You Only Live Once
- Downloads：5228
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-06-15 05:21:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Maxine Morrey
- ISBN：B09V4R7JYN
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Lauren
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This is a bittersweet angsty romance about emerging from the shadow of grief。 Poor Lily has been happy enough pottering her widowhood away， but her brother offers her spare room to an old friend （cheeky！）。 Lily once had a thing for Jack but she's gotten very used to the safety of solitude。I'd better set out a warning for the traumatic loss of a spouse and some suicidal ideation - despite the cheerful cover there's some heavy stuff in here。 Lily starts the story as a successful recluse， having wi This is a bittersweet angsty romance about emerging from the shadow of grief。 Poor Lily has been happy enough pottering her widowhood away， but her brother offers her spare room to an old friend （cheeky！）。 Lily once had a thing for Jack but she's gotten very used to the safety of solitude。I'd better set out a warning for the traumatic loss of a spouse and some suicidal ideation - despite the cheerful cover there's some heavy stuff in here。 Lily starts the story as a successful recluse， having withdrawn to grieve。 Her brother and sister-in-law have a bad habit of ignoring her boundaries and shoving her outside her comfort zone。 Their love and care is touching but isn't the only way to support someone who is grieving - and Jack joins in almost as soon as he moves in。 Fortunately， with their encouragement and support， Lily starts to face the world again。I enjoyed the slowly growing friendship between Lily and Jack as they got to know one another again。 Lily is witty and always ready to skewer Jack with a one-liner; Jack is ready to give as good as he gets and is more than able to stand his ground。 I absolutely adored how his skills matched what Lily needed - and the restoration of her garden in line with the rebuilding of her life。 Clive is， of course， adorable， as can only be expected of a golden retriever。Best enjoyed in view of a garden - well tended or otherwise！ If you're looking for a romance with a bit more emotional weight， come give this one a try。Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own。 For more reviews， come check out my blog。 。。。more
Grace
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Thanks to Net Galley for providing me a digital arc in response for an honest review。This is the second book I’ve read by Maxine Morrey and I loved it！When Lily's husband dies， she moves to the edge of a tiny village， settling into a solitary life， her only real company her brother and his family。 A quiet life becomes her safe space， with no risk of getting hurt。 When her brother offers her spare room to his oldest friend， Jack， Lily's reluctant but knowing how much she owes her family， can't sa Thanks to Net Galley for providing me a digital arc in response for an honest review。This is the second book I’ve read by Maxine Morrey and I loved it！When Lily's husband dies， she moves to the edge of a tiny village， settling into a solitary life， her only real company her brother and his family。 A quiet life becomes her safe space， with no risk of getting hurt。 When her brother offers her spare room to his oldest friend， Jack， Lily's reluctant but knowing how much she owes her family， can't say no。A lodger takes some getting used to but to her surprise，Lily begins to enjoy Jack's company。 Slowly but surely， Jack encourages Lily to step outside her comfort zone。 But taking risks means facing the consequences， and telling people how she really feels， means Lily might have to face losing them。 But as the saying goes - you only live once and being brave could mean Lily gets a second chance at love…。。My opinion: I loved the dual timeline of this novel。 The characters were really nicely developed but I would have loved to see more of the development of their romance such as the first kiss。 But despite this you could understand how much Jack cared for Lily and her feelings and how the best for her may not be him。 Overall this book was enjoyable and I cannot wait to read any further book by this author。 。。。more
Patty
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Grief is a nasty animal， and Lily's way of living with it is staying home， enjoying her garden and her privacy。 She does let family in， loves time with her brother and his family， but that's about it。 She's afraid to let anyone else into her space in order to protect her heart from breaking again。Her brother is a kind soul， and tries to encourage Lily to take chances。 Finally he forces the subject by arranging for a friend who needs a place to stay to move in with Lily。 Of course she balks at th Grief is a nasty animal， and Lily's way of living with it is staying home， enjoying her garden and her privacy。 She does let family in， loves time with her brother and his family， but that's about it。 She's afraid to let anyone else into her space in order to protect her heart from breaking again。Her brother is a kind soul， and tries to encourage Lily to take chances。 Finally he forces the subject by arranging for a friend who needs a place to stay to move in with Lily。 Of course she balks at this invasion of her privacy， and tries her best not to get invested in Jack。This book gave a real-life view into grief and how people can get stuck。 It also shows human resiliency。 Give it a try。Thanks to the author， publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book， but my opinions are my own。 。。。more
Jennifer
