Police officer Callie returns home to work in the small town where she grew up. She runs into Taylor who apparently hates still her. Taylor was married to Andrea, Callie's close friend and firefighter, before Andrea died in a fire she was working. When Taylor and Andrea were married, Taylor was never friendly towards Callie. Now that Taylor has lost the love of her life to a dangerous job, she's certainly not about to get involved with another woman in an equally dangerous job. But an attraction that has been simmering for years has other ideas in mind for Callie and Taylor. 

Perhaps because this was the third book I read in a week about women returning to a small town where they grew up and then falling in love, and the first two were incredible and unique, that this one fell a little flat. It was a sweet and simple book with a healthy dose of emotional turmoil. It was really good and I would still recommend it, but it missed a little sparkle.

The romance was really sweet and I really like the way the author took us on an emotional journey and character evolution as the ladies figured stuff out in their own lives. I liked that love didn't magically fix everything, it was very real and heartfelt. I didn't love the stalker part of the story, it didn't seem to fit in the groove of the rest of the story. 

I really enjoyed this author's writing, it was the first book I read by her, and I will definitely be going back to check out some of their other books. 

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't aware this book was a part of a series until after I read this book, but thankfully this a stand-alone novel. Callie's older sister, Quinn and her partner Grace return from book 1. Callie ends up renting the apartment above Grace's bookstore so the tie-in to the couple from book 1 is solidly there, and having not read book 1 it was clear that they were a likable pair with a supporting role rather that part of a story I was missing. Thank you for that as I am frustrated with authors and publishers not communicating when a book is part of a series and I end up confused part way into a book 2 or thereafter utterly confused about a plot. 

Moving on, Callie and Taylor have a lot of history since Taylor was married to Callie's best friend and firefighter, Andrea who tragically dies on the job prior to the beginning of the book. Surprisingly, while they share significant history and a connection in Andrea, they unexpectedly and inexplicably share very little time together prior to Andrea's death. We find out why later on which I thought was a unique and brilliant plot twist because it was a real stretch to believe they had barely talked until years later. Another subplot that involves a stalker adds some suspense to their burgeoning romance, but the central theme revolves around finally being open to love that's been right under your nose all along. The history of those circumstances are unexpected and not the usual formula of lesfic romance and I really appreciated the author's ability to surprise me with originality in a predictable genre.

An honest review thanks to NetGalley.  This was a great read; I loved Callie.  I had read the first in the series before this but to be honest, I didn't remember it much.  So it is not necessary to read the first book before this one.  This was a great romance even though part of the plot was a bit cliche.  I was impressed with the writing and how quickly i was drawn into the story.

So, this isn't technically part of a series, I think, but, it does have in it characters from the previous book, The Right Kind of Wrong. Quinn and Grace. And it was nice to see them again.

But, this story is about Callie, a Police Detective (and Quinn's little sister) and Taylor, the owner of the bar and Quinn's boss. Neither of them are in the prefect place to start a relationship. Callie's been hurt before and people think she is a player. Taylor lost her firefighter wife about four years before the story starts, Andrea, who had also been Callie's BFF, and she is still grieving.

There is a ton of back and forth between the two as they're falling in love and it was interesting that when the book starts they may know each other, but they're not even friends.

I liked the book a lot, I liked how PJ weaved in Grace and Quinn (and all the characters' families) into the story. And the story between the two main characters too. The romance I've read there generally isn't a lot of death of the first partner (maybe in some). And that sort of push and pull between the two ladies usually produces a lot of surprising twists that isn't in a conventional romance. Oh, and one of the subplot's endings. Holy crap.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35504490-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/1498246640m/35504490.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35504490-twice-in-a-lifetime">Twice in a Lifetime</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3453678.P_J_Trebelhorn">P.J. Trebelhorn</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2288599866">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
An okay romance with mature main characters Taylor and Callie. There are ups and downs in the storyline which ends somewhat abruptly but predictably. Second book in the Burke series but can be read as a "stand alone".<br />I rec'd an ARC for review from NetGalley/Bold Strokes Books.<br />3 stars. 
<br/><br/>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

IDK, was ok. As with all romances now adays I play a little, when is the breakup going to happen game. This time it was at 87%. I was off by at least a dozen percent. Usually it's between 60-80. So that was a swing and a miss on my part. It's not even really like they were even together really. There's so much push pull drama it really was no big deal. Although I did feel bad for Callie. Taylor never really treats her all that well. 

