Member Reviews
The Quick Cut: A teen girl is approached by a teen boy who says he thinks she may be the girl who was kidnapped from his foster parents over ten years ago. Chaos and drama ensue as the search for the truth.
A Real Review:
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It can be so hard to capture other people's perspectives, especially when they're not your own. One point of view that is often missed is those who are adopted, stuck in the foster system, or without a true parental figure. This book attempts to cover that audience with the core story of "In Another Life".
Chloe's life is falling apart around her. Between her parents splitting up, her dad moving in with his girlfriend, & her mom battling depression after surviving cancer - she's dealing with a 180 in her day to day. Just when she thinks it couldn't get more strange, a guy named Cash starts acting strange around her, asking questions, and suddenly showing intense interest. Then he tells Chloe the truth: Cash believes she is the daughter of his foster parents that went missing fourteen years ago, when she was three.
When you strip down the details, the bare story is a good concept. Girl who was missing ends up potential classmate of current foster kid? Definitely intriguing. Where it all goes awry is in the details: the plot really is timed strangely and seems to drag in multiple places. It takes the energy out of the mystery and as a reader I definitely lost interest (which is sad considering how strong it started).
On top of that, there are multiple narrators. However, the transitions aren't very clear and truthfully are confusing with the way they're done. Beyond that point, only one POV was necessary and it was Chloe's. With Cash's additional mental conversation, no clarification plot wise was brought that wouldn't have been done better in another manner.
With dragging plots and confusing narratives, this story is more a mixed bag than a win.
My rating: 3 out of 5
C.C. has done it again. Thrown out another addictive and heart wrenching story that is impossible to put down.
Chloe had loved her life...until recently. It all went downhill when her dad cheated, divorced her mom, dating someone younger, and leaving Chloe heartbroken. She and her mom moved, where they were to start a new chapter in life. Chloe wont have it easy though, a new school, dealing with her mom, being more adult than anyone should be, falling in love, oh and she inst really Chloe.
The day Cash saw Chloe he didn't know the girl he saw was the real deal, not a con. Unknowing what would happen, Cash would get close to Chloe. Find out if she really is the missing Emily and why shes there. Not only does Cash get answers, but falls for Chloe and finally gets to be happy.
Together they dive into Chloe's history. Read the articles, visit the adoption agency, and everything in between. However, she was never supposed to go looking and those kidnappers from back then tried to stop them. After a long emotional roller coaster, everything falls into place. Cash and Chloe have each other. Chloe has a second chance at knowing her true family and everything couldn't be better.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I'm a huge fan of C.C. Hunter, so I was super SUPER excited to be given a chance to read this before its publication date. Initially, it was reminding me of another book I had read (Hopeless by Coleen Hoover) and to be honest that was ok by me (I loved that book). The best way I can describe this book is as Hopeless's younger sibling.
C.C Hunter has a natural talent for always creating characters who are extremely likeable and realatable and In Another Life is no different. There is enough of a suspense (Chloe is adopted and then there becomes some questions as to who she really is), plenty of drama (parents, first love) and just the right amount of cheesiness for its targeted audience (Which I believe is about 14-17) but not overloading the cheese (As a old 40 something Mom, it wasn't over the top for me)
Its another win for C.C Hunter with this book
Very enjoyable book. I really love this Author. Run out to read this. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of the book.
3.5 stars
I enjoyed the premise/plot of this book a lot. I liked the mystery. I was very excited to read this book because I loved the cover and synopsis, but I thought the characters fell short. I liked Cash a lot at the very beginning, but he lost my interested. He always seemed to know everything that was going on before anyone else even knew anything weird was happening, and it was a little off putting because it took out some of the mystery. I did really like how Cash's story is revealed slowly over time.
I liked the character development of Chloe's mom, even though I didn't like most of what she did, I was rooting for her. I didn't care much for Chloe, and often found her thoughts irksome. They seemed like they either were from the mind of a twelve year old or a forty year old half the time, instead of a teenager.
