This was a book that I liked much more than I expected to from just the blurb. Part of the credit goes to the narrators who added a lot of gravity to the already well-written work. The other part might be that I very infrequently pick up books by male authors with male protagonists. It’s a combination I rarely come across in the non- thriller genre. This was a satisfying exception to that rule.

There are two primary characters. In some ways there are double that because both of these people were once much younger with different hopes and ideas. Now, they lead staid simple lives caught in personal miseries that they are either unable to or resistant to share with those close to them. Both of them end up on either side of a helpline call and that’s when the plot gains momentum.

Change is in the future for both of our people but we know it before they do. There are serious issues discussed here, not limited to depression and death. It is a heavy book but with hope in it, making it an ideal combination.

As mentioned earlier, the narrators were perfect for the voices of the book, even managing to sound different for the two phases of the story.

I do not go into much detail in my review mainly because that’s how I approached this book and learning about the people and the events bit by bit was what drew me in and kept me hooked till I listened all the way through without reading anything else in between, something that rarely happens with audiobooks for me.

I would highly recommend this book to people who like serious topics blended in a contemporary setting.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my listening experience.

Annie and Will first met in Paris : He was the charismatic leader of an up-and-coming band, and she, a journalist on her first assignment. Something meaningful could've started right then, if Will hadn't disappeared on Annie.

Five years later.
Annie's career in journalism didn’t take off.
Will's dream of becoming a rockstar is far behind him.
He volunteers for a helpline that Annie calls one day.
This is the story of how two people who belong together find their way back to each other, despite the hardships that they each experience individually.

Great story yes ! I read a comment saying that this wasn’t a "strict romance" and I totally agree with that, because it's more than that. The characters are well written, with compelling back-stories. I didn't care for the flashback chapters however, I don't think they added much to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Harpers Collins UK Audio for giving me access to this audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Well, this was riveting! Truthfully, I couldn’t put it down. I love books with this kind of pace. Great book and congrats. I’m sure many more will enjoy it as well. I loved it . . . stayed up late to finish listening to it!

"The Lifeline" by Tom Ellen, narrated by Tom Lawrence and Katy Sobey, is a captivating story that delves into the lives of Will and Annie, two strangers who find solace and connection through their regular phone calls. Will, a washed-up former rockstar, and Annie, who seems to have her life together, lean on each other to navigate their struggles and rebuild their lives.
I found the book to be incredibly engaging and kept me hooked from start to finish. The characters, especially Will and Annie, are well-developed with complex pasts and relatable struggles. The portrayal of mental illness and trauma is done sensitively, adding depth to the characters, and making their journey relatable and emotional.
While I found Annie to be a compelling and well-rounded character, I felt that Will's portrayal fell a bit flat. Despite having a compelling backstory, Will lacked the depth and complexity that would have made him more engaging as a protagonist. His perspective at times felt redundant, and I wished for a more nuanced portrayal to enhance the emotional investment in his character.
The audiobook format, with two narrators for the dual POVs, added an extra layer of depth to the storytelling. Both Tom Lawrence and Katy Sobey delivered exceptional performances, capturing the essence of their characters, and bringing them to life with authenticity, especially during the more emotional moments.
Overall, "The Lifeline" is a character-driven story that explores themes of connection, resilience, and personal growth. The dual perspectives and timelines offer a multi-faceted view of Will and Annie's journey, and their evolving relationship keeps the reader invested in their story. If you enjoy heartfelt narratives with well-developed characters and layers of emotion, this book is sure to resonate with you. Sit back, get ready to feel your feelings, and enjoy the emotional journey of Will and Annie as they navigate through life's challenges and find solace in unexpected connections.

This is a very entertaining listen about Will and Annie and the way their paths cross in more than just the one way. It's also a book about loss and grieving and trying to come the other end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would, first of all I loved the narrators voices which is a big thing for me when it comes to audiobooks and I also liked how it explored themes that can sometimes be quite sensitive. This book does it really well.

This was a gorgeous book which I gulped down in a couple of days. It spun out the story of Annie and Will over the span of five years, with dual timelines and narrators, and dealt so well with mental health and grief. It kind of gave me a 'You've Got Mail' vibes, and I loved the character and plot development.

Will is a washed-up ex-rockstar, working at a dead-end job and volunteering at a crisis centre. Annie seems to have her whole life figured out, but when things start to fall apart, she decides to call the crisis centre. They are strangers who soon rely on their regular calls to get through their predicaments. They challenge each other to be brave and find a connection in the most unlikeliest of places.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It keeps you engaged throughout; it keeps you wanting more. Both characters have a connected past but a mysterious backstory. So, you’re invested till the end. I absolutely loved the backstory for both characters. They have a lot of past trauma that they have to get through and the portrayal of mental illness has been shown quite well.

Although I adored the female main character, Annie, the male lead, Will, fell sort of flat. He had a beautifully crafted backstory and yet he seemed a little too two-dimensional for me to care much about him. At times the male POV almost seemed redundant. I think the story would have benefited if he had a more nuanced role, for the reader to be more emotionally invested in him.

The audiobook has two narrators, one each for the two POVs. Both narrators were incredible! They fit their characters perfectly. Especially during the more emotional bits, they both did a fabulous job.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a more character-driven story. Will and Annie, their relationships and emotions, drive the story. If you like to sit back and feel your feels (without getting too carried away in those feels), this is perfect for you!

