What happens when a husband’s dying wish is for his wife to find a new love … before he’s gone??

After failing to make a life as an artist in New York and leave her first love, Harper’s dreams crumbled and she returned to Chattanooga and made a life with her new husband, Ben.

When Ben is diagnosed with terminal cancer their new life together is shattered. Despite the devastating news his dying wish is for her is to find a new partner.

When New York Times sends a journalist to do a feature story about Ben’s life, Harper meets Liam Hale the man she fell head over heels in love with all those years ago in New York.

Suddenly, Harper is faced with all of those old what if’s:

What if Harper had ended up with Liam instead of Ben?

What if she’d pursued a life of an artist instead of teaching?

What if it had all turned out differently?

After making a wish Harper wakes up to find herself in a parallel universe … where her what ifs become a reality.

Is the grass really greener - or is she standing right where she’s meant to be - no matter the cost.

There’s no spoiler alerts here but it’s a
heartbreaking and wonderful story about love, loss, grief and growth

I really enjoyed this magical story.

Thank you #reafrey and #netgalley for a copy.

When Harper & Ben are on their honeymoon, Ben begins having severe stomach pains, and after throwing up, he passes out. Within a year he is diagnosed with late stage cancer, and the life they had planned together, is obliterated. His final wish is for Harper to find someone else to love before he dies, so he knows she won't be alone. When the New York Times sends a journalist to do a feature story about Ben's life, to Harper's astonishment, the reporter they sent was none other than the man she fell for and then walked away from years ago, Liam Hale. The chemistry is immediately rekindled between the two, and Harper is faced with all of the "what ifs" in her life. After making a wish, Harper wakes up to find herself in a parallel universe . . . where her what-ifs become a reality. Is the grass really greener, or is she standing right where she should be--no matter the cost?

I am of two minds about this book. I loved the beginning of the story, and it gave me Cecelia Ahern & Nicholas Sparks vibes. I felt like I was going to need a tissue box before the book was over. Then the book started going back and forth between "what is" and "what was" and it just gave me whiplash. I am not a fan of alternate reality themes, so that could have also added to my dislike of this section, I will admit. Then came the ending and I almost needed the tissue box again. I really liked the beginning and end, but the middle drove me crazy. Not just for the reasons I stated above, but also because Harper was so wishy-washy about what she wanted, and it seemed to go on an endless loop. Overall it was a 3.5 rounded up to a 4.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the new book by Rea Frey, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Ben and Harper are on their honeymoon when they learn he has cancer. Ben's final wish is that he wants Harper to find a new husband before he dies. Harper doesn't want to entertain the notion. But when a journalist comes to interview Ben when his idea is made public, it is Liam at the door. Liam, who Harper spent a magical week with 10 years ago, and never saw again. Those unresolved feelings come bubbling up. What if she would have ended up with Liam?

I love Rea Frey's looks into the "what if." We all wonder what would happen if we would have taken a different path in our lives. This book adds a dose of magical realism into that thought when Harper does a Stand in Your Power full moon ritual to manifest her dreams. Suddenly, she's getting a look into what might have been. There's a lot of feelings in here, from love and second chances, to grief and moving on, to being confident in your dreams. I liked the peek into the art world, especially with the high schoolers. Rea Frey creates magical books that I love spending time with!

Harper and Ben are happy newlyweds on their honeymoon. Ben had been sick to his stomach but they just thought it was something he ate. When he got home, he went to the doctor, and he was served a devastating diagnosis. After much thought and his health worsening, he tells Harper that he has one dying wish. He would like to find Harper a wonderful husband to take care of her when he's gone. Harper is not as committed to his plan. Ben contacts a journalist to chronicle their story. I laughed, cried, smiled, and sighed throughout this wonderful story. It is a bittersweet tale of love, losses, and finding strength through second chances.

This was an interesting book and story. I'm still not quite sure how I would rate it! I really liked some parts of it but didn't like other parts. To me, the story had two storylines and I would have loved to have cut out the part I didn't like! However, I liked the lessons that the main character, Harper, learned by the end of the book. She is madly in love with her husband, Ben, when on their honeymoon he is diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and their lives are immediately changed forever. After treatment and as Ben struggles to come to terms with his looming future, he decides he wants his wife to find another man to love while he's still alive, so he knows she'll be ok after he dies. Harper is stunned and angry. When a journalist comes to interview Ben, who should he be but the man that Harper fell in love with before she knew Ben - Liam Hale. What a coincidence and talk about awkward! That would have been interesting and fine right there but then the story goes into "time travel and parallel universe" stuff. It's all a little "woo-woo" to me. I know some people enjoy that type of fiction, but it really isn't my thing. Harper is supposed to learn something from these different experiences in her trips to a parallel universe and help her make decisions. I just couldn't get into it. I did like the way it helped her make the hard decision at the end though. Personally, I didn't particularly like Ben's character. Harper didn't NEED a man to take care of her and he shouldn't have pushed that on her. I know that he was coming from a place of love but still - she could do what lots of other widows do and follow her own path of grief. I really liked Liam's character though. All in all, it was a good book, and I did rush through some parts to get to the "real" stuff!

