The special bond between identical twins combined with tragedy and family secrets certainly made for an intriguing mix in Louise Guy’s new novel A LIFE WORTH LIVING. The book caught my attention early when an unforseen event upended the twins’ lives – I am very careful here not to give any spoilers!

I enjoyed reading about the difference in personality between Eve and Leah, and their vastly different life choices, which influenced much of what came next. Even though the sisters were a little bit too opposite at times, almost to the point of caricature, the story kept my attention and I wanted to find out how the situation would unravel. My main issue here was with pacing, since not much happened after the initial earth-shattering event, and the trapped-in-a-corner situation of one of the twins could have been used to create more tension and drama to bring the focus back on the crazy position her choices had put her in. I also would have loved a bit more insight into how the twins’ overcame their difference in personalities in the past and had arrived at this particular point in time because some of their actions didn’t fully gel with me for that very reason.

Altogether a pleasant and mildly intriguing family drama that made a nice change from my faced paced thrillers.

Leah and Eve are identical twins, but couldn't be more different. Recently-single Leah is stuck in a job she hates and envies the married, family life of her sister. Eve is a successful sales person with a glamourous lifestyle, but envies the freedom of her twin. One day, an opportunity arises for one of the sisters to live the life of the other... but with dire consequences!

This one has been on my shelf a while, and I picked it up without reminding myself of the blurb. Looking back, I'm glad I did because there were parts I didn't see coming and it genuinely shocked me! Without giving spoilers, the storyline is completely absurd, but it hooked me... I had to know how it would end!

I liked all the characters, in particular Leah... although I felt Sean was considerably weak and I wanted to shake him into sense on more than one occasion!!

I really liked the writing style but thought the ending was a little disappointing. I needed an epic explosion and unfortunately it fell a little flat. That said, I would definitely look out for more books by Louise Guy... I love that the covers are instantly recognisable as hers!

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced reader copy of the book!

This is one of those books that is really hard to review books its too good to keep to yourself, but you don't want to give any spoilers for the next reader, safe to say I loved this book.

Having identical twins inter as the main character was very good as it allowed me to draw comparisons on the two, both Leah and Eve were written very well and as ever, character writing is as Important as the actual writing and plot to me, some times even more so.

Leah is a nice character, she has good attributes though, I'm not sure could relate to the way she handled some things in this book however, she has a good heart, nice nature and seemed to be the better of the two sisters, Eve, I couldn't stand, she was cold, self centred and just down right selfish. The books plot itself is what makes it a good book to escape to especially if you like family drama and I enjoyed that as it was a bit different from something I'd usually read family fiction wise. I don't think ill forget this book in a hurry and it'll be one I recommend to friends and family as its quite thought provoking.

I give thanks to netgalley and the publishers whom sent me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✏️“Protecting people often means others are hurt. One lie can have so many knock-on effects.”
~ Louise Guy, A Life Worth Living
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This is the second book I have read by the author - the first being ‘Rival Sisters’ (my favourite of the two). Both books look at the relationships between sisters. In this case we follow the relationship of identical twin sisters Eve and Leah and the relationships they have with their family and others. It was an entertaining read filled with drama. Drama is the word that kept popping into my head as I was reading. Although I struggled with the believability of the story line, I was intrigued by how everything would work out in the end. The pace was a bit slow at points, but the ending seemed a rush to close the story. The novel dealt with very emotional topics including guilt, grief, regret, and postnatal depression. One thing I can say for certain is the characters will make you like them or hate them. The author really knows how to write a story that will make you feel some sort of emotion for the main characters. It was a well-written story and once belief can be suspended an entertaining read.
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Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

This book was just ok. Nothing stands out that will make alasting impression on me. It was fast paced and the well written.

Leah and Eve are identical twins. Identical in looks that is, but not in personality. Leah is a journalist, frustrated at being stuck with reporting on real estate. A kind and caring person, she adores Eve's seven year old twin girls and longs for children of her own, but unfortunately a long term relationship she thought would lead to marriage has just ended. Eve, although married with children, is a committed career woman, putting her job as a real estate agent before her family. Where Eve is dressed in high fashion and immaculate make-up, Leah is more homely in comfortable clothes and a touch of lipstick.

