I always enjoy books by Catherine McKenzie. This one was another good one. While not my favorite it was still a very good book. I learned some things in it that I didn't know.

This book is part drama, part thriller, and part mystery. A family drama with a twist if you will. Jennifer finds out she has a brain tumor and has six weeks to live. Now I'm sure the author didn't mean exactly to the day six weeks but you get the gist. She is convinced she was poisoned and that that is what caused the cancer. Lead poisoning. And that her ex husband, Jake, did it. Jake is a jerk who had an affair and left his wife. They had three daughters together. Triplets, two identical and one not.

While I didn't like Jake I didn't really hate him either. I didn't trust him at all. I liked Jennifer and for the most part liked the girls. Though they could be horrible young women toward their mother. In my opinion. They had their own lives and seemed to take the upcoming death of their mother lightly. While their mother did have problems early on she was by no means a bad person. She loved her family. Her girls were her life. Proof of which was her getting the help when they were young. Seems mental illness ran in Jennifer's family. Her mother suffered from it...

This book is told from Jennifer and the triplets POVs. Each telling their story. Now, was Jennifer really poisoned or was that her being paranoid? Did Jake do something to her to get the divorce he so desperately wanted? Or was it all in her mind. There are a few twists in this story that you will not see coming. There is no way to see this one coming.

I liked this book. The story kept me turning the pages and wanting to know who did what and why. I didn't figure it out either. There are a few ups and downs in this one that will keep you wanting more. Finding out who is who and what happened in the younger years is interesting for sure. The book as a whole was very well written and very interesting. It touched on a few things that you will like. It may not be my favorite by this author but it's a very good one and I suggest you read it and see for yourself.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #CatherineMcKenzie, #AtriaBooks for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

4/5 stars and I do recommend it. Enjoy!

This book was a very enjoyable read for me. I would say its more of a family drama/mystery than I thriller, which was what I was expecting. Still a great story overall just wanting more THRILL!

Jennifer is a mom of three beautiful triplet girls (Emily, Miranda, and Aline) and is recently separated from her husband. During recent visit to her doctor she finds out she has terminal brain cancer and only has 6 weeks to live. what does she do with this precious time? Jennifer thinks that someone poisoned her, causing her cancer and she is determined to find out who. Her first thoughts go to her ex, because she refuses to give him a divorce after all the hell he put her through. Her daughters are not convince, but go along with anyway to help their mom have piece of mind when she goes. The first half of the book is build up, family history and information. The second half is really where it starts to get good-- the family starts to reveal their secrets and things start to get heated. The twist in the end was definitely shocking, but more in the way of " this family is crazy " rather than the "OMFG" shock I look for in a thriller. I think the reason for this is that its more of a mystery than a thriller. The end was very good and it tied everything together and made a-lot of sense.

I definitely would recommend if you like family dramas or mysteries!! Overall a good story and plot, the characters were all unique and intriguing. I just wish it was a little more THRILLING

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this because I really enjoy this author and he style of writing. But something fell short for me here. This novel felt very different than McKenzie’s previous books. Dare I say rushed? I don’t know. Most people loved it so it may just be me.

What if you found out you only had six weeks to live? How would you spend it? What if you realized that the dire diagnosis may have come from something someone purposely did to you?
When 48-year-old Jennifer Barnes gets an unexpected terminal diagnosis, she’s stunned. Especially since she’s given only six weeks to live. Her first thoughts are about her adult triplets and her grandsons and how she isn’t ready to leave them. As she is dealing with the grief, she notices that test results from a year ago she had not seen before and realizes her illness at that time was no accident. Who would want her dead? It’s tough enough coming to terms with the limited time she has left, but to find it may be deliberate makes it even more difficult. Convinced it is her not-yet-ex-husband as retaliation for not quietly divorcing him, she decides to investigate, enlisting the aid of her girls.
Alternating viewpoints between Jennifer and each of her daughters, we start to find things aren’t quite as they seem. Secrets and dysfunction abound, as we twist and turn until the last revelation. SIX WEEKS TO LIVE by Catherine McKenzie is a psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the end.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of the novel I received via a Goodreads giveaway. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#SixWeekstoLive #CatherineMcKenzie #GoodreadsFirstReads #GoodreadsGiveaway #AtriaBooks #Simon&Schuster

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Jennifer has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and only has 6 weeks to live but after looking her paperwork over she notices at her dr's appt last year, she had excessive lead in her blood. Now, she needs to figure out if someone was trying to kill her before she dies from the brain tumor. This book was pretty good. I liked how the author created everyone to be a suspect, including her ex-husband and her triplet daughters, so it was harder to figure out what happened. #sixweekstolive #catherinemckenzie #may2021

I absolutely loved this book. Was hooked from the first page. The main character finds out she only has six weeks to live and suspects she's been poisoned by her ext husband. There are many twists and turns and a shocking ending! You won't be disappointed!