Be ready for this book to take you through an emotional wringer.

The 3 characters Harper, Ben and Liam are each so well developed. The witter did a great job of bringing together this love triangle in a poignant manner, using the pov of then, now, what if. Harper sees a lot of character growth in this book - the choices she made that changed the trajectory of her life, and the path she nows needs to take forward.

A unique romance.

I also listened to the book and the narration was very well done.

#netgalley #ineverylife

Wow, this book really got me in all my emotions!!!

There were so many layers to this book, to this story, to the love. It was so well written, and really felt personal.

Ben. Harper. Liam. They were all wonderful. They all lived and loved, so well.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my heart. This book tugs at all the heart strings but is written so beautifully. I really enjoyed this book and love how Rea Frey tied in the title to the book meaning.

Thank you NetGalley, Rea Frey, and Harper Muse for the ARC!

You found the love of your life, its fate! Your relationship moves quickly and you marry! Ben & Harper Foster are destined for bliss until they receive shocking news of Ben’s terminal cancer. Author Rea Frey takes us down the path of raw emotion, a love like no other and one special wish!

Absolved in the fiction of “In Every Life”is a dream, a glimpse , a look at a different life than the one Harper chose. Can you imagine? Haven’t you ever said “What if”? Harper did! She took the advice of a close friend and wished upon a magical realism where Ben is healthy and she has everything she ever wanted in her art career. You should be careful what you wish for!

“In Every Life” is so well written, something we are used to with Rea Frey! Written in parallel lines with Harper’s reality and her “glimpse” of “What if”.
This novel is fiction at its best but it’s also a reminder to love now, cherish now and live NOW!

Ben’s last wish is one we sometimes think about but only in a lighthearted manner, “ if something happens to me , I want you to find someone to love and have the life you’ve dreamed about! He meant it ! Harper, in complete shock is in no way agreeing to Ben’s plan!
A reporter hears of Ben’s wish and shows up on their doorstep in hopes of a storyline no one will ever forget. When Harper opens the door, her life flashes back 10 years, it’s Liam, the one who got away! Coincidence?

Highly recommend this read, full of love, loss and the possibility of a second chance. Hope gives Harper the peace she needs to hold on to HER dreams if dreams still exist.

Thank you @Harpermuse @netgalley @reafrey for this eARC in exchange for my honest review . Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

After a failed attempt at being an artist in NYC, Harper now is an art teacher in Chattanooga with the love of her life Ben. But when Ben collapses on their honeymoon her life completely changes when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Rather than beginning a life together they begin to prepare for his death. Ben decides he wants Harper to find her next love before he goes and The NY Times sends a journalist to write a story about it; but the journalist turns out to be the other love in Harper’s life from her time in NYC- Liam. Now Harper looks back at her life wondering what if her choices had been different; until one night her wish becomes a reality and an alternate path is there for her to experience.


This is the second novel I have read by Frey and she seems to like this “what if” concept, that alternative reality/sliding door narrative. This one took a different bit of magical realism turn which I wasn’t expecting but liked. Harper had two men that she loved for completely different reasons and both were good for Harper for different facets of her personality. I listened to about 50% of this one and I find her novels very conducive to audiobooks and the narrator was great! This was a novel where I was crying so much that I had to stop reading because I needed to grab tissues and take off my glasses (luckily my husband was away and didn’t witness the ugly cry). If you’re up for a tearjerker and cancer is not a trigger for you, this one was definitely worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC to review

Book Doula, a favorite author and master storyteller, Rea Frey returns following The Other Year with her latest emotionally charged 'what if' story, IN EVERY LIFE.

Beautiful, compelling, and inspiring —exploring dual realities —the what ifs—what happens when a husband's dying wish is for his wife to find a new love... before he's even gone?

About...

Harper and Ben are happily married, and she is an art teacher in Tennessee excited about her new life and their plans for a family.

Then, the devastating news. Ben has late-stage cancer. However, Ben has a final wish before he dies. He wants to help Harper find a new partner.

That is the last thing Harper wants. She wants no one but Ben and wants to spend precious limited time with him, not talking about a new love to replace him.

When the New York Times sends a journalist for a feature story about Ben's life, Harper is front and center with Liam, her former lover who she never saw again—the man before Ben.