There isn't really a plot per se in this. There's a couple of sub plots like a stalker, the previous wife, the job, bizarre hating sister, etc, but nothing but dramatic scenes really push the story along. The lack of that arc really doesn't give a lot of buy in to what's going on. There's not enough time given to the feels to make you really care what happens. At least in my opinion that is. I know *that* never coincides with the majority. 

Pretty much skipped over the end. Once the bar scene happened, I pretty much knew what was going to happen. The last few percent were pretty predictable.

This was a  nice romance with a bit of drama.  The characters were likable and the story was engaging.  I found it to be a bit of an emotional roller coaster and was interested in what was happening next.  The pages turned themselves.  I will recommend this to my students for the book group.

Callie is a cop and secretly crushes on the widow of her best friend and boss of her sister. Taylor owns a bar and keeps herself distant from the joys of life since her wife died. When Callie gets shot, Taylor offered to help her and they get closer.
The romance has a rocky start as Taylor vacillates between sexual attraction and dislike of Callie’s profession as it reminds of her wife. Callie herself is sending mixed signals between understanding the distance, light flirting, and pushing the boundaries. The back and forth is entertaining and the side story of a stalker adds suspense.

3.5 Stars. This is a perfectly nice story but nothing that really wowed me. This is book 2 in the Burke Sisters series. This is one of the rare times I would say if you are new to the series, you don’t have to read book 1, The Right Kind of Wrong, first. While the characters that were in book 1 are in this book, there is no major ongoing storylines that you would be lost about if you started the series here.

This book stars Callie Burke who is a homicide detective. After breaking up with a long term girlfriend, Callie wants to find the kind of love that her sister has. The only problem is the woman she feels connected to is the widow of her best friend. Taylor lost the love of her life to a fire. It’s been years, but she hasn’t dated anyone since. She does know one thing; she never wants to date someone who works a dangerous job ever again. She can’t take another loss. Is there some way for Taylor and Callie to be together, or will Callie’s job be too much to overcome?

Book 1, was filled with a ton of angst. It is the kind of angst that can drive me nuts, like miscommunication and waffling back and forth. But for whatever reason, I really liked the story. I found I even developed a character crush on Grace, I just thought she was great. I was hoping this book would be similar, but it really wasn’t. For one, the angst was way down compared to book 1. It does have some, but nothing like its predecessor. Normally I prefer my books with a little less angst, but I just felt like this story was missing something. The other issue, I didn’t connect to either of the two mains like I did with Grace. I did like Callie, but I didn’t feel any emotional connection to her character. It was nice to see Grace again, but she wasn’t really in this book enough for me. And her girlfriend Quinn was pretty awful in this book, not sure why she went through such a personality change.

