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.