Begin Again

November 1, 2023

Acton, nominated for the Comedy Women in Print Prize for her UK debut The Shelf, gets a 75K-copy first printing for her U.S. debut, in which Frankie McKenzie dies in a freak accident involving a kebab and gets five second chances to revisit her life and see what would have happened if she made different choices. Prepub Alert.

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February 26, 2024
This heartwarming novel from Acton (The Couple) walks the line between romance and women’s fiction, with just a hint of magic. Chronically indecisive Frankie McKenzie dies on the way home from a ditched date and finds herself in the Station, a purgatory-like realm where she’s introduced to her “guide,” Mabel, who shows Frankie the five times she came to a crossroads in her life and presents her with the opportunity to “find out what life would look like if made different choices.” What if she said yes to her ex-boyfriend Toby’s proposal? What if she moved to Mexico? What if she gave a different ex, Callum, another chance? What if she hadn’t ditched that job interview to become a magazine reporter? She’ll have a 24-hour view into the answers of each of these questions. Then, Mable promises, she can return to whichever life “will make happiest.” As Frankie lives one day in each alternate timeline, she learns what—and who—is really important to her. Readers will draw meaningful lessons from Frankie’s adventures and be endeared to the quirky supporting cast. This is a page-turner. Agent: Hayley Steed, Madeleine Milburn Literary.

February 15, 2024
A 36-year-old London woman dies and finds herself with the opportunity to revisit five crossroad moments in her life to see what might have been. Frankie McKenzie is a disappointment to herself. Working for a tabloid where she writes a weekly column poking fun at celebrities' normal lives and gaffes, she's happily single and has no interest in getting married, yet judges herself harshly for her choices. She's unhappy with her lack of drive to accomplish anything, her lack of positive thinking, her feelings of abandonment from her divorced parents, and her paired-off and/or more settled friends Alice, Tom, and Priya. The night she dies--her birthday--she's set up on a blind date with a very nice man, but she sneaks away because she just can't fathom trying yet again to find someone to serve as her plus-one. She stops at her local kebab shop on the way home, but at the door she slips, hits her head, and dies. After that, she arrives at The Station, where she's told she's one of the lucky ones who will be able to revisit--for 24 hours--five versions of her life that might have unfolded after key decisions. Once she's done that, she can decide to rejoin one of them or go forward to The Final Destination. Author Acton has written a surprisingly charming story that shows how what-ifs don't have to pen a person in, and everyone can write the story of their future with every choice they make. A thoughtful exploration of how fear ties people to the past, but shouldn't, and how small choices can lead to big changes.

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March 1, 2024
Bridget Jones meets It's a Wonderful Life in this charming novel about the road not taken. It's Frankie's thirty-sixth birthday, and she's on her way to another (probably) terrible first date after a day at her (definitely) terrible job. And then--she dies. But she's a little ahead of schedule, so the powers that be give her a chance to give it another go. She's got to choose among one of the potential paths for her life based on choices she made--or didn't make, as the case may be. In Frankie, readers will find a character who is able to achieve enviable growth, but the real draw here is the wish fulfillment, offering a glimpse into what could have been if we'd only booked that ticket, answered that email, or taken that risk. Could we have been famous? Rich? Had a fabulous life? Acton manages to handle Frankie's story with humor and pathos. Perfect for fans of Josie Silver or Cesca Major's Maybe Next Time (2023).

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