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    Before and Again: A Novel
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    Before and Again: A Novel
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    Before and Again: A Novel
    Ebook529 pages9 hours

    Before and Again: A Novel

    By Barbara Delinsky

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    From Barbara Delinsky, the New York Times bestselling author of Blueprints and Sweet Salt Air, a brand-new novel about a woman in hiding finding the courage to face the world again.

    Mackenzie Cooper took her eyes off the road for just a moment but the resulting collision was enough to rob her not only of her beloved daughter but ultimately of her marriage, family, and friends—and thanks to the nonstop media coverage, even her privacy. Now she lives in Vermont under the name Maggie Reid, in a small house with her cats and dog. She’s thankful for the new friends she’s made—though she can’t risk telling them too much. And she takes satisfaction in working as a makeup artist at the luxurious local spa, helping clients hide the visible outward signs of their weariness, illnesses, and injuries. Covering up scars is a skill she has mastered.

    Her only goal is to stay under the radar and make it through her remaining probation. But she isn’t the only one in this peaceful town with secrets. When a friend’s teenage son is thrust into the national spotlight, accused of hacking a powerful man’s Twitter account, Maggie is torn between pulling away and protecting herself—or stepping into the glare to be at their side. As the stunning truth behind their case is slowly revealed, Maggie’s own carefully constructed story begins to unravel as well. She knows all too well that what we need from each other in this difficult world is comfort. But to provide it, sometimes we need to travel far outside our comfort zones.

    From a multimillion-selling master of women’s fiction, Before and Again is a story of the relationships we find ourselves in—mothers and daughters, spouses and siblings, true companions and fair-weather friends—and what kind of sacrifices we are or aren’t willing to make to sustain them through good times and bad.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateJun 26, 2018
    ISBN9781250119483
    Author

    Barbara Delinsky

    Barbara Delinsky has written more than twenty New York Times bestselling novels, with over thirty million copies in print. Her books are highly emotional, character-driven studies of marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship. She is also the author of a breast cancer handbook. A breast cancer survivor herself, Barbara donates her author proceeds from the handbook to fund a research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. Visit her at BarbaraDelinsky.com.

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    Reviews for Before and Again

