Yes people, I read a romance novel 🩷 Don’t faint! I don’t read romance but I do read Jess Kitching books because she is incredibly talented and such a beautiful woman. Congratulations on The Life Experiment, it is wonderful and I am so happy for you!!

Emotional, thought provoking, inspiring and so much more. Would you want to know the date that you would die? enter The Life Experiment. Layla and Angus are both incredibly unhappy with the path that their lives are taking and sign up. The day they find out their results is the day they meet in a cafe and can’t stop thinking about each other. But this information has changed the way they both think and see things.

What would you do? Would you keep living the way that you are or make massive changes? Would you hide away or would you embrace life? it is beautiful story and Jess has just smashed it once again. Read the author notes, her story of how this book came to be is so heartbreaking but lovely.

Just beautiful Jess, you made this crime reader with a dark heart cry so much. Hug your loved ones, you just don’t know what tomorrow brings.

Thanks you so much to Simon and Schuster for my advanced copy to read. Jess you deserve all the success with this amazing book. Thank you Dan Pilkington for believing in this story and bring it to the world. Out on July 29th

Would you take part in an experiment that told you when you would die? I’m firmly on the fence. Layla and Angus are both lost and do sign up. The Life Experiment follows the impact that this knowledge has on the way they move forward in their lives.

There was so much heart and emotion in this story. A cast of characters that each have their own flaws but you care about deeply. The ending was not what I thought it would be but was absolutely perfect. The Life Experiment is going to be one of my top reads of the year.

Perfect for fans of The Measure. Pick up a copy and a box of tissues!

The Life Experiment by Jess Kitching is a low steam but highly feel good love story.

Two people are unexpectedly brought together when they enter an experiment where they are tested and monitored and then given a prediction of when they will die.

Layla is a corporate lawyer who has come from a poorer background. She has immersed herself in her work to the detriment of her family and relationships and wonders is she can ever find happiness. Angus on the other hand is from a wealthy yet distant family. He doesn't have a job and is aimlessly wandering through his life while still mourning the death of his brother in childhood.

Layla and Angus both apply to OPM Discoveries to be a part of The Life Experiment not realising they will eventually be told when they will likely die. When they receive the news they are both thrown for different reasons. They then meet by chance at a coffee shop. There is an immediate attraction between them but the need to keep the experiment secret and their reactions to when they might die just might complicate everything.

Told in alternating chapters from both POV's and with their answers to the regular questionnaires from OPM Discoveries slotted in as well we see into their anxiety and fears about their budding relationship alongside their concerns about when they think they will die.

What I enjoyed was watching Layla and Angus fall in love slowly without being in a relationship. Layla sets the boundaries initially and they are friends only meeting for fun dates and messaging each other constantly. It was sweet with no steam and I really dug that.

What didn't gel so much was when Layla and Angus first met which didn't feel authentic for me and this definitely impacted my reading initially. I was also intrigued but sceptical about the so called Life Experiment and some of my early thoughts came to pass.

But I did enjoy how the ending came together with a different character coming in to voice the final chapter which gave an unusual perspective to the whole storyline.

Thank you @netgalley and @simonschusterau for my #gifted copy.

Trapped in a life that is feeling meaningless, Layla and Angus are both separately drawn into an avert for The Life Experiment, a study that can predict when a person is going to die.

Layla is a corporate lawyer, stuck in an endless cycle of late nights, impossible deadlines and separation from her family. Angus is the opposite, never having had to work a day in his life, he is struggling with where his life is going following a failed investment.

Unaware that they are both participants in the study, Layla and Angus meet by chance the same day their results are revealed to them. Their attraction is instant, but can they open themselves up to more when time might be brief?

I knew I was going to love this book before I’d even picked it up but it still exceeded all expectations!

The characters are beautifully written and I loved their development throughout the story, especially the way that they each take in the results of the study. They are both such profoundly different characters and there are many moments of vulnerability as well as resilience and there’s a great balance of each.

The whole book is filled with insightful moments and really make us as readers question what we would do in either Layla or Angus’ situations.