Like I said above this was a perfectly nice story, but it just didn’t really do anything for me. I like the way Trebelhorn writes, this just wasn’t a favorite of mine. If you enjoyed book 1, you will probably like this one too. It’s not a book I can rave about, but it is a decent read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Boldstroke Books for providing me with an e-ARC copy! All opinions in this review are my own and are honest.
The main reason I requested this was because one of my goals for 2018 was to read more diverse romance books and this features a lesbian romance along with a good sounding plot! I didn’t realise that this was the second book in the Burke Sister’s series however the this can be read as a standalone as the first book is about Quinn and Grace’s relationship – Quinn is the Sister of Callie who is one of the main characters in this book. 
This was an enjoyable read and I managed to absolutely fly through this in a day. The writing was basic which isn’t a bad thing, like I said I managed to fly through this but there wasn’t anything that made the writing special or rememberable. It was just a nice, easy read and sometimes that’s exactly what is needed so that isn’t a bad thing.
This follows Callie who is a police officer and had recently moved back after her relationship with her ex, Jan didn’t work out and Taylor who lost her partner Andrea (who was a firefighter) a few years ago after she ran into a burning building to save a child. Andrea was also Callie’s best friend and Taylor own’s and manage the bar that Callie’s sister Quinn works at so there is a large amount of cross-over between them all. Callie has always liked Taylor and this story follows them trying to figure out their relationship and if there is a chance for one between them.
This deals with the grief of moving on after your partner died and I think it was dealt with really well. It also deals with moving on with your best friend’s partner as Andrea and Callie were best friends and Callie has always liked Taylor, even when Andrea was alive, so we got to see a lot of guilt which is linked to the death of Andrea for both parties in the relationship. Because Andrea was a firefighter and died through her job, Taylor is reluctant to start a relationship with Callie due to her high-risk job as she doesn’t think that she’ll be able to take it if another one of her partners dies through their job and not knowing if they’re going to be coming home when they’re going to work. This is only strengthened when Callie is shot on the job and we get to follow Taylor’s struggles with trying to overcome this fear of losing another partner through their job. 
We also get the added twist of the lesbian stalker who continually visits Taylor at her bar and won’t leave her alone. I liked this aspect of the plot, it added an extra dimension to the plot and helped pull along some of the romantic plot also. I was weary right until the end and I did enjoy the way that this was concluded and the way it escalated was interesting. 
I really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a nice, easy quick read to fly through which involves a lesbian romance. It was a great introduction into f/f romance as I’ve never read any f/f and I have another book which I requested and this has made me super excited to get round to reading that!

Nice story with two characters struggling with issues. Callie Burke is ready for a long-term relationship but her sister Quinn does not believe her especially since she is interested in her boss. Taylor Fletcher is mourning the loss of her wife and does not believe there is another person out there for her. I appreciated Callie's willingness to be there for Taylor even when the possibility for a relationship was bleak. Taylor's uncertainty is understandable considering who Callie is. The story was not as captivating as I would have liked and hoped for.

This was a nice predictable love story.  Characters were sweet and dialog crisp, clever and humorous. My only negative was, I thought the stalker event was unnecessary and escalated abnormally.

This book has been ok but not completely perfect, in my opinion. It has an interesting approach. Callie is a policewoman and has recently returned to her hometown after breaking up with her lover, a bad break up. Taylor is the owner of a bar in that hometown and is still recovering from the death of his wife who was a firefighter and died in act of service three years ago. Callie and Taylor have known each other for a while, about 15 years. Callie is 39, Taylor is about 41 or 42. But for different reasons they have not had a personal relationship during these 15 years, even being Callie the best friend of Taylor's wife and also Callie's sister been working in Taylor's bar for some time. Yet of course, they have had some misunderstanding along the way and also Callie has been out of her hometown for a few years.

So they are finally in a situation where they can explore the attraction that they have always felt toward each other, yes, atracted to each other since they first meet. And then begins the wheel of insecurities, fears and distrust, basically from Taylor, who keeps Callie with her mind spinning for almost the entire story.

And after so many doubts and strugglin, the story closes in a somewhat abrupt way and with a final situation in which the behavior of Taylor is somewhat surprising and in my opinion not coherent.

So in conclusion I think it's an interesting book but it could have been better.

