In honor of the #BrokenOvenBakers April theme of World Book Day, I've decided to revive the #ReadItAndEat series with Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I read this book last year, and one of the main reasons it has stuck with me is the emphasis on how good cinnamon rolls are - I mean the main character is described as smelling like cinnamon and sugar - how could I not? Enjoy this edition of #ReadItAndEat!
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Pages: 342
Synopsis
After a quarter-life crisis and still having no idea what to do with her life, Hannah moves home to LA and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby's house. Together they attend a party, where Hannah runs into an old flame, Ethan. Hannah isn't really sure whether she should stay at the party with Ethan or call the night early with Gabby. Cue the story line split as we follow along Hannah and the two concurrent paths her life can take. There are some drastic differences, but both lives endure a bit of hardship while exploring relationships with partners, family, and friends who are like family.
Review
Get ready for a classic sliding door romance. I read this book close to a year ago and one of the things that I remember most was that TJR does a great job at revealing and incorporating the same plot points in both lives. The writing was not repetitive between each life, but instead provided different perspectives on the same events.
“Fate or not, our lives are still the results of our choices.”
One thing about the sliding doors aspect that I didn't love was that I found one of her lives much much much more compelling than the other. I was definitely rooting for one of Hannah's love interests much more than the other. I don't think that was TJR's intention, as I feel like part of her message was finding happiness in the choices you've made and the life you're given.
“I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices and they led me somewhere else, led me to someone else. And my heart breaks for every single version of me that didn't end up with you.”
I will say that I also didn't think Hannah was super relatable as a main character (and I read this when I was the same age as Hannah), but I did love that Gabby and Hannah’s friendship seemed to transcend whatever choices Hannah ended up making. And you couldn't not love Gabby's parents, Carl and Tina!
Overall, this wasn't my favorite TJR book (although they're all good!) but I'm glad to have read this backlist book by one of my favorite authors.
Looking for more book recommendations?
More by Taylor Jenkins Reid
TJR has so many great books out. If you're looking for more books like Maybe in Another Life, check out these three older books. Forever, Interrupted follows a woman and her mother-in-law after her whirlwind marriage ends in tragedy. After I Do (one of my personal favorites) examines a deteriorating marriage and what's worth saving. One True Loves follows a woman whose high school sweetheart is deemed dead in a helicopter crash, but shows up years later to find her just about to move on with her new fiancé (this one is becoming a movie and is a great TJR to start with!).
If you're in the mood for a bit more layers in your writing, I suggest checking out TJR's latest three books. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo follows the life of an elusive and glamorous 1950s Hollywood star (also a great TJR to start with). Daisy Jones and The Six follows the mysterious break-up of a famous 1970s rock band (a fantastic audiobook). Finally, Malibu Rising (which is the last of TJ's backlist I have to read) is a family drama that is set at a chaotic end-of-summer party in 1980s Malibu.
Other "sliding doors" books
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig follows a woman with a life full of regret, but this is not romance at all. Beware of trigger warnings, but get ready for beautiful commentary on all the possibilities your life could be if you made different decisions along the way.
I haven't read Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey yet, but it seems to be along the same lines of how people fit into your life at different times. This one seems heavier on the magic, FYI.
Want to learn more?
Connect with Taylor Jenkins Reid by visiting her website and following her on Instagram. Purchase Maybe in Another Life here, or wherever you buy books!
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe Inspiration: Classic Cinnamon Rolls (from the Baking for the Holidays cookbook)
One of Hannah's main personality traits is that she is OBSESSED with cinnamon rolls and I have a feeling Hannah would do just about anything for these homemade cinnamon rolls.
"When I moved in with Gabby's family, Tina used to buy the cans of raw cinnamon rolls and bake them for me on the weekends. The bottoms were always burned, and she had a light hand with the prepackaged icing, but I didn't care. Even a bad cinnamon roll is still a good cinnamon roll."
I found this recipe in my new Baking for the Holidays cookbook by Sarah Kieffer. Yes, this is a holiday cookbook, but let's be honest, cinnamon rolls are good any month of the year. These were so easy to make, but did take a little bit of time. First I made the sweet dough, which was low maintenance - just folding the dough a few times as it rises over two hours. You do need to refrigerate at least overnight so definitely a good idea to start the night before. Then the rest is pretty intuitive. You roll the dough into a rectangle, spread the cinnamon sugar filling on the dough, roll it up, and slice the log into about 12 equal buns! After another hour or two of rising, they're ready to bake. And let me tell you they will be huge and make your kitchen smell so good!
"The cinnamon rolls arrive at the table. The smell of the spice and the sugar is ... relaxing. I feel as if I am at home."
The icing is a delicious butter and cream cheese mixture, perfect for smoothing over those freshly baked rolls. I added a bit of icing right out of the oven so they'd retain a gooey center all week - after all we couldn't eat all 12 in one day, not to mention one weekend! Taking these to a group brunch, on the other hand, would be perfect!
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