Book Title: Begin Again
Author: Helly Action
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Emma Sidi
Publisher: Harper Audio
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Romance
Audiobook Pub Date was April 2, 2024
My Rating: 3.3 Stars!
Pages: 416

Frankie McKenzie lives in a small flat in London – which she describes is the size of a small van. She works as a gossip columnist, and unfortunately is indeed unlucky in love.
Her friend Alice sets her up with Oli Sarpong but she abandons him at the restaurant on their first date which happens to be on her thirty-sixth birthday.
Wait! She dies via kebab - yes a crazy accident. However, Frankie is given a chance to reassess her life and what was important to her. - Hmmm hopefully will have a positive outcome.
She has given up on finding ‘the one’ but it hoping for a +1
So was Toby really the 'one that got away’? Perhaps she should have stuck with rich playboy Callum? Then there was nerdy Oli.

Story is a bit long but narrator Emma Sidi goes a great job performing Frankie as well as the other characters.

Want to thank NetGalley and HarperAudio for granting me this audiobook.
Audiobook Publishing Release Date was scheduled for April 2, 2024.

'Begin Again' is for fans of magical realism and for anyone who enjoys a story that's as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally engaging.

The pacing of the book is fast, making it a thrilling read that's hard to put down. Each chapter feels like a short story, complete in itself, yet part of a larger, intricate plot. The transitions between realities are seamless, yet they leave you pondering the consequences of your own life choices. Love it...

A good what if? story with memorable characters. Showcases that you have more than you think and that life choices shape you. Be thankful for the life you have. The narrator is wonderful.

Begin Again is a fun, witty read. I really enjoyed the characters and Frankie’s journey. Thank you, #NetGalley!

Thank you NetGalley,

This book was recommended to my by a coworker and romance isn't usually a genre I read a lot but I wouldn't consider this a romance novel. It wasn't about finding a mate but about finding yourself so you can enjoy life to the fullest. It was about looking at the mistake you made in the past and what would happen if you chose differently. I thought this was a wonderful book about finding happiness in yourself and not in others.

Have you ever wanted to change the past and discover the result of choices not taken? Now, in this brilliantly fun novel of what-ifs, missed chances, and new beginnings, Frankie McKenzie discovers what starting over might bring…

Despite living firmly in her comfort zone, Frankie McKenzie feels unsettled. She can’t help feeling something’s missing. Is it a home to call her own? Travel? A more rewarding job? A relationship? Before she can work it out, she dies in a freak kebab-related accident after what she sees as yet another dud of a first date.

But life isn’t over for Frankie. Instead, she is miraculously offered a second chance: Frankie can revisit key moments from her past to see if different choices will lead her to the fulfilling life she’s always dreamt of.

Soon, Frankie will see what her life would have been if only she’d caught that one-way flight, accepted the marriage proposal, or attended the intimidating job interview.

What would she change if she could begin again?

This book felt like a more whimsical and British version of The Midnight Library, and I really liked it!

At the start I was annoyed with Frankie and her choices - I felt like she was making stupid decisions and I wasn't sure I would enjoy an entire book with her at its center, but when she arrived at The Station and started exploring her life crossroads further, she grew on me! I totally relate to the idea of wanting to go back to a crossroads and see what happens if I had made a different choice. It was super fun to get to explore the options with Frankie.

I also loved the overall message of this book! It made me so hopeful, remembering that we're all 100% in charge of our own lives.

I wouldn't say its the best book I ever read, but I definitely enjoyed it and would recommend. Especially the audio version - this narrator was fantastic!

3.75 rounded up

This book is a very similar concept to the Midnight Library by Matt Haig, but I have to say I enjoyed this one less. It was still entertaining, even with the predictable ending, but I had a hard time letting go of the comparison!

This was a feel good book. I enjoyed my time listening to it. Will read more by the author. I reccomend this book highly!

I listened to this book and the narrator did a fantastic job. I always like the what if you chose a different path and what would you do with a second chance type of story, makes you think of your own life choices. I enjoyed this book very much, it is the same concept as Midnight Library but more fun? It would make a great movie! I will be looking for other books by Helly Acton. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Getting Being Erica vibes but I enjoyed that series so I'm hopeful about this audiobook. Finished! Not disappointed at all. The narration lead me through this What If story. The characters grow and evolve as the story shares ideas of how finding your way isn't always a straight line.

