Sometimes you want to read slightly melodramatic books with lots of miscommunication and overinflated grand gestures. Then, sometimes books like "The Life I Didn't Plan" represent the complete antithesis and are just as well received for it.
Beth is 37, a hospice nurse and mother to a 19year old daughter. The 20 year anniversary of the school that kicked her out when they discovered she was pregnant looms and with it, Beth's need to question the dreams of her younger self.
This is a lovely book. The writing is self-aware enough to swerve away from saccharine and there is something reassuring about characters who don't ignite their whole lives over one misunderstanding. I was genuinely touched by the ending and thankful for a TBR that can do it all and allow for extremes.

I’m always drawn to books featuring second chances and/or ones featuring a character who is faced with a choice.

Beth didn’t expect to get pregnant at 17. Now, twenty years later, she realizes there’s a huge gap between the life she’d hoped for and the one she’s currently living. As her school reunion gets closer, she sees an opportunity to get the answers that she needs to move on.

I was curious what Beth would do next. Would she get closure to her question and then chase the adventures she’d imagined, or would she be none the wiser after attending the reunion?

I’ll remember this book for the encouragement to embrace new opportunities and for the realization that what I want isn’t necessarily what I need.

If you enjoy a book with family dynamics, a character at a fork in the road, and a narrative sprinkled with humour, this one’s for you.

I was gifted this copy and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This novel delivers far more than the book synopsis indicates. Yes, the protagonist does get to explore the differences between teenage dreams for the future and the reality of life as a mature adult. However, that theme is like the lyrics without the melody that brings a song to life. Her work as an end-of-life caregiver and the impact she has on friends, family and clients is more profound and, for me, far more interesting.

Fostering doubts about the wisdom of meeting former classmates, Beth attends her 20-year school reunion and is presented with a “Letter to My Future Self written by her at age 17. The stark contrast between what the letter writer envisioned and how her life has unfolded serves as a catalyst to move out of her comfort zone and explore new possibilities. These include travel, investigating a possible career change, a budding romance, and tracking down the father of her child.

It was easy to relate with Beth as she faces her future now that her daughter has left home for college. I admired her courage and resilience in the face of her insecurities. While parts of the storyline stretched the limits of plausibility, I still found it enjoyable and satisfying. The humor shines through in just the right places, especially in the interactions with Jack, son of a former client, as their attraction turns into romance.

The author sums up the underlying message toward the end of the book, by noting that the future we think we want doesn’t compare with the beauty of the one we are living. She further notes that joy is found in the present…in quiet moments when we stop pursuing the “shoulds” and listen within to what is truly important.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

Beth had her life all figured out but unexpectedly fell pregnant at 17 by a French boy that she met on a school exchange.
Twenty years later, Beth and her daughter Maisie are very close. With Maisie about to go to university, Beth has to figure out what her life will look like now.
At her school reunion, Beth and her classmates are given their ‘Letter to my Future Self’ written at 17, and for Beth just before she became pregnant.
She is faced with a list of hopes and ambitions that she dreamt of as a teenager but which she swapped for motherhood. Is it Beth’s chance to fulfil these dreams now?

This is a lovely uplifting and emotionally packed story which I thoroughly enjoyed

An emotional yet funny book about a women growing up to be very different to who her 17 years old self wanted to be.

Beth, a single mother, reads her time capsule letter to her future self and starts to question her life choices, at the same time her daughter wants to find her father.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes emotional, yet light hearted books.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

This is fabulous. Yes it is a romance, but it is more than that. Beth got pregnant on a school trip to France and was thrown out of school. She had beautiful Maisie who is just off to university. Beth has made do, but life makes her want more than making do and she starts to open doors and take down the odd brick from her wall.
This is tenderly written and since Beth sits with people as they are terminally ill or about to die, the full circle of life is covered and done well.

Beth is an amazing student with big plans for college and beyond. But she unexpectedly gets pregnant at seventeen with her daughter, Maisie, and her life plans change. Her story unfolds in The Life I Didn’t Plan by Charlotte Butterfield.

This book is charming, with characters who are lovely, quirky, and multifaceted. Without giving anything away, there are times within this story where you will think back to your younger self and wonder “what if…” At other times, you might think about what you wish for your older self. All these thoughts will come as Butterfield tells Beth’s and Maisie’s stories with love and humor.

In the end, Beth holds tight to the family she has and the new friends and family she finds, along with the things she learns about herself at the young age of thirty-seven.

