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Time of My Life
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Jillian Westfield has a life straight out of the women’s magazines she obsessively reads. She’s got the modern-print rugs of Metropolitan Home, the elegant meals from Gourmet, and the clutter-free closets out of Real Simple. With her investment-banker husband behind the wheel and her cherubic eighteen-month-old in the backseat, hers could be the family in the magazines’ Range Rover ads.
Yet somehow all of the how-to magazine stories in the world can’t seem to fix her faltering marriage or stop her from asking "What if?"
Then one morning Jillian wakes up seven years in the past. She’s back in her Manhattan apartment. She’s back in her fast-paced job. And she’s still with Jackson, the ex-boyfriend, and star of her what-if fantasies.
Armed with twenty-twenty hindsight, she’s free to choose all over again. She can reconnect to the mother who abandoned her, she can use ad campaigns from her future to wow her clients, and she can fix the fights that doomed her relationship with Jackson.
Or can she?
Jillian Westfield has a life straight out of the women’s magazines she obsessively reads. She’s got the modern-print rugs of Metropolitan Home, the elegant meals from Gourmet, and the clutter-free closets out of Real Simple. With her investment-banker husband behind the wheel and her cherubic eighteen-month-old in the backseat, hers could be the family in the magazines’ Range Rover ads.
Yet somehow all of the how-to magazine stories in the world can’t seem to fix her faltering marriage or stop her from asking "What if?"
Then one morning Jillian wakes up seven years in the past. She’s back in her Manhattan apartment. She’s back in her fast-paced job. And she’s still with Jackson, the ex-boyfriend, and star of her what-if fantasies.
Armed with twenty-twenty hindsight, she’s free to choose all over again. She can reconnect to the mother who abandoned her, she can use ad campaigns from her future to wow her clients, and she can fix the fights that doomed her relationship with Jackson.
Or can she?
291 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 2008
247 people are currently reading
5055 people want to read
About the author
Allison Winn Scotch
13 books1,962 followersI'm the bestselling author of eight novels including, CLEO MCDOUGAL REGRETS NOTHING, IN TWENTY YEARS and TIME OF MY LIFE, currently in development at Sony. My latest book, THE REWIND, will be released in Nov 2022 by Berkley Books.
As an author, I know how brutal reviews can be, so I'll only post about books I've enjoyed. (Just in case you're wondering why all of my reviews are positive!)
As an author, I know how brutal reviews can be, so I'll only post about books I've enjoyed. (Just in case you're wondering why all of my reviews are positive!)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 915 reviews
February 2, 2009
Very fast read. If it didn't read so fast, I don't know if I would have finished it. The end of the book was satisfying but I got bored throughout most of the book. I really didn't connect with the main character...most of the time she annoyed me.
March 15, 2016
I bought Time of My Life on another author’s recommendation. It was my first read from Allison Winn Scotch and I’m a BIG fan.
The cover and the title are somewhat deceiving. It's not a light read, it's full of depth.
The premise is not new or original. There are several movies done with this concept, but ‘TIME OF MY LIFE’ is written without the fluffy fantasy make belief, it’s raw and real. Reading is very subjective, but for me it’s either an escape or a connection. This book was both.
The main protagonist, Jillian lost her identity, trading her professional city life for a stay at home mom in suburbs. She is very lonely and stuck in her stale marriage. With a help of a masseur, unblocking her meridians, she goes back in time, with the present knowledge and maturity.
It’s provocative and sensitive at the same time. It evokes emotions in every single one of us that has been THERE….. Let’s talk about how we all try to live to some crazy society expectations, the loneliness, the despair, the exhaustion, the fear, and the overwhelming feeling that everyone else is doing it perfectly, and you are drowning. Or let’s talk about the self-reflection of highly educated, extremely successful professionally, kick ass and capable women, who are readjusting to the shock of taking care of babies.
Jillian gets the chance to step out of that limbo and goes back. She realizes that a lot of her unhappy comes from within. She alters many of her reactions, her seasoned maturity handles many situations differently, with much better results. Ultimately she is the one who saves herself, not some other hero.
The point of the story is the journey of maturity. The empowering message of taking responsibility for our own happiness, the weight of our choices and living up to them.
In the end the buildup, the evolution, the whole transformation was huge and it didn't match the ending. I selfishly needed more celebration.
The cover and the title are somewhat deceiving. It's not a light read, it's full of depth.
The premise is not new or original. There are several movies done with this concept, but ‘TIME OF MY LIFE’ is written without the fluffy fantasy make belief, it’s raw and real. Reading is very subjective, but for me it’s either an escape or a connection. This book was both.
The main protagonist, Jillian lost her identity, trading her professional city life for a stay at home mom in suburbs. She is very lonely and stuck in her stale marriage. With a help of a masseur, unblocking her meridians, she goes back in time, with the present knowledge and maturity.
