After reading (and really enjoying) Miller’s debut The Sight of You , I was made up when I got an E-arc of her new book What Might Have Been. I didn’t know what to expect from this one but, long story short, I wasn’t disappointed.

This book follows Lucy after she walks out of her job and has two chance encounters: one with the one that got away and another with a stranger in a bar. Following this, the book covers two “what ifs” – what if Lucy follows Max to London and what if she stays put at home with Max?

Through alternating “Stay” and “Go” chapters, the reader is taken on an exciting, and not entirely predictable, ride. Though it took a bit of time for me to get used to, once I did, it was easy to follow and flowed well.

There were pros and cons with each romance, each life and each man which made the read interesting- just when I picked my favourite leading man, the other surprised me!

It’s difficult to follow up from an impressive debut but Miller certainly does with this book. As much as we all try to practice being content, there’s no doubt we all have these “what if” moments…Miller is just brave enough to put it into words.

What Might Have Been is a lovely novel by Holly Miller, and really had me drawn in and kept me wanting to read more. I've read a few books that have followed the dynamic of switching-between-alternate-lives-chapter-by-chapter, and I've often found it confusing - with both lives rather similar. Miller uses this structure in a great way, because there is a great difference between the two lives played out: different location, different living situation, different love interest. Because of that it not once felt like one fell over the other, and instead played out nicely into a rom-com dream of 'what-ifs'.

I really enjoyed the authors first book so jumped when I saw this on Netgalley.

Holly has a wonderful engaging writing style and I love how in this book she has the different storylines which do intersect in some areas.

This follows Lucy as she leaves her job and has a choice - does she stay or does she go - it follows the two opposing lives and had a very 'sliding doors' style storyline.

Thoroughly enjoyed! Thank you for the chance to read this ARC!

This was a good book it tackled some strong subjects, reminded me a little bit of the film sliding doors, twists and turns all the way

I loved the author's first book, The Sight of You, so I had high hopes for this novel and I'm so glad to say that I wasn't disappointed!
I loved the Sliding Doors feel of the storyline, switching between what Lucy's life would have been like with the two different paths. A great read and very thought provoking.

This reminded me of Sliding Doors being told in a dual time line.
Lucy has decisions to make when she comes to a crossroads in her life.
Although I usually like dual time lines I did have difficulty following this one and found the pace a little slow.

What Might Have Been tells a story of choices and what Lucy's life looks like in the two different choices. In her two different storylines you see a relationship with two different men, Max and Caleb. I'm sad to say the book wasn't my cup of tea and find it a task to read. I failed to connect with the book and the characters, I normally don't mind simultaneous timelines but hated it in this book and I didn't find myself invested in Lucy's journey.

This is my second book by this author and both are great contemporary romantic reads.

This one follows Lucy. After 8 years in her current job quits after her boss hires someone else for a promotion. Lucy is drowning her sorrows in a bar when she gets talking to a guy. Then not long after she sees her ex-boyfriend walk past the bar and she leaves the guy at the bar to go and talk to him.

Then the book splits into two halves. A bit like the Sliding Door film. What would have happened if she made a different choice.

One follows Lucy as she gets back with her Ex and moves to London and starts a new job in her perfect position. The other follows Lucy if she goes on a date with the guy at the bar, stays home and starts to write a novel.

I really loved seeing how Lucy's life could have been different from just that one choice she made. I did enjoy the chapters more when she stayed home trying to write a novel. I did shed a few tears along the way reading this book. And to be honest, at the end of the book I couldn't decide which path I thought was right for Lucy. It also had me thinking about the choices I make in my life.

Really enjoyed this one. 4/5 stars

After reading Miller’s debut, The Sight of You, I had high hopes for her second book. In her latest offering, we follow main character Lucy at a crossroads in her life - deciding whether to move to London and the chance of a fresh start and the job she’s been after for years, with the possibility of rekindling a past relationship, or staying put in her hometown Shoreley to follow her lifelong dream of becoming an author. Think Sliding Doors. There’s a content warning in here which is a potential spoiler - check out at the end if you want to know more.

This was such an engaging read - I loved Max and Caleb from both of her “what if” lies; whilst they’re very different they each have their own swoon factor. But her relationship with each leading man are just so engaging, so romantic and just lovely. I loved how her lives with these men unfolded.

Miller is also great at putting her characters throw difficult situations, and in this she effectively has written two stories - so when a huge secret is revealed in one of the lives, Lucy from the other life continues blissfully unaware - and that’s so heartbreaking.

The theme running through this story is all about following your dreams, and I loved how it’s not just the dreams of our main character Lucy - it’s for all the characters in this story. And I loved how this story plays out. Another great read from Miller (but for me it lacked the emotional sucker punch of her debut).