This was a really fast paced read I just couldn’t put it down! Definitely one of my top 10 books for the year

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia, NetGalley and the author for my copy of this book in exchange for a review

Book Review: The Life Experiment by Jess Kitching
 
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🫑

I was prompted to read The Life Experiment by @jesskitchingwrites when @bound.and.bloom showed me the rather exciting and intriguing quote on the cover of her ARC.

“Would you join an experiment that predicts when you will die?”

It was an unflinching commentary on mortality and the human condition. This book welcomes grief like a close friend, bundles you up in layers of tender moments, and urges you to savour every bit of existence. To be an authentic you and live your life to the fullest.

Spice: lots of yearning in a lovely way, no spice.

I loved every moment of this book. The dialogue was natural. The character well crafted. The pace comfortable. I love a dual POV and I loved being along side Layla and Angus as they figured out who they were and navigated their relationship alongside the knowledge that life is fleeting.

Overall, I cannot believe more people are not taking about this book and I’m now telling all my bookish babes to check it out. That includes you. I highly recommend picking up a copy when it’s out on July 29th

Huge thanks to @netgalley and @simonschusterau for the read.

Jess Kitching! What have you done?!

You've smashed it out of the park!! It's a home run for you! That is what you've done! 😍

The Life Experiment is not the normal thriller genre we would see from Jess, but I can tell you, this girl is a queen when it comes to writing (well, she's a queen in general 💖 ) but seriously being able to switch from the twist and turns of thriller writing to the warmth and joy of contemporary romance and to do it so well deserves all the praise!

I absolutely loved the premise for this one! I love that it made not just the characters but also myself think about finding themselves and meaning in their lives and making the most of right now. I love that the characters are polar opposites but complimented each other perfectly. I just loved this story and the way it makes you think and feel 💕

Imagine entering an experiment that claims it can predict when you will die. The catch.. you can not tell anyone you are part of the experiment.

Angus and Layla, complete strangers, make the decision to participate. On the day their results are revealed to them, an impromptu meet in a cafe becomes the start of something between them... but will knowing the fate of their future hold them back from finding love ❤️

This is a love story with so much more!! It will have you thinking about it long after you turn the final page. P.s. If you are anything like me, keep tissues on hand... you will need them!

Congratulations @jesskitchingwrites! I am in awe of this beautiful story! 🫶

The Life Experiment follows the story of two people, Layla and Angus, who agree to participate in a scientific study which determines when they will die. By chance, they meet in a café and their lives intertwine from that moment on. Concepts relating to grief and loss, family, work/life balance and romance flow throughout the novel.

This book ticks a lot of boxes for me including:
*an original concept
*likeable main characters
*well written
*diverse characters
*good pacing
*relatable content

I absolutely loved the original concept for this book and it certainly got me thinking about many aspects of my own life and future. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to read this early. Thank you Simon and Schuster, Jess Kitching and NetGalley for the arc.

What an amazing story this is.

From the heartfelt dedication, to the epilogue and author acknowledgments, this is one incredible story.

An experiment that can tell you when you will die.

Two people at a crossroads in their lives join the experiment not knowing what they will be told.

Two people given very different outcomes about when they will die, and when they meet by chance one day their lives will never be the same again. Can they change the outcomes they were given?

Layla, a hardworking young lawyer and Angus, a trust fund baby with no inspiration in his life, both join an experiment as it intrigues them. Neither has any notion of what is to come and how it will change everything. And the twist? Was it justified? Ethical?

I got all the feels reading this book. It grabbed my attention, and my heart and mind, and took me on an emotional journey. The characters are perfect. They are relatable and realistic. The alternating chapters kept the story flowing and I was right there with Layla and Angus all the way, through every emotion, every second guess, every epiphany moment they had.

The Life Experiment made me think about so much in my life. Am I happy? Am I fulfilled? Am I a good person? Could I, or should, I be doing more with my life? I love it when a book makes me get a bit reflective about me and makes me think about the bigger picture.

It seems that Jess is very adept at not only writing thrillers but also a life affirming, bitter sweet, make you think love story. Bravo!