This is the second book staring the Burke sisters. The first one was about Quinn who works in a bar owned by Taylor. This one is about Callie, Quinn's sister. Callie is a police detective who just moved back home.
It is a nice read. Not terrible exciting. The plot was pretty predictable. It is a different back story tho than the usual in this genre. Callie was best friends with Taylors wife but the two of them never really had any contact. When Callie gets shot in the line of duty Taylor takes her in as a favor to Quinn. Forced together the two of them start knowing each other better and learn a thing or two about Taylors wife.

This book has been ok but not completely perfect, in my opinion. It has an interesting approach. Callie is a policewoman and has recently returned to her hometown after breaking up with her lover, a bad break up. Taylor is the owner of a bar in that hometown and is still recovering from the death of his wife who was a firefighter and died in act of service three years ago. Callie and Taylor have known each other for a while, about 15 years. Callie is 39, Taylor is about 41 or 42. But for different reasons they have not had a personal relationship during these 15 years, even being Callie the best friend of Taylor's wife and also Callie's sister been working in Taylor's bar for some time. Yet of course, they have had some misunderstanding along the way and also Callie has been out of her hometown for a few years.

So they are finally in a situation where they can explore the attraction that they have always felt toward each other, yes, atracted to each other since they first meet. And then begins the wheel of insecurities, fears and distrust, basically from Taylor, who keeps Callie with her mind spinning for almost the entire story.

And after so many doubts and strugglin, the story closes in a somewhat abrupt way and with a final situation in which the behavior of Taylor is somewhat surprising and in my opinion not coherent.

So in conclusion I think it's an interesting book but it could have been better.

This is book number 2 in the Burke sisters series which started with 'The right kind of wrong'. The story catches up with the main characters of the first book but it can be read as a stand alone. Bar owner Taylor Fletcher lost her firefighter wife on duty and is not looking for a love interest, let alone one with a risky job. But when her late wife's best friend, Police Detective Callie Burke, returns to town, Taylor starts questioning herself. Will she decide to risk her heart again provided she survives a dangerous threat to her life?

Good romance with a bit of action in the form of a lesbian stalker. The plot touches a few sensitive issues such as bereavement, friendship, first responders' duty and second chances. The author does a good job at portraying the main characters with their flaws and feelings though sometimes Taylor's indecisiveness is frustrating to read. The stalker subplot adds a bit of action but has its ups and downs in terms of realism.

Overall, an ok read if you like a romance with a bit of drama. 3.5 stars.

ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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This book is very well written and the story flows well. The emotions involved in moving on after a loved one has died are well portrayed and realistic. I’ve not read work from this author before but will definitely read her again.

3.5 Stars.

I liked this one. This is a new author from me and i'll look forward to reading more of their work. I don't often read F/F books because I often find them too fluffy and nice, but the description of this book caught my attention and it was every part as sweet, but interesting as I wanted it to be. 

Great characters, a truly realistic story. Just an overall good read. A book on finding love after loss, and coming to terms with grief. These two characters meshed so well together and I'm glad that Taylor came to terms with her situation and she found her "Twice in a lifetime love"

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I didn’t realise when I requested this that it is the sequel to The Right Kind of Wrong. I thought that was an average book, I enjoyed this one more, but it didn’t blow me away. 

The book features Callie (sister of Quinn from Right Kind of Wrong) who is a cop, and Taylor, Quinn’s boss and widow of Callie’s late best friend. I liked both characters, but Taylor’s back and forth about moving on from her wife and her problems with Callie’s job got tedious. Callie on the other hand was a sweetie. The secondary characters were ok, both families provided a bit of rounding out of the story, but weren’t given much to do other than dispense advice. Quinn also acted like a git for portions of the story, and I was glad other characters called her out on it. The stalker storyline was also overdone, and frankly unnecessary, it didn’t add anything to the story from my perspective. I also thought the breakup was ridiculous but thankfully short-lived. 

These two were more interesting than Grace and Quinn and they didn’t have endless communication breakdowns, so I enjoyed it more than the first book. 3.5 stars but I’m rounding down because I can’t give it 4.