Between You and Us was a good read. It is the story of a young woman named Leona who suddenly finds herself in a different version of her world, an alternative timeline of her story. The most notable differences are:
-her relationship with her husband, David, which went from a close, open, and caring to closed-off, distant, and strained
-the existence of her daughter, Vera, who had died months prior in her home timeline but is alive and well in the new timeline
-her lifestyle, which went from a budgeted lifestyle to grand, extravagant living

It is interesting to watch Leona navigate her new existence and try to make sense of the changes. She tries to fit in and be discrete, calling herself an actor/spy in this new reality. While she struggles with the coldness of her relationship with David, she is in awe of Vera's presence and soaks up every possible moment of being her mother.

The author jumps between the current timeline and Leona's back story. Pieces of her history were shared bits at a time starting with when she first met David, through the loss of her daughter. The story was filled in gradually but in a way that helped shine light on Leona's character and what brought her and David where they are.

I enjoyed journeying with Leona as she problem solved her new world. I personally have struggled with infertility and pregnancy loss and found Leona's struggles comfortingly relatable. The novel concluded nicely and leaves the reader with discussion questions for further pondering, if desired.

Wow! Okay, where do I even begin with this one, I loved it so much! What would you do if you were torn between two worlds? Who would you choose? Your husband or your daughter? This book was gut-wrenching and so beautiful at the same time. It’s about love, class, friendship, sisterhood and motherhood. Kendra Broekhuis packs a punch between these pages and I inhaled every single one. What I loved most was the fact that it isn’t sickly sweet or romantic at all but it is about love.

The quandary Leona finds herself in is not of her own making yet she is forced to make a choice between staying where she is in a shitty marriage and stuck up in-laws but her baby girl is still alive, or does she go back to her real world of a penny-pinching life with a happy marriage where she and her husband are each others leaning post after the death of their daughter where they are both living the life they really wanted.

As Leona tries to figure out how to get back home she learns a lot about herself, her family and her marriage. This book was also very personal for the author as she lost a baby of her own. I am shocked that this is a debut novel as it was perfection and the ending was *chef’s kiss*. Don’t be fooled this is not science fiction at all, very little time is spent on that, just when Leona learns how to maybe go back. This is a book about feelings, choices and relationships that gave me all the feels and deserves all the stars!

While this was a well-written and intriguing concept for a book--a crucial choice that has to be made that will alter everything--I somehow got lost in the split-time format. The writing felt fresh and modern, and again, I know many readers will gobble this one up, which is why I gave a higher star rating. I just didn't really connect with the main character, so that threw me off as I tried to follow the dual timelines. Thank you to the publisher for an early review copy--all opinions are my own.

I always like a multiverse type book and this one was pretty fun. I enjoyed the Milwaukee setting, I don't feel like there are a ton of books that take place there but when they do, they are pretty unique! I found some of the shifts in dimensions a little confusing for a few pages. I wonder if there was a stylistic choice that could have been made there. Something in the formating?

This story had me intrigued from the very first page and left me thinking about it and the possibilities within its ideas long after I finished reading.

When Leona meets her husband David in a restaurant, she's confused - why is he different? Why did he come in a different car? And why does he then drive them to a different house and lets them in as though it's theirs? So many things don't make sense and Leona is left questioning everything.

Told in two different timelines, we jump back to the past to see how Leona and David's relationship began, developed and led them to be where they are today.

I was intrigued and wanted to know what was happening. At one point I wondered if David had carried out some kind of experiment on her as he worked in the medical field - to be fair that explanation may have been a bit more easier to understand than the actual one which was given...

I enjoyed the story, I found it intriguing, very moving and I liked how it shows how your life can be so different if you just make that one decision which can change the path you take...

The explanation for her memory loss was a little confusing and I did find some aspects of the story not really believable. It was hard to like Leona as she was very bitter about everyone in her life, so I'm giving this 4 stars.

Thanks so much to Waterbrook & Multnomah and NetGalley.

Leona heads into the city to meet with her husband, David, for a dinner date. Somehow the universe has done something and she finds herself in another world where her marriage is strained and her daughter is alive. She must decide if she wants to go back to her version of life and figure out how.


I love books that ask what if and explore that. This reminds me of another book that had a similar storyline. I still enjoyed this one, and I liked how it gave so much background into David and Leona.

In Between You and Us you follow Leona who is all of a sudden thrown into a different variation of her life. She has to figure out if she wants to stay in the alternate life or go back to her previous variation of her life. This book absolutely wrecked me! The themes in this book where very sad but also tugged at my heart strings. I loved the story and that the plot when from present day to Leona and David’s past. I loved their relationship. Although some of the themes were difficult to read, I could not put this book down. If you are looking for a book that will get you in your feels, this is the book for you.