Quite an enjoyable read!

Thank you to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I loved this book. I was immersed in Beth's story, finding her an entertaining and likeable character, in a book filled with humour and heart. I enjoyed the plot, a useful reminder that the lost dreams of our seventeen-year-old selves are not necessarily what we want or what's right for us as adults, and the supporting characters were all realistic, well-written, and added a great deal of warmth and depth to the story. I enjoyed that the romance storyline was not the main thread, yet a side story which I was so invested in. A funny, heartwarming, moving read, I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

A nice book that it is perfect for summer, the characters are nice and I enjoyed the character development. Also the cover captured the story perfectly.

If you’re looking ahead for an emotional, reflective read, *The Life I Didn’t Plan* by Charlotte Butterfield is one to keep on your radar.

It follows Beth, who got pregnant as a teenager and never expected to reconnect with that part of her life—until a school reunion and a long-forgotten letter send her searching for her daughter’s father years later.

From what I’ve seen, it leans into that “what could have been vs. what is” feeling, mixing a bit of mystery with a lot of heart. It looks like a story about second chances, missed opportunities, and figuring out how to move forward.

I’ll be recommending this to readers who enjoy character-driven stories about life taking unexpected turns, especially if you like a mix of past and present timelines with an emotional core.

I have read three of her books I think and I've enjoyed them all. She writes books that, at first glance might not feel relatable, but then you get to know the characters and you realise that the story could be your own.

It's a book with a powerful message behind it, but it's also fun and enjoyable to read.

I mean, it's advertised as a "laugh out loud" story. But I can't say I found it funny at all. That's not a negative on the book, and if it hadn't have said it, I wouldn't have mentioned it, because it's not something I thought the book needed.

It did take a while to get going. The opening half wasn't bad, but it was a bit too genteel with not much happening. Which I generally don't mind. But it started with this strong look at your past and realising you haven't achieved what you wanted to, but then it continues in that vein for a while, a lot of thinking and talking and very little doing. So I'd have liked it to have picked up a bit earlier.

I like this idea of what you should have achieved by a certain age. When I was a kid, my life plan was: graduate at 21, get my dream job, buy a house at 24, marry at 26, kids by 30. Instead, I am 32, still living with my mum, chronically ill, and unemployed. So life doesn't always turn out the way you think it'll be. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing. It's about finding the positives from your dream life in your real life.

I enjoy it, I did, don't get me wrong. It was fun, exciting, hopeful, and everything I wanted. But it didn't grab me. So, when I was reading it, I was enjoying it. But when I put it down, I didn't find myself thinking about it or rushing to get back to it. But I can't give you a reason why that is. Everything about it - setting, plot, characters, message - I enjoyed, but there was just this excitement level, this spark that was missing.

The Life I Didn’t Plan was an unexpected joy of a novel! It’s about the expectations we have for our lives and how those expectations can turn into a perception of disappointment when things don’t go the way we imagined. The story really leans into examining what truly makes us happy, and how actually seeing what’s right in front of us—rather than obsessing over what “should have been”—can be enough, and even better, leading to a path to happiness in the here and now. It was witty, laugh‑out‑loud funny, and genuinely heartwarming, and I just loved the characters so much. It has found family, a little closed-door romance, and self discovery. Chef’s kiss!

I loved everything about this book! The humor, the deep reflections, the quotes. Palliative/Hospice convos. I truly didnt want to put this book down. Loved the character development, especially Beth of course. I cannot recommend enough! This was such a fun surprise and I will be purchasing a hardcopy ASAP!

What happens when the life you planned has never even got started?

I've read two previous novels by Charlotte Butterfield - The Second Chance and The Sister Switch - and really enjoyed them both. So I was excited to read The Life I Didn't Plan.

Pregnant at seventeen (following a brief romance on a school trip to France), and a mother at eighteen, Beth has spent her life looking after others - daughter Maisie, and the terminally ill patients she cares for as a palliative carer. What Beth hasn't managed quite so well is forging any kind of life of her own. Forced to leave school due to her pregnancy, the career as a midwife that she dreamt of never got off the ground, and her love life has been a non-starter.

Now, with Maisie away at university, life is about to develop in unexpected ways. A New Year's Eve callout to a dying elderly man takes an extraordinary turn. And it looks like it's time to finally track down Maisie's father, the boy who never answered Beth's letters...

Sometimes the future we plan isn't nearly as beautiful as the one we never saw coming.

