When I read this author's bio, I was a little worried - paranormal is not my genre and just wasn't sure how far away from that genre she could go, even though this book was listed under "contemporary women's fiction".  I can attest to the fact that this book is indeed under the correct category and that Ms. Handeland is very skilled in this genre.  This was a great book and I'm glad I took the chance.

Can you even imagine your ex-husband -- the one who cheated on you and then married his mistress -- shows up at your door and appears to believe you are still married? Just that concept alone makes for a great story, and it's exactly the story of Just Once by Lori Handeland.

When she found out that he was having an affair, Francesca (Frankie) Sicari divorced Charley Blackwell. Charley then married the mistress, Hannah, and had been married with her for the past twenty years.  Then one evening, Frankie gets a call from Hannah and she's looking for Charley.  Frankie has absolutely no idea why Hannah would be calling her thinking Charley would be there, but before she can even figure it out, Charley shows up trying to use his door key as if it was the normal thing for him to do.  It is clear that Charley believes that Frankie is his current wife, but when when Hannah tells Charley that she's his wife, he really thinks she's crazy.

Charley undergoes hospital tests that reveal a devastating diagnosis - he has a brain mass.  This diagnosis could very well be why Charley has suddenly forgotten the past twenty years of his life.  He seems to have forgotten his marriage to his current wife, Hannah, his divorce from Frankie, and even more so, he has forgotten that he and Frankie's daughter, Lisa is now dead.

It's at this point Frankie makes a life-changing and emotional decision to go along with Charley's belief that they are still a couple -- still very much in love and married.  Her decision ultimately forces her to deal with the past that she thought she had overcome those many years ago.

I thought the book was wonderful and sad at the same time. In all honesty, if I had met someone like Hannah, I know for a fact that I'd want nothing to do with her despite the tragedy she must live through. She's a very selfish person and it made me feel even worse for Frankie.  Just Once is a well-written book with very descriptive characters that tugged at my heartstrings.

I  was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Severn House Publishers through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Imagine your husband cheated on you twenty years ago. Imagine he married his mistress. And then imagine he shows up at your door, ill, and can’t remember life without you. That is the scenario facing Franki Sicari when her ex-husband Charley struggles with his key in the door one night, unable to understand why it won’t work. His current wife Hannah is, of course, devastated, and the relationship of the two women, two women who never wanted to have any kind of relationship, is at the heart of the book. Compelling and thought-provoking, leaving you constantly wondering what you would do, Just Once is an exploration of the choices we make when all is lost, and what we need to do to begin again. Just incredible. -- Glory Martin

This review appears in Romantic Intentions Quarterly #4

Just Once is a very emotional story. Its very sad and heartwarming at the same time. The writing is very good and the charaters are very well developed.
I couldnt put it down. I have had several family members suffer dementia and this book made me cry several tines but I am still so glad that I revieved the gift of an arc through netgalley This review is my honest opinion.

Just Once is a uniquely different story by Lori Handeland. First I usually read romance, either paranormal or contemporary by her. Second, it has an unusual but captivating fiction plot. It still has her style that draws the reader into the story making them care for the characters and the outcome of the problem.

Boy, does this novel have a whopper of a problem. The description gives away some of the this but really it is only the barest of glimpses into the struggles, unforeseen complications causing the characters to deal not just with the present conditions but the past too.

Fans of Julianne MacLean’s Curve in the Road will want to read Just Once. It will blow you away. Lori Handeland is an accomplished author who has make the leap into thought provoking, what if this happened, women’s fiction.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Just Once by Lori Handeland is her debut woman’s fiction novel and hopefully not her last. The book is about the love story of Francesca (Frankie) Sicari and Charley Blackwell and how it all ended when their daughter died. It’s also the story of Hannah Cartwright and her love story with Charley Blackwell. The book moves between the present and the past to fully explore the relationships between these 3 characters. In the present Frankie is awoken in the middle of the night by a phone call from Hannah the last person she ever expected to receive a call from, Charley is missing and Hannah thinks that he may turn up at Frankie’s as he is experiencing memory loss. Charley does turn up at Frankies door and he thinks its 24 years ago ... he does not remember that their daughter died, that he left Frankie and that he’s been married to Hannah all this time, he doesn’t remember Hannah at all. The reason for his memory loss turns out to be a cancerous tumour and Frankie is forced to make the difficult decision of whether to care for Charley in his last weeks/months or abandon him to a world he does not recognize or understand. I adored Frankie, came to respect Hannah and considered Charley damn lucky either of those women gave him the time of day because really how can you love someone who is never there ... until the end of his life when he couldn’t run off he was never present even when his was there, Be prepared to have several boxes of Kleenex by your side when you read this especially if you’ve ever lost a child or had a cheating husband. Publishing Date January 1, 2019 #JustOnce #NetGalley #LoriHandeland #SevernHousePublishers

Beautifully written and heartbreaking. An ex-wife and a wife try their best to make it easier for the person they love to die peacefully. There is so much hurt and pain in this wonderful book. There is hope and strength as well. I would definitely recommend this book. There is a feeling of strength and love throughout it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Described as contemporary women’s fiction, reading this book made a change from reading the usual type of romance or psychological thriller.
It was a fairly emotional read centred round the frailties of a former married couple reunited after many years when he is diagnosed with a brain tumour but who has lost the memories of the intervening years and thinks they are still married.
The relationship between the present wife and the former wife was described really well and was also very moving in their way each of their feelings past and present were explored.
A very enjoyable, different type of book that I would recommend.
4.5 stars

