I'm still wiping the tears away as I write this review. What a truly remarkable story. This is perfect for fans of P S I Love You which is one of my favourite books. I didn't think anything could ever beat it but this just has. I've read this book over the last couple of days and couldn't put it down. I'm going to miss the characters in this book and it's going to be hard picking up another book straight away. I need this to live in my head and my heart for a while longer. Well done Josie Silver. I loved One Day in December but The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is definitely on my favourite list! Can't wait to read your next book.

Just perfect !! This book takes you through the grief to Lydia who’s ‘love of her life ‘Freddie dies in a tragic accident. Learning to live forgive and remember Freddie ... this story unfolds to deliver an unforgettable read

I absolutely loved this book
The parallel universe was written so well
The way the book dealt with grief and how people get through was well written and true to life
The love story through the book old and new was amazing
I just loved it and would highly recommend

Enjoyed Josie's first book but this one wasn't for me! Maybe I should have persevered more based on the other reviews

This was a very sweet book. Lydia is grieving the loss of her husband and this story is about her path forwards.

The characters were very believable and I found it moving in places. I liked the dual aspect of the story, particularly that things weren’t always rosy in the alternative life.

It made me think about my own reaction to grief and loss and how I could help others.

A good, well paced read with an interesting story. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

The idea behind this story was great but I’m afraid I got a little bored while reading it. The test of a good book for me is whether I read it every time I have five minutes spare, unfortunately I didn’t with this book...it’s been a few days since I’ve last picked it up. The style of writing was very good, I think I’m just more of a ‘crime and thriller’ book worm.

Loved this book. Great characters, easy read, uplifting, funny, romantic and charming. A really nice story that is the perfect escapist read.

I loved Josie Silver’s previous book – One Day In December – so when the publisher emailed to ask if I wanted the secret Netgalley link to her next book, I jumped at the chance!
Here’s the blurb:
“Two love stories. One Impossible Choice.
Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’ve been together for almost a decade, and Lydia thinks their love is indestructible.
But she’s wrong. Because on her 27th birthday, Freddie dies in a tragic accident.
So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants to do is hide indoors and sob ’til her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to live her life well. So, enlisting the help of his best friend and her sister Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world and starts to live – perhaps even to love – again.
Then something unbelievable happens, and Lydia gets another chance at her old life with Freddie. But what if there’s someone in her new life who wants her to stay?
A heart-breaking, uplifting story for fans of PS I Love You and Me Before You, this gorgeously romantic novel will make you laugh, cry and remind you of what a wonderful gift it is to love and to be loved.”
This is such a clever book. I was going to say a Sliding Doors type premise – but it’s cleverer than that (and Lydia isn’t Gwyneth Paltrow)
Very early on in the book Freddie is killed – and Lydia’s life is changed forever – or is it? She has a portal back into her old life where the accident didn’t happen (this isn’t as weird and far fetched as it sounds – and flows really well in the storyline I promise!)
The relationships between Lydia and all of the other characters – family, friends, colleagues are all beautifully written and cleverly nuanced. Whilst less than major parts – her workmates are just lovely – and so caring when she goes back to work.
It also really makes you think about what would happen if a tragedy didn’t happen. (On a personal level, my mother in law passed away after a long fight with cancer a few weeks after I met my husband. She knew I existed – but she was too poorly for us to meet. I often think about how different for all of her family life could have been if she hadn’t died so young.)
Anyway – back to the book before we all get over emosh.
It’s fabulous, and I really enjoyed it. I kind of guessed the ending-ish. But it twists and turns to get there, and you’re never quite sure what will happen next.
A couple of times Lydia seems to make crazy decisions – but it just pushes the storyline forwards in a new way.
Overall it’s a great book – and I would thoroughly recommend it.

Oh my goodness this book is just, perfect. The blurb alludes to dual lives going on which let's be honest sounds very odd. I wasn't quite sure how this would work especially after having read Josie's first book 'One day in December' of which I loved instantly and gifted as presents to friends, it was THAT good.

A few pages in on this new story and instantly any 'concerns' on how Josie would deliver this parallel life was squashed away immediately, We meet Lydia who is due to meet her love, Freddie for her birthday meal out but Freddie dies and we follow her in the year or so after this happens. Lydia painfully goes through her life as it is now without Freddie and also experiences life with Freddie. How this is done is cleverly done and I think would make a good book club topic - was it depression, wishful thinking, extreme dreams due to self medicating? This does sound dark however it isn't somehow due to the magical storytelling.

This book had me sobbing at Christmas and New Year Eve and again at the very end. It is essentially a beautiful love story at the heart of it all not with just Lydia and Freddie. The love we have for our friends and family when we all experience life changing event no matter how big or small they appear.

Josie has done it again and I can really see this story working on the big screen too.

A week later and I am still thinking about this gorgeous story. Love, love, love.

Thank you, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this beautiful story in exchange for a honest review.

I received a free e-copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

I feel like a Grinch for not totally loving this book as everyone on Netgalley and Goodreads seemed to be crazy about it, and fair play to them! However, I was a real fan of One Day in December and this, to me, is not as strong.

