The Life List - Lori Nelson Spielman

The Life List by Lori Nelson Spielman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

'1. Go to Paris
2. Perform live, on a super big stage
3. Have a baby, maybe two
4. Fall in love

Brett Bohlinger seems to have it all: a plum job, a spacious loft, an irresistibly handsome boyfriend. All in all, a charmed life. That is, until her beloved mother passes away, leaving behind a will with one big stipulation: In order to receive her inheritance, Brett must first complete the life list of goals she'd written when she was a naïve girl of fourteen.

Grief-stricken, Brett can barely make sense of her mother's decision-her childhood dreams don't resemble her ambitions at age thirty-four in the slightest. Some seem impossible. How can she possibly have a relationship with a father who died seven years ago? Other goals (Be an awesome teacher!) would require her to reinvent her entire future.


As Brett reluctantly embarks on a perplexing journey in search of her adolescent dreams, one thing becomes clear. Sometimes life's sweetest gifts can be found in the most unexpected places.'





This is a book that I have had for a very long time, sitting on my TBR pile and not got round to reading it. I have just finished it and I did enjoy it.

As I began reading it I found similarities in the story to P.S I love you by Cecelia Ahern and I can see connections to that book.

I was engrossed into the story right from the beginning. I found it a heartwarming and at points sad book, it has emotions running throughout and as a reader I changed my mind on characters more than once.

Brett has a stable job, a spacious loft and a boyfriend she has been with for years. She seems to have it all, that is until her mother dies. The family go to hear her mothers will read out, and to Brett's surprise she is left nothing. Her sister in law inherits the company and her brothers get their share, but nothing for Brett.

When the family have left Brad, who has read the will out asks her to stay behind as he has a letter for her from her mother, this is the point we discover Brett's life list. This is a list that she created when she was 14 and her mother had kept it. It is her mothers wish that she completes the points she has highlighted, if she doesn't complete this within a year, she will not receive any of her inheritance.

We follow Brett through the story trying to complete these goals, once she has completed one she gets another letter from her mother (P.S I love you reference)

This is a story that takes you on a journey and also asks you to question your life, is everything the way you had wished it would be when you were younger? It also encourages you to analyse your life to see how you can make it better and that no matter how far you are into your life it is not too late to change and take a leap of faith.

Unfortunately for me the last few chapters felt a little rushed and I felt the story came to an abrupt end. It also left me with lots of questions unanswered. Things that I thought would have been explained perhaps were not, for this reason it is why I have given the book overall 4*.

Lori Nelson Spielman is an author I had not heard of before and I am pleased I had the opportunity to read her debut book. On the strength of this I would read others of hers.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me this copy to review.

For this review and more please visit:
Mrsbbooks2011.blogspot.co.uk