Faced with the what-ifs. In a different universe, what if she had married Liam and never met Ben? Would her life have turned out differently?

After making a wish, Harper wakes up to find herself in a parallel universe of what-ifs.

My thoughts...

Rea is a pro, and no one can spin a heartfelt intense story like the master storyteller. IN EVERY LIFE IS hopeful, magical, and heartbreaking with time travel.

Her well-developed characters are faced with two profoundly different paths in this emotionally charged story of what ifs— infused with art, love, loss, grief, magic, forgiveness, healing, marriage, parenthood, loyalty, and second chances.

Have you ever wondered about the what if? If you had taken a different path, where you would be?

Thought-provoking, moving, and intriguing, I can't wait for you to meet Ben and Harper. Have some Kleenex handy. This is an ideal book club pick for further discussions.

I have read all of Rea's books and have been a fan since her debut. Each one is unique, moving, and thoughtful.

Audiobook...

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook narrated by the talented Jennifer Jill Araya who delivers an outstanding performance, making the characters come alive.

Recs...

This book is for readers who enjoyed Rea's previous book, The Other Year, Sarah Addison Allen, and Eileen Goudge's The Replacement Wife. It is for those who enjoy women's fiction, domestic suspense, love and emotional stories, time travel, and a touch of magical realism.

Upcoming Interview...

Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Ride (Aug 7) with Rea and behind the scenes of IN EVERY LIFE and this fascinating author!

Thanks to Harper Muse and HarperCollins Focus for a gifted digital ARC and ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. #CoverLove

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Aug 6, 2024
My Rating: 5 Stars
Author Interview
Aug 2024 Must-Read Books
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4.5 ⭐️ Ben and Harper are devastated when a cancer diagnosis threatens their new marriage and the future they envisioned. To prevent Harper from spending a life alone, Ben decides to find her a new love, while he is still alive and able to do so.

As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I needed to get my hands on this book immediately, especially given that Frey’s last book continues to live rent free in my mind a year later. Her pitch perfect pacing and overall writing style, along with a dabble of magical realism, feels made for me.

This is a story of love and of coping with potential loss. It is a story of the deepest romance and a look at what makes a love story exactly that. At its core, it is a deeply emotional book, that at times will leave the reader feeling a whole gamut of emotions. And the concept of “what if” was woven in so masterfully, even those who don’t necessarily love magical realism, will enjoy it. This would make a great book club selection.

Read if you like:
• women’s fiction
• magical realism
• love stories
• thought-provoking books
• emotional reads

Thank you Harper Muse for the gifted copies.

I don't really know what I was thinking going into this read, but I was pleasantly surprised. As we venture into this world of then, now, and what-ifs we can truly see the journey of self-exploration that Harper must go on throughout the story. This one is 100% a tear-jerker so make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand.

TW: Cancer

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting book..It reminds me a bit of a movie I watched awhile ago. It was well written with characters who sometimes infuriated me, but were relatable and loveable all the same.
When your husband is dying, and an old flame shows up what do you do? Especially when your husband wants you to fall in love again...before he dies.
The book has some interesting twists and is a very good novel.

3.5 stars.

This one had an interesting premise with its look at the path not taken - the “what ifs” in our lives. I liked the chemistry in the relationship between Harper and Ben - it was very poignant.. However, I found it difficult to believe the “insta” love between Harper and Liam and that relationship was a key part of the story. I thought the character of Ben was much better developed than that of Liam.

I did like the look at parallel universes and the way the novel was structured around the themes of ‘what is”, “what was” “what if” and “what may be” . I thought the issues that the book raised around how one would survive the death of a partner, questioning own’s purpose/identity, living with uncertainty, dealing with a terminal illness, were all ones that I think almost any reader can relate to. The ending was emotional as was the epilogue.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and think readers who like emotional love stories would enjoy it as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Meh, not for me. WAY too "woo-woo" and I like magical realism. Too many things that had me rolling my eyes. Did somewhat redeem itself in the end so therefore the 2 rather than 1

This starts with Ben and Harper on their honeymoon, where Ben collapses. Flash forward a year, and Ben is at the end of a battle with stage 4 prostate cancer. They have tried everything. Now, he wants to help Harper to find love again so he knows she will be taken care of (insert huge misogynistic eye roll here). Harper says no, and Ben isn't finished. He wants her to quit her job as an art teacher to pursue art full time. He has agreed to be interviewed for a New York Times article, and when the reporter shows up, it is Liam--Harper's "one who got away."

