My Review: When I first started reading this one I found myself pulled into the story. I will have to see if some of this comes up in the finished copy so please be advised that I am saying this via an ARC. So one major issue I had with this one was that early on Cash (yes that is his name) talks about having one of those DNA test things from like Ancestry.com and then that's it. Its never mentioned after that. I thought it was a little weird and well kind of stupid to bring it up if nothing came of it.

The entire story about a girl who was adopted but might have been kidnapped was great. It had danger and mystery, a little romance, and a lot of heart. But I kind of wished that a little of it would have been cleaned up just a little more than what it was. My ARC of this book is 336 pages and I think this could have been cut down by say 50-75 pages give or take. Towards the middle parts when they are in the thick of the mystery of finding out for sure if Chole had been kidnapped it began to drag a lot. So that was kind of disappointing as I think this is the first book by this author that I didn't flat out a scream from the rooftops loved. I mean don't get me wrong I did LOVE it but as it sits it wasn't the 5 stars read I was hoping for.

So all in all this book had two main characters it was told in alternating POV of them then one other POV towards the middle-end parts. I won't tell you who that one is since I don't want to spoil anything. I loved Chloe and me really kind of wanted to bend Cash over my knee and bust his butt. (not in a sexual way btw but as a parent). I really wished that this book would have had a little more of him coming to terms with who he was and the issues he harbored against his past. The book pretty much takes like three paragraphs and does that but it would have been nice to really see him talk with his foster parents and really come to terms with his anger and guilt. Another thing I wished would have really happened which I guess it kind of did but not how I really wanted it to. Chloe in this is pretty much the parent. Her mom is going downhill, she is getting over Cancer (which was hard to read about since my mom is doing the same thing), she is going through a divorce from her husband cheating on her and of course, she is just not doing well. I would have liked to see Chole to break a few eggs as she said and rip into her mom about her being the child and her being the mom. She did yell at her about taking pills which I thought was great. But I wish they would have had a real conversation about what was going on. For Chole's dad, I think his side of the story worked well. I was kind of sad of one turn in the story that although was ok I was really hoping that a certain purchase was going to be him trying to win Chole's mom back. But alas it was not meant to be. Last but not least Cash's foster parents were great we got to learn a little about them etc. I don't really have anything to say about them.

I do have to say that I loved that parents were actually in the story and not just one but two full sets of mom and dad!! I mean YES PLEASE!!

The romance in this one was light but deep. I really loved the epilogue we got at the end. Although this two fall in love early I didn't feel like it was insta-love I felt like they had spent time together and bonded. So that was wonderful.

So the mystery of wither or not Chole had been kidnapped. This I have to say got me going at first. Towards the end of the book, you learn if it was one way or another and the secret is out of the bag. I kind of wished that the author would have omitted those parts out since it took the mystery out of the story from then on. You know the truth and that's that. Although it became somewhat predictable I still enjoyed getting to that part and learning the truth.

At the end of this one, I kind of wished that this would have centered around Chole finding out the truth sooner then them dealing with the outcome of that truth. Then the danger towards the end wouldn't have felt so rushed and more could have happened. With Chole and her family dealing with emotions etc. As well as Cash and Chole learning how to deal with their romance. And Cash with his issues.



Go Into This One Knowing: Child Kidnapping, LGBT in passing, Child Abuse, Adoption, Romance

We all know that I adore C.C. Hunter, so me giving this three stars feels heartbreaking. I was so hyped for this book after reading the synopsis. Unfortunately, some of the characters made parts of this book unenjoyable.

Let’s first start off with how I love the fact that C.C. Hunter always talks about hard subjects. Heart of Mine had to deal with heart transplants, this one has to deal with adoptions and possible kidnappings. She always mixes a contemporary with some topics that are not easy to read about.

The romance here was very cute and sweet. Chloe and Cash both had been through some things that made them who they were today. They were making each other realize that your past doesn’t define you and you can make your future whatever you want it to be. I loved them together!

What really dragged this book down for me was Chloe’s parents, especially her mom. Their storyline was almost overpowering Chloe’s. Her mother worked my nerves like no other. I get that she had just beat cancer and might not be in a good headspace, but some of her actions were uncalled for. I’m not saying that the dad’s innocent because trust me, he’s still a dog for what he did but her mother was really a piece of work. My biggest issue was that her mother’s mental state was never really addressed. Chloe was the parent to her mother it seems, she grew up to take care of her. She reminded her to feed herself and listen to her go on about her father.