Jennifer is told she has six weeks to live. She also learns she was poisoned a year ago. Who did it?
Jenn has triplet adult daughters. Each character is described well. The three daughters have different memories of the same events.
Lots and lots of wine is drunk throughout the book. Not a word is mentioned about possible alcoholism, oh well.
The book was a bit too long for me. I skipped a few chapters to read the ending, then I went back and read the parts I had skipped. Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to read this!

I really enjoyed this book! At the beginning of the book you know that the MC has terminal brain cancer and has six weeks to live and she starts to think that she may have been poisoned so you are trying to figure out who possibly poisoned her. I was soo intrigued throughout the whole book and I flew through it because I just wanted to know what happened to the MC. I did kind of guess one of the twist, but one I did not see coming. Overall, I felt like this was an enjoyable fast paced thriller.

About the book:
Jennifer Barnes never expected the shocking news she received at a routine doctor’s appointment: she has a terminal brain tumor—and only six weeks left to live.

The forty-eight-year-old mother decides to spend what little time she has left with her family—her adult triplets and twin grandsons—close by her side. But when she realizes she was possibly poisoned a year earlier, she’s determined to discover who might have tried to get rid of her before she’s gone for good.
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I’d say this reads, first and foremost, like a domestic drama, but it does have a smattering of solid psychological suspense elements. The opening premise is unique, and the beginning - in which the main character is given six weeks to live - actually hit me hard emotionally, which hooked me in right away.

Given the title and premise, I expected a fast-moving, race-against-the-clock pace in which we are completely on the ride of Jennifer after her diagnosis. Instead, the first two-thirds of the book is more of a slow burn in which the truth about this family’s dysfunction is slowly revealed through multiple, shifting POVs, including not just Jennifer but each one of her three daughters.

I found myself wanting the pace to pick up around the midpoint, but I think that partly had to do with my expectations going into it, along with my general lack of patience for anything these days. Still, I at NO point found myself bored in the least. On the contrary, those pages kept turning.

This book definitely delivers VERY WELL on family dysfunction. There’s a LOT of it. In fact, I’d say family dysfunction is the main character -- and the fun -- of this story. There’s a ton of tension, secrets, sibling rivalries and simmering resentments.

I’ll admit that I was able to guess the ending early on because I’ve read a ton of thrillers, but that didn’t make it any less chilling. And there was a solid twist I didn’t see coming, too!

This came out May 4!

Thank you Atria Books for the ARC!

CW: infertility, poisoning, infidelity, abuse (physical)

I was very excited about this book. It was noted as being one of the most anticipated books by Goodreads, Frolic and more. Plus McKenzie is a Canadian author and lawyer, so we all know I was going to sing my praise from the rooftop when I finished it and loved it.

Unfortunately, it was not for me. The premise sounded intriguing: Jennifer is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and has 6 weeks to live. This causes her to spiral, as she is sure that she was poisoned and she becomes obsessed with uncovering the culprit. The list of suspects is not long – one of her adult triplets or her soon-to-be ex-husband.

The book is broken down by the weeks she has left to live, as she becomes increasingly ill and more fanatical about the source of her illness.

I don’t know where to begin about why this didn’t work for me. There are many reasons.

To begin, I found it very difficult to follow. The triplet aspect felt unnecessary to me because there was not a lot of character development of each child and rotating chapters from their perspective had me constantly trying to remind myself which child this was.

And to end, I found it deeply disturbing. I cannot get into it without giving away large parts of the plot, but know that I do not mind dark, sinister books. If anything, I gravitate towards them because they typically keep me on my toes, when I otherwise am able to figure out thrillers early on.

But this one, just gave me a sick feeling in my stomach that I could not shake even once I was done.

It is worth noting, that I appear to be the outlier. The book has a 3.93 rating on Goodreads after 601 ratings, so my opinion is the minority by a large margin.

I have left the content warnings broad to not spoil the twists for anyone who thinks the book might be for them. If you feel like you want more specific potentially warnings, please feel free to message me.

Jennifer Barnes never expected the shocking news she received at a routine doctor’s appointment: she has a terminal brain tumor—and only six weeks left to live. While stunned by the diagnosis, the forty-eight-year-old mother decides to spend what little time she has left with her family—her adult triplets and twin grandsons—close by her side. But when she realizes she was possibly poisoned a year earlier, she’s determined to discover who might have tried to get rid of her before she’s gone for good.

