Can Robert Billings be my husband?!
…
Asking for a friend =P
Seriously, this was a stunning debut. A great way to kick off my summer reading. If the title has you intrigued, but you’re not sure about the commitment….
Make the commitment.

I promise, you won’t be sorry.
I sure wasn’t.
And neither was Josie…

…
The Love of My Other Life by C.J. Connolly is a sweet contemporary romance with a sci-fi twist that had me guessing until the very end. Honestly, I could not put this down. I had to know what would happen to my girl Josie. The novel had a unique introspective style, which made me feel like I was Josie’s best friend, and together we had to figure out how to put her life back together. I also really enjoyed the emphasis on commitment in this book. Every relationship in this book was built on that word, which is something so rarely seen in cute summer reads like this one. Commitment was something Josie was constantly redefining for herself throughout the plot. What did she want? What did she deserve? Was she settling? Personally, I am in a period of reevaluation in my life, so this book was…timely.
There were a few little things that I’d like to point out in case they would bother you too:
First, I am not a huge fan of dual perspective novels. There’s always one story line I care about more. And that was true with this work as well. I skipped forward more than once, reading ahead to the perspective I was most curious about. Second, there was not enough smut in this book for me. I prefer my summer reads…or any romance really…at a medium smut level. This was super light on the smut; super heavy on the plot. So, I was left a little disappointed and bored.
Thank you so much NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this cute debut. I will be looking out for more of C.J. Connolly’s work.

It is the age of the multiverse, and I am ALL FOR IT. The reader goes back and forth between two versions of the narrator, Josie, who experience a bike crash and switch timelines, realizing that they do not share the same memories as those around them over the past few years. Josie and Other Josie each gain something that the other one does not have or no longer has and wonder if the grass really is greener on the other side, to realize that they want to go back to their own timeline. I liked the journal entries that were interspersed and overall while this had some heavy tops, gave a lighthearted vibe that will be a great summer read.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review)

The book starts off with an interesting premise. Josie has a bike accident that knocks her out of her timeline and into an alternate one in which her life has turned out slightly different. But it doesn’t end there, she knocked a version of Josie out of that timeline who was pushed into hers and this the different versions each end up living each other’s life.

Great concept right? I think so too, but unfortunately I felt like the book was unable to live up to the potential and quickly went downhill. First, it just moved really slow in the beginning. It took so long with Josie explaining her confusion and keeping up that it wasn’t right. Then, nothing seemed to happen for a really long time with her character. When we got to “other Josie” it was a bit of the same process over again. Both characters seem to dialogue quite a bit without letting you experience as the reader.

I wish this was the extent of my discontent. One of the differences is also that one Josie is about 30lbs lighter, and this just keeps coming up. A weird scene was when other Josie gets pushed into the timeline of the heavier body and comments how it took longer to dry off from her shower after because there was more of her……girl please.

My biggest gripe though is probably with the Josie character herself. I just didn’t really like her or find anything that interesting about her. She really goes off the rails when each character starts to become jealous of the other, especially in regards to Rob, the husband in the timeline that main Josie travels to. This becomes a pivotal point man’s the characters bring up that the marriage is bigamist because he is already married.

I think the spiral of jealousy was written in because there wasn’t that much more to say. The book failed to capture on the wild magic of a multiverse, and how that could make someone grow stronger, braver, smarter, or kinder.

As a lighthearted romance, this checks a few, but not all the boxes.

2.5 stars
This wasn’t too bad, but it wasn’t my favorite. I would pick this based on the storyline, but at the end I was pushing to just finish it.

Cool idea- multiverse, destined love of your life

Few uncomfortable/insensitive comments (this is the ARC version before official publication)
-Other Josie saying she’s 30lbs heavier and it takes longer to dry because there’s more of her.

-Original Josie and Rob always calling each other “baby” got annoying.

-Calling Rob a bigamist- I get it, I don’t like it.

-Other Josie comparing David getting married and having a baby to his death because it’s like “she was going to lose him all over again.”

I don’t feel like I really liked Josie at all. I didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters.

Spice- nothing extensive, but more than fade to black.

You do get more info on each life at the end of the book. Your not left wondering how things turned out- no cliffhanger.


Special thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for this digital ARC.

I've always been a fan of the multiverse idea and have adored every single book I've read (there are sadly so FEW!) that used that on the story. Add in a love storyand I was sold! That being said, just because the trope is good doesn't necessarily always mean the book will turn out amazing. Lucky for us this book is absolutely everything I thought it would be and more.


On Josies 35th birthday shes in a bike accident and wakes up in an alternate timeline. Shes the same person, but because of different circumstances her life is completely different on each plane. This book delves into what each Josie goes through to find herself and how each feels moving through a life that doesn't exactly fit. One Josie has lost her brother but married the man of her dreams. The other still has her brother but is single and lives in a completely different financial bracket.

