Such a mind blowing premise of a story which keeps the reader totally enthralled all the way through. Thoughtful and thought provoking and highly recommended.

The Love of My Other Life by CJ Connolly was a wild ride - I couldn’t put it down! After a bike accident on her 36th birthday Josie wakes up in a new reality…she recognizes pieces of her life, like her mom and her art, but not some pretty big ones - like her husband. Her new life is picture perfect - gorgeous apartment, a job she could only have dreamed of having, a doting husband….but is it worth giving up “her other life” for?

I thought this was an overall exciting and compelling read - there’s a “twist” 1/4 of the way through that kicks this up a notch. I liked the themes that the book explored - what does having it all really mean? And the ending made me feel 🥰. Where this book had some opportunity is in the writing itself - I found the dialogue to be a little simple and repetitive. I felt like the character building was surface level, but that being said I still really enjoyed the story and would recommend it.

The Love of My Other Life is out 6/30/22 - don’t miss this one, it is the perfect summer read! Thanks to NetGalley and Joffre Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was provided an uncorrected digital proof of this novel by NetGalley and Joffe Books, in exchange for an honest review.

“The Love Of My Other Life” by C.J. Connolly was a novel I was really excited for. Having watched and loved the movie “Sliding Doors” and the TV show “Fringe,” this book seemed right up my alley. The idea of a multi-verse, in which an alternate version of you exists, has obviously become exceedingly popular due to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while I wanted to love this book because of this concept, it didn’t meet my expectations.

“The Love Of My Other Life,” follows Josie as she gets into an accident on her birthday, and finds herself awake in a completely different life. The kind of life she’d always dreamed of. We follow Josie as she reconciles the changes in her life, and also struggles with this new life. The story alternates between the two versions of Josie, and we ultimately see both faced with the choice of either accepting their new life or trying something crazy to get things back the way they believe they should be.

The main relationship that propels the novel and it’s outcome, is what didn’t quite fit for me. While Josie and Rob obviously had sexual chemistry, I wasn’t convinced that Rob was the love of Josie’s life. Their relationship felt rushed, and while Josie was a complex character, Rob didn’t seem as fleshed out to me. I feel like the story would have benefited from having some chapters from Rob’s point of view. I might have connected with him more, and begun to believe that he was meant for Josie.

The storytelling device of having the audience read both versions of Josie, was interesting and worked well to make the reader empathize with her.

I felt that the story relied more on telling us why Josie and Rob were each other’s true love, rather than really showing us. More character development for Rob, and more intimate interactions(not sexual) between him and Josie, would have gone a long way into making their romance more believable for me.

“The Love Of My Other Life” is an easy read, with a likeable heroine. However, I found the central romance lacklustre, and had a hard time getting into the story. I found I wasn’t really invested in what happened with Josie in the end. That wouldn’t stop me from checking out future novels by C.J. Connolly, it just means this one wasn’t right for me.

The blurb of this book really caught my interest and I couldn’t wait to read it! Initially, I found it quite hard to fathom what was happening but have never seen sliding doors so didn’t understand the references. I also like to know or predict what will happen in a book and this is soooo difficult to do!

I did love reading it and liked Josie and Rob! But I sometimes found other Josie hard to like, and I’m not overly sure why. She just seemed like she wasn’t genuine.

I loved the ending but was also disappointed. I felt like you’d read such a journey for them and it just seemed to end slightly unfinished, which I don’t like in a book! I always want to know what happened next and it seemed too open for me.

This was an engaging, light hearted reading but nothing predictable about it, which I think is a real challenge in this genre. I did feel like the author had a ‘favourite Josie’ which was possibly just my own bias, but also maybe because one was afforded more time and seemed like the protagonist. There was enough variety in the two worlds to make it interesting and, although the author openly states she was inspired by old time greats like Sliding Doors, I actually thought she offered a ‘new and improved’ recipe.