When a situation arises which gives Leah the chance to change her life forever, she leaps at it but without considering the lies she will have to tell and the moral dilemmas that will arise from her decision. This is an interesting and well written family drama with carefully crafted characters, including Eve's delightful twin daughters. The ethical issues that arise from Leah's decision and the effects they have on her friends and family are carefully examined and make for a provoking and enjoyable read.

This is the story of identical twin sisters Eve and Leah. They look so much alike but the similarity ends there. The sisters live a very different life from each other. They are almost polar opposites. But despite that, they always have each other's back.

I will not spoil anything. I'll be as vague as I can so that future readers can enjoy this story too. There was one day when everything changes. A choice made that created a very chaotic premise for the book. It was quite absurd on my opinion but very powerful for the plot.

I don't usually read books with setup like this but surprisingly, I enjoyed reading this story. The writing is very engaging. I felt very invested on the story and connected with the characters. There were decisions of the characters that I was not fond of but the story really was very interesting for me.

I'm recently enjoying Women's Fiction and this one is a good addition to my shelf. Recommended.❤👍

***Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and Louise Guy for making this book available for review via Netgalley.***

Leah and Eve are identical twins. And they're both struggling with their lives. Leah's fiance has already left her for another woman and Eve is having an affair. It's then when the unthinkable happens and everything gets complicated.
I have mixed feelings about the story. In a way I feel it's well written and the characters are nice. But in another way, it didn't come up to my expectations. Perhaps the plot was not what I was expecting. Although I found it a little unreal at times, I read it up to the end to tie the loose ends. I have to say. It was a book easy to read.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review

‘Identical twins, two very different women.’

Leah and Eve are identical twins, living in Melbourne. Leah has been in a relationship with Grant for six years: they are about to have a celebratory anniversary dinner, and Leah is expecting a proposal. But Grant breaks off their relationship without explanation. Leah is devastated. And her job is not going so well either.

Eve is married to Sean and has identical twin daughters: Harriet and Ava. But Eve is dissatisfied. She is strict with her daughters, distant from Sean, and spending less and less time with her family.

Eve convinces Leah to attend her best friend’s 40th birthday party in the Dandenong Ranges. It is a costume party, and the two of them are identically dressed. But neither of them will make it to the party, and lives will be changed forever.

A spur of the moment decision leads to secrets. And secrets have a way of snowballing and damaging those they are intended to protect.

There are a couple of improbable twists in this novel, but I became some engrossed in the story I really did not care. The main characters are well developed, and I kept reading wanting to know how it would end. I finished the novel satisfied.

This is the first novel I have read by Ms Guy. I will add her others to my reading list.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC! This book comes out October 15th.

Starting off, I really wanted to read this because of the synopsis. It sounded like a great mystery read for October, you know the vibes. Twin sisters envying each other’s lives when a tragedy suddenly happens...
But it’s not that at all 😅 it’s more general fiction and you’d have to suspend your belief to most things happening especially after the first 100 pages. The rest of the book felt like an actual rollercoaster where way too much unbelievable things were happening. None of the stuff that happened would slide in real life. It just felt like the characters weren’t fully present.

The characters come off quite robotic and empty so I was never able to connect with them. I also found it hard to feel the grief that was being portrayed. There are way too many details included that just take you out of the experience, personally, but maybe others would enjoy. There are many 4 and 5 star ratings so this was just a miss for me.

#alifeworthliving

I loved this book!!! While it took me a bit to get into it, once I did I could not put it down! So filled with emotion, and amazingly heartfelt characters!!! Great read!!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of the book.

This was my first novel by Louise Guy. I love family drama and family dynamics, and when I read the plot about identical twins, I knew this was a must read. I connected with the characters, and at some times even hated a couple of them, but I love how a book can twist my emotions like that. This one did, and it was a very enjoyable read. I will be looking for more books by this author!

Leah was excited about the upcoming anniversary dinner she had planned with her boyfriend of six years, Grant. She expected a proposal but was shattered when the opposite happened. He left her with no explanation whatsoever. Six years of her life wasted – at least she had Lewis, her devoted and adorable cat. Leah’s identical twin sister Eve had a wonderful husband, Sean and twin daughters, seven-year-olds Ava and Harriet. But she was the complete opposite to Leah, not happy with her life, strict with her children, snappy with Sean and spending more and more time on her career.

