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!

Book: In Another Life
Author: C.C Hunter
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for providing me with this ARC and for allowing me to be a part of the spring preview. It’s really great to be working with you again.

Well, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from this one. I really did think that it was going to be about a girl searching for her birth family and that was going to be the end of it. I never imagined that I would get such an action packed adventure, full of surprises, and amazing characters. I was just stunned. This book is so well written and with so much packed into it, it really was hard to put this one down.

So, let’s start with Chloe. Chloe is the main character-just a normal, adoptive high school girl. She finds herself torn between a rather ugly divorce. To make matters worse, her mother is dealing with depression and recovering from cancer. Now, this puts a lot of pressure on Chloe. In a sense, it really does make her seem a lot older than what she is. At times, it was actually kind of hard to remember that she was a teenage girl. This maturely will not make it difficult for younger readers to connect with. She is mature not because the author doesn’t understand the mind of a teenager, but because of the curveball that life has thrown at her. Not only was all of that going on, but her parents did not get along at all and she found herself kind of being pressured to almost pick a side. The emotions of the divorce just come right off the page, almost as if you are experiencing them yourself. All of this just really impacts Chloe’s character and why she takes the course that she does. It’s just really amazing to see this kind of character being developed.

Next, is Cash. Cash is a foster child, who really had a rough childhood. Once again, like with Chloe, this past really affects his character. He is smart, doesn’t want handouts, and doesn’t want people to get close. He completely freaks out whenever his foster family, the Fullers, want to help him and let him into their hearts. It’s almost like he doesn’t know how to handle this kind of affection. Once you really get to know his character, you understand why he is the way he is. He is completely afraid to let people because he doesn’t want to get hurt again. Really, the only person he lets in is Chloe.

This story is very action packed and I know that the first half or so of my review does not show that. As the story goes on, C.C lets it kind of take a dark path. The Fullers’ daughter went missing a long time ago and Cash thinks that Chloe looks like her. So, they start looking into Chloe’s adoption and find out that things are not what they seem. This leads them to high speed chases, evil characters, and more. So, this is where the action is people. It doesn’t sound like much, but I really don’t want to give away too much. Think of it as Unstoppable movie with Chris Pine action fun-yeah, I just rewatched the movie and it’s what popped into my mind.
This brings us to a very important question: Why four stars instead of five? Well, if anyone has ever read my reviews before and has read this book, then you know why. It’s not really anything wrong with the book, but a personal thing. I cannot stand books that go from first person point of view to third person point of view. That is what is happening here. I like reading from different character’s point of view, but let’s pick either first person or third person and stay there.

Alright, so In Another Life comes out on March 26, 2019. I hope you will enjoy it.

From the moment I read the description of this book I was hooked - it sounded like a new generation's take on The Face on the Milk Carton by Caroline B Cooney (which I loved as a kid). In Another Life was a surprise for me - it's a interesting mystery that explores the idea of kidnapping in a grounded way, albeit with a bit of a boring ending.

In Another Life follows Chloe as she adjusts to her new normal - her mother and father recently went through a nasty divorce and she has been forced to move to a new town with her mother. To pile on - her mom has recently had a rough bout of cancer, and while she is in remission, she's become severely depressed. Chloe is receiving no support from her father either: he's too wrapped up in his new life with his girlfriend to notice the wake of destruction he left behind him. Enter Cash: a mysterious foster child who is convinced that Chloe is the abducted daughter of his foster parents. The two set out to figure out who Chloe truly is, no matter what the consequences are.

I went into this book sold on the premise. It's one of the few YA books I've picked up recently that felt like a fairly original concept. I was a little nervous about how the suspected kidnapping plot would be handled - it's a theme that I feel requires a delicate treatment. I was very pleased to find that the whole kidnapping theme wasn't used solely to add drama to the plot - it was thoroughly explored and well fleshed out. My favorite part of this book was that it didn't feel too far-fetched - there were a lot of common YA themes stuffed into this novel (divorced parents, terminal illness, mental health, teen angst, school bullies, etc), but the book never felt weighed down or over the top because of them. My only gripe with this book was the ending. While it was realistic, it just kinda fell flat for me. I would have liked to have more of an epilogue or a more exciting ending. 

I really enjoyed Chloe as a main character - she was well defined and interesting to read about. She cares deeply about those around her and often puts the well being of her friends and family above her own. Her reactions as she slowly unraveled the mystery of her past felt real and raw - it felt like she was just trying to keep her head above water and cope with what life threw her way. When she did have emotional outbursts, they felt earned (if that makes sense). Cash was also a great character - while his background is treated as more of a subplot, it's still compelling and fun to unravel. It was nice to slowly discover where his mistrust and aloofness were rooted. 