    4/5

    89 ratings16 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Good book about guilt, forgiveness and starting over.
    • 5/5
      Before and Again by Barbara DelinskyHave enjoyed many years of this authors works and know this will be another KEEPER.Starts out with Mackenzie Cooper and her daughter. Then we are at present time with Maggie and she's an artist and it's a small town in VT, Devon. Things advance to present day but many reflections on the past events that took others from her life.Love hands on with the clay and other forms of art being displayed at the gallery, so very descriptive.She's also a makeup artist that others rely on. Her ex shows up in town and she tries to avoid him. He's moving there, he even bought a place there and she learns even more.Complicated details as she visits with her Probation Officer as we find out why.Super loved hearing about the chaos at the yarn store.Love generosity she shows to burn victims with the craft she's enhanced.Just when she's getting comfortable with her job and friends others from her past show up. Another story within this one involves hacking into the Internet spa files.Family medical emergency throws them all off balance...So up to date events occur, love how the book was given a chance by just the click of a mouse and all the research that went into a lot of this book. Fascinating to read about.Love how it all comes together and then you understand how all the other stories are linked together. Handful of characters and easy to keep track of.I received this review book from St. Martin's Press via Net Galley and this is my honest opinion. #BeforeAndAgain #NetGalley
    • 5/5
      Title: Before and AgainAuthor: Barbara DelinskyPublisher: St. Martin's PressReviewed By: Arlena DeanRating: FiveReview:"Before and Again" by Barbara DelinskyMy Thoughts....What a 'inspirational read that starts off tragically but ends showing that there is light at the end of this dark tunnel.' Maggie Reid who has changed her name from Mackenzie Cooper and moved and her 'only goal in her life is to stay under the radar and make it through her remaining probation.' However, her life will once again take a change as secrets will come out when her 'friend's teenage son is thrust into the national spotlight who is accused of hacking a Twitter account.' How will all of this crisis affect Maggie new life? I will say that this author gives the readers some interesting strong characters where you have all that comes with living in small towns, good food, artistic expression that starts from the first page of reading. As the reader continues to read this intriguing story the reader will find 'Before and Again' where one can really see how well this story deals with 'grief, loss, love, forgiveness, heartbreaking, emotional and survival' where In the end the reader will get the feel of it all. Indeed this was quite a interesting story.
    • 5/5
      These things can't be happening to me can they?Maggie is a good person but still hasn’t healed from the emotional scars from the death of her daughter or the divorce from her husband. Maggie moved away to make herself anonymous after the accident and hadn't seen her husband for four years. He now shows up in the new town she has moved to, but why?Another problem besides her ex-husband then surfaces. Maggie is still on probation because of the automobile accident and is not to associate with other felons, but a criminal incident occurs that makes Maggie think about being there for her friend instead of thinking of herself. Her probation officer thinks differently.We follow Maggie as she deals with her struggles and as she goes about her days as a makeup artist and an artist that works with clay. I definitely would want to go to the spa where Maggie works and be pampered. All of the issues that were addressed and dealt with by Maggie were frightening, but handled well by her. The personal issues were more difficult, and the criminal issue addresses current problems that could occur with the digital world we live in.Most of the characters are ones you would want to connect with. Maggie was someone who had a heart and was a hard worker.Kevin was a terrific friend and confidante.Grace was a bit flighty.Maggie’s husband Edward was someone who turned out to be great.Maggie's mother was a strong woman.Maggie’s brother Liam was a brother. Ms. Delinsky's beautiful, pull-you-in writing style kept me reading as always.I haven’t read a book by Ms. Delinsky for a few years, and it was a pleasure to re-connect with her marvelous style and terrific story lines. BEFORE AND AGAIN always had some warmth coming from somewhere whether it was a character or situation. This book deals with friendships, healing, emotional pain, and choices. BEFORE AND AGAIN had some difficult situations, but the ending is heartwarming, very satisfying, and marvelous. 5/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      It has been a few years since I have read Barbara Delinsky. But, I am glad I picked her back up. This story is in true Delinsky form. Great characters with a great story about heartbreak and healing are trademarks for Delinsky. I expericed a wonderful connection with Maggie. She is so broken and yet she has created a new world for herself. See, Maggie was in an accident a few years ago and her daughter was killed. Maggie was to blame and she has never forgiven herself.
Maggie is estranged from her family. Her mother and brother refuse to speak to her. And her marriage also fails after the loss of her child. But, just when she thinks she has overcome her past, in walks her brother AND her ex husband. This throws a huge kink in her anonymity. And...the anonymity is a huge part of her new life.
There are several story lines throughout this book. This keeps the reader moving along at a very fast clip. Maggie and Edward are great together. Both are broken and need each other to get through. Then there is Maggie's good friend Grace. Her son has been arrested in a computer hacking scandal. But, Grace is hiding something, something very important.
This novel is a little long. It could have been shortened by a few pages. However, I enjoyed this heartwarming and heart wrenching tale..and yes it is both. This story pulls at your heart and makes you appreciate all you have.
