Member Reviews
This was my first book by this pair and it definitely won’t be my last. I started it and it just kept getting better and better. What a great ending! I will definitely be recommending this one!
You don't have to be a fan of the movie Groundhog Day to enjoy this book, but it definitely helps, as authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke cleverly pay homage to this classic in their newest book How to Save a Life.
Dom let Mia get away 10 years ago because he wasn't ready to commit, but when he encounters her again, he knows he has a chance to win her back. She dies tragically on that date, but he wakes up the next day with the chance to try again - to prevent it from happening. It's a theme we've seen before, but it's an engaging play on the theme.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
I was really attracted to the idea/premise of this book and whilst it was an emotional and tense groundhog day style story, it unfortunately just fell a bit short for me.
I struggled to really like and invest in the main characters or their (somewhat lack of and lukewarm) romance, and therefore found the story dragging a bit in some places probably due to my lack of caring for them and whether they would get their second chance (or if they really should)!
The ending was a bit of a let down also (felt like we went through a lot for nothing) but I kind of predicted it. Overall an easy read that was well written, finished this one in a few hours.
Thanks!
What would it be like to re-live the same day over and over in which you watch the love of your life tragically die again and again. You'll find yourself as compulsive as Dom to find a way to save Mia. This may be my favorite book by them to date!
I was super grateful to receive an early review copy of this book, but the premise was just not for me. I got very tired of reading about one person dying over and over in so many different awful ways. The book was very original, but, again, just not my cup of tea.
I was really into this book for quite some time, but I felt it went on a little longer than needed. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy.
I love the writing duo that is Liz Fenton. How to Save a Life is a book that is a loose interpretation of groundhog day. I loved the well written characters in this book, Dom and Mia. This book that crosses genres, romance, mystery . Well written story that kept me turning the pages. Another hit from this writing team.
The repeating days trope is really hit or miss. This was a miss for me. I was getting really bored after about the second repeat. I wish he would have learned more or taken more from this but it was just super repetitive and easily lost interest. Also to find out we went through all of that for pretty much no reason made me a bit irritated.
Despite knowing the premise of How To Save A Life, it took more than half the book to figure out what I was reading. And that I truly liked it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Dominic and Mia got engaged 10 years ago. In "it's not you, it's me" fashion, Dom breaks off the engagement and they don't see each other for several years. A chance meeting years later brings Mia back into Dom's life, but thereafter he begins to relieve a specific Thursday multiple times in a row. Each with similar incidents but all ending with Mia dying tragically. Dom needs to figure out why he's stuck in a time loop and how to save Mia from her various fatalities - of which he is the only one aware.
This is not a rom-com, thriller or sci-fi. I can't actually categorize it's genre, but it's unique and well-written and brings about a tear or two. This is the second book I've read by authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke and am again impressed.
Recommended for those who like their contemporary romances unconventional!
Released on July 14, 2020.
Imagine living your life like groundhog and living it over and over.
Small details may change but the outcome is always going to be the same. Imagine the love of your life dying each time. Every day Dom tries to save Mia from dying, but every time he fails. Dom continues to be devastated and just wants to figure out how to save Mia.
Well.. I really wanted to love this one but unfortunately it missed the mark for me and felt like it was really just missing something. I feel like the romance fell a bit flat between the two and was having a hard time believing the romance between the two. I just wasn't really invested in the two as the story went on so it just felt pretty meh to me.
But, the writing was definitely wonderful. I feel like the overall message here was truly well done.
3/5 stars
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Pub date: 7/14/20
Published to GR: 8/5/20
Thank you Netgalley, Amazon Publishing, and the authors for a gifted eARC of this book. This review is my own opinion.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 Stars
🔥 1/5 Steam Rating
When I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I wanted it o read it! A groundhogs day type of romance where the main character is trying to prevent the death of his long lost love? Sold, count me in! Thankfully, this book lived up to my expectations!
It’s so rare to find a well written romance where the main character is a male, so I was pleasantly surprised that this didn’t have multiple POVs. How To Save A Life is told solely through Dom’s perspective as he tries desperately to save Mia’s life. I thought that the characters & storyline were well thought out and developed, and that although we relived the same events over and over, the story was set at a great pace to keep you engaged throughout the repetitiveness.
