This was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it. thanks for letting me have an advance copy. I'm new to this author.

4.5 stars TOP PICK RT BookReviews

What an absolutely stunning book! I Liked My Life is a layered tale with meaningful things to say about life, death, grief and moving forward after tragedy. The writing talent on display is remarkable; Fabiaschi delivers such heartfelt emotion without ever becoming maudlin. The characters become real people who help the reader experience a gamut of complex emotions.
Madeline is a stay-at-home mother who kills herself by jumping off a building. She observes the life she left behind, including her husband Brady and teenage daughter Eve. Her goal is to find a woman for Brady to date and marry in order to make his life complete again. As Brady and Eve attempt to find their way through this tragic time in their lives, they are pushed toward Rory, a teacher who Maddie determines is just the right pick for both Brady and Eve. Through some maneuvering, Maddie causes a friendship to grow — but things aren't always as they seem, and Maddie must figure out how to help make her family happy before she is gone completely.

I did not finish this book due to use of a slur that I don't like to read in literature, and a harmful explanation of eating disorders in teenage girls which read as very insensitive and crass.

It's always good to be reminded of a good book especially as a librarian who is always trying to think of an older title for patrons who want the latest, this is a great story of mystery and understanding motives but, for me who does not like anything creepy or violent, this book fit the bill nicely. This is definitely a page-turner that kept me reading and wanting to know what happened!

How can a book that begins with a death be so uplifting? The novel opens with Maddy meddling in the lives of her daughter and husband from the great beyond. But she does it in a way that's not only engaging, but often touching and humorous. Her daughter, Eve, and her husband, Brady, must navigate the depths of their loss, while they try to stitch together why Maddy committed suicide. In bits and pieces the story of Maddy's life (as well as those of the rest of the family) come out. The novel is told from all three points of views, and each voice is distinct. The characters experience rage and despair, but even when they're acting out, I felt sympathy for them the entire time. As a mother myself, I could desperately feel Maddy's longing to make sure her family would be okay, that they could heal and come together.

The ending is lovely and I won't say more about it, because all the threads of the novel tie together so nicely, and I don't want to give anything away. But be assured that though this book is all about a death, it was absolutely heartening.

I did not see the end coming! Excellent twist ending after an interesting mix of narrators, giving thought-provoking perspectives to their everyday lives.

2.5 stars
Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I thought the premise of this book was very unique, a recently deceased woman watching her family from beyond, while her husband and daughter try to cope with her suicide. However I found the story to be a little clunky at points and the rotating narration made the story disjointed and prevented it from reading easily for me. I did enjoy how everything was tied up at the end, but it was hard to stick with the book to get to that point.

Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion.

This was a wonderful book. Vibrant characters and such heartfelt feelings; I love the idea of watching over those you love when you pass. It made me smile and evoked such wonderful feelings. Maddy was a wonderful character, as were her husband Brady and their daughter, Eve; the author did a lovely job of making these characters come to life. I felt along with them while they tried to resolve what happened and come to terms with the same, great satisfying ending as well. Very enjoyable read.

I appreciate Abby Fabiaschi for her writing skills, but this novel disappointed me. None of the characters was relateable, and I found the story depressing.

This is a beautifully written story told from three perspectives. This is maybe one of the best uses of this tool in a story that I've read. Maddy, the mother and wife in this story commits suicide, her husband, Brady and daughter Eve are left with the aftermath of trying to reconcile her death with the way she lived her life. It is such an intimate and well plotted look at a family's life that you forget that at the heart of it, is a suicide. The story is written so eloquently that you know Ms Fabiaschi is an avid reader and book lover. It is probably one of the things that makes this such a readable, endearing story. I look forward to more from this author.

While this novel is hinged on a woman's death, her story goes on with how her death affects her loved ones...and she's also a narrator. I liked this writing trick in The Lovely Bones and liked what Fabiaschi did with it here. Would you want your spouse to find another mate after you died? What if you could "help" them find someone? This novel was great escapism, but I also found myself pondering what I would do if I were in Maddy's position.

This book was fantastic. I would recommend this book to anybody.

It tells the story of Maddy, a housewife who died by jumping off of a building. Her husband Brady and daughter Eve are left reeling, wondering how they missed her sadness and why she offed herself. Maddy tells her story from the great beyond, and tries to coerce their lives even while she is not there.

More than anything, this book really made me think about my own relationship with my mother. We are definitely close (she was my matron of honor in my wedding), but I think everybody gets to the point where you put off making plans because you're so busy, but what if there isn't a tomorrow? It left me teary eyed in more than a few places.