So the setup is good. But then, things take some really weird tangents where she gets to try out some different scenarios for her life. I just never had buy in for any of it. In my opinion, if you want to write magical realism, write it. Don't waffle back and forth between realistic fiction and magical realism, because it makes both of them ineffective. I either want to be able to realistically believe how the plot is unfolding or I want to go all into a magical reality. In the end, I absolutely didn't buy any of it. The characters were caricatures and not fully developed, and the magic didn't fit anything I could wrap my brain around.

Lots of others have enjoyed this one, so if this sounds intriguing, definitely check out their reviews and give it a try. It just wasn't for me.

Trigger Warning: Stage 4 Cancer
If you are in the mood for a tear-jerker, read this book! Sometimes you're just in that kind of mood, and that's OK. 😢

I wasn't sure how to rate this book. There were so many things I disliked about the characters and about the story itself. So I settled on 3 stars.

First I will start by saying, this book has some time travel / time warp to it. It wasn't labeled as fantasy / magic realism, but it should be. I probably wouldn't have requested this ARC had I known this was magic/fantasy, I'm not a huge fan of time travel stories, and I wasn't in the mood for a fantasy read. But if you're into that sort of thing, this might be the book for you.

Ben, the dying husband, is NOT likable at all. I very much disliked his character. Wanting her to find another partner when he isn't even gone yet feels so weird to me. Almost insulting. Like she's some pet dog that he is searching for a new home for. Wtf. Complete disregard for her feelings and not allowing her to even mourn at all. I didn't like Ben. This isn't 1900, dude. A woman doesn't "need" a man to be happy and to get on with life. Ugh, gag. Not romantic AT ALL.

And, um I would be livid if my husband, dying or not, invited the NY Times to be at my house FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK...TOMORROW without telling me. Wtf. And his annoying guilt-tripping to make it sound like he would let this outrageous idea go if she said so. Yeah right. If he thought that then he wouldn't have went ahead and made the arrangements behind her back. I felt like he didn't respect Harper and her feelings as much as this story tries to make him sound. I did NOT like Ben. I was triggered, yall lol.

And then there's Harper. I appreciate and liked how she sacrificed so much to take care of her beloved husband. I think this is very realistic when it comes to having a terminal family member. Her feeling overwhelmed with all the feels and trying to manage all the things and putting her own happiness and goals on the backburner was heartbreaking. But...

Harper was annoying in many ways too.

She acts like a lost teenager who storms off to her room when things get hard most of the story.

I'm not a fan of insta-love stories. They're ridiculous to me and I can't ever seem to not eyeroll even though I know it's a fictional story. Harper and Liam's insta LOOOOOOVE after only a week was silly. Especially the part where Harper freaks out over Liam having an ex...after she only knew him for a week LOL. What in the 15-year-old-bubblegum-drama was that scene all about?! Everyone has an ex. Wtf lol. Who cares. Why was he supposed to tell some girl he just met a few days ago about his whole dating history? He wasn't. Harper acted like an insecure annoying 15-year-old. I hated her for the rest of the story.

I felt like the story didn't pick up until 50%. Before that, it was a bit slow for me. It seemed to talk in circles, talking about the same things over and over again throughout the whole book.

Not my favorite, but still a good story that I'd still recommend.

Thank you Netgalley, Publisher, and Author for this ARC.

This is very engaging and compelling read. I will definitely read more of Rea Frey. I feel the premise for the story and the well developed characters added to my enjoyment of the book. The shifting between what was and what is sometimes lead to a bit of confusion for me. I would love to read more about Harper and Liam.

I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you Net Galley, Rea Frey and Harper Muse for this opportunity.

Rea Frey is officially a must read author for me, I LOVED this book.

Harper is flying high in love when her husband, Ben, collapses on their honeymoon. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, and knowing he wants to leave her happy, Ben sets up a crazy proposition for her- she should find a new love before he dies. Harper doesn’t want anyone else but Ben, and declines, but when a news writer, Leo, comes to town to do a story on Ben, and he just so happens to be the one to get away from Harper’s past - Harper starts to question everything. Is this fate or is she exactly where she needs to be already?

I loved this book so much. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it reminded me how important it is to love the ones you love while you have the chance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I honestly can’t recommend this book enough- it’s that good!

Harper and Ben are freshly minted newlyweds when Ben is diagnosed with late stage cancer. He decides to find Harper someone new to love as his final loving act toward his wife…

I had high hopes for this after reading so many glowing reviews. I pushed through it, keeping those opinions in mind when I just wanted to DNF this.

I found the characters came across as very immature for their ages, the writing too simplistic, and the story so far beyond the realm of unbelievable I found it inane, and at parts downright insulting. It’s he pushes until she gives in, combined with cheesy corn.

I’m definitely an outlier in my opinion of this one but it didn’t work for me at all.



Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the DRC