It’s provocative and sensitive at the same time. It evokes emotions in every single one of us that has been THERE….. Let’s talk about how we all try to live to some crazy society expectations, the loneliness, the despair, the exhaustion, the fear, and the overwhelming feeling that everyone else is doing it perfectly, and you are drowning. Or let’s talk about the self-reflection of highly educated, extremely successful professionally, kick ass and capable women, who are readjusting to the shock of taking care of babies.
Jillian gets the chance to step out of that limbo and goes back. She realizes that a lot of her unhappy comes from within. She alters many of her reactions, her seasoned maturity handles many situations differently, with much better results. Ultimately she is the one who saves herself, not some other hero.
The point of the story is the journey of maturity. The empowering message of taking responsibility for our own happiness, the weight of our choices and living up to them.
In the end the buildup, the evolution, the whole transformation was huge and it didn't match the ending. I selfishly needed more celebration.
December 10, 2009
This is one of the worst novels I ever read in my entire life!
I hated this book so much. It's not even worth being on goodreads.
If you like trash novels, this is the book for you.
I hated this book so much. It's not even worth being on goodreads.
If you like trash novels, this is the book for you.
March 5, 2022
This book took a while to suck me in, but when it did, I couldn’t stop reading it. So here I am, at 3 AM, writing this review having just finished it.
So why only 3 stars? The first half of this book is tedious, to the point where I almost gave up on it. It gets more interesting as Jillian gains more insight into herself and how her past has affected her, and her understanding that she can’t change the events of her past, just herself and her reactions to life.
Jillian is an interesting character, as is Henry, as we get to see him how he really is, not only as Jillian mistakenly perceived him. I honestly don’t know what Jillian ever saw in Jack.
The ending is just OK. It seemed almost tacked on. I would have liked to know how Jillian’s new insights caused the ending.
This is a good story, but not great.
So why only 3 stars? The first half of this book is tedious, to the point where I almost gave up on it. It gets more interesting as Jillian gains more insight into herself and how her past has affected her, and her understanding that she can’t change the events of her past, just herself and her reactions to life.
Jillian is an interesting character, as is Henry, as we get to see him how he really is, not only as Jillian mistakenly perceived him. I honestly don’t know what Jillian ever saw in Jack.
The ending is just OK. It seemed almost tacked on. I would have liked to know how Jillian’s new insights caused the ending.
This is a good story, but not great.
June 27, 2009
I ended up liking this book, although it started off a little slowly for me. There were times when I didn't like the main character, Jillian Westfield, but she did become more sympathetic to me as the story evolved. Jillian is a discontented mother and housewife who feels that she made the wrong choices for her life. She suddenly is faced with the opportunity to go back in time in her life and make different choices. As she goes through this part of her life for the second time, Jillian realizes that she has to face some facts about herself and her relationships before the decisions she makes this time can lead to happiness.
May 13, 2011
One thing you need to understand about my reading list is that it is very long. The books at the beginning of it have been on the list for several years. This year, I have been making a concentrated effort at tackling those books that have been on it for a long time, such as this book. Imagine my surprise, upon receiving it from the library, when I realized that this book had already crossed my path many times before when I was volunteering a the bookstore AND I PASSED IT UP, not recognizing that it was a book on my list.
I should really learn to listen to my instincts.
So this book is one of those standard "It's A Wonderful Life" type stories. The central character, Jillian, is unhappy with her life as a well-to-do homemaker and wonders what would have happened if she'd made some different choices in her life, i.e. stayed with that old boyfriend, continued in that high-powered job, etc.
For me, the main problem with this book is that Jillian's life is actually quite nice. She might not be entirely satisfied with it, but her issue is existential, not physical (unlike, say, the movie mentioned above, where the central character is experiencing serious financial difficulties). In reality, her problems could be resolved if she just actually, you know, TALKED to her perfectly nice husband, rather than seething silently. Which, to me, made her come across like a spoiled brat. I had a hard time relating to her.
I think that a therapist was pretty much all she needed, but instead, she somehow magically gets sent back in time when a massage releases her chi. Um, okay.....this plot point is never explained. At least in "It's a Wonderful Life," you know that an angel is the one showing George how things could have been. I could have used a little explanation.
So, blah, blah, blah, after a lot of drama and such, Jillian of course eventually realizes that she actually liked her future life after all and finds her way back to it. And here is where the story really lost me. Because when she goes back to her future life, things that she did in her second attempt at the past actually changed the way things turned out in the future! And yet she's still married to the guy she was married to in the beginning with the kid she had in the beginning. Huh? So what was the point of the book? Was her future life better than her past or not? And if her future life just needed a little improvement, why couldn't she make that happen without going back and mucking around with the past?
But the thing that REALLY bothered me is this: in Jillian's original past, her best friend discovered that she was unable to have children after several miscarriages and eventually kills herself because all she ever wanted was to be a mother. But after Jillian mucked around in the past, when she returns to her new future, that friend is not only still alive but has natural born (not adopted) children. WHY? What could Jillian going back to her past possibly have done to make her friend able to have children? It makes no sense!
I feel like the author just wanted to have a perfect, happy ending. To me, that's just intellectually dishonest.
