I gave this a three out of five stars. This is pretty much what one would expect but it was really good. For me, it just seemed to be a bit long.

Silver's novel is a compelling Sliding Doors inspired read, when a young woman realizes she can continue living life with her deceased fiance via a prescription sleep drug. Despite the slightly fantastical plot, Silver does an excellent job excavating the effects of grief and the effort to continue living your real life when one that seems better interferes.

I was a HUGE fan of Josie Silver's "One Day in December", so when I heard about this novel I absolutely HAD to read it.

Reader beware - for the first half of the book I cried every time I picked it up... now I will admit that I am an easy crier, it doesn't take much. But this story really pulled at my heartstrings. On the flip side it was also heartwarming at times, but it was really a downer to me after that first half - almost hard to pick up.. So I started to put it off and get really bored with the story.

I honestly felt like there wasn't a whole lot of plot, just what was happening day to day. I was hoping for a book that sucked me in from the first page and didn't let me go. Sadly this is not what I got with this one.

I loved this story that expounded on the "what ifs" or "if onlys"!
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Lydia Bird's fiance is killed in a car accident early in this novel which follows her in the months following his death and her struggles to move forward. Initially she is comforted by dreams of their alternate live (hence the title) but she has difficulty making sense of her life without him.

I liked this book, but there was a slight tone of fantasy via her dream life which I think was corrected by the end.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

I had heard mixed things about this one and was hesitant going into it. I switched formats too since the physical was a little slow to get into but then flew through the audio version. The two lives are between Lydia in the present day, after she is grieving the loss of her fiance, Freddie, and in the dream world where she is still with him living their lives.

This is a story of loss, grief, and how to recover through these emotions. This has similar vibes to Maybe in a Different Life, The Two Lila Bennetts, and The Versions of Us. Lydia's support system was so strong and helped her endure her pain and processing. This is sad, and feels 100 pages too long, but I'm glad I finished this one!

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰⁣
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦: 𝟻:𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘵 𝟺:𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘵 𝟹:𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘐𝘵 𝟸:𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘖𝘒 𝟷:𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐𝘵 𝟶:𝘋𝘕𝘍⁣
⁣
"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐲𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐝" by Josie Silver⁣
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: #fiction #contemporaryfiction ⁣
𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: see comment section⁣
𝐂𝗪/𝐓𝗪: car accident, death of loved one⁣
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 4.0/5.0⁣
𝟏-𝗪𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: emotional⁣
⁣
𝟒.𝟎/𝟓.𝟎⁣
Hi, hello- this book had me crying from page one. This story tackles the loss of a loved one and one woman’s journey through loss, grief, love and friendship. I loved the writing in this book, though it did not feel like a quick read for me. I loved the characters, the way Silver seamlessly transitioned between Lydia’s “two lives”, and I’m extremely impressed with how she was able write a story that conveyed grief in such a relatable manner (relatable for me, at least). ⁣
𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝟻/𝟻...⁣
•Some chapters seemed to drag or serve no purpose. On the other hand, this resulted in the book reading like Lydia’s experience and not like a work of fiction- so I wouldn’t necessarily change this.⁣
•I wasn’t on the edge of my seat to get to the “end” or a certain resolution, though I don’t think this was the purpose of the book. Point being...I still like a solid peak(s) in the books I read (for this one think less mountain range type book and more low-rolling hills type book). ⁣
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𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: I would recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of contemporary books with relatable characters, that isn’t afraid to tackle tough topics.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a powerful and thrilling love story about the what-ifs that arise at life’s crossroads, and what happens when one woman is given a miraculous chance to answer them. Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’d been together for more than a decade, and Lydia thought their love was indestructible. But she was wrong. On her twenty-eighth birthday, Freddie died in a car accident. Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to try to live fully, happily, even without him. But then something inexplicable happens that gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened. Lydia is pulled again and again across the doorway of her past, living two lives, impossibly, at once. review: This book was quite emotional as it deals with loss, grieving, and forgiveness. For me, it was a bit of a slower start, but once the story built I found that I really enjoyed it. I liked that Lydia was flawed and it showed a true view of how some people grieve. I really enjoyed the journey Lydia took us on both when she was awake and when she was asleep in her alternate life. This book was equal parts heartbreaking and uplifting. rating: 4 out of 5 ⭐️

Okay. Last year I read and loved One Day in December. It reminded me a little of Love Actually and I could see it being a movie. WELL. The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is A GEM. I don’t think it’s going to be for everyone right now because it’s not just your average light romance read. Lydia has been through it. Her fiancé passes away in a car accident, and the story is her moving through her grief...IN TWO WORLDS. It alternates between Lydia being “awake” and “asleep”. This is the second book I’ve read where people have mentioned the movie Sliding Doors (The Two Lila Bennett’s is the other) and so clearly I need to watch that movie. It’s interesting to read about Lydia trying to juggle her feelings, how loss has changed her, and two worlds.

This one is sweet and has all the feelings. It’s both sad and hopeful, character driven and I miss reading it already. I can’t wait to talk more about this one with my #nerdoutbookclub. I think there’s still room so let me know if you want in. 🖤 Thank you to @netgalley for my copy as well.

