It is a sign of a good book if I am interested from page one on a genre that I am not normally interested in, magical realism. I have found I am liking it more and more and this book solidified that thought. I could not put this book down and only because I had to be an adult did I.

The story of Dom and Mia is tragic, to say the least, and you pretty much know what is going to happen each Thursday (Groundhog Day) but you still find yourself hoping and pleading for a better outcome.

I loved the message at the end of the book.
 
A quick read that will have you hooked immediately.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Lake Union Publishing, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Dom, a TV news producer, is scheduled to meet a source when he unexpectedly bumps into Mia, the fiancée he dumped 10 years earlier and has regretted leaving ever since. They go out on a date which ends with her tragic death and Dom wakes up the next morning only to relive the previous day all over again. The book then becomes about Dom trying to save Mia over and over again. 

I am a huge fan of The movie Groundhogs day so I was really looking forward to this book. But I found it to be lack luster though. I didn’t find Dom to be the must relatable Or like able character and I didn’t really believe that Mia was the love of his life. I didn’t feel any chemistry between them and it was hard for me to root for them to get back together. Plus Mia really didn’t have a personality she was just a free spirit that died a lot and that came off as annoying.  

The plot is such an interesting concept and it starts off so well and fast pasted  that I really thought it’d be amazing but for me it took a nose dive and I found myself skimming since it was getting pretty repetitive.

Another fantastic book from  Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke. At first I wasn't too sure about how the story would play out-- I thought it would be too much of a Groundhog Day, funny type story.  I was definitely wrong.  It kept me reading throughout the night to see how the repeated Thursdays would play out and if Dom could finally save Mia from death.   The reveal at the end was a definite suprise,( why Mia came back into his life after 10 years.). Looking forward to their next book!

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this book! I didn't think I'd like it as much as I did. I thought the writing was great and liked following the story. It did get a bit repetitive at times (of course you're gonna get that with a groundhog day-esque book), but liked how Dominic at some points actually told people what he was going through and did his best to figure out what was going on. Although it was a bit cringey to read some of the brutal death's Mia endures. 

I would probably recommend this one to friends who are looking for a unique romance. 

Thanks Netgalley and Lake Union publishing for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 Stars
On the beautiful coast of Solana Beach, Dom proposed to the love of his life, Mia. Despite all the passion he developed for her in their 3 years relationship, Dom decided to end their engagement without giving much of an explanation. 
A decade later, while waiting for a source for his news channel, Dom's heart leaps, when he runs into Mia. The unexpected reunion, makes him realize that he never got over her, and still as much in love with her as before. This time he's determined to do everything in his power to get another chance and win her back. Just when he thought, their carnival fair's date is his new chance to rebuild their relationship, Mia fell from an amusement ride and died.  Dom is Shattered! He cries his heart out, yells at his mother for not supporting enough their previous relationship, and gets cross with his best friend of encouraging him to go throw with the breakup. When he wakes up the next morning, Mia is still alive, and as he goes through his day he realizes that it's the same faithful Thursday of their date. and it keeps repeating every day with slightly different details, but with the same end result: Mia's rueful demise.

I was really excited when I've received an arc of this book, from #BLCVIPbookclub, It took me less than 2 days to read it and I was not disappointed.
the story was definitely a page-turner, entertaining and suspenseful at times. But I'm afraid I didn't connect that much with the characters. I couldn't understand Dom's fixation with Mia, especially after so many years apart without ever trying to win her back. Mia was careless in an almost caricatural way. I felt really anxious and sad for Dom, every time the day reached that climax where Mia dies, but I found some of the fatal accidents a little bit exaggerated, like when she hit her head in the swimming pool, or when she slipped from railing... 
Still, I reiterate that the plot was interesting and enjoyable, with a cinematic feel, the writing was simple and easy to follow. the ending was heartbreaking but satisfying. I think it can genuinely be the base for a great movie.

Many thanks to the authors, bookish ladies vip bookclub, and Netgalley for my review copy.

I was sold for the moment I read this was a twist on Groundhog Day. I’ve always been fascinated by stories that explore choices and timelines, so I knew I had to read this one.

Dom was a compelling character because he is thrust into this situation where he must confront fate and choice and force him to look at his life from a wider perspective. I felt like I got a good grasp of his character and each day had enough variation to keep me hooked. 

My only small complaint is I never personally fell in love with Mia. Since each day covers Dom's whole day, I had a hard time getting to know her and so I never felt his attachment or attraction to her. I was more interested in the other characters.

Honestly, I fear saying too much more because it’s all such a short timeline for the story, so just give a chance if you’re on the fence. It’s certainly worth the read.

I love time loop stories. Naked. Happy Death Day. Dark (not a time loop story but yes, time loop). So I obviously loe this book.
The main character have a really nice voice, that keeps you reading, and sometimes I loved him and others I hated him. He's very real, sometimes so real he seemed evil, childish, stubborn. But you ca feel his pain and hus uneasy even when you don't like him.
I spent a good part of this book anxious about the ending and what was making me anxious didn't happen at all. I do recommend it for anyone looking for a love story that isn't exactly a romance.

