This is another excellent book by Josie Silver. I loved the parallel plot (which reminded me of the movie sliding doors, which I loved). I liked the way she dealt with grief and loss and moving on with life. It had me in tears but ultimately I found it very uplifting.

Another lovely book from this author! I enjoyed reading it! The characters are lovely, though the book could possibly have been a little shorter.

This is a story about love, a story about losing the love of your life, a story about how you live on without the love of your life. Lydia and her close family and friends were shocked by the sudden death of her fiancé Freddie and this book follows her grief journey. It was an easy read in how it’s portrayed and yet it’s dealing with a lot of emotion. It’s hard to say you enjoy a book about grief as such but I was absorbed by the characters and their journeys. Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books (UK) for this arc.

I DNF this one. I found it slow and tiresome. It wasn’t like Jojo Moyes’ books. The humour wasn’t there. I couldn’t read more

This was exactly what I expected, sweet and a bit sad. It was an enjoyable book about self discovery and grief.
I think there could have been more discussion around drug abuse as the sleeping pills made me slightly uncomfortable. Plus the final quarter of the book did drag a little for me, but otherwise it was a lovely read.

An enjoyable read but not as good as Josie's previous books that I've read. Still a pleasant read though with some lovely characters.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot (there are plenty of reviews like that out there!)

This is the second book I've read by Josie Silver. It was an enjoyable read on the whole. Incredibly sad at times (obviously, due to the subject of the novel!) so with hindsight I should probably not have read it over the festive period.

It's well written, but I found the pace slightly slow in some sections - not enough to stop me reading it though. Also felt that Lydia was incredibly lucky to have such understanding employers and colleagues - it was slightly unrealistic really though (having had experience of the amount of time bereaved folks are given off work - usually one week, and a few weeks at most).

I'll happily read more from this author - I like her style, and she writes excellent characters.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Note: I am posting this VERY late - I thought I'd already posted it but found it as a draft.

Loved this book
Characters were well written. Loved the way it switched between the present and the might have been
Recommended

This book was fab. A really interesting take on the dual narrative style with the protagonist living two lives. It captures the heartache so well of losing somebody so close, but how eventually with time one can heal again.

A lovely, heart-warming read.

A lovely book, portrays grief and love very sensitively, and really tugs at your emotions. I really enjoyed it.

I don’t know what to think about this book. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. I found it difficult to work out which life I was reading at times. I guessed how it would end fairly quickly but then it felt like it was then too long to get to that part. It was a lovely ending like a love story.

There were parts of this book that I absolutely adored as it was funny, engaging and full of humour. There were also times I felt increasingly frustrated with the main character and the fact the story flicked between the two lives with little indication in the headings as to which world was which.

My first by this author. I struggled getting into it initially as you are jumping around in time. Having said that I am so relieved that I persevered.
Wow what a story, what an ending.
The journey the main characters took was well thought out, wonderfully written and just plain brilliant.
Lydia is best friends with Jonah all through school, then she falls in love with Freddie who is also best friends with Jonah. They are just the perfect trio. Definitely a five star read and annoyed it took me so long to get around to reading it.

So when I heard Josie Silver had a new book out I was absolutely thrilled as I loved one day in December yet equally nervous incase i didn't enjoy after loving the previous book so much .... I'm happy to say I loved Two lives of Lydia Bird just as much, another beautiful, moving story that will stay with me for a long time.

I loved this book. I cried almost all the way through but what a story. The emotion all through is so real and heartfelt that you can't help but get so tied up in every emotion Lydia goes through. This is not something you ever imagine going through but this book just floored me. I didn't want it to end and would love to read more about Lydia and Jonah. I wish I could give it more stars.

A story centering on grief and loss but surprisingly fun given the subject matter. A journey of self discovery and romance which I throughly enjoyed.

Describing a book like this as "nice" seems a little at odds, but despite its tragic subject matter and serious themes, that's exactly what it was. It was a beautiful, oftentimes sweet portrayal of coping with grief with a relatable protagonist. That said, at times I found it hard to connect with the characters, and Freddy fell into archetype territory on a few occasions. Still, It was a very strong entry into the genre.

"The Two Lives of Lydia Bird" is a romantic novel about love, loss and second chances in life. Lydia Bird's life changes in the split second when her beloved fiancé Freddie dies in a car accident. As Lydia is slowly dealing with her grief, suddenly she is given a second chance to be with Freddie. But which life is right one for her?

This is a love story that deals with an inpact of grief on people and their relationships with others. Despite being a romantic novel, it also talks about friendship, family ties and connections. The premise of the book might sound like a massive cliche, but somehow the author's skills makes this book into a compelling and original story - it is never too obvious and the author is subtle enough to make the reader figure out what is going on in Lydia's life. There is also some good-natured humour and the lively language balances out the heavy subject of the story to make it a perfect romantic read.

Great read! Lots of fun! Had me hooked. I enjoyed the characters and the interactions between them. It was very well written and easy to read.

Going into this book I was hoping for a cross of Taylor Jenkins Reid premises (Forever, Interrupted, Maybe In Another Life, One True Loves) as a woman is faced with he loss of her fiancé and her choice of clinging onto a life with him or moving onto a different life, with a different love. However, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird turned out to be a disappointment.

My biggest gripe with this book was that it’s pitched as a choice between two realities, but I don’t think that’s a fair description of the plot. Lydia takes sleeping tablets to visit a world in which her fiancé Freddie has not died and she is passive in watching their life play out. Her lack of agency in those scenes is particularly frustrating and while I can see that it tried to highlight Freddie’s flaws, it became overkill and I couldn’t support Lydia and Freddie as a couple. But, mostly I was annoyed because it’s never a viable option that Lydia could sleep forever and live with Freddie. The painful nature of this choice is what makes alternate reality stories and not having that meant there were no stakes at all.

I also felt that the book was too long for a romance novel (nearing almost 450 pages) and that Lydia’s second love story was under-written and wrapped up far too quickly. While the grief aspects felt true and raw, there was a serious lack of romance. Similarly, I was frustrated by a moment in the book when Lydia returns from some time away and her family treat her awfully. It felt inauthentic and harsh. What family would ostracise someone who is grieving? Especially as they start to regain their independence?

If you’re looking for a book that handles grief, I can think of many better options.