Thank you netgalley for sending me this arc in exchange for my honest review

Rating: 4 stars

I resonated with this characters so much with two different kinds of grief, death and a parent leaving them by choice. I think this emotional story was beautifully written for anyone to really tie in with or enjoy. I was so excited to read this and I was not let down. I want to reread this book soon and feel these feelings all over again.

This book is a slow burn YA romance, which I really enjoyed. It deals with some heavy topics such as mental health and grief. I enjoyed the poetic, lyrical writing style. This book would be good to annotate in physical form as there are many good quotes throughout the story. I don't want to give much away, but give this one a chance. Thank you, NetGalley, Penguin Teen, and author David Arnold for the e-arc. 4 star

I Loved You in Another Life

One of the most beautiful, coming of age romance stories. It wrapped my heart in a warm hug and I just wanted to hang on to the characters for a while afterwards.

Shosh is dealing with grief after the death of her sister. Evan lives with his mom and younger brother, after his father left them.

Connected through time, and a song that they both continue to hear, this friendship to love story is beautiful and heartbreaking. I loved the relationship between Evan and his brother Will, who loves everything E.T., and my heart aches for Shosh, knowing personally how hard it is as a family to deal with grief.

A serendipitous connection, and a chance for them each to refocus and follow their dreams. 💫

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Geoup for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Pub date: 10 October 2023

Sosh is lost and angry at the world for the drunk driver that killed her sister. Stevie and Sosh were more than sisters, they were the best of friends - Sosh looked at Stevie like she was her moon. Evan’s struggling with his dad walking out on his family and his mom’s breast cancer diagnosis - but mostly, he’s worried about how to take care of his younger brother William, a sensitive seven-year-old, who wears the same red hoodie, covers himself in bandaids, and watches E.T. every Tuesday night. Both are trying to figure out their next step in life when they begin hearing a mysterious singer no one else seems to hear. How will the melody bring them together?

The characters of Sosh and Evan were a little harder to get into at the beginning but they were closed off, which was understandable. It was almost like meeting a friend for the first time - the more you got to know them, the more they opened up and shared their struggles.

I don’t read a ton of romance, but this book is most definitely a slow burn romance. Did I get the “love you in another life” part? Not really - sure there were tidbits here and there of other characters in a different time, but I had a hard time connecting them to Sosh and Evan.

What I really did like about this book, that wasn’t the romance, was both the family dynamic of Evan, his mom, and his brother, and the therapy positive outlook they had on there. Oh - and Sosh and her teacher’s relationship, because that’s what I always wanted for my kids when I taught - was for them to feel safe enough to talk about their stuff and for me to hopefully give them a positive outcome.

Overall, I enjoyed this mostly for the character’s individual’s journeys over the romance portion of it. Romance was okay, but that’s not why I will be recommending this book when I do.

*Thank you Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Really enjoyed this emotionally wrecking book! I could relate to this feeling of being in love and chasing love, losing love, wanting love. Gorgeously written, full of with heart. Beautiful story of fated lovers and an accurate portrayal of grief and trauma,

Thank you so much PenguinTeen and the Publisher for sending me the eArc!

Thank you so much to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for sending me both an ARC and a physical copy of this book!

I was really intrigued by the description of this one as I am a sucker for a fated lovers storyline and it sounded like a beautiful story. And at some points it was - it just seemed like it took a hot sec to get there. Starting out I was very confused by the writing style and plot line of this book, and while it did get better, it wasn’t until about halfway through that I didn’t have to force myself to read it. It seemed like a lot of times it just kind of randomly jumped back in time, and when that did happen a whole storyline was told in usually about 2 pages. I guess I just expected this one to be more of a romance, and while the main characters’ storylines aren’t bad, it wasn’t until 60% through the book that they even really interacted (I remember- I checked). I will say this book did improve in the second half. Overall, it was not my fav but had pockets of beautiful and insightful writing that redeemed it a for me. Rating: 2.75/5⭐️

This was a lovely story that goes through topics of grief, soulmates, and trauma.

