Ok Jodie knows I love her writing...  I also adore her as a person who I've had the pleasure of meeting and love chatting with on Twitter...  before I get to the review I have to leave this here...



Yep...  I went there!

So on to the book, I don't read a lot of F/F but I don't see a lot of it in my feeds normally.  I have enjoyed the ones I have read so far and plan on trying to read more of them once I survive February so if you have any you've read let me know.  In this case we have a second chances romance where two women have had kids, been married and lived their lives with a lot of love but now are they willing to take the risk to love again?  There is a lot to overcome with one being the boss of the other and the fact that they are working in a very male, hetero field but these two women find a way to grasp this connection to create a new life with one another that is to be envied.

Talia is finally doing something she loves by working with the Police Department and their community involvement team.  She's happy to be the assistant to a woman who sets sparks off and makes her want something that she doesn't think she can have but as they work together the sparks seem to build to flames.  Talia had an amazing husband who she lost way too early but it has left her with a great view of love and now perhaps a chance to find it with a woman who makes her want.  I loved seeing her with her daughters as we get glimpses of how strong her partnership was with her husband.  You see how they built a life together and how that shaped the women her daughters have become.  They both had their own stories to go thru but they also provided Talia with the advice to go for what she wanted.  The support she received from them allows her to fight for what she wants.

Eve made me so happy as we got to see her fight for what she wanted while taking a risk that could impact the career she worked so hard to build.  She does make some choices that weren't always the best but there was always a perceived good idea that underscored the choice.  I liked seeing her son and her reaction to his relationship as it felt like something I'd see in my real life should the situation arise.  I can see how much Eve cares for those around her and how badly she wants to help those who need it.  She's strong but with Talia she does show how much love means to her.  She's bold but practical and seeing how hard she fights to make things work will make you happy.  When the dark moment arrives it will hurt but how it plays out shows how much family means to her.

The story is a sweet love story with two women who love with everything in them.  It shows both in their relationship with each other and the ones they share with their children.  Give this one a try as it is truly a story of family and finding love later in life.

Nice, engaging story with well-written characters. I can highly recommend it

I wish the book was a bit longer. It helps in fleshing out some of the details a bit, although overall I thought this book had wonderful characters. It's also refreshing when the characters aren't in their 20's or 30's, since both of these ladies are a bit more "worldly" I'd like to say.

Yes, there was a lot of mention about the ex and that can get repetitive, but that's also part of the heart of this story. Do you want to get with someone who could break your heart again when you've already gone through that? It's a complex problem for Talia.

I also thought the family bonds that both characters had were both sweet and very realistic. I didn't feel like the kids got shelved for the romance part of this book.

Overall a pretty strong book.

Twice in a Lifetime is a cute story with little angst, a tiny bit of suspense and a sweet love story. What initially drew me to the book was that it featured two women over 50. This is really rare in the romance genre; plus the blurb sounded great! Not to forget that it has a super lovely cover.
But...I feel like it just wasn't for me. I can't exactly pinpoint why I didn't love it -- overall it was a nice read -- and I would recommend it. It's doesn't take long to get into the story and it's a rather fast and easy read. You definitely get what's promised in the blurb. I just somehow never really clicked with either of the characters.

Their romance is sweet and heartwarming. Both Eve and Talia know what they want and it was cute to see them fall in love. But I struggled a bit with the power imbalance and how neither Talia nor Eve want to acknowledge it -- even ignore it. It takes Eve's boss to take matters into his hands - once he discovers their relationship - and I just feel like they both have enough life experiences to know that they should have informed their boss. Especially because workplace romances didn't seem to be an issue at the station.

What I loved about Twice in a Lifetime was how it was such a non-issue for either of the kids when their mom's started dating. I loved the easy acceptance and how the kids among each other built familial bonds. It added to the whole easy-going and nice vibe the book had going. I'd definitely recommend the book if you are looking for a nice, drama-free story that will make you smile.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a warm and life-affirming story about a second chance romance between two women in midlife. Boss and employee, Christian and Jewish, black and white, there is much that separates Lieutenant Eve Poe and her new hire, Talia Wasserman. But the easy friendship and the frisson of attraction between these two make the mothers of adult children try for a second chance at love.

I wanted to believe in the connection between Talia and Eve more than I actually did. Told from Talia’s perspective, there are possibly too many times where she tells us about her attraction to Eve. Sexual chemistry is something readers should feel without having to be constantly told about it. I’m also not sure these two are always true to character. Both are pillars of their community, but there are moments when they come across as giggly, sex-starved sorority sisters.

