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Then and Always
For fans of One Day, What Alice Forgot, and the hit film Sliding Doors, comes an absorbing and surprising debut novel about a young woman who, after an accident, gets a second chance at life . . . just not in one she remembers.
Rachel Wiltshire has everything she’s ever wanted: a close group of friends, a handsome boyfriend, and acceptance to the journalism program at her top-choice college. But one fateful evening, tragedy tears her world apart.
Five years later, Rachel returns home for the first time to celebrate her best friend’s wedding. Still coping with her grief, she can’t stop thinking about the bright future she almost had, if only that one night had gone differently. But when a sudden fall lands her in the hospital, Rachel wakes to find that her life has completely changed. Now she has her dream job as a writer and a stylish apartment, but the people she loves most are not the way she remembers them. Unable to trust her own recollections, Rachel tries to piece together what really happened, and not even she can predict the astonishing truth.
Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Rachel Wiltshire has everything she’s ever wanted: a close group of friends, a handsome boyfriend, and acceptance to the journalism program at her top-choice college. But one fateful evening, tragedy tears her world apart.
Five years later, Rachel returns home for the first time to celebrate her best friend’s wedding. Still coping with her grief, she can’t stop thinking about the bright future she almost had, if only that one night had gone differently. But when a sudden fall lands her in the hospital, Rachel wakes to find that her life has completely changed. Now she has her dream job as a writer and a stylish apartment, but the people she loves most are not the way she remembers them. Unable to trust her own recollections, Rachel tries to piece together what really happened, and not even she can predict the astonishing truth.
Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2013
801 people are currently reading
8690 people want to read
About the author
Dani Atkins
25 books1,167 followersDani was born and brought up in Cockfosters- a small London suburb at the end of the Piccadilly Tube Line.
This served her well for commuting into the city, where from the age of 18 she worked in a succession of secretarial positions in companies as diverse as a BMW car dealership to the BBC. Dani spent her two hour commute avidly reading and dreamed that one day she would become an author herself.
When her two children grew up and left home, Dani set about turning this dream into reality and devoted her time to writing. She now lives in a rural Hertfordshire cottage with her husband, a soppy border collie dog and a haughty Siamese cat.
Her first novels FRACTURED (called THEN AND ALWAYS in the US) and THE STORY OF US published in 2014. In January 2016, her third novel, OUR SONG was published.
This served her well for commuting into the city, where from the age of 18 she worked in a succession of secretarial positions in companies as diverse as a BMW car dealership to the BBC. Dani spent her two hour commute avidly reading and dreamed that one day she would become an author herself.
When her two children grew up and left home, Dani set about turning this dream into reality and devoted her time to writing. She now lives in a rural Hertfordshire cottage with her husband, a soppy border collie dog and a haughty Siamese cat.
Her first novels FRACTURED (called THEN AND ALWAYS in the US) and THE STORY OF US published in 2014. In January 2016, her third novel, OUR SONG was published.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,927 reviews
February 28, 2022
I randomly picked this up from my friend Carol’s favorites shelf and I’m glad I did. It’s a creative story told in an imaginative plot with a dab of paranormal, a good dose of mystery and a hint of sci-fi with this possibility of a parallel world and until you finish the book, you won’t be able to tell really which is which.
Rachel, a not so reliable narrator, opens up the story with a flashback of the last night together she and her closest friends had before going off to University but a tragedy that drastically changed all of their lives struck the night and Rachel has never become the same until five years later, a bizarre twist engulfs her life when suddenly the last five years of her life seemed only a concocted fantasy ten times worse or better (you couldn't really tell) than her reality.
Although the plot isn’t perfect because several characters are a bit stereotyped and I found several conveniences to resolve conflicts, I still found this a surprisingly good read that combines familiar elements of YA, NA and chick-lit aside from the first three genres I have mentioned above. The mysterious air throughout the story made the book unputdownable and I just had to find the answer to this huge mystery.
The most awaited conclusion will either shock you or make you feel betrayed and to be honest, I was both but I spent a whole night processing the ending and came morning, I finally decided that it made perfect sense. It’s what many would call a bittersweet ending.
Happy Birthday, Dear Carol! May happiness and love surround you on your special day. <3
![Profile Image for Carol [Goodreads Addict].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1626057011i%2F10717098._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
May 20, 2014
Then and Always by Dani Atkins was first released as Fractured in the UK and is being released in the US on May 20, 2014 as Then and Always. If you want to read a beautiful Cont. Romance that is different than anything you have read before, a story of second chances, a story that will make you laugh and cry, with a little sprinkling of magic, then this is the book for you. I loved this book and could not put it down. I can honestly say that I was not prepared for the emotions this book would bring. I loved it that much.
Rachel Wiltshire is 18 years old and is about to leave for college. She has a wonderful group of friends and has the boyfriend of her dreams (and everyone else’s,) Matt. She has two best friends, Sarah and Jimmy whom she has known most of her life. But on the fateful evening of their last night together as a group, everything changes.
“We walked en masse through the large double doors, arms linked or thrown casually around a neighboring shoulder, never realizing that in the next half hour our lives would be irrevocably changed forever.”
A terrible accident that night changed everything. Rachel’s dreams of being a journalist were lost, she ended her relationship with Matt, but the most painful of all was the loss of her friend, Jimmy. Five years later Rachel is forced to go back to her home town for Sarah’s wedding. She is finally forced to face the demons of her past. But another accident changes everything yet again. When Rachel wakes up in the hospital, she finds she is engaged to Matt, and who is standing there but Jimmy, alive and well. What is going on?
“You see, I haven’t forgotten anything. There are no blanks in my memory. None at all. I can detail the last five years for you moment by moment. It’s just a different five years.”
This book is just so wonderful. It is a story of getting a second chance at life, a chance to do it right this time. It has just enough mystery of trying to figure out what happened along with watching Rachel fall in love all over again and having a second chance at happiness. And the ending…I was not prepared for that at all.
I am officially proclaiming myself a fan of Dani Atkins. Thank you so much and also to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me the opportunity to read this book. I so hope that you will too! You most definitely won’t regret it!
April 15, 2014
I straight up do not understand the relatively high star ratings this book has got both on here and on Amazon (where I bought it for like 99p). I have no problem with chick-lit-y fluff as long it as at least somewhat entertaining or compelling. This book is neither. The concept was really interesting and could have been carried out so much better if it wasn't for a) the distractingly shitty over-dramatic flowery prose that read like a 15 year old's crummy fanfiction (I was actually convinced that it must have been a first novel written by a very young author and maybe that was why it had gotten published, because it was like impressive that a teenager had written a novel, but no, the author is like 40-something), b) the main character's complete lack of likability - why would you want to write about someone who spends the entire book with every other character in a state of concern about her and her weird problem? c) the """twist""" ending that convinced me even more that the whole thing was a waste of time.
Also, just a personal pet hatred of mine, if as an author you want me to believe that the protagonist should be with someone else instead of the person they're currently in a relationship with, please come up with something other than "oh no, he conveniently is cheating on her and now she has a legitimate reason to dump him for the other, clearly way nicer guy!". Like don't be so cowardly, let your protag be kind of selfish or whatever, let them do something that doesn't necessarily make them all that sympathetic and just dump someone because they want to be with someone else. If you've built a strong enough character I won't dislike them just because they broke up with someone for their own reasons. You dork.
This isn't really a review so much as it is me ranting about this shitty book and that shitty trope. Don't worry about it.
Also, just a personal pet hatred of mine, if as an author you want me to believe that the protagonist should be with someone else instead of the person they're currently in a relationship with, please come up with something other than "oh no, he conveniently is cheating on her and now she has a legitimate reason to dump him for the other, clearly way nicer guy!". Like don't be so cowardly, let your protag be kind of selfish or whatever, let them do something that doesn't necessarily make them all that sympathetic and just dump someone because they want to be with someone else. If you've built a strong enough character I won't dislike them just because they broke up with someone for their own reasons. You dork.
This isn't really a review so much as it is me ranting about this shitty book and that shitty trope. Don't worry about it.
April 17, 2015
FIVE SOLID KEPT ME HOOKED TO THE VERY END STARS
SIDE NOTE: Let me just say, I wish the Author or the Publishers would decide on a title for this – some reviews are calling it Then And Always and some Fractured - WHICH IS IT?? It seems to change constantly and by geographical location. Whaatt??
ANYWAYS . . .
WOW. JUST - WOW.
