Member Reviews

This is a wonderful, sad heartbreak of a book but will give you hope. It follows a slightly confusing main character who has a lot to learn, it does get a bit complicated and I occasionally needed to read the first chapter again to remind myself what was happening but it was a great premise.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.

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This has definite Groundhog day feels too it !
Emma is a literary agent who is always on the go and someone who can't say no - her phone is either ringing or full of WhatsApp messages that she never seems to find the time to answer. She spends all her time trying to catch up with everything and doesn't have time for her family. The day the story is set is her anniversary and every year Emma and her husband leave each other a letter celebrating another year of their marriage - the highs and the lows - however this year she forgets. She is so wrapped up in other commitments that the day rushes by and she doesn't remember and then a terrible tragedy happens.... She has to relive this day over and over .... I really enjoyed this book and shed lots of tears .

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A really nice heart warming read, gave me so many emotions!

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

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Ein wirklich schönes Buch, was einen in diesen Alltag rein saugt. Ich konnte mich total in die Protagonistin hinein versetzen. Es hat meine Ansichten sehr verändert.

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This book will leave you appreciating your life. The people in it and to not over worry about the small stuff. I still can't get the characters out of my head. And I can't wait to see what this talented author comes out with next.

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The premise is that Emma, is a literary agent who can't say no to outside commitments, so she spends all her time trying to make sure she's doing all she should. The trouble is, she's been neglecting her family really badly. Today is the date that her and her husband Dan write letters to each other and celebrate another year together. They reminisce about past events that have been funny or romantic. They celebrate their love
Another year goes around and it's now that important date. She's forgotten to write a letter because she forgot what date it is. She's even forgotten to acknowledge the date to Dan!. She's been so wrapped up in her work life and outside commitments. The commitments that she swore blind she would finish with and spend more time with her family. Dan is not happy. Then something awful.happens that turns her world upside down. She has to relive the same day over and over.... Can she change the outcome and make life better again?......

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A really lovely heartwarming story that I couldn’t put down….sad but also lovely ! Thanks for the read!

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This book appealed to me because of the relatability of the premise - wouldn't you do anything you could to save the person you love? What could you do to avoid a tragedy?

Emma's relationships were realistic and relatable, the negative aspects of her home and work life were clearly stated (if a bit heavy-handed at the beginning) but her anxiousness about trying to stay on top of all the messages, calls and people in her life definitely resonated. She is not presented as the most sympathetic character at the beginning, and this might put some readers off really gelling with her as the story unfolds, but I felt the highs and the lows with her, probably because I felt a lot of the same guilt about being more present in my life too.

I didn't feel like I connected with Dan as much, despite his emotional letters to Emma, and my emotional reaction to the story was very much feeling for Emma as opposed to anyone else - I definitely feel like I read this book at the right time for me to connect with it. An easy read which makes you ponder on what is really important in life.

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Warning - you will want the tissues handy for this book!
Since the covid pandemic I’ve read a few groundhog day type books and Maybe Next Time is of the same ilk, but I didn't feel like was reading the same kind of story over and over which is good!

Our main character Emma is a busy woman definitely carrying the mental load. A literary agent who is rushed off her feet with two children at difficult times in their own lives, a sister-in-law who is struggling, so many other competing demands on her attention, and a wonderful husband, Dan, who she barely gets to spend time with.

A little tradition of Emma and Dan’s is to celebrate their anniversary each year they have been together with a letter to one another, highlighting the highs of the year. This is such a lovely idea.
But this year Emma forgets her letter in all the chaos of her life and experiences the day from hell, from work to her family life, and a heartbreaking end to it.

Every time she wakes up for the next goodness knows how many days, weeks, or months, it is the same painful day over and over, and no matter what she does, the eventual outcome won't change. And honestly it is devastating.

I loved how each repeated day is separated by one of Dan's letters over the years, so we get a real feel for who he is, as well (what a great man).

It lifts your soul in some ways to see how Emma goes from hating her life to embracing the chance she has to make things in her life and the lives of her loved ones better, but I warn you, the ending will make you cry!

This was a wonderful but emotional read and I needed tissues for most of it to be honest.
It definitely made me appreciate my husband and my family and think about the ways we can all get swept along with the demands of the day to day and not actually appreciate the here and now.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins, UK, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Well, I ended this book in the same way I started it, in floods of tears. I don't know if it's just me being an emotional person, but this genuinely had me heartbroken from the off.
We always think we have more time, we will get to that project tomorrow, there's another day till that's due. Who knows what's round the corner. We need to take time and really see what's going on around us.
The characters are all beautifully written. I loved the dateaversary letters interspersed throughout the chapters - though I'd have liked to see Emma's letters too.
This kept me wanting more, all the easy through. While at times I thought, why are you upsetting yourself reading and crying, I couldn't tear myself away!
A really beautiful read that will stick with me.

