Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of Life Number Nine in exchange for a review.
Ever since I read ‘The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August’ by Claire North a few years ago – thoroughly recommended by the way – I have been caught by the idea of someone living the same or (slightly different) life over and over again. ‘Life After Life’ is a perfect example too, even something like ‘Dark Matter’ and ‘The Midnight Library’ explore this idea and that is what Life Number Nine does. We follow a couple, Jem and Mica, who have been known to each other in their past lives. So, it is concept closely related to soul mates and reincarnation – more specifically than the books I mention above, but still has that vibe. A what if, a how life could be different, of a link between two people that can’t be extinguished and there was no way I was going to be able to resist this book.
Jem and Mica are living in a modern London and meet through a lucid dream workshop. He’s uptight and lonely, she’s more carefree and assertive and their attraction springs from their shared dreams. I thought the idea of shared dreams was such an interesting one – as what is more intimate that your dreams? The thing no-one else ever shares and the idea of these two people connecting because of it was a fascinating concept. So interspersed with their lives as modern Londoners, we spend time with them in the middle east in the 14th century, as gladiators in Roman Spain and a 1970s campsite. These vignettes are written in different styles, including movie scripts, which I’m not sure really worked but I liked the idea of. When you consider the diversity of ways of telling stories in, for example ‘A Visit From the Goon Squad’, Joe Heap didn’t really offer as much of a range as he could. But that is a very small fault and to be honest, I was so hooked that I just wanted to know what happened next, where they were, when they were and how was it going to end.
I loved the ending – the glimpse into the future – that was so much fun!
In fact, most of the book was fun. There were sad bits, and Jem’s back story when it comes is tragic, but there is a lot of humour in the book. One thing I particularly liked was the enormous canvas that it was painted on. We were encouraged to look at the universe, then the earth, then the country before narrowing in on this one couple. So, we’d find out things like how many people are born every minute, how far the planet spins, and loads of other bits of random trivia that helped us see the broader view. It wasn’t necessary for the plot at all, but I felt added so much to the writing.
I will be recommending this book to all and sundry and I was genuinely sorry to end it. I had such a book hangover as a result of it. Looking forward to reading what the writer does next!

An interesting read. I found this book to be a bit different to what I normally read and took a bit if getting into it was well written and I'm sure it will appeal to lots of readers but I'm afraid it wasn't really for me it was a bit too complicated but I hope it does well

Life Number Nine is the most ambitious of the novels I've read by this author. In the present day, Mika and Jem don't know each other. They are both complex, flawed individuals trying to live well but constantly faced with conflicts. Both experience life-changing events, which make them aware of the other, and when they meet, this time, it is at a lucid dream workshop. The story explores their interactions in the present and dreams, which are so vivid they are like memories. The format for the dreams is varied as the author experiments with differing literary styles. It takes a while to appreciate some of these, but they all make the story original and resonating. It's a humorous, heartbreaking, and heartwarming emotional journey, showing the spectrum of human emotions and interactions. It's a story to savour and read more than once.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The scope of this book is at once vast and all-encompassing while being at the same time achingly intimate, and Joe Heap navigates these two modes throughout the book with a force of lyrical language that is breath-taking.

Jem and Mika meet again and again in different lives, back as far as we can imagine history, and each time they meet and part, to both their regrets. Through the medium of shared dreams they find each other in the present where a pregnant Mika meets Jem at a lucid dreaming workshop and have an on-off relationship as they share the memories of their dreams.

The contrast between the elegy to history, time and space, and the everyday love story is exquisite at times, and so very very emotional as their love story continues. All the feelings, beautifully written, and saved by events from being overly sentimental.

This is a story of love, hope, and of two people who are soul mates.
How often have your paths crossed with the person that you have ended up with - and not just during this lifetime. Across centuries.
It is an emotional book and one that kept me on my toes and very difficult to review without including spoilers.

If you're looking for something different to read, this is the book for you

Oh my God, this book is so unbearably sad! I found Life Number Nine extremely frustrating. I was willing Mika and Jem on to a breakthrough throughout the book, and it took too ong!
If I had written this book, I would have called it If Only She Had Been Nicer. Mika and Jen continually have these beautiful moments in shared dreams, and most of the time they meet in real life, Mika is defensive, horrible and badly behaved towards Jem. What had Jem ever done to her?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this great ARC. I love how this love story is told through different eras of time with different narrative styles which help separate the actual chapters on the present day from those time skips, it is very original. The story itself is quite well-paced and it makes you believe that everything happens for a reason, especially love.

