I was excited to read this book as soon as I set eyes on the cover image and the synopsis.  It was just my type of story.  Thankfully the author, Caroline Bertaud, was looking for beta-readers prior to publication and approved my request to read her debut novel.

The story had me hooked from the start right through to the final page. This gripping tale moves at an incredible pace, which it has to really as Phoenix only has 24 hours to live!

We are lead through an hour per chapter and I found myself in the age old situation of wanting to read faster but not wanting to reach the end and find that Phoenix had overheard correctly and that she would be dead by morning.  I completely fell for the hero of her day and wished beyond wishing that it was all a mix up and they could have their happy ever after….. but was it?  You will need to read and find out for yourself.

24 Hours of the Phoenix is a book that I could not put down. It will capture your attention from the first chapter till the vary last page. I received this book prior to publication to review it and I can not wait to read another book from this author.
Imagine waking up in a hospital bed to only find out you are dying and only have one day to live. You are only 21 years old, what would you do with it. Phoenix is angry, can not remember what happened yesterday, why is she dying and why is this happening to her. She meets a man named Gabriel, can he help her make her 24 hours mean something?
I recommend this book for anyone looking for a book that you won't be able to put down. I enjoyed the author's writing style and can not wait to read more from her.

"Until yesterday, twenty-one-year-old Phoenix Collins had it all figured out: she was going to live forever. Not literally of course; nobody lives forever—she knows that, she’s learned it the hard way—but bearing a mythical name had convinced her that someday she’d have a fresh start, her life back on track. A big scar stretches across her stomach, but she has no recollection of the previous days’ events."

This was one heck of a ride! Phoenix is told she only has 24 hours to live but has no idea what happened a few days before. While reading this novel, I felt like I was racing against the clock along with Phoenix. It was a quick read for me, I couldn't put it down until I found out what happened and why she only had 24 hours to live.

#24hoursOfThePhoenix #NetGalley
Pub Date 03 Nov 2018

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought it started off a little slow but once I dove in I was hooked.

I'm a little worried about talking about the book because of spoilers, but Phoenix is a likable flawed character who I really didn't want to die in 24 hours.

Gotta say I called the twist about a quarter way through.

That's okay. Getting there was a lot of fun!

Phoenix Collins may be only twenty-one years old, but she only has twenty-four hours left to live. At least, that’s what she overhears when she abruptly wakes up one morning in a hospital bed. She quickly tries to figure out why she might be dying but realizes she can’t remember anything at all. Finding herself trapped in the present moment with no future and no past, Phoenix impulsively jumps up and breaks herself out of the hospital.

So begins this fast-paced roller coaster of a novel by new author Caroline Bertaud. It definitely checks all the boxes of the thriller genre, as it’s full of plot twists and intrigue, yet for all of this book’s rollicking action, the heart of the story is, well, its heart. I may have been hooked from the very first moment but what ultimately drew me into the story was the exploration of redemption, forgiveness, and deep, powerful love—between lovers, yes, but also between parents and children, between siblings, and between friends.

The writing itself is superb as well, with Bertaud knowing just when to speed up during a suspenseful part but then slow it down again so we have no choice but to ponder right along with the heroine: What would we do if faced with such an impossible situation? Who would we run to if we learned our time was running out? How would we choose to spend our last moments?

These questions kept me reading straight through the book as I had to know what Phoenix would do and how she would answer them for herself. This novel was engrossing, beautiful, funny, and thought-provoking, and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Phoenix is such a beautifully constructed character that I could  relate to her immediately. Not the impending death part but her characterization. Her living, pulsating emotions can straight away draw you in. The author made Phoenix so perfectly human, with all her vices, her goof ups and terrible decisions. Halfway through the book I was screaming

'Don't you die on me, Phoenix!'

'Don't you dare die!'
My complete review can be read on my blog

The cover is so beautiful and I know the saying ‘you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover’ yet for me thats exactly what I did. But I was not disappointed with the book. From the first page I was hooked. The story was not a slow starter either. Got you straight into the story. The clue is in the title..
Thank you to both NetGalley and BookGoSocial for my eARC in exchange for my honest review

Phoenix is in the hospital when she overhears two doctors state that she has 24 hours left to live. She wants to know what is wrong with her yet she dresses and leaves the hospital. Her (former at this point?) boyfriend, Matt, stops into the coffee shop where she works.