For the most part, this reads like a contemporary, but we also had some mystery involved. While I’m not a big mystery reader but this one really kept me on my toes! I was hooked on every clue that we were given until the big finale.

While I did have some issues with it, I still enjoyed the romance and the mystery aspect of the book. C.C. will always be a favorite author of mine so I can’t wait to see what she releases next!

**review will be posted to blog on blog tour date**

In Another Life by C.C. Hunter is the story of teenager Chloe. Chloe knows that she was adopted and always wondered why her birth parents gave her for adoption when she was three years old. She has horrifying flashbacks of a time when she was a child, and someone is telling her that her parents no longer love her. After her parents' divorce and she moves with her mom in her late grandparents’ home where she meets Cash. Cash is convinced that Chloe is the long-lost daughter of his foster parents and is determined to prove it. Little do they know that looking into the past can be a dangerous business.

This book is entertaining and full of emotions. I would not recommend it to young teens as it has a sexual component. It is an easy read with all the ups and downs of teenage passions.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for sending me an advanced copy of In Another Life by C.C. Hunter and for including me in the blog tour.

In Another Life was a strange ride from beginning to end. Despite having an intriguing storyline, the plot played out predictably, the characters oddly mishandled, and the dialogue was very often stilted or outrageous. While I still somewhat enjoyed the book, and was able to stay focused and vaguely interested from beginning to end, I can't really say I'd recommend this one.

Chloe Holden is a nearly eighteen year old girl, raised with the knowledge she was adopted at the age of nearly three. Because of her parents' separation, she and her mother have just recently moved to Joyful, Texas. Her mother is recovering from breast cancer, and Chloe is trying to steadily uphold the parental role in that relationship as her mother (whose name we don't know until the very, very end of the book) is not dealing well with that and the separation.

Cash Colton (yes, that's his name) is a nearly eighteen year old foster kid who has been living with a family for a short while...I want to say three years), and in the foster system since he was eleven. His father was a con man who involved Cash in his cons, even forcing Cash at one point to pretend to have cancer and at another to pose as a missing child. So, when Chloe accidentally and literally runs into him (more on that in a bit), and he recognizes her as a lookalike for the missing child of his foster family, he's suspicious and angry. After some rudimentary online sleuthing, some borderline stalker level driving by her house, and some illegal peeking into her school files, Cash and Chloe strike up an unlikely friendship.

She has witnessed him stand up against another kid being bullied, and she throws in her eyewitness account. He has let the air out of her tires to make sure he can be around to offer her help and question her to make sure her intentions aren't nefarious attempts at extorting money from the foster family. Once Cash realizes she is a real person, and not a young woman prepping to pose as the long lost Emily Fuller, you see a better version of him, but it's hard to forget this introduction. These two sides of Cash never seem to properly meld together to be the same guy, even when he does some legally questionable stuff to help Chloe later on, it still feels like a different guy and not just a different side to Cash.

In some ways, Chloe felt surprisingly fleshed out—in spite of the often strange and stilted dialogue and narration—and I think part of that is because she was written from first person, while Cash was written from third. Although I will say, Hunter dove in and out of Continuous Present and Simple Present tenses, and while it did add some variety to the demanding nature of present tense, her choices to often have choppy sentences didn't help elevate the writing style any more. My main issue with Chloe was how often her breasts were gratuitously and oddly referenced.

When she first meets him, Chloe has literally just run into Cash as he exited a convenience store with a slushy. A red slushy. Which (of course) was spilled on her white sandals as a result. We are told the impact with reference to her breasts in a strange and out of place manner.

"Eyes still down, I yank open the door, bolt inside the store, and smack right into someone. Like, my boobs smash against someone's chest."

Somehow, according to the narration, Chloe stayed pressed up against him. (I don't think either of them was wearing flypaper?) And when she stepped backwards it was oddly referencing not only her breasts, but her cup size.

"I swallow the lump in my throat and jerk back, removing my B cup boobs from some guy's chest."

And that was just in the first 5% of the book. More references occur throughout the book, none of which are necessary to the story or even the moment with the exception of a couple during a few intimate scenes.

