A REview: No Day Like Today by Amy Teegan

I went into this book completely blind. The author, Amy Teegan, is an acquaintance, and from my talks with her, I trusted she wouldn’t let me down.

Spoiler alert: she didn’t.

No Day Like Today is a contemporary literary novel set in California. It’s the story of several lives headed for irrevocable change on the wedding day of the perfect couple. A story like this wouldn’t normally cross my radar, but I’m thrilled it did because it does a few things I love in stories.

First, it follows several characters. I love stories from multiple perspectives and in NDLT, each chapter jumps character to character while the chapter heading details the ticking clock of their fateful day. At first, it may seem hard to track who’s who, but Teegan’s effortless skill in characterization breaks down this barrier early, allowing you to connect with each character without losing momentum.

Which brings me to my next point. This story was HARD to stop reading. I take my time reading (often reading several books at once while finding small pockets of time throughout my day to fit it in), but this book challenged my routine. The brisk chapters made the story’s pacing feel almost like a thriller.

I connected the most with Leah, Dylan, and Sophie. These characters played my heartstrings with adept grace and left me craving a sequel—just one more day with everyone to see how this day changed their lives.

If you’re like me, present tense writing is off-putting. NDLT is the first work where it didn’t at all bother me. It goes to prove that sometimes my dislike for something means I’m just waiting for someone to do it right.

Also: maybe don’t buy this for someone who’s about to get married in a few months. But totally buy it if you know someone who is getting married, and you’ll be attending. You’ll have a brand new lens to view the proceedings.

If this story sounds like something you might enjoy, scoop it up.

Oh! One more thing. I love the feel of this hardback copy. It’s quite lovely.

While I don’t write literary fiction like this fantastic novel, if you love epic fantasy stories, you’ll love diving into the world of Continua. And you first adventure is free!