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**Slight spoilers ahead**I really enjoyed this book even though I did have a few issues with it， and it read more like women's fiction to me than romance （and was definitely not a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy like the blurb I read said）。 Lily lost her husband in a tragic accident ten years ago and has since become sort of a recluse。 She basically never leaves the house except in the early morning to pop into the market when no one is there。 She is a famous author and can afford to just stay in **Slight spoilers ahead**I really enjoyed this book even though I did have a few issues with it， and it read more like women's fiction to me than romance （and was definitely not a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy like the blurb I read said）。 Lily lost her husband in a tragic accident ten years ago and has since become sort of a recluse。 She basically never leaves the house except in the early morning to pop into the market when no one is there。 She is a famous author and can afford to just stay in her house missing out on all the important moments of her brother， sister-in-law， niece， and nephews' life。 She is perfectly happy in her little world and still deeply affected by her husband's death。 When her brother's friend needs a place to stay for a bit he offers Lily's place and after a while she agrees。 Now Jack was the town playboy in the past leaving a trail of broken hearts behind。 One of the things I didn't care for was how much Lily kept thinking he was the same person even though he shows her he has grown and matured。 He was pretty great for the most part， but he would try and force her to do things outside her comfort zone and get angry with her if she wouldn't。 See Clive the dog。 Like I get it， it was all he is just trying to help， but Lily really needed therapy not someone to yell at her。 The relationship between the two of them was overall sweet， but then suddenly they are in love and in a serious relationship and it didn't really work that well。 Like we don't get to see them fall in love really， they just suddenly are？ It was odd and partly why this didn't feel like a romance to me - you miss out on all the romance。 They literally are friends then in love in one paragraph， but you don't see that it is just told to you that they are now。 So you miss out on all the good parts， but this is really more a story of Lily moving on and living her life again。 Like I said I did really enjoy this one even though there were a few issues。 This is the first book by this author I have read， but it won't be the last。 Thanks to NetGalley， the author， and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book 。。。more
Siobhan
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A nice easy read， took some time to get into the story。I loved the introduction of Clive into this story ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Barbara Powell
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What a heartwarming and charming read！！ I loved the characters-even Clive the dog was so sweet！ Lily has been struggling with her confidence and finds herself hiding away from everyone after she loses her husband in a freak accident。 When her brother’s best friend needs a place to stay for a few days when he comes back to town， her brother suggests that he stay with Lily， and as much as she objects to it on the basis that she likes her quiet life， she agrees to let him stay。 Of course， over the What a heartwarming and charming read！！ I loved the characters-even Clive the dog was so sweet！ Lily has been struggling with her confidence and finds herself hiding away from everyone after she loses her husband in a freak accident。 When her brother’s best friend needs a place to stay for a few days when he comes back to town， her brother suggests that he stay with Lily， and as much as she objects to it on the basis that she likes her quiet life， she agrees to let him stay。 Of course， over the course of time， lily comes to realize all she’s been missing by hiding herself away and once she opens her heart and her life up again， good things start happening again。 Cute and entertaining rom-com that will stick with you。 This was my first book by this author， but it won’t be my last！ Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review。 。。。more
Wendy（Wendyreadsbooks） Robey
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A beautifully written story full of hope and second chances。 I loved the friendship between Lily and Jack - the reconnection from their teenage years and the slow build up of trust and love as they got to know eachother。 The grief Lily had experienced is unimaginable and to have to rebuild and trust again must have been so difficult。 An emotional read with such lovely characters in Felix and Poppy and of course Clive the dog。
Maggi
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I was provided with an advance e-copy of “You Only Live Once” by Maxine Morrey from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。“You Only Live Once” is the story of our protagonist Lily。 Lily， a successful author， tragically lost her husband years ago。 After his death she moved to the countryside， and became somewhat of a recluse。 All that changed when Lily’s older brother Felix， arranged for his childhood friend， Jack to come stay with Lily as he returns home。 Jack， also happens to be Lily’s unr I was provided with an advance e-copy of “You Only Live Once” by Maxine Morrey from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。“You Only Live Once” is the story of our protagonist Lily。 Lily， a successful author， tragically lost her husband years ago。 After his death she moved to the countryside， and became somewhat of a recluse。 All that changed when Lily’s older brother Felix， arranged for his childhood friend， Jack to come stay with Lily as he returns home。 Jack， also happens to be Lily’s unrequited childhood crush， and as the two bond while living together as roommates， Lily is forced to confront her feelings and the possibility of finding love again。 There is a lot to like about this charming novel。 There aren’t many novels that handle the complexities of grief and the lasting trauma that comes with it; but Maxine Morrey has managed to successfully convey the grief and trauma process。 Lily， understandably is left with survivors guilt。 She struggles to understand why her life was spared， and she often wishes it hadn’t been。 We see in her choice to settle into a new home， separate from her memories of her husband Mike， that she was attempting to move on。 But， Lily finds settling into a new routine， socializing with people without Mike， to be too much and she instead withdraws within herself。 Like many survivors of trauma， her home has become her safe haven， and she’s reluctant to venture beyond this safe space。 