In reviewing this audio, I’m struck by the way it intertwines profound emotional depth with elements of magical realism. The protagonist, Harper, finds herself navigating an incredibly complex emotional landscape. She’s married to a man battling cancer, who, despite his own suffering, wishes for her to find love and happiness after he’s gone. This poignant wish sets the stage for a deeply touching and intricate narrative.

The twist comes when Harper’s former love, who never truly moved on from her, reappears. He begins writing a story about their shared past, which adds a layer of introspective reflection and longing. The story beautifully explores the notion of parallel lives through magical realism, presenting Harper with an opportunity to experience what her life might have been like had she made different choices.

The novel does a remarkable job of delving into the heartache and hope of Harper’s situation without giving away too much. It presents a sensitive exploration of love, loss, and the possibility of second chances, leaving readers with a rich tapestry of emotions to ponder. The story’s ability to blend reality with the fantastical makes it a deeply moving and memorable read, and it left me reflecting on the nature of love and the paths we choose in our lives.

I am going to need this to be a movie ASAP!

Wow. This was a beautifully written book and a wonderful love story. I loved the alternative universe aspect of this book as it shows that some people will connect “In Every Life” if it’s truly meant to be. What a beautiful concept.

I was expecting the story to focus more on the plot line of Ben finding someone for Harper, but I am happy with the direction it went.

A great story, a great audiobook, read by a great narrator.

IN EVERY LIFE is an emotional romance that I won't soon forget. For me this was a heavy read. If you have cancer or know someone that does this may be a trigger. Other than that I did like the audiobook and thought it was a well written story.

Many thanks for my gifted ALC.

I am so excited to be listening to this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the narrator and publisher for this amazing experience!

In Every Life by Rea Frey was SO, SO good! It was a sliding doors sort of romance story. And I just adored it.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Frey, and it will not be my last.

The characters were so likeable! Harper, Ben, and Liam were all great characters. It was so interesting to read about the characters and how they change/same the same in the different scenarios.

I love that Harper learns such an important lesson and that she is such a loving, loyal partner to her sick husband, Ben.

This book is very tame, with little spice and no vulgar language. I really appreciated the writing.

The narrator, Jennifer Jill Araya, is extremely talented and easy to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In Every Life by Rea Frey

Ben and Harper are newly married when Ben is diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. As the cancer progresses, Ben tells Harper that his dying wish is for Harper to find her next partner while he is still alive. He arranges for a reporter to document their story, and when the reporter shows up, it’s a man from Harper’s past. The rest of the novel is an exploration of her choices and what-if scenarios.

What worked for me: alternating time frame of chapters (“what is” vs. “what was”), interesting moral dilemmas and other discussion topics (might be a good book club pick), the writing in general (descriptions, realistic dialogue, etc.), and the audiobook reader.

THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS CONTAIN SOME INFO THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS! STOP READING HERE IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS:

What did not work for me:
Harper is a weak character. She’s never comfortable with her own decisions and she lets other people tell her what’s right for her life. I didn’t like that Ben’s idea of making sure she was happy was making sure she had another man. It felt irrational, and would surely create a complicated cluster of grief, guilt, doubt, resentment, etc. Not to mention, maybe she didn’t want that for herself!? Her friends also try to tell her what to do at times. I also couldn’t get into the time jumping element. I’ve read and enjoyed other books that manipulate time while still feeling realistic (Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver), but the fantasy elements were introduced fairly early in those novels, so it felt natural. The time hopping of In Every Life doesn’t happen until 52% through the novel, and it comes out of nowhere. It felt out of place. Lastly, in the alternate time plot, I didn’t like the idea that a week-long workshop about shifting your mindset could instantaneously cure stage 4 pancreatic cancer. As someone who lost my only sibling to stage 4 pancreatic cancer when she was 38, the if-you-have-something-to-live-for-then-do-it idea was absurd. It would have been more plausible if he had been on some breakthrough trial or something.

Overall, it’s fast-paced and thought provoking if you like romance with a bit of a fantasy element. If you’re more of a realist, you may have trouble buying in.

I would rate it 2.5, but rounded up to 3.

Thank you to Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Two 2 word reviews: Thought provoking! Must read! Rea Frey’s characters tend to be unforgettable so I’m not surprised that I’m still thinking about Harper, Ben and Liam. I quickly became invested in all of them and their stories were extremely compelling. I loved the parallel universe concept in this book and Harper’s glimpse into what might have been if she had taken a different path. All of this author’s books have made me think and opened my eyes to new perspectives which I love. This was another five star read by Rea Frey and the narrator was perfect for this powerful story.

