I absolutely love this novel. Josie Silver has written a beautiful story which follows Lydia as she grieves for the loss of a loved one. Having lost people very close to me, I was jealous of her experience at times…... until I wasn’t. I had a steady stream of tears flowing throughout most of the book. It certainly takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride and I loved this!

I adore Lydia. Life really isn’t fair at times and I thought the author wrote her story perfectly. I could feel the emotion but it didn’t drown the story that is being told. I found Lydia to be brave but could totally understand her struggles and her need to keep hold of the past.

The supporting characters in this book really enhanced the story. In particular Lydia’s mum, her sister and Jonah Jones. The loss of Freddie brought so much sadness and worry to their lives which saddened me, but they were able to put a smile on my face and make me laugh out loud too.

Hope is one of the things that I took from reading this book. No matter what your darkest day looks like there is always hope that the next day will be brighter. This story is a must read. I’m certain it is one that will stay with you for a long time, I know it will with me.

After reading One Day in December, I was ready for this author’s next book ... and I’m not sure how I felt. I really enjoyed ODID, but I’m not sure this held quite the same amount of charm for me. The book kind of had echoes of Thanks For The Memories by Cecelia Ahern for me, but I felt the otherworldly element to the story could have been taken further and it kind of died off when things were getting interesting. However, Josie Silver has cemented her writing style as recognisable across both her books (particularly in her use of a double barrelled adjective ... you’ll know what I mean if you’ve read them!) and like with ODID the characters are very real and incredibly endearing. Whilst I found the ending to be a massive cliche, I didn’t see it coming as obviously as I possibly should have, which made it slightly more enjoyable.

This book made my heart ache, it had pure raw emotion and was simply beautiful. Perfectly written and wonderfully ended! I would recommend in a heartbeat.

I had high hopes for this book but couldn't finish it. The layout and the present day and past were so tightly knitted together I couldn't follow it. I got too frustrated trying to keep track of both worlds. I enjoyed the plot but lost patience and felt it could have been written differently to be clearer to the reader.

A sensitively written book about Lydia’s journey following her boyfriend Freddie’s passing in a terrible road accident. They had been together forever and she cannot cope alone, although her mother, sister and friends are doing their best to help.

The book emotively explores Lydia’s heartbreak as she is unable to give up her previous life with Freddie and cannot move on, dreaming that he is still there with her. However, her supportive network of family and friends refuse to give up on her, being there for her in every way possible, offering food, love and comfort.

The book could have been depressing writing about such a sad and serious subject, and although there is lots of sadness, much of the book is written in a light-hearted way, humorous at times. The strength of the story is within its characters, Lydia’s mum, Elle (her sister), and Jonas, Freddie’s long time friend, who all combine to make a rewarding, enjoyable read. Very well drawn characters written by a skilled, talented author.

The book is slow moving at times but was a joy to read, the characters making up for this. Would love to read other books by this author and recommend.

Having enjoyed One Day in December (a 5 star read), I was thrilled to be given the chance to read a review copy of Josie Silver's new book - thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK.

This was another 5 star read for me. Heartbreaking in places, thought provoking yet sometimes humorous too. This was a book I was quickly engrossed in and didn't want to put down. Lydia's struggles with grief are beautifully written and this reader was totally hooked

I have to say reading on the whole this year has often been difficult, and I have to be honest and say I struggled to start with, with this story.

I'm a long time fan of this author in all of her guises and I think I missed the trademark humour that her books often contain. Oh it's still there in pieces, but it's hard to add a lot into a story about death. I felt weighed down at times by the content of this story.

The glimpse into Lydia's other life is well handled and explained, but I hated returning and seeing how it affected the others around her - both in the other world and in this one where she was checking out. It is very well written. It's very difficult to convey that you hated an event rather than the book and that's what I'm trying to express here. I hated what was happening, and wanted her to find something to grasp and hold onto to anchor into this life.

It's a bold subject choice, highly emotive and well handled. If I had a small gripe, I would have wished for more at the end. I wanted to feel the natural evolution of their relationship and it still felt so new and unsure as we left them behind.

I've read others cried buckets. I didn't because I rarely cry at books. It definitely weighed on me during reading the story though - some books are just hard on your emotional health, especially books containing loss.

Please go into this when you are in a good place, or when you feel a need to cry buckets and ensure there is someone waiting to give you a big hug afterwards.

Wow this was a cracking read. I didn't think she would be able to better one day in december but I needn't have worried because she smashed it and I for one, think this one is even better. Josie writes a tale of grief, heartache and building yourself back up when you've hit rock bottom. She touches on the issues of grief really sensitively and her cast of characters are truly amazing. There was not one character in this book that I didn't get, they were all totally relatable. Add to this a touch of Josie's humour and this book is pure magic. So glad I got to read this and thank you penguin UK and netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc.

This book starts very slowly but a sensitively told story. Not as good as One Day in December in my opinion though

A perfect story of how when Lydia loses the love of her life on her 27th birthday and plummets into a spiral of despair she finds a way of living with Freddie again whilst still existing in her own world of family life and work. How this happens is for the reader to solve - but it is a fascinating and heartwarming tale. I adored this quirky novel from beginning to end!

I loved one day in December by Josie Silver and was really looking forward to reading this.
I did enjoy the book, the characters were likeable and relatable. I loved the idea of the story. However it was a very slow start and did take me a while to get into. Enjoyable sensitive story that made me cry

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

I loved Josie Silver’s first book One Day In December. Sometimes, an author’s second novel is not as good as the first but Josie Silver’s second book The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is even better than her first.

