This is the second book I've read by Helly Acton (LOVED 'The Couple' & 'The Shelf' is on my TBR!) so I had high hopes for Begin Again.

Frankie McKenzie is a columnist at The List. All of her friends are either settled, married, have kids or know what they are doing with their lives. Frankie is single and is feeling pretty done with her job that mainly consists of posting gossip pieces about celebrities. On her thirty-sixth birthday she has a (failed) first date with a man named Oli and on the way home dies in a freak accident involving a kebab.

Following her death she arrives at The Station and discovers she has been given the chance to go back to five different crossroads in her life to see how her life would have turned out had she made different decisions. She then must choose which live to continue living.

I really enjoyed this novel and the self-reflection aspect. The different Frankies were so interesting and it gives you food for thought. There is a nice mix of humour and a deeper story. I am excited to read more by Acton.

Sometimes a book comes at the exact moment you need it. A profound and reflective message explored through a funny second chance story. Life-affirming and heartfelt, I couldn't put it down. The four timelines, the great What-Ifs of Frankie's life, inevitably made me reflect on my own and, rather unexpectedly, lead to some much needed healing!

Begin Again by Helly Acton
I give this book 4.75 stars

Frankie McKenzie feels unsettled. She can't help feeling something's missing. Before she can work it out, she dies in a freak kebab-related accident after yet another dud of a first date.
But life isn't over for Frankie. Instead, she is offered a second chance: Frankie can revisit key moments from her past to see if different choices will lead her away from that fateful takeaway and on to the fulfilling life she's always dreamt of.

This is my third book by this author I’d I’ve absolutely LOVED them all!
Our protagonist is the fantastic Frankie who finds herself in a rather unusual situation. Be prepared to be entertained with whip smart dialogue and humorous situations.This is such a great concept and provides a refreshing twist on your usual romantic read.The author manages again to develop such relatable and realistic characters,a quirky storyline and some enlightening moments that left me yearning for more,
With thanks to Netgalley,Helly Acton and Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre for my chance to read and review this book

Headlines:
Being in a rut
What if you got another chance?
Appreciating your family, found and real

I breezed through Begin Again because it was just so easy to read and so utterly engrossing. Frankie, the protagonist was a mixture of hot mess and stuck in a rut. She was pretty endearing and relatable in lots of ways. She had friends who were real with her and some fractured family bonds. Her early death brought a chance to choose a new life...what a ride that was.

I loved seeing these 24 hour choices of a different Frankie. Some were a complete nightmare, others had chinks of 'yeah, this is okay' but overall I got to the final pages and thought (with Frankie) what the heck are you going to do now.

Mabel was a legend, Tom was a great pal and Toby and Callum were both revolting to me. Oli was unexpected and I loved the storyline with her mother. There was lots going on in this plot but not too much. It was a definite bonus to have some of the friends appear in the different sliding doors on Frankie's life.

This contemporary fiction had such an engaging narrative, brilliant and easy writing with characters that you mind will intertwine with immediately. I highly recommend Helly Acton's latest release and it's my favourite of hers so far.

Thank you to Zaffre Books for the review copy.

Begin Again was a gorgeously warm and cozy read about the what-ifs we all ponder about.

Frankie meets her demise in a kebab-related accident.

She finds herself at The Station, with a guide, Mabel.

And so begins Frankie's journey back to pivotal moments in her life to see how things would have played out had she chosen another direction.

I really became immersed in this story and it was very well written which made it effortless to follow the different strands of Frankie's lives.

A life affirming and wise story, with a massive heart.

This was a book chosen from my NetGalley Shelf in the hope that I’d get the review out before publication (which I think same day counts as before). Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC, if you’ve read my reviews before then you know that my reviews are honest, even when I’ve been gifted the book.

I’ve never heard of Helly Acton before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I loved the premise of the book, I’m a real sucker for alternate timeline, amnesia and Freaky Friday tales. Recently I’ve read something similar (click here), so I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this book. Well I was wrong, because I loved this book and it made me think a lot.

