Isla is incredibly confused when she gets a text message from a man she doesn’t know. A man that is telling her he is her ex-husband. As Isla begins to a texting relationship with Ewan, she begins to realize that Ewan is texting her from the future, and that he could change what will happen to them.

This book was called a mix between The Time Travelers Wife and Oona Out Of Order. That is definitely the best way to describe it! I immediately needed to know more about Ewan and Isla and what had happened in their past (future?) I found the premise to be so unique and made for such a wonderful read. I liked that they touched on the tough stuff while also keeping the story fun as well. Overall I really enjoyed this one!

(4.5 rounded up to a 5)

Twice in a Lifetime by Melissa Baron is a solid debut speculative romance featuring time shenanigans. I listened to the audiobook, which clocks in at around ten hours and is narrated by Megan Tusing.

To help ease her chronic anxiety, Isla moves from Chicago to a small town in Missouri. After buying a cottage about an hour outside of St. Louis, she receives a text from a man claiming to be her husband, complete with a photo of them on their wedding day. Ewan seems to be a few years into the future, when the two of them are no longer together. His reason for reaching out? To help save Isla from a fate he is unwilling to explain.

I didn't actually realize this was a debut until I read the synopsis again post-reading the book. I picked it up because I love my romance/women's fiction with a dash of speculative fiction. Highly recommend going into this book as blind as possible.

This is not light and fluffy, though we do get some really lovely moments. Our main character Isla is living with some heavy mental health issues--like chronic anxiety and panic attacks--as well as grieving for her mother who recently died of cancer. As a person with chronic anxiety issues, I do applaud the author for painting such a true-to-life depiction. I teared up a few times while listening to this book.

I loved the author's choice to use Ewan as a point-of-view character throughout the middle of the book. I do wish that he had some downsides, though. He's 100% cinnamon roll and doesn't seem to have any flaws, which detracts from the believability.

There's a twist about two-thirds of the way through that made me distressed. But I think the author did a great job with the ending for the book. The main themes here are the enduring quality of love across space and time, and how we are all guided by our griefs, our hopes, and the choices we have to make.

I liked this book a lot more than I liked Matt Haig's The Midnight Library, but I think there will be crossover fans here.

Tropes in this book include: time travel, epistolary, cinnamon roll hero

CW: chronic anxiety, panic attacks, grief, depression, death of parent, suicide, suicidal ideation, TBI, parental verbal abuse, bullying, gaslighting

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook! It was witty, charming, sweet, and romantic and I really loved the premise.

All kinds of feels! And the narrator does an amazing job as Isla! I loved this book but please review the content warnings.

Before the first chapter, the reader is advised of “depictions of death, depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.” Resources are provided for American readers at the end of the book, and I’ll provide a couple of Canadian ones at the end of this review.

“It’s devastating. It’s total helplessness. You’re at the mercy of these grand, sweeping, intense emotions- fear that has no direction and no real cause.”

Isla is making a fresh start in a town. She suffers from chronic anxiety and depression, exacerbated by her mothers death from cancer and not helped by her dickhead fathers hot temper and belittlement of everything in her life.

Her best friend Willow is back in Missouri, but Isla is slowly starting to make friends with her new coworkers, despite the crippling thoughts of inadequacy and doubts she has about herself that can lead to panic attacks.

And then one night, she receives a text from someone. Someone who claims to be her husband. Except Isla isn’t married. Has never been married. And does not know this man named Ewan who she is supposedly married to.

This IS a love story, but this is not a light romcom!
I highly recommend this book if you won’t be triggered by the content warnings.

Talk Suicide Canada
Phone 1-833-456-4566. 24/7/365
SMS 45645 4pm -12am ET
Website talksuicide.ca

Hope for wellness helpline for all indigenous people
www.hopeforwellness.ca
1-855-242-3310

Kids Help Phone for kids and youth in crisis 1-800-668-6868

lifevoice.ca. 2SLGBTQ+. Resources for suicide prevention and support

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audio version of Twice in a Lifetime in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This time travel novel held a little bit of a twist I sure did not expect. But it comes down to action and reaction and how one can learn to love themselves.

This novel kept me thinking ahead wondering what would it take for Isla and Ewan to get their happy ending. This was a wonderfully twisty second chance romance. The narration was incredible and I can’t wait to see what Baron comes up with next.

TW: suicide (off-page), depression, death of a loved one, cancer (off-page)

This was a very active book. It deals with depression, time travel (in communication only), brain injuries and a little mention of suicide. I was pleasantly surprised on how they addressed all that and kept the reader interested. I would recommend this book to anyone that believes time travel will be possible one day.

