3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Lydia tragically lost her partner, Freddie on her 27th birthday. Freddie had been the only man Lysia had lever loved. She struggles to cope on a daily basis. She's also suffering from insomnia. Lydia discovers that when she takes sleeping pills, Freddie comes alive in her dreams. Lydia is surrounded by people who love and support her and who want to see her well again.

A beautifully written story about love, loss and how to start learning to live your live again. Its emotional and touching. I found Lydia's grief believable and heartbreaking. The story flips between Lydia's ife and her dreams. We follow Lydia's journey and transformation from a heartbroken woman into a woman taking back control of her life. The pace is slow but it's still an enjoyable read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin Books (UK) and the author Josie Silver for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Josie Silver’s previous book ‘One Day in December’ so was eagerly awaiting her next novel which did not disappoint. The story is very well written and packed full of emotion. I loved it from start to finish. Highly recommend.

Lovingly written, this tragedy when Lydia's boyfriend is killed is so sad and wrought that you cannot imagine she will ever find her way out of it. The little pink pills from the doctor allow her time to spend in her old life, which is great at first, but then she realises that she is no longer that person. She has to decide to live in the real world and discover new ways to heal her heart

Its Lydia's 27th birthday and her and fiancee Freddie are booked in for a romantic meal to celebrate, not long before Freddie rings to say he's just diverting to pick up his best friend Jonah and will be there soon; tragically the two are involved in a car accident en route to the restaurant which is fatal for Freddie.  Lydia is left to come to terms with her new life without Freddie and the life they'd planned together however when she's given some new sleeping pills to trial by her GP she finds a way to return to a life where Freddie is still alive and well.

Lydia and Freddie first got together as teenagers so Lydia's entire adult life has been spent being an 'us'; without him her world is turned upside down so the books covers Lydia's struggle to work out what her life means and who she is without him; the ability to visit him by taking a sleeping pill proving to be both a comfort and a curse. 

Format wise we switch between 'Awake' and 'Asleep' chapters over the eighteen months or so from Freddie's death, sometimes following Lydia day by day then skipping ahead a couple of months which kept the pace up. We hear everything from Lydia's perspective and I really felt myself routing for her throughout the book.

For me this had just the right amount of magical realism and while its not exactly a happy read, with the main theme being dealing with the loss of a loved one it is quite heartwarming watching Lydia's character develop from one half of a couple into her own person, someone she may never had become had her life gone to plan.

“Grief is an odd thing. It’s mine and no one can do it for me, but there’s been this whole supporting cast of silent actors around me in the wings.”

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is the second novel by British Author, Josie Silver. It’s eight weeks since her fiancé, Freddie Hunter, died in a car accident, and Lydia Bird is still laid flat by her overwhelming grief. Unable to sleep, or even face their conjugal bed, she’s getting more ragged by the day. When she finally relents to using pharmaceutical help for her insomnia, a strange thing happens: she wakes early with Freddie in her bed.

He’s alive and well, large as life and twice as handsome. Lydia is confused and tearful, but Freddie determines to cheer her up. It’s like the mornings they used to have, and she revels in his presence until he heads off to work. But when she later reawakens, it’s clear from her family that she must have imagined the whole thing. Until it happens again. If it’s some sort of alternate reality, Lydia doesn’t care, she’ll just grab it with both hands and enjoy these times with her beloved Freddie while she can.

After exhausting herself by spending all the sleep time she can with Freddie, Lydia rations herself to a weekly dose of her pink-pill-initiated bliss time. And while there are some parallels with her “awake” life, so much is, of course, different, and it all feels so real. So Lydia uses the pink pills as a reward, divine little doses of Freddie to keep her going, and as a way of coping with her now-very-altered life: “an escape from the hard, unforgiving coalface of grief”

During her waking hours, life without Freddie goes on, although Lydia sits at his graveside telling him what is going on in life and imagining what he might say. One piece of advice is to try to mend the friendship with his best friend, Jonah Jones, the man Lydia, if she’s honest, sort of blames for Freddie’s death.