This is a good book with very lovable characters! In the first half I was so frustrated with the main character as I wanted her to just give in to her new amazing life! It created a great page turning experience as I NEEDED to figure out how this all would end!

This book had me wanting to not put it down and if I had the time, I would've finished in one day.

Josie wakes up from a bike accident and finds herself with a husband and life that she cannot remember. In this new world she finds herself married, wealthy, slimmer and with her dream job but she can't shake the feeling that she is living someone else's life.

My first thought at a multiverse story was literally "ugh, I am so sick of multiverse". But with this story... we see how both Josie's are having to deal with being in a new world. How both Josie's struggle to come to terms and thrive in their new lives. Most importantly, we see how the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

There were many times where both Josies made me roll my eyes at her (especially in Part 5) but overall, I came to empathize with both of them. However, Rob stole the show for me. I found myself caring more about him instead of Josie. Everything he would say and do was just *swoon*. I was torn on giving this book 4 or 5 stars but the ending pushed me up to a complete 5 stars.

This book is very dialogue heavy which made it an easy and quick read. The only thing with the dialogue that would take me out of the story was how many times Rob and Josie would call each other 'baby'.

It's Josie's birthday and she's on her way to meet up with friends when she is in a bike accident. When she wakes up in the hospital, she's living a different life as married, with her ideal body, and a different career. She lives a year in her new life learning her alternate past and current day debating on if she should stay in the new life or return back to her old one.

I thought this was overall a good book! The whole idea of incorporating the multiverse to a modern-day story was very interesting to me. I was surprised that Josie thought to keep a journal explaining the year to her other self - it's something I know I wouldn't have thought of, but it did add another layer of understanding while reading. At times, it did feel like the story dragged on more than needed. However, I loved how the book ended with Rob and Josie finding each other in her first introduced life. It just really solidified they were true loves meant to be in every possible life out there.

I would recommend to a anyone that loved the move 13 Going on 30 or anything that enjoys books that revisit the path not taken.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was so cute and charming. I loved reading how the characters relationship built/grew in this book! It was a great beach read. Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC copy :)

THE LOVE OF MY OTHER LIFE was a really good book. The main character in the story, Josie, was very likable. I don’t read a lot of romance but this book just pulled me in. The storyline worked for me and I was very engaged throughout the entire book and turning the pages quickie. The characters were very well developed and I was routing for Josie the whole time. I don’t want to say too much without spoiling this one for others, but I did feel the ending was satisfying. This book is sure to be a hit this summer! I would definitely recommend this book to others.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for the ARC.

This book wasn't my cup of tea. Young woman gets into an bike accident and wakes up to find her life isn't what it used to be. I didn't like the twist but I did like the epilogue at the end.

Yes it’s been done before, Yes it reminded me of 13 going on 30 or Freaky Friday, Sliding Doors or any number of other films. But I really enjoyed this book and flew through it. Was a nice bit of escapism.
But there is no way my husband would believe me if I said I wasn’t really me but a different version of me.
Well worth a reaD

Actually a decent take on the sliding doors genres. It took me aback me in a good way. I expected a traditional romcom but this dealt with the pain and frustration of finding yourself in a life you don't remember, along with that journey of rediscovery.

I didn't always feel taken along for the ride of Josie and Rob's relationship. It's full of time jumps and sometimes that felt like we were missing out on the progression. But overall this was a pleasant surprise. Plus I read it in one sitting so that's always a good sign.

I was unable to finish this book and thus will not be posting a full review on my blog. I made it to around 60% and was just bored to tears. The story was off and I could not connect with either version of Josie. Thank you for the opportunity.

It took me alittle while to fully get into this as I watched 'real Josie' and 'other life Josie' navigate their new surroundings. But once I did I was transfixed.

This is another book that gave me real sliding doors vibe and I've always loved books like that. I find it fascinating to know you could be out there living a different life to the one you now have.
This gave me very bittersweet feelings.