Can you get over him again? Frankie has moved on with her life she survived her daughter's tragedy death and the breakdown of her marriage. But she isn't prepared for her ex Charley to walk back into her life. He can't remember his new life with a new wife and now she knows that something is seriously wrong. They find out that he has a tumour and that he will probably die soon. But his new wife Hannah can't handle being around him she already lost someone to illness and she loves her husband too much to watch him fade away. Frankie doesn't know if she can do this, Charley cheated on her and she blamed him for their daughter's death but he needs her now. Charley had a good life, a loving wife and beautiful little girl and he let it all slip away. He made choices that were selfish I think as it always seemed to be about him. Can the two women in his life be able to do this together for Charley? A good read took a lot of strength from both women to look after him. I don't know if I really liked him much as he wanted everything his way. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley and the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

Frankie's husband cheated on her 24 years ago. When Frankie needed Charlie the most he was having an affair with Hannah. They divorced and Charlie married Hannah. Fast forward 24 years and Charlie is at Frankie's door thinking they are still married and has no memory of the divorce or even Hannah herself. This story is told by Frankie, Charlie and Hannah. It is told in the past and present so you get the entire story. Frankie takes Charlie to her doctor and he is given a terrible diagnosis. As he only remembers being married to Frankie can she forgive Charlie and be the person he needs now? Can Hannah deal with Charlie forgetting her and only wanting his true love? This is an amazing story of love, redemption, and forgiveness. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. All opinions are my own.

A very brilliant and thought-provoking story about a woman who divorced her husband when he cheated on her only to have him return to her twenty years later as if the divorce never happened. Francesca (Frankie) Sicari divorced Charley Blackwell when she found out that he was having an affair. Charley married Hannah and has been with her for the past twenty years. One evening, Frankie gets a phone call from Hannah looking for Charley. She has no idea why Hannah would think that Charley would be with her. Before she can process this strange phone call, Charley shows up trying to use his key to open her door as if it were normal that he would do so. He believes that Frankie is his wife and when Hannah tells him that she is his wife, he thinks that she is a nut case. Hospital tests will reveal that Charley has a mass in his brain and this could be why he has forgotten the past twenty years…his divorce from Frankie…his current wife Hannah…and the fact that the daughter he and Frankie had, Lisa, is dead. A very intriguing plot line. What would you do? Charley is no longer her problem, but can Frankie just walk away? How will Hannah cope with Charley’s medical issues as well as his insistence that he is still married to Frankie? I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Someone knocks on Frankie’s door late at night demanding to be let in. It is her former husband Charlie. He is the man who cheated on her over 20 years ago and married the woman he cheated with. Charlie has no memory of being divorced from Frankie. He is stuck in the past. He doesn’t recognize Hannah, his current wife. The woman he cheated with.

Two women in love with the same man trying to deal with a difficult situation. After Charlie receives a devastating diagnosis Frankie decides to play along with him and pretend they are still married. She is forced to confront issues she had buried long ago. Hannah is left in the position of an outsider because Charlie has no memory of her. Both women have no choice but to co operate with each other. Along the way they come to understand each other better.

I didn’t care as much for Hannah, she came across as a bit selfish. I understood where she was coming from but didn’t like her choices. This book drew me in from the very first. It is a compelling book about love and forgiveness that will bring a tear to your eyes. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy of this book.

This is an amazing book!!! Imagine your husband cheated on you and marries his mistress. Many years later he shows up at your door and thinks you are still married. He has lost all memories of the past several years. He does not even recognize his new wife. What do you do? That is the question for Fancy in this amazing book. It pulled me in from the beginning!

How do two ladies who loved the same man come together to do what is best for all?
Two strong women who are both in love with Charley need to deal with his impending death. Frankie was married to him until they they suffered a tragic loss and divorced.
Hannah is currently married to Charley. He helped her pick up the pieces following the devastating demise of her twin brother.
Charley is in desperate need of help. The only person he wants is Frankie aka Fancy. How did he forget that he has not been her husband for twenty years? How can he not recognize Hannah after all these years of marriage?
A novel of forgiveness, survival, love and resilience that I read in two days!

Just Once by Lori Handeland is a heartbreaking book that I just devoured in one afternoon. It’s about a woman named Frankie, who receives a knock on the door one night. It’s her ex-husband, a man who cheated on her and walked out on their marriage 20+ years earlier. He’s been married to the woman he cheated on her with since he left. Frankie wants to slam the door in Charley’s face, until she realized her ex-husband thinks they’re still married and living in the 1980s. He remembers nothing about his current wife and is still madly in love with Frankie.

After a devastating diagnosis, Frankie makes the heart-wrenching decision to play along with the charade that they are still very much in love and married, and this forces her to confront the heartache she thought she overcame years ago.

I thought the book was wonderful and sad, but I REALLY, REALLY hated Charley’s current wife, Hannah. Even though you get a lot of her backstory and learn about her and the tragedy she lives through, I found myself having no compassion for her. I thought she was the most selfish person ever, and my heart just broke for Frankie even more.

If it weren’t for her character, I would probably give this book more stars. As it is though, this book was very well-written and certainly tugged at my heartstrings.

3 out of 5 stars for Just Once by Lori Handeland.