I am a sucker for stories about women who give up a wealthy, social lifestyle in the city to get away from it all and create a simpler, quieter life in a rural setting, so this novel really called to me from the beginning. And since Barbara Delinsky is a master storyteller, I thought this book would be right up my alley. And I was absolutely correct! The main character, Maggie, moved to a small, friendly town in Vermont five years ago, because she was driving in an accident that killed her five year old daughter, and she has lost the support of her husband, parents, brother, and friends. In Vermont, she finds new friends, community, and a new way of supporting herself, but only a chosen few know her real story. I really loved this novel because that is just the beginning! Things start getting complicated for Maggie (known in her former life as Mackenzie) when both her husband and brother suddenly appear back in her life., and when her friend Grace's son gets in trouble with the law, she is posed with some dilemmas that help her decide what she wants her life to really be. What I was most fascinated with here, though, was how the author wove the theme of forgiveness throughout the many characters' stories, particularly the very subtle way that self-forgiveness comes about in one's life.

Fans of Delinsky’s women’s fiction will enjoy this novel of mistakes and second chances. Maggie moves to Vermont, full of guilt and trying to start over after a tragedy impacts her life and relationships. With current themes added, such as hacking, texting while driving, paparazzi, and more, the book focuses on facing tragedy and succeeding in moving forward.

Another much appreciated gift from Netgalley of this women’s fiction that doesn’t release until June. Mackenzie Cooper took her eyes off the road for a few seconds to figure out where she was and caused a fatal accident that resulted in the death of her daughter. After months of torture by the media, a divorce and her mother practically disowning her, Mackenzie moved to Vermont. She changed her name, and got a job as a makeup artist at a lux spa there. She moved into a small cabin and adopted two cats and a dogs. As happy as she could be after the loss of a child, she kept her past a secret to those around here. That was, until her ex-husband showed up as the new owner of the spa and the accompanying inn.

Barbara Delinsky does a fantastic job of building flawed characters who eventually change during the course of the novel. This story reveals what it takes to rebuild relationships, what’s really important and how to move on when it’s really, really hard. I gave it four stars because I found it moved a bit slowly for me in a few places, but don’t let that stop you for preordering it. The message is a good one.

I received an arc from Netgalley. This was a book of lost love found again. Edward and Maggie lost part of themselves when their daughter died in a tragic accident. Not being able to cope with the loss Edward and Maggie lost their connection and Maggie also lost connection with her family.

Maggie leaves and finds solace in Devon. A place where she finds herself a little more each day but never forgets her lost love.

Edward has planned to move to Devon for two years without Maggie knowing. Once he arrives they learn together that money and prestige is nothing compared to friends family and love.

At times this book was heartbreaking but definitely had a HEA ending. 5 stars

"The past is part of what we are." This line from the book is a lesson learned by so many characters in the story. Some felt strength in holding on to their past; while others found their strength in letting go.
A young woman trying to move on from a terrible disaster in her life finds peace, stability, and friendship in a new town. The events from her past begin to threaten as some parts of it are discovered. Yet, through this stress she comes to reconcile with the people in her life who were once dear to her.
Particularly touching are the scenes where the mother and father, after five years, are finally able to grieve their loss together. Also poignant are the words between mother and daughter as they reconcile from many years of estrangement.
The novel is well told, leaving the reader guessing about the many possible outcomes to the plot. As it unfolds, it highlights the need for friendship, for healing, for hope, for sharing- all in one very interesting story. Aren't these values needed in our own lives?
Wonderful book!

I have read many of Barbara Delinsky's books. I enjoy her books, so I was excited that I got to read this one.

The descriptions of driving on a narrow winding road with no cell reception..I could relate and I was there.
Then she becomes the poster child for distracted driving. I have also been there.

Forward 5 years later--
She is like an ancient oak- lives through trauma and thrives!
She builds a new life, makes a fresh start
by living an isolated life in woods without family.
When her old life bursts into her new life
the little box containing her past starts to open up and her past leaks into her present.

She has big choices and needs to reinvent herself again!

I want to live at the Spa!!

I began reading and I was so drawn in that I was late to work twice because I was reading this book.
I highly recommend to fans and ANYone looking for a great book to read!!

I want to live at the Spa.

I was able to read Before and Again for free from Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mackenzie changes her life to run away from her past. She was in a car accident which resulted in the death of daughter and the end of her marriage. She moved to Vermont where she found peace. However, the past collides with her present. At some part of the story it was a little slow but in overall it was a good read. We are able to see empathy, loss and of course a new beginning/a new future.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Mackenzie changes her life completely to run away from her past. She was in a car accident resulting in the death of daughter and end of her marriage. She has found solace in the town Devon. However, past and present soon collides. Riveting and cleverly written. I was totally engaged in the story. Some of the dialogue dragged, but overall I enjoyed it. Very good read.

I had a hard time getting into any part of this book. I was disoriented from the beginning. In fact I felt like I had dropped into the middle of the book at the start. The female characters mostly seemed angry and unable to stand up for themselves and the males manipulative and passive aggressive. Thanks to Net Galley for the chance at reading in advance.

Though this was mostly enjoyable, I didn't really connect with any of the characters, which made it a middling read for me. The story moves well and the writing is good, but overall, it didn't feel very satisfying to me, unfortunately.

I received this book "Before and Again" from Netgalley for my honest review.
Mackenzie Cooper took her eyes off the road for just a moment and her life changed forever. I wanted to read this book because it was set in Vermont and I live kinda close to there. So I recognized the town names and things like that. I really enjoyed reading this book and the characters were likeable. This was a good story.