Every page was pure magic and I was honestly sad it ended. The characters were all so fleshed out they felt real and the story was told so perfectly that this is truly one of the very best books I've read this year! And Rob. 😍 Rob was a dream husband! This would be such an emotional thing to deal with and so unbelievable that it would be truly a nightmare to experience. The author took us through such emotional highs and lows with ease and truly showed her gift with a story. I'll forever read anything else she writes and am already anticipating her next book! I can't recommend this one highly enough!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thank you to Joffe Books, C.J. Connolly, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Being a huge fan of movies like Sliding Doors I love the concept of other universes and how our decisions can change the course of our lives. On Josie’s birthday a bicycle accident causes her to end up in an alternate universe where she is married and as a completely different life. Meanwhile an alternate Josie is thrust into her old life. The books premise was good and as I read I got more into it. The beginning started a bit slow but I can see how it built the basis for where the story went.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

Even though the premise of the book about the multiverse was very interesting and i kinda liked to read about it as a romance story, i wasn’t really interested. I found it kinda boring and the characters gave me so much anxiety.
I was really glad when the two Josies switched characters back to their normal life and finally I was able to say everything is fine and happy again. I was especially happy when both Josie ended up with the same guy, my anxiety was all gone.
I had emotional part with this book, with David and his story in two multiverse. Many people would give everything for a chance to meet their loved ones from the past they lost.
I don’t know I didn’t liked the ‘real’ Josie, I found her too problematic. But the ‘other’ Josie has all my heart, I found her character more likeable. I was so happy for her. And Rob was, just Rob. I think he was so confused about everything about her wife(s) that he didn’t even know how to handle all of the stuff that was going on his life.
But like I said it’s a story with a very good premise and I think many people will love the idea of multiverse and the idea of an ‘other me’ in a different life.

Loved this story! The parallel universe always makes for an interesting story and this one had humour, sadness, regret, love and longing. It showed the hardships of existing in each other’s universe and how each decided what was right for them.

Beautifully, gently written with heartwarming and compelling moments this was a fantastic read. Great, believable characters and excellent dialogue, highly recommended.

I loved the premise of this book. Who hasnt ever wondered what their life would look like they had their own sliding doors moments. So I really enjoyed spending time in these worlds.

First time trying this author, definitely want to read more so seeing what is in the kindle store

if you liked maybe in another life by Taylor Jenkins Reid then this should be right up your alley. compelling, dynamic and suprisingly fresh, the main character in this real worked for me. I loved how external and internal conflict was handled in this and I found the writing to be absolutely 110% engaging !! definitely an author to look out for

Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the arc.
I loved this book. What a great premise! Fans of Rebecca Serle will enjoy this. Is this Ms. Connolly's debut novel? Kudos. I look forward to more from her. I love anything on the idea of "Sliding Doors" and this certainly did not disappoint. It was so interesting having the two timelines with the same characters in each. It's one of those....can't wait to finish & see what happens....but at the same time, I don't want it to end! I read fast but I really took my time with this and savored it. Highly recommend.

Thank you to C.J. Connolly, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Josie gets into a bicycle accident on her 36th birthday and wakes up to a completely different life. Did Josie jump into another dimension or does she really not remember the last three years of her life? Is she single or married? Is her brother alive or dead? Does she work for a radio talk show or a high end real estate company? Will Josie be able to figure out what happened and how to fix it or will she succumb to her new life?

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the alternating perspectives and the alternate dimensions. I wanted so bad for Josie to figure out what was going on and to be happy. I also wanted her "husband" Rob to end up happy in the end too. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions in this book, The Love of My Other Life is a rare gem!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

It’s a multiverse romance. NYC Josie takes off on her bicycle to meet friends at the pub for the celebration of her 36th birthday. Birthday girl never arrives safely at her destination, instead crashing her bicycle, and waking up in hospital to a totally different reality. This is when multiple timelines begin to emerge. One version of Josie wakes up to realize that she is married to a lovely, beautiful stranger named Rob, while the other version of Josie wakes up discover that her husband Rob is no longer in her life, but a kind man named Peter would like the job.

Two versions of Josie spend the next year living each other’s lives, friendships, careers, and romances. Both Josies basically fake amnesia, and both are 99% certain that it’s not amnesia at all, but just an alternate version of their own existence.

Josie and Josie, since they are basically the same person, choose to write a journal for each other, just in case they should ever get switched back one day. Each Josie faces the challenge of pining for her previous life while reluctantly learning to love her new one. Both women have an idea about how to swap the timelines and land back into their own reality. She and She must decide whether to sacrifice romantic love or family love. There are no easy choices.