The brother and sister bond between Lily and Felix， was a favourite of mine。 Felix and his family are the few people that Lily feels comfortable socializing with and where she feels free to be herself。 And while Felix May sometimes push Lily to face her fears and start moving forward， it comes from a place of love。 He’s a brother that truly wants the best for his sister; when she’s hurting， it hurts him。 This relationship felt realistic and genuine to me， and was a real standout。The romance between Jack and Lily is very slow burn， and the romance scenes are fade to black。 Maxine Morrey does an excellent job of showcasing the changing dynamics in their relationship， and that slow burn pays off。 As wonderful as the relationship between Jack and Lily is， what I enjoyed best was how Jack was able to improve Lily’s relationship with herself。 He didn’t just help her to fall in love again， he helped her to see all her potential and to learn to love herself again。 All in all， “You Only Live Once，” is that rare romantic comedy that successfully blends deeper themes with romance。 。。。more
Marietere T
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I really do not mean to keep DNFing books， it's just I can feel the reading slump coming and I want to avoid it。 The story follows Lily， a widow， who lost her husband and hasn't really be living。 She just stays in her house and only interacts with her close family。 It isn't until her brothers best friend Jack comes into the picture that she starts opening up， and living her life。The book is not badly written， it is just slow。 I got 48% and I still had no courtship。 I might finish this book event I really do not mean to keep DNFing books， it's just I can feel the reading slump coming and I want to avoid it。 The story follows Lily， a widow， who lost her husband and hasn't really be living。 She just stays in her house and only interacts with her close family。 It isn't until her brothers best friend Jack comes into the picture that she starts opening up， and living her life。The book is not badly written， it is just slow。 I got 48% and I still had no courtship。 I might finish this book eventually in another time， but I have other things to read。 "I got an arc of this book through NetGalley。 。。。more
Eryn Northcutt
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You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey4/5 starsI was excited to read this book because I was really intrigued to hear about Lily's journey through her grief after she loses her husband suddenly in a tragic accident。 I thought Morrey did a wonderful job capturing Lily's grief and fear of the world after the accident as she locks herself away in her house so she doesn't have to face reality。 Watching Lily re-discover herself and the things she love while also falling in love all over again was so muc You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey4/5 starsI was excited to read this book because I was really intrigued to hear about Lily's journey through her grief after she loses her husband suddenly in a tragic accident。 I thought Morrey did a wonderful job capturing Lily's grief and fear of the world after the accident as she locks herself away in her house so she doesn't have to face reality。 Watching Lily re-discover herself and the things she love while also falling in love all over again was so much fun to read and I couldn't put this book down。When Jack was first introduced I was expecting the sexual tension to be all that was present between them， and while it was still there I really loved the depth their friendship ended up having。 I loved that they were childhood friends who ended up marrying other people just to find their way back to each other。 Jack's evolution from supposed village player to being really heartfelt and so self secure was so refreshing and made me love him so much more。 I also loved the idea of Jack helping Lily fix up her garden as a metaphor for him helping Lily move on with her life and enjoy it， it was perfect！The only disappointing part of this story was how quickly Lily and Jack finally got together and how fast the ending wrapped up; it felt like when you're writing an essay and you're about to hit your word limit so you have to finish it very quickly。 There was so much great build up and then we got a small paragraph of their first kiss and hook up， we got a small page about them spending the following weeks together as a couple， and then in the span of 2-3 chapters we get their break up and their reunion。 It was so short and fast and I found myself disappointed I didn't get to enjoy their blissful couply-ness。Overall， I enjoyed this read and would recommend to readers who are fans of New Adult， Friends to Lovers， and Contemporary Romance。 。。。more
Cassie
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This book had a lot of potential based on the description， but unfortunately it fell short for me。 The story progressed slowly and felt unrealistic。 As the reader you could sense that there was something budding between Lily and Jack， but there was just no real chemistry between them。 We come to understand that Lily is still traumatized 10 years after her husbands unexpected death and that she’s afraid to move on， but suddenly she’s getting naked and making out with Jack。 Doesn’t fit knowing how This book had a lot of potential based on the description， but unfortunately it fell short for me。 The story progressed slowly and felt unrealistic。 As the reader you could sense that there was something budding between Lily and Jack， but there was just no real chemistry between them。 We come to understand that Lily is still traumatized 10 years after her husbands unexpected death and that she’s afraid to move on， but suddenly she’s getting naked and making out with Jack。 Doesn’t fit knowing how much she struggled with her husbands death。 Plus there are chapters where several weeks pass， which could’ve been used to further build the relationship between Jack and Lily。 Just didn’t work for me。I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mich