I feel like my overall rating is somewhat impacted by the fact that I went into this one thinking it would be a psychological thriller, but it’s more of a domestic drama with a bit of suspense. I also didn't find myself racing to finish - the pacing was a slow simmer for me.

As always a huge shout out to #NetGalley, #AtriaBooks, and author #CatherineMckenzie for the ARC of #SixWeeksroLive. These opinions I have expressed below are mine and mine alone. However, you can always grab the book when it goes on sale May 4, 2021 and form your own opinions. I would highly recommend it!

Wow! Wow! Wow! This is definitely a five star read. I absolutely LOVED this book. The characters are wonderfully twisted and trying to navigate the best they can through a medical crisis.

Our main players are Jennifer, the mom, Jake the dad, and triplets Emily, Aline and Miranda. The relationships are complicated. Jake and Jennifer are divorced and the girls are grown, but the animosity between them grows throughout the book.

Jennifer has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and been given six weeks to live. She is positive someone did this to her, but who and how? And why?

The girls try to convince her sometimes these things just happen and that no one did this to her. Of course she doesn't listen, (because that wouldn't be any fun), so the girls eventually start helping her dig into things.

As the days fly by and Jennifer realizes it won't be long she decides that maybe she should just let it go. Try to make peace with what's happening to her and all the things she's done throughout the years that they might hold against her.

It is then the answers start coming and boy, do they blow you away. This is one of the best books I've read this year! Grab a copy and get comfy because you will want to devour this one. #HappyReading!

Six Weeks to Live is well written but is not one of my favourite reads by Catherine McKenzie. Her books are usually fast paced thrillers but this one left me disappointed. I am glad to have had the opportunity to read the ARC but it is not a book that I’d purchase.
Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Six Weeks to Live
A Novel
by Catherine McKenzie
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: May 4, 2021
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Description:
Jennifer Barnes never expected the shocking news she received at a routine doctor’s appointment: she has a terminal brain tumor—and only six weeks left to live. While stunned by the diagnosis, the forty-eight-year-old mother decides to spend what little time she has left with her family—her adult triplets and twin grandsons—close by her side. But when she realizes she was possibly poisoned a year earlier, she’s determined to discover who might have tried to get rid of her before she’s gone for good.
Separated from her husband and with a contentious divorce in progress, Jennifer focuses her suspicions on her soon-to-be ex. Meanwhile, her daughters are each processing the news differently. Calm medical student Emily is there for whatever Jennifer needs. Moody scientist Aline, who keeps her mother at arm’s length, nonetheless agrees to help with the investigation. Even imprudent Miranda, who has recently had to move back home, is being unusually solicitous. But with her daughters doubting her campaign against their father, Jennifer can’t help but wonder if the poisoning is all in her head—or if there’s someone else who wanted her dead.
🛑MY REVIEW🛑
Told from the POVs of Jennifer and her three daughters, Six Weeks to Live
was packed full of mystery, suspense, lies and was an excellent read. I really enjoyed how the book was told from the perspective of the main characters. I loved getting the insight and feelings from the different characters. I was immersed in this book from the very start until the astonishing ending! It raised the question whether you ever really know anyone ( even your own children ) . There was Plenty of twists and turns which built up to a brilliant unexpected ending. The ending blew me away ! I never saw that coming and it left me with my mouth hanging open.
I Absolutely love Catherine McKenzies
writing and this gem did not disappoint! This is a well written, story that I gladly recommend for others to read. I just want to say Thank you to author, publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this 5 star story . I truly appreciate it!
*******Disclosure*******
I received a free E -ARC copy of this book from netgalley prior to release. Many thanks to NetGalley ,the publisher and the author for the chance to read and review a copy of this interesting book in exchange for my honest review.
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. As always if you like the book you read please take the time to leave a review for the author in places like goodreads & Amazon. It does not have to be long. Just a few sentences saying you liked the book will do. Authors really appreciate every review they get !
#SixWeekstoLive
#CatherineMcKenzie
#AtriaBooks
#Netgalley
#JoyceStewartBookReviews

I love how this book has short chapters, told between the three sisters and their mother’s points of view. I thought it was good to see how each of them felt and dealt with Jennifer’s diagnosis and prognosis.

My mom was given the same type of diagnosis and so a lot of this story rang true, but then some of it just seemed far-fetched and distant.

This book is not all about the diagnosis, though. There is a thriller/mystery aspect that keeps it going. It, too, was unbelievable, though I suspected the conclusion from the very beginning of the book.

I always enjoy books about this particular subject (I won’t spoil it for anyone by stating what that particular subject is) because it truly fascinates me. That was the best part of the novel and I actually wish it would have been a larger part.

It is a quick read, not too sad (even though it seems like it probably should be), and it is definitely drama-filled and interesting.