This book had me hooked from the very first paragraph:
” My first life ended at 10.37pm on a rainy December night, on a deserted street beside the old church.
My second life began some ten hours later, when I woke up to the blinding brilliance of the hospital lighting, with a large head wound and a life about which I had absolutely no recollection. I was surrounded by friends and family, and that should have made it better, But it didn’t, as one of them had been dead for a considerable period of time”
From my point of view as the reader, I kind of thought I had worked things out, but was never quite sure – until the end:
And what an ending that was!!
The story takes on different plot twists and turns throughout the first 25%, but after that it evens out, not that it becomes boring, let me explain;
Set in England, the story is told in first person by the protagonist Rachel, and begins as shown in that first paragraph but then backtracks to five years earlier, as Rachel attempts to help the reader, and herself, make sense of what has happened.
Five years ago, whilst at a farewell dinner in her hometown with all her college friends before they all go off on their separate ways to university, there is a dreadful accident that results in the death of one of those friends, and leaves Rachel horribly scarred both facially and mentally. Devastated and unable to come to terms with the death of her friend, her life is overturned. She breaks off her relationship with her then boyfriend Matt, (who is also one of the group of friends) and lives a life of solitude, working in a job she would never have chosen. She never does go to Uni or get the degree she wanted. Five years later, she returns to her hometown for the wedding of two of her friends from that group, and faces for the first time memories of that awful night.
Things happen over the next 24 hours and we end up at the scene from the very beginning; it is a different world, Rachel is not scarred, her friend is not dead, her father is not ill, and she is engaged to be married to former boyfriend Matt. Nothing makes sense to Rachel, and despite this world being much better than the one she has somehow left, she scrambles to get back to it and to hold onto her sanity at the same time.
I will leave the synopsis there, but just to say, it both was and wasn’t what I expected.
Some have said why would she try so hard to get back to her other life if it was so bad? Well, I guess it’s just because she cant understand what has happened; nothing makes sense and she’s afraid – afraid to invest too much in this life in case she is suddenly jolted back to her other one.
As things are explained it somehow makes sense but also it doesn’t!! ??
Only thing I didn’t like was the whole “Matt” thing, and the way she
THE ENDING
Well, about that. I LOVED IT!! The very last part anyway. The part in the hospital with her father just about broke me – I don’t cry reading books, but that bloody well broke my heart. It was gut wrenching.Thank you Krystle and Deborah!! (real life and GR friends!!)
This is how I interpreted the ending - ****SPOILER ALERT**** DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK OR IT WILL SPOIL IT COMEPLETELY FOR YOU
Gosh but that was heart wrenching to write !!
All in all an excellent story very well written – I would recommend to anyone who believes there is much more between Heaven and Earth than any of us can possibly imagine.
SIDE NOTE: Let me just say, I wish the Author or the Publishers would decide on a title for this – some reviews are calling it Then And Always and some Fractured - WHICH IS IT?? It seems to change constantly and by geographical location. Whaatt??
ANYWAYS . . .
WOW. JUST - WOW.
This book had me hooked from the very first paragraph:
” My first life ended at 10.37pm on a rainy December night, on a deserted street beside the old church.
My second life began some ten hours later, when I woke up to the blinding brilliance of the hospital lighting, with a large head wound and a life about which I had absolutely no recollection. I was surrounded by friends and family, and that should have made it better, But it didn’t, as one of them had been dead for a considerable period of time”
From my point of view as the reader, I kind of thought I had worked things out, but was never quite sure – until the end:
And what an ending that was!!
The story takes on different plot twists and turns throughout the first 25%, but after that it evens out, not that it becomes boring, let me explain;
Set in England, the story is told in first person by the protagonist Rachel, and begins as shown in that first paragraph but then backtracks to five years earlier, as Rachel attempts to help the reader, and herself, make sense of what has happened.
Five years ago, whilst at a farewell dinner in her hometown with all her college friends before they all go off on their separate ways to university, there is a dreadful accident that results in the death of one of those friends, and leaves Rachel horribly scarred both facially and mentally. Devastated and unable to come to terms with the death of her friend, her life is overturned. She breaks off her relationship with her then boyfriend Matt, (who is also one of the group of friends) and lives a life of solitude, working in a job she would never have chosen. She never does go to Uni or get the degree she wanted. Five years later, she returns to her hometown for the wedding of two of her friends from that group, and faces for the first time memories of that awful night.
Things happen over the next 24 hours and we end up at the scene from the very beginning; it is a different world, Rachel is not scarred, her friend is not dead, her father is not ill, and she is engaged to be married to former boyfriend Matt. Nothing makes sense to Rachel, and despite this world being much better than the one she has somehow left, she scrambles to get back to it and to hold onto her sanity at the same time.
I will leave the synopsis there, but just to say, it both was and wasn’t what I expected.
Some have said why would she try so hard to get back to her other life if it was so bad? Well, I guess it’s just because she cant understand what has happened; nothing makes sense and she’s afraid – afraid to invest too much in this life in case she is suddenly jolted back to her other one.
As things are explained it somehow makes sense but also it doesn’t!! ??
Only thing I didn’t like was the whole “Matt” thing, and the way she
THE ENDING
Well, about that. I LOVED IT!! The very last part anyway. The part in the hospital with her father just about broke me – I don’t cry reading books, but that bloody well broke my heart. It was gut wrenching.Thank you Krystle and Deborah!! (real life and GR friends!!)
This is how I interpreted the ending - ****SPOILER ALERT**** DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK OR IT WILL SPOIL IT COMEPLETELY FOR YOU
Gosh but that was heart wrenching to write !!
All in all an excellent story very well written – I would recommend to anyone who believes there is much more between Heaven and Earth than any of us can possibly imagine.
June 1, 2017
3.5 stars
Find this review and others at A Thousand Lives of Frankie Lovely
This book was a pleasant surprise!
The Story
5 years ago, Rachel's life was forever changed when a freak accident left her world turned upside down. Now she is returning home where grief and regret still live and remind her of things she would rather forget. But when she suddenly wakes up in a hospital bed, Rachel finds a second chance at happiness in this heart wrenching story about love, loss, friendship, grief, second chances and forgiving yourself.
What I liked
This book surprised me in a good way. In the beginning, the writing felt a little iffy to me and I was a slightly worried that it was not going to turn out well. I WAS WRONG and I'm very pleased that I was.
Honestly, there is nothing amazingly groundbreaking about this story. It has it’s cliché moments like many other contemporary books out there, but boy did it deliver on the feels.
The relationships were really well written and developed The friendships were decently developed to where I found myself caring at least a little bit for the secondary characters. Everyone felt like they were individuals with differing personalities and the MC Rachel was a believable and broken/flawed character. Also, the romance was beautiful and organic!
I don’t want to go too much into analyzing the actual plot because I feel like this is one of those books where the mystery and suspense of figuring out what is happening actually adds to the overall effect.
What I did not like
The ending felt pretty abrupt. I did not feel overly satisfied that all of my questions and concerns had been answered. But as the hours since reading ticked by, I starting feeling better about the ending and what it symbolized and suggested.
Another thing - and this is just a tiny little nagging detail - I felt like some emotional issues were not fully allowed to be worked through and resolved in a completely natural and healthy way since the solution pretty much presented itself in a Disney movie sort of fashion (not sure if that makes any sense ... maybe you will see what I mean if you read this book for yourself). My point is, there were lessons learned but the grief management message was lost and I felt like that was a missed opportunity.
In Conclusion
All in all a decent quick emotional read. Again, not an earth shattering epic read, but solid and enjoyable.
Find this review and others at A Thousand Lives of Frankie Lovely
This book was a pleasant surprise!
The Story
5 years ago, Rachel's life was forever changed when a freak accident left her world turned upside down. Now she is returning home where grief and regret still live and remind her of things she would rather forget. But when she suddenly wakes up in a hospital bed, Rachel finds a second chance at happiness in this heart wrenching story about love, loss, friendship, grief, second chances and forgiving yourself.
What I liked
This book surprised me in a good way. In the beginning, the writing felt a little iffy to me and I was a slightly worried that it was not going to turn out well. I WAS WRONG and I'm very pleased that I was.
Honestly, there is nothing amazingly groundbreaking about this story. It has it’s cliché moments like many other contemporary books out there, but boy did it deliver on the feels.
The relationships were really well written and developed The friendships were decently developed to where I found myself caring at least a little bit for the secondary characters. Everyone felt like they were individuals with differing personalities and the MC Rachel was a believable and broken/flawed character. Also, the romance was beautiful and organic!