Interestingly Delinsky's books are about very different subjects yet she creates characters who are so full and have so many layers you would think she lived through every situation. Although I have nothing in common with the actual character situations I can still identify with the need to remake yourself. Start new.

Barbara Delinsky can always be counted on for well-written, detailed women's fiction (I learned more about the artistry of applying makeup than I ever needed to know). Before and Again deals skillfully with grief and forgiveness - even as I was wondering why Maggie's narration seemed so emotionless considering the losses she had suffered, I gradually realized that it reflected the polite facade she had constructed to survive. And once she begins to process her grief, the narration becomes much more gut-wrenching and poignant.

There are a few things, however, that kept me from enjoying this book more. First is Delinsky's utter disdain for the media, who are all portrayed as uncaring vultures preying on innocent victims. Even the reporter whose career has been hurt by a hacking scandal is seen as overreacting, and the sympathy is completely directed at the teenager accused of the crime.

Also (I'm staying somewhat vague here to avoid spoilers) one of the men in Maggie's life makes a major decision without consulting her that comes off more as stalkerish than romantic, and I wanted Maggie to demand an apology when she learned the truth about his intentions.

Finally, while I understand that the point of the book is to demonstrate the impact of her friend Grace's crisis on Maggie's determination to keep her past a secret, it feels a little weird for the major action in the book to be sidelined for Maggie's personal growth and romantic rebirth. I wish Delinsky had given Grace and her son more attention, or even a spin off told from their point of view.

Still, it's been a few years since Delinsky's last release and her novels are always guaranteed page turners. I just had a few more complaints than usual as I turned the pages.

Delinsky at her best, Maggie comes to Vermont to start again after a tragic accident that cost her marriage and her family. Confronting the past reconnects her with her famil6 and she finds hope love and joy
A great book!

What a great read. I savored every page with such beautifully written detail. I love this authors work, and this is no exception.

RATING: 4 stars, definitely worth reading!

GENRE: Literary Fiction; Women’s Lit

REVIEW: Maggie Reid lives a quiet life in the small, luxe town of Devon, Vermont. She enjoys her close group of friends, her job as a makeup artist at a local spa, and her lovely cabin and sweet pets. She lives a small but comfortable life, until events conspire to thrust her in the spotlight, bringing back her past and threatening her future.

Five years earlier, she had been a happily married mother of one. She and her husband Edward had built an enviable life, complete with a beautiful five year old daughter. Lily was their heart, their center. Sadly, it only took a few brief seconds for a tragic accident to rip their life apart.

Healing has meant building a new life, foregoing the family that abandoned her for the circle of friends she developed in Devon. When the son of her friend, Grace, is accused in a serious case of hacking, Maggie chooses to stand behind her. The situation becomes more complicated when Maggie’s ex-husband shows up in town as the new owner of the local in and spa. To further enmesh the threat of her past coming to light, her brother Liam pops into town as the future chef of a restaurant Edward plans to open.

All in all, this was an extremely well-written story. There were several points that left me in tears, both good and sad. Delinsky brought empathy, loss, and new beginnings to these pages in the way few authors can.
Of course there were a few sticking points for me. Maggie’s friend, Grace, was not as sympathetic a character as she could have been. Throughout the book, she seemed rather narcissistic and callous regarding the plight her son was going through. As the book moves along, some of her actions become more understandable, but she could have been crafted a little warmer and caring than she was.

I did enjoy reading this novel, and was quite satisfied with the ending. It seems like I’ve finished the first of what will be many blockbuster beach reads for this summer.

*Tremendous thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC.

I have loved Barbara Delinsky's books in the past & this book was no exception. This story was an emotional read & very thought provoking. I was captivated by the plot. I felt horrible at times, for the heroine, suffering from guilt & what if's, but it also made me stop & think about my past mistakes & how I have let them impact my present & future life. Thank you for this great story!

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an advanced read in exchange for this review.

Mackenzie Cooper took her eyes off the road for just a moment, but that moment was enough to destroy her life as she knew it. She escaped to Vermont under a different name and has somehow created an okay life. She can't tell anyone about her past, but her story begins to ravel when she comes out of her comfort zone to help a friend.

Yeah, I somehow thought that this was supposed to be a thriller. It's not, and I was disappointed. After a few chapters in, I quit. The story was so slow, and it felt as if it was going nowhere (and getting there at a snail's pace). The story about Maggie/Mackenzie could have been more interesting, but then there's this plot about a friend's son getting arrested due to hacking. What? I felt as if the book had an identity crisis and was trying to be multiple things. If not a thriller, then focus on Maggie/Mackenzie. That story line could have had heart. Instead, everything felt underdeveloped. DNF

Enjoyed this book. Highly recommend! Looking forward to reading more by this author

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

When Mackenzie Cooper takes her eyes off the road for a second to look at her GPS, her entire life changes. Her 5-year-old daughter died in the resulting crash; her marriage fell apart; her family stopped speaking to her, and she even had a state law named after her to remind people of what she had done. Unable to cope, she moves to Vermont to work as a makeup artist under the name Maggie Reid. She likes her new life and fears losing it again when, on the same day, Maggie's best friend's son is arrested for hacking, and her ex-husband shows up in town as the new owner of the Inn and Spa where she works. Burying her past will no longer work; she has to face her demons head on.

This story is at times gut wrenching and at other times heartwarming. The emotions Maggie feels really comes through. I would highly recommend this book to readers who love women's fiction.