Having read and enjoyed Josie Silver’s debut novel, One Day in December, I was excited to start on her second book and also a little apprehensive as to whether it could possibly live up to the success of that first story. I needn’t have worried on that score; this turned out to be an amazing story that had me coming back to it whenever I could until it was finished.

Lydia Bird is utterly devastated when the love of her life and man she is soon to marry, Freddie Hunter, is killed in a car accident on his way home. Her grief is all consuming, and nobody, not even her mum or sister, Elle, can get through to her. Sadly, the accident has also affected her relationship with her one-time best friend, Jonah Jones, who was with Freddie that fateful day, and has also been badly affected by Freddie’s death. After months of worry, her mum persuades her to try some new medication to at least let her get some sleep. These little pink pills seem to Lydia to be her salvation, allowing her while in their influence to put her life with Freddie back on course. As time goes on, however, she starts to wonder if this is really what she wants or whether there is something better for her in her life in the real world.

This is an incredible story dealing with a very difficult subject in such a sensitive way. It is so well written that I felt totally immersed in Lydia’s world every time I sat down to read. In fact, Lydia’s heartbreak over her loss was so real that I found myself crying almost every time I picked up the book until I was half way through; beyond that there were some happy tears as well as sad ones. Her journey from a person almost destroyed by grief to a woman in charge of her life was marvellous to watch. The ending is very much what I hoped for, but I could never be quite sure would happen. This is definitely a book well worth going out and buying, but take heed of my warning about the need for a stack of tissues.

I really loved this story. It definitely has some interesting twists in it; a story of love and loss with a very different take on dealing with the aftermath! It is well written, with characters who are very easy to engage with.

Lydia, Freddie and Jonah are the three main characters in this story. Lydia is dealing with losing the love of her life, as is Jonah, his best friend and neither are doing it very well. I really felt for the two of them, I felt their struggle and their despair.

This is a tragic story in many ways and definitely tugs at the heartstrings, but it is also a story of what might have been and of hope. There always has to be hope! I recommend this book; I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I loved One Day in December, but this was something else. Heart-breakingly captivating yet gorgeously uplifting, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird broke my heart and put it back together again. An utterly rich and romantic book about love, death and learning to live again. If there's one book you read in 2020 please let it be this one.

There's a lot of talk about The Difficult Second Novel spoken in bookish circles and after One Day in December I wondered if Josie Silver would be able to equal such a great story.
Fear not dear reader she has equalled it and then some.
Lydia Bird has been friends with Freddie since schooldays, along with her bestie, Jonah. When Freddie and her become a couple Jonah is always there for them both.
It's Jonah that Freddie is going to pick up on the fateful day when he's killed in a car crash.
Devastated, Lydia retreats into a world of sorrow and unable to sleep she's prescribed some medication that allows her to once again be able to be with Freddie.
I absolutely loved the premise of this book, grief, the aftermath of death and learning to live again.
I could hardly read the last few pages for tears which I see as a sign of a tale well told.

Breathtaking, heart wrenching and somewhat mystifying this book is good for the soul. It gives a glimpse into life after loss but with an extraordinary element thrown in for good measure.

The sad topic of grief but perfectly written. Not just sadness though, lots of hope too.
Lydia and her family, Freddie and Jonah were the main feature, but a fabulous supporting cast of people working at the town hall among others.
I really liked the concept of the two lives.
It pulled this way and that with my heart. I loved it
Thanks to Penguin and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in which I give my honest opinion.

Josie Silver is back and I'm so glad! I loved this. Super easy to read, and I loved the characters. Silver's writing is a comfort, even though this book is on such a sad topic - grief. She expressed grief beautifully and truthfully. Sometimes I struggled to keep up with the sub-plot of reality and the 'pills' sections, but the tone and style made for easy reading overall.

This is not my usual type of read but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It’s different in that the protagonist lives in two different time lines but extremely cliched in many ways. A nice easy relaxing read. Perfect for a lazy holiday

Tissues... do not read this book without tissues. Such a gorgeous, heart warming, at times brutal and heartbreaking book. Definitely one of my favourites for a while. Lydia, Freddie, Jonah and all the other characters were just lovely. I liked them all. Thank you for the advanced copy, I will be recommending to everyone!

Unfortunately, I got 20% of the way through this book and have given up. Although, I like the idea of the story, I don't think it was moving along quickly enough and I was losing interest.

This gets five stars even though it's a DNF because Josie Silver is just such an amazing writer.

It's just too sad for me to get into. I'm sure it'll eventually become heart warming but I empathise too much with the recently bereaved to be able to get into it because she's too well drawn.

Hopefully I'll be able to come back to it when I'm in the mood to be sad.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher. Really lovely written book and so sad but it is also a book about hope. Recommend.

Not my usual genre but absolutely loved this! The style and structure of the book was top quality and the quirky, poignant storyline so enjoyable. An absolute delight start to finish!

Loved! I don't know if it was when I began the book but it had me hooked and emotionally invested immediately! There were tears! I loved her growth, her strength and how she dealt with tough situations.

I LOVED this book and I loved Lydia! This was such a great premise and a wonderful story of love lost and found, Strong recommend, thanks NetGalley!

A beautifully written story about love, loss and learning to live again.

On her 27th Birthday, Lydia tragically loses the love of her life Freddie. The story is told with Lydia as narrator and allows us to follow her journey as she deals with her bereavement.
Grieving for the only man she’s ever loved, she struggles to cope with day to day life aswell as dealing with nights of Insomnia. Then something magical happens and allows Lydia the chance to see what could have been....

The story details Lydia’s grief so well; it will pull at your heartstrings and have you reaching for the tissue box! I loved the relationship between Lydia, her mum and her sister Elle. The solidarity between them really shines through and shows the importance of a supportive family, especially when life throws you a curveball.
I was so emotionally invested in this story and there’s so much more I want to say but I don’t want to give any spoilers away. I have found a quote that sums it up perfectly though...

‘All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of letting go and holding on’ - Havelock Ellis

If you loved Josie’s first book One Day in December, then you’ll love this just as much. Thank you to Net Galley, Penguin Books and Josie Silver for my ARC.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc, which I have just finished reading.
I read and enjoyed Josie Silver’s debut book One Day in December and enjoyed it enormously and expected her next book to be an easy read. The Two Lives Of Lydia Bird is not an easy read , it is a very painful, personal journey of grief when the love of your live dies before your wedding. I kept stopping and starting this book, very uncertain if I wanted to read any more of it and not totally convinced of the storyline. However I perceived and finally got what the author was trying to say. It is a very interesting and clever insight to how someone can deal with grief.
Recommended.

What a fantastic read! I absolutely adored One Day in December and so was not sure if Josie’s second book would live up to my expectations, but The Two Lives of Lydia Bird definitely did not disappoint. I was gripped from the very beginning with the prologue and really felt Lydia’s grief as though it were my own. This meant I really wanted to see the book through to the end to see what would come up for Lydia next. This is a must-read for everyone - and if you haven’t already, pick up One Day in December whilst you’re there!

The two lives are the one with Freddie, the love of Lyd's life, and the one without, but not as you'd expect. The first pub scene is a gem! A must read!

I love this book!

It is a book about love, loss, family, coming to terms with grief and friendships.

It is a beautifully written book with great characters who you really care about.

Highly recommended!!!