Evan and Shosh both hear songs no one else can. Evan is dealing with his mom's diagnosis, his father leaving, and being the best brother he can be to Will. Shosh is dealing with the trauma of losing her sister when she was supposed to prepare for her dream in LA. Throughout their journey, we also hear about different stories throughout history about two strangers coming together in mysterious ways.

I will say, it took me almost a month to get through this because the pace is slow but it truly was a beautiful, poetic story. Some trigger warnings: cancer, drunk driving, alcoholism, and the death of a sibling. This can be a bit heavy for YA, but I feel like they were well-written and can be very beneficial for some readers. I would totally add this to my classroom library.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest opinion and review.

This was a phenomenal book. The thoughts of the characters trauma and inner dialogue were so well thought out. I felt a need to stop multiple times just to reread and highlight sections.

I did think it took me about half the book to really feel like this was a romance novel. As someone who went in blind, I was a little confused to the direction of the novel until about that half way point! Although it was beautifully done, I do wish the the characters paths crossed sooner so we could’ve gotten them together more. I understand why the author didn’t do this, to highlight more of the characters back stories and highlight how much they grew.

I thought all the intersections timelines and stories was just really special. And the thought of soul mates always finding each other just made me want to reread all over again! Such an inspirational read. Felt like realistic magic we could all believe in.

Plan on posting my social media reviews in a couple days! Will come back and add links. Thank you for the advanced copy!

3.5 stars

This is a pretty emotional story, dealing with grief, mental health, and how to move forward. The characters have come together again and again over the years in different incarnations. They are pulled together through various means, but usually involving a song they both hear. I liked the little side stories of the past lives and also that it wasn't necessarily the main focus of the plot.

Everything flows well, switching between Evan and Shosh's points of view as well as the past (and future) lives. I loved Evan's little brother Will and his obsession with E.T. and how Evan's mom pushes him to do things for himself and not sacrifice his future.

Despite the "soulmate" thread, I kind of thought Evan and Shosh might be better off as friends. They didn't have that spark I wanted and several of the past lives didn't last long to see if things would actually work out for them.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy.

This young adult romance hit hard in the romance which made up for the lighter punch in plot. The book is a slow burn and took me a while to really get into it. I get where it was coming from with the inserts of other timelines but I didn’t really need them and another format may have fit better? I did like the characters, obviously Will was a favorite of mine. Evan and Shosh were harder for me to connect to (which made sense, their characters were massively closed off to start) but once I did this was definitely a story that made me cry in the end. I loved the imagery of the music they were hearing and loved the artistic representation in this one. Evan and Shosh don’t know each other but they are both adrift in a strange point in their lives, Evan is considering putting his dreams on hold since his father left and his mother has breast cancer and he worries about his younger brother. Shosh’s sister died and she doesn’t know how to go on without her. While they don’t know each other when they meet it’s like they do. A sweet love story. Overall I gave this one 3.5 stars rounded up for the well done emotional aspect.

Dreamy, romantic, lingering, and complex. Honestly everything so love in a nice dark chocolate and a good book.

At times it was confusing keeping track of everything that was going on, but that made the story that much more fun to read. If you’re looking for something light and fluffy, this probably isn’t the best choice, but if you like spending time in feral bed goblin mode surrounded by loads of crumpled tissues, I Loved You In Another Life will be your best friend.

Many parts of this book were very beautiful. It has the potential to be very captivating and lyrical. Unfortunately, for me, I was left wanting more. I found much of the middle to be monotonous and slow, and the ending wasn’t able to pull it all together. This author writes very cool and different books, so I will continue to keep reading his works in hopes something will land for me.

3⭐️

I LOVED YOU IN ANOTHER LIFE - David Arnold

THOUGHTFUL - 3.5 stars

Plot - 3.5 stars - Evan Taft has plans. But after his mom’s unexpected diagnosis, as Evan’s plans begin to fade, he hears something: a song no one else can hear, the voice of a mysterious singer. Shosh Bell has dreams. But when a drunk driver takes her sister’s life, that star fades to black. All that remains is a void—and a soft voice singing in her ear. Over it all, transcending time and space, a celestial bird brings strangers together: from an escaped murderer in 19th century Paris, to a Norwegian kosmonaut in low-earth orbit, something is happening that began long ago, and will long outlast Evan and Shosh.