On top of that, I'm also trucking along, reading this book, when—around the 50-60% point—I'm suddenly handed two more narrators. Two cardboard narrators, one of whom is so villainous it's laughable...aside from his own cringy references to Chloe's body. It is around that point in the book where there's not much left to the actual story, and it's showing.

I do like how the adoption and fostering were presented in this book—aside from the part of the plot where you question the possibility that Chloe's parents orchestrated a kidnapping fifteen years before. Cash's current foster family was presented in a positive and loving way, as was Chloe's relationship with her parents and her childhood growing up with them.

Honestly though, this felt exactly like those made-for-television movies from the 80's where they are based on true stories that featured heavily in the news and viewers apparently want something like an extended reenactment with added fluff for filling a two hour slot. Even going so far as to make that reference in the actual book by one of the characters (with a reference to the Movie of the Week) does not make up for it here.

This is the second book I have read by C.C. Hunter. I am a fan! The odd thing is the two books I have read are what I would consider teen fiction and I haven’t been a teen for a long time. In Another Life is the story of Chloe and Cash who are the new kids in school. Both are dealing with family problems and become involved in each other’s life. Cash is the foster kid who suspects Chloe is not who she thinks she is. Chloe is dealing with divorced parents and a mother recovering from cancer. She doesn’t need any more drama but the attraction she has to Cash inevitably leads to trouble. In Another Life has so many twists and turns it’s hard to put the book down. Hunter has a way of adding to the plot at just the right moment. The good and the bad weave together to create an exciting story that keeps the reader enthralled.
I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Netgalley.

This book was engaging enough. I read it in a couple of sittings. I also want to add the disclaimer that I read the ARC and it’s possible some of my issues will be fixed in the final version. The formatting was a problem as there was no indication of a change in POV – and as there were several POV characters, this did frequently pull me out of the story.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book – I knew that illegal adoptions happened but didn’t really know anything about them. The idea of someone growing up in a happy adoptive family only to discover there is another family somewhere missing them and hoping they might one day return is a really great premise for a novel.

The way the book is structured meant that we knew more about the mystery than the characters did and in some ways, I felt that lessened the stakes too soon. We knew who the bad guys were and figured they would probably get their comeuppance, so there wasn’t as much mystery as there might have been.

I thought Chloe was a very well-written character. She’s got a lot goinig on – her parents’ divorce, her mother up and moving her to a different city, and now a strange guy claiming she’s trying to con his foster parents by pretending to be their long-lost daughter. I did think the romance betwee her and Cash happened a little fast, but I guess that could just be because I’m a sucker for a slow-burn. I did like the fact that when it was revealed that Chloe had been kidnapped, she still acknowledged her adoptive parents as mum and dad, even as that upset her birth parents.

Cash frustrated me a bit with his absolute refusal to accept any help from his foster parents. I got that he didn’t think he deserved it, but he just went on and on and there never seemed to be an arc there. There are several villains of the piece and to be honest, I got them all a bit confused.

All that being said, I did find this book an engaging read and I think it was a good break after I’d read a tonne of fantasy.

(Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for a gratis copy of the book in exchange for an honest review)

I've found that I can't go wrong by reading C.C. Hunter, and that holds true for In Another Life.

As always, I was drawn in by C.C. Hunter's writing and the characters she creates. In Another Life deals with relatable topics and issues people face: divorce, cancer, adoption, depression, familial strife, etc. Add in some romance and a little mystery and intrigue, and it easily kept my attention throughout.

***I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley.***

I was looking to read something a little bit different than my usual psychological thriller and was intrigued by the promised suspense by the synopsis of this book. I'm happy that it didn't disappoint. Although it was easy to predict what exactly had happened to Chloe, In Another Life took me on an engaging journey while trying to get the answers Chloe needed through her recently turned upside-down life. It didn't tug at the heartstrings or put me through an emotional journey but it was a good book that I got to finish in one sitting. The main characters were fleshed out and likable and I thought Cash and Chloe were really cute and sweet together.

Overall, it is a beautifully written book that will captivate you enough to keep the pages turning until the end.

Interesting concept, sort of a mystery, adoption and teenage drama story all rolled into one. I found the writing a bit bland and predictable though which was a disappointment. The character seemed like such a stereotype, it was hard to relate or care what happened.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

I never thought that was going to happen! Holy mother of pearl!

I am still in shock! Does this happen often?! OMG!!!

This review was very hard to write because I don't want to give anything away.

