Member Reviews
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book includes a delicious build up of tension until you finally figure out the why behind it all. While it is essentially a riff on Groundhog Day, it is told with such detail and emotion that it grips your heart.
I loved this book. It was well thought-out and intriguing. Yes its repetitive in parts, but that is the whole point of this Groundhog Day tale - there was still a great deal of new stuff going on in each repeated Thursday. There is a surprise ending (at least, I didn't see it coming).
How to Save a Life reminded me of the Groundhog day plot with a bit of romance thrown in.
Dom broke things off with Mia 10 year ago but even after all this time he always things about her. He thinks and talks about her almost to the obsessive nature and while he acts like he is happy on the outside, it is still as if something is missing in his life. Maybe that thing is Mia?
By chance Dom runs into Mia and feels like he finally has the chance to see if he is right and get back what he feels has been missing all these years. But then Mia dies and Dom is forced to relive her death over and over. No matter what he does to change the outcome he just cannot succeed.
Insert The Fray How to save a life
Dom and Mia were young and impulsive. They were madly in love and engaged to be married. Then it ended. They haven’t see each other in 10 years until now.
Serendipity, same coffee shop at the same time, so many emotions come back at once. They catch up and neither of them believe fate. They arrange to go on a date and cannot wait to catch up on life. This is the second chance and nothing’s going to get in their way.
Then Mia dies on their date. Dom makes a plea to the world and begs to save her life. The day from hell isnt over. He’s trapped in June 11th and each day he try’s to save her but over and over again it happens.
Dom is confronted by the fact maybe it’s not Mia that needs saving maybe it’s him? Loved that Dom was stuck on my birthday. This ones super sweet and heart felt.
Wow. Wow. Wow. Ok so I was part of a ARC and let me tell you, there was deff mixed reviews and I didn’t know what to think going into it and sometimes I don’t even like,bowing other people’s opinions. I’m a registered nurse and placing IVs in one thing we always do—so it’s like when another nurse says “good luck placing that IV they are a hard stick” and you instantly get nervous and confidence is gone. That’s how I kind of felt because there was some totally for the book but then some who weren’t and have you that dread feeling like you didn’t want to waste your time. LEMME👏🏼TELL👏🏼YOU👏🏼 I loved this book, my first from these two ladies and I can’t wait to read their other collabs. It’s very redundant but each Thursday has different aspects and Dom seeks to crack the Groundhog Day effect. The friendships are awesome, you start to wonder about Amanda and then the end—gaaaah. No ugly crying (never have once with reading a book) but I had the total watery eye business going on. This was such a good read that wasn’t a big cookie cutter ending but one that also didn’t leave you depressed for days wondering WHY. It was an ending I did not see coming but was totally fitting. Read it!
While i am a super fan of this writing duo - time loop stories are just not my thing The writing is excellent as always and I know many will enjoy this book!
How to Save a Life by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Brief Summary: Dom is trapped in a very bad day. He meets his former fiancée Mia after almost a decade and jumps at the chance to rekindle their relationship. Only Mia dies on their date. When Dom wakes up the next morning to “relive” the same day; he tries to outsmart fate and save her but fails each time. Dom goes to great lengths to figure out what’s happening examining various aspects of his and Mia’s lives in an attempt to figure out the time loop they’re caught in and how to escape. I’m a longtime fan of Liz and Lisa and was excited to get this ARC.
Highlights: This is a really unique premise and brings up lots of questions about fate. It’s hard to say much without giving away the plot. It reminded me of In Five Years. Overall, this was an easy and thought provoking read that made me grateful for my loved ones and the course my own life took.
Explanation of Rating: 3.5/5; this novel did not suck me in like the duo’s books usually do and not engaged at times.
Though I did not enjoy this as much as their previous books, I am still a fan of this writing team and look forward to their next read.
Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review
I seem to love every book I read by Liz and Lisa and this is no exception! Auto-buy authors for me. Love this!
Falling just short of the whirlwind rollercoaster ride I expected, and although there was nothing exactly wrong with this novel, it was just an okay story for me. I wanted all the feels and just didn't connect to the story that way.
> A fresh new take on living the same day over and over again.
This is my first book from these authors and I’m so glad it was. I love the concept and it kept my complete attention the whole time!
Fighting for the ones you love is never a bad thing! In these times we’re living in, hold your loved ones close and don’t stop fighting!
Thank you to netgalley, the publishers and authors for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first book by these authors. I enjoyed the book overall. Definitely gives you a different look on groundhogs day as well. This book made me want to hold all my loved ones close, definitely a tear jerker. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review. 4/5
If you've ever beat yourself up over the choices you've made and replayed the scenario over and over again in your mind, then this book is for you. I was really intrigued by the concept of living the same day over again, but the time loop is more about the awareness we gain about ourselves in the choices we make. I found myself thinking about the characters after the story had ended. Kudos to Liz and Lisa for another beautiful story!
I’m all for books about time changes. Time travel or Groundhog Day, I’m all in! This book did not disappoint. It’s like a more emotional version of the Netflix series Russian doll because let’s be honest, Russian doll was great but dark! This was not as such and I enjoyed it greatly! It may seem tedious to read about the same day over again, but it was played out perfectly.
Failed to connect with this book, because I never found out why I should care about the characters. They were just flat and uninspiring, so meh for me, let alone making me want or need to root for them. I was expecting an epic kind of love but even the feelings between Dom and Mia just didn't make much sense, like it's just there (not visible on the page) and we're supposed to accept that just because we're told that's it period.
I read this one a few months ago and I really enjoyed it!
The premise may not be for everyone, but I loved this story! I not only loved the relevance of modern culture, but I loved Dom's voice as the main character.
This was my first novel by this author duo, but they have 7 titles together! I would definitely read more by them.
How to Save a Life by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke is an emotional read about second chances and taking risks, particularly for those we love. The novel is based on a unique premise, one that is fully fleshed out in the hands of these veteran collaborative authors.
Dom is convinced that he has met the love of his life in Mia. When she dies under freakish and horrific circumstances on a date, Dom knows that with another chance he could save Mia's life. But are all lives meant to be saved? Living life on a loop of differing scenarios, but with the same ultimate outcome, we join Dom on a journey, and the result is oddly, yet wholly, satisfying.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.
Dom is reliving a day he would rather forget, when Mia dies. This take on Groundhog's Day is much more reflective and emotional than the quirky movie.
Loved this book so much! It had great character development and writing. The plot had me hooked the whole time.
I’ve always looked to Liz and Lisa’s novels to take me away - whether it was their early novels, thrillers, or How to Save a Live - they have their unique writing style down pat. Their writing style is seamless - you would never know this is written by two different people.
Their latest novel through a male’s perspective (a first for the authors) - is a fresh take with a twist on Groundhog Day - with Dom trying to figure out how to literally save the love of his life, Mia - over and over.
What follows are the life lessons Dom learns while trying to figure out how to save Mia, and in turn, he may just discover how to save himself.
Another fantastic novel by the stellar Liz and Lisa!!
I thought the Groundhog Day aspect of this story was certainly the most captivating. It was heartbreaking seeing all the different scenarios play out. I really enjoyed this one a lot!