It’s an interesting situation, and Lydia eventually comes to understand, from living in these two realities: “The thing about losing the love of your life is that you get to make up what would have happened afterwards. You’re entitled to dream all of your tomorrows would have been perfect because you loved them so much, you’re allowed to flex and bend every situation in your head so they’d say and do all the right things. Your love story never really ends because your brain paints them into every photograph and they’re there beside you on all of your special days. They don’t argue with you or fall short of your expectations, they don’t make questionable decisions…” Maybe real life is worth sticking with, grief and all?

Silver does an excellent job of portraying grief and the way people react to it, but some of the personality changes don’t quite ring true, the length may cause the reader to lose interest, and the ending is just a bit predictable. Still, there is a happy ending so romance fans might find it is just what they want.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Penguin Books (UK).

Finished this book with a smile on my face and an ache in my heart for the gorgeous romance of it!

Lydia spends her nights dreaming of an alternate universe where Freddie is still alive and their lives go on as normal. During the day, she tries to cope with the reality of his death and her overwhelming grief. Torn between two worlds, Lydia struggles to understand where she should be and whether she can truly move on after Freddie.

Lydia's journey through grief is raw, heartbreaking, funny and honest and pushes her to discover who she really is, without Freddie and his love for her. I don't want to spoil what is a beautiful story so I'll say no more. A beautifully told tale of friendship, love, loss and self discovery. If you loved One Day In December, you will love The Two Lives of Lydia Bird... and if you haven't read One Day in December, read it next!

Josie Silver is a wonderful writer who gives us the best characters, relationships that feel real and love that is deep, true and all-consuming.

Thank you to NetGalley, Josie Silver and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to this new novel by Josie Silver as I really enjoyed One Day in December so much and I am delighted to say that it did not disappoint. I liked all the characters and the storyline of this weepy love story.

Lydia Bird’s life collapse when her fiancé and love of her life Freddie Hunter dies tragically in a car accident while on his way to celebrate her birthday. Lydia has the support of her Mum and sister but her grief is so deep that she resorts to sleeping pills which she discovers they enable her to transgress into a life where Freddie is alive. At first she looks forward to these magical nights discovering what might have been but they take their toll on her and Lydia knows that living two lives is not only exhausting but unsustainable.

Her journey is inspiring as Lydia seeks ways to control her life again and although this is a tough read, it is a beautiful written love story. This book has it all, birth, death, Marriage and funerals, but most of all love that is shown from family and friends.

A fabulous sentimental read, which I found captivating to the very last page. My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC, this is my own review.

This is my second Josie Silver as I read One Day In December back in, well, December and absolutely loved it. So imagine how excited I was to read her second novel a few weeks early!

This book follows Lydia after she loses the love of her life, Freddie, on her birthday. She tries to navigate grief after losing her fiancé - however, mysterious sleeping pills give her the ability to live another life, one where Freddie is well and alive. But how long can Lydia juggle two completely separate lives before losing herself?

I will give massive points to Josie Silver because, damn, she definitely know how to write. I really love the way she uses words to make you feel everything her characters go through - while reading The Two Lives of Lydia Bird I could not help but want to go home to my boyfriend and hug the heck out of him. Moreover, the premise of this book is a really good one both on the grieving aspect of it and the alternate life one. I’ve never read books involving grief before the way this one does and it was heart wrenching to see Lydia going through the motions of it all. The alternate life part was a bit more confusing as we don’t really know if, in the end, it’s true magic or simply Lydia’s brain trying to overcome her sadness and grief over losing Freddie.

I did find the first part of the book to be heavy and very slow and I was struggling to really get into the story. However, the second half won me over with Lydia finding herself again. And the ending! Oh the ending made me feel all kinds of things and I knew it was coming from halfway through but it was still wonderful and wholesome to read.

I didn’t give this book a higher rating because of the first half of the book and little details that I didn’t particularly liked. But it is still a really good book that is different from what is out there at the moment. And Josie Silver is really an amazing writer so I would still recommend it!