Jennifer never expected when she went to her doctor's appointment that she would find out that she had cancer and only six weeks to live. How is she going to tell her three daughters? And how will she be able to deal with her nasty ex-husband? This book was so good! Just when I thought I knew how the story was going to progress, it took off in another direction! Super-fast, super-crazy read that left me gasping at the end!

First, thank you to Atria Books via Netgalley for this ARC copy of Six Weeks to Live in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Just one word for me. Wow! I’ve been trying to win this book (unsuccessfully I might add) on Goodreads for months now, so when I was approved for an advanced readers copy by Atria, I was completely over the moon! Everything about this story had me intrigued from the beginning. Let’s just say, it did not disappoint!

First off, I love McKenzie’s writing style. It’s easy to read, it flows, and it keeps you glued to the pages. This is what every good mystery/thriller should do!

Second, and maybe this is biased (haha), I loved the fact that there was a little 3 year old boy named Noah in the story because I myself have a 3 year old named Noah as well. It was fun to imagine that he was my son!

Thirdly, this book is exactly what I want out of my thrillers. The back and forth between several characters, in this case, Jennifer and her three daughters, Emily, Aline, and Miranda. It made the story more enjoyable getting several different viewpoints. I also liked that I thought I had it figured out but was foiled again, and again, and again. To be honest, I was pretty shocked by the ending. It turned quite dark, and looking back, the plot really was leading down to just that.

There are so many twists and turns that you just don’t see coming in Six Weeks to Live, and I love that about a book. The author also mentioned Agatha Christie, so I can only assume she’s a fan (as am I!), and I did get some major Christie vibes from this book. McKenzie is a fantastic author with a unique voice. She really pulled the entire storyline together, and it was nice having everything laid out for us in the final chapter. Again, very Christie-like. I look forward to more of her books!

5 stars all around!

Jennifer goes to her doctor regarding symptoms she is sure is due from growing older. However, the doctor tells her she has a brain tumor with only 6 weeks to live.

While reading the paperwork from the doctor Jennifer notices an alarming test result, the result causes Jennifer to think someone in her life has been poisoning her. Jennifer, automatically assumes it is her estrange husband who was harassing her for a divorce.

Six Weeks to Live is told from the POV of Jennifer and her triplet daughters who are 25. Together they try to determine who poisoned Jennifer and during the journey, secrets from the past surface.

The characters are very hard to like but I wonder if that is by design to cause the reader to wonder if they could poison a person. Overall, the book was enjoyable and had me reading to see if who was poisoning Jennifer was uncovered. There seemed to be a lot of subplots that were quickly wrapped up.

Thanks Netgalley and Atria books for an ARC of Six Weeks to Live for an honest review.

Six Weeks to Live tells the story of Jennifer, given a grim prognosis of six weeks to live, with an inoperable glioblastoma in her brain. Immediately, she suspects that someone (likely her ex, who she will not divorce) has somehow attempted to kill her. Her suspicions stem from a lead test, one year prior, that said she had extreme lead poisoning. She feels that her lead poisoning has caused the glioblastoma, This leads her to investigate on her own, with the help of her triplet daughters.

This story is told from the perspective of Jennifer, and by each of her daughters. Although it was confusing, at first, to have so many points of view, I quickly learned them and was able to differentiate between all of them. The story, overall, was entertaining, and kept me guessing. Jennifer comes off as an unreliable narrator, due to symptoms of the glioblastoma (memory loss, etc.) and so you never are quite sure if what she is saying is true. This book had several twists, with the biggest one coming right at the end. It definitely made you think and kept you guessing at (if she in fact was poisoned-- we don't know that for sure until the end), who may of done it, and why.

Some parts of the book are pretty far fetched, however taking it at face value (what fictional story doesn't have some aspect of being "far fetched" or "unbelievable"?) it is a highly engaging and entertaining story, that has all the twists and turns that make a great domestic thriller.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jennifer Barnes is a 48-year old mother of triplets, Aline, Miranda and Emily. The book opens with her getting a catastrophic diagnosis from her doctor - she has a glioblastoma and has but six weeks to live. The rest of the book deals with how each of the four is dealing with this awful news. Jennifer is convinced that her soon-to-be ex-husband, Jake, is responsible - he poisoned her a year earlier and this is the result. Each of the daughters has her own issues, and deals with the past and present in her own way, much of which I found tedious. This book just never got going for me. I had read the previous book by this author and rated it highly so I was looking forward to this one. There wasn’t a character to like and the flip-flopping around between mother and daughters was confusing at times and tiresome at others. The ending may come as a surprise but it just doesn’t save the whole thing. I would take a pass on this one. My thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review the ARC of this book.