I give this book 0 stars. It was a do not finish for me.

This book is very sad which I knew it would be based on the synopsis. However, at 40% within the book it seems as if the main character Lydia is not making much attempts to overcome her grief. The book is written where Lydia still interacts with her deceased fiance' in her sleep constantly keeps a sad vide. It would have been nice to have a happy plot and with the interaction with the dead fiance' by sleep towards the end.

This is an interesting and engaging novel that held my interest from beginning to end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Books about grief always wreck me, especially when written gut wrenchingly well. Lydia's grief is like a living being within the book. After her fiance dies the grief becomes part of who she is. Despite the bright cover The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is heartbreaking. I cried on and off basically through out the whole book but It's also hopeful. The supporting cast of family and friends in Lydia's life help warm up this otherwise sad book. I loved her relationship with her sister and how her co-workers supported her without question. Seeing her slowly rediscover herself and learn her own strength had me smiling in between the tears. Pick this book up if you're a fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid's early books or if you're a fan of feeling all of your feelings. Josie Silver has officially become a must read author for me.

A beautiful, heartfelt novel that kept me engrossed from the first chapter. Lydia Bird's life changes forever when on her birthday, her fiancee Freddie Hunter dies in a car crash. Lydia is prescribed sleeping pills after Freddie's death, and realizes that when she takes the pills she can access an alternate universe where Freddie didn't die that night. The book flips back and forth between her "Awake" and "Asleep" chapters, as she explores both how to heal and continue her life in the aftermath of Freddie's death, and she begins to understand how her life would be different had Freddie lived. While this concept could have felt unrealistic, I felt like the book did a wonderful job of staying realistic and painting an accurate picture of how people are always changing, and all of our life decisions have long lasting effects on us.

❤️4 stars❤️

The two lives of Lydia was an emotional ,heartbreaking read but also sweet!My heart broke for Lydia and I was aching for her. The whole book is about Lydia trying to come to terms living without Freddie.

There were moments I find myself crying and others that I have a smile on my face.I loved the writing, it was fast paced and the characters were fantastic, not only Lydia but the rest too.

The ending was sweet I just wanted a little bit more of it!This is the reason it wasn't a five stars.This one could easily become a movie!

I wanted to like this book. I really did. I think it does a good job dealing with the grief of losing a spouse/life partner, but the concept is cheesy and not very believable.

This book was almost too sad in parts, but I feel like it accurately captured a real perspective of what losing a loved one feels like. I just finished reading another romance novel where an eerily similar situation occurred, and I think Silver’s story better explored the nuances of how one person’s grief and loss has an effect on their family and friends.

What I loved most about Josie Silver’s other book - One Day in December - as well as this one, was the character development, especially the side characters. I really felt like I got to know each of them and I was invested in their storylines and motivations. The eventual romance in The Two Lives was also drawn out in just the right way, to the point where I wasn’t sure if it was going to end the way it did. I liked that it felt inevitable yet unpredictable.

The “magic” of Lydia’s situation was the aspect that frustrated me the most, since if I were in her position, I wouldn’t have been able to keep that to myself. I did feel like the book dragged on during some parts, but overall, I enjoyed Silver’s emotional writing and would likely read another one of her books in the future.

I was so excited for this book and it did not disappoint!! The story was so different than most contemporary romances and I love that it incorporates a bit of a sci fi time jumping element. Oh my goodness the cover is so pretty also! I cant wait to buy this just to admire on my shelf.

Whew boy. I started this book at 10:30am and didn't put it down until it was done.
I spent the entire day reading it, pausing only to refresh my tea and find tissues because while I spent the day reading, I also spent the day crying. This book is an absolute tearjerker. Usually I don't like books like that, but I found myself really enjoying this one. Lydia, Jonah, and Freddie were great and memorable characters.
I fully intend to read more books by Josie Silver.

My library will definitely be purchasing this title and I would highly recommend it to my patrons.

The premise of this novel is how a family deals with the sudden loss of someone. It is told from two POVs, but from his girlfriend over a period of more than a year. :One view is her "real" life, as she deals with his loss and adjustment to a life without him. The other viewpoint takes a bit of getting used to -- she is transported to an alternative world where he is still alive and they are planning to get married. At first I found these alt-chapters a bit annoying, but gradually you get used to them and the author scores some important points about how we can benefit from this different perspective and learn to love again and live our lives to the fullest. There is a lot of emotional depth in this book and I highly recommend it.

