Book Review – The Two Lives Of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

Two Lives. Two Loves. One Impossible Choice.

Lydia and Freddie. Freddie and Lydia. They’ve been together for almost a decade, and Lydia thinks their love is indestructible.

But she’s wrong. Because on her 27th birthday, Freddie dies in a car accident.

So now it’s just Lydia, and all she wants to do is hide indoors and sob ’til her eyes fall out. But Lydia knows that Freddie would want her to live her life well. So, enlisting the help of his best friend and her sister Elle, she takes her first tentative steps into the world and starts to live – perhaps even to love – again.

But then something inexplicable happens, which gives her another chance at her old life with Freddie. A life where none of the tragic events of the past few months have happened. But what if there’s someone in in her new life who wants her to stay?

Published March 5th 2020 by Viking – Penguin Uk

I read One Day In December a couple of years ago and knew Josie Silver was a master at beautiful love stories, hope and heartache and The Two Lives Of Lydia Bird didn’t disappoint in any way. I spent this book either sloppy smiling or bawling my eyes out, every page bursting with emotion that is impossible not to become completely involved in.

Lydia Bird is planning her wedding to her childhood sweetheart, Freddie, when he is tragically killed. Stricken with grief, Lydia looks for a way to ease her pain but instead finds a gateway to another life. One where the accident never happened and Freddie is very much alive and well – where Lydia finds herself torn between two lives.

The love story between Lydia and Freddie is epic. True childhood sweethearts, it’s tender and honest. Lydia’s grief at loosing him is profound – honestly, I physically felt her pain, it is so well written. Yet I also felt genuine hope and joy while reading this book, the relationships are exquisite – far from perfect but filled with warmth and depth. I loved the support system around Lydia, as her friends and family battle their own grief, concern and at times frustration with sometimes awkward but always sincere and heartwarming care and love.

I adored the ‘two lives’ element, which adds a little unexplainable magic to the story. I felt this was a beautiful way to allow the reader to really understand the dynamics of the relationship between Lydia, Freddie and also some of their close friends. This is a gorgeous book, I was completely engrossed in Lydia’s world (s) and felt like I travelled an emotional rollercoaster with her. It’s so damn romantic and genuinely heartwarming without being sickly sweet. I loved it and recommend it highly.

Thanks to the publisher for sending me a gifted copy for review.

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