Trigger Warning: talks of grief, chronic illness, mental illness, and suicide

4,5 *

I definitely enjoyed Will and Annie's story, especially as an audiobook with great narrators. The story has quite heavy subject matter, mostly in the second part of the book. Which really drew me in. Both main characters have a great development and I felt really content with how the story wrapped up. There are some great supporting characters, especially in Will's story.

I really enjoyed listening The Lifeline. Great narrators and was really drawn into the story by them. I couldn't stop listening and Annie en Will went everywhere with me, from bike rides, to my kitchen and simply on the couch at home.

Thanks to the publisher from providing the free audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This audiobook ARC was provided by NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio in exchange for a free and honest review.

I really enjoyed this book and loved the narration especially; which was done by two narrators that did an awesome job. The story follows two timelines: present day and five years ago. We have two protagonists Annie and Will, in the present day they meet via a helpline which Annie calls while struggling with grief and in the past Annie had interviewed Will. Will after a traumatic experience is unable to move on and works at the helpline to help others. I liked how this book deals with trauma and grief, as it's a very realistic representation. Plus, I was pleasantly surprised that the book was more layered than I expected.

Overall, I would recommend.

5 stars!

thank you to netgalley and tom ellen for the audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review

i love this book so much! i couldn’t put it down honestly. i was so invested in the plot and characters.

this book tackles grief, loss, complicated emotions, mental health, career stress and more in such an amazing way that just makes these characters feel real.

I loved this and I ended up listening to it in one go this afternoon because I couldn’t put it down. While I guessed many of the plot points, it didn’t matter, the story was so well done. I listened to this as an audiobook and Tom Lawrence + Katy Sobey really brought Will and Annie to life. It would work so well as a film or limited tv series with the dual timelines and different POVs, especially with the resurgence of One Day at the moment. Five stars.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK Audio + NetGalley for letting me listen to the audiobook of The Lifeline by Tom Ellen, it’s out now! #TheLifeline #NetGalley

3.5 stars! I perhaps wasn’t expecting a book handling so many difficult topics but all the same it was a good read and I enjoyed following Will and Annie on their separate paths, whilst also seeing that connection build between them through their calls. It was also interesting dipping into the day they met, though for me, it did feel a bit too drawn out with the ambiguous references to events in both characters’ narratives, with us only finding out the full story from that day really close to the end of the book. I have to say, this book did have me sobbing near the end there (I’d recommend checking trigger warnings) but I enjoy a good cry at a book and I think it’s a sign of good writing to bring out so much emotion. This was certainly an impactful read and it was great to see Will and Annie develop and grow through the story, and find themselves on happier paths, but I would have liked to see more of their relationship development and I felt a little cheated on that front but otherwise this book was jam packed full of a good bunch of characters. The audio as well was nice to listen to, with Annie and Will voiced by different narrators, each also contributing different accents and voices for other characters in the book.

A cute little reuniting with An old flame book but as someone who worked for the samaritans for years 0_0 oh boy!

The Lifeline by Tom Ellen somehow manages to be one of the most heart-warming and heart-wrenching books in equal measure. It beautifully and gently explores themes of grief and how it can fundamentally change you as a person, loneliness, dealing with past traumas, and the power of human connection. Told through dual POV as well as dual timelines, it keeps you enthralled from the very start and doesn’t let go of your heartstrings until the last page. I put the audiobook on yesterday afternoon, intending to perhaps listen to an hour whilst I cleaned, and ended up sitting and listening to the entire thing. The characters were layered and nuanced, and I just couldn’t get enough of them. I sat and sobbed in the dark for the entirety of the last 30%. Both narrators did such a phenomenal job of conveying the struggles Will and Annie were facing, and I’m super glad I experienced the book in audio format as it really brought the characters to life.

A very easy 5 stars, cannot recommend highly enough. Perfect for fans of David Nichols and Beth O’Leary.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the Audio ARC. All opinions are my own.

Such a wonderful audiobook! I love the way mental health is presented and handled with such care. Will and Annie were wonderful characters and I was sad to see this one end.

The Lifeline is so brilliantly observed. Tackling mental health and the need for human connection in such a gentle but unflinching way. I did find parts extremely sad as its such a thought-provoking read. The characters felt like they had walked into the room, they were so beautifully developed and I really cared about them. The narration was excellent and really lifted the story. Would recommend.

Will was sleepwalking through life in his dead-end Jon whilst volunteering at an anonymous crisis line to avoid facing his own demons. Annie was sure she had her life plan all worked out. Things started to fall apart for her, so she stumbled upon a crisis line and decided to call.

These two perfect strangers quickly developed a connection and began to challenge each other to be brave and rebuild their lives from the rubble. Glimpses into the past also showed that there was once a connection between them that didn't amount to anything. I do love that they fell in love without having met in person.

This was definitely a heavy book but it was so full of hope that it left a warm feeling in my chest when I was done.

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The narrators were amazing!

This is not my usual genre - I liked the cover and thought I’d give it a go. I’m glad I did. I liked both the main characters and was rooting for them both throughout the book. This book had me laughing and almost crying in parts. An enjoyable ending. Brilliant narration. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

Told from two POV’s, this was a sweet story about two lonely characters struggling through life and making a connection. I found it very well written and easy to read. Will and Annie are realistic and relatable, depressingly so sometimes. I have to admit I shed a few tears. Thanks Netgalley and publisher for a beautiful read. I have had some issues posting this review as it says it’s unable to find the book on Goodreads (even though I’ve seen it on there)