I received this book from the publisher via Netgalley for a honest review.
    • 3/5
      I’ve read Barbara Delinsky books for years. Some are much better than others. While this is a wonderful love story, there were a lot of things that made this story a bit hard to follow at times. There were a lot of characters and some just made the reader wonder as to their involvement. Ms. Delinsky is still a favorite author.
    • 5/5
      This is a beautiful and emotional new novel by a fantastic author. This is my first book by this author in a long time and it's time to add her to my MUST READ list.Maggie has started a new life for herself, far away from her life with her husband and her rich lifestyle and so called friends. She is also estranged from her mother and her only sibling. She's moved to a small town and is busy trying to make friends and start a new life while keeping her old life hidden. The thoughts of her old life mostly come out at night when she dreams of the daughter she lost in a car accident and the subsequent divorce from her husband. As things start to change in Maggie's life and her brother and ex-husband suddenly appear, will she be able to let go of the past and find a new path into the future?This is a wonderful story of family and love and forgiveness - not just of others but more importantly, forgiveness of yourself. I loved Maggie and was rooting for her through the entire book, I laughed with her and I cried with her. Wonderful, wonderful book!Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
    • 5/5
      4.5 StarsWow! It seems everyone in this book comes to Devon, VT to hide and start a new life. At least that's what the major characters of this book are doing.A woman who looks at her GPS for just a second or two, runs a stop sign and is hit by a large speeding vehicle. This happens right off the bat in chapter one. The woman (MacKenzie - Maggie) lives but her five year old daughter and the other driver do not.This is just one of the many, many plot twists that are going on between the covers of this book.MacKenzie (Maggie) comes to Devon to forget and start a new life. Everything is going fine until her best friend's son puts the town in the limelight with a felony charge. All of a sudden, reporters are everywhere.I found this to be an excellent read, my first by this author, however it won't be my last.Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
    • 3/5
      This book was good - not great - but enjoyable enough. It will appeal to fans of women's lit who want something with more depth. But there is almost too much going on in the book - other than Maggie you really didn't know a lot about the rest of the characters. There was a lot that was hard to believe and everything wrapped up a little too easily at the end. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.
    • 5/5
      Before And AgainByBarbara DelinskyWhat it's all about...Maggie has lost a child, ended her marriage and moved to a new town. She has buried the person she used to be and strives for peace every single day of her life. Her heart is broken, her soul is wounded...her comfort is her rescued animals and her sweet little cabin and her work as a make up artist. She gives beauty to damaged faces. She sculpts, too, but just not the way she did before her life changed. She tries to live within the boundaries of the new life she has set for herself. Why I wanted to read it...I had this book offered to me to review. I haven’t read a book by this author in ages. I was totally engaged in this story and these characters...it touched me deeply. What made me truly enjoy this book...I had almost forgotten how beautifully this author writes. I felt for these characters. There were many broken relationships that seemed to not have a fix. I loved the way these characters grew through their grief. This grief was powerful and devastating. Why you should read it, too...First of all...readers who love this author should not miss this book. Next..readers who enjoy an incredibly heartfelt story about love, loss and shattered relationships...will find this book addicting! I received an advance reader’s copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and Amazon. It was my choice to read it and review it.
    • 5/5
      Before and AgainBarbara DelinskyA gripping and emotional tale of a woman’s heartbreak, recovery and self-realization. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️SUMMARYMacKenzie Cooper was using her phone’s GPS, desperately trying to find the home of her five-year-old daughter’s friend. It was a narrow, dark and wooded road. She looked at her phone again for just a second. She didn’t see the stop sign, it blended with the fall foliage. A large van hit her hard. The accident killed her daughter, and the aftermath destroyed her relationship with her husband, family and friends. To escape the unrelenting pressure, she changed her name to Maggie Reid and moved to Devon, Vermont. There, she built a new life, made new friends and now has a job working as a make-artist at the local spa. She particularly loves helping clients hide visible signs of injuries and illness. She enjoys anonymity in the town, and her goal is to stay under the radar and make it though her remaining months of probation. But many people in this quaint town have stories of their own. When a friend’s teenage son is arrested for hacking a journalist’s computer and the national media turn their spotlight on the Devon, Maggie struggles with whether to become involved. She know better than most, the importance of friendships during trying times. But she also knows that if she becomes involved, her heartbreaking past will be revealed. REVIEWEverything can change in the blink of an eye. We hear it all the time. But for Maggie it really happened. It was an accident, but her world turned upside down. Her daughter died, her husband divorced her, her parents would not speak to her and her friends abandoned her. There is so much emotional pain at the start of this book that you are immediately drawn in and captured by the story. The story was in a word: masterful. It takes you from agonizing heartbreak and grief, down a road of carefully constructed recovery, toward a decision of life altering consequences. The writing is engaging and easy to read. You are easily transported to Devon, Vermont though vivid descriptions of the cold weather, the local shops and restaurants, and the encircling woods. The cast of characters are diverse and perfect and their underlying stories are entertaining. This 416 page book is easily devoured in no time, because once you start you can’t put it down. BARBARA DELINSKY, the best at strong women characters, writes about everyday people facing major challenges. She has written over 23 bestsellers and BEFORE and AFTER is sure to be another. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publisher St. Martin’s Press.Publication Date June 26, 2018.
