Library Loans

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Begin Again by Helly Acton
Published by Avon on April 2, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

Have you ever wanted to change the past and discover the result of choices not taken? Now, in this brilliantly fun novel of what-ifs, missed chances, and new beginnings, Frankie McKenzie discovers what starting over might bring…

Despite living firmly in her comfort zone, Frankie McKenzie feels unsettled. She can’t help feeling something’s missing. Is it a home to call her own? Travel? A more rewarding job? A relationship? Before she can work it out, she dies in a freak kebab-related accident after what she sees as yet another dud of a first date.

But life isn’t over for Frankie. Instead, she is miraculously offered a second chance: Frankie can revisit key moments from her past to see if different choices will lead her to the fulfilling life she’s always dreamt of.

And there are so many opportunities! Should she decide to languidly lounge by warm Mexican waters with sexy Raphael? Or say yes to the proposal of earnestly reliable university-sweetheart Toby? Perhaps a worry-free gilded cage with Callum is the solution! Or what about that high-powered media career she thought that she wanted?

Soon, Frankie will see what her life would have been if only she’d caught that one-way flight, accepted the marriage proposal, or attended the intimidating job interview. Will she finally find her Mr. Right? Or discover she already had? Which way should she turn? And over and over she asks herself the question…

What would she change if she could begin again?

Frankie was not having a great birthday. And then, she died. But upon arriving at The Station, Frankie was given an opportunity to revisit five crossroads moments in her life and make different decisions. It was her opportunity to put those what-ifs to bed. After a lifetime of self-doubt and second guessing, Frankie will face one of her biggest life decisions yet.

I enjoy this type of book, the ones that force characters to face their past and tackle those what-ifs head on. Frankie was having a rough time. It seemed as though all her friends were moving forward while she was stuck in her dingy little apartment, in a job that made her miserable, and left to face it all alone. Unable to see any possibilities or any of the good parts in her life, she lost a lot of confidence in herself, and this was her chance to begin again with a new attitude and a fresh perspective.

The crossroads moments were interesting. Frankie was pushed to jump into her various lives blind. Once there, she gathered information, and the results were not shocking. No life was perfect. Every decision one makes affects the path their life takes, and we all have the power to influence our future. This was quite a major thing for Frankie to learn, but she also learned a lot about herself.

Experiencing these different lives and seeing them from a different point of view helped Frankie realize a lot of things. She learned to appreciate certain things about herself and the life she had been living. She recognized that she was more important to others then she originally believed, and she was able to identify the things that she truly couldn't live without.

Overall, this was a very thoughtful, fun, and rather heartwarming look at what makes a life and that dwelling on what-ifs only hold us back from bigger and better things.

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The Husbands by Holly Gramazio
Published by Doubleday on April 2, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

An exuberant debut, The Husbands delights in how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options?

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem—she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years.

As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges, and a new, slightly altered life re-forms around her. Realizing that her attic is creating an infinite supply of husbands, Lauren confronts the question: If swapping lives is as easy as changing a lightbulb, how do you know you’ve taken the right path? When do you stop trying to do better and start actually living?

When I first learned about this book, I found the premise so interesting. A husband producing attic. As I read this tale though, I couldn't decide if the attic was a blessing or a curse.

Initially, it was all very amusing. Lauren was quickly going through husbands, accepting and discarding them rapidly. Though the story had a Groundhog Day feel, time marched forward which was an interesting choice made by Gramazio. There was a brilliant decision made by the author towards the middle of the story. It is something I have seen in several time-loop books, and it really took the story to a new level for me. On the negative side, I must admit that there were two instances where Lauren was spinning out of control that felt odd to me. However, I was consistently entertained as I read this story.

I have been trying to figure out what my takeaway should be for this book. For me, I guess it was about what makes someone "the one" and how do you know you're ready to settle down. The magical attic appeared right when Lauren's best friend was set to be married. I think this would push a thirty-something woman into contemplating her own desires regarding love and commitment. Lauren's acceptance and rejection was very surface level at first. Then her choice to keep or send the husband back to the attic had to do with how they affected her world, her friendships, her career. Later, she began to think more about what she wanted in terms of her forever partner or if she even wanted forever. I though the attic's endless supply of husbands was keeping her from forming deeper relationships with these men and giving her an easy out from committing to anyone. Knowing she could simply trade them in, she didn't have to try, she didn't have to get to know them on any level.

Overall, I found The Husbands to be quite amusing and thought provoking. Many ideas regarding love and devotion were explored and challenged. The ending was not what I expected, but it did convey Lauren's growth over the course of this book, and I was left with high hopes for her.

If you could, would you begin again?
Let us know in the comments!