This is quite a slow story. The only police action is recounted after it happens. Despite their jobs in a police department, this is mostly a gentle domestic drama. In midlife, both Eve and Talia’s lives are complicated and their relationships with their families are paramount. I enjoyed the warmth and truth in the interactions between the women and their children. I enjoyed watching Talia find herself in her new workplace.

The book may not be as exciting as I expected from the blurb, but I enjoyed the characters and their quiet dramas. I love reading about interesting women in their fifties and I think these two are probably more interesting than the usual twentysomethings in romance novels.

I totally picked up this book because I follow the author on Twitter. I read her tweets about the book as she wrote it and later edited. She caught my attention with talk of older characters (they're in their 50s), diverse characters, sexy times, and sweet romance. Even so, I held off on requesting it because 99% of what I read are male and female pairings or 1 woman with 2 males. I don't do much reading in other pairings but Ms Griffin made this book sound so appealing that I stepped out of my comfort zone and requested the book. I'm glad I did as I enjoyed it and it made me smile.

Talia is a bisexual Jewish woman who was married to a man and has grown children. She never explored her bisexuality before but has always been attracted to both men and woman. Eve was also married to a man but has spent many years involved with women. She has a grown son. Sparks fly between Talia and Eve immediately but Talia, new to the world of loving women, and rusty at flirting with anyone, is unsure if she's reading Eve's cues correctly, and there's the issue that Eve is her boss. Eve is a black gay woman, and conscious of the fact that she's Talia's boss. Despite the fact that they talk a lot about that problem, they don't ever really sit down and consider their options, and neither seems aware of the power imbalance between them.

The romance is sweet and fun. They are good together, have fun together, and are patient with each other. Eve is patient with Talia as she explores her first relationship and romance with a woman. Both of them showed a lot of respect for each and didn't play games. If one of them messed up, it wasn't drawn out. They talked with each other and they apologized to each other. It was, mostly, a relationship between equals. I say mostly because Eve was Talia's boss which can't help but create a power imbalance which was ignored. To Eve's credit, she treated Talia like another employee at work and both of them worked hard at keeping their behavior purely professional when at work.

I had mixed feelings about how well Talia's kids handled finding out she was bi. On the one hand, it was refreshing to have a lack of angst and fuss but at the same time, her daughters were casual in their acceptance. I suspect that says more about me than it does about the characters.

I think my favorite thing about the story were the relationships. Eve and Talia, Eve and her son, Talia and her daughters, Talia and Eve's son, etc. They were vibrant, strong, and sweet and drove the story. The story is low on angst and high on texture and depth and made me feel good.

This is a lovely , sometimes bittersweet, second chance romance for two women in their early fifties who were married , had children and were widowed. One, Eve, knows she's gay, the other, Talia, has suspected she's bisexual but never acted on it. Plus there's a hitch- they work together. Eve is Talia's new boss for her civilian job as community liaison at the police department and while they can explore their friendship and growing feelings for each other outside of work, they have a dilemma for what to do at work. Plus Eve's a working police officer which means she could be hurt in the line of duty. Having both lost someone dear, is it worth it to go all in on a new relationship?

I enjoyed this story. Both Talia and Eve know what loss is like and have to make conscious decisions about whether to let their hearts be involved again. Their attraction to each other isn't easy to put aside, and they share some sexy scenes together as they sort through their feelings. The relationships they have with their children are very realistic and there are timely conversations about the every day realities women face, from Eve's job as a gay black woman in her high position in the police department to Talia's daughter who recently caught her boyfriend cheating on her. There's a small element of suspense with a threat to female officers weaved through the story that culminates in some drama and intensity in the second half. Fortunately Eve and Talia find a way to get through it all and there is a lovely happy ending for the new couple.

This review has been posted at sale sites and on Goodreads.

This is a quick read about two 50ish women who fall in love. It’s super sexy and you definitely see the tension and chemistry between Eve and Talia. At times it felt like it was weighed down by minutiae of work stuff and kid stuff. The book is on the shorter side, 202 pages, so it felt like some things were really quick- specifically how Eve and Talia went from dating to being in a relationship and telling their kids. There is also a plot where someone is threatening female officers in the city and so that is hanging over the story. Although I could have done without it, it was still handled well. If you are looking for a f/f story, “seasoned” main characters and don’t mind a little bit of suspense, you may enjoy this story.
Grade- C

I really couldn't get into this book. It just didn't hit home for me. I think because the characters ages.

