What Might Have Been

Questions of fate and whether anything is "meant to be" wind through Miller's tear-jerking latest (after The Sight of You), the events and tone of which range from sweetly charming to painfully emotional, even melodramatic. After eight years in the same unsatisfying position, Lucy Lambert quits her job and reaches a crossroads: stay in Shoreley, her coastal hometown, or move to London. The story splits to follow her down both paths, each with its own romantic and professional trajectory, alternating nimbly between the two to demonstrate the ramifications of choices large and small. Lucy has always been enchanted by the story of her parents' improbable whirlwind romance, from which she's derived an ardent belief in soulmates; but as the next few years play out, readers see how malleable destiny can be. Miller gracefully intertwines an impressive number of threads across the two paths, though the illustrations of small decisions leading to larger consequences can be heavy-handed, leading the story to occasionally feel emotionally manipulative. Still, Miller addresses intense, complicated issues with a sure hand and skillfully sustains the Sliding Doors conceit. Readers will be captivated throughout. (Jan.)