A brand new author to me - I do like finding a new author. An enjoyable read and would be interested in reading more by this author.

Great idea and concept for a book. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended. .

I could not stop reading this book. My goodness but I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. It is emotional and deals with realistic issues and subject matter. The author created some complex characters that were very realistic.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion

Good read. Interesting and entertaining story and characters. The journey the characters take and the issues they go through is thought provoking and makes you feel for them. Would recommend.

*Contains Spoilers*

This book was not at all what I was expecting. It wasn’t a mystery or a thriller, but it was eye opening and honest. It was a real portrayal of mental illness and how it can affect an entire family. I was very invested in the story, mainly because I strongly felt for Lucy and the children. I really liked the fact that the book highlighted that Greg’s condition is unfairly stigmatized by people who do not understand it, and a better understanding of what the illness is like to live with. It gives an honest portrayal of life for the individual and the family, along with mental health maintenance and support.

I definitely need to read something a bit lighter after this emotional book!

I was very happy to have received a review copy of this book, as I probably wouldn't have bought it for myself, but then thoroughly enjoyed it. It was rather sad at times, even a bit of a tear-jerker, and believe me that is not normal for me. It was also a very interesting piece of fiction based on a problem that Greg had - don't want to say too much here! If anyone had described this book to me, I may not have chosen it, but having the story develop in front of me, I really did find it compelling.

Aimee Alexander is the pen name of Irish author, Denise Deegan who writes contemporary young adult fiction under her own name but uses the pseudonym of Aimee Alexander to dabble in contemporary fiction for adults. Thank you so much to her for providing me with a copy of this novel in return for an honest review. I'm not taking on many author review requests at the moment as I've found myself with a huge backlog to deal with but when I read this synopsis I couldn't resist. I simply had to know what this book was all about. I haven't read anything by the author before and I know my sister, Chrissi Reads is a big fan of her young adult fiction so I was intrigued to find out what her writing was like. Well, it wasn't long before I was hooked in a thrilling and captivating story that I found difficult to put down.

The story follows our protagonist Lucy Arigho who works as a graphic designer and becomes embroiled in a whirlwind romance when she meets mysterious crime author Greg Millar who completely sweeps her off her feet. Both Lucy and Greg have been through tragedies in their lives, Greg is widowed with two young children but has such a boundless energy and zest for life that Lucy is taken along for the ride, surprising herself as she is not naturally so impulsive. Set across two countries, the South of France and Ireland, we see Lucy's struggles to integrate herself into a family where in some aspects, she is not necessarily welcomed with open arms. Then things get progressively darker as she realises that the man she has fallen so suddenly for might not be the man that she thought he was.

To say any more would be major spoilers so I'm moving away from that area right now! I just want to say one thing though. I was HUGELY surprised by the twists and turns this novel took. When I started it, I have to admit, I didn't think it was going to enjoy it as much as I did. I'm not the biggest fan of contemporary romance novels, it has to be done in the right way (with as little cheese as possible, if you please) and I often find them lacking in substance. This was considerably not the case with The Accidental Life Of Greg Millar - it got a whole lot darker fairly quickly and the insight into both Greg and Lucy's characters and how they deal with the impending situation was nothing short of fascinating. I have had some personal experience with the issues raised in this novel, perhaps that's why it spoke to me in such an exclusive way but I think the author wrote about it sensitively and intelligently which was appreciated. If you're in the mood for a romance story with a bit of a dark twist, you should definitely try this novel. I certainly wasn't expecting what it brought to the table.