I did enjoy the romance, but it was a little insta-lovey. It didn't bother me though, because there were events happening.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a thriller and a romance novel. It’s a love story, it’s suspenseful, it’s about adoption, abuse, foster families and divorce. It’s an interesting look at families and adoptions. I really likes the story and the characters. It was hard for me to put this book down. It just grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It’s a very intriguing story. The ending was perfect. I highly recommend it. My thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was unlike any other book I've read. The story moved quickly and centered around a topic that not a lot of books seem to tackle- adoption. In addition to the basic adoption story it had action and romance and a female lead that you truly could cheer for.
In Another Life is a swift, fun read for those looking for suspense mixed with romance.
Chloe moves to Joyful, TX with her mom to reclaim/restart their lives (Chloe’s parents are divorced). It’s an excellent set up, new town, new school, new life...complications will ensue. Of course, complications are one thing, Cash Colton, is a complication of another sort, entirely.
Cash has his own issues (deadbeat dad, grifter lifestyle) but he’s trying to make amends and seek redemption, and his journey is helped by his foster parents...which brings its own complications, Cash is convinced Chloe is the daughter of his foster parents who was kidnapped as a small child.
When it comes to the suspense, romance, and family dynamics, I think this is a great book for 14+ readers. It’s got enough sizzle and shock to keep them on the edges of their seats, but it’s kept age appropriate.
Chloe and Cash are realistic characters, true to the development stages of teenagers (which may irritate older readers as Chloe and Cash *definitely* filter through their teenage filters, a lot). The story shares space between both Chloe and Cash’s POV, which could prove jarring to some readers, but I felt it gave the story room to explore their individual motivations and build the tension between the characters.
In Another Life is a great mix of family dynamics, romance, and suspense. The plot’s pacing is swift, clues are dropped subtly (along with twists and turns to keep readers guessing).
If readers are looking for a fun, engaging read, In Another Life is a definite contender.
#InAnotherLife
C. C. Hunter's book is a interesting look at adoption, family secrets, and how we can overcome things that may or maynot affect our personal development. Of course there is a romance and a fictional side to the story, but the author does a wonderful job of making adoption the forefront of this novel. We have to live in our own skin and Hunter does a great job of giving Chloe a realistic tone.
This was a good novel about adoption, and foster families, divorce, and abuse, but it’s also a sweet love story. Chloe and her mom move to a small town in TX after her parents’ divorce. She meets Cash almost immediately. They fall for each other, but Cash has kept a few secrets from Chloe. The most important one? He thinks she is his foster parents’ missing daughter. This one has suspense, breaking and entering, and some sweet love scenes. I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.
This book had a great premise but I have to say I was disappointed. I usually thoroughly enjoy a C.C Hunter novel but this was a mess from start to finish. The parts that were supposed to be heartwarming were cringe worthy, there was no beat between the Cash and Chloe and I honestly didn’t care about any of the characters. The entire narrative was a mess too, it jumped back and fourth between characters within the same chapter/paragraphs and the tense changed from present to past between the first few chapters. I understand this was an ARC but I did not expect it to be in the utter state it was - words missing, spelling mistakes, half finished sentences...it seems like this novel was just churned out without any real love or effort put into the story or characters, it all fell very flat. Very disappointing, it did not feel like a C.C Hunter novel AT ALL.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley to read and review. I requested this book because I'm a fan of other books by this author. I was interested to see what else she was writing. In Another Life is scheduled to publish on March 26th, 2019. I also was drawn in by the cover. I'm a huge fan of simple but colorful book covers.
So, the actual storyline was super interesting. Chloe discovers who her biological parents may be and the big mystery is to figure out if she is the girl that went missing all those years ago. I thought this was really intriguing. It was paced well, slowly giving us all the answers. Creating suspense, but not in an annoying way.
I liked Chloe a lot. A girl with too many responsibilities. Her mom has just gone through cancer treatments and has finally been deemed cancer free. Her parents went through an awful divorce. She has the weight of the world on her shoulders. And she holds it up pretty damn well. She's funny. She stands up for what she thinks is right. She does the best she can each day.
I didn't love her relationship with her mom. I understand her mom is going through a lot but she should have gotten her shit together way sooner. She's constantly badmouthing Chloe's dad which is totally unacceptable. As a child of divorce, this really upset me because that's a huge no-no. She also can't seem to make it out of bed most days. She makes promise after promise to Chloe and doesn't follow through with any of them. This means that Chloe ends up parenting her mother most of the time. I liked her after she got her shit together but it never should have gotten to the point that it did.
