Member Reviews
I loved this book that is a blend of suspense, magical realism and fictional fun. This is a story of Dom who is living the same day over and over again I( much like Groundhog dog story) but each time with new people and circumstances. This allows Dom to understand how his choices affect him and others in his life. I loved Dom's charcter and how the author's portrayed him throughout the book with growth and depth . This was quite a different read and a fun read for summer reading. This is a marvelous pair of writers.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinions are my own..
When Dom accidentally runs into his ex fiance at a coffee shop he thinks its Fate giving him a second chance with "the one that got away." But after a tragic accident he is stuck in a time loop trying to save her life.
The beginning of this one was really strong but by half way the repetitive nature of the story made me lose interest. I just couldn't connect to the feelings Dom was experiencing and I honestly guessed the ending way before the final reveal. I understand that a story about a time loop will seem repetitive but something about this narrative just couldn't hold my attention. I am not sure if it was just the characters or me. I would recommend this book for its great writing.
The day that just goes on and on and on. This story was about Dom and his ex girlfriend Mia. Dom does everything he can to save Mia's life on a Friday that repeats over and over again.
I enjoyed the characters and the story. It made you think about paying attention to details and people and just living your life to the fullest.
I am very glad I read this one. It kept my interest right to the very end.
I wanted to love this book. I loved the premise and the idea but honestly, after a while, it became too much. The constant violent dying was too much for me to deal with. I thought it was well written throughout and the characters were strong but I didn't love the ending and overall for me, this was a miss. I am giving it 3 stars because of the death scenes that played out over and over again. It was too triggering for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Dom called off his engagement with Mia nearly ten years ago--and he's regretted it ever since. She's the one that got away and the standard by which he's measured every relationship after. So when he bumps into her in a coffee shop, he believes it's fate. They've been given a second chance. He asks her out on a date. But on their outing, Mia dies tragically. As an injured Dom watches Mia's body being taken away, he makes a wish: to be given a chance to save her life. So imagine his shock when he wakes the next day to discover it's Thursday: again. He seems to be reliving the same day over again, giving him a chance to save Mia. But as these Thursdays continue to happen, Dom has to confront his intense feelings for Mia. Why have they lasted all these years? Why is he reliving the same day over and over, unable to save her?
"The more things that happen like this, the more it feels like I'm reliving the same day all over again."
This was an incredibly fast read that kept me hooked, that's for sure. The Groundhog Day aspect of this book was fascinating. It's also a bit strange and completely stressful. Knowing Mia is pretty much guaranteed to die over and over--in different ways--freaked me out. I'm not sure how Dom didn't totally lose it. (I'm going to say that he definitely lost it a little bit!)
The book is certainly repetitive in some ways. I think you can't totally avoid this when you're writing a "relive the same day over and over" story. What frustrated me was the constant emphasis put on Dom's obsession with Mia: his repeated telling that she was an impulsive and different sort of person and that's why he fell for her, but also why he was wary of marrying her in the beginning. This point was hammered home far too much for me. We get it.
While I actually really loved the plot of this book--it was something new and I needed that--I couldn't fully embrace it because I just didn't adore Dom and Mia as a couple. Dom was a doormat and a bit annoying. Take control of your life! Mia's impulsive, carpe diem came across more as rude and too much. Overall, they didn't seem to be a good match.
I enjoyed the fact that this book had one narrator: Dom, even if he drove me a little crazy sometimes. I honestly couldn't grasp his infatuation with Mia and wanted to shake him and tell him to move on. The book also threw in some weird tangent plot pieces that just didn't seem to need to be there. They wound up as distractions or loose ends.
Overall, though, this was an enjoyable read. While I couldn't fully warm to Dom and Mia, this was a fast-paced read and something different. It had an interesting ending--nothing predictable here. 3.5 stars (rounded to 4 here).
Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke have (again) successfully taken their signature blend of magical realism and domestic fiction and knocked it out of the park with How to Save a Life. Told from the perspective of Dom (a departure from previous novels female narrator) the story unfolds over several Thursdays where he relives his worst nightmare-losing his first love Mia in bizarre, tragic accidents. Mia, recently relocating back to San Diego, runs into Dom at a coffee shop catching him completely off guard-he has barely spoken to her in the last ten years-and it's clear she's never been far from his mind or heart. What unfolds, as Dom relives the same Thursday over and over, is a heartwarming, emotionally charged novel that will teach Dom whose life he's really saving.
