This book kept me on my toes. The premise is so interesting, once I got into the rhythm of the writing, I could not put the book down.

Sliding-door style romances are always fun, so I was stoked to read What Might Have Been by Holly Miller.

Lucy's story is one that really pulled me in from the start. Although I wanted her to give in to the nostalgia from her past and fix things with Max, a huge part of me thought Caleb was the one for her. I think the beauty of these types of stories is that no matter who you are, you can relate.

The book dragged a bit in some parts but it was ultimately a great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book takes what Taylor Jenkins Reid did in Maybe in Another Life (one of my all time favorites), and somehow makes the story very unlikable even if you could push aside the copying. Due to the copying, I won’t be picking up anything else by this author again, either.

Thank you to NetGalley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, & Penguin Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

I'm going to start this review with what I think is the most compelling thing I can say: I remembered loving this book, but wanted to go back and reread a couple portions (reviewing a book almost 3 months later is bad news bears). "Reread a couple portions" turned into re-reading entire chapters throughout the book for almost an hour, and now I want to see who does the audio for this because honestly I just want a full reread. It was THAT. GOOD.

This was a sliding doors type book and I LOVE IT. On the night Lucy quits her job, she meets one new guy & runs into one old flame - the next day she is presented with two different career options (at home or in London), one of which would keep her in contact with new guy and the other with old flame - so which does she choose? Does she stay or does she go?

Told in alternating chapters with each section titled "Stay" or "Go," we follow Lucy as she chooses two different life paths and men, and see not only what changes in her life as a result of those choices, but also what stays the same.

I love, love, loved this story and these characters. There are difficult topics but I think they are handled with care and sincerity (see content warnings) and also immediately upon finishing I ordered a physical copy of both this book and her debut (The Sight of You). So yeah, I think I would say this is a definite recommendation!

These books make EXCELLENT book club books (and if you liked this one, make sure to check out Taylor Jenkins Reid's Maybe In Another Life!)

okay. i'm gonna be honest with you. this book was not it for me. i really wanted to like this book, but it did not work out for me. i'm so sad about it. but thank you to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!

I adore the concept of this "what if" story but had a hard time keeping up. The characters were sometimes not likable and the shift in story was sometimes difficult to follow but overall I think this was a good read with some interesting messaging about soul makes, and chance encounters.

I liked the premise of this book when I saw it but it didn’t work out the way I thought it would. It’s an interesting idea, Lucy has a choice, stay with new man Caleb and become a writer, or go and get back together with Max, the former love of her life, and move to London.

In the book, she lives these lives concurrently. The book asks how are our paths determined, by accident or by random choices we make. My issues with the book were that I just couldn’t relate to Lucy, and I thought the timelines were unnecessarily complicated at times. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

Lucy and Max or Lucy and Caleb, which one will she choose? Max was Lucy's boyfriend from university who left her with little to no explanation. Caleb was a sweet photographer with a chance meeting. Holly Miller takes both sides of the story and weaves what Lucy's life would have been like if she had chosen either man. Choosing between staying in her hometown with her family or moving to London. Every choice Lucy makes changes the course of her life.
What Might Have Been by Holly Miller was a really interesting take on life choices and how those choices shape our lives. I was slightly confused at first when I started the book, but quickly realized the "Stay" and "Go" at the beginning of every chapter. It was then the story line clicked with me! My only complaint was the names of people. Lucy (or Luce), Jools, Max....it was like everyone had a nickname. That drove me nuts! But otherwise excellent read, little bit of a tear jerker. I will be recommending What Might Have Been by Holly Miller to my fellow reader friends and I would love to read other works by Holly Miller. Special Thanks to NetGalley, Holly Miller, and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons Publishing for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 4 stars for me.
#WhatMightHaveBeen #NetGalley

Brilliant story told by two points of views that change due to one choice. It's a great "sliding door" book.

A romance told in dual timelines based on if the MC stayed in her hometown or moved to London. 2 different love interests and outcomes!
The perfect plot but I could not bring myself to finish this one :(
DNF at 46%

What could have made this better:
- Likeable characters
- Emotional depth
- Slower pace
- More challenging writing
- Hooks at end of chapters that keep the story moving forward.