Enter the world of Mike and Jem who meet but feel they have known each other in previous lives. Their story ebbs and flows as they meet and float off again across time .
Not an easy read but thought provoking

Life Number Nine by Joe Heap
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication date: 06/03/2025
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What an interesting concept for a story. A story of love over many lives- 9 lifetimes in fact.
Jem and Mika’s lives have intertwined over many lifetimes, meeting and falling for each other time and time again. In the present, having vivid dreams, shared at the same time, allows them to relive the past meetings, and heartbreaks.
This is a great story and a really unusual concept- unlike anything I’ve read before. It got me thinking about all those times you see someone who you think you know but perhaps it’s from a previous lifetime.
Thank you to NetGalley, Joe Heap and Harper Collins UK for this ARC in return for an honest review.
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#books #booknerd #bookworm #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstack #bookchallenge #booklover #reader #readersofinstagram #reading #bookswithcookandacuppa #NetGalley #2025Reads #JoeHeap #LifeNumberNine

I’ve been waiting over four years for this book and kept it unopened for a further four weeks, so scared was I that it wouldn’t live up to expectations. Suffice to say, I should have had more faith. Life Number Nine is a wholly unique masterpiece of imagination and form, a love story like no other and, more than that, a paean to the mysteries of the universe.

It is the story of bank employee Jem, who spends his days winding up the accounts of the deceased, and Mika, an illegally employed chef from Eastern Europe, who has overstayed her UK visa. When their paths cross at a lucid dreaming workshop, the connection is immediate and made all the more powerful when they start having vivid dreams about meeting in past lives.

What follows is a hypnotic and thought-provoking tale of two souls tumbling through time and space and repeatedly colliding briefly before spinning off again in opposite directions. Their encounters take place over millennia, are fleeting but memorable, are not always romantic but consistently meaningful. In the here and now, Jem and Mika finally have the chance to realise their destiny as soulmates. Or do they?

I’ll be honest and confess that this is a challenging book to read. It demands the suspension of belief and logic and a commitment to the author’s creativity and intellect. Trust me, though, when I say you’re in safe hands.

Joe Heap writes with the soul of a poet, in language that speaks to the heart as well as the mind. He couches the tales — the dreams — of past encounters in multiple forms: in verse, as playlets, as stories taken from ancient scripts. Scattered at intervals throughout the main narrative, each one of these is a tiny work of art in its own right and a constant reminder that Jem and Mika are but puppets in the overall scheme of the universe, their fate as precarious as life itself.

As much as I looked forward to these transportive little vignettes, it was Jem and Mika’s present day romance that held me in its thrall. Would they overcome their individual trials to reach a happy ever after or would there be yet another twist of fate?

One doesn’t have to believe in reincarnation or the notion of soulmates in order to appreciate the beauty and sheer heft of Life Number Nine. It’s a stunning work by any measure and consolidates Joe Heap as one of the UK’s most gifted literary talents.

This book turned out to be a wrong choice for me, unfortunately. I could not get to grips with the whole premise of the narrative, of people linking up in previous lives on several occasions. I could not become invested in the characters or their stories. A DNF for me.
My rthanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

This is definitely a different genre and read for me. It's not one I like to move into much. Just not s favourite. But every now and then I do like to be open and read other things from blurbs that are so different from my usual. And so it was this books time.
It was good. And from someone who doesn't read this as a given I didn't feel the genre or tropes were pushed upon me. Because it dealt with emotions and characters we all root for. It felt genuine and real. The characters were so lovely. And the plot was enoguh so I didn't spend the whole time thinking " this wouldn't happen" or "this stuff doesn't happen" which my cynical brain usually goes to with Sci fi esq books.
And it made you think. And I love that in a book.

It’s quite difficult to write a review for this book. I have read The Rules of Seeing and When the Music Stops so maybe had preconceived ideas before starting. I loved the present day storyline and the idea of two people meeting sporadically throughout history but somehow couldn’t get as engaged in the meetings in the past.
I did, however, find the characters interesting and all in all it was an enjoyable read.

3.5 stars rounded up

When perfect strangers Mika and Jem first meet by chance, they recognise each other - not from life, but from a shared dream. Both are wary of forming new connections and have their dreams. Jem is in recovery from a near fatal accident, and Mika is undocumented and under scrutiny from the authorities. As their dreams - or are they memories? - grow in intensity, they are forced to consider the possibility that they've known and loved each other over and over, across the centuries. Will they find happiness together this time?

This book was completely different to the books I normally read, but it made me think long and hard before I wrote my review. How often have you locked eyes with a stranger and think that you know them? This is quite an emotional read., it's well-written, but it's not always easy to follow. I loved the parts that were written in the past. The pace is steady.

Published 13th February

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #JoeHeap for my ARC of #LifeNumberNine in exchange for an honest review.

A Hauntingly Beautiful Love Story That Transcends Time

*Life Number Nine* is the kind of book that lingers in your mind long after you turn the final page. Joe Heap has crafted a mesmerising, thought-provoking tale of love, fate, and the invisible threads that connect us across lifetimes.

From the moment Jem and Mika meet, there’s an undeniable pull between them—something deeper than attraction, something almost otherworldly. When they realise they’ve been dreaming of each other before they ever met, their connection takes on a whole new meaning. But are these dreams just figments of their imagination, or echoes of a love story that has played out time and time again?

