One Minute Later: A Novel

Written by Susan Lewis

Narrated by Antonia Beamish, Elisabeth Hopper and Imogen Wilde

International bestselling author Susan Lewis’ riveting, unforgettable novel of a woman whose life changes in an instant and the handsome young man with whom she shares a secret history—perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain, and Susan Wiggs.

How well do you know the people you love? For one young woman returning to the past, the answer could be heart-shattering...

Vivi Shager is living her dream. Raised with drive and ambition by a resolutely single mother, Vivi has a thriving law career, a gorgeous apartment in London, and a full calendar that keeps her busy at work and at play. Then on the day of her twenty-seventh birthday, an undiagnosed heart condition sends Vivi’s prospects for the future into a tailspin. After escaping her roots nearly a decade ago, she’s forced to return to her childhood home to be cared for by her devoted and enigmatic mother. Vivi has always known the woman is hiding something and now she’s determined to find out what it is. Though her condition makes her fragile and vulnerable and she’s afraid of what may happen, her spirit remains strong. Then comes an unexpected ray of light.

Josh Raynor, a local veterinarian who his sisters claim is too handsome for his own good, brings a forbidden love to Vivi’s world. Josh and Vivi are soon inseparable, unaware of the past their families share. All Vivi knows is that Josh is wrestling with a demon of his own…

Then quite suddenly the awful truth is staring Vivi in the face and it changes everything.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9780062945082

Susan Lewis

Susan Lewis is the internationally bestselling author of more than forty novels as well as two memoirs. Born in England and having resided in France and the United States for many years, she now lives in Gloucestershire, England.

Reviews for One Minute Later

[Asheley Tart · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Emotional, well-written, with a great cast of characters. Two distinct storylines told by two different POVs. I wasn’t sure how they would eventually come together but the author did a great job intersecting them. Loved the narration.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One Minute Later by Susan Lewis is a poignant novel that also shines a very important light on organ donation.

On her twenty-seventh birthday, Vivienne "Vivi" Shager's life forever changes after she has a heart attack. Instead of remaining in London where she works a high powered job, she returns with her mum, Gina, brother Mark and former stepfather Gil to her small seaside hometown. Vivi's new reality involves an implant to shock her heart into beating, a strict medication regimen and a quiet, stress-free life. Now living with Gina, Vivi reconnects with her best friend, Michelle, and tries to prevent herself from falling into depression. Vivi has spent a lifetime wondering her father's identity and she is determined to find out who he is with or without Gina's help.  After meeting a friend of Michelle's and her husband, Vivi is stunned by the depth of her feelings for him, but not knowing what her future holds, will they grab hold of their chance for happiness?

Before her heart attack, Vivi is a bit self-centered as she works long hours and travels frequently for her job. She has little time for her mum or Michelle due to her demanding work schedule. And yet, when Vivi is faced with a true medical crisis, there is nothing Gina and Michelle won't do for her.  After her stunning diagnosis, she tries hard to keep her spirits up, but her prognosis is grim. Although grateful for Gina's assistance, Vivi is prickly, combative and downright rude to her mum. A lot of her animosity stems from Gina's refusal to answer her daughter's question about who her father is. After her mum refuses to answer her questions,  Vivi starts searching on her own. Will Vivi's quest be successful?

Beginning in 1984, a secondary story arc follows Shelley, Jack and their family's idyllic life on their farm. Shelley and Jack are blissfully in love and although finances are tight and their property needs lots of work, their family is quite happy. With their future looking very bright, the only trouble on the horizon is a bit of an on-going feud with a neighbor.

One Minute Later is an engaging novel with a lovely cast of likable characters. Vivi's medical diagnosis and her struggle to accept what the future holds is quite emotional yet also very informative. Both story arcs are interesting but readers will need to exercise patience since the intersection between past and present is not apparent until rather late in the story.  Susan Lewis brings this endearing novel to a bittersweet conclusion that is realistic yet heart-wrenching.  An engrossing novel that I enjoyed and highly recommend.

