publication date. During all this time I've read early reviews lamenting that it doesn't measure up to author Barbara Delinsky's previous stellar offerings. I've never read any of Ms. Delinsky's other books, but this was indeed a lukewarm read.

Mackenzie Cooper was driving her 5-year old daughter Lily to a playdate when she was involved in a fatal accident. It took the life of her daughter and that of the other driver. The resultant legalities found Mackenzie on probation and her marriage in tatters. She bravely created a new persona and moved away to Devon, Vermont. Now living life as Maggie Reid, she relishes the peaceful surroundings and scents of the upscale spa where she works as a makeup artist and hairdresser. She also finds peace and comfort working with clay in a pottery studio. She lives alone in a quaint cabin along with her two cats and a dog. Mackenzie's made a nice new life for herself, but the circumstances involving the loss of her child is a pain that always ripples below the surface.

Now divorced several years, Mackenzie is also estranged from her mother. With only a few months to go until her probation ends, Mackenzie hopes things go as simply as they have been since moving to Devon. But, when friend Grace gets the fateful phone call that her son is accused of computer hacking, Mackenzie fears it could adversely affect her probation status. Then the shock of the new owner of the spa threatens to expose Mackenzie's true identity and make life much more complicated.

I rated this book 3 stars because I found some of the dialogue and passages in the book mediocre and boring. This book could have been edited down more. It was a good read, but not a great one.

Delinsky has another hit on her hands, a well written novel with gut wrenching emotions. The story is about tragedy, unbearable loss, forgiveness and learning how to love again.