In Every Life
A Novel
by Rea Frey
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Pub Date Aug 06 2024 | Archive Date Sep 06 2024
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Description
What happens when a husband's dying wish is for his wife to find a new love . . . before he's even gone?
Ben and Harper have had a rough start to their marriage. After a surprise late-stage cancer diagnosis, Ben comes up with one final wish for his wife: he wants Harper to find a new partner before he dies. Harper is resistant to this wacky plan. If she can't have Ben, then she doesn't want anyone. Finally, he lets it drop, but not before the New York Times sends a journalist to do a feature story about Ben's life . . . and his idea. When Harper opens the door, she is stunned to find the one man who got away. Or, the man she spent one perfect week with a decade ago and never saw again: Liam Hale.
Suddenly, Harper is faced with her ultimate what-if:
What if Harper had ended up with Liam instead of Ben?
What if she'd pursued life as an artist instead of teaching?
What if it had all turned out differently?
After making a wish, Harper wakes up to find herself in a parallel universe . . . where her what-ifs become a reality.
Is the grass really greener, or is she standing right where she should be, even as she inevitably faces the pain of losing the one she loves?
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9781400243136 |
PRICE | $18.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 368 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ. ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง, ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ง, ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐. ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ. ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ง๐จ ๐๐ง๐. ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐๐, ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ, ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ.
Five hours after starting this book, here I am.
I'm having a hard time thinking about anything right now.
I was just looking for a book to read on Netgalley.
I didn't expect to find a favorite. Ironically, this favorite broke my heart.
This book broke me in such a beautiful way.
Ben and Harper have just gotten married when the bad news comes : Ben has cancer, stage 4, and he has little time to live.
Illness is a sensitive subject whether we are faced with it or not. And this book makes us feel it because the words that Rea Frey gave us are simply magnificent.
And thatโs when I tell myself that pain has a certain beauty. A heartbreaking, striking beauty.
Ben loves Harper more than anything, but he wishes she could have someone else before he dies. He wishes her to fall in love with someone else before he dies.
And again, it hurts.
One of the reasons this hurts so much is because this situation can and probably has happened in real life. Itโs a situation thatโs entirely likely, thatโs where the pain lies.
It hurts because it's easy to imagine being in Ben's place, wishing the love of our life to move on, to continue living.
Ben and Harper's relationship is beautiful. Their love is magnificent. I truly believe that this type of love that exists and never dies.
Then fate invites itself. The journalist supposed to interview Ben about his life happens to be the man Harper loved intensely - for a week - more than ten years ago, when she still dreamed of making a living from her art.
From there, we alternate between present and past. The past which allows us to discover this love which only lasted a week.
Perhaps this is where my heart also alternated between โjoyโ and pain. The past allowed me to detach myself from the present, from the present of Ben and Harper.
But as soon as Liam and Harper's past ended, my heart had to face the inevitable.
The writing style is absolutely perfect. If that hadn't been the case, I wouldn't have loved this book the way I do.
This book is not all pain, far from it.
Like I said, pain has a kind of beauty. Just like the uncertain.
What if? What if Harper had never left Liam? What if she had succeeded in becoming the artist she wanted to be?
After all these questions, we find ourselves in a completely different reality. Harper never left New York, and she never left Liam. And itโs a whole other life that we discover.
I really loved this part. It was a breath of air before reality caught up with Harper, before it caught up with me.
I cried, I cry. And I think my heart will always sink when I think of this book. Because the inevitable has happened. But it arrived in a beautiful way.
"๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ." ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐. "๐๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ."
I didn't expect this ending. I didn't want to see this ending. But it came, it broke me and it made me smile. It was so beautiful.
"๐๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฌ, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ, ๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐
๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ. ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ."
This book is about love, illness, lack of time, second chances. But it also talks about finding yourself, giving yourself time to move forward.
Harper loves and always will love Ben.
Harper loves and always will love Liam.
But Harper loves and will always love herself as well.
I loved reading this book. I don't regret spending the whole night reading it. This is a book I won't forget and will buy as soon as it becomes available for purchase.
Thank you Rea Frey for this masterpiece, and thank you Netgalley.
Here's some of my favorite quotes.
โ
๐. ๐
๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐๐ซ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐.
๐. ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐.. ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ก.
"๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ."
"๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐," ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ. "๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐, ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐." ๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐จ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ญ.
"๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ก, ๐ญ๐จ ๐ค๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐, ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ."
๐
๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐๐ซ,
๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ.
๐๐ข๐๐ฆ.
"๐๐ ๐ฐ๐'๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง, ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ," ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ. ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐๐. "๐'๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐." ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฏ๐, ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐.
"๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐ "
"๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ, '๐๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐๐ซ: ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐?"
"๐'๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐ฑ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐"
"๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ?"
"๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐๐ซ."
Thank you so much, NetGalley for the chance. Could not put this book down! I was immediately drawn into the creative storyline and the authorโs smooth writing style.
Harper is such a strong yet vulnerable heroine. There are several creative twists that had my heart bending for both loves of Harper. One of the most tender love triangles I have ever read.