I don’t want to go too much into analyzing the actual plot because I feel like this is one of those books where the mystery and suspense of figuring out what is happening actually adds to the overall effect.
What I did not like
The ending felt pretty abrupt. I did not feel overly satisfied that all of my questions and concerns had been answered. But as the hours since reading ticked by, I starting feeling better about the ending and what it symbolized and suggested.
Another thing - and this is just a tiny little nagging detail - I felt like some emotional issues were not fully allowed to be worked through and resolved in a completely natural and healthy way since the solution pretty much presented itself in a Disney movie sort of fashion (not sure if that makes any sense ... maybe you will see what I mean if you read this book for yourself). My point is, there were lessons learned but the grief management message was lost and I felt like that was a missed opportunity.
In Conclusion
All in all a decent quick emotional read. Again, not an earth shattering epic read, but solid and enjoyable.
May 22, 2014
I am not a big reader of women's fiction or the so called chick lit. Not that there is anything wrong with the genre, I just tend to favor historical novels or those of the legal/suspense, mystery genre. Very hard for me to give four stars to this kind of novel. So why than did this book have me sniffling at the end?
Well...... this book had some really great characters, some not so great ones as well, but it made the good ones come off even better. The big hook though is that once you are invested in the characters, there is another layer or big hook, shall we say. One keeps reading because it is imperative that one knows what is going on, an element of suspense injected that keeps the reader guessing, emotionally invested in the outcome. So I was, invested and kept reading, going over theories in my mind, all of which proved false. See, we all like the occasional happy ending, but was this a happy ending? If so why was I teary eyed at the end? Well, you will just have to read this yourself to find out the answer.
From me, a big well done to Dani Atkins.
ARC from Net Galley.
ARC from
Well...... this book had some really great characters, some not so great ones as well, but it made the good ones come off even better. The big hook though is that once you are invested in the characters, there is another layer or big hook, shall we say. One keeps reading because it is imperative that one knows what is going on, an element of suspense injected that keeps the reader guessing, emotionally invested in the outcome. So I was, invested and kept reading, going over theories in my mind, all of which proved false. See, we all like the occasional happy ending, but was this a happy ending? If so why was I teary eyed at the end? Well, you will just have to read this yourself to find out the answer.
From me, a big well done to Dani Atkins.
ARC from Net Galley.
ARC from
July 28, 2014
I have to admire the author of this book to a certain extent for managing to take such an interesting concept and turn it into an unbelievably dull story.
I don't often review books and I don't like to be too negative, but this book was really not good at all - I'm very surprised to see so many good reviews. The premise was good and I was looking forward to it having read the blurb, but it just didn't work.
To summarise some of the main problems I had with this book:
- it wasn't very well written - the writing style felt like a schoolchild's and was really unengaging, so I was honestly bored most of the time that I was reading it. It also at times felt like the author had just come out of a creative writing class and so was making sure to put in lots of adjectives etc., but it felt a little contrived, and the level of detail that she gave was sometimes quite unnecessary (e.g. did we really need to know that the shower had "surprisingly forceful jets of water" and "an unperfumed white bar sat waiting in the soap dish"?).
- the protagonist, Rachel, was at best bland and at worst unsympathetic - self-centred, whiny and incredibly dim-witted - and the few other characters in the book were all very two-dimensional.
- to focus a little more on Rachel's infuriating stupidity, she seemed to be completely incapable of seeing the blatantly obvious. I'm not sure if this was intentional dramatic irony, the idea being that the reader knows what's happened or can see what's coming before Rachel does (if so, the irony didn't work in this case as it really felt like I was constantly waiting for Rachel to catch up), or if Atkins just grossly underestimated her readership's intelligence and thought that we wouldn't cotton on to the obvious either.
- every plot turn was so, so predictable. I thought we might get a good twist and some kind of pay-off for persevering at the end but no such luck. The ending was rushed and really laughably bad (I guess the fact that it made me laugh is kind of a positive...?)
- several things just didn't add up. For example, off the top of my head, the whole plot hinges on an accident that occurs when someone gets 'trapped' between a table, a pillar and a chair. I struggle to see how any normal adult wouldn't be able to escape that situation by, I don't know, climbing over the chair, for example? Walking around the other side of the pillar? Crawling under the table?
- this isn't really the author's fault but as an additional point, I noticed another reviewer saying how few mistakes there were in the e-book but that certainly wasn't the case for me - the typos were pretty abundant.
I know this is chick-lit so I wasn't expecting high literature, but it just wasn't worth the effort. It's not very long so I made myself finish it but it took a lot longer than it should have because I had no motivation to keep reading, especially since it was clear how things were going to pan out from a couple a chapters in. All in all, it was probably one of the worst books I've read - the blurb was really the best bit.
I don't often review books and I don't like to be too negative, but this book was really not good at all - I'm very surprised to see so many good reviews. The premise was good and I was looking forward to it having read the blurb, but it just didn't work.
To summarise some of the main problems I had with this book:
- it wasn't very well written - the writing style felt like a schoolchild's and was really unengaging, so I was honestly bored most of the time that I was reading it. It also at times felt like the author had just come out of a creative writing class and so was making sure to put in lots of adjectives etc., but it felt a little contrived, and the level of detail that she gave was sometimes quite unnecessary (e.g. did we really need to know that the shower had "surprisingly forceful jets of water" and "an unperfumed white bar sat waiting in the soap dish"?).
- the protagonist, Rachel, was at best bland and at worst unsympathetic - self-centred, whiny and incredibly dim-witted - and the few other characters in the book were all very two-dimensional.
- to focus a little more on Rachel's infuriating stupidity, she seemed to be completely incapable of seeing the blatantly obvious. I'm not sure if this was intentional dramatic irony, the idea being that the reader knows what's happened or can see what's coming before Rachel does (if so, the irony didn't work in this case as it really felt like I was constantly waiting for Rachel to catch up), or if Atkins just grossly underestimated her readership's intelligence and thought that we wouldn't cotton on to the obvious either.
- every plot turn was so, so predictable. I thought we might get a good twist and some kind of pay-off for persevering at the end but no such luck. The ending was rushed and really laughably bad (I guess the fact that it made me laugh is kind of a positive...?)
- several things just didn't add up. For example, off the top of my head, the whole plot hinges on an accident that occurs when someone gets 'trapped' between a table, a pillar and a chair. I struggle to see how any normal adult wouldn't be able to escape that situation by, I don't know, climbing over the chair, for example? Walking around the other side of the pillar? Crawling under the table?
- this isn't really the author's fault but as an additional point, I noticed another reviewer saying how few mistakes there were in the e-book but that certainly wasn't the case for me - the typos were pretty abundant.
I know this is chick-lit so I wasn't expecting high literature, but it just wasn't worth the effort. It's not very long so I made myself finish it but it took a lot longer than it should have because I had no motivation to keep reading, especially since it was clear how things were going to pan out from a couple a chapters in. All in all, it was probably one of the worst books I've read - the blurb was really the best bit.
November 11, 2013
I just finished Fractured this morning and I’ve spent the past few hours trying to get my thoughts together…but my first thought was WOW. Even now my mind is still with the characters and thinking about the events and I’m so devastated to have finished this book, and at the same time I am in awe of Dani Atkins BRILLIANT writing.
The night of the accident was a night that changed everything. Five years on Rachel’s life is falling apart. She has a job she doesn’t like, she lives alone in a tiny flat and she’s wrecked with guilt over the death of her best friend. Rachel would give anything to turn back the clock and for things to be different. Now, the night of the accident was a lucky escape. Five years on Rachel has a perfect life, she’s engaged and surrounded by friends and family, with the career she always hoped for. But Rachel can’t get rid of the memory of a different life…
Ohmy where do I begin?! I was gripped from the beginning, and Dani’s writing is so smooth that the novel flows effortlessly from one page to the next.
I loved that the plot line of Fractured is so unique. I had never read anything like Rachel’s story before and I really warmed to Rachel straight away. I felt for what she was going through and her frustrations as she tried to make sense of it all, and I really got behind her, cheering her on and rooting for her right until the very end.
There is so much I want to say about this book but I don’t want to spoil anything for the readers, so what I will say is that on many occasions I was gasping out loud, my heart raced at certain points and there was even some very loud sobbing from me. I never knew which way the story would go and there were many surprises in store for me. I’m still stunned by the incredible book I have just finished.