While some things about this were quite predictable (I mean he is living the same events over every day), I was still surprised along the way. During the first part of the book I felt a bit anxious waiting for that trap door to open, you know Mia will die but I was on pins and needles waiting to figure out HOW she would. Then as we got further into the story, I started to feel anxious for Dom and what his future would hold if he did make it to Friday with some of the situations he got himself into.
What a beautiful story, I really wasn't expecting this journey, I kept reading and seeing this book everywhere but I didn't want to read any reviews or the blurb to enjoy the journey even more.
This book is magical, it is full of hope and a lot of love, it is the story of Dom a character that keeps living the same day over and over again, without having the ending he will envision or even want, he keeps living the same situations over and over, different scenarios but same characters, a character that is the love of his life.
Dom is trying to save the day, he doesn't want to have that ending so he keeps trying to modify or do something that will keep everything working for him and Mia, he knows he made a mistake and he doesn't want to lose her all over again, but everything feels and seems so out of place, so surreal he really doesn't know what is happening to him and why this awkward situation keeps repeating every day, he wants to keep her but life has another plan for them.
How To Save A Life was a story that left me with a message, that not everything is in our hands, that life has a funny way to teach us that not everything we want will play as we wish for, that maybe we're so blinded by situations that we really don't see the real reason of why we have to go through that or even to see the real love of our lives.
The secondary characters were great, adding more depth to the main characters and the story.
This was an amazing ride, that I enjoyed so much, it was a perfect read, it was not heavy, not light, it had the right amount of love, and situations that will keep us so hooked at all times.
How To Save A Life is one of those books that you know you will enjoy always no matter how many times you re-read it, it is always joyful.
How to Save a Life, by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, was a disappointment. Having enjoyed their previous novels, I was surprised that neither of the main characters engaged me at all. Further, this twist on “Groundhog Day” became very tedious as I grew tired of the repeated attempts to evade fate. This is a difficult novel to review without spoilers, so I will simply state that it did not resonate with me. I will also note that many, many other reviewers loved it. Go to Goodreads.com for alternative views!
Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. In this novel we are introduced to Dominic who still has not gotten over his ex-fiancé after ten years of being apart. When they meet randomly in a coffee shop, he thinks fate has intervened and tries to rekindle things with his ex-fiancé, Mia. On their first date together, Mia dies tragically. The worst part is Dominic is stuck in a time loop and has to relive multiple Thursdays each one ultimately ending in Mia's death. Will he be able to save her and get out of the time loop?
I really like the concept of this book. It reminded me of a more romantic version of "Recursion" by Blake Crouch. I also liked the authors' ability to balance romance with tragedy. They would describe a beautiful moment and tear you down the next with Mia's untimely death. The ending was somewhat predictable but I was shocked to hear why Mia returned to California.
As the story went on, I actually grew to dislike the main character, Dominic. I thought he was extremely whiny and irrational. I understand he's stuck in a time loop, but his love for the idea of Mia was very unflattering. I believe this was the author's intention, but it made it difficult to continue to engage with him and the plot. Overall, I would give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Having read my first Lisa and Liz book, The Two Lila Bennetts last summer, I was highly anticipating this one.
Ten years ago Dom proposed to Mia, but then broke it off after getting cold feet.
They lost touch, but now they happen to meet in a coffee shop. He's always regretted calling things off so abruptly and has never stopped thinking about her, so he's thrilled to have a second chance. They agree to meet that evening for a date.
When Mia dies on their date, Dom is devastated. He desperately wishes he could have saved her.
When he awakens the next morning, he realizes he has been given another chance to repeat the day.
But he is forced to relive the day, again and again, seeing Mia die over and over.
Will Dom be able to save a life?
This was an original, enjoyable and entertaining story. I loved that it was set in my hometown location of Oceanside. And I thought the ending was exactly perfect.
It did lag a bit in the middle and I didn't really connect with either of the main characters, especially Mia. But it did bring out lots of emotions and kept my interest.
Looking forward to what these two think up next.
Thank you Lake Union Publishing for the e-ARC via NetGalley.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars.