I couldn’t put The Two Lives of Lydia Bird down, I just wanted to keep reading to find out what was going to happen! I can’t imagine losing the love of my life, and if I was given the chance to visit him every night in my dreams, I wouldn’t get out of bed. Lydia lost her Freddie, her identity as Freddie’s girl, and her world stopped turning. With the help of some little pink pills, she was able to return to their life together when she slept. But that started to take it’s toll on her waking life, and even with her family’s support, she couldn’t find the balance between real life and her dreams. Freddie’s best friend survived the accident that killed Freddie, and is a shadow of his former self. The pain they both feel is so real, and so heartbreaking.
The journey Lydia goes on to find her way back to herself is inspiring and frustrating and beautiful all at once.

Imagine you had a terrible loss. For example, you were with someone for over a decade, and suddenly, they were gone. I, for one, would be an absolute mess. But what if there were a way to be with that person again? To live the Life you always wanted? Would you take it? And what would you do to keep that person in your life?

I loved One Day in December, so I was so excited for The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. And I think I loved it even more. I recommend this to anyone who loved One Day in December, or anyone who loves to dream..

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing House for an Advanced Copy in exchange for an Honest Review.

"The Two Lives of Lydia Bird" by Josie Silver is available March 3, 2020!

Lydia and Freddie met and fell in love at fourteen and have been together since. But when he is in a fatal car accident on her 28th birthday her world is turned upside down and she is forced to face life without him for the first time in 14 years.

I also met my husband as a teen and this book had me tearing up thinking of losing someone you have known have your life. In the book, Lydia finds a way to see her husband in an alternate universe and for awhile this tripped me up and I wasn't sure how I felt about the book. It didn't take long though for me to get sucked in and I loved the characters and the story so much by the end. Besides the alternate universe part, the book felt realistic because the feelings seemed so raw and real. I liked "One Day in December" and this book is just as good. It was also closed door romance, which I prefer.

Trigger warning for loss. This may be hard to read if you have lost a spouse or loved one recently.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first book I read in 2020 and it was... okay. I read Josie Silver's first book, One Day in December, about a year ago and remember enjoying it but begrudgingly so. That one took A WHILE for me to get into and then, when I was in it, I wasn't loving it. I was reading to get to the end. I wasn't enjoying myself but I still had this want inside of me to just get to the end already. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird was much of the same but with way less payoff when you finally make it to the end.

The book is about Lydia, a twenty something living in London with her fiancée Freddie. Freddie is the love of her life having been together for over a decade. On her twenty eighth birthday, Freddie dies in a car accident. One night while trying to go to sleeps, she discovers a way to get back to her old life with Freddie as if nothing ever happened. So begins Lydia’s two lives, the one with Freddie, and the one without him.
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This book was such a treat to read right after finishing One Day in December! I loved both books, but I will say I needed way more tissues with Lydia. I loved how you see Lydia’s character evolve throughout the book. Josie Silver definitely knows how to set the scene and tug at the heartstrings! I recommend this for everyone that loved One Day in December, it’s a very different book, but it still has all the feels!

I found this novel kind of long and dull. Honeslty I had a hard time connecting with the main character despite the difficult circumstances she was in. There were some part of the novel that did move me to tears, but overall it was just okay. 3/5 for me.

I really enjoyed this book, it's a real step up from the author's debut, One Day in December. The story focuses on Lydia Bird, whose fiance, Freddie, passes away in a car crash. The loss is incredibly devastating and she feels that she can never (understandably) move on. Her family and friends rally round, but it just isn't enough. However, through the use of sleeping pills, she finds a way to be reunited with Freddie. While this allows her to escape, she then has to deal with the consequences when her two worlds collide.
This is a beautiful and moving exploration of grief and how we learn to make our peace with it. Highly recommended, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Wow. This is the best book I have read in a while. With P.S. I Love You vibes, honesty and grace, this story is beautiful. I will recommend this book to everyone and anyone as it handles loss and grief, but still offers hope in a realistic way.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird shows the incredible versatility of Josie Silver as an author. I definitely picked this one up expecting a story similar to One Day in December (one of my favorites of 2018) and what I was was a story of love, loss and finding oneself again.

TTLoLB tugged at my heartstrings again and again and moved me to tears. Lydia, is straddling two worlds, a dreamlike world where her fiance is alive, and reality, where he has died and she is alone and suffering. Like most of us, Lydia would much rather spend her time in the dream world, but at what cost does her true reality suffer while away in this place? Silver raises excellent questions in this story and does a beautiful job at straddling the line between holding on and letting go.

Lydia and Freddie are engaged and been together for years. On Lydia's 28th birthday, Freddie is killed in a car accident. Lydia is given sleeping pills to help her sleep. While sleeping, she is reunited with Freddie. It is like he never died. Lydia wants to sleep her life away and be with Freddie. While awake she must face the truth that Freddie is gone. I loved this book and its characters. Lydia is so real and vulnerable. You feel everything Lydia does. Her happiness that Freddie is alive in her dreams and her sadness and grief while awake and missing Freddie. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.