Fractured is by far one of my favourite books that I have had the pleasure of reading this year! This book just shines with brilliance! It is delicately written, emotional, heartbreaking and wonderful all at the same time. Fractured is full of hope, love and second chances, and will draw you in straight away. If you are going to buy and read any book this year then make it this one!
The night of the accident was a night that changed everything. Five years on Rachel’s life is falling apart. She has a job she doesn’t like, she lives alone in a tiny flat and she’s wrecked with guilt over the death of her best friend. Rachel would give anything to turn back the clock and for things to be different. Now, the night of the accident was a lucky escape. Five years on Rachel has a perfect life, she’s engaged and surrounded by friends and family, with the career she always hoped for. But Rachel can’t get rid of the memory of a different life…
Ohmy where do I begin?! I was gripped from the beginning, and Dani’s writing is so smooth that the novel flows effortlessly from one page to the next.
I loved that the plot line of Fractured is so unique. I had never read anything like Rachel’s story before and I really warmed to Rachel straight away. I felt for what she was going through and her frustrations as she tried to make sense of it all, and I really got behind her, cheering her on and rooting for her right until the very end.
There is so much I want to say about this book but I don’t want to spoil anything for the readers, so what I will say is that on many occasions I was gasping out loud, my heart raced at certain points and there was even some very loud sobbing from me. I never knew which way the story would go and there were many surprises in store for me. I’m still stunned by the incredible book I have just finished.
Fractured is by far one of my favourite books that I have had the pleasure of reading this year! This book just shines with brilliance! It is delicately written, emotional, heartbreaking and wonderful all at the same time. Fractured is full of hope, love and second chances, and will draw you in straight away. If you are going to buy and read any book this year then make it this one!
November 19, 2024
Wow. This book really sucks you in, from the opening pages I was hooked.
I have to say that I got a bit confused in the second and third chapters, but I soon figured it out.
Can't say I really liked any of the characters, but the plot is so good that the characters didn't really matter to me.
Loved the ending, it was like you could choose the ending that suited you. Would recommend this book. would have given it 5 stars but there were a few too many spelling mistakes in my opinion which need correcting for future readers.
Four stars.
I have to say that I got a bit confused in the second and third chapters, but I soon figured it out.
Can't say I really liked any of the characters, but the plot is so good that the characters didn't really matter to me.
Loved the ending, it was like you could choose the ending that suited you. Would recommend this book. would have given it 5 stars but there were a few too many spelling mistakes in my opinion which need correcting for future readers.
Four stars.
June 17, 2021
📚Sivri çam iğnelerine dikkat etmeye çalışarak, ağacın gövdesinin altından eğilerek, Jimmy’den bana dallara sarabilmem için simli teli uzatmasını istedim. Sık dalların arasından elimi uzatıp teli vermesini bekledim. Ama bana simli teli vermek yerine, Jimmy elime dokundu.
”Artık bunu yapamıyorum.”
“Sorun değil. Neredeyse bitti zaten. Gerisini ben hallederim.”
“Kahrolası ağaçtan söz etmiyorum!” Beni hapseden dalların arasından çıkmaya çalıştım, ama Jimmy konuşmaya devam edince durdum. “İkimizden söz ediyordum. Sen ve ben. Arkadaşlığımız.”
Kalbim duracak gibi oldu. Hayatımda hissettiğim tüm korkular o ana toplandı.
“Anlıyorum,” dedim titrek bir sesle. “Şu anda, arkadaşım olmayı istemiyorsun. Anlıyorum.”
İnler gibi bir ses çıkardı.
“Hayır, yanlış anladın,” dedi. “Şey, bir kısmı doğru olabilir. Arkadaşın olmayı istemiyorum…”
Hayatımda duyduğum en korkunç şey olduğunu düşünmeye başlamıştım ki devam etti. “Çünkü daha fazlası olmayı istiyorum.”
“Bunu söylemek için bir Noel ağacının dallarının arasına hapsolmamı mı bekledin yani?”
Dallar bir anda tek ve ani bir hareketle aralandı ve geleceğe yönelik bakış açımı tamamıyla değiştiren adama baktım.
“Kaçmayacağından emin olmak istedim.”
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
📚”Beni beklediğin için teşekkür ederim,” diye fısıldadım.
O anda, dünyada ihtiyacım olan tek şey bana yanıt verir gibi gülümsemesiydi.
“Büyük bir zevkti.”💖💖
Bazı kitaplarla cidden telepatik bir ilişkimiz var. Kapağından ya da isminden yaydığı enerji midir, nedir bilemiyorum ama kapağa bakınca konusunu okumadan kitabı deli gibi aramaya başlıyorum. Avuçlarının Arasına Bir Kalp Bıraktım da öyle bir kitap oldu. Nerede gördüm, nereden aklıma düştü, onu bile hatırlamıyorum. Ama kitabı çok aradım. Sonunda bulduğumdaysa kalbimin üstünde tepinir korkusuna elim okumaya gitmedi bir türlü.
Bu kadar aramaya değdi mi? Bence, evet. Çok basit, sakin bir hikaye gibi başladı ama sonunda tatlı-hüzünlü-etkileyici bir kitaba dönüştü benim için.
Rachel severek okuduğum, kafa karışıklığını onunla beraber yaşadığım bir karakter oldu. Özellikle ilk 5 yıl sonraki hali, hayattan bir çeşit vazgeçiş yaşaması yüreğimi acıttı. Başından sonuna kimi zaman onunla gülümsedim, kimi zaman onunla birlikte yaşadığı durumu anlamaya çalıştım. Yazarın hissettirdiği duygularla unutmayacağım karakterlerden oldu.
Jimmy için söyleyecek çok bir sözüm yok. Kitaptaki en büyük zaafım Jimmy’nin hisleri. Özellikle başlangıçta yüreğime kocaman bir öküz oturdu. İlerleyen bölümlerde daha ilk sahneden düştüğüm adama daha çok hayran kaldım. Ona karşı ne hissettiğimi ancak kitabı okuyanlar anlar😍😍
Olaylar ya da karakterlerden çok, yazarın kaleminden, tarzından bahsetmek istiyorum. Çünkü çok sade, basit; aslında çok günlük bir şeyi anlatır gibi yazarken, ufacık bir kelime ya da kısacık bir cümleyle durumu çok daha duygulu bir hale getiren bir dili vardı. Bir yandan yaşanan olaylarla durumu çözmeye çalışırken, bir yandan gülümsetiyor, okuyucunun içini ısıtıyordu. Kitabın benim için en büyük güzelliği yazarın nahif, sade ama duygusal anlatım tarzıydı. Özellikle de tahmin etsem de emin olamadığım son sayfalarıyla kalbimi kazandı. Damağımda buruk ama tatlı bir tad bıraktı😍❤️🩹
“Son sayfaları okurken, birkaç damla gözyaşının gözlerinizden gizlice o sayfalara aktığını fark etmeyeceksiniz bile…”
Arka kapakta yazan bu yazıyı aynen yaşayarak kapadım kitabı. Ağlasam mı, gülsem mi? Sevinsen mi, üzülsem mi bilemedim ama beni çok etkilediği bir gerçek🥺😍😢
Başlamadan önce beklenti olarak İki Hayat Arasında ve Belki Başka Bir Hayatta’ya benzer bir kitap okumayı beklesem de, buradaki durum biraz daha farklıydı. Ama tarz olarak o iki kitabı seviyorsanız, buna da bir şans vermenizi öneririm. Beklentiyi yükseltmeden, yağmurlu bir havada; kahvenizle okuyacağınız, biraz hüzünlü de olsa güzel bir iz ve tad bırakacak bir kitaptı. İyi ki deli gibi arayıp bulmuşum dediğim, yeni bir saklı hazine keşfiydi😍❤️🩹
October 2, 2022
I thoroughly loved this book. It was almost utter perfection from its characters who stole my heart to the plot that always kept me guessing what would happen next this was an I-can't-turn-the-pages-fast-enough read. Dani Atkins has such an amazing way with words, she bewitches me with her prose and ensnares me within the pages of her books. You don't just read her stories, you live and breathe them, your emotions battered by the storms of life her words create and then soothed by the power of the love she magnificently crafts.
Some reviewers struggled with Rachel's determination - desperation? - to prove her old life really existed, despite it being one filled with misery and loss. Whilst the new life she had dropped into returned all those lost hopes and dreams it wasn't her life and I can understand that she not only had a sense of wrongness but that she also wanted to prove/know she wasn't having some kind of mental breakdown.