Abby did a phenomenal job of making me feel that I was actually one of the characters. She switched between different viewpoints, which can get confusing if not told right, but this was so expertly rendered that I had no trouble switching back and forth between characters. This was simply superb storytelling.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of I Liked My Life.

The story begins with Maddy's voice. Maddy has just died by taking her own life and is now observing her life in her own absence. Her husband is guilt ridden and doesn't know how to reach out to his daughter. Eve, their daughter is angry, resentful, and quickly alienating herself from her friends. But thanks to Maddy's quiet promptings, the two sloooowly find their way back to each other, learn how to find happiness in life and learn the truth of Maddy's death.

Great character development and really understandable display of grief. I thought is was a very sweet story of forgiveness and understanding. It was a reminder to enjoy our lives, and the people in them as much as we can.

This book was both beautiful and powerful. It deals with a daughter and husband dealing with the aftermath of their mother's/wife's suicide. It also has thoughts from the mother/wife from beyond (which I would normally think is odd, but it was done well). It was raw, heartbreaking, but also full of hope. Honestly, I have avoided this book for a few months because I thought it would be depressing, but it really wasn't. It's definitely a good read!

This book was amazing!! Truly loved the characters and got caught up in the story!! Biggest heartbreak was that this was a debut and I couldn't run to get others of her books!!! There will no doubt be more from Abby that will knock our socks off!!

This book was just okay for me. I liked the premise and enjoyed the journey, but I thought it took a little longer than I would have liked for it to get to the conclusion. While I wouldn't describe this as a "ghost story" I tend to not like books that have elements of someone beyond the grave because it just feels unrealistic to me. I think the story could have been told without that aspect which is why my rating is 3 stars, instead of 4. I would read this author again depending on the description of the book.

* I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review *

What an amazing read!!! I was hooked from page one and so did not want it to end. And what an end- absolutely did not see the end coming. I Liked My Life was a great combination of a book with depth and yet the story line moved smoothly through the novel I highly recommend it and can not wait until Abby's next book.

LOVED!! It. I read it talked about it to anyone who would listen then recommended it for a future read at my book club. I purchased 3 copies to share with friends. I just was so surprised at how much I liked it lol. This was a heart tugging story and I felt for the daughter and how she and her father had to make a relationship. I was thinking about my own kids and even though they are close to their Dad, I really am the one who does for them, emotionally and otherwise. This was a great story I can't wait for what Ms. Fabiaschi puts out next. I will be watching.

Though I absolutely loved the writing, the "twist" of the story left me so incredibly disappointed and feeling a little betrayed so I have to compromise at three stars. The ending, for me, undoes most of the much-needed discussion around suicide, especially when Brady's knee-jerk response is to say that it would be "disrespectful" to Maddy and their life together to say her death was suicide and not an accident. The entire book spent all this time developing nuance and real dialogue around suicide, and then at the end sort of seems to have this "oh thank god, we knew she couldn't have committed suicide because SHE LIKED HER LIFE" which bummed me out because the obvious implication is that you only commit suicide if you don't like your life. I'll probably read Ms. Fabiaschi's next book because this was well written, but hope it won't contain a twist that leaves me deflated. My best comparison would be to say much like readers who hoped EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING would change the narrative about disability (showing you can have a full life with disabilities, that it isn't the most horrible thing to be imagined living with), I hoped I LIKED MY LIFE would change the conversation about suicide, instead of resulting in a similar twist of "Thank God, anything but death by suicide."

Maddy is a ghost looking for a replacement for herself. She committed suicide and left behind a seventeen year old daughter, Eve and husband, Brady. She is able to read the minds of those she is watching and her spirit can direct their actions. Her goal is to find someone to love and take care her family. The story is narrated by each character.

Brady and Eve are left sorting out their lives and their relationship with each other while grieving. No note was left behind and they have no answers to why she left them. Eve begins to retreat from her friends and wants to attend boarding school next year. She feels that people are uncomfortable around her and conversations are difficult. She does not want to be known as the girl whose mother killed herself. She also misses her mother and feels guilty for taking her for granted.

Brady is overwhelmed with the responsibilities of raising a daughter alone and picking up the household duties. He realizes that he has not been the best husband or father. His relationship with Eve is strained since they haven't spent a lot of time together. Maddy kept a daily journal which he shares with Eve and this is the catalyst towards improving their relationship. Together, they unlock Maddy’s secrets and gain closure on her death.

Although this book is mostly about a grieving family, it is also about the complexity of relationships. The dialogues between the characters are well executed. I enjoyed the internal thoughts of each character, and felt it added humor to the book. I am looking forward to the author’s next book.