The Other AJ Hartford by Addison Michael is a thrilling and imaginative science fiction novel that captivated me from start to finish. The story centers around AJ Hartford, a thirty-something divorcée who leads a relatively normal life with her teaching job and teenage daughter. However, her world is turned upside down when she encounters a ghostly version of herself from another universe where she was murdered.

The novel is a multidimensional adventure filled with high stakes and intriguing plot twists. I particularly enjoyed the way Michael blends elements of science fiction with a strong emotional core, making AJ a relatable and compelling heroine. The concept of multiple universes and the domino effect of events across them adds depth and complexity to the story, keeping me hooked until the very end.

What stood out for me was the atmospheric tension and the well-paced narrative that balances suspense with moments of introspection. The character development is strong, especially in how AJ grapples with the reality of her other selves and the imminent danger to her family.

If you enjoy science fiction with good-hearted heroines, ghostly phenomena, and nail-biting suspense, The Other AJ Hartford is definitely worth picking up. It’s an action-packed adventure that explores themes of identity, destiny, and the lengths one will go to protect loved ones.

A decent multiverse story that keeps you wanting to know more. Though this was a good read, I felt like there were some aspects that could have been explored a little more instead of just mentioned in passing. You don't necessarily want to be "over scienced" in a thriller, but a little more on how the travel between universes was really possible would have been a nice addition. And even though the "twists" were predictable, the plot was interesting enough.

Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. Simply a GREAT read!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

2.5⭐️ I wanted to love this book, but there were far too many issues with it. The premise had potential, but the science was incomprehensible and messy, the characters felt a bit inconsistent and as though written by a teenage girl, and there were numerous basic errors in grammar, spelling, and awkwardly worded sentences that needed to be addressed. Also, one particularly glaring issue bugged me: in each of the timelines, the daughter somehow only aged 16 years in a twenty year period? (ie born in 1997, somehow 16 years old in 2017?)

It did manage to keep me interested enough to keep reading, frustrating though it often was.

I really wanted to like this book, but I really didn't. I reserve one-star ratings for books I really hate, but this was so bad it doesn't feel like it really deserves a two-star rating either.

The plot makes no sense. I don't require hard science in my science fiction. Not every author can write interesting math and physics, a la Andy Weir. But I need something, some attempt at an explanation for how and why this phenomenon is happening. There was absolutely no effort made by this author to craft anything resembling science here. My best guess as to what's going on is: 'If a ghost of my future self touches me we can travel through time to another dimension.' Maybe?? I'm not sure because nothing is ever explained. I'm not even sure if it's time travel or multiverse travel. Or maybe both?

So the meta plot is bad enough, but the details are sloppily done too. In one chapter the MC's mom says her dad was a great dad. Two chapters later she's talking about how awful of a dad he was. The character remembers her mission in one paragraph and has completely forgotten everything by the next paragraph. The most rookie cop is assigned to a protection detail after a credible threat with no assistance. Does that really read as accurate to anyone? Thunder booms and minutes later the lightning strikes. Sorry, but that's not how meteorology works. And don't get me started on the author's complete ignorance of genetics and how babies are made. It's been more than 20 years since I took a biology class and even I knew her baby plan was stupid.

It's hard to point to anything I think this novel did well. The dialogue was clunky and awkward. Kind of like the way characters speak in really, really bad B movies. The characters are poorly written and there's almost no growth or development. I don't feel any chemistry between the MC and her love interest. The only interesting world building was the upside-down arch, and you can see that on the cover.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this in exchange for my honest review.

Well, that went downhill fast. I was actually looking forward to reading this ARC. But by 29% done, it was apparent that this was not going to improve and I'm throwing in the towel.

The concept was intriguing - a woman's life is turned upside down when a woman with her face says that she is from a parallel universe and she must travel into another parallel universe to save herself and her daughter. Sounds intriguing, but the execution is painful. Where to start? There were a few typos (breaks for brakes, not once but twice in the first third of the book). A 'news article' that's quoted as describing a car's color as 'puke green' - sorry, but while that might be an apt description, there's no way that that is an actual color / used in a news story. The final straw for me was the almost incomprehensible theory about the parallel universes - it would have been better to have just left this alone and unexplained than to come up with this whackadoo explanation. Were there good moments? Yes, but not enough to save this one for me.

Sorry but while I enjoy alternative universes and thrillers, especially with a unique perspective, this did not get me engaged. DNF.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pages & Pie Publishing for the opportunity to read this.

I definitely picked this book for the cover (living near STL), but it paid off.

Our lead, AJ, finds herself having to travel to another universe/dimension, to save her future self and her daughter in the current and all other dimensions. It sounds weird, but if you accept that all of these things are possible, then the story makes total sense. It’s a part sci fi/mystery/thriller that’s fast paced and we’ll written. I binged this is a day - I didn’t want to stop reading it.

An entertaining time travel novel that held my attention. I liked how the romance that was added in actually adds to the story, because in a lot of novels being released these days, the romance takes over the story.