I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Lisa and Liz are a must read author for me so I was so excited to read this as an ARC. You may go into this thinking it’s a Groundhog Day sort of story but it’s not!!!!!!! I highly recommend this book to everyone!!!

I have a love/hate relationship with time loop stories but I can not NOT read or watch them. Don't @ me but I absolutely hated Groundhog's Day but love the darker side like Happy Death Day and Russian Doll. I've read a few books but none really stick with me. So when two of my favorite ladies, Liz and Lisa write one, here I am again ready to dig on in!

What I love about these authors is not only how lovely and hilarious they are, but how talented they are in writing various genres that are ALL absolutely binge worthy. How to Save a Life is no different. While this may not be my favorite by them, I still couldn't put this down. First love always sticks with you in a way that no other will. What if you had a chance encounter with yours that brought about all these repressed feelings after a decade of no contact? And what if you could relive that day over and over again?

Listen, we've seen this story before. However, I like where Liz and Lisa went in terms of outcome and lessons learned. I liked seeing the trajectory over each Thursday lived. While I wasn't the biggest fan of either Dom or Mia, my heart did go out to Chuck! <3 At the end of the day, anything these ladies write, I will read. And any time I go to a fair, I'll be side eyeing that Zipper ride.

This was an unexpected book by these authors as I’m used to their thrillers and this was more of a generalized piece of a fiction, with a twist of romance. I found it to be solid, but not spectacular. The repetitive nature of the book became slightly exhausting to me by the end, but I recognize that this Groundhog Day aspect was an essential part of the book’s theme. The characters were fine-I had no strong emotion about them one way or the other. There were some thought-provoking takeaways, but this one did not have a “wow” factor for me. 3/5 stars ⭐️. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This is a beautifully written story about second chances and taking risks. The story was so well-written and I was rooting for these characters so strongly, that I read this in one sitting. It is one that will definitely make you feel a variety of emotions, but it is such a good book!

In Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke’s new novel, HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, fate puts their hero, Dominic, in the same coffee shop as Mia—the fiancée he jilted ten years ago. He sees it as a last-chance opportunity to once again woo The One Who Got Away. The hitch: Dominic must first save Mia’s life.

Unfortunately, when given the opportunity, he fails miserably at the task. Still, Dominic gets plenty of opportunities to do so, for it seems the universe also wants him to get it right, once and for all. As in the classic movie “Ground Hog Day,” a cosmic reboot allows him to rethink the actions he takes on this fateful day.

Steinke and Fenton have thoughtfully, thoroughly, and inspiringly covered every step of Dominic’s journey. The plot doesn’t shy away from his regrets, past and present. Dominic’s would-haves and should-haves will resonate with every reader who has ever regretted a lost love, a relationship gone south, or the road not taken.

As this modern-day Dante goes through his own seven circles (or in this case, nine days) of a living hell, the reader is given plenty of opportunities to gasp, applaud, wince, and tear up at his attempts to outrun Mia’s ticking clock. And although Dominic’s driving force is to save her, the difference he makes in the lives of others—especially those of complete strangers—is what gives the book its heartfelt tenderness.

The bittersweet twist of the book’s gut-punching conclusion reminds us that only our acts of love, random or deliberate, pay tribute to that which we hold most precious: life.

—Josie Brown, author, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives and the Extracurricular Trilogy

How To Save a Life is like…Groundhog’s Day meets Final Destination. Not only is fate coming for you, someone is living it and witnessing it, unable to stop it, day after day after day. How messed up is that?

Liza and Lisa are back to magical realism and damn, did they nail it with this book. Writing from a male perspective, you instantly take a liking to Dom. He seems like a good enough guy, who admits he has faults and knows he really missed out on the one who got away, Mia. In the beginning of the book, they bump into each other at a coffee shop and make plans to see each other a couple days later. What follows is an insane attempt to save her life. Every single day.

But see, it’s the same day. Over and over and over again, he watches Mia die a terrible death, no matter what he tries to do to stop it. What will it take? Or is this all in his head and he’s losing his ever loving mind? He doesn’t know and honestly, neither do you. Along with Dom, you will become almost obsessed in needing to know how this ends. How do you…save a life?

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

What would you do if you had to relive the day your ex-fiancee died over and over again? And you believed that you could save her each time?

In this Groundhog Day type novel, Dominic reunites with Mia ten years after proposing and then breaking things off with her. Having lived with this regret for so long, he hopes that he can save her as the universe gives him chance after chance.

