Really enjoyed the storyline of this book. It carried an unusual one and it was nice to read something other than a romance. Highly recommend for an easy to read and enjoyable book with likeable characters.

If you had the chance to take a test to see when you would die, would you take it? Would the results make you live any differently?

I loved the meanings behind this book 🥰 especially as this one had a slightly dystopian element to it, with the test that they can take to find out the date on which they will die. It was so interesting seeing how the characters reacted to the tests and their initial attitudes to it and how that changed. I felt there came a part in the book where I realised what was likely to happen in the end but that didn’t make me want to stop reading it. I only wish that there had been some chapters which spoke from Marian’s pov as Olivia’s character got slightly repetitive at times.

‘There is no such thing as a perfect life. There are only perfect moments’

A pretty good read but overall terribly predictable. Olivia was very selfish throughout the book which made it so uncomfortable to read. A terrible friend to her supposed best friend, making everything all about herself. Me me me all the time. And then she decides she has to stop her life and focus on…herself? I think this book would have worked better if Olivia wasn’t such a selfish character.
The plot with the date card was just too obvious and predictable for me.

Plot summary: Every year right before her birthday Olivia Strauss writes a list of things she wants to achieve in that year. Every year, the list remains uncompleted, with none of her aims met. On the night before her 39th birthday, Olivia vows that this will be the year that things change. And, when dramatic things happen when her best friend Marion takes her out for her birthday, Olivia suddenly has a sense that she is running out of time to do the things that she want. Her life will never be the same again.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this book. I read it in a day while on holiday and it was absolutely perfect beach reading. I found the author's voice engaging and entertaining. One slight issue I had is that Olivia is incredibly self-obsessed. She is a terrible friend to Marion and to the women she hangs out with and a really awful wife. It was entertaining for most of the book but towards the end, particularly when she completely ignores a request Marion makes of her, I got a bit annoyed. But, not enough to not finish the book.

Verdict: A solid debut. I will definitely read more written by this author.

I went into this book thinking it was just a funny book about going into our forties. As a woman in her forties, I can totally understand the sentiments behind this book. We’ll just to let you know man this book got deep. I didn’t expect all the feelings it caused in me. It’s a story of friendship, love, mistakes and the things in life we have let pass us by.
As the saying goes, we all think we have more time. What happens when we realize that time has run out?

I received an advance review copy for free, thanks to NetGalley and the publisher and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fast-paced and relatable, OLIVIA STRAUSS IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME is the entrancing story of Olivia Strauss celebrating a what turns out to be a milestone birthday at 39 when a friend's gift detonates her fantasy of getting her life together once and for all and checking off all the boxes. Up against a ticking reality check, Olivia must make choices and go for her dreams if she is ever to live them at all: reigniting her marriage, enjoying her precocious son, going for the art and the poetry she presumed would be her lifelong work. I enjoyed the voice, the situations, the friends and conversations, some of which hit really close to home. A fast and enjoyable read. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Okay so let me start this review by saying, it was eerie how much I connected with the FMC right away. I am about to celebrate my 37th birthday (in less than a month) and she is also around the same age. The subject of the book really makes you think about life and one important question, if you COULD know the exact date of your death, would you want to know? It was insane how spot on the author was about how life is for a woman hovering around this age. About our thoughts and feelings, observations about our lost dreams, etc. With that being said, I was a little frustrated with the FMC and some of the choices she made and some of the ways she treated those around her. However it makes you think, would I have acted the same way if I were put in that situation. The author really made you think about of lot of different topics. I would definitely recommend this read to anyone who asks.

Olivia Strauss Is Running Out of Time, is the book to read when you feel like you’re stuck in life. When the should have, could have, would have inhabits your mind and won’t let go.
Olivia is almost 40 and feels like she has nothing to show. What happens when you take a test to find out the exact date you will die? Will you panic and stay still or would you knock things out on the to do list? I loved the premise of this story however I felt it lacked excitement. I found Olivia to be one of the biggest complainers in literature and in the end I didn’t feel like she accomplished or realized anything substantial. I do wish that we would have gotten to know Marian a bit more and the falling out the two had was so minor it was annoying. Great writing I just felt like there was no big moment where I wanted to get people to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Angela Brown, and Little A for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you found out you had one year left to live? That is the basic storyline of this novel as Olivia struggles with turning 39 and feeling like she's yet to accomplish her dreams but finds out she only has one year left to live.
Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I think we've all had a friend like Marian, or possibly been Marian to someone else. Marian is Olivia's long time best friend who continuously drags her into adventures Olivia would not take on her own. In this story Marian makes an appointment with a "doctor" who can tell them their death dates. While I knew the plot twist early on, it was still an interesting read as you walked with Olivia with the many challenges in life that come with facing 40, long term friendships, marriage and motherhood.