Did not finish when I realized it was about someone that feels like she goes back in time then come to today?

I started to see where this book was going at about 10% and quickly lost interest. While I enjoyed the authors previous book, this one did not do it for me. Hopefully next time!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

When Lydia's fiance, Freddie, suddenly dies, her grief is immense and she can't sleep. Her doctor prescribes her sleeping pills that transport her back into a life where Freddie is still alive. Navigating her loss, Lydia learns a lot about herself and what it means to live with grief.

Sounds sad, right? It is. It's super sad. But it's also accurate, happy and hopeful by the end.

I felt that Josie Silver did a fabulous job depicting what grief is really like, so while the book is depressing until maybe the last 20%, this book is absolutely spot on with what I've experienced--maybe not as a bereaved fiance, but as a bereaved sister.

I love, love, loved the message that happy endings don't end with significant loss. I absolutely loved that Lydia's story ended happily.

Thanks Random House & NetGalley for the free advanced e-galley!

TW/CW:
fatal car accident; dependence on pills; intense depictions of bereavement; traumatic childbirth experience; miscarriage

This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I knew it would be emotional, and it was, but it didn’t quite resonate with me. The main character seemed lacking to me and I couldn’t quite understand her. All in all I would say this book wasn’t for me but I might give the author a try again.

Although I wasn’t a huge fan of One Day in December I decided to give her new book a shot. I tried everything in my power to finish this book but it was a struggle. There was barely any type of plot. I get the two different time periods but it didn’t tie together and it was just the main character crying or sleeping the entire book. This was unfortunately a let down. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!

Sometimes it’s really hard to read about someone’s grief. To see it, raw, naked and unedited. That’s what I felt when I began reading this book. And to read it in (what I hope will be) the final weeks of self-isolation due to the Covid19 crisis, made it that much more emotional. Throughout the book was something we all desperately need right now, and that is hope. Awake or asleep, reality or fantasy, I’ll take hope anywhere I find it. As does Lydia. You can’t blame her. This book made me take a closer look at my life. It made me realize that, while not perfect, it’s perfect for me.

Maybe you should read this book. It might help you too.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..

I really enjoyed this book and it was the perfect read to get me out of a slump. That being said, it wasn’t perfect. I was very intrigued by the idea of the two lives. In the book, Lydia takes sleeping pills that transport her to a parallel life. While in theory it is very interesting, I felt like it could have been executed better and explored further. There was a lot in that plotline that was only touched on, and it’s resolution was very anticlimactic.

My favorite part of the book was the sweet relationships Lydia had in her life. It was a great exploration of a support system, and I appreciated the realistic path Lydia went down in her grieving.

I

Gosh, I wasnt prepared to read this book emotionally. The story which is so eloquently written, deep and emotionally. Lydia moves through her grief of losing her one true love, Freddy on her birthday. But she found that with her magic pink pills, she is able to visit a world where Freddy is still alive, in her dreams. Lydia slowly finds herself moving on when her dreams become even further than the real life she's living.

This was a slow burn. And the first 30% I almost quit because I knew my heart couldn't handle the back and forth with grief if Lydia. But the last 30% was so moving and that there is love and life after a great loss. It really was a beautiful story.

I loved One Day in December, so I was thrilled to receive an advanced copy of Josie Silver’s newest book! The Two Lives of Lydia Bird follows Lydia as she lives two parallel lives, one while awake and her husband has passed away in a car accident; and a second secret life where the crash never happened, and Lydia is still planning her wedding. It was an interesting concept, and as long as you can suspend your disbelief it was really enjoyable to read!

A story of love and loss, it tears at your heartstrings throughout. While the beginning was a bit slow for me, once things got going - I didn't want the story to end. The book did a really good job of describing grief and what it is to live that, not often found in fiction. It wasn't the same type of grief I dealt with, the loss of a parent, but that same struggle to find your footing again was absolutely true for any grief. I felt for Lydia, and while the story wasn't the romance I thought it would be - I was cheering for Lydia along the way. There was a great cast of secondary characters as well who nicely rounded out everything along the way. There were a lot of tough topics brought up, and it was done well but this was a bit heavier of a book than "One Day in December" by the same author. I'd happily read anything Josie Silver writes.

The Two Live of Lydia Bird is about Lydia learning to cope with her grief from losing her fiance and move on without him. She's been having trouble sleeping ever since he died and is prescribed sleeping pills, which she soon learns allows her to see him in her dreams every time she takes them. From then on, she uses them to see how her life would have turned out had her fiance not died and celebrate important milestones with him, but it's not long before her two lives diverge and she realizes just how much his passing has changed her from the person she was with him.

Josie Silver is a great writer and I really enjoyed this look at grief and coping in a somewhat lighthearted way. This is definitely women's fiction and not romance since the focus is Lydia's grief and character development, but it does have a happy ending even though it was not the ending that I wanted to see.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for my copy to review.

TW: loss of a loved one via car accident, miscarriage