This book had me all in, and until the last chapter I was never quite sure how it would end. The only blip for me were those "other" scenes at the end. Whilst they were perhaps meant to provide a sharp contrast to the hope, happiness and love of the main scenes I found they dragged me out of what should have been the joyous culmination of Rachel's journey, flattening the ending for me somewhat. That aside, I still massively enjoyed this and rate it very highly still.
Some reviewers struggled with Rachel's determination - desperation? - to prove her old life really existed, despite it being one filled with misery and loss. Whilst the new life she had dropped into returned all those lost hopes and dreams it wasn't her life and I can understand that she not only had a sense of wrongness but that she also wanted to prove/know she wasn't having some kind of mental breakdown.
This book had me all in, and until the last chapter I was never quite sure how it would end. The only blip for me were those "other" scenes at the end. Whilst they were perhaps meant to provide a sharp contrast to the hope, happiness and love of the main scenes I found they dragged me out of what should have been the joyous culmination of Rachel's journey, flattening the ending for me somewhat. That aside, I still massively enjoyed this and rate it very highly still.
In a perfect blend, the soft contours of my body moulded up against the firm hardness of his. Two halves, complementing and blending, and it was as though nothing in the world had ever really been right until this single perfect moment.
June 17, 2014
This was a nice, easy read, if a little over-written at times.
Rachel is 23 years old and when she was 18, her life was changed by a catastrophic accident. Or was it? At the start of the book, Rachel is a sad, lonely girl, scarred and ill five years on from the accident. Then she collapses and wakes up to a different life, one where she's a successful journalist engaged to her high school boyfriend. And best of all, the friend killed in the accident five years ago is miraculously alive and her dad is no longer dying of cancer.
Despite finding herself with an immeasurably better life, Rachel is desperate to get back to her old life. That seems a little odd to me. I understand her being flummoxed by the situation, but why so desperate to prove her old life is real when it was such an unhappy one?
Most of the characters are cardboard cut-outs: the gorgeous, shallow fiancé; the brittle bombshell with her eye on Rachel's man; the perfect best friend and potential love interest, Jimmy. Rachel herself is a cliché: pretty, bit of a martyr, oblivious to the fact that her best friend is in love with her when everyone else knows.
The confusion over Rachel's lives is the only thing that lifts this book from your standard chick-lit fare. The plot line owes a lot to Life On Mars, but it trots along well enough. And the explanation does sort of explain some of the things that jarred with me, like why all the characters are so intent on marrying and how Jimmy reached the rank of inspector all by the tender age of 23.
This could have done with better editing and less flowery prose in places, but it's a quick, untaxing read.
Rachel is 23 years old and when she was 18, her life was changed by a catastrophic accident. Or was it? At the start of the book, Rachel is a sad, lonely girl, scarred and ill five years on from the accident. Then she collapses and wakes up to a different life, one where she's a successful journalist engaged to her high school boyfriend. And best of all, the friend killed in the accident five years ago is miraculously alive and her dad is no longer dying of cancer.
Despite finding herself with an immeasurably better life, Rachel is desperate to get back to her old life. That seems a little odd to me. I understand her being flummoxed by the situation, but why so desperate to prove her old life is real when it was such an unhappy one?
Most of the characters are cardboard cut-outs: the gorgeous, shallow fiancé; the brittle bombshell with her eye on Rachel's man; the perfect best friend and potential love interest, Jimmy. Rachel herself is a cliché: pretty, bit of a martyr, oblivious to the fact that her best friend is in love with her when everyone else knows.
The confusion over Rachel's lives is the only thing that lifts this book from your standard chick-lit fare. The plot line owes a lot to Life On Mars, but it trots along well enough. And the explanation does sort of explain some of the things that jarred with me, like why all the characters are so intent on marrying and how Jimmy reached the rank of inspector all by the tender age of 23.
This could have done with better editing and less flowery prose in places, but it's a quick, untaxing read.
March 29, 2024
"Vieți paralele" este cartea care ne pune în față două fațete ale aceleiași povești, desfășurate în dimensiuni paralele.
Cu siguranță ne putem bucura de o experiență inedită!
Recenzia mea completă o găsi aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
Cu siguranță ne putem bucura de o experiență inedită!
Recenzia mea completă o găsi aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
October 15, 2019
Thanks to Marieke for doing this buddyread with me. I'm currently reading a lot of Fantasy and this book was a nice change of genre. The book felt mysterious in a way, because both me and my buddy did not know what had happened and how everything that was going on in the story could be explained. I was shocked by the ending and the ending definitely added the fourth star to the final rating.
A longer review can be found at BiteIntoBooks
One of the most unique romance books I've read in awhile. I was wondering what was going on all the time and I did not guess is. The story is so raw and real and especially the ending was so well written. The writing style made sure I could rush through and had no trouble to understand what was going on.
I teared up a little bit at the end and the ending was definitely the reason I gave the book 4 stars.
A longer review can be found at BiteIntoBooks
One of the most unique romance books I've read in awhile. I was wondering what was going on all the time and I did not guess is. The story is so raw and real and especially the ending was so well written. The writing style made sure I could rush through and had no trouble to understand what was going on.
I teared up a little bit at the end and the ending was definitely the reason I gave the book 4 stars.
December 26, 2015
I loved this book, and thought it was very cleverly written.
I spent the whole book mind boggled by the mystery of Rachel's memories, struggling to try and work out what the logical answer might be. I finished it a couple of hours ago, and I'm still feeling shell shocked by the ending. I never saw that coming!
I actually gasped and cried real tears near the very end, as the mystery started to unravel and the truth of the situation became apparent. Gosh, quite emotionally draining, but not all in a negative way. I've definitely been left with mixed emotions, and I'm currently undecided about whether the ending was happy or sad.
I spent the whole book mind boggled by the mystery of Rachel's memories, struggling to try and work out what the logical answer might be. I finished it a couple of hours ago, and I'm still feeling shell shocked by the ending. I never saw that coming!
I actually gasped and cried real tears near the very end, as the mystery started to unravel and the truth of the situation became apparent. Gosh, quite emotionally draining, but not all in a negative way. I've definitely been left with mixed emotions, and I'm currently undecided about whether the ending was happy or sad.
February 19, 2022
4.5
Jako sam se ugodno iznenadila kada sam krenula s čitanjem ovog romana, ne znajući u koji žanr se smješta, i u jednom čitanju došla do njegove polovice. Bilo mi je intrigantno jer način pripovijedanja nije bio klasičan. Linijska radnja se ovdje mijenja i, sigurna sam, nećete znati što će se točno dogoditi do posljednje stranice. Ne znam ako mogu bolje opisati preporuku bez da spojlam... Možda ako kažem da sam shvativši što nam je spisateljica pripremila za kraj, zaplakala?
Više o utiscima pročitajte klikom na link: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
Jako sam se ugodno iznenadila kada sam krenula s čitanjem ovog romana, ne znajući u koji žanr se smješta, i u jednom čitanju došla do njegove polovice. Bilo mi je intrigantno jer način pripovijedanja nije bio klasičan. Linijska radnja se ovdje mijenja i, sigurna sam, nećete znati što će se točno dogoditi do posljednje stranice. Ne znam ako mogu bolje opisati preporuku bez da spojlam... Možda ako kažem da sam shvativši što nam je spisateljica pripremila za kraj, zaplakala?
Više o utiscima pročitajte klikom na link: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...
August 25, 2018
Een mooi boek, ondanks het trieste einde. Veel meer kan ik er eigenlijk niet over zeggen zonder te veel te verklappen over het verhaal. Dit is echt een verhaal dat je zelf moet lezen om te snappen waarom het zo goed is. Dat het boek zo goed zou zijn had ik overigens niet verwacht toen ik er aan begon. Ik heb zelfs getwijfeld of ik het zou lezen. Maar omdat het niet zo dik is, ben ik er toch aan begonnen en het is absoluut een aanrader. Het is deze week nog gratis te lezen via de Vakantiebieb. Aangezien het boek vlot leest, kun je dat nog redden.
July 21, 2019
3.5 stars. Reading the description of this book immediately sold me. A young woman living a pretty sad existence wakes up from a comma and instead of coming back to that same sad existence, she finds her life is much different, and better. It reminded me a lot of the movie The Family Man with Nicolas Cage.
My favorite part of the book was the ending. IT WAS AMAZING!!!! Like the kind of mindfuck I experienced after watching movies or shows like Lost, Inception, Shutter Island, Memento, and The Usual Suspects (but wrapped up as women’s fiction, not a psych thriller). Okay, maybe I’m being overly dramatic, but I was brainstorming with my husband about books or movies that had crazy twists at the end and those were his suggestions. It’s basically the type of ending that you never see coming and has a much higher meaning.