I will tell you that I devoured this read. It was so good and I couldn't even put this book down.

Chase is a young man that has been in 4 different foster homes after his parents died.

Chloe is a young woman that was adopted when she was 3 years old.

But there is way more to this story and I promise you will love every single word.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book and I liked the story, for the most part, although I think it got a little too dramatic and over-the-top towards the end, but the grammar was atrocious and it needs a great deal of editing.

I really liked Chloe and Cash and all the parents. They seemed fairly well-written and the romance between Chloe and Cash was cute.

The only thing plot issue that I question is the idea that the Fullers could have lived in the same town as the Holdens. Surely, the Holdens would have seen her picture on the news and realized she was the same child. To really make sense, the author should change the story so that the family moved out of state immediately.

I haven't read too many books that handle adoption so I was super excited to jump into this one! In Another Life is definitely one of those reads that you could devour in one sitting. The plot it super intriguing and even though you ultimately know the end of the story it's still all the right amount of dark, intriguing, angst, intimate, and emotional. Cash and Chloe pasts are sure to tug on your heart strings and it's almost impossible not to love both of them.

My heart ached for Chloe as her life was literally torn apart. First, with her parents divorce and ultimately having to be the "mother" of her family by taking care of her own mother who had cancer and was severely depressed after Chloe's father left. Second, being told that she potentially may have been kidnapped and struggling with the emotions that follow. But as much as my heart ached for her I needed to keep reading because I was rooting so hard for her to get the answers she deserved.

Overall, this book will evoke a lot of emotions from you but the ending will be sure to patch up any cracks this book may leave in your heart!

I LOVED this book,. YA and NA books are always a breath of fresh air and this book was no different.

The characters were well developed and both main characters were likeable and relatable. Reading the protagonists story, you really become invested in what the truth is and what that will mean for everyone involved.

It was amazing that the author was able to make this story, although fictional feel deeply personal almost cathartic.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

It's been awhile since I've read an adoption themed book that flows through a suspenseful vein. While this had all the budding romance and tender intimacy I was looking for, it did feel light on the mystery/thriller aspect. If you've read a handful of books where you are trying to solve a mystery alongside the main characters, you will likely be able to see the solution well before the reveal, but in all, this was a beautiful, entertaining tale that evokes strong emotions from the reader. I do feel a younger audience would enjoy this more than the adult looking for a YA read.

**I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

ALSO, disclaimer: Netgalley makes it clear that some ARCs have not gone through final editing, and this was definitely the case for this book. It REALLY needs editing. I lost my place a couple of times because of it.

I liked this book a lot!! The title and cover caught my eye.

The premise was very interesting! Chloe had a great backstory and her personality felt realistic. She's adopted, but loves her adopted parents even though her dad is a jerk and ditched her and her "mom" for another woman. Did I mention her mom is recovering from cancer and Chloe had to deal with that all on her own? And her "dad" is acting like nothing is wrong?? ALIKGKMSJDJSPASJHG!!!

So of course Chloe - literally - runs into Cash and he's a jerk (with good reason, but you can find out for yourself why) but give it time and they fall in luv. It's a little quick for me but what I think readers (including myself) keep forgetting is, at that age, it's ALL instalove. I was in (what I thought was serious) love three times throughout my high school career. Yeah, we didn't get married or anything so it wasn't forever. My point is, instalove is pretty normal at that age.

Chloe's normal life and relationship with Cash often got in the way of their amateur investigation about whether or not she was kidnapped (and are the culprits her sick "mom" and jerky "dad"?!?!), which made sense to me, because I'm sure if it happened to me I'd probably ignore the whole thing because I'd be so overwhelmed by the possibilities. So I get why she wants things to be normal - her mom is finally recovering from cancer (but getting depression) and they just moved, she started a new school, etc. Chloe doesn't have time for figuring this stuff out.

Luckily Cash does, and he has some experience with these matters. Chloe goes back and forth between deciding if she even wants him to dig deeper or not.

I really liked their relationship but GRRRRRR Cash irritated me at times. Especially near the end. Chloe was too easy on him!!

I liked Lindsey and her friendship with Chloe, but I felt a little bad for Jamie. I can definitely understand her feelings or jealousy, and fear that she would be losing her best friend. I did feel, however, that she didn't have to be painted as SUCH a bad friend and it would've been more realistic to have her still be in the group but her and Chloe never really get along. Instead, Chloe's a saint and needs a good friend in Lindsey so good-bye Jamie!

