This is the second book I've read from Taylor Jenkins Reid, the first being The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I was actually in the minority a little on that book. Everyone absolutely loved it while I only liked it. I felt like it was way over-hyped. Ever since that came out I've heard more and more about her earlier books and how amazing they are, so I thought I'd give them a try. This one had a very interesting premise, but I ultimately feel a similar way to this as I did to Evelyn Hugo: underwhelmed.

What I liked:

1. The concept. We follow Hannah and see how one seemingly innocuous decision can decide the course for her entire life. If you've seen the movie Sliding Doors (I haven't but I do know of it) I believe it's a little like that. We follow both of the threads of her life.

2. Gabby and Hannah's friendship. There is a lot of talk of soulmates and fate in this book, but I honestly felt like the most solid, fated relationship in this book was the one between these two childhood friends. I loved that they were there for each other, through thick and thin. I was sure there would be some point where they would have a falling out of some sort, and that didn't happen, which was nice.

3. The structure. It was interesting to get different bits of information in one universe and then flip back to the other universe where that information is unknown and our characters are acting in ways they wouldn't if they knew what the reader knows. It makes things very interesting.

What I didn't like:

1. The writing style. This is written in first person present tense. I don't know why, but I'm just not the biggest fan of this particular point of view. It's definitely a personal preference, so if you don't mind stories told in the present tense, this may not bug you at all.
I also feel like the actual writing is simplistic while at the same time awkward. The dialogue in particular is very stilted. People don't actually speak the way these characters speak to each other. I think this was exacerbated for me because I listened to the audiobook. If I'd been just reading the words to myself I don't know that I would've really noticed how inauthentic it sounded, but it was bad. There are so many scenes I could point to as an example, but the first time it really struck me was a scene between Henry and Hannah when he's telling her his life story. It's very expositional. It's what someone would write if they were writing their story down, not something they would say conversationally.

2. The outcomes. I didn't want to stop listening to this story. I needed to know what was going to happen. But then, as the end crept closer and closer, I realized I just wasn't going to be into it. Both of the timelines ended on a very blah note for me.

I didn't like Ethan and Hannah, and I didn't really felt like I got enough of Henry and Hannah to like or dislike them as a couple.

They just weren't compelling or interesting in the slightest.

3. I felt like the author tried too hard to give Hannah a personality that it all came off a little forced. The whole cinnamon roll thing got so old about 30 pages into the book. We get it. She like cinnamon rolls. They're her favorite for realsies. Moving on.

4. Audiobook. I didn't hate the audiobook. But the voice actor is one I don't really care for who seems to book A TON of audiobook gigs. I don't really get it. In this book, she used a lower register for Hannah that was almost raspy and it was distracting, especially in the beginning of the book. I also don't think she does male voices very well. They all pretty much sound the same.

This will not be my last TJR, but I do know that I may have to come to the conclusion that she's just not for me. Hoepfully I'll be proven wrong.