Still having 4 keys, Phoenix figures that next she will go home. She remembers: Walt! She arrives at their place and he is not there. Attempting to call Walt, there is no answer. The last key she has is to her old VW. It does not start. A man, Gabriel, insists on giving Phoenix a ride to the post office and calling a tow truck for her car. Gabriel tells her that his wife had passed away, She tells him nothing about the 24 hour thing. But, in contact with her best friend, Emma, they agree to meet up for lunch (sans Gabriel). During lunch, Phoenix eventually opens up tells Emma about her life having only 24 left. Emma breaks down. This proves to Phoenix that she cannot tell anyone else. (After all, she had spent 2 hours at the park with Gabriel - maybe the best 2 hours, ever.)

Later, Phoenix goes home and Walt, her live-in, is there. She senses that "love is not in the air". Walt is quite into drugs and this makes him less appealing. She misses Matt. The wound from the car accident that they told her she was in is still very painful.

Phoenix needs to see her mother and brother (before she dies) - actually they have a wonderful time!!! Things had been edgy with mom, but now, much better. Phoenix calls Gabriel and he invites her to see The Wizard of Oz play and have dinner. They fall in love. While later showering at Gabriel's place, Phoenix' stitches open up(from her surgery after the car accident) and she is back in the hospital. Still thinking that she is going to die, within 24 hours, she leaves the hospital again. Yet this time Walt and a couple of drug dealers take her "for a ride". And this is where the insane story really livens up!!

Anything more and I would be releasing a spoiler...

A good story - Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a good read.

This book messed up with my mind a big time. I am overly analytic, therefore this book didn't make sense for the most part, of course once I reach the end, it all makes sense! Simply Brilliant! I’m glad I didn't give up and finish the book.
The narrative is fluid and you feel like Finn is talking to you all along, it's an active first person voice. I love Gabriel and what he means and represents for Phoenix. This is a book that defies logic and its about second chances.

“I realize how much the lack of love loosens our strength to live”.

Many Thanks BooksGoSocial, Caroline Bertaud and Netgalley for the opportunity.

This was an interesting twist on the age old question of what you would do if you knew you had 24 hours to live. Told from the view point of Phoenix a relatively normal 21 year old, it was though provoking if a bit unrealistic. I enjoyed the novel, though I struggled in the middle. I will definetly read this author again.

I really really liked this book. It was well written and fast paced.
I also really liked the main character Phoenix. I think everyone can relate to one situation or another that this girl goes through, whether it’s parental loss, a bad breakup, a rebound “jerk”, to name a few. She has a sort of universal appeal.
And I loved the ending. I could tell something was going on, but was pleasantly surprised by how it turned out.
I would definitely recommend it and will most likely pick up a physical copy when it’s available just to reread it.

Haven't done this much while reading a book when I actually had to reread something because of a scene in a book. This book was fabulous in that it kept my attention even though I really had to pay attention while reading. The story had by totally absorbed by the 3rd chapter wherein I wanted to know what was going to happen next. All I gotta say about the book is riveting.

This is Bertaud's debut novel and I really enjoyed it.  I have to say that I wasn't sure I was going to when I started but after the first few chapters I was engrossed and read the majority of it in one day.  Bertaud has written this really well and there are some unexpected twists and turns throughout.

It really makes you think about what you'd do if you found out you only have 24 hours to live......What would you do with your time? Who would you want to see? Would you be able to say goodbye?  The book also delves in to family, friendship and love.  It's definitely emotional at points but still maintains the fast paced story, keeping you gripped! What happen to Phoenix? Why does she only have 24 hours to live? What's was going on the days before her accident?

It's definitely worth checking this out, it's not like anything I've read before which might be why it took me a while to get into it, but it was most definitely worth it for big twists!!  I'll be looking out from more from this author for sure!

A lot of thanks to BooksGoSocial for giving me the opportunity to read 24 Hours of the Phoenix.
It is about the story of a young woman who hears that she only has 24 hours left to live. From that moment on, she begins to make changes in her life. When the reader thinks that he/she already has the mystery solved, the plot begins to get tangled up. It is an excellent book to stay entertained a few hours and the end is totally unexpected.

That was a really interesting book, well-written and fast paced that had me hooked from the beginning.