Captured On Film.: Begin Again by Helly Acton

Tuesday, 11 July 2023

Begin Again by Helly Acton

The Good Place meets Sliding Doors, Begin Again is an uplifting novel about life's what if's, missed chances and new beginnings.

Despite living firmly in her comfort zone, Frankie McKenzie feels unsettled. She can't help feeling something's missing. Is it a home to call her own? Travel? A more rewarding job? A relationship? Before she can work it out, she dies in a freak kebab-related accident after yet another dud of a first date.

But life isn't over for Frankie. Instead, she is offered a second chance: Frankie can revisit key moments from her past to see if different choices will lead her away from that fateful takeaway and on to the fulfilling life she's always dreamt of.

Soon, Frankie will see what her life would have been if only she'd caught that one-way flight, accepted the marriage proposal or attended the intimidating job interview. Will she finally find her Mr Right? Or discover she already had?

What would you change if you could begin again?

Praise for Helly Acton:

'A romcom with a difference' Sarra Manning

'Genius, funny and thought-provoking. 5 stars' Carrie Hope Fletcher

'Warm, witty and thought-provoking' Abbie Greaves

'A fresh, funny, razor-sharp take on society's views of relationships. It's feminist, it's provocative and a total joy to read' Hannah Tovey

'Helly's writing is filled with such humour and warmth, it makes me laugh and think whilst seamlessly tackling complex ideas about modern society. What a triumph!' Abigail Mann

'Funny and clever. I loved every single line' Lucy Vine

Purchase Link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BXWYZVDR/

What did I think?

I was intrigued by the premise of this book - what would you do if you could go back to certain times of your life and wonder if you had made different decisions where those decisions would have taken you?

I found this a difficult book to review without giving too much away - I don't want to spoil it for anyone. But I will say I found this such an entertaining read and it was quite different to anything else I have read before.

I found it quite thought provoking - made me look at my own life and think about what path I might have gone down if I had made different decisions at certain times in my life.

I breezed through this book and became quite invested in Frankie. The writing was clever and funny. You need to add this one to your TBR pile.

Author Bio – Helly Acton is a copywriter from London with past lives in Zimbabwe, the Middle East and Australia. She studied Law at King's College London before following a more creative path into advertising. At 26, Helly took a career break to travel in Africa and Asia, before landing in Sydney. Six years and one life-affirming break up later, she returned home and threw herself into online dating in the city. Helly uses this experience as a single woman in her early thirties - torn between settling down and savouring her independence - as a source of inspiration.

Helly currently lives in Berkshire with her husband, Chris, their two young boys, Arlo and Jack and their little dog, Milo. Sometimes, she gets their names mixed up.