In Another Life was a fast-paced mystery with a sweet romantic undertone that took on a deeply complicated issue and didn't try to oversimplify it for the reader. It was executed well, but fell flat in the last 50 pages. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a breath of fresh air in YA contemporaries, or for any fans of The Face on the Milk Carton. 4/5

A little mystery + a little romance + 2 angsty teens = a fun ride. Chloe literally runs into Cash in a mini-mart and his reaction to her starts a relationship that has them digging into Chole's past and uncovering an adoption snafu she didn't know existed. I liked both of these characters. They were both a little angsty, but with good reason. Chole's father left when her mother found out she had cancer leaving to Chole as caretaker. Cash has been in the foster system after his con-man dad was killed; he has a hard time trusting anyone. But the two of them find a peacefulness with each other that they don't find other places n their lives. Cash immediately notices a resemblance between Chloe and the time lapse photo of Emily, the daughter of his foster parents who as kidnapped at three-years-old. when he discovers Chole was adopted at three, the teens start investigating Chloe's origins. Could she have been kidnapped?
I liked the realistic relationships between Chloe and her parents. She's mad at her dad for "abandoning" the family but still loves him. She's not sure how to process that. (I'm much older than Chloe and still grappling with those emotions!) She loves her mom and wants to care for her, but she's exhausted from worrying. She's grown up fast! Cash is a good kid who was put in some shitty circumstances. His tendency to handle problems with his fists is understandable.
Hand In Another Life to readers who like a mystery with a side of budding romance and family drama.

I picked this up because I enjoyed the first novel I read by C.C. Hunter and this one was also quite good. It had a bit of mystery, a bit of romance and family issues which are all very commonly found in a ya story. I liked this story but I felt like it was a little slow to move. Overall, I enjoyed the story and will recommend it to my students! I will also look for more by this author!

*Thank you St. Martin's Press for the eARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Another Life asks the question “What would you do if your whole life was a lie and learning the truth could cost you your life?”

Chloe was three years old when she was adopted as Chloe Holden. When Chloe moves in with her mom she is recognized by a boy named Cash as a potentially abducted person. Cash is living with the parents of Emily Fuller who has been missing for around fourteen years, making her around the same age as Chloe. Cash is convinced that Chloe is either running a con on the Fuller’s or she is indeed their missing daughter Emily due to her appearance.

Overall this story was fun and interesting and did make me intrigued to see how the story would end. This book did incorporate some thriller-like content but it kind of fell flat. I thought that the thriller scenes were a little unrealistic and weird. I didn’t like seeing a POVish change for this; I would have rather been surprised. Also the shifts in view and transition were off in my copy so I hope this is better included in the final print edition.

I also thought that the developing relationship in the story was sweet but ultimately overpowering. I felt like Chloe didn’t really think about what it would mean to be abducted as much as she did or tried to. As we began to see more into Chloe’s feelings, Cash would suddenly pop up and mostly ruin the scene. I also felt like some of the characters began to negatively change as the story progress. I didn’t mind Chloe’s mom at first but after a while I was annoyed by her being in just about every chapter. I think her parents overpowered the story at times. I also did not see much benefit to her friendship made in the story. I saw some potential at times but Lindsey’s character was ultimately flat and cliché. I wish Chloe was by herself sometimes in the novel to better show who she is and how she is feeling.

This story was pretty predictable yet mostly fun. It’s entertaining enough as a fun read. Some scenes are a little mature so I cannot totally recommend this for young readers in a school setting.

What would you do if you discovered there was more to the story behind your childhood? If you were someone else? In Another Life is a light mystery, with plenty of family drama and a touch of romance.

Chloe Holden’s lire has been torn apart. First her parents went through a messy divorce after her father had an affair, then her mother was diagnosed with cancer and now she has been forced to move to a new town, away from her friends. But when she literally runs into a hot guy her first moment in town, perhaps things are looking up. Until Cash reveals that he thinks she is the long lost daughter of his foster parents, kidnapped when she was just three years old. Together, Cash and Chloe work to uncover the truth about her adoption, growing closer, but their investigation could lead them both into serious danger.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I was genuinely intrigued and hooked by the story, reading it quickly and wanting to know how it was going to end. I enjoyed the overall story of In Another Life and liked the flow of Cash and Chloe working together to uncover the facts of her adoption. However, there were a lot of little things that distanced me from the story. For starters, Chloe is a hard character to really like. The first time we meet Chloe she is throwing a temper tantrum. As the story unfolds, it’s easy to understand why Chloe is so upset, yet her big emotions sometimes get in the way of any decency or common sense. Chloe’s emotions run the gamut, and I think she cries a hundred times in this story, which as a crier, I can’t fault, but it did get a little annoying. She also picks fights but then instead of standing her ground and calmly saying what’s wrong she’ll just run and cry and get mad. Though, perhaps we can just put this down as teenager angst. She is also very judgmental of people, even when she is criticising them for being judgmental, which made the little messages about acceptance fall flat (I don’t want to be lectured by some girl about judgement and standards when she goes around judging others and even calling people that dreaded s- word). Other little things, like Chloe’s friendship with her neighbour which seemed strange and sometimes out of place, the frequently changing tense and character perspectives, and Chloe’s response to her mother’s depression and cancer made it hard to truly love this story. And yet, I was eager to read to the end.