Big thanks to Simon & Schuster for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Known for her clever thrillers, Jess wanders into another genre for her next book.
And after dipping her pen in, she comes up with The Life Experiment.
A brilliant, well written and sharp romance.
A love story with a drip of thriller elements.
Most of all, it’s delightful, smart, entertaining, fun and shines with a spotlight.
OPM Discoveries seeks individuals for The Life Experiment.
The research can estimate when you die.
Corporate lawyer Layla is successful, relationships are a no and she is a workaholic but she is concerned she is missing something.
Handsome Angus, comes from wealth, prestige and privilege but after the death of his brother and a bad investment, he wonders if there’s more out in the world for him.
Both sign up for the exercise, not knowing the other has and by chance meet.
Sparks fly and life takes a turn……
Set in London, this romantic adventure is going to be a major hit.
The banter between characters, especially the two leads is so natural, real and genuine, it makes it more enjoyable for the reader.
Let’s hope Jess continues to dabble in both genres as she excels at both.
Very addictive, very authentic and very charming.

'Time counts now more than ever. Each decision you make can craft your life into exactly what you want it to be'.

Layla has worked hard to get to where she is, working as a corporate lawyer in London. It's come at a cost though, she has absolutely no personal life and no time for herself, but she was always taught that if you work hard, success will follow. Angus, on the other hand wants for nothing, needs money for nothing and well, his life is pretty much nothing. Both feel like they've reached a cross roads in their life when they see an ad for a life experiment and apply. What unfolds is more than an experiment, it is life.

I feel like I’m a bit of an outlier here, giving this book a 3.5 stars, but although I loved the premise and the concept of appreciating and making the most of the life you’ve got now, at times I felt I was on a bit of a hamster wheel with the storyline and pace. There were some glorious, deep and insightful moments but they were followed by paralysing anxiety from the characters. Overall, The Life Experiment is a good read, and if you're interested in characters who find themselves, as well as a bit of romance, you should certainly give it a go.

'No one can go back, no matter how much we wish we could. All we can do is look to the future'.

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.

The premise of The Life Experiment hooked me from the start — what would you do if a scientific study could predict the exact day your life would end? Would it change the way you live today?

Layla and Angus are drawn to the experiment for very different reasons. Layla is a corporate workaholic whose career leaves no room for love, while Angus is a wealthy but aimless playboy searching for purpose. Broken in their way, each applies to be a part of The Life Experiment, which will pinpoint the date they are going to die.

They’re not supposed to meet, but when they do, by chance, after learning their lifespan, their attraction is instant. What follows is a story filled with heart, grief, and quiet hope. Angus and Layla must learn how to truly live and love, even when tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and the future is uncertain.

I hope Jess Kitching continues writing in this space (having previously written three thrillers), because I believe this book is going to be huge.

Perfect for readers of Beth O’Leary and Sally Rooney, The Life Experiment is tender, thought-provoking, and profoundly human.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Jess Kitching for the opportunity to read this beautiful story early.

Would you join an experiment that could tell you when you are going to die?

The Life Experiment is a story of life, loss and new beginnings told through the eyes of Angus and Layla who unbeknownst to each other have both joined an experiment that has told them the exact date they will die.

As their relationship blossoms they each privately deal with the consequences that come with finding out how long they have left on this earth.

There was so many parts of this story to love, from the connection between Angus and Layla, to their relationships with their families and how those evolved after they found out their death dates. But I think the thing I loved most about this story is that it had me questioning not only whether I would join the experiment but what aspects of my life I'd want to keep and which parts I'd change should I find out my time left was limited.

If you love thought provoking written passages and heart warming love stories then I highly recommend this one for you!

What would you do if you found out your date of death?

The life experiment is a dual pov read, it touches on a lot of different aspects of life, love and death. Kitching’s writing reminds me of Matt Haig and Beth O’Leary, I was drawn in from the beginning.

This book is thought provoking, bittersweet and truly tugs at the heartstrings.

The second slide was a truly powerful scene to read about Layla and her family accept and apologise to their bodies. As someone who grew up in the 90’s+00’s i love seeing the narrative about bodies change!
I truly adored it! And will be picking up a physical copy too!