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𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 follows Lily， who's grappling with survival guilt after her husband died from an accident。 And after years of hiding from the society， she begins to realise， with help from her loved ones， that life is a gift not meant to be wasted and slowly opens herself upto the world again and takes a chance on love。 - ~ - I don't know how to explain the frustration I felt reading this book。 The story was going phenomenaly well with it set in a cozy， calm village， the chemistry between the 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘖𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 follows Lily， who's grappling with survival guilt after her husband died from an accident。 And after years of hiding from the society， she begins to realise， with help from her loved ones， that life is a gift not meant to be wasted and slowly opens herself upto the world again and takes a chance on love。 - ~ - I don't know how to explain the frustration I felt reading this book。 The story was going phenomenaly well with it set in a cozy， calm village， the chemistry between the characters came naturally and without any tension， the dialogues had tinges of the classic British humour we all love but did they just have to go and ruin the kiss？？？？？？Like there was absolutely no build-up to it？ I was desperately waiting for a kiss to finally lead to something more between the characters but they just cut right to it？ I was not forewarned？ I'm so utterly disappointed。 With that in mind， I'd like to say that while the first 75% of the story went smoothly， the remaining portion was again disappointing。 There were unnecessary arguments （I usually don't mind when there's an argument between the MCs before the HEA but here it was baseless） and drama that I didn't appreciate。 Also， all the slow burn and patience it took for some development between the main characters wasn't worth it because there were hardly any moments of the two actually in a relationship。 - ~ - 3。37 / 5✩ 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘉𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬， 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥。 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯。 。。。more
Emily Christopher
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You Only Live Once⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre: RomanceFormat: Kindle eBookDate Published: 6/14/22Author: Maxine MorreyPublisher: Boldwood BooksPages: 301Goodreads Rating: 3。59Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion。 Synopsis: When Lily’s husband dies， she moves to the edge of a tiny village， settling into a solitary life， her only real company her brother and his family。 When her brother offers her spare room to his ol You Only Live Once⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Genre: RomanceFormat: Kindle eBookDate Published: 6/14/22Author: Maxine MorreyPublisher: Boldwood BooksPages: 301Goodreads Rating: 3。59Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing a digital copy of the book for me to read in exchange for my honest opinion。 Synopsis: When Lily’s husband dies， she moves to the edge of a tiny village， settling into a solitary life， her only real company her brother and his family。 When her brother offers her spare room to his oldest friend， Jack， Lily’s reluctant – but knowing how much she owes her family， can’t say no。 Slowly but surely， Jack encourages Lily to step outside her comfort zone。 But taking risks means facing the consequences， and telling people how she really feels， means Lily might have to face losing them。 But as the saying goes - you only live once - and being brave could mean Lily gets a second chance at love。My Thoughts: The story was narrated in a dual timeline， which I did love。 The characters were well developed and had an attraction that I could appreciate， but would have loved to see more of the courtship， as in the dates and the first kiss。 While I generally love this author， there were a few things I would love to have seen expanded such as the courtship， I felt like it was rushed in the book and not descriptive enough。 However， even saying that， you could feel how much Jack cared for Lily， he truly wanted what was best for her， even it meant that may or may not be him。 The author’s writing was intriguing， complex， and was wonderful， even with the above。 Overall， I felt this was a good book that I enjoyed。 。。。more
Rekha O'Sullivan
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Thanks to Boldwook Books， Netgalley and the author for an Advance Copy of this book。 I am leaving this review voluntarily。Jack and Lily are old family friends who have suffered losses when they meet again and end up as housemates。 More of an exploration of how people process grief than a romantic comedy， this book did not entirely hit the right note for me。 If you're looking for laughs and lighthearted banter， this isn't the story for you。I read Living Your Best Life by the same author and enjoy Thanks to Boldwook Books， Netgalley and the author for an Advance Copy of this book。 I am leaving this review voluntarily。Jack and Lily are old family friends who have suffered losses when they meet again and end up as housemates。 More of an exploration of how people process grief than a romantic comedy， this book did not entirely hit the right note for me。 If you're looking for laughs and lighthearted banter， this isn't the story for you。I read Living Your Best Life by the same author and enjoyed it， so I was looking forward to reading this book。 I really like the sensitivity with which Lily's loss is treated - when people suffer tragedy， there is no 'right time to get over it'。 I also really liked the secondary characters， Felix & Poppy。 They strike the right balance between love and brutal honesty that is unique to close family members。I thought the plot started quite slowly and then suddenly seemed to rush to the end - the reader does not get a chance to see the moment Jack & Lily first kiss， despite quite a bit of build up - I felt a bit ripped off by that。 I also found all the talk about money and who owed who what a little tedious and un-sexy。 I just don't believe that successful people like our two protagonists would waste so much time talking about who is paying the tip。 Despite these few things， I did finish the book and， while the last quarter of the book wrapped everything up too quickly， the ending was satisfying。I'm still a fan of this author and look forward to reading what comes next。 。。。more
