It’s well over six months since a surprise copy of Every Lifetime After by Jennifer Ross dropped into my post box. My huge thanks to Rhiannon Morris at Harper Collins for sending it to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Every Lifetime After today.

I have previously reviewed one of Jennifer’s Jenny Ashcroft books, Echoes of Love, here.

Published in other formats by HQ in January 2026, Every Lifetime After is coming in paperback on 16th July and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

Every Lifetime After

Can they find each other in every lifetime after…?

Claudia is searching for her past.

Suffocating in the glamour of Hollywood, A-list star Claudia Baxter is desperate for an escape. But when she arrives at the Yorkshire estate of Doverley for her next project – an epic romance set in the throes of war – Claudia is astonished to find herself slipping into the story, into the life of her heroine, into time…

Iris can’t unsee her future.

Radio operative Iris Winterton sits in the grounds of Doverley on a moonless night, watching planes depart for Europe. Her stare is fixed on one plane in particular – inside is the man she has loved since childhood. But Iris already knows that this time he’s not going to come back, and she will be the reason why.

Together, can they complete their story?

Pulled together by the past and the future, Claudia and Iris begin to unravel the threads of their connection. But in doing so, will they discover a secret bigger than they could ever imagine…?

Discover this spellbinding time-slip romance, perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid and Paige Toon.

My Review of Every Lifetime After 

Actress Claudia (Claude) Baxter is playing the part of Iris Winterton in a movie.

What a wonderful, wonderful book. I don’t often read time slip novels but Every Lifetime After has made me an immediate convert to the genre. This isn’t a book that takes yet another well known character from history and transports them to a modern setting for a bit of a romp, but rather one that examines the impact of the Second World War on ordinary people and one which delves into the possibilities of different, congruent, echoing lives through a kind of string theory of connection in a soaring love story. I adored it.

The plot is fascinating, weaving in historical detail, a variety of relationships and an interconnected story that ensnares and mesmerises the reader. This is historical, romantic, mystery, psychological writing wrapped into one glorious narrative.

Reading Every Lifetime After isn’t always easy because the depth of emotion is profound. The reasons for the complex relationship between Claude and Nick are heart breaking. They illustrate the ways in which we truly can hurt the ones we love. The parental, authoritarian and societal control exerted over those in both the 1940s and 2018 timeframes indicate just how a simple moment might alter a whole lifetime and there are moments in the story that left me enraged by the interference in other people’s lives.

I thought the depiction of the two timeframes was perfect. The war setting of the airforce base at Doverley is vivid and clear so that I could picture the men flying off on raids and feel the anxiety of those awaiting their return as if I were there with Iris, Clare and Prim. Equally impactful was the way Jennifer Ross gave me insight into making a film in the modern spotlight of media intrusion. This thread is absolutely believable. There’s such a wonderful balance in the prose between historical and modern eras and I must comment on the brilliant variety of sentence structure in Every Lifetime After. Often the shortest of sentences or phrases have the greatest impact. 

The characters are so engaging. It’s impossible not to get to know Iris and Claude intimately because there are echoes of one life in another, with parallels that shift and reverberate in a gripping narrative. Every Lifetime After feels less like reading a novel and more like watching the ripples in a pool when a stone has been dropped into it. These ripples hold all manner of emotions for those involved, from guilt to grief, and pure love to jealousy and control, and because Jennifer Ross’s writing is so effective, it’s impossible not to feel those emotions deeply too. 

There’s huge sadness in Every Lifetime After, and I did shed a tear several times, especially for those who carry burdens they could have put down and forgiven themselves for years ago. However, it is also the most gloriously uplifting tale. Jennifer Ross shows that whilst we may make mistakes and life doesn’t always work out as we want, there is always hope. There are other connections and possible lifetimes that provide opportunity and joy as well as more difficult times. This is a very moving aspect to the story.

Every Lifetime After is a beautifully written narrative that completely transports the reader and I recommend it without hesitation. I was thoroughly entertained by the story, finding it immersive, tender and mesmerising. 

About Jennifer Ross

Jennifer Ross is the pseudonym for Jenny Ashcroft, author of the historical novels, including Secrets of the Watch House, The Echoes of Love, Beneath a Burning Sky and Island in the East. 

She previously spent much of her life living in, working in and exploring Australia and Asia and now splits her time between Australia and the UK.

For further information, you’ll find Jennifer on Instagram.