The concept of this story was interesting: a young woman who has gone through the terrible tragedy of losing her little girl is given the opportunity to go to an alternate universe, where her baby is still alive and yet her relationship with her caring husband is strained. The writing was a bit clunky at times, and I thought some of the college talk was rude, but otherwise I thought that the author did a good job with the story.
I received this book from Netgalley. This is my honest review.

I got an ARC of Between Us and You on Netgalley, and I just finished it. I LOVED IT! The characters....amazing! The plot...I loved all the twists and turns. I didn't read anything about it before I started, and this was completely different than I expected in the best possible way. I appreciated the setting and knowing what I know about the author, I can tell how writing about the city she calls home was important to her. And the writing on grief had me near tears for the last 20% of the book. Don't miss this one when it releases in March of next year.

I enjoyed this book on several levels. First, I appreciate the “many worlds” (multiverse) theory of quantum physics that postulates the existence of parallel universes. Next, I found the emotional/ethical dilemma facing the protagonist to be thought-provoking and impactful. Lastly, I grew up in Milwaukee, so it was fun to identify with familiar places that were important elements in the storyline.

I enjoyed this book on several levels. First, I have appreciation for the “many worlds” (multiverse) theory of quantum physics that postulates the existence of parallel universes. Next, I found the emotional/ethical dilemma facing the protagonist to be thought-provoking and impactful. Lastly, I grew up in Milwaukee, so it was fun to identify with familiar places that were important elements in the storyline.

A simple dinner date to celebrate a wedding anniversary and get her marriage back on track subtly shifts Leona from one reality to another. In the first, she is a grieving mother who is losing touch with David, her spouse. In the second reality, she experiences a powerful, positive shock that draws her deeply into a confusing web of relationships. As she begins to navigate this new version of her life, Leona is torn between the things she loves in each reality. Does she stay? Does she return? All this is compounded by the mystery of how this shift occurred in the first place.

I found this storyline intriguing and was touched by the compassion that motivated the outcome. At times the movement between the two realities (especially the reverse timeline of her original life) was a bit confusing, but it did not detract from my overall enjoyment.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Absolutely beautiful book and powerful writing. I was so happy to have the chance to read this. It is always fascinating to explore "what might have been" and this book did that in a unique way. Captivating and un-put-downable !!

Between You and Us
A Novel
by Kendra Broekhuis
The book was good. Description
When a grieving woman unexpectedly steps into a different version of her life, she must choose between the husband she loves and the daughter she lost in this brave, gripping novel.

Two possible lives to live. One impossible choice to make. I thought about this one after I finished. Some choices seem easily made, others not at all. Choices and the effects of loss are even more difficult.

When Leona gets to her anniversary dinner with her husband David, he seems different. He’s standoffish and seems like he isn’t happy to see her. It’s completely different from the way he’s always been toward her. And then other strange things start happening - including the reappearance of a person she thought she lost forever. And it’s then that Leona realizes she’s stepped into a completely different version of her life. Now she has to decide - does she try to stay in this new world, or does she get home to her “real” life.

I loved the concept of this book. The sliding doors type of story is usually one that works for me really well. And while I did enjoy bouncing between Leona’s first life, and this new life, something about it just felt slow and like I didn’t really get a good idea of either of her lives and where she most belonged. The dialogue for this one wasn’t great and felt overly formal between the characters, and I never quite felt like I was fully invested in the story.

To be sure, there were some great elements that made me really think about what I’d do in Leona’s situation, and it often had me working to understand the sort of mystery at the center of her story. But as we worked forward in present day life, and we started years ago to catch up to present day in her previous life, it all just felt sluggish to get through.

This is a good book but I think it could’ve been better had we really dug in and got to know the characters and why one life was better than another. And in the end, I’m not sure I understand why Leona made the choice that she did. There is also a trigger warning for child loss so keep that in mind.

I felt immersed in this book with characters that were easy to envision. The story kept me invested as to what was the right / wrong decision.

I am ABSOLUTELY blown away by this novel! I started reading it yesterday, but had to put it away halfway through because other things needed my attention. However, over the 16 hours that I was away from the story, I kept thinking about the main characters- David and Leona- and not only thinking about them, but worrying about them! That's how real the story felt for me, how well-drawn the characters were.

I felt completely riveted and couldn't stop reading even though I am supposed to be doing other things right now (I JUST finished it!). I love the whole concept of alternate universes and was practically holding my breath until the end. Was very relieved that the choice Leona ultimately made was one that I would have made, but I'm not sure I would have been clever enough to have figured out how to actually do it (LOL).

I will be eagerly looking forward to reading more from this author! Highly, highly recommend!