It’s hard to write a review of this book without spoilers, but here goes. (The publisher’s blurb already gives a lot away!) Isla has some major issues: anxiety, depression, grief over her mother’s death, to name a few big ones. I really liked how the author described Isla’s anxiety and panic attacks. Very sympathetic/empathetic. You will be surprised that this is Baron’s debut novel.

To make a new start, Isla moves away from Chicago to the St. Louis, Missouri area, renting a lovely cottage in the countryside. One day she gets a mysterious text from someone who says he’s her husband - or used to be her husband, as he’s texting her from some time in the near future! Ewan’s trying to help her, so that she can avoid something terrible. Ewan was a fabulous character, but just a little too perfect: gorgeous, kind, a wonderful son and grandson, etc. No one is that amazing. I wish the author had given him just a little imperfection of some sort.

So suspend your disbelief and dive into this lovely book!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook is narrated beautifully by Megan Tusing.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advanced audiobook.

Isla is shocked when she receives a text from a wrong number who seems to know everything about her. When he claims to be her husband, Ewan, but from a different timeline of her life, she doesn't know how to react. Can they sort out the mistakes made in the past to find their future together?

This book was everything! If you ever want to know what it's like to have anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, this book is for you. The representation is great and is so hopeful even when its dark. Isla and Ewan are great for each other! I loved seeing them fall in love every time. Easy 5 stars!

HOLY CRAP!! HOLY CRAP!! HOLY CRAP!!!

This book broke me and I loved every second of it!!!

I was shocked to learn this was Melissa Baron debut novel… and quite sad if I am being honest. I was prepared to go full obsession and read everything. If this book does not explode in popularity, I will be shocked and disappointed!!

This gut-wrenchingly beautiful story follows Isla and Ewan through time (literally), tackling difficult topics with care.

This is one story I would recommend going into blind. The less you know beforehand the better the book is. I think I honestly cried through 70% of it. It’s so beautifully written.

Thank you, NetGalley and Alcove Press for blessing me with the best book of 2022!!! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! What an amazing story! I loved the dynamic between Ewan and Isla across the timelines and Isla’s journey in her mental health. Will absolutely recommend!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! The story was exactly what I expected. I’m a sucker for an out of time story, add in a romance aspect and I’m all over it. I loved listening to Isla and Ewan’s story.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape media for a copy of this audiobook! This is my honest voluntary review.

Did you love the movie "Lake House" as much as I did? Captivated by the efforts of both characters to reach backward or forward in time to prevent suffering for the other? Then you will also appreciate this new release where Isla and Ewan connect via cell phone to future and past timelines in a "magic cottage." I loved the setting in St. Louis and Hannibal, Missouri. Isla and Ewan are a couple you genuinely like and want to root for. Isla suffers from anxiety and we get a front row seat to her therapy and coping techniques. It is a thrill for the reader to see her grow as a character. I also loved the fact that Ewan has Pachinko by Min Jin Lee in his suitcase on a trip. Also, the descriptions of Isla's art are lush and inviting. Overall, an entertaining and informative read. The steam level was a bit higher than I prefer and at times the plot seemed to stall in the first half, so rounding up from 3.5.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so precious! The reader gets to know Isla, who deals with anxiety and depression, and mysterious caller Ewan, who insists that he knows her. A time traveling romance… and totally worth it! I cried quite a bit during this one, and the audiobook was done so well. One line from the book struck me, as a quirky person, about the importance of finding your people: “It thrilled her to say the inside parts aloud… the thoughts she always had too late, or was too scared to speak into the air.” 🥹

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing! It reminded me a lot of The Time Traveler’s Wife, but it tackled the heavier topics of depression and loss. I loved Isla and Ewan as they were amazing together and all I wanted was for them to be happy because they had to do so much to end up together.

This book wrecked me in the best ways. Twice in a Lifetime by Melissa Baron was such a unique take on the time travel trope, and I was completely blown away by the mental health representation from start to finish.

When Isla receives the first text from a man claiming to be her husband, she thinks it’s a hoax. She isn’t married. But she soon realizes that, despite how impossible it seems, this is really happening, and Ewan, her husband in the future, is trying to save her. In his timeline, she’s dead, and he desperately wants to change that. But the thing about messing with fate is that it changes everything. Literally. As soon as she passes the point in her timeline that would eventually lead to her death, all contact with Future Ewan stops because it was because of the accident that they met in the first place. This forces Isla, who suffers from an anxiety disorder, to stretch and grow in order to meet the current version of Ewan in hopes that in her timeline, too, they will meet and fall in love.

I loved the subtleties of this one. Isla’s journey is incredible and also realistic. As someone who has experienced suicidal ideation, I loved how gently Ewan encourages and stretches her, but also how honest he was about his shortcomings in his own timeline. This book deals with suicide, suicidal ideation, anxiety, depression, grief, and a traumatic brain injury, so this is definitely one to read with care—but I think it’s such a worthwhile read if you’re in the right headspace.