Mhughessc
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Having read and enjoyed other books by Maxine Morrey， I was excited to see that she had a new book coming out！ "You Only Live Once" centers around Lily， a young widower who becomes a recluse after her husband's death， and Jack， her brother's best friend who is recovering from a painful divorce。 Having grown up together， they know a lot about each other， but having seen each other in quite a while。 Now， they're older and more battle-worn。 However， one thing that hasn't changed is the affection th Having read and enjoyed other books by Maxine Morrey， I was excited to see that she had a new book coming out！ "You Only Live Once" centers around Lily， a young widower who becomes a recluse after her husband's death， and Jack， her brother's best friend who is recovering from a painful divorce。 Having grown up together， they know a lot about each other， but having seen each other in quite a while。 Now， they're older and more battle-worn。 However， one thing that hasn't changed is the affection they have for each other。 Both Jack and Lily are really easy to like and root for， and the sweet chemistry they have together is so enjoyable。 And Clive， the golden retriever， is easy to root for， too！My only complaint is that we never got to see their firsts: date， kiss， night together， etc。 The author just set them up preparing for their first date， we get a quick glimpse after it， and then they're a month into their relationship。 I would have enjoyed hearing more about them getting to know each other as a couple。 Overall， I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed reading Jack and Lily both come back to life。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sheena
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Review to come
Karen
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After becoming a young widow， Lily moves to a large estate and becomes the village’s “reclusive writer”， hardly leaving her home。 Other than her brother and his family， she sees no one and likes it like that。 Then her brother invites his best friend， Jack， to stay with her when he moves back to England from Australia。 Lily is not happy but she slowly warms to Jack。 Jack， the future earl， helps her slowly learn to love again。 While the plot may be a bit predictable， the details of the story are n After becoming a young widow， Lily moves to a large estate and becomes the village’s “reclusive writer”， hardly leaving her home。 Other than her brother and his family， she sees no one and likes it like that。 Then her brother invites his best friend， Jack， to stay with her when he moves back to England from Australia。 Lily is not happy but she slowly warms to Jack。 Jack， the future earl， helps her slowly learn to love again。 While the plot may be a bit predictable， the details of the story are not。 My favorite excerpt that summarizes the book best is “Jack had been right when he said I was living in the shadows and I had been for far too long。 It was time to step into the light， no matter how scary and bright it felt right at this moment。”You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey is an enjoyable read and is well written。Thank you Netgalley & Boldwood Books for the ARC。 。。。more
Susan Peterson
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I really enjoyed this heartwarming book and its lovely characters。 Lily has hidden herself away for a decade after losing the love of her life， but grudgingly agrees to let her brother’s friend （and Lily’s teenage crush） stay temporarily in her house。 Lily is still ravaged with grief and guilt， but slowly the charming Jack begins to break down her walls。 I loved these two—Jack was so incredibly patient and caring with Lily， pushing her when he felt she needed it， and also propping her up if she I really enjoyed this heartwarming book and its lovely characters。 Lily has hidden herself away for a decade after losing the love of her life， but grudgingly agrees to let her brother’s friend （and Lily’s teenage crush） stay temporarily in her house。 Lily is still ravaged with grief and guilt， but slowly the charming Jack begins to break down her walls。 I loved these two—Jack was so incredibly patient and caring with Lily， pushing her when he felt she needed it， and also propping her up if she fell。 I enjoyed the conversations they had， I appreciated that they took their time， and I cheered for them as they got closer and let themselves love and hope。 。。。more
Kim
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This was a lovely read and just what I needed at the moment。 The book could have done with the romance starting earlier in thr book， but so many of these types of cosy romances fall victim to that。 Jack and Lily worked well together and the supporting characters were entertaining。 Good read to curl up with a cup of tea and relax。
Barbara Tobey
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Sweet and heart-warming tale of love and loss。 A second chance romance with the individuals needing to grow up and evolve into mature， understanding adults。 Good and bad family relationships。 A few tears may be shed。 A smattering of interesting slang。 I was surprised at the mention of tipping。 I didn't think that was a thing in England。 Maybe times have changed。 Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley。 Sweet and heart-warming tale of love and loss。 A second chance romance with the individuals needing to grow up and evolve into mature， understanding adults。 Good and bad family relationships。 A few tears may be shed。 A smattering of interesting slang。 I was surprised at the mention of tipping。 I didn't think that was a thing in England。 Maybe times have changed。 Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley。 。。。more
Terri
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If rom-coms aren’t your thing but you want a love story， this is a good one for you。 It’s heavy and emotional， but a good story of grief and healing。I didn’t love Lily， but Jack was a sweetheart。