Dom cannot forget about Mia, the one who got away.  Although he broke their engagement ten years ago, he has never seemed to get over her. So when a chance encounter puts her back into his life, he grabs the chance to try and win her back.  However, this isn't a second-chance romance.  They go out and she is killed in a freak accident.  The next morning he wakes up and he realizes he is reliving the same day all over again.  He is determined to try and prevent her death, only to fail yet again. He soon realizes that he keeps reliving the day over and over, each time trying to figure out what he can do to prevent her death. 

This book had me hooked pretty much from the get-go.  I kept wondering where the authors were going with this and how it would end.  It never got boring or repetitive, even though he was reliving the same day!  Each time loop introduced new clues  about Mia and why she was back.  I liked that there was so much character growth with Dom.  In each time loop, he begins to notice the people around him  and how he can make a difference.  He also notices things about himself and how he can grow as a person.  BUT that twist!! I don't want to ruin the ending but it was perfect!

It's been ten years since Dom has seen his ex-fiancé, Mia. Ten years, and now Dom and Mia run into each other in a rando coffee shop neither of them frequents. Dom sees this as a sign - maybe they never shoulda split up - so he boldly asks her out to dinner on Thursday. And on Thursday, after a normal work day, Don and Mia go out. And Mia dies. Oof. No spoilers - it's in the synopsis. Dom is crushed, wishes there was something he coulda done differently, falls asleep, wakes up...and it's Thursday again. Huh? It's the SAME Thursday, the same normal work day, and Dom is freaking out cause he realizes Mia's STILL ALIVE! He gets a do over! He changes things ASAP and they go somewhere different for dinner...and Mia dies. Again. WTH? Dom is in his own horrifying version of Groundhog Day and he HAS to figure out what he's doing wrong so he can save Mia's life. How many Thursdays will he hafta live through? Will he save Mia? Will they be together? Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke (@lisaandliz) have written a heartbreakingly beautiful story of a man trying to reclaim the love of his life, his inability to keep her alive, and his growing awareness of life around him as he repeats the same day over and over again. Told in vivid detail and emotionally charged, How to Save a Life is a good story about the magic of love.

This was an absolutely amazing book for me. The story is told under Dom's point of view, he remembers that glorious day in which he proposed to the love of his life, Mia. Unfortunately, days after the proposal he felt not ready for marriage, so he ended up breaking it up. He lives in an apartment with Lance, his best friend. Ten years later, he encounters Mia, they converse without mentioning any delicate topics and asks her out, as a second chance. Lucky for him she accepts. Their meeting place is at the fairgrounds summer fair. Dom and Mia have a lot of fun, she tells him to go on a ride, he accepts. Then, a terrible accident happens, they fall from a high height. The accident was fatal for Mia, and Dom survives. He is taken to the hospital with few broken ribs, but his heart cries for his beloved Mia. In his agony, he wishes to have another chance so he can save her. The next morning he wakes up in his apartment, after checking on her phone he sees that Mia is alive. So now he will have to come up with a way of avoiding dangerous places so he can save her life. It is an incredible book that I couldn't put down. I felt the desperation of Dom, and his desire to keep his beloved one alive. I liked that Dom started realizing other aspects about his life, like noticing the homeless and being aware of their suffering. This is a book that gave me a lesson, enjoy the time you have with the people you love. I thank NetGalley, amazon publishing and Kathleen Carter for sponsoring the July Bookish Ladies Club VIPBookClub.

This book was just not for me. I thought it was going to be a cute romance but it really wasn't romance at all. And the groundhog day aspect was a little too much. The amount of times the day happened again was a few too many and made the book so so repetitive. This one had a lot of potential but it just was not my cup of tea. I really wanted to love this one - it sounded SO good.

The whole time while reading this I had “How To Save A Life” stuck in my head. I’m pretty sure that was the authors intention but then I got other songs from The Fray stuck in my head . Anyway.

I wanted to love this but I just didn't. I thought the idea wasn’t that original and fairly predictable. Dom and Mia just didn't click for me, I didn't believe in their romance and didn't feel anything for the characters. I liked it but it just wasn't anything mind blowing and I didn't shed any tears like a lot of other people did so that was disappointing. I did like the end message and the story line with Chuck. I also really love that the authors, Liz and Lisa are best friends who write books together <3 

Thank you to netgalley and to the publisher for a copy!

Holy Smokes!! I was blown away by How To Save A Life! I absolutely devoured this book in one day and loved every single word in this book! Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke do not disappoint!! 
You meet Dom and are introduced to his humdrum life. Nothing crazy, just the same day over and over again. Until the morning he runs into his former love, Mia. Then his days really are the same day over and over again, literally, with the exception that Mia dies every single day in a different accident. Dom gets a new chance every day to save her. And while trying to figure out how to save her, he learns a lot about himself and others around him. He had been missing so much in his life without realizing it. 
This book was amazing! I will be recommending How To Save A Life to anyone and everyone! The chapters flow very nicely. It is written from Dom's point of view. Even with the time loop, nothing is confusing. Liz and Lisa did an amazing job! Special thanks to NetGalley, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, & Lake Union Publishing for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion!! Thank you again!! Amazing job! 
#HowtoSaveaLife #NetGalley

This was a definite 'I do not understand the hype' book for me unfortunately.