Thank you @netgalley @jesskitchingwrites and @simonschusterau for my Arc. 🩷

This story truly got me. It was emotional, clever, thought-provoking, and completely beautiful. I absolutely adored it.

The concept is fascinating: a mysterious experiment that claims to predict when people will die, and two strangers who find themselves crossing paths the same day they receive their results. From that moment on, I couldn’t look away.

I was hooked from the very beginning. Jess Kitching’s writing is superb. It flows effortlessly and wraps you up in the world she creates. I loved both Layla and Angus. After reading a few books in a row full of unlikeable characters, this one felt like a breath of fresh air. Every character added something special and I didn't want the story to end.

A huge thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for sending me a copy for an independent review. I feel genuinely honoured to have read this early. What a story. What a concept.

💫 Vibes:
✔️ Thoughtful and emotional
✔️ Clever concept, beautifully executed
✔️ Characters that stay with you
✔️ A story that lingers long after the last page

Cannot recommend this book enough! What a beautiful look into the concept of death.

Layla and Angus both sign up to an experiment - an experiment that told them when they would die. What followed were a serious of check ins as they came to grips with their death date. But the two ran into each other by chance in a coffee shop and sparks grew from there.

It’s such an interesting concept and I loved the perspective of this book and it sparked some really interesting questions throughout. It was heart warming and sad at times too, but I loved every second.

The word "wow" comes to mind a lot when I have gone to write this book review. The Life Experiment is one of those books that will live rent free in my mind for a long time.

When OPM discoveries start to advertise an opportunity to be apart of the Life Experiment our two main characters want a chance to be involved. Layla, a lawyer and absolute hard-worker and Angus a man that comes from money and can have anything he wants in life but is not happy. The experiment claims it can tell when someone will die. Layla and Angus meet accidentally in a cafe, not knowing they are both involved in the same experiment. Sparks fly and they start talking everyday.

Jess changed genres and I can safely say she knocked the contemporary romance genre out of the ball park. It was well written, had me both laughing and crying. I found The Life Experiment very hard to put down. As always I look forward to reading anything Jess writes.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of the book for my honest book review.

Oh my goodness, this beautiful book is going to wrap you in a warm hug and not let you go! It’s beautifully perfect 🧡

Layla and Angus are two strangers who have both hit crossroads in their very different lives, they are going through everyday motions rather than living them to the full.

When an ad appears for a life experiment they both have nothing to loose and apply

They are both accepted and after the first in person interview a chance encounter at a cafe brings them into each others lives

As they both start to look at their lives differently their new found friendship becomes a new confident, but are they really being truthful to not just each other but themselves?

The Life Experiment will give you all the feels in all the right ways. I devoured it and couldn’t put it down. Looking through the lens of Layla and Angus with some mixed media thrown in and the fabulous side characters had me turning page after page.

Add this contemporary romance to your TBR stat!

Highly recommend 🧡

Thank you so much @netgalley & @simonschusterau for my gifted arc copy, this in no way has influenced my review

I loved this book. Read the whole thing over the weekend and was fully obsessed. The Life Experiment is tender, raw, and totally addictive.

Yes, it gives The Measure vibes—but Layla and Angus are their own kind of magic. Two strangers, both stuck in very different ruts, sign up for a mysterious experiment that predicts when you’ll die… and end up meeting on the very day they get their results

I instantly fell for both of them—Layla with her high-stress corporate life and zero work/life balance, and Angus, who’s rich, lost, and grieving but so genuine underneath it all. I ignored all other life commitments and my own family because I needed to know their fate before heading back to work on Monday.

Also, the London setting was fantastic (one of my own favourite cities) and I will admit that I fully lived out a few fantasy shopping sprees with Angus’ money 😂

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering about your big why, this one’s for you.

I want to say that the premise for this story really intrigued me and I thought it sounded really unique. I knew I wanted to read it after hearing about it. I really enjoyed this story, it had me wanting to keep picking it up and finding out where the story was going.
I thought it was beautifully written! I loved the character growth and the love story that blossomed between the characters. It was very emotional also in the way it makes you think about your own life and how you’re making the most of it. It was amazing, would definitely recommend! Thank you for letting me read this.