Two Timelines, One Great Book: Maybe In Another Life Nails the “What If”

You know that moment when you cannot decide whether to go home early or stay out for one more drink? Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote a whole novel about that moment. And somehow made it both romantic and philosophical without ever making you feel like you’re trapped in a thought experiment.

Maybe In Another Life is basically a rom-com, but it asks a deceptively simple question: what if one tiny choice changed the entire course of your life? And then it answers that question with two parallel timelines that are both equally satisfying, equally heart-wrenching, and somehow equally plausible.

Our main character is Hannah Martin, who is in that classic life-is-a-mess phase. She has bounced around cities, jobs, and relationships like a human pinball machine and finally returns to her hometown of Los Angeles, semi-hoping to reset everything. On her first night back, she goes out with friends and has two choices: go home with her best friend Gabby, or stay out with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

And this is where the book splits into two. From this one decision, we get two completely different versions of Hannah’s life: same character, same starting point, wildly different outcomes. And no, this is not a gimmick. Somehow, it works.

What makes this book so fun (and a little unsettling) is how real both versions feel. In one life, Hannah rekindles things with Ethan and starts to imagine the future they could have had. In the other, she ends up on an entirely unexpected path with hospitals, mystery men, and big, emotional growth. The chapters alternate between timelines, and the pacing is so clean you never feel lost. You just feel extremely nosy, like you’re watching two episodes of the same show at once and rooting for both.

Hannah is an incredibly likable protagonist. She is smart, flawed, and funny in a very “yep, that’s me” way. You understand why her life is in disarray and why she’s so desperate for clarity. Gabby, her best friend, deserves her own spin-off series. She is the grounding force in both timelines and a rare example of a best friend character who actually feels three-dimensional and not just like a plot device in jeggings.

Now, full disclosure: this book may send you into a brief existential spiral. It casually drops things like, “Maybe the universe gives us all the lives we’re supposed to live,” and suddenly you’re staring at your ceiling wondering what would’ve happened if you’d gone to grad school or ordered tacos that one night in 2014. But it does this gently. Kindly, even. Like a very wise friend who hugs you and then lightly roasts your life choices.

The romance in both timelines is swoony but also grounded. It’s not about grand gestures. It’s about compatibility, growth, timing, and the deep satisfaction of feeling understood. Taylor Jenkins Reid does not just write love stories – she writes emotional logic puzzles. And here, she builds two very different but equally believable emotional truths.

If you are someone who loves character-driven stories, this is your book. If you are into alternate timelines but hate when it gets all sci-fi and confusing, this is also your book. And if you just want to read something that makes you feel hopeful and reflective without being saccharine, bingo.

Maybe In Another Life is one of those books that sneaks up on you. It’s breezy until it’s not. It’s fun until you’re crying at 1 a.m. because you suddenly believe in fate. And it lingers. You’ll think about it when you have to make your next big decision. You’ll wonder which timeline you’re in. And you’ll be kind of okay with not knowing.

OUR RATING