I really liked Chloe's dad. He was pretty shitty at the beginning. Not really being the best dad he could, but he did his best to be better. I liked that he made the effort over and over even when Chloe wasn't being receptive. He knows that he messed up, but he doesn't want that to mean he loses his little girl. I'm a total sucker for Daddie/daughter relationships.
Now...Cash. I totally didn't like him at first. He was weird and even a little creepy in the way that he got himself involved with Chloe. I understand why he did it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I thought we were going to have a case of extremely unnecessary secret keeping but Cash told Chloe the truth pretty quickly which I was happy about. I ended up really liking their relationship. They help one another to be better. They were really good for each other, both pushing the other to try to move out of their comfort zone. They just worked really well together.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was a little cheesy at times, but I liked the story. The characters kept me interested and entertained. I'm definitely going to be buying this once it is released.
Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.
I LOVED this novel. Cash and Chloe are both endearing in their vulnerabilities and both have been violently separated from their birth parents in completely different ways and they've both been broken by that experience. They meet in conflict but quickly realize that their vulnerabilities complete each other. I loved the depiction of both sets of parents, their hurts, vulnerabilities and longtime devotion to their children, both adopted and birth. This is a thriller and a romance but it's so much more than that. It's also an exploration of what it means to be a family and what it takes to love. I couldn't put it down. Thank you C.C. Hunter, for writing this book.
Thank you Netgalley, for the e-review copy of this book.
Chloe discovers she may be a kidnapping victim in this young adult contemporary romance.
I remember reading and enjoying the <i>Shadow Falls</i> series by C.C. Hunter many moons ago. When I saw this book on Netgalley in October, I instantly picked it up. To be clear, this is a departure for those fans of C.C. Hunter. This is crime fiction, not paranormal. While I still like her writing, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book. The plot and pacing left a lot to be desired. The plot is super predictable. I didn’t find anything remotely surprising (which is probably bad since I don’t read this genre often). The pacing felt uneven too. The novel spends so much time building the “is Chloe Emily?” plot that the resolution felt anticlimactic.
The three narrators were not necessary. Honestly, I think it would have been more enjoyable with just Chloe’s POV. Chloe’s slowly dawning horror she might be a kidnapped victim was compelling, particularly since her adoptive parents loved her so much. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Cash. We’re told that he cares about his foster parents, but not shown his caring or involvement in their lives. Considering his connection with his foster parents is the main reason he pursues Chloe’s parentage, we needed more time spent with him and his foster parents. I did like his romance with Chloe. It felt like a real teenage romance despite the circumstances.
tl;dr Pacing issues and a predictable plot left me not really enjoying this novel, but fans of crime genre might enjoy it more than me.
When I first started this it reminded me too much of Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. I disliked that. But the more I kept reading the more I realized that although they both have similar backbones, the stories are a lot different.
I liked Chloe a lot. It broke my heart having to see her have to be the middle man between her parents and also having to be the parent to her mom. She handled her entire situation with so much grace and I really respect that.
Cash kind of drove me nuts. Especially with how he handled the Fullers. They clearly loved him and I know he had complicated feelings towards them, but it still sucked seeing him hurt them further. I did like him though. He was a great boyfriend to Chloe and I'm glad that he didn't hide his suspicion about Chloe from her for long.
I really really loved the ending of the story. It was perfect and I just adore happy endings. It was realistic too, which is another big bonus.
I definitely recommend In Another Life to lovers of YA contemporary!
4,5 stars
I read this book literally in one sitting. I got it on Wednesday night and by Thursday afternoon it was all read. I swear each time CC Hunter publishes a book she has me all wrapped around her pinky!
This is no secret that CC Hunter is one of my favorite YA authors.
She has the knack to write stories flowing effortlessly, a perfect blend between mystery, character development, fun and insightful. She uses every trick and trope you can find in YA stories and does it with intelligence.
In Another Life wears her custom signature but the tone was heavier.
