His Other Life by Anna E. Collins
Published by Bookouture
on 6 February 2025
Bookouture Books-On-Tour 6-10 February
General Fiction/Women’s Fiction
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Check out the author’s introduction to the book here!
The woman’s name blurs as tears spring into my eyes. I can’t believe my husband would betray me like this. But now he’s gone, she may be the only way to learn the truth about how he died…
Two years after my beloved Jonah was killed in a car accident, I retrace my steps to the romantic hotel we were staying in when his life was cut tragically short. The last thing I remember is the warmth of his hand in mine as we drove off through the pine trees towards our candlelit dinner. Then the beeping of monitors when I woke up alone in a hospital bed days later. What really happened that night?
But when I arrive at the hotel, a nervous-looking employee hands me my husband’s jacket. It still smells like him, and I discover something inside. A hastily scrawled note. Two words that turn my world upside down: call Gemma.
No one in Jonah’s life knows who Gemma could be. Flashes of an argument rush back to me painfully, and I feel myself fall apart. I remember his drunkenness, the sound of my own voice, heartbroken and betrayed. Did he use our anniversary to tell me he’d had an affair?
The truth will change everything I thought I knew about my marriage. Should I go home, and leave his secrets in the past? Or face the idea that I never really knew my husband at all?
About the Author
Anna E. Collins is a Seattle area author who writes stories about the lives and loves of women—their hopes, dreams, journeys, and relationships—with the goal of making readers both laugh and cry. She grew up in Sweden as a voracious reader with a vivid imagination but didn’t start writing fiction until after she had kids. By that point, she had worked as a high school teacher for several years, married an American, undertaken two international moves, and needed a new outlet.
Her first (gargantuan and unpublishable) venture into fiction sparked a passion for creating people and worlds that illustrate and illuminate aspects of the human experience that connect us. A couple more books and a master’s degree in educational psychology later, Anna decided to make writing more than a hobby, and she has never looked back. Whether writing women’s fiction or romantic comedies, Anna aspires to create characters that jump off the page and relationships that are as imperfect as the ones we find in everyday life.
When not writing, Anna stays busy driving her teenage kids around, training her eternal canine companion, Archie the mini goldendoodle, and engaging in other creative pursuits such as drawing, singing, and baking. Her husband is her biggest cheerleader.
When not writing, Anna stays busy driving her teenage kids around, training her eternal canine companion, Archie the mini goldendoodle, and engaging in other creative pursuits such as drawing, singing, and baking. Her husband is her biggest cheerleader.
You can find out more at aecollinsbooks.com on Facebook and Instagram and X.
Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Anna E. Collins here: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/anna-e-collins/
His Other Life by Anna E. Collins is an engaging, emotionally charged story that keeps the reader hooked as it explores love, betrayal, and the pursuit of truth. The mystery around Jonah’s untimely death and the discovery of his secret life, had me intrigued from the start.
However, I felt the pacing was a bit uneven, with a large chunk of the book focusing on backstory and filler content before diving into the meat of the plot. This made the book feel longer than it needed to be. While the build-up helped set the emotional stage, it did sometimes feel like the story was dragging before reaching the key revelations promised in the blurb.
That said, once the plot started to unfold, I found it to be well thought through and believable. The twist was something I guessed early on, but that didn’t take away from the satisfaction of seeing it play out. The layers of Jonah’s secrets were intricately woven into the narrative, and I found myself invested in uncovering the truth.
As for the characters, I have to admit that they weren’t the most likable at first, especially the protagonist, who struggles with her emotions and memories. But as the story progressed, I began to understand them more, and by the end, they had grown on me. The emotional depth and personal growth of the characters gave the story a satisfying conclusion, even if the journey to get there was a bit slower than I would have liked.
In the end, His Other Life is a solid four-star read. While I felt it could have been more concise, the well-crafted plot and satisfying ending made it worth the read. The book left me with a sense of closure and an appreciation for the journey, even though it took a bit longer than expected to get there!
Sincere thanks to Sarah Hardy, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing the digital advanced reader copy of this novel and having me on this #VirtualBookTour.
All views expressed are my own. This review, or parts of it, may also be shared on my social media channels and various book platforms. Links are accurate at the time of publication.
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