I should really learn to listen to my instincts.
So this book is one of those standard "It's A Wonderful Life" type stories. The central character, Jillian, is unhappy with her life as a well-to-do homemaker and wonders what would have happened if she'd made some different choices in her life, i.e. stayed with that old boyfriend, continued in that high-powered job, etc.
For me, the main problem with this book is that Jillian's life is actually quite nice. She might not be entirely satisfied with it, but her issue is existential, not physical (unlike, say, the movie mentioned above, where the central character is experiencing serious financial difficulties). In reality, her problems could be resolved if she just actually, you know, TALKED to her perfectly nice husband, rather than seething silently. Which, to me, made her come across like a spoiled brat. I had a hard time relating to her.
I think that a therapist was pretty much all she needed, but instead, she somehow magically gets sent back in time when a massage releases her chi. Um, okay.....this plot point is never explained. At least in "It's a Wonderful Life," you know that an angel is the one showing George how things could have been. I could have used a little explanation.
So, blah, blah, blah, after a lot of drama and such, Jillian of course eventually realizes that she actually liked her future life after all and finds her way back to it. And here is where the story really lost me. Because when she goes back to her future life, things that she did in her second attempt at the past actually changed the way things turned out in the future! And yet she's still married to the guy she was married to in the beginning with the kid she had in the beginning. Huh? So what was the point of the book? Was her future life better than her past or not? And if her future life just needed a little improvement, why couldn't she make that happen without going back and mucking around with the past?
But the thing that REALLY bothered me is this: in Jillian's original past, her best friend discovered that she was unable to have children after several miscarriages and eventually kills herself because all she ever wanted was to be a mother. But after Jillian mucked around in the past, when she returns to her new future, that friend is not only still alive but has natural born (not adopted) children. WHY? What could Jillian going back to her past possibly have done to make her friend able to have children? It makes no sense!
I feel like the author just wanted to have a perfect, happy ending. To me, that's just intellectually dishonest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2009
This novel was very light in some ways (primarily, the main character was a superficial, highly privileged, wealthy, suburban, unhappy housewife/mother--- though that changed some) but was a thoroughly enjoyable read. It is fun to think about going back in your life, knowing what you know now, and having the option of making different choices; the author did a nice job of exploring this theme.
May 15, 2010
Please, must we have more stories about women who have money enough for nannies because they don't like children but somehow feel obliged to fit the "perfect image" of never getting a clue or evolving into better people?!?!?! (sigh)
The book itself was a bit disjointed, although the potential was really there for a great storyline. There was some (emphasis on "some") evolution of the character, but she repeated her mistakes so many times I wonder if she really got it. My favorite scene in the story is toward the very end, when the father comes running after the daughter, and because I don't want to spoil it (any more than this negative review), I will just say I love what he says to her. However, so many characters in this book just seemed to not have a clue and be OK with that. Selfish, self-absorbed stories are not for me.
The book itself was a bit disjointed, although the potential was really there for a great storyline. There was some (emphasis on "some") evolution of the character, but she repeated her mistakes so many times I wonder if she really got it. My favorite scene in the story is toward the very end, when the father comes running after the daughter, and because I don't want to spoil it (any more than this negative review), I will just say I love what he says to her. However, so many characters in this book just seemed to not have a clue and be OK with that. Selfish, self-absorbed stories are not for me.
August 17, 2009
I enjoyed this book pretty much all the way until the end. I liked the idea of exploring a character that had the chance to go back and "do it over again". I mean, let's be honest, haven't we all thought about how our lives might be different if we had made other choices? It was one of those books that as I am reading it, I see how close I am getting to the end and wondered, "How can this be almost finished?" The author summed up the end in one chapter and left too many unanswered questions for me. I almost had the feeling as if the author got sick of writing and just threw the end together as quickly as possible to meet her publisher's deadline.
October 9, 2008
You will love this novel that poses the question, "What if...I could go back in time and change choice that I have made?"
Allison is a wonderful author and I know my friends will read this book cover to cover and love every word.
xo
Cindy
Allison is a wonderful author and I know my friends will read this book cover to cover and love every word.
xo
Cindy
May 30, 2018
3.5 - cute, enjoyable read. Reminded me of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “Maybe In Another Life.”
March 13, 2015
"Finally, when she was six weeks old, I heard her stir in her crib, so I dragged myself in to begin the routine: diaper, nurse, burp, sing, nap all over again. Katie was staring at her pink floral bumper guard and must have heard me enter. She startled and started to wail, and my insides curdled at the sound of it. But then, I poked my face over her crib, and she shifted her head and our eyes locked. She can see me! I thought. She hushed immediately, and a tiny smile crept across her pink rosebud lips. And I felt it: that rush akin to a drug-fueled high that mothers, explain as indescribable, that tug of love that knows no boundaries."
From the outside, Jillian appears to have the perfect life. Jillian strives to make a picture-perfect lifestyle for successful banker husband and eighteen-month old daughter - just like in the parent magazines that she obsessively reads. Even though Jillian does everything right, she struggles with her slowly faltering marriage and the day to day repetition of her life as a stay at home mom. When she hears that her ex-boyfriend Jackson is engaged, she starts thinking about what her life would have been like if she had married him instead.