Chloe, our main character, is going through a painful time in her life as her parents just got divorced. She had to move from town, leaving all her friends and boyfriend behind.
The divorce is painful and her mother is angry, bitter and resentful.
To make things worse her mother is just recovering from breast cancer.
Chloe has become her mother’s caretaker. The adult in the relationship.
It leads to festering angry feelings. Towards her father who left them to fend for themselves. Who broke her picture perfect father. Towards her mom who’s acting all childish but this feeling comes with guilt as she’s been so sick. Yet children should not arbitrate fights between their parents suddenly behaving like broody teenagers.
“Her faded blue bandanna has slipped off her head. All I see is baldness. And—bam!—I’m mad at Dad again.”
This role reversal was perfectly executed. Nothing was overdone or brushed under the rug. I could really feel Chloe’s feelings and empathize with her. She was not a drama queen. She was the sensible one in that shattered family and she had a right to feel that anger because yes, parents betrayed her!
Chloe’s breathe of fresh air was Cash the Über cute new guy at school. Even if their relationship began with lots of bumps and animosity in the beginning for reasons I won’t explain in the review as I don’t want to spoil your fun.
“I force myself to look up, seeing first his wide chest, then his eyes and the jet-black hair scattered across his brow. Great! Why couldn’t he be some old fart? I return to his bright green eyes and watch as they shift from apologetic to shocked, then to angry. I should say something—like, add my own apology—but the lump in my throat returns with a vengeance.”
When Cash drops his news Chloe’s world soon becomes even more uncertain, stressful and complicated.
She does not want to believe it yet there is this small voice nagging at her mind…. She has also torn loyalties and complicated feelings. What does she want? What should she want? Talk about emotional whiplash!
From that moment on the story becomes a thriller and a mystery.
Chloe and Cash will try to find the truth gathering clues about Chloe’s past and unknowingly awakening threats buried for years.
Cash was not only a pretty face but he also was a complex character. Shaped by a traumatic past he is a guarded boy if I ever saw one. Here again CC Hunter brushed a very realistic and intricate portrait of what would become later of a kid if he went through all that had hit Cash as a young boy.
I really appreciate the sensitivity of the writing. Many contemporary and “every-day life” topics are brushed in a realistic and intelligent way from the aftermath of a divorce going bad to growing up too fast to take care of a loved one; making peace with what you’ve done in the past, finding your true identity, making new friends after you’ve been uprooted and I could go on and on.
I think what I love above all else with CC’s stories is that she makes you believe that all could happen to you and be real. Even when she creates vampires and werewolves. Because she weaves realistic tales thanks to mundane worries her characters have to face every day.
This is exactly what she’s done in this story of secret and death.
My only complaint if you could call it a complaint is that her usual snark and laugh out loud moments was toned down in this novel. Yet it fits the dark mood of the story.
Recommend it? Definitely!
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced read in exchange for this review.
Chloe was adopted. Her parents are getting divorced, so she and her mom move to Joyful Texas at the start of her senior year. She meets Cash, who is convinced that Chloe is the long lost daughter his foster parents lost years ago. He is determined to uncover the truth and prove that Chloe was kidnapped.
Okay, the premise of this novel was good. However, the story does not quite live up to the potential. I found myself struggling to get through the chapters. I didn't like the POV switches and didn't connect with any of the characters. I wish I would have liked this better, but it was not for me.
Not sure if this is a great book for teens. There are points in this book when it is entertaining and points when the narrative drags.
Solidly enjoyable. The only criticism I have is that the end wrapped up a little too quickly and neatly which felt a bit trite. Otherwise this book was fun.
In Another Life by C. C. Hunter--
I can't wait to get this one for our library! Realistic fiction with a mystery and some thrills for extra measure. Definitely a roller coaster ride.
Chloe's was adopted into a great life with perfect parents, but when her parents divorce and she and her mom move to a different town, being the new girl is the least of her worries. One of her classmates is convinced she is a little girl who has been missing for 15 years. Could it be true? Her parents don't seem like kidnappers, but then again, they didn't seem like people who would get divorced either. As the story unfolds and the truth comes to light, Chloe must ask herself is the truth worth her life? Coming out this March! #cchunter #NetGalley