Did I mention also that Josie is British, and this lovely story takes us in one year onto three different continents? Without giving anything away, this reader cried when reading the last sentence. It was just so pure and so sexy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

Have you ever considered what your life might be like if something that happened to you somehow went differently? What if you were able to get up and walk away from a bicycle accident instead of getting bumped and bruised? What if you never made it to that conference you planned to attend and instead limped home? Well, this is what happens to Josie Cavendish. From that moment on, Josie was living two parallel lives: one living the single life in a cramped Brooklyn apartment as the host of a real estate radio show called Talk New York, and the other working a communications job for a high-end real estate firm and living a life of luxury alongside husband, Rob Billing, developer mogul. But what if, one day, another bicycle accident causes you to switch places with the other version of yourself?

I’ll leave my synopsis there because this book was a whirlwind of emotion. This novel was beautifully written and had me feeling for both versions of Josie. Whether it was sympathy, anger, or excitement, I certainly felt it all! I fell in love with other Josie’s husband Rob and felt his anguish when he discovered his wife did not remember him or anything about the life they built. I was so happy for other Josie when she finally got to hug the brother she lost in her own timeline. But most of all, I love love loved the triumphant ending and desperately wanted for there to be more. Go buy this book!

The Other Love of My Life will be published on June 30, 2022.

Thank you to C.J. Connolly, Joffe Books, and NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Romance books with a multiverse/parallel universe theme are not too common and good ones are few and far between. I'm glad to say this is a rare gem indeed - I was hooked from the first page to the end, and although I could predict what would happen I couldn't put it down. Rob (s) and Josie (s) are likeable, relatable characters and it is hugely entertaining seeing them having to adapt to their new realities. I am a huge fan of the multiverse concept and 'what if' imagery - where a single event or decision can change the whole course of your life. I didn't realise until I finished the book that it is a debut novel, which is astonishing. If you like a good parallel universe romance then I can highly recommend this one when it is out at the end of June - it's even on Kindle Unlimited - what a bargain! I can't wait to see what this Author will write next. Many thanks to NetGallery and the Publisher for allowing me to get a copy of the book - I really loved reading it.

Beautiful, well written, romantic, heartbreaking, uplifting, heart wrenching, and wonderful. If you love romance books. Don't miss this one.

Such a mind blowing premise of a story which keeps the reader totally enthralled all the way through. Thoughtful and thought provoking and highly recommended.

The Love of My Other Life by CJ Connolly was a wild ride - I couldn’t put it down! After a bike accident on her 36th birthday Josie wakes up in a new reality…she recognizes pieces of her life, like her mom and her art, but not some pretty big ones - like her husband. Her new life is picture perfect - gorgeous apartment, a job she could only have dreamed of having, a doting husband….but is it worth giving up “her other life” for?

I thought this was an overall exciting and compelling read - there’s a “twist” 1/4 of the way through that kicks this up a notch. I liked the themes that the book explored - what does having it all really mean? And the ending made me feel 🥰. Where this book had some opportunity is in the writing itself - I found the dialogue to be a little simple and repetitive. I felt like the character building was surface level, but that being said I still really enjoyed the story and would recommend it.

The Love of My Other Life is out 6/30/22 - don’t miss this one, it is the perfect summer read! Thanks to NetGalley and Joffre Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was provided an uncorrected digital proof of this novel by NetGalley and Joffe Books, in exchange for an honest review.

“The Love Of My Other Life” by C.J. Connolly was a novel I was really excited for. Having watched and loved the movie “Sliding Doors” and the TV show “Fringe,” this book seemed right up my alley. The idea of a multi-verse, in which an alternate version of you exists, has obviously become exceedingly popular due to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And while I wanted to love this book because of this concept, it didn’t meet my expectations.

“The Love Of My Other Life,” follows Josie as she gets into an accident on her birthday, and finds herself awake in a completely different life. The kind of life she’d always dreamed of. We follow Josie as she reconciles the changes in her life, and also struggles with this new life. The story alternates between the two versions of Josie, and we ultimately see both faced with the choice of either accepting their new life or trying something crazy to get things back the way they believe they should be.

The main relationship that propels the novel and it’s outcome, is what didn’t quite fit for me. While Josie and Rob obviously had sexual chemistry, I wasn’t convinced that Rob was the love of Josie’s life. Their relationship felt rushed, and while Josie was a complex character, Rob didn’t seem as fleshed out to me. I feel like the story would have benefited from having some chapters from Rob’s point of view. I might have connected with him more, and begun to believe that he was meant for Josie.

The storytelling device of having the audience read both versions of Josie, was interesting and worked well to make the reader empathize with her.

I felt that the story relied more on telling us why Josie and Rob were each other’s true love, rather than really showing us. More character development for Rob, and more intimate interactions(not sexual) between him and Josie, would have gone a long way into making their romance more believable for me.

“The Love Of My Other Life” is an easy read, with a likeable heroine. However, I found the central romance lacklustre, and had a hard time getting into the story. I found I wasn’t really invested in what happened with Josie in the end. That wouldn’t stop me from checking out future novels by C.J. Connolly, it just means this one wasn’t right for me.