Writing - 4 stars - I enjoyed the prose created by this new-to-me author. He wrote in an easy way that put me into the minds of Evan and Shosh, providing insight into their feelings and reasoning for their actions. At the same time, his descriptions were often beautifully lyrical.

Characters - 4.5 stars - The main characters and their relationships are where this story shone for me. Evan is a dependable, solid teenager, but he didn't come across as stodgy or unimaginative. I liked his thoughtful decisions and could appreciate the way he'd overthink and explore every possibility. Shosh is unbearably unhappy without her sister, and as a teenager, her reaction was totally reasonable. What I liked about Arnold's writing was that he created this unhappy situation, but the characters felt hopeful to the reader. Evan had an underlying sense of confidence that kept him close to family. And he was smart enough to find friends who accepted him as he is, recognizing each person's value. And Shosh had her music and drama inside her that would hold her together and show itself from time to time.

Title - 3 stars - The title makes sense, but I honestly felt that this portion of the story was secondary to the love in the present between the characters.

Cover - 4 stars - A lovely cover that draws the eye. Now that I know the connection to Norway, the snow-covered ground and mountains makes sense (although the view reminds me more of New England than what I picture as Norway).

Overall - 3.5 stars - The premise of the book was nice, but the writing of it didn't quite meet my expectations. Positives: I was pleasantly surprised by the present-day characters and situations. Evan is a wonderful main character. His relationship with his mother and (especially) his brother is heart-warming and loving on a very basic level. Shosh's family is also caring, but it makes a lot of sense that she (and they) were struggling with their feelings as they tried to deal with Stevie's death. Negatives: The meeting between Evan and Shosh seemed unnecessarily contrived. They could have easily met in school or through mutual friends. The connection between them through Nightbird seemed overly complicated. And the flashbacks to previous connections was distracting and disruptive to the story line.

It takes a lot for me to tear up on Zoloft, I say that jokingly but this book was beautiful. Can love exist between timelines? is loved linked with an invisible string? I wanted to be friends with every character in this book. Also ET was my favorite movie as a child and this at the heart of the movie already automatically made me love. it.

This book explores the possibility of soul mates finding each other thru the years. I really like how the main story told was the current day and glimpses in the past of other times they found each other thru history. I really liked Evan and Shosh's stories and how they intertwined even before they actually find each other. It's a story to make you really feel like true love exists. Definitely would read again. Even the supporting characters have great arcs.

Evan has plans and they are starting to change. He wanted to take a gap year in Alaska, but after his mother had a cancer scare, he wondered if now was the right time. He is also hearing a song that no one else hears. Shosh is on her way to LA with a dream of being a star, but after losing her sister to a drunk driver everything changes. She also hears a voice singing that no one else hears.

I Loved You in Another Life is a stand-alone novel that weaves together these two young adults and a few other stories too. The premise of the novel was intriguing, yet the execution was lackluster. I so wanted to love this book, but in the end, I felt it was ho-hum. I’m sure there is a niche out there that will love this book, but it will not be appealing to the average reader.

I'm at a loss for words on how to describe this book.

The concept feels so original, and the beats so unique. Evan and Shosh never felt like typical romance characters, but their love story transcended time, and I ate it up.

The relationship between Evan and Shosh may have been billed as the love story of the book, but the true love story for me was between Evan and Will. Their relationship was the best, Will was easily the best character, and now all I want to do is watch ET.

I cried so much during this book, it's not even funny, but it was well worth it, and this book will be sticking with me for a long time.

