The Time of My Life by Samantha Tonge 

I hadn’t read Samantha Tonge’s books before, but the premise of this one instantly grabbed me — the idea of buying someone else’s life is such an intriguing hook. What surprised me, though, was just how much more the novel delivered. It’s full of twists and turns, emotional depth, and clever surprises, and I found myself so absorbed that it even made me late for work.

Carrie is a young woman juggling a rental flat, two jobs just to make ends meet, and the company of her gorgeous cat, Boo. She’s fallen out with her two best friends, money is tight, and life feels overwhelming. So, when she spots an advert for a life for sale, it seems like the perfect solution. She decides to sell her own life and use the money to finally fulfil her dream of going to Greece. Eliza is the winning bidder, and she steps straight into Carrie’s world: her rented home, her evening job, her friends, most of her wardrobe — and even beloved Boo. But Eliza is not at all what Carrie expected. For a start, she’s in her mid‑seventies, something that shocks Carrie’s friends and boss in equal measure. Why would someone in their seventies want to buy a younger woman’s life? What is she running from — or towards? Read the book to find out.

This is such a clever, original novel — far more layered than the premise first suggests. Samantha Tonge weaves the idea of “buying a life” into a story full of unexpected twists, emotional surprises, and moments that genuinely stop you in your tracks. I loved how the plot kept shifting just when I thought I’d worked it out, and how both Carrie and Eliza reveal more depth as the truth slowly unfolds. It’s engaging, thought‑provoking, and wonderfully twisty — a book that keeps you turning the pages long past when you meant to stop.

 

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8360292609