Twice in a Lifetime by Melissa Baron (2023)Isla, suffering from depression, anxiety, and panic attacks, trades her life in Chicago for a more slow-paced one in Missouri. She is surprised one night to receive a text from someone claiming to be her husband, since she's definitely not married. But, she eventually believes that he is contacting her from the future, one in which they are no longer together. As they build their relationship over the phone, soon the time will come for them to meet in person - can Isla fix things this time around? I really wanted to love this book - I'm such a sucker for time travel - it never makes sense to me (and it really doesn't in this book), but I'm always up for it. However, this book missed the mark for me. The author gives trigger warnings up front for depression, anxiety, and suicide, and much of the story is devoted to Isla and her mental health. I know it's important to have issues like this represented in books, but it was very hard for me to read. At times it almost felt like a checklist of important points about depression and anxiety was used to craft certain parts of the story, and it felt clinical and textbook-y. I know lots of people have enjoyed this book, but it was just a little too heavy and dark for my personal taste. 3 stars
Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major (2023)
Emma, a literary agent, is having a terrible day - something's off with her kids, she's facing a crisis at work, her sister-in-law is acting strange. Then, she and her husband get into a fight, and when he leaves to take the dog for a walk, he is struck by a car and killed. To Emma's surprise and confusion, when she wakes up the next day, she's repeating her terrible day all over again, and again, and again. No matter what she does, she can't save her husband. I love books that feature a time loop. Although they can seem repetitive at first, I like watching the characters try to figure out how to get themselves out, usually by making some realization about themselves. Emma is a very relatable character - she's always on the go, always needing to answer a text or go to a meeting, thinking about what needs to be done next - but she's also very caring and loving, almost to a fault. My heart broke for her as she struggles with the time loop and losing her husband every night, but I was also happy when she realized that this time could be seen as a gift. The inclusion of Emma's husband's anniversary letters to her over the years added some much-needed history and context to the story. 4.5 stars
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