Published By: Boldwood
Pages: 318
Released On: 04/02/2025
Suddenly Maddy is right there… in her own future. And it’s all wrong, yet again.
It happens to her every time. When the kisses lead to the bedroom, just when she thinks she might have found the one… Just for a split second, Maddy disappears, and she finds that she’s living her own life. But ten years from now.
She’s only there for a little while. But each time, it’s long enough to know that she doesn’t want to be any of those versions of Maddy. Because every man she falls for seems to lead her to a life that is just… wrong.
Until she meets Oliver. And the vision of what lies ahead for them is happy. A little girl runs around, her braids flying behind her, giggling about how she wants sausages for dinner. She has eyes just like Oliver’s.
There’s just one catch. If Maddy wants the life she’s seeing with Oliver, she realises she has to break his heart now…
Would you destroy your present if there’s a chance that it could give you the perfect future?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I am so thrilled to have a copy of her latest book. In my opinion, Laura’s books are as close to perfection as one can possibly get, and I just know – before I even start it – that it’s going to be exceptional.
So far I have read three of her books – The Last List of Mabel Beaumont, The Day Shelley Woodhouse Woke Up, and The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine. I also own three others of hers which I hope to read this year – I Wanted You to Know, Nobody’s Wife, and Missing Pieces.
It has 60 chapters which equates to roughly 5 pages a chapter, which is a good length for me as I can’t abide a long drawn-out chapter.
I know authors worry about readers getting hold of their newest book, especially if they’ve liked their previous ones; there’s a worry it won’t live up to it. But I never have that concern with Laura’s books. I know 100% they will be spectacular and I will love them and I will never not devour them. She is one of a very few number of authors I can say that about.
I know this is going to sound weird given the fantasy element in the premise, but if you’ve read her other books you’ll know what I mean. Even though this does have the magical fantasy element that all of her books seem to have, this one actually seemed very close to real life – if you remove the looking into the future bit. Which meant it was very easy to lose myself in the characters and their story, as it mostly felt very real.
Books can ride or die on the success of their characters, and Laura has created really likeable ones (in the most part). Maddy is a bit lost, she’s struggling for work, never seems to have enough money, is wandering a bit, and she felt very real and I instantly warmed to her. Her best friend Priya was a good addition. I wasn’t 100% sure about her at first but she quickly won me round – although I didn’t care much for her boyfriend. There are a lot of other characters – Maddy’s boyfriend Oliver, her parents, her younger brother, colleagues – and whilst they might not all be perfect people, they all work well enough to give Maddy something to work on to further her story. I particularly enjoyed reading about the relationship between Maddy (and Oliver) and her brother Henry.
I like that whilst it’s mostly set in the present time, we do get to see Maddy’s future visions, which means we get to follow her journey and find out what’s happening in real time alongside her.
It is a bit repetitive at times, and I’ve seen the odd review that sees that as a negative, but I don’t. I think it adds to this frantic, flustered, confused, discombobulated (I love that word) situation that Maddy finds herself in.
It’s almost like two stories – the one in the present time and the one set 10 years in the future, which I loved, as it was like you get two books for the price of one, and that’s a bargain I like.
What is interesting is that, whilst I’m aware this is a piece of entertaining, contemporary fiction, and not an exploration on the state of the world or anything, it does give you plenty of things to think about. Would being able to see in the future be a positive or negative? Is what makes life worth living the surprise of it all? The opportunities? Or would it be easier to make decisions if you knew how it would all end up?
What I love about this book (and all her books really) is how life affirming they are. I’ve been honest in my reviews and on social media that my mental health has not been good over the last few months, and it can be hard to fully lose yourself in a book when I’m like that. But whilst I’m not saying reading a book will instantly make me completely better, I definitely do feel in a more positive state after I’ve read her books.
If I’m completely honest, it’s not my absolute favourite of her books – that’s a toss up between Mabel Beaumont and Eliza Valentine – but it is still a perfect five star read. It’s got everything going for it, and it helps cement her as one of my absolute favourite authors, and I’m so happy that her books are getting the attention they deserve.
I read it in less than a day, I just couldn’t tear myself away from it. And as is the case for all of her books, I was bereft when I finished it.
Books By Your Bedside 