In I Loved You in Another Life two teens experience tragedies that hinder their plans for the future. Shosh Bell, an aspiring actress, loses all ambition and turns to alcohol when her beloved sister is killed. Evan Taft has dreamed of a wilderness program in Alaska for his gap year when his father leaves and his mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. He feels responsible for the well-being of her and his neurodivergent 7-year-old brother. They both begin hearing a song in their head that ultimately leads them to each other. When they finally meet, they feel like they've met before, and indeed they have. Their alternating points of view are interspersed with stories from their different lifetimes together - Paris 1832, Tokyo 1953, Oslo 2109. When they hear a performer, Neon Imposter, singing the songs they thought only they could hear, they realize the connection is larger than themselves. Together these troubled characters find healing in each other. The author writes and records songs as Neon Imposter, including ones from this book that can be found online.

Special thanks to Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Books/Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warning: This book includes: on-page alcohol consumption/addiction, sexual content: (one on-page vague scene, a couple of make-outs, implied & stated sexual content from other characters and written works, A couple of on-page swears, cancer/cancer treatments, drunk-driving, lots of conversations about death (car accident), grief, and panic attacks.

This was my first introduction to David Arnold’s work. I’m not going to lie; I was a little intimidated. I had heard nothing about this book when it was given to me. In fact, as I began reading the book, I got even more worried. However, I am so glad that I pushed through the initial awkward “getting to know you phase” because this book wrecked me emotionally in the best of ways.

How does one write not one, but two characters, to which I can relate? I felt as if Arnold had invaded my brain. This book was gripping, emotional, tragic, beautiful, and hopeful. This book will have you sobbing in a corner with a smile on your face. Are you picking up what I’m putting down? THIS BOOK WILL MAKE YOU SOB. Maybe. Or you may be more emotionally stable than I, in which case you are missing out.

The way that Arnold writes his main characters felt very fresh and relevant. I will say there was one character in the friend group that felt a little stereotypical but other than that I loved all the characters that we met. Will is precious, I want to bundle him up and protect him at all costs. Evan and Shosh deserve the world after all they have been through, and Ali Pilgrim just wants to know what a Hoya is. Ask me later what it is and why that whole scene will make you cry.

The only thing I found a little lacking was the historical stories. Honestly, I didn’t find multiple stories necessary at all. They were too short to be able to connect with (other than to identify what we already know about our soulmate pairing) I think one longer one would have sufficed. Or perhaps I’m too greedy and just wanted more Evan and Shosh.

Either way, this was a phenomenal book, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it’s perfect for young adults who are in that weird transition to adulthood. I would 100% recommend this book for anyone’s private or public collection.

I would recommend I Loved You in Another Life to anyone who loves realistic love stories with a soft hint of fantasy. Recommended reading would be The Strange Fascination of Noah Hypnotik (Same Author), You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao (Love/Soft Fantasy), The Secret Shanghai Series by Chloe Gong (Best Historical Fiction/Love Story), and A Year to the Day by Robin Benway (Grieving Sibling Storyline).

David Arnold’s writing is so special. There’s a comfort that comes with it, a feeling of home. I’ve read all of his books and just feel like they’re all so unique, heartbreaking and yet hilarious. All of his characters are incredibly thought out and developed, and I guarantee you’ll fall completely in love with them.

This book was no exception. The book has present day timelines as well as from long, long ago with characters we don’t know. The two we do know spend a good portion of the book as strangers connected without knowing it. Imagine two lost souls navigating life and eventually being drawn together by a song they’re both hearing in their heads. Imagine the most perfect literary mother and her beautiful relationship with her two sons, the weight of the world on her shoulders. Imagine a half of a whole who has just tragically lost her sister, a Toad without her Frog.

It also deals with some pretty heavy topics, so consider these trigger warnings: loss of a sibling, divorce, cancer, alcoholism. These are pretty intense for a YA book, but it’s done in a way that is tender and raw while also being comforting.

Finally, I want to say that Will(iam), the little brother of one of the main characters, is one of the sweetest characters I’ve ever met. He had me laughing and crying throughout this book.

10/10 recommend reading something by David Arnold if you haven’t yet!