I loved the premise of this book and was looking forward to parallel worlds - I loved watching Counterpart with J.K. Simmons, so my expectations were high! However, I found listening to the audio book, instead of reading it for myself, difficult. I struggled to keep up with who the characters were and what was really going on. Perhaps a better narrator may have been needed to help in this area.

This was a very strange book. I thought it was a little bit Skippy it flipped back and forwards between two characters and it felt a little bit off. I understand there is another book after this that will probably clear up a lot of the issues that I had with this book, but frankly I did not feel connected enough to the characters to want to know more, but I did think it was interesting. It was call Asawa. Definitely recommend if you are in to book the skip between time and two people being split apart, trying to find themselves.

Thank you to Pro Audio Voices Inc. and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review.

Thanks Netgalley, the publisher and author for my review copy.
3.5 stars

Loved the concept of this book as it embraces a “what would happen if I made a difference choice in my life” story. Do we have parallel dimensions or alternate realities where we are living out different outcomes?

I can see why this wouldn’t be a read for everyone. The part with the naming of the imaginary “son”/Chinese factory worker was a bit cringe. The attempt at mixing the science with the spiritual into the story didn’t feel completely explained - if this was just a story of alternate realities without this part of the book, I think it would have been more interesting (just my opinion). Whilst one character has full memories, the other didn’t which begs the question why. I didn’t know if some of the stranger interactions added all that much value. I would have thought Jimmy whilst interviewing Hannah would have said something like “don’t you remember we had a kid together”, so thought that was a bit odd. I would have loved to have read about Hannah’s interactions with her daughter in London - felt like this was such an important plot point though it just happened in the background.

What I did like was how the ending loops back to the beginning reinforcing the interconnected nature of everything in the universe. When Hannah sees her other self, it makes you question if all other realities coincide into our present reality. The characters being challenged in their perception of reality was a good takeaway we can all learn to do in our everyday lives. It may be such a foreign concept to a lot of people but are we actually viewing what we want to see in this reality, not noticing that other dimensions are crashing into this one. I do believe in synchronicity and you can manifest whatever you want into your life as the universe does send us signs all the time. Without her memories, I thought Jaz and Maudie were great side characters helping Hannah through what she was facing. Jimmy also wanting to heal, was a good step in his grief over his brother Cal.

Since this is a first in a series, it’ll be interesting to see if this connects to the second book or beyond.

I'm simple, I picked this book because I saw "parallel universe" :)
While we do get parallel universes, this book wasn't for me.
There are messages about the law of attraction and fuzzy new-agey quantum physics, in a way that feels like we were supposed to really believe it as readers and not as a thought experiment, which would have been interesting otherwise but falls flat here. Maybe it was not the author's intention, but it felt over the top a few times.
I thought one of the main characters, Hannah, was an interesting choice. Her life and anxiety are portrayed in a manner that rings true, especially in the first chapter.
That said, I was put off by jarring passages, like another reviewer mentioned, for example the one about mentally "adopting" the imagined Chinese child that made her shoes. Hannah calls him Lee in her head to feel better about herself and her choices. And not in a way that I feel makes sense for the character development, but in a deadpan, non self-aware way that was awkward to read.
The plot was quite ramble-y and could have been more tightly edited, also the dialogues were often jarring and didn't feel believable.

I want to thank NetGalley, Becky Parker Geist and The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Left Turn is an intriguing, immersive and unique read. Becky Parker Geist unifies science-fiction, romance and a tinge of suspense. The author has a beautiful, fluid writing style that entices you to press on, to uncover what is truly going on between our wonderful protagonists. James and Hannah are ordinary, beautiful characters who are facing uphill battles. This read encourages you to pause and inculcates a sense of gratitude amidst understanding the mysterious ways the universe works. At times, I felt the dose of self-help was a little too much, but it didn't deter away from the spellbinding ending and intriguing, unanswered sub-plots that paved the way for book number two. A 4-star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

The concept of parallel universes and multiple realities based on choice is a fascinating one to me, so I was immediately drawn to the concept here. I've read a number of things in this vein, and while it's unfair on one hand to compare any book to another, on the other it is difficult not to when it is immediately apparent something is not as strong a contender in the genre for multiple reasons..

The concept was interesting. The characterizations and plotting/pacing were where I stumbled time after time in this one. I just couldn't find myself all that interested in the characters. They did not feel terribly three-dimensional to me, nor terribly relatable. The story felt like it stopped and started a lot more than I wanted it to, leaving a jagged feel to the read that I found disjointed more than intriguing as far as trying to fit the pieces of the two sets of lives together.

