Twice in a Lifetime

By: Clare Lydon

Narrated by: TJ Richards

Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Once bitten, twice shy?

When her first love walks back into her life, Harriet Locke is thrown - because Sally McCall still looks as gorgeous as ever. The trouble is, Sally doesn't trust Harriet, and with good reason: she hasn't forgotten the past.

Sally loved her once, but 17 years later, is that still the case? And if it is, there's just the small matter of living in different states, as well as convincing Sally she's worth taking a chance on again.

Will Harriet and Sally be lucky enough to find love twice in a lifetime?

From the best-selling author of London Calling and Nothing to Lose comes a witty & wondrous story of second-chance romance!

©2017 Clare Lydon (P)2018 Clare Lydon

Where's the funny?

If you're a Clare Lydon fan, there are two important facts you need to know about this book. First, it's set in the US, which means no sexy British accent in the narration. Still, TJ Richards was great and enjoyable to listen to.

Second, it's not as sitcom-y as her other books. I found myself asking, "where's the funny?" And then, it came in chapter 10…and every other time a particular character came into play. But overall, this was not a "laugh until your sides hurt" kind of book.

Still, there were the expected (unexpected) twists, the storyline that sucks you in, and again, just enough angst to make it impossible to put down.

As a bonus, the book contains a few instances of alliteration which I'm pretty sure were put there on purpose...and I really enjoyed those.

So overall, 5/5 and a great read, though I am hoping the next novel is back to hilarious & British.

Romantic Second Chance

Once again, Ms. Lydon brings us a book about two very lovely women who decide to take the leap of faith and choose love over the "what ifs". What I really enjoyed about this book is that it is a "coming of age" story and a "second chance" story all rolled into one.

Both Harriet and Sally have reasons to be wary of relationships especially as they had been each other's first loves which ended badly when Harriet went off to college and broke things off with Sally. This book finds them seventeen years later. They are smarter and wiser now and when they run into each other by chance, they realize that for them, their first loves were also their soul mates. The question is, can Sally trust Harriet with her heart for a do-over?

I liked Twice in a Lifetime when I read it, but I loved it as an audiobook. I have read all of Ms. Lydon's books and this is the only one set in The United States. Well, it wasn't until I listened to the audiobook that the characters felt 100% relatable. I had been thinking of them with British accents because, you know...Clare Lydon is British. My hat is off to Ms. Lydon because she really captured how often and easily we yanks drop the "F Bomb".

TJ Richards did an amazing job with this audiobook. She really captured the wistful quality of the flashbacks and the vulnerability of each of the main characters. Her Aunt Paula was hysterical and had me giggling while I was doing my Spring cleaning.

This is definitely worth a listen.

Very Enjoyable

Full disclosure; i had already read this book when i started the audio version.
So no surprise i enjoyed it quite a bit. It is a solid story though very different from the other Lydon books i have read. The huge difference is the US setting; Chicago and a bit NYC. i liked and appreciated the effort the author put into americanizing her language since the book was set in the US. Also, i'm from Chicago and i felt that she did a great job of incorporating details about the city correctly. It drives me crazy when an author throws in city specific things but they're wrong or don't make sense.
Anyway i enjoyed listening as these lost loves tried to figure out if they could make a go of it the second time. Their chance meeting didn't feel contrived (though it easily could have) and the subsequent events felt more real to me than a lot of lesfic books i read. Yet again another Lydon book that is worth anyone's time to listen to or to read.
The only negative for me about the audio experience of this book was the NY accent the reader gave Taylor. Luckily Taylor is a fairly minor character so she didn't talk a lot.

Amazing - As Usual.

Where does Twice in a Lifetime rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definately in my Top 10

What other book might you compare Twice in a Lifetime to and why?

I would never compare Clare Lydon's books to others - they are in a class of their own.

Which scene was your favorite?