Jana
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 „Even when your life had been shattered， nature’s cycle continued and， at a time I found it hard to discern comfort in anything， I did find some sort of comfort in that。”Nine years ago Lily lost her husband in a tragic accident。 Since then， the widowed romance author hardly left her house。 She found comfort in her loneliness and therefore missed out on a lot of things。 When Jack， her brother’s best friend， moves back to England after his marriage failed， Lily reluctantly agrees to let him stay w „Even when your life had been shattered， nature’s cycle continued and， at a time I found it hard to discern comfort in anything， I did find some sort of comfort in that。”Nine years ago Lily lost her husband in a tragic accident。 Since then， the widowed romance author hardly left her house。 She found comfort in her loneliness and therefore missed out on a lot of things。 When Jack， her brother’s best friend， moves back to England after his marriage failed， Lily reluctantly agrees to let him stay with her until he gets back on his feet。 As Lily and Jack spend more time with each other Lily slowly starts to open up。 Their friendship might turn into something more if Lily is able to allow herself to love again。 What to expect:- friends to lovers- Forced proximity- Brother’s best friend- Small town love storyWhat I liked:- Lily is a very relatable character。 After experiencing the loss of her husband she is scared to open up and let herself love someone again。 Her grief and “survivors guilt” felt very realistic to me and was a great starting point for future character development。- Jack is the definition of “he’s so hot and respectful”。 I love how he managed to encourage Lily to step out of her comfort zone without being too patronizing。 You could really see that he just wanted what was best for her， but also respected her boundaries。 Plus， I swooned every time we got to see him interact with the children。 - The family dynamics！ I loved the banter between Lily and Felix （her brother）。 His anger and frustration at times felt very real and realistic。 Poppy （Lily’s sister in law） and Lily have such a cute friendship。 She was so compassionate and supportive but never failed to give Lily a reality check if needed。- Clive！！！ He is just such a good boy…Criticism:- After more than 80% of anticipation， Jack and Lily finally go on a date … but instead of giving us the satisfaction to witness what happens on that date the book cuts immediately to the aftermath （aka them getting together）。 I want to see them confess their feelings for each other after months of tension and “Does he/she like me or not？”。 For me this is the whole point of reading a romance novel…- The conflict felt very forced to me…every romance novel has some kind of conflict at the end but this one was just so unnecessary and completely destroyed Lily’s character development in my opinion。- Also what was the point of making Jack a lord。 I expected the conflict to be about that （e。g。 His parents don’t accept lily bc she isn’t “suitable”） but there was literally no point。 I genuinely enjoyed this book and loved all the characters。 It had the potential to be a 5 star book for me， but sadly the story lacked in some aspects （see above）。 Still， I had a very good time reading this book and would recommend it as a quick feel-good read！Thank you to NetGalley， Maxine Morrey and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Prakarsha Pilla
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Lily is widowed by the untimely death of Mike and hasn't laughed since then。 Her brother suggests her to move to their hometown to feel a little better。 She has to share her room with Jack， the heir to an aristocratic family， who fled home to avoid an arranged marriage。 Jack is a teenage friend of her brother and her。She isn't free of the guilt for her husband's death， two years after the accident。 Jack avoids his heirloom and the prospects of arranged marriage with another heiress like plague。 Lily is widowed by the untimely death of Mike and hasn't laughed since then。 Her brother suggests her to move to their hometown to feel a little better。 She has to share her room with Jack， the heir to an aristocratic family， who fled home to avoid an arranged marriage。 Jack is a teenage friend of her brother and her。She isn't free of the guilt for her husband's death， two years after the accident。 Jack avoids his heirloom and the prospects of arranged marriage with another heiress like plague。 He is pretty sure that he isn't made for royalty。 To make things better， he brings home Clive， an abandoned Golden Retriever boy。 What happens to the trio that met in unforseen and unpleasant circumstances forms the rest of the story。Jack is a charming gentleman and maintains that image till the epilogue。 He has a troubled past himself and understands Lily better than anyone。 Lily's grief and reclusiveness are kept real and relatable。 Overall， the characters are well-crafted。As it is a romantic story， the narration is quite slow and descriptive。 The english is very simple。 It reminded me of the books I would read on wattpad during high school。 The story gets predictable after a point。 It suits audience who prefer slow and casual romance。 You may have guessed it already from the page count。I liked the book as a one-time read。 The title of the book is probably the moral of it - you have only this life to either regret the past or welcome the future。 Lily chooses the latter。I recieved a review copy of this book and I am posting my review voluntarily。 。。。more
Sarah