I saw the book compared to The Good Place, which is fairly accurate. It has that easy to access vibe, doesn’t appear to take itself too seriously. And then wham, big life lesson. It was a bit of a story of self-love and kindness too. If I had to describe it in a headline (which, if you read the book you’ll know why) it would be:

Hilarious tale leads to blogger overanalysing life choices in quest for meaning

Which I’m not really questioning my every choice in life. But I also kind of am. Which is a bit uncomfortable and a bit optimistic. Not what I expected from this book.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure others will read this for the fun romp that it is. Some may (in the words of the fabulous Ms Elenor Shellstrop) declare the book to be a bit basic. But it’s a book that can lead to philosophical thinking and deliberations. Which, to me, is exactly what I want from a book. I was entertained the whole way through and it made me think. Laughing and becoming more enlivened? Yes please.
I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for more books from this author.

Yet another Helly Acton novel that makes you think about it long after you have finished reading it. This book has strong vibes of Sliding Doors as our heroine Frankie dies in a freak kebab related accident - but then is given the chance to make all of the key decisions in her life again, to see how different her life would have turned out. A fascinating read with the normal humour and heartfelt moments in it.

What if you had the chance to look back at the major crossroads in your life and see if the path you didn’t take would be a better choice for you?
Frankie has a bad first date and in her way home stops to get some dinner and ends up choking on it and she goes to meet Mabel at “the station “ where she gets the opportunity to revisit five major life decisions and make different choices and see if she likes the new life better - the proposal from her boyfriend, her career, her family, each choose she makes has both big and small effects on all of them. Will she ultimately choose a new path or will she come to realize that her life really isn’t that bad after all and all she has to do is whatever she wants!
I feel like I can’t write much more without giving too much away but this was a really fresh and fun idea. It was kinda like sliding doors but it wasn’t. It was clever and whip smart and I really liked Frankie as a character.
This is really thought provoking and Frankie’s friends and family are well written as well and add depth to the story. A great feel good story, perfect for the beach or any day really.
Thanks to Zaffre and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Likeable characters and an engaging plot, what more could I ask for? An enjoyable weekend read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

Ok, I loved the ending of this; I thought that parts of getting there were a little slow, but that's just my opinion.

The idea is fantastic; a look back at the major crossroads of your life, to see if taking the one less traveled by would make a difference. Frankie gets to try out five of these major life decisions and see how they affect things...and no spoilers, but I think she chooses the right stream to stay in at the end.

I've been trying to think what my five crossroads might be, if I were in this situation - it's a fascinating thought exercise! I think a book club would really enjoy this, as well as anyone who likes a feel good read. If you're looking for a book for your holiday, you can't go wrong with this one.

@currentlyreading__
Book 49 of 2023

Thank you to @NetGalley, the publisher and author @hellyactonauthor for a copy of 'Begin Again' in exchange for my honest opinion. This was my last book of June as as it was strong with the Sliding Doors/ The Good Place/ A Christmas Carol vibes (I know that's quite the mash-up!), I was all in!

Frankie McKenzie is 36 and feeling a tad fed up with life. Everyone around her has a life plan and they are all on that trajectory of moving forward and getting on the next rung of the life ladder but Frankie hasn't even purchased the ladder - she is aimless, discontented and after a tragic accident involving a kebab and a fall, Frankie is given the choice to re-live some moments from her life and see what life would have been like if she'd accepted that TEFL teaching job in Mexico, accepted a proposal and generally had another chance of life.

Acton's books are always a hoot - refreshingly different, perfect laze in the garden and immerse yourself in a story of second-chances and what-ifs. Now, swap that garden for Cancun and you have yourself a perfect location for this book.

Out on 6th July.


#bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #book #booknerd #bookstagrammer #kindle #instabook #reader #bookobsessed #hellyacton #beginagain

4.5 ⭐️
Helly Acton is such a great author. I love that her books all have different concepts that are much more than a rom com.

This is a sliding doors/midnight library tale (which is personally a trope that I love) of Frankie who after a tragic kebab related accident gets the opportunity to revisit several crossroads of her life and see what might have been.

It was very easy to get carried away by this book and I liked the headline puns. Highlights for me were Frankie's relationships with her friends and family. I found those parts the most heartwarming and enjoyable.

I did find Frankie's self loathing irritating at times and I think the ending felt a little anticlimactic. Whilst the premise of the book isn't particularly original the writing and the characters definitely are and that's what makes it such a brilliant read.