Suddenly, Jillian is transported back in time seven years. She wakes up in her old apartment with Jackson where she works at her old job as an advertising agent. Jillian is forced to make herself fit in to her old life and she begins to think that it is much easier the second time around. Free from the duties of being married and parenthood, she is free to focus on her job and her personal life. She dodges past fights with Jackson, reconnects with her mother who abandoned the family, and saves her best friend from miscarriages. Things seem to be going great, except that she misses her daughter and starts to realize that her relationship with Jackson might not be as great as she once thought. Reliving the past turns out to be a lot more complicated than Jillian thought. Plus she keeps running into her husband Henry. Jillian starts to realize that maybe that problem wasn’t her marriage or her mundane life, but herself. Now she is forced to choose between her life with Jackson and her marriage with Henry. And if she chooses Henry, she has to first figure out how to get back from her past.
I tend to enjoy women’s fiction novels that have a little most substance, but I actually found this book very entertaining. I’ve read a lot of intense and “hard-issue” books lately so this was a nice change of pace. I found myself liking the character of Jillian (even though her “perfect life” made me role my eyes more than a few times) and thought that the author did a good job of incorporating time travel without overdoing the details. I really liked how different aspects of the character’s lives were slightly changed once Jillian arrived back in the past and thought that it was a very realistic portrayal of marriage and motherhood. The ending was rather surprising as well.
See my full review and others here: http://onceuponatime-bookblog.blogspo...
From the outside, Jillian appears to have the perfect life. Jillian strives to make a picture-perfect lifestyle for successful banker husband and eighteen-month old daughter - just like in the parent magazines that she obsessively reads. Even though Jillian does everything right, she struggles with her slowly faltering marriage and the day to day repetition of her life as a stay at home mom. When she hears that her ex-boyfriend Jackson is engaged, she starts thinking about what her life would have been like if she had married him instead.
Suddenly, Jillian is transported back in time seven years. She wakes up in her old apartment with Jackson where she works at her old job as an advertising agent. Jillian is forced to make herself fit in to her old life and she begins to think that it is much easier the second time around. Free from the duties of being married and parenthood, she is free to focus on her job and her personal life. She dodges past fights with Jackson, reconnects with her mother who abandoned the family, and saves her best friend from miscarriages. Things seem to be going great, except that she misses her daughter and starts to realize that her relationship with Jackson might not be as great as she once thought. Reliving the past turns out to be a lot more complicated than Jillian thought. Plus she keeps running into her husband Henry. Jillian starts to realize that maybe that problem wasn’t her marriage or her mundane life, but herself. Now she is forced to choose between her life with Jackson and her marriage with Henry. And if she chooses Henry, she has to first figure out how to get back from her past.
I tend to enjoy women’s fiction novels that have a little most substance, but I actually found this book very entertaining. I’ve read a lot of intense and “hard-issue” books lately so this was a nice change of pace. I found myself liking the character of Jillian (even though her “perfect life” made me role my eyes more than a few times) and thought that the author did a good job of incorporating time travel without overdoing the details. I really liked how different aspects of the character’s lives were slightly changed once Jillian arrived back in the past and thought that it was a very realistic portrayal of marriage and motherhood. The ending was rather surprising as well.
See my full review and others here: http://onceuponatime-bookblog.blogspo...
May 17, 2010
I really liked the back-liner description of this book. Really liked it. In fact, that is the reason that I picked it up and was exciting to read it. HOWEVER, it fell completely short of my expectations based on its description. What potential this story had. But Winn Scotch absolutely lost me as a reader. First of all, the story was very predictable and familiar. There was FAR too much unnecessary language. And the main character, Jillian, was simply unlikeable and undesirable, and never redeemed herself, even though the author tried as she might to make it seemed like she changed. I never really bought it. I never really saw an actual and truthful change that truly effects the areas of someone's life. I never felt like she even had a smidgen of love for her husband or her 18 month old daughter. And you know, as a mother of an 18 month old daughter, that was the part that bothered me by far the most. We all, as parents, have days and perhaps weeks or months where we are stressed out and do not enjoy parenthood, to the point of wishing we could go back to work or in whatever way leave this life behind us. However, the absolutely joy (and to me much of the point) of parenthood is that even in those days when we are stressed to the max and want to lock ourselves away in a room and never come out, there are still the moments when out child hugs us or smiles or tells us they love us, that makes the stressful moments worth it. Well, Jillian DIDN'T have those. And when she left her 18 month old daughter behind, she never seemed to care about it or miss those little moments. Sure there were a couple of times that she was reminded of something special with her daughter, but not like a mother would be. Even though I get stressed out and worked to my wits end, the potential of NEVER seeing my kids EVER again would be like a death to me and my heart would ache at every turn. This aspect was written so badly to me that I truly believed and was certain that the author, Alison Winn Scotch, did not have children. But to my surprise she has 2. This book makes feel a little sad of her children and her husband. Because even after she "changed", she still didn't seem to ache after them.
