Amazing read. Powerful and thought provoking and just spectacular! Margaret and William marry young and the direction their lives take will lead you on a journey of love, loss and finding who you are and where you need to be. This book is well written and the characters come alive on the pages, waiting for you to discover what waits for them around the corner. Such a great read. Could not put it down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Chelsea Cannon and Matcha Publishing for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

The blurb is nothing like the book! I almost didnt request this because I thought it was going to be a typical fiction book but there are so many layers that pull you in

I was kindly given this book to review on Netgalley. Starting in the 1970s, a 17yr old Margaret decides to quit college and marry her sweetheart William. Fast forward a few years later and her old school friend moves back from New York and convinces Margaret to enrol on a film course. With no slots on the course available Margaret agrees to take the place of a law student who needs the credits, but doesn’t want to do the film module. What ensues is a double life of sorts in which she gets to live the life she could have had...had she not gotten married and had two kids.

I thought this was an interesting book exploring the various choices that women make in life, and how this sculpts their sense of self. Margaret and her friend taking two different paths was relatable, even today. Like so many women of the era , Margaret doesn’t comprehend what she has given up until she is introduced to the very world she turned her back on. She isn’t prepared for the validation she receives from her course peers and the recognition at being seen as a person in her own right (not someone’s mother or wife) - and an intellectual one at that.

There is a real anguish she feels at hiding this part of herself from her husband, but also a sense of possibility that lies beyond her marriage. While she does not regret having her children, when she returns from class the life she has made for herself starts to feel suffocating, her future limited.

This book is fairly short, so, I think this contributes to the characters feeling a little two dimensional. While it’s an easy read and engaging, it’s lacking in depth. Margaret ignoring her dreams for pretty much half her life is realistic given the plot twist she is dealt, but I begrudged (perhaps wrongfully) her repeated lack of agency. She often felt void of any real personality or opinion beyond the most basic notions. In the end it’s her husband that makes any sort of real decision about her life...again!

On that note, her husband is vapid. Certain elements didn’t feel contemporary or add up to the era they were in. Surely he wouldn’t still think it’s the norm for women to sacrifice potential careers and be at home with the kids in the NAUGHTIES? He eventually sees sense, but not out of any change in attitude, he just meets another woman...basically it’s okay for another woman to be independent (in fact, it’s attractive) - just not the wife he’s been married to and belittled for the past however many years?!

Lastly, Margaret’s friend Linda is vile. I don’t know why she would even be friends with her. I don’t like that it suggests women pit themselves against one another’s choices in life, nor that women that have careers are either a) dismissive of those who chose kids and/or b) jealous and spiteful towards them. Linda brings Margaret a taste of “the outside” world, but she arrogantly assumes Margaret has nothing to offer and talks about herself 24-7. This being said, though many women still choose early motherhood and marriage, in the 70s, I assume such decisions were much more split - the societal expectations that had come before still fresh and prominent, but waves of feminist liberation equally widening women’s perspectives.

This is a story for anyone who's ever wondered 'what if. The characters are relatable and this is a fun ride.

I unfortunately didn’t love this novel, but I did like it.

I enjoy the main character’s realisations at various parts of the novel. I thought the writing was lacking a bit, as it could have been a bit more concise at times.

I think the characterisation could also have been a bit more nuanced.

I did enjoy this regardless - I thought it was a good story. I wouldn’t be against picking up anything else from this author in the future.

In this book, Margaret agrees to a proposal based on the fact that there are no other alternatives open to her.
Then, 15 years on, she is presented with the opportunity to follow her aspirations under a secret identity. She then finds herself facing a new dilemma. Does she come clean, or does she continue living life with her second identity.

I really liked Margaret, and found the way in which the author portrayed her to be authentic and realistic, allowing readers to see her as a person they can relate to at times.

The story was written beautifully and took us through a range of emotions throughout. An enjoyable read from start to finish.

Margaret does like a lot of women in her time and sets her life aside to marry and start a family. She knows it is not enough, but lives as best as she can this way. When a class is offered for screenwriting, she decides it is time to take a chance on herself for once. The class ends up helping her live again and helps her meet a man that will change everything. There was such intense emotion and great dialogue in this book. I think a lot of women wonder about the path not taken and what that could look like. I really liked the writing style and thought it was really well written. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Matcha Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of this debut novel by Chelsea Cannon - 4 stars!

Margaret was 17 years old when William Hill asked her to marry him. She had planned on going to college to be a nurse but that wasn't her passion; reading and literature were but her family would never pay for an education to study those subjects. Margaret said yes to William and put the rest of her dreams in the past. Life was good as long as she fell into her role as housewife and mother to their two children, but Margaret never felt complete. When she had the chance to take a college course in literature, it changed her life in ways she never could have imagined and put her in a position of keeping secrets from her family. But secrets always come to light.