A wonderful story, beautifully told, couldn't put this down, enjoyed every moment, lovely charecters easy to love

Somethings just belong together like fish and chips or strawberries and cream, people can be like that too. When anyone thought of Freddie Hunter it was always with Lydia Bird and their bestie Jonah Jones. The day it was Lydia's 28th birthday Freddie had called on Jonah so they could all celebrate it together. Freddie didn't make it home he died in the car he was driving while Jonah only had minimal injuries. Lydia simply fell apart.
Lydia is prescribed a trial medication, a little pink pill to help her sleep but each time she takes one she finds herself in a parallel world to ours where Freddie is still alive and planning their wedding. Each of her worlds continues while she is in the other. Here Lydia is so wrapped up in her own grieving that she doesn't see anyone else's, her days are just somewhere to wait until the night time comes and her to go to Freddie.
What an incredible story this is! As Freddie had died at the beginning of the story you only see what the characters are like after the accident in this world but because of the parallel world existence, you get to see what the true effect it had been on them. It is like a pebble thrown in a pond that touches so many people in different degrees of intensity.
The only problem with an alternative world is that it is just as unpredictable but in different ways. This is a beautifully written story that is definitely not full of doom and gloom. There were moments that made me laugh and chuckle way after I finished the book. So many brilliant lively characters that support in different ways. I shed tears, swooned and enjoyed a real punch in the air moment. A highly recommended read. Loved it!
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

Lydia is living a happy and average life with her fiancé Freddie. On the night of her birthday dinner, Freddie calls to tell her he'll be a bit late because he has to go and pick up his best friend Jonah first. Jonah used to be her best friend, before they knew Freddie, but now Lydia and Jonah seem to battle for Freddie's attention constantly. And then Freddie crashes the car. Jonah walks away with a small scar above his eye, but Freddie is killed. Lydia's world crumbles from one moment to the next. She retreats from the world, too overcome by grief to go on. Concerned about her sleeping habits, her doctor prescribes Lydia sleeping pills. But the pills do more than help Lydia sleep: they are a door into a world where Freddie is still alive and Lydia gets to live her life alongside him again. Torn between two worlds, two lives, Lydia slowly works her way through the rubble that was left after Freddie's death, trying to find a new life.

This was a wonderful, magical, profound story. Josie Silver has written about grief and loss in a way that I have never experienced before now. The characters are so well written, the descriptions so vivid and lyrical, it's as if Lydia reached out and touched my soul and dragged me with her into her confusing and heartbreaking story. I was walking next to her the entire way, experiencing everything she was going through.

The story was masterfully paced. The book covers roughly 18 months after Freddie's death, showing the short- and long-term impact of grief. Nothing was rushed, but the story never felt like it was being dragged out. Josie Silver is simply an extraordinary writer and I look forward to reading a lot more from her.

I liked the concept of this book as it dealt with coming to terms with grief in another dimension- literally.
Although titled the two lives of Lydia Bird I was surprised that the two lives ran the full length of the book.
In the process of coming to accepting the loss of Freddie, the love of her life, Lydia takes sleeping tablets, to escape reality and reunite herself with Freddie.
This was a bit of a stretch of the imagination for the reader, also the continued use of sleeping tablets was risky.
The novel appears to appeal to fans of Josie Silver and it may help some people experiencing the same situation but I didn't fully engage with Lydia, empathising more with Jonah, Freddie's best mate.
Not quite hitting the mark for me.

Lydia and Freddie were childhood sweethearts, soul mates. Now she's bereaved, and thinks she's lost him forever However, when she takes tablets prescribed by her doctor, she re enters a world where Freddy is alive and well. . Gradually, she takes fewer tablets and learns to live her life again, but will she ever be happy without him? A beautiful story about love, loss and grief and moving on.

Wow, a story with such a naturally flowing emotional structure; I was so happy by the end of the story. Loved the flow and narration.

A journey of grief following a terrible tragedy. How can life go on when the love of your life has been cruelly snatched away in an accident. Substance abuse and a lot of nagging from her Mum and sister slowly make Lydia wake up and see that she does have a future. Read the book to find out what happens.

This review can also be found at https://bookish-me.com/2020/02/20/book-review-the-two-lives-of-lydia-bird-by-josie-silver/

Easily a five star read, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird was unputdownable. I devoured this book in a day.