This isn't what I'm usually drawn towards, but something about this gorgeous cover spoke to me, and I had to grab it ASAP. I wasn't disappointed, with the story having a little bit of a magical element (something I adore) and the writing was mesmerizing.

I saw the "plot twist" coming a mile away, but I still enjoyed the way everything unfurled. The story is super adventurous, reflective, sad, and fun. Yup that's a crazy mix, but I LOVED it. Of course, it's completely character driven, and the MC is on a reinvention journey. I think this book is a delightful celebration of life and beautifully expands on the realization of a mortal body.

If you're looking for something addictive and food for thought, this book is for you!

This book is about a woman having a birthday. Her friend arranges for them to go visit someone who will tell you when you are going to die. The woman has a job and family and she is just not happy with life. She really wants to be a writer, The book shows us that we should enjoy and live life each and everyday. Her friend wands up being really sick. A really good and interesting read. This book would be great for a book club discussion.

Would you want to know when you are going to die? That's what Marian gave Olivia as a birthday present (really?). Now Olivia is thinking about how she's lived her life and what she wants to do in the future. And, she's helping Marian who is conflicted about many things. Interesting look at friendship and mortality.

Olivia Strauss finds herself contemplating her mortality and the success of her life. Her story is highly relatable as she discusses her fears, failures and the things she wants to complete before she runs out of time. The writing is conversational between Olivia and the reader with majority of the content occurring as inner monologue. This format creates significant room for the reader to connect with the content and reflect on their individual feelings. While I spent majority of the book frustrated with Olivia for her actions, I spent almost the same amount of time reflecting on my life thus far and my progress towards my goals. The writing was decent, but the prose was a bit lacking and the formatting of the texts on page was not great at representing what the texts actually said (or it didn't read well in the netgalley shelf app -either way not ideal). Overall, the concept was interesting and thought provoking.

Olivia, an aspiring poet, is turning 39. Her best friend, Marian, takes her to a wellness clinic as a birthday present so they can find out their death dates.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book and it had me turning the pages. I did relate to Olivia as a mother but also as a person with their own dreams apart from having a family. It touched on topics that make you think about your own life. Am I running out of time to reach my dream? Is it too late to do what I really want to be doing?
After about 50% of the book, I felt the story was a bit choppy in a way that it seemed to be ending but then something would start back up, but then it would soon feel like it was wrapping up again just for something to jump back into the story.
This story will definitely stick with me and overall, it was a good quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little A for allowing me to read Olivia Strauss Is Running Out of Time by Angela Brown in exchange for my honest review.

All of the stars!! I loved this book! Friendship, dreams, an adult version of "growing up". To me, this was so "life-like". I could picture the neighbors, little Tommy, the "porch cigarettes", etc. I especially liked that this story included a solid marriage/partnership.

I look forward to reading more by Angela Brown.

Overall I did enjoy this book. I recently read The Measure by Nikki Erick. The idea of knowing how much time you have left. It definitely makes you contemplate whether you would want to know when your life will end. I think too much time was spent on the many neighbors of the main character and I found it hard to keep track of who was who. I would read another book by this author!

Olivia and Marian have been best friends ever since they found out they share the same birthday. When Marian gives Olivia a strange birthday gift, it has Olivia questioning her entire life.

This book brings up a lot of very poignant questions many of us have as we age, turn certain milestone ages, move into ages where we thought we would have it all together.

I really liked the story and the reoccurring themes in this book. There were some twists I didn’t see towards the end and I thought it all tied up nicely. Good read!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

It was OK, fairly predictable and I was pleased to get to the end. Wasted a few hours but wouldn't go searching by more from this author sorry

DNF at 35%. three times through with going to get test results and repeating things over and over with no meaning. marian not going back for results and keep saying she will. olivia is whiny, annoying character who reads as young twenties and not someone 39 and should actually have her shit together.

On Olivia's 39th birthday, she writes out a list of everything that she hopes to accomplish in the next year, and like every previous year she expects to accomplish none of it. Her birthday twin and best friend, Marian, takes her to a sort of spa where the two undergo a genetic test to tell them the date that they will die. Olivia's results tell her that she might not have as much time as she always thought and she has to grapple with the implications. This book explores female friendships, how our lives change as we grow up, and our mortality. The author deals with all of these topics with humor and understanding. Although the characters could be frustrating at times, this seems like a very human response to the issues that they are dealing with. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction or pondering their own mortality.