It was my privilege to interview Charlotte Butterfield about her novel The Second Chance for a podcast a couple of years ago (you can listen here) and I love her writing. Consequently, when a surprise copy of her latest novel The Life I Didn’t Plan dropped into my post box I simply had to read it straight away. My huge thanks to Becky Hunter for sending it to me.

You’ll find my reviews of two of Charlotte’s books, The Second Chance and The Sister Switch along with an interview celebrating By This Time Tomorrow on Linda’s Book Bag here.

The Life I Didn’t Plan is published by Harper Collins imprint Avon on 18th June 2026 and is available for purchase through the publisher links here. 

The Life I Didn’t Plan

Beth didn’t expect to get pregnant at seventeen.

Nor did she think she’d lose the name and address of the father of her child. Swept up in romance on her French exchange, all she remembers is that his hair smelt like mangoes.

Now, in 2026, at her school reunion, she opens the time capsule she wrote to herself at that time. Inside she finds a letter that alters everything Beth thought she knew about her past, and provides an all important clue for finding the father of her 19-year-old daughter, Maisie.

Hit hard by the difference between the life she hoped for and the one she’s living, Beth is faced with a choice: chase the adventures she once dreamed of, or embrace the new opportunities life presents?

My Review of The Life I Didn’t Plan

Getting pregnant at 17 wasn’t quite what Beth had planned.

What a fabulous book. I loved every moment of The Life I Didn’t Plan. I found it convincing, emotional and completely engaging. It’s an absolute belter.

The plot is super as Beth decides now is the time to begin to live a little. The fact that her ‘journey’ through The Life I Didn’t Plan doesn’t always happen in a straightforward manner, frequently stalls and more often than not terrifies her, ensures that the reader is on her side throughout. 

Beth is such a brilliant character. Having spent her entire adult life focused on Maisie, when Maisie heads to university she finds herself somewhat adrift. This is hugely relatable. Whilst she adores her daughter, there is also the poignant sense that she has missed out on her own life in the interim of bringing up Maisie. She has an uneasy relationship with her own parents which provides contrast and depth.

Her job is quite wonderful as she works in palliative care at the end of people’s lives. It’s this profession that leads to so much humour in The Life I Didn’t Plan. Charlotte Butterfield explores the links between life and death, between joy and sadness, and between grief and relief with remarkable dexterity so that the reader feels as if she might be describing their own life, drawing them in and making them feel ‘seen’. 

I thought the dynamic between Beth and her daughter Maisie was brilliantly handled because the closeness of their relationship is warm and loving and the direct speech between them is so natural that it’s like eavesdropping on their conversations. At the same time, both have secrets and opinions that they don’t always express fully for fear of hurting one another so that there’s the capacity for tension and change, giving added interest to this fabulous story. 

There’s also a wonderful romance in The Life I Didn’t Plan. I was completely enamoured of Jack myself. Charlotte Butterfield is fully aware of Beth’s flaws and presents her unreasonable side as well as her humour as she gets to know Jack, making for fun, frustration and laugh aloud moments that ameliorate some of the more emotionally charged events. I thought this aspect of the book was magnificent. 

Whilst The Life I Didn’t Plan is totally wonderful, for me the most fabulous aspect was the exploration of second chances, and of the realisation that what we think we want isn’t necessarily what we truly want  – or need. Reading Beth’s story helps the reader to reflect on their own life, assess their own priorities and give thanks for successes, however small they may be. This makes the story incredibly impactful and touching as well as funny and entertaining. 

The Life I Didn’t Plan is a cracking read. It made me laugh aloud, brought an occasional lump to my throat and held me captivated from start to finish. I cannot recommend it highly enough. And now I’m off to stick my bucket list on the fridge – or am I? 

About Charlotte Butterfield

A former magazine editor, Charlotte Butterfield was born in Bristol, England and studied English Literature at the University of London, and a Masters in Gender and Women’s Studies at Birmingham. She moved to Dubai by herself on a one-way ticket with one suitcase in 2005 and left for Rome twelve years later with a husband, three children and a 40ft shipping container. After four years in Italy working as a freelance journalist, living the dolce vita and eating tiramisu with every meal, she now lives in the Cotswolds teaching and writing.

Her first novel won a Montegrappa award at the 2016 Emirates Festival of Literature, and she went on to publish three romantic comedies before pivoting to high-concept women’s fiction with heart. Her second novel in this space, The Family Fix (previously You Get That From Me) was The Times Book of the Month upon publication, and later one of The Times Popular Fiction Books of the Year in 2023. She currently publishes with Avon at Harper Collins UK. Her novel, The Second Chance, has been optioned for film by a major Hollywood studio, and her next book, The Sister Switch (aka grown-up Parent Trap) was released in May 2025.

For further information, visit Charlotte’s website, or find Charlotte on Facebook and Instagram.