Published: 3 March 2022

Author: Holly Miller

Published by: Hodder & Stoughton

Genre: Women’s fiction

Length: 400 pages

Reading dates: 24-28 February 2022

Is Lucy’s life ‘meant to be’ . . . or meant to be different?

Lucy’s life is at a crossroads. She’s just walked out of her unrewarding job and has no idea about her next step: use her savings to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, or move to London to try and revive her career? It almost seems like fate that on that same night she meets Caleb, a stranger in a bar, and runs into Max, the one-time love of her life.

Should Lucy stay in the seaside town she grew up in, and in doing so, get to know Caleb better? Or should she go to London and reconnect with Max again after he broke her heart a decade ago? It’s just one decision – but sometimes one decision can change the course of your whole life . . .

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN is a sweeping and unforgettable novel for anyone who has ever believed in destiny and soulmates – or paused to wonder what your life might look like if you’d made a different choice.

Have you ever wondered what might of happened if you had chosen a different path in your life? Would you be living somewhere different, doing another job or be with a different partner? In What Might Have Been, Lucy lives in the sea side town of Shoreley and has just quit her job. She stops off at the local pub to steady her nerves and while there starts chatting to Caleb who is a photographer. Suddenly she spots a familiar face outside and realises it is Max, her student sweetheart. She makes a quick apology to Caleb and rushes out to speak to him. She still feels a connection to Max but they go their separate ways.

And then Lucy has a choice to make. Her best friend Jools offers her a room in her London flat where there is a possibility of a job at a top creative agency. It also happens to be where Max lives…

Her other choice is to stay in Shoreley with her sister Tash and her family, work part time in a gift shop while writing her novel which has always been her dream. And maybe make contact with Caleb who wrote his phone number down and slipped it in her pocket while she was talking to Max outside the pub…

What Might Have Been is such a clever book – I’ve read nothing quite like it before. We follow both paths of Lucy’s life – and in alternating sections we see what happens to her if she goes to London and what happens to her if she stayed in Shoreley. I loved both sections so much – both versions of Lucy’s life were very different, both had highs and low and had clever similarities.

I really loved The Sight of You when I read it back in June 2020 and was really happy to be invited to read What Might Have Been. A clever and thought provoking read which really tugs at the heart strings, I thoroughly recommend this.

Thank you to Ollie for inviting me on the blog tour and for my copy of the book. Please check out the other blogger reviews below:

About the author

Holly Miller was born and grew up in Bedfordshire. Since university she has worked as a marketer, editor and copywriter. She currently lives in Norfolk with her partner and their dog.
Her last book, The Sight of You, was a high-concept love story that went onto huge success. It was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, has been published in 26 territories, and the film rights have been optioned.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/byhollymiller
Website: https://www.hollymillerauthor.com/