    • 5/5
      What happened to Mackenzie Cooper could happen to any of us. She took her eyes off the road for just a moment to look at her GPS. But that moment changed her life. Her daughter dead, her marriage destroyed, turned away by her family, and hounded by the media, she changes her name and location and starts over.Devon is a quiet little village in Vermont. People there ask no questions about one’s past. Mackenzie, now Maggie Reid, has a warm little cabin, two cats, and a dog. She works as a makeup artist at the local spa. She has new friends but is always afraid they will discover her past. She has only four months left on her probation period and is trying to keep her probation officer at arms’ length. THE last thing she is looking for is a romantic relationship.But when her friend’s teenage son is accused of hacking into a powerful man’s social media account, Maggie has to decide which is more important – her privacy or loyalty to a friend. It is always said that secrets will come out, and so they do. Standing up for what she knows is right sets into motion events that Maggie never could have predicted. Barbara Delinsky always writes compelling stories of love, heartbreak and healing, family, and relationships. Through her beautiful style of writing I am able to fall into her characters’ world and experience the heartbreak and grief she so masterfully laid out on the page. The characters are realistic, engaging and are written to remind us that everyone has a story. The story moved at the right pace. A true heartwarming story. I especially loved Maggie’s relationship with her pets. All pet lovers will relate. My only complaint would be that Edward is just too perfect. Where can I find a man like that!Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to review this book.
    • 5/5
      Before and Again is one of those rare books that once you start, you just cannot put down, and as soon as you turn the last page you want to start all over again. Yes, it’s that good. Once again author Barbara Delinsky has written a book that will catch your heart and soul and stay with you for a long time.On the surface, Before and Again is about the terrible, terrible mistake Mackenzie Cooper made. Five seconds of carelessness that cost her not only her daughter but her marriage, family, friends, job, privacy, even her name ―and the ability to look at herself in the mirror without seeing a monster. A monster that deserves to remain unforgiven for the rest of her life. No one could be harder on Mackenzie, now Maggie, than she is on herself. She is only at peace with her cats and dog. But as we get to know Maggie, we see that she is much stronger than she believes, and she has a good heart. She has made new friends, although she has not revealed much of herself to them, and her work as a makeup artist has meaning and helps others.Before and Again has so many twists and turns and is so full of suspense that it is almost a mystery. Maggie may be the main character, but all the characters are so well developed and have such compelling stories of their own that you become immersed in all their lives. Circumstances and events challenge Maggie: she is not the only one to experience family tragedy or need forgiveness or a fresh start. She is forced to make choices, and some of those choices may compromise the layers she has built to hide her past. This is not a short book or a fast read, but the writing is so fluid it’s an amazingly smooth read. I read it nearly straight through because the world outside of Maggie’s life just disappeared. I hate spoilers and don’t want to reveal too much about the choices Maggie and others must make because I was on edge until the very end wondering how – or if – things would be resolved.Before and Again will introduce you to characters that are flawed but so engaging you must know the end of their stories, and take you through their heartache, loss, grief, guilt, hope, friendships, family drama, romance, and most of all - love. Barbara Delinsky is always one of my go-to authors, but she has outdone herself this time. Before and Again is a riveting, completely satisfying story that I recommend without hesitation. Thanks so much to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this amazing book.
    • 1/5
      NOT FOR ME. UGH. DNF.
      Too much on the description of applying make-up... using triangular sponges or something else... WHO CARES lol
    • 4/5
      Books starts with something we have all done, using a driving app to find where we are going. The unthinkable happens. Every parents nightmare, and the consequences that go with it. Can we reinvent ourselves? Will the past catch up? An you be a friend without putting yourself out there? Will you expose yourself, and give up your secret, for a friend? Can you forgive..yourself, your family?

      Beautifully written, appropriately titled and well researched. A definite page turner perfect for summer reading. A story about grief, decisions, family .. those by birth and the ones we choose, and always, love. If you are a fan of Ms. Delinsky, or this is your first, you won’t be disappointed.

      Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.
    • 3/5
      I didn't care for the main character...Mackenzie...from the beginning. She was unsympathetic and uncaring and unbelievable. I did like her pets. Jonah, her dog, and the two black kittens. Maybe the book should have been more about them.