I wouldn't name a favourite scene and spoil it for others, but I loved that we were continually shown both Sally and Harriet as they were young and carefree and then their mature versions of their younger selves.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Your very first broken heart - we have all been there and would do almost anything to try and prevent others from that pain. I felt both of their hearts breaking as if they were my own.

Any additional comments?

Clare Lydon writes characters that I don't just love how they were written - but I want to hang out with each of them, sit and chat while having a drink. I could be friends with them.

LOVED IT!!!

This book and I took a road trip and for the first time I was not counting the miles as I drove. I read this book and loved it, TJ Richards did a fabulous job narrating this wonderful story. Her voice inflection for each character allowed for the listener to follow the story. The love scenes were passionate without being cheesy. There was not a ton of cursing in this book, but what there was of it came as natural not forced. I have re-listened to parts of it again and will probably listen to the whole thing again soon. Great book! Great reader!

Worth the Listen!! Great Story!!

I first read the kindle version of this story. I loved it! I read it in about two days! I just finished the audiobook version, and, if possible, I enjoyed it even more! There is just something about listening to the narration of great story. I highly recommend listening to this one!

This is a classic tale of first love and second chances. I thoroughly enjoyed the chemistry between Harriet and Sally. Also, the supporting cast of characters added to the storyline and gave it more depth. I would definitely recommend this book! Clare Lydon is an excellent writer and masterful storyteller.

Love both the story as well as the narrator

I had reservations when I purchased this audiobook. However, the story was interesting & the narrator did a very good.

Favorite Author in this Genre - sweet and sexy

What did you love best about Twice in a Lifetime?

This was Clare Lydon's first foray into an American setting, and as an American, I can tell you she did a great job. I loved the going back and forth from teenage years to adult years as this couple found their way back to each other. The thing I liked best is that the characters were very likable with wonderful families who were supportive and everyone did a lot of learning along the way. The writing was top notch and I always hurried back to find out what was going on in New York and Chicago.

What other book might you compare Twice in a Lifetime to and why?

I recently read London Calling, also by Clare Lydon, and the characters and family were terrific there as well. In that case the couple find each other for the first time and the obstacles are many but as with this title, love wins out. Both books are terrific and narrated to perfection.

What about TJ Richards’s performance did you like?

The narration for this book was stellar. I used Whispersync to read the ebook and listen to the audiobook and at first reading in the Kindle app I had trouble distinguishing the characters but once I moved into the audiobook the nuanced narration by Richards for the two main characters allowed me to differentiate perfectly. I prefer audiobooks to eBooks or paper, but if the narrator is subpar, then I move to the Kindle app. Once I started listening, I never went back to the Kindle, Richards was that good.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The sex scenes were steamy but very well done and I found them exciting. I enjoyed the book immensely and as Spring is here I'm looking forward to splashing in the pool and will remember the scenes at the lake. Not to be missed!

Any additional comments?

You can't go wrong with a Claire Lydon book in any form. I'm glad she is moving heavily into the audiobook format which only makes reading her work more enjoyable for me. I love the London, Australia and American locales which are all well researched and authentic. Lots of secondary characters who are well drawn as well - pay attention as any of them are apt to be in a future Clare Lydon book! Highly recommended!

Another A+

Just like always, Clare Lydon knocks it out the park. This was a very enjoyed audiobook narrated by TJ.

Romancing Through Lifetimes

This enjoyable lesbian romance written by Clare Lydon was fabulously listened to as narrated by TJ Richards.
The story follows Sally and Harriet after they meet in High school and share their first intimate experiences. As individual life begins after high school with their choice of seperation due to the year of age difference with timing and as the long distance relationship struggles confront them.
Seventeen years later they reconnect due to a traveling luggage mishap in a hometown airport. Sally and Harriet find themselves in situations of humor and struggles involving other family members and friends. Aunt Paula and friends offer help as the long distance problem is turned into a casual exclusive dating problem. This story finds a range of life time activities occurring in the home and work place as well as cars and elevators. This fun Romance story should make you happy, sad and enjoying the steamy sexual moments. Please read and enjoy!