With thanks to Bonnier Books & Netgalley for the ARC

Oh, I really love Helly Acton’s books. Like the best romantic fiction, but always with a proper twist and a great hero to fall in love with. I’d automatically read any of her books.
In the case of this book, it’s hero Frankie’s birthday. She’s a gossip columnist, who is on a date on her birthday. It doesn’t go well, and on the way home Frankie slips on a kebab and dies. She finds herself in a place where she’s able to revisit pivotal moments from her life, to see what would have happened if she’d made different choices. She can then choose which of the lives she will go back to.
In each scenario, Frankie starts to see what is important to her, and to think about how she has been holding back, in her love life, her career, or with her friends. This is a thought-provoking concept. Everyone has made choices they might make differently with the benefit of hindsight or experience.
Frankie is lovely, but her group of friends are also standout people. I am sad to have finished this and will be recommending it highly to my friends.

Despite living firmly in her comfort zone, Frankie McKenzie feels unsettled. She can't help feeling something's missing. Is it a home to call her own? Travel? A more rewarding job? A relationship? Before she can work it out, she dies in a freak kebab-related accident after yet another dud of a first date.

But life isn't over for Frankie. Instead, she is offered a second chance: Frankie can revisit key moments from her past to see if different choices will lead her away from that fateful takeaway and on to the fulfilling life she's always dreamt of.

Soon, Frankie will see what her life would have been if only she'd caught that one-way flight, accepted the marriage proposal or attended the intimidating job interview. Will she finally find her Mr Right? Or discover she already had?

Review:
I couldn’t believe it when I got the email inviting me to access Helly’s latest book on Net Galley, thank you to Ellie at Bonnier books 🤍 Helly has been one of my favourite authors since I read ‘The Shelf’ back in early 2021. If you haven’t read her books yet- you’re missing out!

Begin Again was everything I had hoped it’d be and more. The Sliding Door/Butterfly effect has always been a huge interest of mine, and something I consider all the time in my life. If I’d have gone to Uni at 18, how would my life look now? If I’d have taken that job, where would I be? If I went on that night out, would I have met my best friend in another life?

Begin Again is the best book I’ve read that explores this concept without a doubt. Frankie’s story gets progressively more interesting, and not once did I feel bored of her or her story, or her friends and relationships.

Helly will always be an instant-read author to me, her books have never ever made it to my TBR pile.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Frankie feels restless, she thinks that there’s something not right . But, before she can find out what that is, she dies.

But, that’s not the end for Frankie, she is given a second chance. She can go back to some times in her life and see whether if she’d made a different decision, would that have changed that fateful accident, and made her live the life she’s dreamt of.

The story was different. The characters were relatable and felt real.

I recommend this book.

A great concept and I really enjoyed reading this book. Frankie’s life is going nowhere, especially after she slips on a dropped kebab! On reaching the ‘waiting room’ she is offered 5 alternative lives and gets to experience them for 24 hours to see where she would have ended up if she’d made different choices. She can then choose which life to go back to on earth to try again. It’s a great idea, executed brilliantly by the author.

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Not wanting to give too much away about the story but after a freak kebab accident Frankie is give the chance to re-live key moments in her life to see what would have happened had she taken a different route.

Frankie is a lovely character, she's witty and fun an over thinker with an abundance of bad puns there's also a nice mix of other characters.

I like the way that Helly Acton writes and will definitely read more of her books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books for the ARC.

This is the third book I’ve read by Helly Acton and, just like its predecessors, this book was a LOT of fun. I find Helly’s ideas really fresh and quirky and her female leads are always so relatable.

This story follows Frankie who, after a disappointing date, trips and loses her life outside a kebab shop (yeah, I was hooked already by this point). Frankie then gets the opportunity to spend 24 hours in five separate lives which she could have lived had she made a different decision in the past - at the end, she can choose a life and start over, or “begin again”.

A great summer read with lots of humour, a clever plot, interesting characters and good pacing. I really enjoyed it and Helly Acton will continue to be an autobuy author for me.

I adored this book, Frankie’s development in understanding how strong she is as an individual was so empowering to read.

Helly has a talent to weave a tiny bit of fantasy into her books, just enough magic to make her stories addictive and memorable

A variant of the Sliding Doors and Midnight Library genre it is nonetheless a very readable novel. It is unlikely that anybody would not want to go back to the many turning points in their own lives so this is always going to be popular. If I were capable of writing well I would like to re-write several of my own turning points !!
A nicely written story with a plot line that is easy to follow and provides a pleasant few hours.
Thank you Netgalley for ARC.