I loved and could relate to the main character, Lydia Bird, and I found myself hooked into the story from the first chapter.

I was reaching for the tissues many times throughout the book and it left me feeling happy and hopeful

I would recommend this book to everyone.

I would like to thank Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story kept me gripped and I was sorry to finish it. I can't quite give it five stars though, the reason being I thought some of the parts where Lydia goes to spend time with Freddie a bit boring, especially the earlier sections. It was all too nice and I questioned, where's the story? I found myself skipping these parts to get back to the real story, that of Lydia's journey through grief. The later sections where Lydia visits Freddie are better in that they hint that not all was perfect between them. The grieving process is written very sensitively and I felt the time frame was realistic. The ending was just perfect, although I would perhaps have liked a little more. All in all, an excellent read.

I was eagerly awaiting Josie Silver’s new novel, having absolutely loved One Day in December. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is equally sweet and tender hearted but with a more serious theme; bereavement and grief. This novel is designed to tug at your heartstrings as the author explores these two themes through the character of Lydia.
You cannot help but fall in love with this character as she journeys through the weeks and months that follow the accidental death of her beloved fiancé Freddie. I immediately felt transported to Lydia’s world from the very beginning, every page exuding the pain and grief that accompanied her waking moments as she journeyed through this major unexpected turn of events. I imagine everyone’s experience of bereavement is different and there is no one way of coping; Lydia deals with the tragedy in an unusual way by living two different lives, one in the present and one in an imaginary world where Freddie’s death never happened. That’s all I’ll reveal about the storyline as you need to discover this poignant, heartbreaking, sometimes funny with the odd bit of cliche thrown in novel for yourself!
I think, if as a reader, you can cast reality aside and step into characters lives as if they are real, feel empathy and care about their outcomes, then the author has achieved their aim. This definitely was the case here as I felt like I was holding Lydia’s hand throughout the whole novel, willing her to find a way to cope with her grief and ultimately move on. This novel is about doing those things and having the courage to finally let go, knowing memories will always exist but that the world keeps turning despite tragedy and the present is where you need to live your life, not the past.
Lydia as a character is an immensely brave and loveable , even in her weakest moments and so too are her mum and sister who provide so much love and support. The character of Jonah, long-standing friend of both Lydia and Freddie, and with Freddie at the time of his accident is equally likeable as he too is struggling to come to terms with his best friend’s untimely end. Can his friendship with Lydia survive their often all consuming grief or are they simply holding each other back??
Lydia’s work colleagues provide much of the humorous element to this novel which is important to note as The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is by no means depressing. The novel is bursting with love and hope and uplifting in its message.
Perhaps my only criticism is that occasionally it was confusing as to what was real or imaginary and that I didn’t cry as much I’d expected!
With a subtle, not overly sentimental ending this is perfect for fans of One day in December. I was sad to say goodbye to these characters, that’s how realistic they were drawn. I’d say move over Jojo Moyes, there’s a new kid in town!! Definitely recommend.
Thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing story - cross between a Daphne DuMaurier classic where there is a time change after taking an hallucinogenic and Sliding Doors. Loved the parallels of current life and what life would have been if Freddie was alive. Different ways of coping with grief and tip toeing around one another. Well written and very enjoyable

Having devoured Josie Silver's first novel, One Day in December, I had high expectations for her second, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird.

Lydia and her fiance Freddie have been together forever, and as far as they’re both concerned, they’ll grow old together and live happily after. But all that is shattered on Lydia’s 28th birthday, when Freddie dies in a car accident, and their best friend Jonah, who was driving, is left unhurt. Lydia doesn’t know how she’ll cope, until something magical happens, and she finds a way to live two lives at once: in one world with Freddie, and in another one without him.

At first I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this as much as One Day in December, but I soon fell head over heels for this story too. While the premise sounds unbearably sad, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is actually as uplifting as it is heartbreaking, a story that reminds us that love - whether between couples, siblings, family members, or friends - is everywhere, and that it goes on existing even when we lose those we love.

I can easily see this becoming a movie along the lines of About Time, and if you like rom-com-style novels like I do, you’ll love The Two Lives of Lydia Bird!

On the night of her Lydia’s birthday dinner, her fiancé Freddie heads out to pick up their best friend Jonah, and Lydia’s life falls apart. She loses the love of her life. Jonah walks away from the accident unscathed but Freddie isn’t so lucky.

The love of her family and friends help her through the days that follow. Then she discovers that popping a little pink sleeping pill means that she can have two parallel lives. One in her waking world and another in her sleeping world where life continues.

I loved this book, I enjoyed the two parallel times, but enjoyed her waking world more. A fantastic read.

As a widow, a book that starts with the death of a partner is never going to be a good start, but I decided to persevere...
Lydia slips into a parallel universe, where her boyfriend Freddie has not died, but is still very alive and kicking. But when her two lives begin to diverge more and more, things start getting awkward...
I found the whole concept of this book extremely interesting, the idea of how we change after a massive life event. The characters were likeable and believable too. I enjoyed it!

Lydia's story is a slow burn read where we follow her through her life with the before during and after. I would have loved a little more of the after but then that brilliantly poignant ending wouldn't have the same deliverance probably, because that ending is worth every single second of the onslaught of feels throughout Lydia's journey.

Beautifully written, and I can definitely picture this as a major motion picture and I hope it get's optioned by big the guns that can do it justice to it's fullest.

I recommend this to anyone who love books with the feels, heartache, hope, love and romance.

I love this book!

It is a book about love, loss, family, coming to terms with grief and friendships.

It is a beautifully written book with great characters who you really care about.

Highly recommended!!!