I have always believed those brilliant words "Whatever is meant for you won't pass you by". It's gotten me through a heartache or two in life! And this story is that saying brought to life. It brilliantly weaves in the "what might have beens" that occur when Lucy chooses to walk away from her job. Through dual storylines of "Stay" or "Go" we see that so many things still occur, but how she gets there was a little different, highlighting the point that even though where we end up may be predetermined, the path we choose to get there is still entirely up to us.

I love serendipity and karma and fate and the ironies that abound in life, and I loved this story.

What Might Have Been followed Lucy, a woman at a crossroads in her life. The story is told in alternating sections of alternate realities in the style of Sliding Doors. Overall it was a heartwarming story, with unique commentary on fate and soulmates and the choices we make. It reminded me so much of Maybe in Another Life. It has a very similar structure.

What Might Have Been by Holly Miller may just be my very favorite book that I have read in the past several years. I absolutely loved how the story was told in two distinct storylines based on different decisions being made. I will say this book was somewhat emotional for me, in that it made me think about what may have happened if I had chosen differently on a particular decision earlier in my life. Excellent read! #WhatMightHaveBeen #NetGalley

Thank you to the publisher for sending me this copy in exchange of an honest review. I read Holly Miller's other book, The Sight of You, and it is one of my very favorite books ever. I cried so much with that one and it was beautiful. So when I saw that she had another book coming out I had to have it.

This book was a tear jerker as well for me. I started it and could not stop reading it. This is told in two separate timelines showing the two paths that Lucy can go on based on one decision. In one decision she moves to London for a job and the other decision keeps her in her hometown pursuing her writing career. Each path explores love, loss, and decisions that Lucy has to make to determine her future.

I honestly spend most of this story thinking about a decision I made in life and how doing something different might affect where I am at today. The writing style was beautiful and you almost wish that Lucy could have both of the life choices because of the different characters. She has Max and she has Caleb, both amazing loves for her. She has her family and friends. But in the end, which would have been the right decision. It also puts into the perspective that we can always love someone, but we might just love someone depending on the time of our life that we are in.

A compelling and moving "Sliding doors/what if" story about Lucy, a woman recently let go from her job who is trying to figure out what to do next when she simultaneously meets an attractive new man, Caleb, while also running into her ex, Max, who she hasn't seen in ten years.

What follows is a dual timeline story in which we get to see what Lucy's life would be like if she chooses Caleb or tries to repair her relationship with Max. I did find this story dragged a bit in the middle but I really enjoyed the ending!

Definitely recommended for fans of British style romances or other "what if" books like, In another life by TJR or The two lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy. I also listened to this on audio and enjoyed the narration by Sofia Zervudachi.

Ah I loved this book so much! I am a sucker for stories about "what might have been" and I thought the concept was very well executed in this story. Sometimes a dual reality/ dual perspective story can really fall short, but it was perfectly woven into this book. I think the overall theme that at the end of the day if something is meant to be it will find you is a very comforting message to come out of a book like this. I love the idea the novel explores as well that there are several paths in life that we can walk down, and often there are multiple right answers. It reminded me in some ways of The Time Traveler's wife, where certain events happening or not happening would trigger a series of events. It was a five star read for me- I loved the romance as well and was really rooting for Lucy to find her right path.

I liked this more than I did The Sight of You but I still didn't love it. I love the concept of it all, the what ifs and endless possibilities but i have such an issue with the Max storyline and Lucy's sister. And one version not knowing the truth and then the other version her sister fully blaming max for it all. And then the death and pregnancy just seem cruel and unnecessary. Like the author wanted us to know Caleb was actually her soulmate and max was in the way to her destiny. Soulmates aren't just one person in the entirety of the world.

The ending made me so so mad! And I’m not gunna lie it made me kinda hate the book for that. However I did enjoy it as I was reading... if that’s any constellation

Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to read this one because I changed my kindle email address and forgot to update it on Netgalley, so it never arrived to my device. *facepalm*

A good addition to the “sliding doors” genre. I love these stories that follow what might have happened if a person made different decisions in their life. I also like that this one had a few twists and I liked the ending.