I loved this book-the music, the scenery, the way Dom changes over the course of reliving the same day again and again-it was a refreshing take on a theme that has been explored over the last several years by various writers. It feels fresh-not repetitive. Pick this one up today!
Thank you to the writers, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
In this novel, ten years after their break up, Dom has just connected with Mia, the one that got away, when she tragically dies on their date and he is thrown into a Groundhog’s Day-type time loop. Yes, the time loop thing has been done before, but this book puts its own spin on it, and is a very absorbing read.
A special thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
To say that Dom is having a bad day is an understatement. And to make matters worse, he can't escape it.
Don and Mia broke up almost a decade ago and he's never gotten over her. So when he bumps into his ex-fiancée in a serendipitous meeting, he can't help but think that fate has intervened and offered him a second chance.
When Mia tragically dies on their date, Dom makes a plea to the universe to be given the opportunity to save her. The next morning, Dom wakes up and is ecstatic to learn that his wish came true—Mia is still alive! But no matter what he does, day after day, she meets the same terrible fate.
The harder Dom tries, the more obsessed he becomes with saving Mia and rekindling their relationship. Forced to take a long hard look at who he has become, Dom needs to work through his life choices in order to be a better version of himself and save Mia in the process.
How to Save a Life is modern twist on Groundhog Day that asks the question: How far are you willing to go to save the life of someone you love?
Fenton and Steinke are a powerhouse duo that are truly gifted storytellers. Over the course of the narrative, they explore several scenarios for Dom to tackle his flaws which he believes will rescue Mia. They also look at the effects of grief and extreme trauma, and juxtapose this against love and missed opportunities.
I absolutely loved it. Congratulations, Liz and Lisa!
What a sweet relief from a string of overdone thriller/domestic plots. This book was a breath of fresh air and hit just at the right spot. Perfect summer book!
This has been my first full read since giving birth and it was a great book to start off with. I love Lisa and Liz’s writing. Their novels can always capture my attention from the beginning with no problem. I have not read a story about time loops before so this was extremely interesting since I have had MANY feelings of deja-vu or woman’s intuition.
How to Save a Life was such a refreshing read to their normal suspense novels and I was all for it! Here is to never ever having to live in a time loop! 🥂
This is the first book I have read by this duo and it definitely won't be the last.
Dom let's the love of his life, Mia, walk out of his life 10 years ago. In a twist of fate, he runs into her at a random coffee shop and they reconnect and agree to a date.
Dom then finds himself in an absolutely horrible version of Groundhog Day, where Mia dies a tragic horrible death on their date, over and over again. Dom changes his actions on each date in an attempt to save her.
I found the repetition of her death so upsetting, it was excruciating, and my heart broke for Dom as he tried everything possible to save her. At times the repetitive nature was too much but it was worth enduring to get to the end, which was well done.
There was also a tangential story about a homeless man that I really enjoyed and pulled on my heart strings. I am generally a sap, so this book worked for me.
Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Dominic messed up 10 years ago and broke off his engagement with Mia, and he’s never gotten over her. A chance meeting, and he jumps at the opportunity for a second chance. That’s as much as I will tell you about this one because I don’t want to say too much. I will say this: HOW TO SAVE A LIFE by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke is a book not to be missed. This is their twist on a Groundhog Day, and it works. I agree with someone else that said you should go into this one blind: I did, and it made things so much more intensely emotional. I recommend you pick this one up but be prepared for the roller coaster of emotions. My heart broke for Dom as he navigated his days trying to make the choices that would change the outcome and move him to the next day.
Fenton and Steinke write this story as a team and it comes together seamlessly. There is no distinction between the parts that each writes which continues to impress me. HOW TO SAVE A LIFE is an emotional, thought-provoking, and interesting twist that will stick with you long after you finish.
Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
#HOWTOSAVEALIFE #LIZFENTON #LISASTEINKE #LAKEUNIONPUBLISHING
This duo does it again! I’ve been a fan since The good widow and at this point I’ll read EVERYTHING these ladies write. This was so different from the other novels and yet so so good. I was so invested in this “groundhog day” story that I almost didn’t even notice it ended because I couldn’t put it down. My gosh, I felt bad for Mia and of course Dom and his predicament! What I loved the most was that more than a romance this was more of a persons journey to let go. Loved it.
Where did I go wrong?