From the intensely emotional beginning to the bittersweet ending I was captivated by Lydia. Her grief at losing her fiance, Freddie, is so very raw. Her struggle with the reality of losing her best friend and all their hopes and dreams; the denial, the bargaining…the entire grieving process laid out for the reader; drawing them into the story.

Perfectly paced and beautifully written, the alternate story lines were reminiscent of Sliding Doors ( Gwyneth Paltrow circa 1998).

Using sleeping pills to dull the pain of her loss, Lydia soon finds herself in a parallel ‘world’; one in which Freddie is still very much a part of her life but everything is not as it should be. Lydia has to grapple with her desire to be with Freddie and the knowledge that she has to move on without him.

Complicating matters is Lydia’s and Freddie’s best friend, Jonah.

Jonah who was her best friend before she met Freddie. Jonah who was always in her house, in her life, a third wheel in her relationship. Jonah who was in the car the night of Freddie’s accident.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a profoundly moving tale of grief and loss; of coping with change, growth and moving on.

This book was one full of different emotions. Looking at the past and present and working to the future in the hope that it would be better.
Dealing with her grief took the story to another level, a one most of us have been through and you can only hope that you come out the other side ok.
Full of emotion I loved the book

I so enjoyed this book! It was such a speedy and compelling read and when I was reading, I just wanted to binge the whole thing. I'm lucky enough not to have experienced proper grief yet, but from my limited experience this depiction seemed so raw and well-done and convincing. I was really intrigued to find out what happened to Lydia, and I enjoyed the way Josie Silver set it over eighteen months, with plenty of time between different segments to give a real sense of Lydia's grieving process.

After reading One Day in December I was beyond thrilled to be able to read an early copy of ‘The Two Lives of Lydia Bird’ It didn’t take me long at all to fly through this beautiful book.

Lydia Bird goes through the traumatic event of losing her fiancé Freddie Hunter in a tragic accident. The story is told from her perspective, she discovers that she can see Freddie and live an alternative life even after he has passed. This is where the magical element happens. Could this be a good thing to Lydia or a bad thing? It’s a very sad story from the very beginning (so it may be an idea to have those tissues handy!) Lydia has a great support network in her mother, sister Elle and her best friend (also Freddie’s best friend) Jonah. Things are definitely rocky for Lydia but with these people around her she can get through anything!

‘The Two Lives of Lydia Bird’ is a moving story about love and grief (in all its true colours) I found myself in near tears because of how Josie conveys this emotive and poignant story ❤️

I thoroughly enjoyed One Day in December but ‘The Two Lives of Lydia Bird’ is Josie’s writing at a whole new level. The story will stay with me for a long time to come and will most likely be one of my favourite reads of 2020 (even though we are only two months in!) I give ‘The Two Lives of Lydia Bird’ 5*/5* though it deserves a whole lot more! 😊

Thank you so much to Viking Books UK for an advanced copy of this book.

Just finished this book and I'm on a book high. I absolutely loved it. I hadn't heard of the author or her previous book, but will definitely be looking out for it now.

Lydia met Freddie when they were 14, and from then on they were an item. Lydia's best friend Jonah soon becomes Freddie's best friend and the 3 couldn't be closer.

Lydia and Freddie are engaged and planning their dream wedding, when on her 28th birthday Freddie stops to pick up Jonah, running late to the restaurant, and is killed in a car accident. Lydia falls apart and Jonah in his own grief doesn't know how to help her. She has lost the love of her life, and he his best friend.

She is prescribed sleeping pills from the Doctor, as she isn't sleeping, and she finds that when she takes one she wakes in a parallel world where Freddie hasn't died, and her life goes on with him as it was - even up to the wedding and honeymoon she didn't get to take.

However, slowly she realises that apart from taking a toll on her health, the parallel life with Freddie isn't what she thought it would be. It's not perfect, and tarnishes the memories of Freddie in her 'real' life. Lydia has some very difficult decisions to make.

This makes for fascinating reading. Couldn't put it down.