A great read with a really engaging main character who it was easy to warm to. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I absolutely loved this book. The writing was great and it had all the feels.

I loved this book so much. Beth is a wonderful protagonist, and it’s delightful to see into the world of palliative care. The chemistry between Beth and Jack is sizzling and I think I’m in love with both of them.

This is the best of Charlotte Butterfield’s books so far, and that’s a high bar to beat.

Thanks for letting me read an ARC of this. I really loved it.

This was great read. I was moved to tears and laughter. I loved the banter between Beth and Jack and the frank but sometimes hilarious conversations between Beth and Grace.

I was captured from the start and loved how the whole story unravelled. The bond between Beth and her daughter Maisie was beautiful and I could see that the life Beth had worked hard to create for both of them was filled with love for her daughter. I was fascinated by her job and have so much respect for what palliative nurses do, Beth really cared about her patients and wanted nothing more than for their last hours to be peaceful and respectful.

A beautiful book from start to finish, with an easy reading flow. I would recommend to everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK | Avon for allowing me to read an ARC of The Life I Didn’t Plan by Charlotte Butterfield in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book!

Beth was such a wonderful character, and I really admired her compassion and dedication as an end-of-life caregiver. It added so much depth to her story and made her incredibly easy to root for.

This was such a witty, heartfelt, and genuinely funny read. I laughed, smiled, and got a little emotional along the way. I also loved the message about not getting too caught up in the life you thought you'd have and instead appreciating the life you do have.

The relationships were another highlight for me. Whether it was family, friendship, or romance, every connection felt real and meaningful.

Warm, uplifting, funny, and full of heart—this was such an enjoyable read, and I finished it with a big smile on my face!

oh i was so happy to be wrapped up in the world of Charlotte once again. and this, this book was golden. i really needed a book and author just like this to come and take me on a journey which would uplift, tug my heart and make my heart feel better.
Beth had me be her side like some friend she didn't need from the start.
we meet her when she is facing that very known thing of about to be getting an empty nest. this feel particularly brutal in a way because for Beth its always been the two of them. a team, and from an age where Beth was so young herself. and for Beth she never even got to her daughters time before she was having her! life altered, a bay was born.
so when she attends a school reunion and opens a letter from all those years ago? well, it could be right for an adventure. and this is one i would happily follow Beth on. she had my heart the more i read about her. she seemed like just the kind of woman we'd all want in our lives. and Beth is certainly there for enough people herself. wow, what a job. im sure almost all of us would learn something from our Dear future me letters. infact try and write the letter you wish your younger self would've had right now is something many people find helpful too. in Beth's case you could see the life she planned versus the one she might feel she currently was living. so can she go back and find that self, live those dreams? and what if they arent actually what she wants or who she is? finding that out will be moving, heartfelt and certainly had me with a few lump in the throat moments. but also very much with some fun, witty and gorgeous moments too. i loved how Beth learn that she didn't have to MISS something she thought she should've had. this was her, she is who she is and her path was meant for her. and maybe, just maybe shes exactly how and who she should be. and we all loved her and wanted her to see that too!
maybe what she and people have missed is actually what she and others are missing about themselves in the right now. Beth goes on a journey maybe she always needed to have to bring herself full circle. to herself. and allllll she is and has actually achieved. there is love in many forms in this book. it filled my heart and soul and made me just feel comforted and better about life as i read. it grabbed me into its fold and kept me there in Charlotte's world. and i loved it.
it made me think about my own self at that 17 year self. what would i think i wanted. and what would i say to that young girl then. gosh so many things she would've needed from an older me, bless her.
this book and all the characters we might sits their in the category of books i will keep with me in their own special place.

When your 19 year old daughter goes to university, empty nest hits hard. Always having been just the two of them. Unexpectedly pregnant after a school exchange prior to her a levels. Life choices had drastically changed, the university place withdrawn, school refusing to let the a level sat.
Working as a palliative nurse, helping families at the end of life care of their precious relatives. Working the night shift.
School reunion with letters to their 40 year old selves, nemesis and chaos.
Fun, friendship, laughter and love. A book that will make you smile and appreciate those you love. Enjoy I did

Another lovely title from this author.

I love how the characters are developed throughout this book, they are so wholesome, real and lovely.
Beth’s character really was a favourite. She just seemed so down to earth and will resonate with so many people.

All the characters grow throughout their own personal journeys and Beth’s accounts of her job really are an eye opener.