This book is a ride. Having the main character relive the same day over and over could have been boring and redundant, but instead it was captivating. By Dom’s third day living Thursday, June 11, I was completely engrossed. How was he going to save Mia? Why couldn’t he get out of the time loop? Was he going to have to let someone else die so she could live? I read this one in under 24 hours; I just had to know what happened to Dom and Mia.
WHAT KEPT ME TURNING THE PAGES: We have a song (title of the book). We have a movie - have you seen Groundhogs Day? Where Bill Murray keeps reliving the same day over and over again? That concept is what fuels this book. Dom starts to live the same day over and over again - and my daughter would be THRILLED. Why? Because the authors chose my daughter's birthday! If she could live that day over and over, you know she would. For me? That would be my own personal hell. But I digress. Dom wasn't having as good of a time given that every time the day starts again, he has to watch the love of his life die in many different ways. Every day, he would learn something new. Mia was hiding a few secrets. His roommate and coworker had one of his own. Dom had things he could not face. And he has to find out the truth before the next day can begin.
Not only did I have to see how Dom got out of the loop, but I got to watch Dom grow. Seeing a character change for the better is one of the best well-rounded feelings a book can share. We see Dom learn about people he never would have given a second chance to. That is what gives this book so much heart.
WHAT I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: I think this goes without saying, but there is a lot of death in this book. Both explained in detail and implied. A lot. I mean every day that Dom lives again, is a day in which Mia meets a gruesome fate. It's never a "she never woke up" type of death. It's always extreme. So if this is a trigger for you, then you may not want to pick this one up. But if you are just scared, then push yourself into trying it. I'm not a death fan, as I am always chasing the happy ever after vibe, but in this case, it works.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this wild ride. I tried to guess how Dom was going to break the loop, but did not guess correctly. I didn't see that end coming! So we have a small twist you don't see at the end, a character who grows, side characters who you feel for that aren't just there as a prop - it makes quite the well-rounded story!
3.5 stars - rounded up for rating
I’ve been in love with Liz and Lisa ever since I picked up THE GOOD WIDOW and they became an auto-buy duo for me. Their newest, HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, is a time loop story and I know that’s something people either love or hate. I always find myself right in the middle – it all depends on the story (I loved Happy Death Day). I was curious to see how this writing duo was going to weave this story.
While this story is definitely more on the predictable side, I just could not put it down. Yet again, these ladies bring us another binge read and before you know it you’re halfway through! I completely agree with the description of this book, Groundhog’s day with a romantic suspense twist to it. Dom continues to relive his last day with the first love of his life, Mia. I was amazed at how they could write the same day over and over again but make each day feel different and unique – if that makes sense.
I want to keep this kind of short and sweet so as to not spoil anything. If you want a light suspense read then I think this is perfect for you. While this wasn’t my favorite of their books, I still highly recommend this one and anything else by Liz and Lisa and they remain an auto-buy writing duo for me.
Ten years ago, Dom broke up with Mia, and he has regretted it ever since.
He unexpectedly runs into her, and he’d do just about anything to be able to fix what he did when he was younger, and convince her just how much he loves her. They go on a date that ends in tragedy, and suddenly he’s living the day over and over, always with a heartbreaking ending he can’t seem to change.
Will Dom be able to save the one that got away?
Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke are my favorite duos of authors, I can't imagine not loving a title these two have written. While this one had a familiar Groundhog's Day plot line, the characters in the story made it such an emotional story that had me rooting for Dom through every page.
The details for each day the characters relived were surprising and kept me turning the pages, hoping for an ending that showed how each of them had grown in their time apart. How to Save a Life is a must read for anyone who loves having all the feels in a story, and can appreciate how our love for one another, and the risks we're willing to take for love.
Thank you to Netgalley & Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this title in exchange for my personal review, getting titles from authors like this that I love is so amazing!
This was my first Liz & Lisa book and I REALLY enjoyed it! I was genuinely invested into this book and Dom’s journey in figuring out what was going to happen next. I felt that the characters were realistic while being flawed and sometimes annoying but I love a good character to root for!
The authors did a great job of not allowing the story to get dry and repetitive. It was different than anything I’ve read for awhile and that felt so refreshing. If you are in the mood for a love story with magical realism and suspense, this is the book for you!
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake union publishing for this free E-Arc for my honest review.