If the synopsis left you intrigued, just wait until you get into the novel. Unputdownable!!
This book has it all!
It is heartwarming,yet sooo very heartbreaking that it will stir all your emotions.
Now add some time-hopping to keep one guessing and you have a touching, novel that I had to finish in a day..
Can you imagine being on your honeymoon and finding out your new husband is terminally ill?
When Harper asks Ben what is on his bucket list, he has a wish that she cannot imagine or believe.
The story continues as a bit of magic comes in to play.
There is love,acceptance, drama, tears and so much more that I truly enjoyed this story and as always Rea Frey has done it again!
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Harper Muse for this ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.
Excellent!
what a beautiful, inspiring story. a story about love, about loss, about learning how to follow your dreams every moment of your life.
the execution is really well-done, and the book is infused with a variety of endearing characters. to be honest, I was prepared to not be swayed by Liam as a character and instead focus more on Harperโs husband, Ben. that went out the window when Liam first stepped onto the page, because of his compassion, kindness and invalueble insight. you canโt help but love him!
I think the most interesting part of this book is Harperโs journey and self-discovery. she learns how to come to terms with Benโs diagnosis, with the decisions sheโs made throughout her life and how they shaped her present. itโs a fascinating transition, made all the more compelling by the manifestation/spiritual elements scattered in the story.
the ending wraps everything up splendidly, and I was left with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. definitely recommend!
I really loved this book. The emotions it made me feel and the storytelling were beautiful. I felt for all the characters and would definitely reread when I want something to have me in my feels!
I thought this was a beautifully done story, it had a great overall feel to it and had a interesting take on the what if romance. It had a great concept and was used perfectly with what I wanted based on the description. Rea Frey creates a beautifully done story and I was glad I was able to read this. The characters were everything that I was hoping for and thought they were perfect in this world. I could understand what was going on and enjoyed the parallel universe elements to this book.
I absolutely loved this novel about Ben and Harper as they navigate his cancer diagnosis and literally "wait" for him to die! But journalist (and old flame) Liam suddenly appears to do an article and Harper is thrown back into her unresolved feelings for this handsome man. As a high school art teacher, Harper has thrown herself into work and caring for her husband and is shocked and somewhat delighted to see Liam but also unsettled by the newest "condition" Ben has put on her. Told in a "then" and "now" format (and even a "what if" one), the novel documents this beautiful love story that still has me teary-eyed in its emotional impact.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
I definitely felt "in five years" vibes from this one, and I mean that as a compliment. It was a sweet story, of course heartbreaking. I felt the ending left some questions, but I realize that may have been intentional. I will definitely recommend this to other readers.
This book hit so close to home. Itโs emotionally gripping, sad, but extremely poignant and powerful. A definite read worth your time. Donโt miss it.
Ben and Harper just started their life together when Ben collapses on the honeymoon. How could this man have late stage cancer? As Ben and Harper navigate this terrifying time, Ben finds a way to ease his transition; find Harper a new love. he wants to know that Harper will be okay once he dies. He can't have her mourning over him. He wants her happy. Harper doesn't even want to entertain this in the least. Before Ben gets too sick, Ben is going to be featured in the New York Times. As soon as Harper opens the door to let the journalist in, Harper is taken back to her life in New York. How is Liam, the man she spent an amazing week with, at her door getting ready to write about her dying husband's life? Liam brings everything back for Harper and why she left New York. How is Harper ever going to figure all of this out?
In Every Life by Rea Frey is an amazing story that will have you in tears by the end of the story. I love that this included a love story, a little paranormal time-traveling, and friendship. This book has it all. I will be recommending this to all my book loving friends and will always be on the outlook for the new work by Rea Frey. Special thanks to NetGalley, Rea Frey, and Harper Muse for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 stars for me!
#InEveryLife #NetGalley
This book is worth getting into. I love the premise of alternate realities and parallel lives...etc... so I'm glad I stuck with it! I found that going back and forth between "what is..." and "what was..." to be very helpful as far as moving the story along and filling us in on Harper's history with Liam without confusing us as we read. Then as soon as I read the section that led in with "what if...." I was totally hooked! The author made the month that Harper spends in NYC with Liam and the life they could have had totally believable. I loved all the little surprises along the way, and how much the whole novel made me think about things like marriage and love at first connection and grief and the Universe and the power of community. Special kudos to the author for writing so beautifully about art and artists and their creative lives.
Thanks to the author and publisher, and NetGalley, for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
GOODBYE, farewell, this book will be the death of me! (But internally more like !!!!!!!) Magical realism is one of my favorite genres and this reminded me of so many great books that I love and hold close to my heart <spoiler>(like The Time Traveler's Wife, one of my go to reads for a big cry!)</spoiler>. I found the story to be so well done in every timeline and packed with meaning โ there's nothing in this book that I would cut, and in fact, I was left wanting an epilogue to the epilogue.
TW for a cancer battle and diagnosis, which I imagine could be really triggering to read.