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Do you believe in soulmates？ This is a difficult question because everybody has a different version of the perfect partner。 However， after reading You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey， I believe there is someone out there for everyone that emotionally completes them。 🍨 The Scoop 🍨The story starts by introducing the main character， Lily， a successful author。 Years earlier her husband died in a tragic accident and this trauma caused her to withdraw from life as a social recluse。 Her older brot Do you believe in soulmates？ This is a difficult question because everybody has a different version of the perfect partner。 However， after reading You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey， I believe there is someone out there for everyone that emotionally completes them。 🍨 The Scoop 🍨The story starts by introducing the main character， Lily， a successful author。 Years earlier her husband died in a tragic accident and this trauma caused her to withdraw from life as a social recluse。 Her older brother Felix adores her but he can't seem to help her emotional state and is deeply concerned。 Felix is contacted by Jack， a childhood friend， who needs a place to stay。 He suggests Jack stay with Lily in her large empty countryside home temporarily while he gets back on his feet。 💁♀️ My Thoughts 💁♀️This story has it all！ It is a fun， cute， and feel-good romantic comedy。 The characters are each developed well and I was able to understand each of the characters' personalities and intentions clearly。 I was able to sympathize with Lily and understand her family's worries。 While it does lack the romantic heat it isn't necessary due to the storyline。 I love this book and highly recommend it。 If you like romantic comedies with tropes such as brother's best friend， roommates to lovers， slow burn， small-town romance， and friends to lovers then you need to put this on your TBR list。 You Only Live Once will be out on June 14th， 2022。 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5 Thank you Netgalley @netgalley and Publisher Boldwood Books @booksandtonic for the e-ARC I just reviewed You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey。 #YouOnlyLiveOnce #NetGalley 。。。more
Megan
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Cute overall， but a bit long in some of the dialogue-only parts。 The talk between two characters in the limo went on for way too many pages。 I was， however， getting into the story， when at about 80% it tripped and fell on its face because it felt like we skipped ahead MONTHS in a particular relationship （trying to not give anything away） with no context。 It was a bit of a bummer。 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC。
Donna
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The story Lily is a successful， 30 something author。 She lives in the countryside in her large house， really only venturing out to be with her brother and his family。 Ten years ago she lost her husband of exactly three years in a freak accident and slowly she has withdrawn from the world。 When her brother invites his best friend Jack to stay with her when he returns from New Zealand， Lily starts to live a bit more with Jack’s company。 My thoughts This is a sweet story which I enjoyed。 There is a The story Lily is a successful， 30 something author。 She lives in the countryside in her large house， really only venturing out to be with her brother and his family。 Ten years ago she lost her husband of exactly three years in a freak accident and slowly she has withdrawn from the world。 When her brother invites his best friend Jack to stay with her when he returns from New Zealand， Lily starts to live a bit more with Jack’s company。 My thoughts This is a sweet story which I enjoyed。 There is a lot of detail and Lily shares a lot of her everyday thoughts。 I felt that this book may have benefited from having a dual POV which would have added some texture to the story。 The strangest thing is at one point quite far into the book， Jack and Lily are going out for dinner and then it felt like a chapter’s worth of pages are missing when they are suddenly kissing and the next thing have been in a relationship for weeks。 The pace just doesn’t fit it with rest of the story。 I read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher。 。。。more
rosie takhsh
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was a very charming and heartwarming read - this novel follows lily as she struggles to find confidence and happiness after the loss of her husband， and then is persuaded into letting her brother’s best friend， jack， live with her for some time。i really liked the plot of this book， and enjoyed the family dynamic between lily and her brother， and his wife。 i also felt that lily and jack worked really well together， and appreciated that he was genuinely respectful to her throughout the novel。i som was a very charming and heartwarming read - this novel follows lily as she struggles to find confidence and happiness after the loss of her husband， and then is persuaded into letting her brother’s best friend， jack， live with her for some time。i really liked the plot of this book， and enjoyed the family dynamic between lily and her brother， and his wife。 i also felt that lily and jack worked really well together， and appreciated that he was genuinely respectful to her throughout the novel。i sometimes felt that jack and felix （lily’s brother） were a bit harsh on her and her feelings， but appreciated felix’s wife， poppy， actually being kind to her after。 the novel was also very predictable in general， and when it came to the inclusion of a dog （randomly） that lily originally didn’t want， but as a nice and classic rom com book it was very enjoyable！thank you to netgalley and the author for the arc of this novel。 。。。more
Sandra Sloop
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You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey is the story of a romance novelist， a widow， whose husband died in a horrific accident years earlier。 Lily has been a recluse since shortly after her husband’s death。 In an effort to shake up her life， her brother traps her into hosting their childhood friend， Jack， and you can guess the rest， I expect。 Let’s start with the title: it’s stupid and over-used。 Don’t agree？ Do a search for books with that title。 And also ask yourself what that title actually means You Only Live Once by Maxine Morrey is the story of a romance novelist， a widow， whose husband died in a horrific accident years earlier。 Lily has been a recluse since shortly after her husband’s death。 In an effort to shake up her life， her brother traps her into hosting their childhood friend， Jack， and you can guess the rest， I expect。 Let’s start with the title: it’s stupid and over-used。 