[herschelian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A novel with two distinct halves. One is the story of Vivi, a high-flying London lawyer who has a massive heart attack out of the blue on her 27th birthday, from which it is discovered she has congenital heart disease and needs a heart transplant asap. Whilst waiting for a heart to become available she returns to a small south coast town to live with her mother Genna who has a hair salon. The other half is the story of a married couple who inherit a dilapidated farm, and through hard work turn it into a working proposition, and idyllic place in which to bring up their family. The author makes clear her love of 'The Darling Buds of May' books by H E Bates, and life on this farm is very like in his works. These two halves are eventually knitted together, and from then on it is about the race against time to get a donated heart for Vivi. I found the book somewhat shmaltzy and was not sure if the author was trying to tell a story or just using it as a platform from which to advocate the reader (and everyone else) to become organ donors.If people become organ donors after reading this it can only be a good thing, and I will urge everyone I know to go on the donor register and talk to their families about organ donation, but felt that as a reader I was being manipulated.

[bookchickdi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As I began to read Susan Lewis' novel, One Minute Later, I wasn't very excited. Another story about a young, beautiful, hugely successful lawyer who lives in a fabulous apartment in London.But then 27 year-old Vivi is rushed to a hospital when she has some kind of medical episode during her birthday party with friends. Unbeknownst to her, Vivi has a serious congenital heart condition and needs a heart transplant.Vivi moves back home to her mother's house in a small town in England. She and her mom have a strianed relationship; nothing Vivi's mom Gina says or does is right, and Gina criticizes Vivi. But now Vivi must rely on Gina and her best friends Michelle and Sam to care for her.Things look very bleak for Vivi. She is weak, frequently bedridden, and the chances of her finding a heart for transplant are low. She becomes depressed.Then she meets Josh, Sam's best friend and a local veternarian. Vivi knows she shouldn't get involved with Josh, it is unfair to both of them, but she enjoys his company and they begin to spend a lot of time together.Vivi's story is interspersed with Shelley's story from 1985. Shelley and her husband Jack inherit a dilapidated farm, and with the help of family and friends, they bring the farm back to working order and begin to raise their three children there. They struggle financially, but are a loving family.While reading, I was wondering how these two stories would intersect, and when you get the answer, it is a surprise. Lewis' leads the reader in one direction, and then she skillfully takes the story another way.Author Lewis includes a real person in this emotionally powerful story, Jim Lynskey, a young man in England who founded the Save9Lives campaign to get people to sign up to be organ donors. Lynskey himself needs a heart transplant and he befriends Vivi in this story.In addition to being a love story with a mystery, One Minute Later educates the reader about the importance of organ donation and the reality of life while waiting for a transplant. She also brought to life the hard work it takes to make a living farming.I'm always happy when a book surpasses my expectations, and Susan Lewis' One Minute Later certainly did that. I recommend it.

[susan0316 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Susan Lewis takes her readers on a roller coaster ride of a story about how life can change in just one minute. She always write wonderful stories about families but I thought that this was her best novel yet. Vivi is a successful lawyer in London. She lives in a perfect apartment, has plenty of friends and works long long hours at her job. It all changes in a minute when she has a massive heart attack at her 27th birthday party. She is unable to keep her job, her boyfriend is no longer interested in her and her friends have little in common with her new life as she moves back home to the small town she grew up in and moves in with her mother. She is aware that she is on borrowed time unless a transplant can be found and she is depressed about all of the changes in her life that led her away from her exciting life in London. She has one thing that she wants to do before she dies - she wants to find out who her father is and her mother refuses to tell her as she has all of her life. And then she meets Josh, a young vet and begins to fall in love with him. The big question through out the book is whether she will be able to get a heart before it's too late.The book is a bit confusing when after a long chapter about Vivi and her medical problems, there is a chapter about Shelley and Deerwood Farms. There appears to be no connection between the people on this farm and Viv's story. All I can tell you is to keep reading because once the connection is made it ties up any questions that you may have.I was very impressed with this book and with the characters - especially Vivi who showed determination to adjust to her new life and her continued hope for the future. I learned a lot about heart transplants and what life is like for someone waiting for a transplant. Overall, a great story!Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[vanessacw · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everything can change in a moment. Whilst celebrating her 27th birthday Vivienne Shager collapses from heart failure at a popular restaurant in London and this alters the course of her life.This is a beautiful and moving story written by one of my favourite authors. It takes the reader on quite an emotional journey which is both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. It combines fact with fiction and highlights the need for more people to get themselves on the organ donor list. It’s well written and researched with some realistic and likeable characters. It’s also a tearjerker so don’t forget your tissues!A compelling and gripping read which I thoroughly enjoyed and can recommend.