Thanks to NetGalley, the team at Hodder & Stoughton, and the author for the opportunity to read this review copy.

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⚠️Content warning/potential spoilers: there’s reference to date rape/sexual assault and the after effects ⚠️

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This story is told in two timelines and viewpoints

Lucy has a choice to make - Go or Stay

She’s just quit her job, it wasn’t what she was informed she’d be doing eventually. As she loves reading her horoscopes, she reads on her phone what’s in store for her today and it says…today she will meet her soulmate.

Debating whether to stay where she’s lives her whole life and follow her dream or go and take up a job in London.

Nearing making a decision, Lucy goes to the pub, where she meets Caleb. Whilst talking to him, looking out the window she sees her ex Max, unable to stop herself, goes to say hello.

Both these characters are a part of her future, the path she chooses will determine how that future will look like.

No matter which path we choose, our future is already planned in front of us, it’s just how we get there that matters.

It was nice how the stories were linked together, not knowing which path Lucy would take.

As for how this book ended, well, that was sad, I never saw that coming.

Recommend this Book.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time. It’s such a great read and so though provoking.

I love the 'sliding doors' idea - and so was super excited for this.
However, this book was just a little too difficult to follow at times. It also felt quite slow paced - which is unusual for a book with dual timelines.

I just couldn't get into this book fully.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this arc

I enjoy Miller’s writing but this didn’t quite hit the spot for me I was a big fan of the back and forth but the concept is really good!

This one had an interesting concept with the duel storylines and possible paths for Lucy’s future to take. Overall the outcome wasn’t worth the read. I thought it was very drawn out and had little desire to return to this book unfortunately.

WHAT IF.......
What if, when Lucy walks away from her job she moves to London?
What if, when Lucy walks away from her job she stays, gets a part time job and starts to write a novel?
Will she be happy? Will she meet the one?
Real life is full of decisions and roads not taken. This novel takes both roads and allows Lucy to find out what if.
Sometimes with novels like this it is difficult to remember which character is on which path in which timeline. 'What Might Have Been' was very easy to follow and emotionally uplifting.
Certainly a book for discussion.

That was unexpected. Of course, I have read the description on the cover before started but still... that was something far more different from what I expected here.

At first, I did not feel it at all, but then, page by page, I was so focused on it and lost in the story, that I finished it without even realizing that I spend the last few hours doing nothing but reading.

I like to idea. Two ways of telling the stories. One decision and then life after that. There is a proof that life is never just black and white and every step, even the smallest one, matters. I needed that very, very much.

This book makes me thing about me, my life, how does it look and what I would like to have from it. What I can change, what matters to me most. So it is not only a nice (ok, GREAT!) story to spend some time with but also kinda lesson to stop and take a deep breath.

I'm looking forward to read next book of the author ;)

Lucy's life is at a crossroads; she's lost her job: will she go to London to try and restart her career, or use her savings to rekindle her ambition of writing a novel? Interesting novel that plays with the different ways Lucy's life plays out, depending on what she chooses. I enjoyed it, but it didn't pack the emotional punch for me that Holly Miller's first book, The Sight Of You, did.

Stay in Shorely and see what happens with Caleb or move to London and try again with Max? Who is the soulmate her horoscope said she is about to meet? That's the question facing 20-something Lucy who has been living in her sister's house and nursing the aftereffects of both a broken love affair with Max and something bad that happened while she was traveling in Australia. So why not look at it both ways? Weaving back and forth between Stay chapters with Caleb where Lucy starts a novel and works in a gift shop and GO where she moves to London to flatshare with her friend Jools, work at the ad agency Supernova, and love Max. But Max has a secret which impacts a lot of lives. I liked that Miller has included Lucy's friends and family in the stay/go continuum- her parents, her sister, Jools- and that their lives changed depending on her choices. Everyone's paths cross more than once and the two options are both similar and different enough that the reader will be kept guessing. Lucy occasionally annoyed me (she gets a bit dramatic in spots) but on balance, she's an engaging character you'll root for. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read.

I found this book hard to understand and very silly - stories told twice but in a different way. I did not really enjoy it and therefore can not recommend it.

My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

I really enjoyed this book. The story moved along at a steady pace and made me want to keep reading.

I loved the ‘Sliding Doors’ concept and found it really interesting to see how these parallel lives would unfold. The switching between lives/narratives was done really well and I was never confused about which timeline I was following.

Holly Miller has a real talent for creating likeable characters, with flaws and depth. I also find the concept of fate fascinating, and the discussion around how we can control our own destiny with cleverly done. I liked how some incidents occurred in both narratives and how despite Lucy’s choices, some things were always meant to be.

It’s another novel by Holly Miller that really packs an emotional punch and I honestly really enjoyed it.