The Two Lives of Lydia Bird: A New, Complex Romantic Read

Lydia thought she had her life planned out with her boyfriend, Freddie. They had ordinary lives, ordinary jobs, and an ordinary, wonderful life together. But when tragedy strikes, Lydia must reevaluate her future and try to find some solace in a world without Freddie. Both tragic and ultimately uplifting, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird tackles the pain of grief and the freedom that comes with new possibilities and new opportunity for love.

Freddie is dead. Lydia is single and left with the guilt and heartbreak from the loss of her boyfriend. Now uncertain of what her future will look like, Lydia returns to Freddie in her dreams each night, as if he hadn’t died. While her life “awake” is painful and grey, she new finds solace in the “asleep” and continues to fall even further for Freddie. But as the lines between delusion and reality blur, Lydia must choose to either accept reality and move on with her life or stay stuck in her dreams, coming back time and time again to the man she loves once her eyes shut. Brutally honest and deeply funny, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird is a testament to love as well as to the lengths we’ll go for the people we love. 

The Two Lives of Lydia Bird was nothing like I expected. While One Day in December was fluffier and heavier on the romance, this story dealt with serious topics and somehow made a romance novel into something both entertaining and motivating. Lydia deals with death, loss, depression, and anxiety, which I thought was much more complex than anything else I’ve seen in this genre. While romance is not my go-to genre, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of character and the intrigue that author Josie Silver has to offer. I definitely look forward to her future releases. 

Is Lydia capable of moving on, or is she destined to suffer living a lie? Both thought-provoking and touching, Silver presents a complex story of recovery and healing that readers of all ages are certain to fall for. This story is not a typical romance and is so much better for it. Pick up a copy of The Two Lives of Lydia Bird and follow Lydia as she re-discovers what it means to be herself and begins to open up her heart.

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