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Quite a different sort of a story, the first time the day was repeated was a surprise and caught my attention but when it kept going on repeat I really wasn’t so sure. It was touching in places and it was easy to identify with the main character and the stresses that take over lift but overall not really for me.

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This was like a groundhog type story. It made me think about the decisions we make and the turns in life we take and if we had chosen differently would the outcome be the same.

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This was an inspirational story and a very different kind book to read. Lots of great ideas, interesting and well described characters, living busy lives.. i wouldn't want to be a book publisher! The conclusion was very kind and not too traumatic

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I loved this book. It was a great sliding doors style novel yet not at all cliche. I loved the ending and absolutely raced through the book.

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Yes, with looping books like Groundhog Day, you know there is going to be some repetition with the plot. With this read, I experienced a range of emotions, possibly finding some aspects of the story more entertaining than I should.

The first time I read about Emma’s Monday, the overwhelming grief she experiences at her husband’s unexpected death was palpable. I felt incredibly sombre and morose and I think this was emphasised by the devoted letters from Dan that are interspersed throughout the narrative. Each year, the two characters write a letter to each other. It is a reflection of their year together and always showed how devoted and loving Dan is towards their relationship.

I liked these parts of the story as they gave further background to the couple and how their relationship has changed over the years. They become even more poignant knowing that Emma did not always find the time to respond, with daily life, work and a hectic schedule absorbing all of her free time.

Yet, as Emma lives the same day over and over again, I found the extremes she goes to, to be quite entertaining and comical. I chuckled at some points, but then understood how desperate her character becomes. I thought it was clear early on in the story how Emma needed to escape this loop, yet I did enjoy watching her journey to be a better person, especially combined with the unexpected plot reveals as well.

I thought this became a very clever novel and I grew to really like the ending – long after I had finished reading. The chaos and madness of Emma’s life is something that many readers can relate to and I think this is quite an important message to the story. Like Emma learns, life is a gift and you have got to make the most of every opportunity.

Although I found some of the story inevitably repetitive and I had an initial dislike towards the protagonist, I enjoyed this romantic tale and how Emma’s character alters over the novel. This definitely was a book of a journey, just one taken over and over again until the destination was correct.

With thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Wow first Cesca Major book I’ve read and it’s breathtaking!

Emma and Dans story from their meet cute to their mundane life trying to grab a few minutes together had me gripped.

Emma’s story is so relatable being a working mum always having someone needing you to do something, but never having time for yourself or partner.

Then something happens which changes everything. Or does it…..

I laughed at their antics, I’ve cried at the unfairness of the situations they find themselves in at times and felt such happiness that they have each other.

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I honestly don’t know where to start with this book… so many emotions. I’ve laughed and cried, felt frustrated with Emma. This story is so well written I stayed up well past my bedtime to keep reading.
This story makes you really think about how you live your life. Are we just plodding through the days, constantly attached to our phones, neglecting those around us. I wish I could give this book more than 5 stars as I thought it was utterly brilliant

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This is a hugely emotional take on the Groundhog Day premise. Dan and Emma are a typical busy, married couple who kind of orbit around each other on a daily basis. When Emma is forced to repeat a specific, significant day over and over again, she must use what she learns to right her wrongs and make ammends.

I absolutely adored the story, the characters, the letters, and the inside jokes. Honestly, this story is so emotional and so well written!

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Overall, I enjoyed this book, it was really well written and the characters were great. I became invested in the relationship between Dan and Emma, and her attempts to try and stop something terrible from happening while at the same time trying to fix things she realised had gone wrong, or been pushed aside by her busy life. There were a lot of elements to keep up with, things that she wanted to change and make better and occasionally they overwhelmed the story when what I longed for was more interaction between Dan and Emma, even when she came to the conclusion that Dan's death was inevitable. The last chapter and final letter were heartbreaking and I cried. I was disappointed in the 'Final chapter' however, I understand that the point is we never know if it was truly inevitable and what finally happened when a new day dawned. But after 58 chapters, we wanted to know and it felt like a let down not to know one way or another. But i'd rate a solid 3.5/5

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When I chose this book, I liked the description, for some reason I thought it was going to be a lovely, easy, romantic read!! silly me!. I got a few pages in and someone died! (Not a spoiler!). However, I went back to it and it turned out I absolutely loved it. It was one of those books that I just wanted to keep reading, however, A word of warning, you don't really get an answer at the end which I was a bit disappointed with.

The book reminded me of a book called "Before I fall" which I had read years ago about a young girl trying to put some wrongs right.. Maybe Next Time is about Emma who lives with her husband and two children. A busy working mother who struggles to find time for everything. A lot of us can relate to this I feel. A really good read.

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