Whilst difficult to write alot about the actual story without it being spoiled, it can be confusing for reviewers reading this review when I speak about 'real Josie' and 'other Josie' so I apologise for that! But if you read this book, you'll totally get what i mean.

Until then, just know, The author does a wonderful job of pulling on alot of emotions.
I felt the devastation, anguish, hurt and confusion as everyone had to learn how to live with what had happened. It was like starting all over again.
Rob, Josies husband really does deserve his own shout out! Give the man a pat on the back!

Living an alternative life may sound exciting, but after reading about Josies journey back to happiness I think I'm content just to live in the moment!
This very sweet, poignant book will be one to watch this year I think and I'm so glad I got to read it!

💌 Thankyou Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Josie, a single Brit, living in Brooklyn has a radio show that is growing in popularity, is an active choir member and great friends. However, she crushes on a guy in a relationship (though on the precipice of breaking up!) and misses her family, especially her brother, back home in England. One day whilst rushing to meet her friends for dinner she crashes her bike.. and wakes up in the hospital with a handsome stranger by her side claiming to be her husband! They apparently live a life she could only dream of: Manhattan penthouse, lavish parties and she is her ideal weight. But is this new life really everything she wants?

This story is a wild ride! Perfect for anybody who questions if there are alternative universes or wishes their life had progressed in a different manner. Major Sliding Doors vibes.

My favourite elements:
- Female Brit in NYC - as a female Brit who moved to NYC I 100% understood the conflict Josie felt about loving her life in NYC but hating being so far away from her family in England, especially her brother who she is really close with
- the exploration of two alternative realities and Josie learning what she loved about each life and what she ultimately wasn't willing to sacrifice.
- writing style - the chapters flowed nicely and the focus from each "Josie" for a bulk of chapters at a time allowed you really connect and understand each "Josie" much easier than a back and forth each chapter
- depth -the story covers some heavy topics and at times really tugged on the heart strings which made this much more than a lighthearted romance.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I do feel like there was an "OG" Josie who we were waiting to see which life she'd choose. I personally didn't really care for "alternate world" Josie, didn't feel the same connection to her but I did like that it gave us a parallel to view how time progressed linear in both worlds though.

I adored this one, I'm impressed it was a debut novel - it's one of my fave books this year ! It's perfect for fans of Maybe In Another Life, Sliding Doors and What Alice Forgot.

On Josie's 36th birthday, she gets in a bike accident and wakes up in the hospital, with her husband by her side. The only thing is, Josie isn't married. At least not in her regular life, but she seems to have woken up in a new life where everything that happened in the last 3 years is completely different than her memories. Her friends and family think it's amnesia, but her memories are so vivid and detailed that Josie starts to think she awoke in an alternate reality. I was completely invested right from the first chapter until the very last page.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Imagine you woke up with a perfect life... but it wasn't yours. This book was quite interesting with a plot that really captures your attention. It was quite mesmerizing and a great take on the "what if" universe. It kinda plays into that multiverse of madness era. It was an cool read and i enjoyed it!

I thought this book was going to be a cute romcom book with a cute twist. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of depth and substance in this book. Each and every character felt real and 3 dimensional. They had their own lives and weren't just plot devices to move the story along. The author did a very good job at switching from first person to third person which made it easier to be able to tell which parallel universe you were in.
This book is very much character driven rather than plot driven so the pacing is slower.
I enjoyed the diversity that was in this book. Especially with the main love interest being indigenous and the amount of actual effort put into his life and how he talked about his culture and growing up. There was also positive LGBTQ+ representation with the side characters in this book. Mainly gay representation. None of the characters really seemed to play off of stereotypes. (Except for the British loving tea one)
The only things I didn't like about the book is the amount of slut shaming comments that were made in the 1st half. After the first two or so made it started to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall, it is definitely a good book to read if you don't mind the slow pacing of it.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4755406900

I couldn't get past the first couple of chapters because it was hard for me to get into. No one cheated at that point but I was expecting cheaters and therefore had to quit.