July 7, 2010
Have you ever wondered "what if"? Have you ever looked at your life and all it's craziness and think back to a time in your past that you could go back to, and if you could, would you?
What reality would you choose if you had the chance to do it all over again?
Time of my life sets the story of a neglected suburban wife, who even though has a content life can't seem to find any real passion in her marriage, and while she has a beautiful daughter who she lives for, can't help but remember the freedom of carefree days of her single life from before.
When Jill gets the news that her ex-boyfriend, the one that she'll always love, is getting married, Jill feels devastated, but doesn't know why. So what happens when she wakes one morning ready to get her child from her crib, but instead stumbles into her old apartment that she shared with Jack...seven years into the past, but knowing everything that's happened in the last seven years later?
With knowledge at the ready, Jill is determined to change her former self and find the happiness that she let go, only, she isn't sure which reality she wants.
I really enjoyed this book, it's different from what I normally read, but I guess I was always one of those people who wondered if I could change one thing in my past, would I? And even though the answer is always no, and I'm beyond happy and content with what I have and who I am, I found this question intriguing in a read and wanted to see how it would be played out.
With an interesting plot line and likable characters this was a satisfying read. The ending was predictable, or maybe that's because I would have picked the same one.
All in all a fascinating story that really makes you think about the past, present, future and all the craziness you really want from your own reality.
Well done!
What reality would you choose if you had the chance to do it all over again?
Time of my life sets the story of a neglected suburban wife, who even though has a content life can't seem to find any real passion in her marriage, and while she has a beautiful daughter who she lives for, can't help but remember the freedom of carefree days of her single life from before.
When Jill gets the news that her ex-boyfriend, the one that she'll always love, is getting married, Jill feels devastated, but doesn't know why. So what happens when she wakes one morning ready to get her child from her crib, but instead stumbles into her old apartment that she shared with Jack...seven years into the past, but knowing everything that's happened in the last seven years later?
With knowledge at the ready, Jill is determined to change her former self and find the happiness that she let go, only, she isn't sure which reality she wants.
I really enjoyed this book, it's different from what I normally read, but I guess I was always one of those people who wondered if I could change one thing in my past, would I? And even though the answer is always no, and I'm beyond happy and content with what I have and who I am, I found this question intriguing in a read and wanted to see how it would be played out.
With an interesting plot line and likable characters this was a satisfying read. The ending was predictable, or maybe that's because I would have picked the same one.
All in all a fascinating story that really makes you think about the past, present, future and all the craziness you really want from your own reality.
Well done!
July 29, 2010
It isn't a masterpiece or particularly great writing...but it was very interesting and thought provoking. Jillian is a 30-something, affluent, stay-at-home mom, who does pilates, has massages, and drives a Range Rover, however, she is very unsatisfied with her life. She gave up a successful Manhattan advertising career and moved to the suburbs to raise her daughter. Her husband travels non-stop and she is lonely. She often wonders "what if". What if she hadn't given up her career? What if she had married the guy BEFORE this one...the one she still pines for? What if.....?
One day she is transported BACK 7 years. She is given a chance at a "do-over" with the knowledge of what actually happened.
What I really liked about it is the fact that little changes in how she reacts to a conversation or an idea does make a difference. The sticky relationship with the ex-boyfriends family COULD have been changed had she given here or there, or reacted differently. The exchanges with co-workers are different when she sees life from a more mature standpoint.
She moves through time again, in a slightly different way, while at the same time having "light-bulb" moments about her marriage in the "future".
Enjoyable, quick read.
One day she is transported BACK 7 years. She is given a chance at a "do-over" with the knowledge of what actually happened.
What I really liked about it is the fact that little changes in how she reacts to a conversation or an idea does make a difference. The sticky relationship with the ex-boyfriends family COULD have been changed had she given here or there, or reacted differently. The exchanges with co-workers are different when she sees life from a more mature standpoint.
She moves through time again, in a slightly different way, while at the same time having "light-bulb" moments about her marriage in the "future".
Enjoyable, quick read.
February 3, 2010
Jillian Westfield has been living a perfect life - at least according to the magazine articles that have been advising her. She has put so much pressure on herself to be the ideal wife and mother that she breaks under the stress of it all. In a kind of freaky accident-by-massage she finds herself living seven years earlier. Her same life, seven years earlier. The do-over of all do-overs! She's back living with her boyfriend Jackson and on the fast track at work. She's reliving familiar situations and sees how she could have reacted differently the first time. The question is: Should she do things differently? If she does, it could change her life, that of her husband (not Jack, by the way), her daughter, friends and relatives.
Jillian needs to come to terms with a few things from her past. In doing so, will she make decisions that could change her future? Or, will she take what she discovers and return to her real life?
I enjoyed how things played out in this entertaining book. There's a lot of truth in it. Allison Winn Scotch's novel is charming and fresh. I found myself cheering Jillian on as she figured things out. Time Of My Life would be a great book club selection.