While I was blown away by the ending, I was disappointed in the rest. There were a number of cliches and plot points that just seemed too obvious and easy. Had the writer added about 100 more pages and developed the story more, the ending would have matched the story and this book would definitely be a 5 star read.
My favorite part of the book was the ending. IT WAS AMAZING!!!! Like the kind of mindfuck I experienced after watching movies or shows like Lost, Inception, Shutter Island, Memento, and The Usual Suspects (but wrapped up as women’s fiction, not a psych thriller). Okay, maybe I’m being overly dramatic, but I was brainstorming with my husband about books or movies that had crazy twists at the end and those were his suggestions. It’s basically the type of ending that you never see coming and has a much higher meaning.
While I was blown away by the ending, I was disappointed in the rest. There were a number of cliches and plot points that just seemed too obvious and easy. Had the writer added about 100 more pages and developed the story more, the ending would have matched the story and this book would definitely be a 5 star read.
July 8, 2014
I paid for this book. Fair enough. Most people will have done. But ...
Can I have 20% of my money back?
WHY???
Well, at the 80% mark on my Kindle... JUST when I was expecting the BIG climactic scene.. the 'OMG' moment...... this book ENDS.
I am okay with books that have the last few pages devoted to Author bio, or other novels etc.
But NOT TWENTY PERCENT OF THE BOOK.
It's like buying a cd of guitar music and finding that four of the twenty tracks are violin tracks . Not what I paid for. And this is not the first book that's done this.
I refuse to read any more by this author. It's a shame, because the story itself was good, but I just don't like being cheated.
Can I have 20% of my money back?
WHY???
Well, at the 80% mark on my Kindle... JUST when I was expecting the BIG climactic scene.. the 'OMG' moment...... this book ENDS.
I am okay with books that have the last few pages devoted to Author bio, or other novels etc.
But NOT TWENTY PERCENT OF THE BOOK.
It's like buying a cd of guitar music and finding that four of the twenty tracks are violin tracks . Not what I paid for. And this is not the first book that's done this.
I refuse to read any more by this author. It's a shame, because the story itself was good, but I just don't like being cheated.
May 25, 2014
I received an advance reader's copy of this book for an honest review.
Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. The premise itself was interesting. Rachel Wiltshire is out at dinner with her friends when they're struck by a horrible accident that tinges Rachel's next five years with despair.
But for me, the book went downhill after the opening scene. I didn't think that any of the characters were explained well enough. At the end of the book, I felt as though I hadn't made a connection with any of the characters because I didn't know who they were. Rachel's father is probably the character I felt was the most realistic. I could feel the power of Rachel's relationships with Sarah and Jimmy, but I was also confused about why Jimmy and Matt liked her so much. What was so great about Rachel Wiltshire?
I thought the dialogue was a bit stiff. The pacing went a little fast for me, but I didn't mind it so much. There are parts that I think could have been written on more, like the phone conversation between Rachel and Matt, because scenes tended to start and end very quickly.
My biggest problem with the book, which probably killed it from 3 stars to 2 stars, was the ending. It made me so angry.
All in all, I had to rate this book with 2 stars, just because of the problems that I personally encountered. I don't know if I'd recommend it to friends (probably not) but I might recommend it to people who like sweet love stories.
Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me. The premise itself was interesting. Rachel Wiltshire is out at dinner with her friends when they're struck by a horrible accident that tinges Rachel's next five years with despair.
But for me, the book went downhill after the opening scene. I didn't think that any of the characters were explained well enough. At the end of the book, I felt as though I hadn't made a connection with any of the characters because I didn't know who they were. Rachel's father is probably the character I felt was the most realistic. I could feel the power of Rachel's relationships with Sarah and Jimmy, but I was also confused about why Jimmy and Matt liked her so much. What was so great about Rachel Wiltshire?
I thought the dialogue was a bit stiff. The pacing went a little fast for me, but I didn't mind it so much. There are parts that I think could have been written on more, like the phone conversation between Rachel and Matt, because scenes tended to start and end very quickly.
My biggest problem with the book, which probably killed it from 3 stars to 2 stars, was the ending. It made me so angry.
All in all, I had to rate this book with 2 stars, just because of the problems that I personally encountered. I don't know if I'd recommend it to friends (probably not) but I might recommend it to people who like sweet love stories.
February 28, 2020
Rachel has been involved in an accident and so had her friend Jimmy. I liked how the story moved forwards and backwards across the times in Rachel's life. My favourite character was Jimmy he was so lovely and made an excellent policeman.I liked Rachel's relationship with her father, they had a lovely bond. I loved the ending even though it was weird it explained much of the parts I was guessing about in the books.
I found Matt and Cathy unlikable characters, I have no sympathy for either of them. Matt deserved everything he got.
My one issue was the chapter lengths, they didn't help to split the story up and I found 40-50 pages a chapter a little heavy for this type of quick read. Overall a brilliant read once again by Dani Atkins.
I found Matt and Cathy unlikable characters, I have no sympathy for either of them. Matt deserved everything he got.
My one issue was the chapter lengths, they didn't help to split the story up and I found 40-50 pages a chapter a little heavy for this type of quick read. Overall a brilliant read once again by Dani Atkins.
May 21, 2014
3 STARS
THE HOOK
“For fans of One Day, What Alice Forgot and Sliding Doors”. Well I wasn’t exactly wowed by One Day but while I’m also not a fan of anything Gwyneth Paltrow, I was quite familiar and intrigued with the premise of Sliding Doors. I think I stopped reading the blurb after that and just requested this automatically.
So one can imagine my surprise with how Then and Always seemed to be a sleepy Adult Contemporary Romance one chapter then playing with sci-fi, paranormal possibilities in the next all the while wallowing too long with the usual suspects of cliched tropes and triggers. It was a very conflicting reading experience for me until the final chapter which made sense in one level, a little manipulative in another.
But then I was hardly emotionally invested with these characters so I guess… no harm done?
THE BLURB
This started with Rachel Wilshire and her friends having dinner, each about to head off separately toward their individual futures. For Rachel it’s university, Journalism and Matt, her handsome and affluent boyfriend. That was until a tragic, freak accident changes everything, when Jimmy, the childhood friend who may have been secretly in love with her, sacrificed his life in order to save her.
Fast forwards five years later, Rachel is a lowly secretary outside London. She is single, physically scarred and living in a shabby flat atop a laundromat. Her father has cancer and is burdened with insurmountable grief and guilt. Forced to face the friends she’s turned her back on, she finds herself drowning in a heady mix of regret and drugs. She ends up in the hospital and comes out of it living the life taken away from her all those years ago: She’s working in a London magazine, her father is healthy, she’s engaged to Matt… and Jimmy is alive. But at the same time, she can remember details from that other miserable life too vividly for it to be a dream or the symptoms of a nervous breakdown.
If not for how this ended, this was an easy 2-star read for me. It started at a creeping pace followed by a mildly interesting middle plagued with the usual pitfalls I loathe in Contemporary Romance. The narrative was told solely from Rachel's POV and I did like how this kept me guessing right to the end what exactly was going on. The red herrings were pretty clever, at one point I even guessed
A lot of people would probably not look at that plot twist at the end too favourably. But considering the alternative where the cliched lines, the love triangle, the big misunderstanding, the macho posturing and the cheating is intended gratuitously… well we need to count our blessings, fellow reader.
There is a point to all this I suppose but it got to levels of ridiculous and cloying before getting there. The bigger message could have been conveyed with better finesse and had to power through a couple of Avoiding Commitment flashbacks this seemed to set off with me, but I won’t deny that this did have some redemptive moments.
I am such a sucker for the childhood friends-to-lovers trope that I can’t believe this faltered in that very aspect. I mean he died and now he’s alive again and they get the chance to finally be together… HOW CAN YOU SCREW THAT UP?!
Then and Always has placed the entire emotional pulse of its story in its heroine, yet I never felt any depth to Rachel’s sorrow and it was an endless struggle to sympathize with her grief and regrets. Right at the very end, I felt like I hardly knew her. Why does Matt even insist on going after her? Or Jimmy, for that matter? She sounds like this meek chick who just likes to go emo from time to time while two men fight over her. There was no easing into these characters and instead, this throws you right into the moshpit with them. Which is, you know, a little disorienting. It gave very little opportunity for me to get to know these strangers and to actually care about where this story is going to take them.