The night Leah and Eve drove from the city to the Dandenong Ranges for Eve’s best friend’s 40th birthday party was the night everything changed. A chance decision – wanting to do the right thing – saw life’s journey alter dramatically. Secrets would build, mistakes would be made, dreams would be shattered. Was there any going back from that unplanned and impulsive choice?

A Life Worth Living by Aussie author Louise Guy was spectacular! This is only my second by this author, but I’ll be looking at her back titles now! Well-written characters, from the not-so-nice Eve to the compassionate and caring Leah; plus Eve and Leah’s parents as well as Sean and the twins – in other words, most of the cast 😊 I absolutely had no idea what the outcome could possibly be and have to say I was satisfied with the ending. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is an intense read about love, secrets, lies and family. The characters are very real and believable, and the bond between the twin sisters is tight and emotional. The scenes after the shocking event are extremely emotional and Louise Guy really captures the feeling of the twin's bond.

I read this book in one sitting and I was at the edge of my seat the entire time! Drama filled, fast paced, and entertaining.

I am very capable of suspending disbelief for fiction. But in no world would the decisions in this novel be made and received in the way they were. I can't suspend disbelief that much. That being said, I enjoyed the heck out of this book and would recommend it to anyone.

Thank you to Net Galley for gifting me an eARC of A Life Worth Living in exchange for an honest review!

Eve and Leah are identical twins—but beyond that, they’re polar opposites. Struggling journalist Leah envies Eve’s seemingly perfect life—the loyal husband, the beautiful twin daughters, the stellar career—little knowing that what Eve longs for most is Leah’s independence.

When a shocking event upends their world, one woman seizes a split-second chance to change everything and follow her sister down a different life path. It’s a spontaneous choice, but there’s no going back. How will she deal with the fallout when covering up one untruth means lying to everyone—about everything?

I went into this one blindly. I didn't know exactly what it was about, but once getting started I was intrigued by the overall concept that is explored in this book. This novel is very thought provoking. The entire time I was reading it I kept questioning if and how someone could really do this? Not going to spoil what I'm talking about, if interested you should definitely check this one out. Just know that a big twist happens, and leads the story in a different direction than I originally anticipated. This ultimately made me want to keep reading. Towards the middle half though, it did feel a little repetitive. I would have liked for there to have been more given to the ending so it didn't seem as rushed and could better close out this story.

Eve and Leah are identical twins with very different lives and personalities. Eve is sweet and caring, has just been dumped by her long-term boyfriend, and is unhappy at her job. Leah is a successful estate agent, married to a great man and has two lovely daughters. To cheer Eve up, Leah decides to take her to a costume party one night, and there's a horrible accident that changes the life of one of them in a shocking way.

I liked the premise of the book. I think it's well written and I definitely wanted to keep reading to see what would happen at the end. It's entertaining and the characters are developed enough. I had tears in my eyes (as one of the twins had for much of this book) in key moments, and I like when a book provokes some emotion like that.

BUT... I struggled to believe the events from the book could actually happen, and that kept distracting me at times from the story.

I think it's a nice read, and that many people will enjoy it. It definitely has a lot of good ingredients, and, in a world where we are used to seeing other people's curated lives through Instagram and social media, it makes you think "how much do we know about what's going on in reality in their lives?"

Eve and Leah may look exactly alike but they are not, not at all. Leah, a journalist getting over a breakup, is the one you might like more, Eve, who is a successful business woman with the family (twins! again!) and a husband, is living a lie. She's having an affair, she doesn't like her children especially, and she's generally unhappy. Then the no spoilers event occurs and things turn upside down for everyone. This is hard to review without messing up the twists. It is somewhat (actually quite) implausible in spots and occasionally howl inducing but it kept me reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

I did enjoy this book,the premise was interesting if not very dark but I did question its believability would family members etc believe her? I know they did but in reality I am not so sure tbh.....but then again it is fiction
Parts of the book were repetitive but overall it was different enough to hold my interest

Well this was fast paced and I would class it as a palette cleanser from other literary pieces. The story was OK and characters were OK but nothing spectacular so I would say I enjoyed it but it won't be to memorable.