What follows is a breathtaking journey through time and across continents, as fragments of their past lives come to light. From modern-day London to distant eras, Heap weaves a story that is both intimate and grand in scope. Jem and Mika’s struggles in the present—Jem’s recovery from a traumatic accident, Mika’s precarious life as an undocumented immigrant—are beautifully intertwined with the mysteries of their past, making for a deeply emotional and compelling read.

The writing is exquisite—lyrical, immersive, and packed with moments of quiet brilliance. The novel explores the idea of destiny versus choice, of love that defies time, and of the forces that keep bringing two souls together no matter the odds.

If you’re a fan of books like *The Time Traveler’s Wife* or *Cloud Atlas*, *Life Number Nine* is an absolute must-read. It’s romantic, thought-provoking, and utterly unforgettable. A truly stunning novel that left me spellbound.

Having given The Rules of Seeing 4:*, I have to give this title 5 solid *!
It is described as a love story - which is not a genre I am keen on but this tale is so much more than a love story. It is a connection between two people with history who have engaged over time, continents and characters. It is not always easy to follow but is worth the effort. One of those books I want to reread the minute I finished the last page. It elicited so many emotions in me.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Joe Heap/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow this book is fabulous. I admit to being slightly confused at the start, but once I’d grasped what was happening I devoured it in a very short time. Not only is this book informative about times gone by with incredible clarity that you feel you could be there with the characters, but also each meeting gives more and more depth to the story. I’ve probably spent more time thinking about the implications of the book than I did reading it. A book that I will definitely be reading again.

Before I launch into my review, I would like to say a warm thank you to Joe Heap, Harper Collins UK, The Borough Press, and Netgalley for the Advanced Digital Reader Copy of this title. For the audience, here is my personal review of the book to help you decide whether you are interested or not. All opinions offered are my own.

Reasons for selecting this book:
• I have just finished reading a heavy, emotional WWII drama and wanted something a little lighter.
• Despite my Catholic beliefs, I have always maintained that I have a soulmate whom I believe I have met in other lifetimes, maybe in different capacities, that I have been unable to fully understand or explain.
In essence, this book just called to me and captured my attention in a way that I could not deny. Whilst I disliked the modern names, I felt an affinity with the characters before I really met them and was already invested in their journey before I completed the first page.

The Epigraph should have been the first clue that this book was going to have a unique format. Perhaps because I had a PDF Digital Advanced Copy of the novel, I felt that the font was smaller than I was accustomed to, and that spacing between paragraphs would have been beneficial for accessibility purposes for people reading on smaller screen. This prompted me to scan ahead where I noticed:
• Each section of the book is comprised of three chapters excluding the Epigraph and Epilogue.
• Other than the Epigraph and Epilogue, each section corresponds to a month of the year, starting in May and finishing in December.
• Every third chapter, i.e., the final chapter in a section has an unusual format to accommodate different mediums e.g., poetry, ancient tablets, stories, and scripts.
Without much reading, I was overcome by the author’s creativity and uniqueness. The book was reeling me in without even trying, and at this point, I was ready to dive in and hoped that the story was every bit as interesting as I was beginning to imagine it would be.

Now, as suspected, I loved reading the short, succinct extracts of past lives and I loved how different Mika and Jem were, demonstrated in both content and writing styles. Like my own take on soulmates, not all the lives saw the characters involved in romantic relationships, and on occasion, their genders differed. However, this is where my interest and love died.

Mika and Jem are fated to continually cross paths in each lifetime. Sometimes the cross is fleeting, other times it is more profound. There is always a pull between them, but it is rarely understood. Through lucid dreams, will these two characters finally understand why they are on a shared trajectory?

I’m not often stumped for words, so I’m flailing here. To cut a long story short, I did not really enjoy Life Number Nine. I found it hard to pay attention to the current life and only sprung to life when I was transported to the past. I struggled to relate to the characters and didn’t really care enough about them by the midpoint of the book. Aside from a belief in past lives, there was no similarities between me and any of the characters. They just felt alien to me.

I usually like a hard and fast ending where I am not expected to fill in the huge gap left by the absence of the author writing it, however, on this occasion, I enjoyed that there was the opportunity to form my own judgement.

This book is for someone that likes a unique writing style and is probably in their late teens to mid-twenties. They may also appreciate historical fiction. Other than that, my opinion is that this book has the Marmite Effect. You will either love it or hate it. For me, it just did not connect, and I have probably underestimated a lot of signs and symbolism. The blurb hooked me, but the writing was not enough to keep me. For this reason, I have only mustered two out of five stars for this book.

I expected to be transported from one life to another and I wasn’t disappointed. The
story flows effortlessly from one setting or century to another and Mika and Jem always find each other in each life, even though they may each be very different from the previous life.
This is a really different read; sometimes sad; sometimes happy and always romantic.
I really loved the ending. Maybe there is more to life than we think!?
Very well worth reading

The synopsis of this book really drew me in, but unfortunately I found it very difficult to get into.