Full disclosure - I requested this book from NetGalley solely because it takes place in Saratoga Springs NY where I live - who doesn't love to read a book with such a familiar setting? I didn't have high expectations but was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get lost in this book. In begins in the 1970s when women were still not as free to explore options other than marriage and babies, especially when that's all they ever knew. But denying your hopes and dreams is never a good plan and can only lead to heartache. I enjoyed watching Margaret mature and own her life.

This book was a delight, it is short, sweet, and with just enough story to help engage with the characters. My initial thought was that there was room to add 50-100 pages to expand on some of the character development, however, once I completed reading, I think it would take away from the light nature of the story, loved the ending too.

Thank you to Matcha Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.

Margaret accepts Williams proposal at just 17 and never imagines like forming out the way it does.
Margaret is the doting housewife who raises her children but years later examines her life and wants more.
A touching book as we all could well be Margaret and have similar lives. This is a good debut and clear to see the sentiment behind the thought processes.
I would have liked to see more of Margaret's character but this didn't alter my enjoyment of a good summer read.
Thank you @netgalley for this copy to review

Its been a while since I read a book that wasn't a thriller, mystery or YA and I was on the fence about reading this book, but I'm glad I took the chance. I wasn't sure how I felt about the main character having to take on a secret Identity in order to fufill her dreams but I was glad she was able to!

I loved the characters and the story that leaves us with some reflections on our own life’s decisions.

This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!! This book was unputdownable.

Margaret has recently found herself feeling trapped by the every day monotone of her life as a homemaker. She was married at only 17 and has realised that she doesnt want to keep playing her assigned role in her husband’s life but to be the lead in her own.

I didn't like any of the characters in this story and felt like not finishing this book


Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for An Accidental Life ARC!

#AnAccidentalLifedebutnovel #NetGalley

I loved this book. My heart ached for Margaret for not being able to step up and live the life she has always wanted. This debut book is not to be missed. A strong solid plot and characters that just stay with you will have you flipping pages to find out what Margaret does. Happy reading!

Thank you to Netgalley, Matcha Publishing and Chelsea Cannon for this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. Definitely a fast read, I read it in three sittings. I found Margaret to be a relatable character that I enjoyed getting to know. Entertaining and light story.

Margaret married at a young age. She chose that path. She chose to have husband and kids lol She should do what she wanted to do instead of listening to what her husband said. I'm not married yet so maybe I don't understand but still... I'm not going to let my future husband stop me from doing things that I love. Goshh I don't like Margaret. I don't like her friend, Linda. Goshh I don't like any of the characters in this story lol The ending kinda predictable but there is one part where it was unpredictable.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and author for An Accidental Life ARC!

This wasn't exactly what i expected from it. The blurb undersells it and it does not display the full potential the book has and the deeper meanings. The blurb makes it seem a shallower and lighter read but this had moments of depth and clarity that belong in deeper and more literary texts. I liked Magaret as a character and thought she had an interesting arc overall. I wished that other women had been featured more prominently as it seemed as those they were not present in her life or they were just underdeveloped and could have been done a bit better. This was a highly readable book and it was one i was glad i picked up as it focused on societal issues that are still being discussed and still important today.

Margaret Wilcox dreams of studying literature at college but with disapproving parents, who refuse to pay for a course which they believe has no purpose, Margaret's aspirations for college are short-lived. When William Hill asks Margaret to marry him at the age of seventeen Margaret says yes as she doesn't see an alternative life. William's job allows her to stay at home, giving her time to read, and she remains a home maker and brings up their two children Michael and Emily.

Fast forward 15 years, and an opportunity arises for a screenwriting course. Margaret is desperate to sign up but the class is full. However, an opportunity arises which allows Margaret to sit the course, but it involves the need for her to live a double life. We all know lies don't last forever and always have consequences- but what does this mean for Margaret?

At first I wasn't sure what to make of this book! I loved it and hated it all at the same time! It was an easy, light and, but at times found the story predictable and unrealistic. I found that the novel touched upon some great themes such as identity, being true to oneself and following our own passions in life, but I think the lack of depth let it down. There were areas where not enough attention was given to and the story seemed to skip out important bits, such as when Charles was born. What were William's reactions at the time? And many other questions which I won't state as I don't want to give away spoilers.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of An Accidental Life in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely easy read in the time of Covid. An Accidental Life is the story of Margaret and the decisions she makes and the secrets she keeps as a younger woman return and change her life in ways she couldn't have imagined.