Cash’s chapters are written in third person, past tense, while Chloe’s are first person present, which does very quickly differentiate each section, yet was a bit disconcerting when switching between the two. The perspective of the bad guy is also thrown in towards the end of the novel.

While this book is categorised as a mystery-thriller and there is a bit of tension towards the end, the mystery unfolds quite simply, with no big twists or surprises, so it’s perfect if you enjoy light mystery. The dynamics between Chloe and her parents and Cash is what holds the book together. There is plenty of drama (Chloe is naturally very dramatic and tends to over plays things).

Overall, In Another Life is an intriguing mix of romance, family and mystery, with a focus on relationship dynamics.

The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for an E-ARC of this book.

I found the characters relatable, but it seemed that the story was repetitive. I thought everything got interesting and then wrapped up too quickly. I liked how every hint came together, but I wish it was not as rushed.

C.C Hunter is an author that consistently delivers a great story so I was more than eager to get started on her latest YA contemporary, In Another Life.

Our MCs are Chloe, who was adopted as a 3 year old and has had to move to a new town and a new school because of her parents recent separation. Cash is a character with an interesting backstory and was eager to get to know Chloe as he recognized the past Chloe and how she may have a link to his foster parents.

Chloe has always known that she was adopted but she was quite blindsided when Cash gave her some information that could possibly connect her to a missing child; it was a predictable mystery but one that I enjoyed following and was written well.

I adored Chloe and Cash together, their interactions were wonderful and despite their differences they made it work. I enjoyed both characters relationships with their family, Chloe with her adoptive parents and Cash with his foster parents; he was quite stubborn but you could see the love that they had for him and I did feel that Chloe had too much responsibility but she was extremely mature and handled it all well; all characters were well-developed..

C.C Hunter writes about realistic teen troubles; her characters are flawed and struggle with real life relatable issues and In Another Life was about forgiveness, health and family issues, the love between not only family but also friends and also heartache. I enjoyed every moment of it

C.C Hunters writing was poignant, I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t help but hope for a HEA for all characters.

Thank you to the author and the publisher via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review In Another Life.

In Another Life is about 17 Year old Chloe, who could possibly be Emily, who went missing 15 years ago. It honestly kept me on my feet, not wanting to put it down. The characters were either very lovable or dislikeable, very memorable.

Chloe was adopted at the age of three, and has no real memories of her real family, only a scary thought that involves a mean man and a scary room. Now a teenager, her parents have separated and her mom moves her to a new town, Joyful, Texas. She has a good life and a loving mom and is about to start at a new school, She runs into Cash, another outsider, and causes a spark in him, as he thinks he knows who she really is. A good story of lies and love.

I’ve been a fan of C.C Hunters work for awhile and this book reminded me why! She writes characters you just want to root for and read about. Chloe and Cash were both great characters to read about that made me want to keep reading more and the idea behind being adopted then finding out secrets about how you really came to be with the people that raised you always fascinates me. Such a page turning fast paced read I really enjoyed!

I like reading Young Adult books. I know, how weird is it that a 40 something (hey, not giving my actual age out here!!) woman likes to read about teenagers. But I do. So when the publisher approached me to review In Another Life, I jumped on it.

What attracted me to In Another Life was the cover. It is an eyecatcher. A turquoise blue cover with black writing, it caught my eye. This is a book that I would buy because of the cover.

I felt awful for Chloe in this book. She had to deal with the fallout from a bitter divorce. She also had to deal with her mother’s illness (breast cancer and depression). She had every right to be upset with her father. She also had every right to question Cash when he laid the facts out in front of her. If someone I barely knew came up to me and said: “Guess what, you are the kidnapped daughter of my foster parents.” I would have had the same reaction. I liked her.

I liked Cash but man, did he annoy me at points in the book. Like his obsession with proving that Chloe was Emily. I get why he was doing it. I do. But, during certain parts of the book, I was like “Just drop it, dude“. I did think that his first interactions with Chloe were borderline stalkerish. I also thought that his attitude towards his foster parents sucked. I mean, they wanted to adopt him and he noped out of it. But it did make sense. What he went through as a child scarred him. I didn’t blame him for not attempting to form relationships.