Even worse, this failed to communicate the gravity of her friendship with Jimmy, taking away that bittersweet element of love that was lost and found again. I actually feel that it was this book’s greatest miss: not being able to capitalize on that relationship.
While this wasn’t an entirely bad book and one I can probably recommend to friends with some reservations, I can’t help but feel the overwhelming disappointment of the opportunities this missed. Which is quite ironic seeing as this was a book about second chances. This had the right tools to carve you from inside out… but lacked the sharp precision in executing that final, killing blow.
ARC courtesy of RH-Ballantine thru Netgalley.
Also on BookLikes.
THE HOOK
“For fans of One Day, What Alice Forgot and Sliding Doors”. Well I wasn’t exactly wowed by One Day but while I’m also not a fan of anything Gwyneth Paltrow, I was quite familiar and intrigued with the premise of Sliding Doors. I think I stopped reading the blurb after that and just requested this automatically.
So one can imagine my surprise with how Then and Always seemed to be a sleepy Adult Contemporary Romance one chapter then playing with sci-fi, paranormal possibilities in the next all the while wallowing too long with the usual suspects of cliched tropes and triggers. It was a very conflicting reading experience for me until the final chapter which made sense in one level, a little manipulative in another.
But then I was hardly emotionally invested with these characters so I guess… no harm done?
THE BLURB
This started with Rachel Wilshire and her friends having dinner, each about to head off separately toward their individual futures. For Rachel it’s university, Journalism and Matt, her handsome and affluent boyfriend. That was until a tragic, freak accident changes everything, when Jimmy, the childhood friend who may have been secretly in love with her, sacrificed his life in order to save her.
Fast forwards five years later, Rachel is a lowly secretary outside London. She is single, physically scarred and living in a shabby flat atop a laundromat. Her father has cancer and is burdened with insurmountable grief and guilt. Forced to face the friends she’s turned her back on, she finds herself drowning in a heady mix of regret and drugs. She ends up in the hospital and comes out of it living the life taken away from her all those years ago: She’s working in a London magazine, her father is healthy, she’s engaged to Matt… and Jimmy is alive. But at the same time, she can remember details from that other miserable life too vividly for it to be a dream or the symptoms of a nervous breakdown.
If not for how this ended, this was an easy 2-star read for me. It started at a creeping pace followed by a mildly interesting middle plagued with the usual pitfalls I loathe in Contemporary Romance. The narrative was told solely from Rachel's POV and I did like how this kept me guessing right to the end what exactly was going on. The red herrings were pretty clever, at one point I even guessed
A lot of people would probably not look at that plot twist at the end too favourably. But considering the alternative where the cliched lines, the love triangle, the big misunderstanding, the macho posturing and the cheating is intended gratuitously… well we need to count our blessings, fellow reader.
There is a point to all this I suppose but it got to levels of ridiculous and cloying before getting there. The bigger message could have been conveyed with better finesse and had to power through a couple of Avoiding Commitment flashbacks this seemed to set off with me, but I won’t deny that this did have some redemptive moments.
”…it’s heartbreaking to see you like this.”
I hadn’t realized his words had made me cry until he lifted my face gently with his finger and dabbed at my eyes with the folded napkin. His voice was still soft and low. “And I’ve certainly never seen you cry this much, not even when you kept falling off your bike when you were eight years old.”
I am such a sucker for the childhood friends-to-lovers trope that I can’t believe this faltered in that very aspect. I mean he died and now he’s alive again and they get the chance to finally be together… HOW CAN YOU SCREW THAT UP?!
Then and Always has placed the entire emotional pulse of its story in its heroine, yet I never felt any depth to Rachel’s sorrow and it was an endless struggle to sympathize with her grief and regrets. Right at the very end, I felt like I hardly knew her. Why does Matt even insist on going after her? Or Jimmy, for that matter? She sounds like this meek chick who just likes to go emo from time to time while two men fight over her. There was no easing into these characters and instead, this throws you right into the moshpit with them. Which is, you know, a little disorienting. It gave very little opportunity for me to get to know these strangers and to actually care about where this story is going to take them.
Even worse, this failed to communicate the gravity of her friendship with Jimmy, taking away that bittersweet element of love that was lost and found again. I actually feel that it was this book’s greatest miss: not being able to capitalize on that relationship.
While this wasn’t an entirely bad book and one I can probably recommend to friends with some reservations, I can’t help but feel the overwhelming disappointment of the opportunities this missed. Which is quite ironic seeing as this was a book about second chances. This had the right tools to carve you from inside out… but lacked the sharp precision in executing that final, killing blow.
ARC courtesy of RH-Ballantine thru Netgalley.
Also on BookLikes.
November 17, 2018
http://yourhappinesslife.blogspot.com...
El libro está muy bien llevado, todo concuerda y el misterio engancha. Sobre la mitad del libro me olía cual sería el final ya que la autora nos da pequeños detalles y nos deja algunas pistas pero aun así y sigues adelante leyendo esta preciosa historia.
Me ha gustado muchísimo el apoyo de Jimmy hacia Rachel, Matt, su prometido, no estaba con ella y su escusa me pareció lamentable, en cambio Jimmy siempre ha estado allí y a pesar de a veces estar ausente se nota su verdadera preocupación. Sarah es una amiga única, loca, divertida y muy fiel a Rachel.
El final me ha sorprendido mucho, me ha encantado ver que realmente podría ser feliz con esa vida y olvidarse de la otra para seguir adelante con la persona que debería estar a su lado, pero a la vez nos deja un toque amargo que nos hace derramar alguna lagrimilla. Sin duda lo recomiendo mucho!
Un libro donde nos muestra cómo puede cambiar tu vida si tuvieras una segunda oportunidad, una chica que se atreverá a vivir una vida diferente a la que ya tenía planeada.
El libro está muy bien llevado, todo concuerda y el misterio engancha. Sobre la mitad del libro me olía cual sería el final ya que la autora nos da pequeños detalles y nos deja algunas pistas pero aun así y sigues adelante leyendo esta preciosa historia.
Me ha gustado muchísimo el apoyo de Jimmy hacia Rachel, Matt, su prometido, no estaba con ella y su escusa me pareció lamentable, en cambio Jimmy siempre ha estado allí y a pesar de a veces estar ausente se nota su verdadera preocupación. Sarah es una amiga única, loca, divertida y muy fiel a Rachel.
El final me ha sorprendido mucho, me ha encantado ver que realmente podría ser feliz con esa vida y olvidarse de la otra para seguir adelante con la persona que debería estar a su lado, pero a la vez nos deja un toque amargo que nos hace derramar alguna lagrimilla. Sin duda lo recomiendo mucho!
Un libro donde nos muestra cómo puede cambiar tu vida si tuvieras una segunda oportunidad, una chica que se atreverá a vivir una vida diferente a la que ya tenía planeada.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2013
This is honestly the most powerful book I have ever read.
Everything about this book was perfect; from the grammar and spelling (which is rare to find on e-book editions, for some reason) to the intricate and extremely detailed storyline. This book was clearly deeply thought out from beginning to end and each part flowed nicely on to the next, only giving you the information you need at that time - along with the main character, Rachel. The book puts you in her shoes, unable to comprehend what is going on with her memories and you join her in her quest to find out the truth.
This story is in no way predictable and the ending was so much of a shock, I was blown away.
I don't want to say anymore because it will give away the storyline but if you like a story that keeps you hanging off the edge of your seat, this is definitely for you. With a touch of romance too, what's not to like?
I have recommended this book to everyone I follow on Goodreads, I think everyone needs to read this for themselves. I really look forward to hearing more from this author.
Emma x
Everything about this book was perfect; from the grammar and spelling (which is rare to find on e-book editions, for some reason) to the intricate and extremely detailed storyline. This book was clearly deeply thought out from beginning to end and each part flowed nicely on to the next, only giving you the information you need at that time - along with the main character, Rachel. The book puts you in her shoes, unable to comprehend what is going on with her memories and you join her in her quest to find out the truth.
This story is in no way predictable and the ending was so much of a shock, I was blown away.
I don't want to say anymore because it will give away the storyline but if you like a story that keeps you hanging off the edge of your seat, this is definitely for you. With a touch of romance too, what's not to like?
I have recommended this book to everyone I follow on Goodreads, I think everyone needs to read this for themselves. I really look forward to hearing more from this author.
