"It's terrifying, when you think about it. How close we all are, at any time, to life being so incredibly different than it otherwise might. One wrong move, one misspoken word, could be all it takes."

Mille's life is going pretty good. Good job. Studio apartment she loves. Friends who are her family. Her downfall is her love life. The more unavailable a man is the harder she falls. No one more so than her married with children co-worker Stephen. In her melancholy moments, she often dreams of what her life is like in an alternate reality. How are those Millie's different? And is one lucky enough to be with Stephen?

Walking into her best friends lakehouse one Friday evening, she's instantly transported to an alternate reality. She's herself, but different variables. Partners. Jobs. Friends. While some lives seem like they could work, she quickly realizes no life is quite as good as her own. And maybe whats she's been looking for has been right in front of her the whole time.

Yall I loved this book! Every single CJ Connolly book has been five stars. She has this magical ability to blend love stories with actual human emotion that is such exceptional talent everyone should read this! Including alternate realities in any novel can absolutely ruin the story if not done well. In this instance, it's vital to the story as a whole. Five stars just isn't enough!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to CJ Connolly, Joffee Books, and NetGalley. 🫶

The Love of Her Lives by C.J. Connolly
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 13 June 2024

Millie's life seems pretty solid. She adores her job and cozy studio apartment, and her best friend Bonnie adds an extra sparkle to her world.

But when it comes to romance, Millie's track record is a mess. She consistently falls for the wrong guys, none more painfully than her unrequited love for Stephen, who happens to be married.

Caught in a whirlwind of what-ifs, Millie often imagines an alternate reality where she and Stephen are blissfully together. It's a comforting daydream, a refuge from the harsh reality of her love life.

One weekend, while on her way to Bonnie's lake house, Millie stumbles upon something extraordinary. As she enters through the basement door, she's suddenly transported into a parallel universe—a world where she finally has a shot at winning Stephen's heart.

This book is a delightful, entertaining page-turner. Millie is a fascinating, relatable, and multifaceted character who adds depth and excitement to the story. The plot captivated me from the start and held my attention throughout; the concept of exploring alternate realities based on different choices is incredibly intriguing.

While I didn't fully connect with Millie as the main character, which impacted my overall enjoyment a bit, I still found the story engaging. I wished there had been more emphasis on Millie and Ben's friendship/relationship development throughout the narrative and particularly at the end. Nonetheless, I found the book to be a satisfying read overall.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Joffe Books and the author, C.J. Connolly, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I enjoyed this as much as her last book, which is to say, not very much. I didn't like Millie at all, so that had a lot to do with it. I wish we had seen more of Ben's character along the way. I didn't particularly like the way the chapters alternated between timelines - going back many years, then back to the present, took me out of the narrative. I kept putting this down & picking it up which is never a good thing with me. I've read other books with this premise that I think pulled it off better.

Fun read seeing alternate routes the main characters life could've taken. I always enjoy stories like this and this and The Loves of her Lives was no exception. I liked we got to see so many different lives she could've had not the just she thought she wanted the most. While it was predictable it was still entertaining and a fun read. Would recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Joffe Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, this book was extremely fun, I couldn't get enough! I really enjoyed exploring different version's off Millie's life and how it would have been if she had ended up with a different man. I was fascinated by the idea of what life could be like if we only made different decisions! Whilst this book was filled with so much fun, there was some difficult decisions to be made that tugged on my heart strings. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours and was so happy with the outcome, while you could see the ending coming from a mile off, it was still beautifully done and made me happy! The premise is so unique and magical, I could read these types of books all day, every day, which means I definitely need to get to CJ's backlog immediately!

This is a fun, entertaining, good read. Millie are interesting, entertaining, intriguing, relatable, complex, fun character. The plot is what drew me in and it didn’t disappoint. The idea of getting to see what would have happened if you had made a different choice is so intriguing to me. Millie gets that opportunity and what she finds both surprises and enlightens her. I wish we had been given more context in some of the what-if scenarios than we were. Millie’s adventure in the end brings her to where she needs to be and it was a fun and enjoyable ride to go on with her. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story – especially her best friends. The ending was satisfying (although my catnip is epilogues and I really wish we had been given one). The story is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Love of Her Lives follows Millie in dual timelines; the past, and the future where she enters alternative universes of her life. Stories such as The Love of Her Lives drawn you in and keep you engaged through the thought provoking concept of how our decisions, no matter how small, alter the outcome of our lives. Author C.J. Connolly has written the characters within the story to be relatable and feel “real”.


Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advanced copy of The Love of Her Lives in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a little outside of my usual romance fare. In all honesty, I feel that putting this book in the “romance” genre is a bit of a stretch. It’s difficult to simply categorize it as simply “fiction,” or “women’s fiction,” though, too, so there’s that.

Adding a twist of sci-fi philosophy to your typical story of a woman trying to find her way through life and love was interesting. I must say I found it difficult to connect with Millie, only because I feel we really barely dug into her personality. I also found the pacing of the book bumpy, as chapters switched back and forth from versions of the present to different points in the past.

Overall, it was an interesting read, but I’m honestly not sure I’m interested ENOUGH to go back and read Connolly’s first two books.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

Love love loved this! I was sad when this book ended. I’ve always been fascinated with stories that show the what-if (the author mentioned taking inspiration from the Midnight Library and Life after Life - two books I also adored).

We follow Millie through a seemingly endless stream of versions of her life - some totally glamorous and others the complete opposite. It’s hard to imagine what you would choose if you were faced with her predicament. I loved the friendship with Bonnie and Ben and overall just can’t say enough good things about this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a fun, light-hearted read! I struggled to connect with Millie as a main character a bit, so I think that’s why I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I thought I would’ve. I also wish there would’ve been more to the story focusing on her and Ben’s friendship/relationship both throughout the story and at the end, but overall I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved reading this book, it felt very unique to me. I found it easy to read and loved that magic / romance intertwined throughout.

a light fun read!! has a bit of magical realism mixed with romance elements. it’s a little predictable and yes, very cheesy, but still a good read!

If I woke up from an accident and found myself in a completely different version of my life, I think I'd be utterly bewildered, just like Josie. In her original reality, she's on the verge of hopefully winning over her long-time crush, her career is on track, and she's content with being single. But in this new reality, she's married to a man she doesn't know, living in her dream home, and enjoying a successful career. It's like stepping into a parallel universe.

As Josie navigates this unfamiliar life, she's torn between the familiarity of her old life and the allure of this new one. It's a tough decision to make, and the book follows her journey as she tries to figure out how she ended up in this alternate reality and what she truly wants.

What really drew me into the story was Josie herself. She's so relatable and endearing, and I could totally understand her confusion and uncertainty in this strange situation. The first chapter had me hooked, and I was eager to unravel the mystery alongside Josie.

Despite the seemingly perfect aspects of her new life, the story doesn't shy away from heartbreak and challenges, which adds depth and realism. It highlights the idea that not everything is better on the other side and forces Josie to consider what truly matters to her.

Overall, this book is a fantastic romance with plenty of funny and touching moments. The writing style is engaging and kept me glued to the pages—I finished it in less than 24 hours because I just couldn't put it down. It's a perfect summer read that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a captivating story. Many thanks to Netgalley for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Such a light, fun read! If you enjoy a touch of magical realism mixed with romance- this is your book! Slightly predictable and cheesy, but I enjoyed the story and finished in a day.