I wish I had listened to my gut & not requested a book in the romance genre. I've read one other book by Rea Frey (Until I Find You) and I loved it. It was a suspenseful mystery with a wonderful main character. When I saw she had a new book, I jumped at the opportunity to request the ARC. Needless to say, I did not like this at all. If it had only been genre-related, I couldn't bring myself to leave a negative review, but I had other issues that made it an unenjoyable read for me.

I strongly disliked both Harper and Ben. The pushiness of Ben when it came to wanting Harper to find someone else was gross. Dude, she's going to be in mourning. Respect that. The whole "she needs a man to make sure she's okay" thing was vomit-inducing. I HATED it & I hated Ben for being THAT guy. Harper wasn't much better. My additional details, below, will contain very minor spoilers, so, before getting into that, here's a quick list of reasons I'm rating this low:
1. Hated the characters
2. It was so damn corny
3. The time hop element didn't seem to fit. It was odd & like the rest - corny.

The details below contain minor spoilers.
DO NOT KEEP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!

The "what was" chapters made my eyes nearly roll out of my head. Sooo, you know someone a week, are there for a huge career opportunity, then get insanely jealous and irrational over the guy, who you've known a week, being friends with an ex, and you leave, after one of those terrible, rom-com-style arguments (*acts irrationally dramatic over something small* - Wait! Don't go! *proceeds to leave dramatically*), basically saying, "fuck my career and entire reason for coming here!" I almost DNF'd at this point, because it just felt cheesy & unrealistic AF.

Speaking of cheesy & unrealistic AF - when the time hop parts started, I laughed. I couldn't take it seriously at all. I was dying to be finished with the book at that point. I really hate that hated this book. I'm not giving up on this author though. If anything, this just made me want to find another book of hers that I like as much as the first one I read. I'll be careful to pay close attention to the genre next time. Fingers crossed that my next Rea Frey read is a great one!

In Every Life is a moving and emotional romance with a touch of magical realism. It has similar feel to Taylor Jenkins Reid’s In Another Life which is what initially drew me to the story.

I’m afraid I struggled to connect with Harper, Ben and Leo, and to get a sense of their chemistry. I found Ben’s insistence for Harper to find love, and Harper’s secrets from Ben both a bit uncomfortable given the circumstances.

However I did really enjoy the writing and the magical realism aspects of the story. The story flowed well and kept my interest throughout. I liked Harper’s journey in terms of finding her personal and professional identity, and would have loved to have read more about her early relationship with both Ben and Leo.

I enjoyed this both as an ebook and audiobook, finding the audio production added an extra layer of emotional depth. To be honest I was surprised to see there was only one narrator, as the dramatisation of the different characters felt very distinct and natural.

Thank you HarperCollins Focus, and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

In Every Life is a beautiful book about love, loss, following your dreams and discovering what you truly want. From the start I was entranced by the writing and the story. I am usually not a fan of the Magical Realism aspect, but in this one the author truly made it work. She made it feel as if it could actually be real. The vivacity of the scenes, the characters, it was so easily imaginable in my head.

The characters are one of the best aspects of this book. They are truly so endearing and attaching. I was rooting for all of them, I wanted them all to have their HEA. Frey truly shined in the growth she made Harper do during this novel. It was amazing to see her discover herself, come to terms with Ben's diagnosis and do what she truly wants. Ben & Liam were both equally amazing with their own distinct personalities.

The ending broke my heart, I didn't want to see it coming, but it also gave me hope. It ended perfectly in a sense, whatever is meant to be will be. Beautiful book that truly surprised me in the best of ways !

✨️Thank you to @netgalley, @harperfocus & @reafrey for my gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review.

In this book our main character marries her husband and on their honeymoon he falls violently ill. He has cancer and isn’t going to get better. He wants his wife to find a partner for after he is gone. He is even prepared to help her find him.
I never have heard of a book like this and knew right from the start that I needed to read it. I’m so glad I did because it was so refreshingly unique. I was surprised by the twist in the middle of the book and appreciate how it was written. It was whimsical and moving. The audiobook was done well and I liked the narrator. Overall I was impressed and happy with the book.