Don’t agree？ Do a search for books with that title。 And also ask yourself what that title actually means。 See also YOLO。 Moving on…A little bit of personal information that informed my review: I too am a widow and as such， I was very interested to see how the author would portray Lily。 Most of the time， authors get it wrong。 No criticism but it’s a hard thing to write about if you haven’t lived it or talked extensively with people who have。 Now， I don’t know Morrey， including whether she’s a widow， but I can tell you that she， too， got it wrong。 And that really matters in a book that centers itself on loss。 Her protagonist is literally a recluse because she’s afraid of experiencing loss again。 We’re talking she doesn’t own a pet because pets die。 But here’s the problem: we don’t just love our spouses。 We love friends， siblings， nieces and nephews， parents， cousins， etc。 Lily’s brother and family visit Lily frequently and she appears to love them very much。 Why isn’t she terrified of that connection？ The author seems to have completely overlooked that Lily’s love for her brother’s children is probably even more impactful than her love of her spouse。 In the story， Lily has been a recluse for a long time， like maybe 10 years。 All it takes for her to break out of her shell is for Jack to move in。 Not only does she go to a party – in a dress that she hasn’t worn in 10 years but somehow it isn’t dated or faded and it still fits perfectly – but she also stands up to a bully at the party， protecting Jack from embarrassment。 Given that I could hardly remember how to buy groceries after more than a year isolated by a pandemic， I am having a hard time suspending my disbelief that she can function normally at a loud， crowded function when she’s been mostly alone for 10 years。 AND she immediately falls for basically the only man she has seen since her husband died。 If I were Jack – who， apparently， is perfect and nursing a crush that he’s had since they were children， I’d be really cautious about committing to a woman who hasn’t interacted with another man since her husband died。 That’s not love – that’s mental illness。And finally， let’s talk a little about the romance: Lily occasionally objectifies Jack。 Jack seems to be carrying a torch for Lily， which we get some additional details about late in the story。 But the pacing of their romance is ridiculous。 They go from platonic friends supporting each other to a weird partial scene of them stripping their clothes off – mostly implied， by the way。 BOOM。 They’re in love。 There’s no build up。 The author doesn’t let us see what happened that caused them to fall through the front door， passionately kissing as they start to strip off their clothes。 It’s weird， like the author wasn’t sure what would make them want to kiss。 And to be honest， I’m not sure what would make them want to kiss either。 The author has created a character who is terrified of the deep intimacy of loving someone。 And then the author writes a scene in which that character – who hasn’t kissed anyone romantically in 10 years – is tearing off her love interest’s clothes。 Balderdash。 This protagonist was deeply trapped in her fear and grief。 Wouldn’t it have been great if her family and Jack had helped her get into counseling？ She needed that far， far more than a romantic entanglement。 Also， there’s quite a bit of over-writing: You know what I mean: ‘“I’m cold。 I will put on this sweater。” I keep a sweater close by for those times when I feel the chill in the air。 Since it’s chilly right now， I will put on this sweater。’ PSA: This is not a quote from the book。 This is an example of over-writing。 I can’t quote from the book because I received an ARC。 Okay？ Okay。There’s also a lot of unnecessary explanation – dear author， we do not need to know that she used the bathroom after all that tea。 （ALSO AN EXAMPLE。） We can assume a bunch of stuff that happens in normal life。 We only want the details that move the story forward。 Nope yourself right out of this one。 It will just make you mad。 I received a digital ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。bookbuzzblog。com 。。。more
Natalie
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Maxine Morrey really hit me in the feels with the heartwarming and touching 'You Only Live Once'。 Lily is a 39 year old sucessful author who has been living a reclusive life for the past ten years after her husband of three years was killed。While she is close to her older brother Felix and his family， she's been cut herself off from her friends， and the idea of dating another man。 That all changes when her brother's best friend （and her teenage crush） Jack returns from New Zealand， and needs a t Maxine Morrey really hit me in the feels with the heartwarming and touching 'You Only Live Once'。 Lily is a 39 year old sucessful author who has been living a reclusive life for the past ten years after her husband of three years was killed。While she is close to her older brother Felix and his family， she's been cut herself off from her friends， and the idea of dating another man。 That all changes when her brother's best friend （and her teenage crush） Jack returns from New Zealand， and needs a temporary place to stay。What's refreshing is Morrey didn't manufacture external drama。 Lily's internal battle was enough。 It's clear she resists letting go of her grief because if she does， she feels she has nothing left of her husband。 Watching her take tentantive step forward， then several steps back is understandable and created the crux of the drama in this book。Jack was a wonderfully written character， being the friend of Lily that she didn't realise she needed。 He championed her taking those tenative steps， but also challenged her when she did need it。 The only quibble I might have is Jack was probably a touch too perfect （a bit like the wonderful Jed from Morrey's earlier book 'Things are looking up'）。Morrey's strength is writing characters who are on a journey to overcome their internal struggles。 This is a deeply moving book about one woman rediscovering how to live in the aftermath of grief。Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more
Natalia
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