This is a quick read with a unique plot. Although I liked the ending, especially since it didn't go where I expected it to, I had a hard time seeing Mia and Dom together for about 90% of the novel. They just didn't seem like they had anything in common. There were also things that bothered me about both characters, from Dom's relationship with his mother to Mia's dangerous behavior.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union publishing for a copy of this novel!

What if you had to relive the same day over, and over, and over? Kinda feels like that's what we're doing these days in quarantine, huh?

But what if every day, you have to try to save the life of the woman you loved?

And if you fail - every day - you had to watch her die.

This book was WILD! Dom finally has his love Mia back in his life, when he begins this Groundhog Day-esque loop that never seems to end. But every day she dies. And he tries everything in his power to alter the course of each and every SAME day, to try ensure that she lives.

I tore through this book in a day. It's suspenseful and heartbreaking, it's hopeful and captivating. The story is a cleverly written tale of love and regret, and it will keep you guessing til the very end,

One of the best books of 2020 hands down. It surprised me by how serious the book became even though the plot suggested something else entirely. Awesome writing and characters that will stick with you long aft the last page. Don't pass up this winner of a book. A must read. Happy reading!

How To Save a Life features the story of Dom and Mia. They randomly run into each other at a coffee shop 10 years after he called off their engagement. Dom is instantly reminded of everything good in their relationship, and regrets the decision to let her go, claiming she was the love of his life. He asks her out, and while on their date, tragedy strikes. What follows is a sort-of Groundhog Day that Dom can’t escape. No matter what he does, or what actions he takes, he cannot avoid tragedy happening over and over again. He learns many lessons along the way, including how to live life to the fullest and telling those you love how you feel. This was a beautifully told story that emphasizes love, loss, vulnerability, and finding your true self. My only setback was I figured things out very early the book. I wish I hadn’t; I think I would’ve been able to connect to the story and characters more if I wasn’t reading just to figure out if my prediction was correct. In any case, I enjoyed the writing style of these authors and look forward to checking out more of their books very very soon!

review // Happy #PubDay to How to Save a Life by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke! Thank you to @netgalley and #LakeUnionPublishing for the free eARC to review!⁣
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Things I Loved: Magical realism. Emotional version of Groundhog Day, with a bit of Final Destination thrown in (strange combo, right?). Lively characters and settings.⁣
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I’ve always enjoyed the books from this writing duo, and #HowToSaveALife is no different. Dom keeps waking up to repeat Thursday, June 11 - over and over again - and frantically tries to understand why and also save a loved one, who keeps repeatedly dying. While parts seemed a bit predictable and some of the repetitive parts of the day get a bit mind-numbing, this was still an emotional and fast-paced read. {4/5 stars}⁣
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CW: multiple, tragic deaths; cancer; divorce; broken engagement

I love the concept of this book - what would you do if you were stuck living the same day over and over again, with a (different) heartbreaking result each time? When Dom runs in to ex-fiance Mia, he can't wait to see her again - she was the one true love of his life. When that date does not go as planned, he is devastated... then goes to sleep and wakes up to live the day again. And again. And again. Dom is forced to try different actions so that he ends up together with his true love... but maybe he is missing the whole point. A great, fresh concept that I really enjoyed reading!

I really, REALLY liked this book...
But I did not like Mia. I never got what was so great about her that Dom (a good dude) could not get over her. In my opinion she was annoying.

Other than that (which I could overlook because the book is That Good), this was a fun easy read...and the ‘Groundhog Day’ theme is very relatable in these times!!!!

I can’t wait for the next one from these two :)

I have read books by this writing duo and have enjoyed much of them, unfortunately until this one. This book centers around Dom who is living the same day over and over (think Groundhogs Day). This was an extremely predictable story. They seem to even call out all the other stories that they are mimicking. I was extremely bored and at the 30% mark I had figured out the entire book and I really hate that. I will continue to see what these authors write, but this book is one you can skip.

Thank you Netgalley, Lake Union and Lisa and Liz for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big fan of Lisa and Liz so I was excited when I saw How to Save a Life was coming out. It is not typically thriller, but you still go on quite the ride.
When the story starts, Dom is proposing to his girlfriend Mia, who accepts. Then it's 10 years later and they've been broken up most of the time. They run into each other at a coffee shop while Dom is waiting to meet a source (who doesn't show.) They agree to meet for a date. Dom has been pining for Mia all of this time and believes she is the love of his life. He is a serious rule follower while Mia is a risk taker. They meet at the county fair and at the end of the date she dies. Dom wishes to save her life and is entered into a time loop where he lives the same day over and over again.
The "groundhog day" story line was really well done. I wasn't sure where Lisa and Liz were taking us, but I loved the ending and what they did with it. This may not be my favorite of their books, but it was still really interesting and well written. I would definitely recommend it to a friend.