I completely understand and most times, I really enjoy multi-verse books. HOWEVER. The repetition (yup, I hear ya, what did I expect?) just bored me and I couldn't want to reach the climax and the ultimate conclusion.

I've seen tons of reviews stating that this book is so emotional and... I just didn't get it.

I received a copy of this from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.   Lisa and Liz are a must read author for me so I was so excited to read this as an ARC.   You may go into this thinking it’s a Groundhog Day sort of story but it’s not!!!!!!!    I highly recommend this book to everyone!!!

I have a love/hate relationship with time loop stories but I can not NOT read or watch them.  Don't @ me but I absolutely hated Groundhog's Day but love the darker side like Happy Death Day and Russian Doll.  I've read a few books but none really stick with me.  So when two of my favorite ladies, Liz and Lisa write one, here I am again ready to dig on in! 

What I love about these authors is not only how lovely and hilarious they are, but how talented they are in writing various genres that are ALL absolutely binge worthy.  How to Save a Life is no different.  While this may not be my favorite by them, I still couldn't put this down.  First love always sticks with you in a way that no other will.  What if you had a chance encounter with yours that brought about all these repressed feelings after a decade of no contact? And what if you could relive that day over and over again?  

Listen, we've seen this story before.  However, I like where Liz and Lisa went in terms of outcome and lessons learned.  I liked seeing the trajectory over each Thursday lived.  While I wasn't the biggest fan of either Dom or Mia, my heart did go out to Chuck! <3  At the end of the day, anything these ladies write, I will read.  And any time I go to a fair, I'll be side eyeing that Zipper ride.

This was an unexpected book by these authors as I’m used to their thrillers and this was more of a generalized piece of a fiction, with a twist of romance.  I found it to be solid, but not spectacular.  The repetitive nature of the book became slightly exhausting to me by the end, but I recognize that this Groundhog Day aspect was an essential part of the book’s theme.  The characters were fine-I had no strong emotion about them one way or the other.  There were some thought-provoking takeaways, but this one did not have a “wow” factor for me.  3/5 stars ⭐️.  Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This is a beautifully written story about second chances and taking risks.  The story was so well-written and I was rooting for these characters so strongly, that I read this in one sitting.  It is one that will definitely make you feel a variety of emotions, but it is such a good book!

In Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke’s new novel, HOW TO SAVE A LIFE, fate puts their hero, Dominic, in the same coffee shop as Mia—the fiancée he jilted ten years ago. He sees it as a last-chance opportunity to once again woo The One Who Got Away. The hitch: Dominic must first save Mia’s life.

Unfortunately, when given the opportunity, he fails miserably at the task. Still, Dominic gets plenty of opportunities to do so, for it seems the universe also wants him to get it right, once and for all. As in the classic movie “Ground Hog Day,” a cosmic reboot allows him to rethink the actions he takes on this fateful day.

Steinke and Fenton have thoughtfully, thoroughly, and inspiringly covered every step of Dominic’s journey. The plot doesn’t shy away from his regrets, past and present. Dominic’s would-haves and should-haves will resonate with every reader who has ever regretted a lost love, a relationship gone south, or the road not taken.

As this modern-day Dante goes through his own seven circles (or in this case, nine days) of a living hell, the reader is given plenty of opportunities to gasp, applaud, wince, and tear up at his attempts to outrun Mia’s ticking clock. And although Dominic’s driving force is to save her, the difference he makes in the lives of others—especially those of complete strangers—is what gives the book its heartfelt tenderness.

The bittersweet twist of the book’s gut-punching conclusion reminds us that only our acts of love, random or deliberate, pay tribute to that which we hold most precious: life.

—Josie Brown, author, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives and the Extracurricular Trilogy

How To Save a Life is like…Groundhog’s Day meets Final Destination. Not only is fate coming for you, someone is living it and witnessing it, unable to stop it, day after day after day. How messed up is that? 

Liza and Lisa are back to magical realism and damn, did they nail it with this book. Writing from a male perspective, you instantly take a liking to Dom. He seems like a good enough guy, who admits he has faults and knows he really missed out on the one who got away, Mia. In the beginning of the book, they bump into each other at a coffee shop and make plans to see each other a couple days later. What follows is an insane attempt to save her life. Every single day. 

But see, it’s the same day. Over and over and over again, he watches Mia die a terrible death, no matter what he tries to do to stop it. What will it take? Or is this all in his head and he’s losing his ever loving mind? He doesn’t know and honestly, neither do you. Along with Dom, you will become almost obsessed in needing to know how this ends. How do you…save a life?

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.