I really liked this book. It's refreshing to read about women with grown kids finding happiness in their fifties. It made me feel so much and I enjoyed seeing how the relationship developed.
Some things seemed a little unrealistic (so much sex at that age? Just thinking about it makes me exhausted!), but their love and their contact with their children were ideal. Also although both women had been married to men before, the men were conveniently dead, so there was no angst caused by exes. It was a really pleasant read, very much to my taste.

Twice in a Lifetime is true to its name. The book followers a widow, named Talia, who is in her 50’s, and start to work as the assistant to a police station’s lieutenant, Eve. This eventually leads to a romance between the two. This is the first time Talia has been with a woman after knowing she’s bisexual for quite some time.

I think this book might’ve just not been for me. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it. It was kind of boring and there were some issues I had. Since Eve is Talia’s boss the power imbalance wasn’t really acknowledged to the degree it should have. I didn’t find the characters or the plot that engaging. I liked that Talia had a close relationship with her daughters though. I wish we got to see more of them.

I think it was good to show you can find another love of your life and that’s an overall good premise but I think the book just wasn’t really for me.

The book was a easily and quickly read romance without many surprises. It was kind of predictable- I even would say a bit too much predictable, which didn’t make as engaged in the story as other romances do. The writing style is something to get used too and I didn’t like that the POV was only from Talia. There were many parts where I was wondering what Eve is thinking since she reacted kind of strange and it didn’t make sense without her print off view.
All in all it was an enjoyable romance nobvel.

This was a cute read with believable characters. The angst was a little much for me as well as the email threat being a bit farfetched. If you’re looking for an easy read with the two mains being older than this is the book for you.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36560885-twice-in-a-lifetime" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Twice in a Lifetime" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1511402606m/36560885.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36560885-twice-in-a-lifetime">Twice in a Lifetime</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5758239.Jodie_Griffin">Jodie Griffin</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2226870766">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I rec'd an ARC from NetGalley/Riptide Publishing in exchange for an honest review.<br />This is an easily read romance about second chances with leads Eve and Talia, both in their 50's. Good to read a story with older characters.<br />A solid 3 stars.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

Twice in a Lifetime is a sweet, well written romance story. Talia is starting over after the death of her husband and begins a new job at the local police department. She immediately recognizes her new boss from a past encounter and quickly realizes she is attracted to her. Eve is a high ranking officer who is in charge of Community Relations and is very dedicated to her role. Her new assistant challenges that dedication in a way she was not expecting.

The plot was a bit predictable but overall it was a well written romance story.

An enjoyable romance with two interesting characters. Talia Wasserman is determined to be the best worker she can as she enters the workforce. She also finds herself attracted to her new boss. Eve Poe is a dedicated police officer and she finds herself attracted to her new employee. Trouble is brewing. Slow pull toward each other with some expected and unexpected situations encountered. Enjoyable but not as engaging as I hoped it would be. Too predictable??

This was a decent romance hovering somewhere around 3 to 3 1/2 stars for me. It was a quick read and pretty pleasant, not much angst at all.

Lieutenant Eve Poe and Talia are in their early 50’s. We don’t get many books with older women, so it was an interesting change. There was a few times I thought the women acted more in their 20’s, but most of the time it felt right. For the most part I found both character to be pretty likeable. Also, Eve was a POC which I’m always happy to see.

With both women working for the police (though Tal has a civilian job) I was hoping for a bit more excitement. The most exciting scenes ended up happening off camera and we are never even told why Eve did what she did. The question is asked but never answered and it felt almost like the author just forgot.

There were also a few times I thought the book was almost too sweet. Almost in the sickening sweet stage, especially when it came to the kids. For instance, Eve’s son calling Tal “Mom” when Eve and Tal hadn’t even been together for all that long. Things just seemed to get a little mushy a little quickly.

Overall it was a decent romance. If you are looking for a sweeter romance without much angst, this book might be the one you are looking for.

This is a light romantic book between two women who have emotional depth and a respect towards each other and their families. I like the way the author made two characters who connect with each other and are open and honest. It's refreshing.

The police department is a nice backdrop to the development of the two characters interacting and become emotionally intimate, which leads to the romantic spark for Eve and Taliah.

The book lacks some of the tight dynamic police drama, but for the most part it's a thoughtful, well written romance novel.

This one fell flat for me. Maybe it was because it was older characters. I like YA and NA more....