Chloe’s parents disgusted me. Both of them. Her father was so wrapped up in thinking with his “little” head that he almost lost his relationship with his daughter. And her mother. I couldn’t stand her. She was constantly bad mouthing Chloe’s father. Constantly. Every scene that she was in, I could feel the bitterness rolling off the pages. Even when they were at the police station, she couldn’t stop. At that point, I had enough. I wanted to smack her upside the head and say “Helloo, focus on your daughter, you bitter harpy“.

The main plotline was well written. I had no problem following along. Keeping Cash’s section in 3rd person was a smart move. It would have made it harder to read if it was in 1st person like Chloe. There was a slight lag in the middle but the author was able to get the plot back on track.

I did figure out the mystery angle early in the book. With the introduction of Rodney and the not so subtle clues that were dropped, it only made what I suspected even more concrete. But, figuring out the mystery angle did not take away from the enjoyment of reading the book.

I thought that Cash and Chloe’s romance was very sweet. I had a couple of “awww” moments while reading the book. I liked that the author kept the book PG too.

The end of In Another Life was what I expected. Everything (and I mean all the storylines) were wrapped up. I did get a laugh at what Chloe did to Cash. Also, the epilogue was wonderful to read.

I would give In Another Life an Older Teen rating. There are sexual situations (not graphic). There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be adoption, kidnapping, divorce, and child abuse. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread In Another Life. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publishers, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review In Another Life.

All opinions stated in this review of In Another Life are mine.

I was highly disappointed in this due to the writing and characters. I've read some of C.C. Hunter's books years ago and reading this book made realize that all her characters are the same, just described differently per book. The main character is a drop dead gorgeous girl that has all the boys drooling over her. In this novel, Chloe relocates to Joyful, TX after her parents' divorce and upon stopping at a gas station with her father, she runs into the store and proceeds to bump into a guy. Except it was described like, "I removed my B-cup breasts from this stranger's chest". Who writes like this?! Why do we need to know how big Chloe's breasts are?

Of course Chloe runs into the hottest guy in town and her future boyfriend, Cash at the gas station. The second they lay eyes on each other they fall madly in love. The following three hundred pages is filled with unnecessary dialogue that has nothing to do with the meager plot of foster care and adoption. Cash is the town's hot bad boy and has been turning down all the girls in love with him. Suddenly Chloe is the new person in town and capture's his attention, as well as all the other guys at her school. The quarterback, random strangers, and her instant BFF/next door neighbor Lindsey's crush and ex-boyfriend all ask her out because she's beautiful and skinny and has a rocking body, which is described multiple times from Cash's perspective.

The secondary characters provided no depth to the story line. Lindsey was dull. She only talked about her cheating ex-boyfriend Jonathon and her new crush David. Chloe whines to her about liking and not liking Cash and wondering why he doesn't text her back right away. She and Cash skip school a lot and no one seems to care. Her mom is in remission from breast cancer and her dad cheated on her mom pre-cancer and now lives with his young girlfriend. The cancer inclusion was poorly described. Her mom's weight and bald head were tediously mentioned each chapter. Although Chloe boasts and whines about how she took care of her mom during her chemo and radiation and went to the oncologist with her, she is clueless on the whole breast cancer treatment plan. Her mom describes a pill she has to take for x amount of years post-cancer to keep it away and Chloe had no prior knowledge about it. Pretty ridiculous since treatment is mentioned from day one once the tumor is removed from the body so there was no excuse for Chloe not to know about the pills. (Source: my mom had breast cancer) It was only included to throw shade on Chloe's dad and whenever it was mentioned Chloe or her mom spouted off facts like Wikipedia.

I regret not putting this one aside after reading the first chapter. I knew Chloe was going to be an immature brat from the start since she throws a tantrum in chapter one. She regularly manipulates others to get her way, falls in instant love with Cash (he does the same), and there is a tiny plot of the mystery surrounding Chloe's adoption that is a no brainer based on the changing viewpoints. The audience knows what will result from the start. Not to mention that Cash creepily stalks Chloe to interact with her at the beginning.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC.

I love adoption stories and this was pretty good! Kind of slow at first, and not a very shocking ending, but not necessarily bad. It was okay.

In Another Life addresses the topic of adoption. The mystery surrounding this is basically predictable, but the subject still made a good read. This is a fun and engaging story with likeable characters. Very good for the middle grades.

This surprised me! The beginning was a little slow but it quickly picked up and I couldn't put it down!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun YA novel. It was suspenseful and exciting and had a good love story that wasn't too over powering. It not only explored the feelings of a child of divorce but also had a mystery mixed in. Fun read.

Such a wonderful book! I read through it in two days. The story flowed so well. I can't wait to read more of her books!

I'm quite glad I requested this book. I wasn't sure what to expect and I truly enjoyed it..One of those books that leaves you wanting more.