I read 20% of this book and really enjoyed the story and writing and I loved Josie Silver's last book but the main character's reliance on sleeping pills is too much for me at this point in my life. I have faith that her heavy reliance and need for the pills will be resolved in the end and I do hope to finish this book one day, but it will not be anytime soon. This is definitely a case of "it's not you, it's me" and I truly believe readers who are not sensitive to substance abuse will love this book!

Lydia Bird loses her Fiancée in a car accident while he was driving with their best friend. Beyond devastated she is not coping and without the support of her mom and sister she wouldn’t be functioning at all.. Not sleeping, Lydia is given sleeping pills and when she uses them she’s transported to a world where Freddie is still alive, They're planning their wedding, and life is going on almost but not exactly like the one they’d have if Freddie were still alive. Lydia starts to be dependent on this sleeping world where the love of her life is alive, but realizes it’s not entirely a good thing.
I loved this plot and Silvers’s writing, her spot on portrayal of grief, her true to life situations and dialogue. I loved the build up to the ending, and the ending itself. But I think the book is too long, I got tired of reading the day in and out tedium, so started skipping ahead while speed reading because it was no longer holding my interest. It could be shorter and the integrity of the book would not be changed.

This was a lovely read about loss, grief and finding the power to move forward. Told in two different timelines (which was not confusing) this story shows the main character, Lydia, how her life could have been if her fiance did not suddenly die. The story also is one of Lydia as she deals with the grief and pain of a sudden loss and how she faces moving forward. I enjoyed the story and all the emotions it involved. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh My God! What a book. I cried! I loved One Day in December and couldn't wait to dive into this one. It was so poignant! At times it was so hard to read for all the feelings it evoked. I am tearing up now thinking about it! So, so good! Can't wait to read what Silver comes up with next.

When Lydia's fiancee dies she does not know how to go on. Eventually she thinks she finds a way, but she begins to lose her grasp on what is real and her connection to life as she holds tight to the past and what might have been. Will she be able to regain her life and find a way to survive?

This is not the kind of book I usually read. But I felt that I needed a change of pace and this book called my name. I'm really happy I went with this- it was beautiful. From start to finish, I connect with it deeply. The plot and characters, the writing style and the themes of loss, grief and growth. I found myself teary-eyed often while reading and it was in such a gentle way. I really, really needed that. I think this is a novel that many walks of life could enjoy. But I would strongly recommend it if you've suffered a huge loss or are in a period of growth. I liken it to Eat, Pray, Love for similar reasons, although these books have little in common. I am really looking forward to reading more from Josie Silver.

Josie Silver has clinched her role as a “must read” author for me with The Two Lives of Lydia Bird. This is a book about grief and love and second chances. With a dash of magical realism, Silver explores the love Lydia had with her childhood sweetheart Freddie and what loving again could look like. The time-shifting narration did take me a bit to settle into at first, but I was captivated once I did.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I didn't make it very far into this one before setting it aside. The writing was too cliched for my tastes.