This one just wasn't for me...

This is a book that explores “what if …” – an alternate timeline resulting from a single decision.
It is written in an easy, flowing way reminiscent of young adult stories, and this makes a quick read. The characters are likeable, though not very exciting and the book has a feel-good uplifting feel with a satisfyingly interwoven ending.
It’s not really my vibe, but I think it will appeal to people who enjoy thinking about the “nature of the universe” & it is likely to leave you thinking about coincidence, synchronicity and fate.

Disclosure: I received an advance reader copy of this book free via NetGalley. Whilst thanks go to the author & publisher for the opportunity to read it, all opinions are my own & my review is left voluntarily.

This was a strange one and not at all what I expected.
Hannah takes left turn on a bike ride one day and it is as if time splits and an alternative reality is presented. One where she doesn’t remember who she was (ish) and pieces her life back together. Almost a sliding doors esque idea but with metaphysics.
I wish we had had the alternative story to compare to I wasn’t sure about the idea they had a child in one version - did they in the other? I was very confused. When our characters finally met they didn’t discuss their shared child at all initially! Bizarre.
I liked it but am not sure about it!

The Left Turn is a gripping novel, I couldn't stop listening once I began. We all have those "what if..." thoughts that tickle our mind, and this novel explores alternate timelines in one woman's life, all sprouting from one irreversible choice. I needed to know how the story would be woven together, and seriously couldn't put it down! I listened to the audiobook and it made me want to get the physical copy too, so I could flip the pages back and re-live my favorite moments when Hannah makes new unexpected friends, when a romance is rekindled, playing word games with a stranger... I'm grateful that Becky doesn't abandon you on a total cliffhanger and gives a satisfying ending, yet there is enough mystery that has left me itching for book two!! I think this will be a fantastic series and I can't wait for more books/audiobooks!

The Left Turn
Two Lives, Worlds Apart
by Becky Parker Geist

I LOVED this book. It was one I keep going back to, every 30 mins. Brilliant, I really learned from this and will buy the hardcover version. It was Past, present, and future. It was in the moment. Deeply grabbed me from a funk, and reminded me to be grateful .

This is a popular concept at the moment, the whole who would we be of we made a different choice. And as such, there is a lot of stuff competition.

So I am going to try and look at this book without maki g the obvious comparison to others.
This is well written. The author has a fluid style and it was quite enjoyable on a linguistic level. The characters were interesting if not a little ordinary. They do transform as the book develops and there is that obvious moment when it all comes back on itself.

My issue is, I have studied the whole time travel and parallel universe thing and in places, this doesn't really work. I get it's fiction and there is a need to keep pace and character but it felt a little wrong in places. I'm also still unsure if whether James owns the poor dog he left at the bus stop!

This is more of a only one other world type scenario and it is explored well and it does raise a few ideas about fate and coincidence, and it does so in a simple way. But I guess their lives were a bit mundane. The alternative also never overlaps with the previous life so it doesn't quite tie together for me. Some of the comparison made suggest the two worlds running alongside each other, which is what I was expecting, but here, it's just the alternative life we see. This makes it hard to get on board because I get that she is unhappy in one life, but as a reader, I do t get to chose which life I would want for her.

Well written, popular concept, but a little lacking die to the lack of comparison between the two worlds.

Can you wish yourself a better life? Should we be more open to what the “universe” is trying to tell us? When Hannah takes a literal left-turn so does her life. Lost, with her past wreathed in a fog, she finds her way with the help of new friends and being open to new possibilities. I was hoping for a light romance, a version of Sliding Doors, but ended up going down a rabbit hole of New Age philosophy and pseudoscience. It’s exactly as described, so it was my expectations that were misplaced. It story had a fairy-tale feel to it but the characters were relatable and the storyline had a feel-good, uplifting vibe. If you are into New Age philosophy you’ll love this book. An author to watch. Not my taste so I’m not able to give it full marks

I enjoyed this thought-provoking, fun (kind of love) story. There are no coincidences, those that know, know. I love a book that reminds me, teaches me and amuses me. Thank you to the author, keep up the good work!

the left turn by becky parker geist is a thrilling adventure that asks the question “if your past vanished, who would you become?”

Hannah is an authored with crippling anxiety and her husband James is dealing with the recent loss of his younger brother. After a trip to San Fransisco, they are whisked away to love alternate versions of their lives.

I normally do not read very quickly. It takes me at least a week to finish books longer than 200 pages.

I finished this in two days. It is incredibly fast paced, heart wrenching and troublesome in all the best and most engaging ways.

Solid 4 stars

Pub date: Aug 2022