I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
-The Fray
Dom is having a bad day alright. A day he is living repeatedly but with enough variations and minor changes that these repetitive days do not become tedious. You see, Dom bumped into his ex-fiancé (the one he has never gotten over and still holds a torch for) and asks her out and she says YES! What could go wrong? Well she dies. Not once, not twice, but over and over - you get the picture.
This is Groundhogs day with a little bit of Final Destination and Happy Death Day thrown in (you might think twice before going to an amusement park - just saying). Each day he learns something new but is it enough to save Mia's life?
Caught in a time loop, can Dom save the woman he loves? Will Thursday ever end? Is he destined to re-live that day over and over again?
Reading about the same day many times does sound tedious, but again, there are enough changes, more information, new things happen, we learn more about the things that happen and each day she dies in a different death. Sounds morbid, I know. Yet, there is a lesson here. Although it's not the more original premise i.e. Groundhogs day, it is an engaging and thought-provoking book. Now, if only I can get The Fray out of my head! "Step one, you say we need to talk..."
So, talking about the book...It's enjoyable (this feels weird to say as Mia dies repeatedly) but I enjoyed the lesson here and I did enjoy how the authors cleverly told their story about Dom, the love of his life, second changes, and......(this is where you read the book to find out for yourself).This dynamic writing duo has done it again!
So good read the book, kiss your loved ones, dance in public, and enjoy your life.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own
How to Save a Life is an interesting read and one what threw me for a loop. I went into the book without knowing much about it, and I am glad I did.
Dom, our protagonist, unexpectedly runs into his ex-fiancé, Mia, and the love of his life after a decade apart. After their reunion is tragically cut short, Dom cannot stop reliving their last day together. He has to figure out how to get out of the time loop while trying to save Mia and himself.
This book threw me for a loop! As I was reading it, I started to wonder "what is reality," so I had to step away for a bit. I was then able to start the story back up again and appreciate the great writing. I also loved that the book is based in San Diego, which is one of my favorite cities. How to Save a Life definitely made me stop and think about the things in life I take for granted. Overall, it was a unique and interesting read.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
4 stars!
"You saved my life. Now maybe it's my turn to save yours." Amanda extends her hand out to me, a life preserver to a drowning man. I take it.
Dom continues to have the same day over and over and over again. He just can't seem to get away from Thursday, June 11th. A few days before that, Dom runs into his ex-fiance, Mia, and can't believe she is at the same coffee shop as him. He has spent the last 10 years thinking about her because she is the one that got away. Dom decides to see if things can work again with Mia but she dies on their date, to his surprise she is alive again the next morning and he's reliving the day all over again. Dom spends his week of June 11th trying to figure out what the secret is to keeping Mia alive and along the way learns a lot about himself.
Every summer I get really excited when a new Lisa and Liz book comes out. What I love most about these two is they give me something that's unique and different. How To Save A Life is so different from what I've been reading and it felt refreshing when I started to dig in. Most people compare this to the movie Groundhog Day meets Serendipity and I totally agree.
This is definitely a story about learning to slow down, accept fate and appreciate what you have in front of you. Although Dom may not have had each day they way he had expected or he was getting annoyed with repetitive actions, he needed to realize there was always a purpose for them. Mia may have been his number one priority and focal point but in the end I felt like he had recognized that he needs to pay attention to more of what's around him and how he can evolve into a better person.
Oh - and one more thing every time I looked or picked this book up, I got How to Save a Life by the Fray stuck in my head for hours 😊
Thank you to Lake Union publishing, Lisa and Liz (the authors) and Kathleen Carter for my advanced copy of this book!
How to Save a Life follows Dom though several identical Thursday’s, in Groundhog Day style, with him trying and failing each night to save his ex-fiancée, Mia’s life. In the end, can Dom figure out how to save Mia’s life or was there another reason he’s stuck repeating the day?
This is my favorite book written by this fantastic team so far. I loved the theme shouting out to us that we need to live each day rather than taking the safe route through life. A creative, enjoyable and fun summer read I’ll be recommending quite a bit.
Simple dialog I think was my first problem. The reimagining of Groundhog Day the novel was the second. Bu reliving the death of this young woman Mia we never get a sense of her and Dom’s future.
Always excited every time Liz and Lisa publish a new book. This time was not any different. I loved how even though this book is so much different from the previous one but their writing style just keep getting better and better.
I love these two authors and will read anything put out by them. I love their thrillers so I didn’t hesitate when they deviated from that. This book was wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. I definitely recommend it.