This is beautifully written. It is dual written. It is heartbreaking in places. It is a clever novel and it’s different from other books in this genre

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

Oh where to go with this! It took me til almost halfway through to get into this story. Odie isn’t unlikable nor was the story unreadable but it just took awhile to capture me. Halfway through though and I was captivated and wanted to see if my guesses were right. Who killed her? What really happened? 70% and I was still hooked…unfortunately 92% and I was bitterly disappointed. Not even because I had guessed the ending. That doesn’t bother me. But I just felt like there was little retribution. I felt bad for her Mum and maybe I wanted a different happily ever after. Overall a good book but not magnificent. Three stars.

Still thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in return for an honest review.

A gripping version of afterlife. Imagine you get murdered, and you and your 'initial contact' try to find out who did it. You then have the option to return, but to what cost? It's a fun and interesting concept! Odie is a complex character. She says she takes responsibility for her actions, but comes up with a lot of excuses as well. She's also not the nicest person, maybe that's why she got murdered. It was pretty predictable who did it early on, but even so it was easy to keep reading, just in case there was a plot twist.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good book!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension - impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

This extraordinary novel is luscious and clever. From its opening pages when I learned that the title character was dead I realized I was in for a real treat. This is a beautifully written story, full of empathy and poetic moments. Here are the ghosts that haunt our lives but seen from a new and unique perspective. Odie May is dead but the story is very much about life and the choices we make. It is also about the eternal hope of second chances and righting our wrongs. The haunting beauty of this novel will stay with me for a long time.

Odie May is dead and going over her life to see if she qualifies to return and try again. She is forced to recall those people she has wronged and whether one of them killed her. This makes it all sound much more mysterious and interesting that it actually was. I was bored. I did not find the egregious acts worthy of possible murder and frankly if anyone looks at their life in such detail, they would probably find similar moments. I was hoping for more of a mystery behind who killed her and to watch as slowly clues were revealed and the murderer uncovered. Nope. That didn't happen either. I think the basis for the story is interesting. I feel like this was a missed opportunity to do more.

this is a good murder mystery that is looked at by "angels" from the waiting room. Odie is buying wine for a celebration with her married lover when she is murdered. Her angel, Carl, is new to the job and he and Odie bond as they sort out her admission. Carl also shows Odie what’s happening in the life she’s left behind as her mother and her lover, Michael, learn of her death and manage the tricky days that follow it. But nothing is as simple as it seems. Although Carl has it in his power to return Odie to the moment before she was killed, this comes at a price she may not be able to pay. A couple of twists that I didn't see coming. Well written with characters I really liked. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Excellent…completely different type of book that I’ve read and I absolutely loved it. Makes you think about your actions and consequences in life and how they affect others. Not just in that moment but in the long term as well. Read and enjoy !!

#thesignificantothersofodiemay #clairedyer thank you to #netgalley for this advanced reader copy. Imagine being on the way to celebrate with your lover him leaving his wife. But. On the way you’re murdered. After you are gone you’re given the choice to return to earth before the murder. Or. Move on. As she talks about her life. What went wrong. Whose lives she touched. And find out who killed her. You might be surprised. #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #netgalleyreview #booksbooksbooks #readerlife

This was a really captivating book. I had trouble picking it p but once I did i couldn't put it down. I liked Odie May because she wasn't perfect, she had her flaws and it just made her more relatable. Starting the story off with the police interview was a nice touch.

Odie May is on her way to celebrate her lover Michael leaving his wife. However she is tragically murdered by a woman with large hands wearing a lime green coat. The premise drew me in from the beginning. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

Pleasantly surprised with this unique and fresh novel! Will definitely seek out more from Dyer in the future

Such a fantastic book that draw you in right way from page 1. Odie May has been murdered. She's also the one being questioned. Unusually written with a more unusual premise. I simply couldn't put it down. Thank you so much, I can't wait to start recommending this!

I enjoyed this book despite disliking the central character for most of the story! I found myself wanting to find out if she could redeem herself in the end. It’s cleverly written to draw the reader in and I did warm to Odie in the end. If you enjoyed The Midnight Library give this a try.

Odette Briony May (Odie) is on her way home having just bought a bottle of wine to drink in celebration with her lover, Michael who has just left his wife. However, she is murdered by a woman wearing a lime green coat, sunglasses and black gloves. As she lays dying on the footpath under a bridge, she finds herself visited by a man named Carl Draper who describes himself as her Initial Contact. Together, Odie and Carl backtrack through Odie's life in an attempt to discover where Odie went wrong and who might have killed her.

This novel has an unusual premise and I found it very compelling. I guess you might struggle with it if you disliked the main character. Personally, I found Odie interesting, complex and sometimes extremely selfish. The author's writing style was a good fit for me and though there are sections that are heartbreaking and rather awful, there is some humour too. A great tale that gives food for thought.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Matador via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

I couldn't stand Odie, which is not a good sign considering she's the title character. She spent the entire narrative pretending to take responsibility for her actions while doing everything possible to craft excuses and blame others. It's like she knew what she was supposed to say, how she was supposed to feel, but the follow-through was shallow and ingenuine. I don't believe Odie felt any genuine regret (or responsibility) for her actions. And that's only further compounded by the fact that her trip down memory lane is interspersed with her checking out and hitting on this stranger in front of her. It seems unlikely that someone honestly taking stock of their life and their choices would also feel flirty.

While I wouldn't have been surprised at any of the people in Odie's life deciding to murder her - she is a horrible, horrible person who is truly terrible to the people around her - it was still easy to predict fairly early in the story who the culprit was. I kept waiting for a twist or a surprise because there was no way I had actually figured it out so early. But, nope. The narrative followed the roadmap in a perfectly straight line from beginning to end. And while it hinted at this big, bad secret, it was not worth the buildup.

Maybe The Significant Others of Odie May reminded me too much of Under the Whispering Door and paled in the comparison, but the emotions and characters lacked complexity. The weird choice at the end felt forced and disconnected from everything else going on in the story. The was no arc, redemption, or moral - which is very unbefitting considering the narrative.

There was something about this book that kept reminding me of “the midnight library.” It just didn’t seem original enough for me. The characters were well written and the plot was interesting but not memorable.

I love that more books are creating imaginative interpretations of the afterlife. Odie May has the choice to return to earth minutes before her murder or pass on to the afterlife. The whole time I thought I knew who the murderer was and what decision Odie May would make, but I was wrong on both accounts. It's what makes a good book if it can keep you guessing.

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Follows the multiple lives odie may has touched and the potential of what could have been. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.