Book ~ "Maybe in a Different Life" (2015) Taylor Jenkins Reid

From Goodreads ~ At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, "Maybe in Another Life" raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.

Hannah is nearly thirty and doesn't have much direction in her life. She's moved around a lot and finally decides to settle down in her hometown of Los Angeles. She moves in with Gabby, her best friend, and Mark, Gabby's husband. She's always wondered "what if" about Ethan, her high school boyfriend, who was the love of her life. She goes out to a bar with Gabby and Mark and Ethan is there. When Gabby and Mark are ready to go home, Gabby asks Hannah if she is ready to go too. Ethan asks her to stay.

And then the story begins ... what would happen if Hannah went home with Gabby and Mark? What would happen if she stays with Ethan? What follows are two parallel stories of what happened when she went home with Gabby and Mark and what happened when she went home with Ethan. It was an interesting concept (similar to the movie Sliding Doors, which I enjoy).

I liked this story and it was interesting to see what would have happened given the paths Hannah had before her and the choices she made. Despite the different paths, there were still some things that happened in her lives that crossed over (for example, what was happening with Gabby, her husband and parents). It's written in first person perspective in Hannah's voice. The chapters alternate ... what happened if she'd gone home with Gabby and Mark and what happened if she went home with Ethan. As a head's up, there is swearing.