Begin Again by Helly Acton reminds me of my favorite book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. They share the same premise of the protagonist dying but having the chance to explore other lives they could have lived had they made different choices. I really enjoyed the pacing of this book up until the last 15% of it, I felt like the story got really predictable and slow. I also finished the book wishing they had developed more of the story once she chooses a life, it felt like the story ended too quickly. I thought that the dialogue was really well thought out though and I enjoyed the plot and all of the characters.

This book is for anyone who’s ever wondered what might have been (and if you haven’t, count yourself lucky). The rest of us, like the main character, wonder from time to time what our lives might look like had we made different choices. The story opens with Frankie on yet another first date. Like many of the others, it’s not going well so she decides to skip out. Then she dies. Then she wakes up at the “station” which is something between heaven and hell. Frankie has been given a second chance of life. She has two options, go back to the life she was living (but felt lacking) or pick from a different life. She spends the next several chapters reliving her life but different, getting a glimpse of what would have been had she chosen differently. While this premise has been done several times, I applaud Acton’s take on this. I will recommend for fans of “The midnight library” and other similar titles. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and was happy with the ending, and Frankie’s choice. A feel good book with perfect narration, a great choice for a lazy Sunday!

I've always been a fan of the "what if" troupe, and Helly Acton does an excellent job of mixing emotion and comedy as the reader is lead on a journey through Frankie's life and the lives she could have lived.

Frankie meets her death in an unfortunate way (choking on a kebab) after living a life she felt was less than stellar. But given the chance to see what her life could have been, should she have made different decisions, she realizes that there isn't one perfect life to lead. I found Frankie's somewhat pessimistic outlook a bit grating at times in the beginning, but it was interesting to see the different lives she could have lived, and how her relationships dramatically changed depending on these choices. If you like books that delve into the big "what if?" questions, I recommend this.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperAudio for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook of Begin Again by Helly Acton.

This is a story of women named Frankie who is just going through the motions of her life. She feels like something is missing, she's unhappy with the way things have turned out. In a twist of fate she falls and smacks her head and passes away. Frankie wakes up in the afterlife with a chance to visit five different versions of how her life could have been. What if she traveled more, started a relationship with someone else, if she had said yes to the proposal, continued on with her life.

It was a little slow at some points when she visited alternate life choices. But, in the end it was worth it to go along for the ride. It was nice to Frankie grow and decide what worked best for her and what would make her happy.

Mabel brought a lot of character and laughter to the situation. She was a great person for the in between life.

Absolutely adored this! Engaging and expertly narrated. A recommended purchase for collections where WF is popular.

I loved this magical realities story. It had slow paving but I was invested in the story. The story aaa easy to follow. It was filled with great characters, humor, and lots to contemplate and discuss.

I adored this book. The narrator did a fantastic job and I found her voice to be very soothing. At first I wasn't sure about Frankie since she seemed so wishy-washy about everything in her life and so reluctant to change any of the things making her unhappy. However, as the book progressed I found Frankie to be really relatable and her growth was amazing. Sometimes you can't help but get caught in a rut in life and wonder what would have happened if you'd made other decisions. Life can feel so out of control sometimes and it can get really easy to forget that things don't just happen to you, everyone is an active participant in their own life and the decisions we make impact how things turn out and how happy we are. Frankie coming to realize this and understanding that she can't just float through life wondering what-if and then continuing to be upset when things don't miraculously happen was great since it happened so organically. This book was just very enjoyable and full of humor and heart and great lessons that I think everyone needs to remember. I'd highly recommend this audiobook.

Thirty-six year old Frankie's life is comfortable, but missing something. Should she have interviewed for the job she felt unqualified for, but wanted? Maybe she should've said yes to that marriage proposal when she was 23. Or maybe, instead of self sabotaging by walking out on a first date, Frankie should have stayed put. Maybe then, at the very least, she would still be alive.

Instead she finds herself stuck at The Station after dying in a freak accident. It's there that she's given a chance to see what could have been if she had made different choices during her life. After getting 24 hours to live in each alternate life, Frankie must decide which, if any, to go back to.

Begin Again is a thoughtful, humorous, intriguing book about our life choices, relationships, and what matters most.

An emotional women's fiction story that sees one British woman at a crossroads in life getting a chance to explore that ever present question of 'what if' and seeing what her life might have looked like had she made five different choices along the way. Perfect for fans of closed door romances, stories with lots of character growth and a touch of magical realism. Good on audio too. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!