There was no relationship between Lydia's 'parallel lives' - what happened in one life was not mirrored in another. If the author had wanted to get away with this she could, given that the logic of how Lydia stumbles across her 'dream life' was totally fantastical to begin with (sleeping pills would never have this effect). You could tell who she was going to end up with from Page 1 and one potentially interesting dilemma - where her sister suffers a tragedy in one life but not in another - had no dramatic tension because Lydia was never required to make a choice or sacrifice anything to stop it from happening - she only decides she prefers the life where the tragedy doesn't happen after the fact, which isn't much of a choice at all.

This book is an absolute beauty of a read! Very emotional but in a way that is just pure joy. I could 100% see this story adapted for the big screen. Wonderful from start to finish.

After Lydia's fiancee is killed in a road accident in which his best friend is driving she is naturally heartbroken and finding it hard to sleep she resorts to sleeping tablets She finally gets the sleep she craves but she finds herself back with Freddie and what her life would have been like A lovely story of and beautifully written by Josie but is it healthy for Lydia to be living for these dreams and can she eventually come to terms with everything so she can finally find happiness again with the help of her friends and family A beautiful story

Excuse me while I just blow my nose and wipe my eyes.
This is another perfect book for reading in your cozy pj's with a mug of comforting hot chocolate and giving yourself over to the two worlds that Lydia Bird inhabits following the sudden death of her fiancé. Thanks to <spoiler>a prescription of trial drugs to help her sleep</spoiler> Lydia is able to have a foot in two worlds; the one where she has to deal with her grief and anger about what has happened, and the other where she can continue planning her wedding to Freddie. As the story progresses it is clear that she has to decide which life she is going to live going forward.
There is love, loss and some pretty big life changes, both good and bad. The emotional connection I felt to Lydia had me crying along with her on more than one occasion, but also cheering her on when she took charge of her life. I did hope that the book would end the way that it did, and along with my tears and nose blowing, there was also a big smile across my face.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

These are 100% the types of books I live for. This was a joy to read from start to finish.

After reading ‘One Day in December’, I knew that Josie Silver was a gem of a writer. She paints a gorgeous picture of romance, friendship and heartache and leaves you yearning for more even when there’s no words left of the page. This novel touched on all sorts of topics that make the perfect light-hearted romance recipe. I fell in love with Jonah Jones from the get go and I’m sure if you read, you will end up doing the same.

I cried, I laughed and I smiled during this read and couldn’t have wished for anything more. Such a gorgeous book by Silver.

I couldn't wait to read this book since I loved last year's 'One Day in December' so I was grateful to the publishers for the opportunity to read it early. I'm pleased to say it lived up to my expectations!

Like Josie Silver's earlier novel, this has a film-like quality and the scenes and characters are easily brought to life. Although the story starts with a death and deals predominantly with a protagonist, Lydia, who is working through her grief, it is not overly depressing or morbid. Instead it feels warm and honest, with plenty of humour and so much heart. This is a love story about love in all its forms: family, friendship and community.

I was initially concerned (especially when I saw the 'awake' and 'asleep' chapter headings) that the concept wouldn't work well and the story would fall into cliché but, somehow, Josie Silver makes it work by acknowledging all the complexities and nuances of Lydia's situation.

If you enjoyed books like Jojo Moyes' 'Me Before You' series or Beth O'Leary's 'The Flatshare', I think you would love this.

Thank you very much to Penguin Books (UK) and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy of 'The Two Lives of Lydia Bird' in exchange for an honest review.

What a book!

I adore Josie Silver's writing and she hasn't disappointed with this latest novel.

This is a tale of love, loss and friendship.

The way she described how Lydia journeyed through her grief was both sensitive and emotive.

Fair warning, this story starts off with a sad tone, I'll be honest I cried throughout a lot of this book (not all sorrowful tears though.)

Each character within this book has been given a great amount of depth, each playing a supporting role that seemed necessary.

What's portrayed is essentially normal day to day life.

Josie shows how one persons death has an affect on so many lives, not just those who you think are close to them but a wider reach as those friends and family's actions change and adapt to new beginnings.

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is emotional but by the end you are left with a sense of hope and comfort.

Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this a lot. A light read, romantic and bitter sweet. It was timed with some things going on in my life right now and so that was fortuitous. I’ve read some reviews which said that Freddie isn’t likeable and I’d agree with this to an extent but it didn’t ruin the novel.

I couldn’t read this quick enough a story that had me gripped from the start you really felt you was there along side the characters, will be looking out for more from Josie.

A sweet and endearing love story, perfect if you’re after a quick read.

Lydia and Freddie are childhood sweethearts, and about to marry. But on Lydia’s birthday, Freddie dies in a car accident.

In the hideous traumas of grief, the sleeping pills Lydia is prescribed enable her to enter another universe, one where Freddie is still there and the wedding is still on…

What is real? What is grief? Lydia is shored up by the love of her sister who is expecting a baby, and Freddie’s best friend Jonah. But which future will she choose to rely upon and what will the consequences be?

Light and lovely.

Lydia Bird's beloved fiancé Freddie Hunter is killed in a car crash as he drives to her birthday meal after making a detour to pick up his best friend. Lydia subsequently discover that a trial sleeping pill produces vivid dreams of a parallel universe where Freddie is still alive.

Hmm, I found this to be one long wallow. I persevered, but it seemed like one long variation on the theme of how much Lydia missed Freddie.