Jillian needs to come to terms with a few things from her past. In doing so, will she make decisions that could change her future? Or, will she take what she discovers and return to her real life?
I enjoyed how things played out in this entertaining book. There's a lot of truth in it. Allison Winn Scotch's novel is charming and fresh. I found myself cheering Jillian on as she figured things out. Time Of My Life would be a great book club selection.
March 23, 2010
I dislike contrived books and I dislike books that need to try to hard to tell you their message. I like a book that makes me think not just because its plot is thought provoking, but also because there is some degree of character development that is left open to interpertation. This book failed. I guess the premise was something that made me think. But it is such an overused premise, that it was hard to feel like the story was novel. I feel a little bit like I wasted some time from my life reading it.
November 23, 2014
I enjoyed the theme of the book because we all wonder "What if? Am I in the right place?" I thought the book did a good job of exploring that question and how we can and often do cheat ourselves out of happiness because we spend time thinking about what could have been. I liked the main character despite how spoiled/whiney she could be. That being said, the absurdity of how these things were accomplished kept me from absolutely loving this book.
September 1, 2020
I really connected with this story, probably because I could imagine it so well. I loved the premise and I felt like the author really delivered for me. You can dismiss it as fluff chick lit, but I really liked it.
January 24, 2024
This story is an example of why fiction can be so valuable, beyond the enjoyment we get from it.
We all wonder from time to time what our lives would have been like had we made different decisions. Reading this inspires me to take more control over the life I currently have. I can't go back in time to make different decisions in my past, but I can choose to have a different perspective on the results from what I decided.
We all wonder from time to time what our lives would have been like had we made different decisions. Reading this inspires me to take more control over the life I currently have. I can't go back in time to make different decisions in my past, but I can choose to have a different perspective on the results from what I decided.
November 6, 2017
Picked this up from a neighbor's giveaway pile for some light commute reading. The first chapter introducing the main character and her suburban life is horrifyingly bad (as in why does anyone care about this, and the bit about the "toothy" dry cleaner is just not ok), and the next few chapters felt like fast-paced superficial/materialistic magazine writing. To give the benefit of the doubt, perhaps we are supposed to feel that way about the beginning because the character does go on to learn some things and come to her senses by the end of the book. The middle/end of the book were engaging enough, but nothing new or worthwhile here.
February 7, 2025
Super easy to read book about a girl who is questioning the life she chose and goes back in time to rewrite the future. It’s a little drawn out at times but it is heartwarming and tugs at the heart strings. It def is a book that makes you wonder “what if” only to realize everything you could ever want and need is right in front of you
August 1, 2018
I just read this in about 3 hours. Yes, yes, yes! It was so good and reminded me somewhat of What Alice Forgot, only in an opposite way. It's tender and funny and exciting. I am L-O-V-I-N-G this author.
September 14, 2023
2 stars for the beautiful cover, as for the book, it was mind-numbingly boring.
April 21, 2025
This book was really fucking bad lol
March 5, 2016
Oh, what fun! And oh, how sad it couldn't be that much smoother... better... more polished.
This novel is a voyage and return story, where Jill is magically sent back in time to see how life would turn out if she made different choices. The choices: Jack versus Henry.
Jack is a writer (with a novel in the works and a job at Esquire). He also has a Mommy Dearest mother from the high end of society and an upturned nose that likes to look down on those around her.
Then there's the man she actually married, the meticulous Henry. The spark has gone from their relationship. Henry travels constantly and when together, they're too tired for romance. She gave up her career for this?
And so with a magic wish and an intense massage, she finds herself waking to an apartment from her past, wondering where her daughter (who hasn't been born yet) is, hung over and late for a job she thought she'd left behind.
How wonderful, to get a second chance. To experience the challenges of the relationship for a second time with the insights of maturity and hindsight. Some of the changes she makes change the outcome of the world around her. In her past life, her friend Megan died in a car crash. In this version, this and other things have changed and keep changing.
At the same time, this Alice in Wonderland adventure went the wrong way for me because it was hard to pin down the difference between her choices.
Jack is supposed to be unambitious as he drags his heels about the novel he's writing. And yet he's well employed at Esquire magazine. How is being a writer at Esquire not a great accomplishment, one that would take some hard work and ambition? Henry is a control freak, meticulous. And yet I never quite bought this version of him (he has a bad habit of drinking orange juice out of the container). In both instances the writer tells us what these men are like and yet how they act doesn't match the story. So, what is she choosing between? What is the difference?
There are stretches of the novel where the writer is trying too hard, throwing in too many details and extra ideas, where one strong one would have sufficed. Here's her description of her workstation:
If this was the first instance of learning that she was not a neat-as-a-pin type, fine. But almost on every page the reader is inundated with tumbling torrents of words.
Then there are lengthy passages where she writes a letter to herself about how she meets Henry. Passive backstory that I eventually began to skip because of its irrelevance to the story. This was writer homework, some of which could have been used, but not all.