I will update my review with the link when I share to instagram.

A book that starts with the line "This bulge in my pants is making me sweat" is one that I want to read so I was excited to dive into How To Save a Life by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke.

Dom, a TV news producer, is scheduled to meet a source when he unexpectedly bumps into Mia, the fiancée he dumped 10 years earlier and has regretted leaving ever since. They go out on a date which ends with her tragic death and Dom wakes up the next morning (and the mornings after) to find he has to relive that awful day. He knows he has to try to save her life but how?

I love the movie Groundhog's Day and the idea of whether you can change someone's destiny is really interesting to me but I had a hard time getting invested in Dom and Mia's relationship. The book is told from Dom's POV and I didn't find him the most relatable or likable guy. Mia isn't very fleshed out either - we know she's a risk-taker and a free-spirit but not much more - and I spent a lot of time wondering what she saw in her overly cautious and somewhat selfish ex. I did like some of the secondary characters like Amanda and Chuck and there are lots of twists to the story that are revealed each day Dom does over but reliving the same day so many times started to get repetitive after a while. I guessed why he was stuck in the loop and what would happen to Mia pretty early on but the ending was still emotional to read.

I don't know how I'd categorize this book - Romance? Suspense? Maybe it's men's fiction? - but it's a unique story that's great for the beach or pool. But be warned - it will definitely get The Fray song stuck in your head!

Thanks to Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley and the authors for a digital copy of the novel.

Dom has never gotten over Mia, the fiancé he broke up with ten years ago. After running into Mia at a coffee shop, Dom is hopeful he’s been given a second chance with the one that got away. Unfortunately, he tragically loses Mia again. And again. And again. Dom becomes trapped in a Groundhog’s Day-style time-loop where each day he must try to save the love of his life.

How to Save a Life explores alternate-reality themes similar to The Year We Turned Forty and The Two Lila Bennetts. This author duo continues to write unique storylines and creatively mix up genres. They manage to avoid redundancy with the story, even though Dom repeats the same day over and over. This is a great one for anyone who has ever wondered “what if....?” And makes you think about what you would change if given the opportunity of a do-over. Dom learns some hard truths about what really needs saving and I loved the final message.

3.5 stars
This was a decent book by the end, but the middle gets a bit bogged down. I think that's common with a "Groundhog Day" style book, at least from the ones I've read in the past. It tends to work better on a screen than it does in a book for that reason.
What I liked about the story: the overall redemption themes with growth and understanding from the characters in the end. The idea of seizing the day, making choices that will be positive and help other people, letting people know how much they mean to you--those themes, by the end, made this book very heartwarming and fulfilling.
The one thing I didn't like was Dominic. He was pretty much a jerk from the beginning, and it wasn't until he gradually, very gradually, started seeing what a jerk he was being that I started warming to him. Then again, if he would have been understanding from the start I don't think there would have been much of a story here.
I like books by this writing team and look forward to seeing what their brains come up with next!

I wanted to love this but this one was a little painful... it felt very cheesy/over-the-top & unrealistic. Unfortunately it didn't work for me personally but I had friends that enjoyed it. You definitely have to suspend disbelief. An interesting concept for sure but this one was not for me.

How to Save a Life uses the Ground Hog Day concept of being stuck in a time loop. Ten years after a rough break up, Dom runs into his ex-fiancee Mia, in a coffee shop. She is back in town and he knows it is fate! He asks her out on a date for the next day. However, the next day, Thursday, at the end of their night together, Mia dies tragically. Dom is devastated, but when he wakes up the following morning, it is Thursday again and Mia is still alive! Why is she dying? Can Dom stop it? Can he figure out why she is back in town? As the Thursdays keep coming, Dom attempts to figure out the purpose of his time loop and the meaning of other events he encounters that day, as he puts every effort into saving Mia's life.

This is a quick, fast-paced read that I flew through. It is the first book I've read by Lisa and Liz, and I loved their clear, meaningful writing. I appreciate the clever title and the fact that the song "How to Save a Life" is the intro to Dom's day each Thursday! There is a build up of suspense as Dom discovers new information about Mia and her life for the past ten years. I was a bit apprehensive of this time loop concept, as it has been done so many times, but I found myself enjoying this new take! However, I did wonder if it could have been wrapped up in a few less Thursdays, as you'll be able to see where it's going near the end! That said, this is an emotional, powerful take on this storyline, that touches on important topics such as homelessness, repercussions of events, and moving on.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.