I kept wondering how it would resolve, and all I’ll say is Baron did a fantastic job. I will be sharing this book with my bookclub and also with my followers on instagram because I absolutely loved it.

Firstly, I absolutely adored this book and it is definitely in the running for my favorite book of this year. It is at the very least in the top 10 or even top five. If you struggle with anxiety or depression, or know anybody who does or even just like a good love story you will love this book .

I have seen some compare this book to the Time Travelers Wife and I totally get why. I love that book too, and I also understand the comparison however, this book absolutely stands on its own. It does not at all feel like a recounting of that book or a reflection of it like some books do . This book is absolutely its own thing and has its own message and is entirely cohesive on its own.

The main characters (really all of the characters) are absolutely lovable. Part of the charm of the main character is that she doesn’t realize that about herself. Part of the charm of Ewan it is that he does enough to help her.

I don’t want to give any spoilers. This book is so good, and the last thing I would ever want to do is ruin the journey you’re about to go on if you are picking this book up. I would just encourage you to please pick this book up if you were at all interested in the premise of this book, give it a chance. I am so glad that I did.


Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an advance review copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t even know where to start with this book…in a good way! This book gave me all the feels…

Isla receives a text from *clearly* a wrong number. The man claims that he is her husband…in the future. Ummm…is this an elaborate prank?!? But how does he know so much about her? Through multiple texts, and a photo evidence, Isla truly believes that the mysterious and charming Ewan IS in fact her husband in the future. What Ewan doesn’t want to say out right , is how to save Isla from her inevitable fate. But taking a different course might mean she never ends up meeting Ewan. Can Isla change her fate yet still hold on to this man with whom she is developing strong feeling for?

I listened to this book over the course of two days. I did NOT want to stop. This is definitely a page turner, pulled at ALL the heartstrings, and made me root for her and Ewan to find each other in a future that was changed.

You guys know I love ALL things time travel and this is one that I will highly recommend! A time crossed romance? Yes, please!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🤩

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen to this amazing book!

“She loved the city… She even loved it in winter, when Chicago became cruel and cold and bitter as a jilted lover.” I loooove winter but this quote is so accurate 🤣

Isla, with her chronic anxiety on overdrive, has fled the city for some small-town living after a painful and exhausting year. But then she gets a text from a man who claims he’s her husband. Obviously a wrong number…right? Except the mystery texter sends back a picture of them—on their wedding day.
 
Isla begins texting with her maybe-husband Ewan, who claims to be reaching out from the future. Ewan knows Isla incredibly well, and seems to love her exactly as she is. But he’s also trying to save her from a fate he is unwilling to share—and all she can do is learn to be happy, now, in the body she has, with the mind she has.

If ever I have wanted to jump inside the printed pages of a story and give a protagonist a hug, it is with Isla. Oh my heart. This book is so full of love and hope but also touches on some pretty heavy subjects such as depression and suicide. But it is done so tenderly and with such heart that I can feel Isla’s angst seeping through the pages. If you have ever suffered from anxiety I can imagine that you would find Isla’s struggles to be real and accurate, and the peek inside her brain was a heartfelt one. I was cheering her on from the very first page.

I also really enjoyed the audio, narrated by @megantusing. She brings a lot of heart and emotion to the characters with her narration and that always helps when connecting with them. Both Isla and Ewan have their own distinct tones which I appreciate, especially during dialogue. These two just seem so REAL!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, @penguinrandomhouse @alcovepress @dreamscapemedia and @melissabaronwrites for the ARC and ALC.

Isla has moved to a small town to make a fresh start when she gets a text from a man who claims to be her husband, and he even has the wedding photo to prove it. What unfolds is a convoluted tale of time-crossing, second chances, and self development.

This book was marketed as a romance, and that is the source of my consternation with this book. It was far too depressing and very disappointing for the romance genre. If you can go into this book aware that it's not going to be an uplifting romance, I think you will have a better chance of enjoying it for what it is - an insightful and engrossing fiction debut with intimate contemplations on mental health and grief.

The narrator did a fantastic job conveying the deep emotional tone of the writing. There were moments in the audiobook when the time-hopping got confusing, which may not happen when reading a written copy.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for providing me with an advance listeners copy to review!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced audiobook. Isla deals with depression, anxiety and death of a parent. She buys a cottage outside of St Louis for a fresh start, and receives a text message from someone claiming to be her husband in the future. When I first read about this book, I thought it would be a romantic story similar to the time traveler’s wife. However, this story went deep into self-talk and how it can change your life and those around you. Isla’s story and perspective gripped me from the very beginning, and I highly recommend. TW: depression, anxiety, suicide, death of a parent, parental abuse.