And yet, there are stretches where the writer's words sing. Where she takes us deep into a moment and allows us to consider it. The best writing happens in parts of the love story between her and the daughter she hasn't had yet, Katie. In one scene, she goes into a pharmacy, opens a bottle of the lotion she used to soothe across Katie's skin and smells it, just so she can feel her presence. How very poignant and telling a moment! In one sense, it is the love story of a mother, pining for the daughter she hasn't had yet, and yet has had.
It is this writing and the sheer fun of the concept that earn 3 stars. Two more stars would go on my review if the choice between Jack and Henry was more clear, and some of those over-wrought sections trimmed to their essentials.
This novel is a voyage and return story, where Jill is magically sent back in time to see how life would turn out if she made different choices. The choices: Jack versus Henry.
Jack is a writer (with a novel in the works and a job at Esquire). He also has a Mommy Dearest mother from the high end of society and an upturned nose that likes to look down on those around her.
Then there's the man she actually married, the meticulous Henry. The spark has gone from their relationship. Henry travels constantly and when together, they're too tired for romance. She gave up her career for this?
And so with a magic wish and an intense massage, she finds herself waking to an apartment from her past, wondering where her daughter (who hasn't been born yet) is, hung over and late for a job she thought she'd left behind.
How wonderful, to get a second chance. To experience the challenges of the relationship for a second time with the insights of maturity and hindsight. Some of the changes she makes change the outcome of the world around her. In her past life, her friend Megan died in a car crash. In this version, this and other things have changed and keep changing.
At the same time, this Alice in Wonderland adventure went the wrong way for me because it was hard to pin down the difference between her choices.
Jack is supposed to be unambitious as he drags his heels about the novel he's writing. And yet he's well employed at Esquire magazine. How is being a writer at Esquire not a great accomplishment, one that would take some hard work and ambition? Henry is a control freak, meticulous. And yet I never quite bought this version of him (he has a bad habit of drinking orange juice out of the container). In both instances the writer tells us what these men are like and yet how they act doesn't match the story. So, what is she choosing between? What is the difference?
There are stretches of the novel where the writer is trying too hard, throwing in too many details and extra ideas, where one strong one would have sufficed. Here's her description of her workstation:
"...not unlike my closet, is in various degrees of disassembly and disarray. Post-it notes frame my computer screen, and tumbling stacks of paper cascade over one another and on top of pens, pencils, and stock photography, all of which neck their way close to my keyboard, which sits atop the only free space on my desk. Josie delicately displaces two tote bags that are clogged with freebies from potential clients from the chair opposite my desk and sits."
If this was the first instance of learning that she was not a neat-as-a-pin type, fine. But almost on every page the reader is inundated with tumbling torrents of words.
Then there are lengthy passages where she writes a letter to herself about how she meets Henry. Passive backstory that I eventually began to skip because of its irrelevance to the story. This was writer homework, some of which could have been used, but not all.
And yet, there are stretches where the writer's words sing. Where she takes us deep into a moment and allows us to consider it. The best writing happens in parts of the love story between her and the daughter she hasn't had yet, Katie. In one scene, she goes into a pharmacy, opens a bottle of the lotion she used to soothe across Katie's skin and smells it, just so she can feel her presence. How very poignant and telling a moment! In one sense, it is the love story of a mother, pining for the daughter she hasn't had yet, and yet has had.
It is this writing and the sheer fun of the concept that earn 3 stars. Two more stars would go on my review if the choice between Jack and Henry was more clear, and some of those over-wrought sections trimmed to their essentials.
February 26, 2019
I picked this up at the library because it was placed prominently on a shelf and I thought "why not?" Here's why not...a married woman, instead of talking with her current spouse, shuts off, isolates herself from him, picks out all his flaws, and uses some massage chi voodoo to go back in time 7 years and have another go with the guy she just couldn't quite forget. While in the past she completly changes who she is and what she wants in order to keep this old flame, who it turns out wasn't worth keeping anyway.
Plus the ending, just...skip this one, and you're welcome.
Plus the ending, just...skip this one, and you're welcome.
December 23, 2009
This book has a very interesting premise – one that I think many of us may have pondered at some point in our lives. The big question: What if? What would life have been like if you stayed with an ex? What this book allows the reader to do is get a glimpse of a character who has that choice. Time of My Life tells the story of Jillian Westfield, a stay-at-home mom with a beautiful daughter, a magazine-perfect home, and a doting husband. But looks can be very deceiving. With her marriage crumbling, Jill begins to wonder what life would have been like had she stayed with her ex-boyfriend, Jack. One day, after a relaxing massage, Jill wakes up to find herself seven years in the past. Now she will get a chance to change the course of her life – or will she? What if you could go into the past and make different decisions? Would you? What if those decisions affected the lives of everyone around you? Would you still make a different choice?
With the gift of hindsight, Jillian jumps headfirst into her previous life, making different choices, with drastically different outcomes. Each decision, big or small, has a rippling effect on the lives of everyone around her, including her boss, Josie, and her friend, Meg. Knowing what the future holds for them, Jillian tries to help her friends at important times in their lives. But, will her newfound attentiveness change their futures, too?