I'm also not entirely sure if I bought the "climax" of the book. I won't spoil it, but it seemed to escalate really quickly and I'm not sure if all that action was believable. It was kind of like Veronica Mars...I loved that show...or like Nancy Drew...where unlikely things kinda happen because of who the main character is. But, maybe it could've been just as intense without it. I really did not need or care about the 3rd POV - Cash and Chloe were enough. I felt like the 3rd POV gave too much away too soon. I would've liked our dream team to discover it for themselves.

I enjoyed the resolution/ending and would check out more from this author!

PS: Not sure I needed all the boob references. Hunter is a woman, but it totally reminded me of the internet's description of a man writing a female character. Which is hilarious, but still.

C.C. Hunter plucked the heartstrings out of my chest and played them like a finely tuned violin in this YA novel! As if Chloe doesn't have enough hardship in her life: her mother has cancer, her dad has left for a younger woman, and she's starting senior year in high school as a new student in a new town. Add to this the fact that her new boyfriend, Cash (a purported "bad boy" with a father like Dirty John) suspects she may be the long-ago-kidnapped daughter of his foster family. And this is just the beginning! So as Chloe and Cash set out to solve the mystery, we see both try to cope with their past and present situations. Hunter writes with compassion and understanding of teenage angst, emotional outbursts, familial obligations, and love. It's a poignant look at relationships and the volatile nature of love.

I was super intrigued with this story due to being a social worker and working in foster care/adoption.

In Another Life is about Chloe who discovers that there is a hidden story behind her childhood and being adopted. The story was quick to take on a romance turn.... which I wasn't expecting at all.

Cash and Chloe soon bond with one another about both being violently separated from their birth parents. The relationship takes on a powerful and strong connection based on both being vulnerable about their childhoods.

This story explores love, friendship, family, and what it means to make sacrifices in finding love in a family.

I was hoping for a little bit more with the ending of this book and I feel that it fell a little bit flat for me. I was a tad disappointed in all honesty. I was hoping to see more of the aftermath when Chloe found out the truth about her family/adoption etc.

But, overall it was an enjoyable read!

3.5 stars for In Another Life

Huge thank you to Wednesday Books/St. Martin's Press for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 3/26/19
Published to Goodreads: 2/1/19

I was really excited to read this book as the premise sounded really interesting. I like reading contemporary stories that have more serious topics and deal with things that are sometimes hard to talk about. Unfortunately I found the execution of this book to be a little lacklustre and I did not connect with any of the characters. In Another Life follows Chloe, who moves to another town after the divorce of her parents. She soon meets Cash, a boy who tells her that she looks very similar to the kidnapped child of his foster parents. They embark on a journey to find out what the truth is.

The plot started out intersting enough, with the mystery of who Chloe was at the forefront, but then it quickly changed to a fairly romance heavy story. The relationship between Cash and Chloe was very instalove to me and I never really bought their whole love story. When we weren't focused on their romance, we were back to the original plot line of the story, the kidnapping. While, again, it started off interesting and I really was curious about who Chloe really was, it dissolved into a very almost cartoonesque plot line that lost a lot of the impact for me. The villains were doing and saying things that, to me, were very outlandish and something straight out of a movie. It didn't seem all to realistic and it took me out of the book. It just got a little too over the top for me closer to the end and it really hindered my enjoyment of the book.

The characters were also a little hit or miss for me as well. Although I was not the biggest fan of our two main leads, they were fleshed out with interesting backstories. The reason I think I didn't connect with their characters is they didn't, in my opinion, have the best character arcs and they didn't change that much over the course of the book. The secondary characters, such as Chloe's best friend Lindsey or the bully Paul, could have been taken out of the book and nothing would have changed. There was so much potential in this book, with the premise, to have such interesting and deep characters, and it just did not hit the mark for me.

Overall, this book has a very interesting plot line and premise, but the execution just did not work for me.

Story about missing child, very engaging, couldn't stop reading. The plot made me think about the children going missing in real life and actually check the statistics on it. Good book.

A fun, fresh take on a missing child story- perfect for anyone who loved ‘Dead to You’ or the classic ‘Face on the Milk Carton’. The characters are compelling, their issues are realistic, and the ending is awesome. Can’t wait to book talk this one!