Beth’s relationship with her daughter is another lovely part to this book, of course they have their ups and downs but I think the dynamic between them was so well written.

So all in all a lovely heartfelt tale, of love, relationships, life choices and the ability to move on, whatever hand you are dealt. A reminder that people’s hopes and dreams can change, something we thought we wanted, may not actually hold the appeal we thought it would.

This one will have you laughing (with some great banter between the characters), crying but overall feeling the love between everyone.

Beth is an end of life nurse on night shift and she helps patients and their loved ones transition during the dying process. This job has allowed her for so many years to provide as a single mom to her daughter. However, she’s a recent empty nester and she’s feeling a lot lost.

She ends up going to her school’s reunion where she has a bad time as expected, but she’s reunited with her “dear future me” letter. All her young version’s hopes and dreams are unmet and the exact opposite of her current life.

She decides she wants to try all these new things to make up for “lost time,” since she became a teen mom at age 17 and had to survive. Jack is one of her patient’s son and his compliments and kindness brings out a lot of insecurities and self sabotage that she has yet to address.

This was unexpectedly funny and fast. I really enjoyed the banter, humor, and character development. The initial timing was very very slow but then it got so much better.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A genuinely heartwarming book with plenty of humour. Enjoyable and light despite against the background of death. Beth, the main female character, is an hospice nurse usually working nights, which fitted in around singularly bringing up her daughter Maisie. Now Maisie is at university, Beth revisits her past after a school reunion. Lots of gently unfolding real life situations which everyone can relate to.

I don’t know what it is about this book, but it just worked. It’s a gentle book full of humour that is beautifully written. It follows the lives of real people without any additional drama that would make it feel unrealistic. The characters are really well written and you feel like you’ve known them for ages. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

A lovely story and how times have changed. Beth gets pregnant at 17 and you meet her as her daughter is about to go to uni.. Her job was amazing and moving. You had a lovely slow burn romance. Proves work experience is useful. I loved her best friend and the daughter. I was shouting at the book over how the school reacted. . Read it . You will love it .

This book is a coming of age story but in an untraditional sense. At 37, Beth's daughter is off to university, leaving Beth with an empty flat and a future me letter written years ago.

I loved watching Beth as she decides what she wants her life to look like now. She tries reliving her youth and when that doesn't work she realises she, actually, quite likes her life. She's happy with the choices she's made for her and her daughter. She loves her job as a palliative care nurse and has a fantastic support system in her friend Grace. We join Beth as she goes on a journey to see what she's missed, and what she's missing.

I enjoyed the gentle love story in this book. It felt very real between Jack and Beth. I loved that they were slowly building a life together and although I do love a big crazy romance this felt honest and believable. It made me laugh, like properly laugh. And it made me reflect on my own life, what would my 17 year old self say? What risks do I need to step out and take and where can I find the small things that bring me joy.

Charlotte Butterfield is a talented writer and this book is a perfect, heartfelt story about love in every form.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and ended up reading it in just a couple of sittings, it completely pulled me in from the start.

The characters felt incredibly real and relatable, the kind of people you genuinely want to cheer on and see succeed. There were so many moments of humour that I could relate to, I actually found myself laughing out loud, only for the next chapter to completely shift my emotions and leave me feeling moved and, at times, quite saddened. That balance between lightness and emotional depth was done beautifully.

The mother-daughter relationship was a real standout for me. It was portrayed with warmth, honesty, and depth, and the theme of parental sacrifice was woven throughout in such a natural and realistic way. Beth’s early pregnancy and the choices she made were handled with honesty and sensitivity, making her story feel authentic and genuinely welcoming to read.

I also loved Beth’s journey of self-discovery. At the beginning, she thinks she knows what she wants, although really, only in the way a 17-year-old can. As the story unfolds, she begins to realise that what she thought she wanted isn’t actually what will make her happy. Watching her rediscover her identity, let go of missed opportunities, and rethink her path was both refreshing and inspiring.

One of the most powerful elements of the story was its reflection on life and loss. The exploration of grief was handled so tastefully, reminding us just how fragile and fleeting life can be. It’s a story that quietly encourages you to take chances, to live fully, and not to leave things unsaid or undone.

At its heart, this book is a gentle but powerful reminder to live life on your own terms, to follow what truly makes you happy, rather than what’s expected of you, and to find contentment in the life you have.

A heartfelt, funny, and thought provoking read that I’d absolutely recommend.