Emma x
February 11, 2017
wow Angela bedankt voor de buddy read wat een mooi einde totaal onverwacht
September 16, 2019
Wow, wat een boek! Ik ben nog erg aan het twijfelen tussen de 4 en de 5 sterren en nu zou ik willen dat Goodreads halve sterren deed, want dan had het boek 4,5 sterren gekregen. Ik ga er nog even over na denken.
August 30, 2017
Empecé adorándolo. No sólo por lo que contaba y como lo contaba, que también, sino por los momentos que me hizo recordar.
Esa reunión de amigos justo antes de irse a la universidad me recordó mucho a la que tuve yo con los míos. Nos recuerdo a todos con cara de circunstancias, con muchas ganas de querer empezar esa nueva etapa pero también con el miedo latente de que termináramos perdiendo la amistad que teníamos. Por fortuna, aunque algunos se han perdido por el camino la mayoría permanecemos bastante unidos a pesar de que ya hace un par de años que terminamos nuestra etapa universitaria.
Pero volviendo al libro, debo decir que lo disfruté muchísimo e iba convencida de que iba a ser un 5 estrellas. Ya estaba pensando que era la lectura ideal para volver a leer en Navidad, no sólo porque se desarrolla en esa fecha sino porque me parecía un mensaje muy apropiado: Valora a tu familia y amigos y no desperdicies las oportunidades que te da la vida. Pero entonces llegué a las últimas páginas y mi plan de darle 5 estrellas se derrumbó cual castillo de naipes junto con el mensaje que me estaba transmitiendo.
Pasó de un mensaje positivo a uno completamente negativo: Si no te gusta tu vida, ríndete
Si te preguntas cómo he podido bajarle tanto la puntuación te diré que la respuesta es muy simple. El final es el último sabor que deja un libro. Un libro mediocre puede redimirse y uno maravilloso puede hundirse. Lamentablemente este ha entrado en la segunda categoría.
Esa reunión de amigos justo antes de irse a la universidad me recordó mucho a la que tuve yo con los míos. Nos recuerdo a todos con cara de circunstancias, con muchas ganas de querer empezar esa nueva etapa pero también con el miedo latente de que termináramos perdiendo la amistad que teníamos. Por fortuna, aunque algunos se han perdido por el camino la mayoría permanecemos bastante unidos a pesar de que ya hace un par de años que terminamos nuestra etapa universitaria.
Pero volviendo al libro, debo decir que lo disfruté muchísimo e iba convencida de que iba a ser un 5 estrellas. Ya estaba pensando que era la lectura ideal para volver a leer en Navidad, no sólo porque se desarrolla en esa fecha sino porque me parecía un mensaje muy apropiado: Valora a tu familia y amigos y no desperdicies las oportunidades que te da la vida. Pero entonces llegué a las últimas páginas y mi plan de darle 5 estrellas se derrumbó cual castillo de naipes junto con el mensaje que me estaba transmitiendo.
Pasó de un mensaje positivo a uno completamente negativo: Si no te gusta tu vida, ríndete
Si te preguntas cómo he podido bajarle tanto la puntuación te diré que la respuesta es muy simple. El final es el último sabor que deja un libro. Un libro mediocre puede redimirse y uno maravilloso puede hundirse. Lamentablemente este ha entrado en la segunda categoría.
May 9, 2018
Este libro me fascino. Nunca espere que fuera a encantarme tanto como lo hizo.
Llore, reí, ame y odie.
ENAMORADA DE JIMMY Y DE LA HISTORIA QUE DANI ATKINS CREO
Llore, reí, ame y odie.
ENAMORADA DE JIMMY Y DE LA HISTORIA QUE DANI ATKINS CREO
June 20, 2021
Sonu üzdü 🥺
September 1, 2015
http://bioquimicadaleitura.blogspot.p...
Opinião:
Comecei a ler esta obra sem saber de quaisquer comentários, achei a capa apelativa, a sinopse pareceu-me interessante e atirei-me de cabeça.
A Rachel é feliz, tem um pai extremoso, amigos maravilhosos e um namorado espetacular em todos os sentidos. Certo dia, o grupo de amigos decide reunir-se para um último convívio antes de cada um ir para a universidade, mas um terrível acidente traça o destino para duas personagens, definindo para sempre as suas vidas. Um deles, Jimmy, morre imediatamente e a Rachel fica marcada não apenas no corpo, mas sobretudo psicologicamente.
Passam-se cinco anos e é retomada a narração, com o iminente casamento de uma amizade no local onde tudo se passou. Isto significa o reencontro do grupo e estar face a face com os fantasmas do passado. Reticente em ir, Rachel cede ao pedido da melhor amiga e regressa à cidade, isto numa altura em que fortes dores de cabeça a assolam e evidenciam ser uma consequência grave e perigosa do incidente.
Após uma queda ela acorda no hospital, confusa com o que lhe é transmitido e com o que vê, e assim avançamos cinco anos no tempo e verificamos que estamos no mesmo ano que estávamos anteriormente! Acompanhamos agora uma outra vivência e de imediato são perceptíveis grandes diferenças, até que ela julga estar numa realidade paralela ou alternativa...mas estará mesmo? Qual será a verdadeira realidade?
Uau, adorei o livro! Em determinados momentos é um pouco confuso mas é uma confusão boa, pois ficamos intrigados com o que realmente serão ou não as memórias reais da protagonista! As situações parecem uma coisa, mas depois parecem outra coisa dentro dessa coisa e por ai em diante. Não quero fazer revelações mas gostei imenso!
O final é surpreendente, houve uma altura que pensei ser algo naquele sentido, mas jamais me tinha passado pela cabeça aquele desfecho. A trama torna-se tão envolvente que eventualmente esse pensamento "evaporou-se".
A relação pai/filha é óptima e a relação melhor amigo/Rachel é fantástica e muito fofa, apesar dos sentimentos, ele sempre colocou a amizade e a amiga à frente do seu interesse e essa é das primeiras percepções que temos.
As personagens são interessantes bem como a história, agradou-me o toque de romance ao longo da trama e o mistério acerca da realidade, que manteve-me agarrada até às últimas páginas. Recomendo vivamente :)
Opinião:
Comecei a ler esta obra sem saber de quaisquer comentários, achei a capa apelativa, a sinopse pareceu-me interessante e atirei-me de cabeça.
A Rachel é feliz, tem um pai extremoso, amigos maravilhosos e um namorado espetacular em todos os sentidos. Certo dia, o grupo de amigos decide reunir-se para um último convívio antes de cada um ir para a universidade, mas um terrível acidente traça o destino para duas personagens, definindo para sempre as suas vidas. Um deles, Jimmy, morre imediatamente e a Rachel fica marcada não apenas no corpo, mas sobretudo psicologicamente.
Passam-se cinco anos e é retomada a narração, com o iminente casamento de uma amizade no local onde tudo se passou. Isto significa o reencontro do grupo e estar face a face com os fantasmas do passado. Reticente em ir, Rachel cede ao pedido da melhor amiga e regressa à cidade, isto numa altura em que fortes dores de cabeça a assolam e evidenciam ser uma consequência grave e perigosa do incidente.
Após uma queda ela acorda no hospital, confusa com o que lhe é transmitido e com o que vê, e assim avançamos cinco anos no tempo e verificamos que estamos no mesmo ano que estávamos anteriormente! Acompanhamos agora uma outra vivência e de imediato são perceptíveis grandes diferenças, até que ela julga estar numa realidade paralela ou alternativa...mas estará mesmo? Qual será a verdadeira realidade?
Uau, adorei o livro! Em determinados momentos é um pouco confuso mas é uma confusão boa, pois ficamos intrigados com o que realmente serão ou não as memórias reais da protagonista! As situações parecem uma coisa, mas depois parecem outra coisa dentro dessa coisa e por ai em diante. Não quero fazer revelações mas gostei imenso!
O final é surpreendente, houve uma altura que pensei ser algo naquele sentido, mas jamais me tinha passado pela cabeça aquele desfecho. A trama torna-se tão envolvente que eventualmente esse pensamento "evaporou-se".
A relação pai/filha é óptima e a relação melhor amigo/Rachel é fantástica e muito fofa, apesar dos sentimentos, ele sempre colocou a amizade e a amiga à frente do seu interesse e essa é das primeiras percepções que temos.
As personagens são interessantes bem como a história, agradou-me o toque de romance ao longo da trama e o mistério acerca da realidade, que manteve-me agarrada até às últimas páginas. Recomendo vivamente :)
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