And what about Jack, the reason for this trip back in time? Well, suffice it to say that Jillian faces some different challenges in that relationship!
I really enjoyed this book, but I felt that the ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked to have seen it fleshed out a bit more. I want to know how the supporting characters came to be where they were at the end. I felt that I only got a glimpse and I can assume things that happened, but I really wanted the author to show me more. Yes, the ending is predictable, but it’s not so much about the ending, but more about the journey that Jillian takes. All in all, it was a compelling read that I enjoyed. This is a story of self-discovery and taking responsibility for our own happiness. It sends a positive, uplifting message. I am looking forward to reading the author’s other books.
I would rate this book with a strong 4 out of 5 stars.
With the gift of hindsight, Jillian jumps headfirst into her previous life, making different choices, with drastically different outcomes. Each decision, big or small, has a rippling effect on the lives of everyone around her, including her boss, Josie, and her friend, Meg. Knowing what the future holds for them, Jillian tries to help her friends at important times in their lives. But, will her newfound attentiveness change their futures, too?
And what about Jack, the reason for this trip back in time? Well, suffice it to say that Jillian faces some different challenges in that relationship!
I really enjoyed this book, but I felt that the ending was a bit rushed and I would have liked to have seen it fleshed out a bit more. I want to know how the supporting characters came to be where they were at the end. I felt that I only got a glimpse and I can assume things that happened, but I really wanted the author to show me more. Yes, the ending is predictable, but it’s not so much about the ending, but more about the journey that Jillian takes. All in all, it was a compelling read that I enjoyed. This is a story of self-discovery and taking responsibility for our own happiness. It sends a positive, uplifting message. I am looking forward to reading the author’s other books.
I would rate this book with a strong 4 out of 5 stars.
August 31, 2016
My review will seem like I liked this book more than the 2 stars I gave it, because I did like almost all of it. But one really hard issue kept sticking in my throat while reading it, and I just couldn't get past it.
This is a basic second-chance novel: what if you were given the chance to go back and redo the mistakes you thought you made....would you avoid them, or just make different mistakes? The author gives us a chance to see the narrator ponder this, and realize what she is consciously and subconsciously doing differently to change things. She changes things thinking she wants to, and we tend to go along with this theory, although for the life of me I can't understand what was so horrible about her life that some communication and common sense couldn't have fixed. But it's an enjoyable theory, after all, WE have nothing to lose by her doing this....
But that's the sticking point. She does have something to lose - the daughter that she and her husband created. When she realizes that she wants to fix the problems with her own boyfriend that caused them to split up before, she effectively writes off her little girl. And I wasn't OK with that. It bothered me to think that she had loved this person so much and then traded her for a relationship with someone else. The fact that this didn't eat at her made the narrator much less sympathetic and I didn't want to invest my emotions in her. Not being emotionally tied to the main character and her plot made this an unsatisfying book.
This is a basic second-chance novel: what if you were given the chance to go back and redo the mistakes you thought you made....would you avoid them, or just make different mistakes? The author gives us a chance to see the narrator ponder this, and realize what she is consciously and subconsciously doing differently to change things. She changes things thinking she wants to, and we tend to go along with this theory, although for the life of me I can't understand what was so horrible about her life that some communication and common sense couldn't have fixed. But it's an enjoyable theory, after all, WE have nothing to lose by her doing this....
But that's the sticking point. She does have something to lose - the daughter that she and her husband created. When she realizes that she wants to fix the problems with her own boyfriend that caused them to split up before, she effectively writes off her little girl. And I wasn't OK with that. It bothered me to think that she had loved this person so much and then traded her for a relationship with someone else. The fact that this didn't eat at her made the narrator much less sympathetic and I didn't want to invest my emotions in her. Not being emotionally tied to the main character and her plot made this an unsatisfying book.
November 26, 2009
I just couldn't figure out what the main character hated about her life that she wanted a "do-over". I don't know any full-time moms who have a nanny so that they can run errands, the description of her husband made him seem like a nice enough guy, and she loved being with her toddler. She was even lucky enough to go to the gym to exercise and out with her girlfriends. What's not to like? Unfortunately, the writer never fully explained. Instead, the main character went back in time and stayed with the boyfriend she'd left before she met her husband. In her new life, she became what she thought her boyfriend wanted in order to make their relationship work. And then she was surprised when she resented him for it. Oh, and along the way she came to the realization that the problems with their relationship (and her relationship in the future with her husband) weren't all the guy's fault, that she was as responsible as they were. So, of course, she gets to go Back to the Future (hmm, hasn't this idea been done before?), only this time the changes she made on her "do-over" all came out for the best. It was all neatly tied up in the end. I was annoyed with the main character (stop whining already!) throughout the book and knew that she would somehow magically get back to modern day in the end. The idea of this book was intriguing, but the book itself was just okay. I don't recommend it.
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