I think this is a very good example of how important it is to provide content warnings as part of a synopsis because I was completely unprepared for the heaviness of this story. This book is not a light-hearted romance, it is filled with extremely heavy content. As someone who has had her fair share of challenges with mental health and has been touched by the tragedy of suicide, I found this book extremely difficult to get through… I had to stop reading at the 50% mark.

The writing was beautiful and I hope to be able to pick this one up in the future to see how the story ends, but that likely won’t be for some time.

I love time travel books and I enjoyed the mechanics of this one. What I didn’t enjoy was all the @ngsty conversation. Had to do a bit of skimming to get through all of that.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

the main character Isla has moved to small town in Missouri, needing a break from the busy city life, with her chronic anxiety. One day, she receives a text message from a man claiming to be her husband and this unravels an adventure beyond measures.

This book is so much more then it plays off to be. Its not as lighthearted or bubbly as one would think. It actually is quite the opposite. It touches on some extremely deep and heavy issues that are extremely prevalent in todays society. It was definitely misleading, but interesting none the less. This is a book you need to mentally prepare yourself for. Its very sad and talks about a lot of real issues that need to be talked about.

I really enjoy reading time travel storylines, but the subject matter of this novel is much heavier than I realized. Heartbreaking and delightful about second chances and true love.

Wow, this is a book that will resonate with me for many years to come. "Twice in a Lifetime" by Melissa Baron is not the cute little romcom I was anticipating, but so much better. When main character Isla receives a text from someone claiming to be her husband, she's very skeptical, because she doesn't have a husband. Her so called husband, Ewan, is texting her to try and change the trajectory of her life and to change the future for the couple, no matter what cost it may have to him.

This novel focuses on Isla's mental health and her struggles with it, which was hard yet a very important read for anyone who struggles with their mental health, or who has a loved one with mental health issues. I think many readers will resonate with her character and even learn a lot from her and her experiences and thoughts as she processes and grows throughout the novel. This book was the perfect mix of comedic, romantic, and also heart wrenching with a touch of magical realism. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a engrossing read that is unlike any romcom they've read before.

I don't even know if I should rate this. I'm having such a hard time getting into the book. I'm 15% in and Isla is too much for me. Her self deprecating is exhausting because of how repetitive it is. It has literally been the only conversation she has had for 15% of the book. And I can't with it anymore.

This was such a good read for me. I only knew what the blurb says but that was enough for me to request. I'm loving magical realism lately, but this felt way deeper than the usual level of depth you can find in the subgenre.. When I say it was a good read for me, I mean the magnificent mental health representation. I could feel Isla. I really loved this aspect of the book and it made it a winner for me. I fell in love with the romance and overall, this book left a big smile on my face.

The combination of skillful plotting, beautiful characters, and sensitive treatment of mental illness makes this a knockout. This is a great read for anyone who is interested in learning more about a character's inner life. This novel is also a good fit for fans of romance and speculative fiction. It is full of humor and touches on grief and hope.

This is a truly special book, as it is full of humor and touches on grief and hope. I loved this clever and beautiful novel about the choices that people make in the name of love. It kept me guessing until the very end. This book should be on everyone's list because it is an epic, sweeping, and gorgeous romance.

This is not your average romance book. At times, it was hard to read, especially after learning that Isla has lost her battle with anxiety. It was heartbreaking to see how Ewan was coping with his own issues. However, I enjoyed reading about how Isla fought her fears and how she eventually connected with her current timeline. Even though it was sad at times, I would encourage readers to stick with the story.

This was a really good book with magical realism that I love! Isla starts gets texts from Ewan who claims he is her husband, but Isla isn't married and never has been! So who is Ewan? I loved how this story progressed. I absolutely loved Isla! I have anxiety and depression and she was shown in real life not just glossed over. The ending was really well done as well. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own. .

Despite being a little slow in the beginning this book was successful in meddling a way into my heart. It was quite a heart warming and emotional read with romance as genre. I loved how the MCs get to to have that second chance and their loving HEA

I received a digital ARC from Alcove Press through NetGalley.

In my opinion, this is a difficult novel to describe without spoiling. It just has to be read. The theme of time-travel and if/then has been very popular recently - I have read several such novels within the last few months. That being said, I believe that this is the most unique one I have come across so far. I love Ewan and Isla, and I know that other readers will, too. I highly recommend this novel, and I cannot wait to see what Melissa Baron writes in the future.

It’s SO important to see a variety of people represented in media, and I appreciate that this book exists. There are some very heavy topics that our main character deals with, including crippling anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, parental abuse, grief, and traumatic brain injury.

But.

There is also so much lightness to the book, with romantic banter and tender friendship and characters working hard to become better and stronger versions of themselves.

Plus, time travel, of course.

The description likens this one to a cross between Oona Out of Order and The Time Traveler’s Wife, but I’m not sure I agree. Yes, there is a time aspect, but it was quite different than the premise of Oona and had the healthy personal development that TTTW lacked. As far as time travel comparisons go, I’d almost say this one is more like a combination Emma Straub’s This Time Tomorrow and the movie The Lake House. Add some of Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library to this and you’ll have a feel for the time travel and emotional impact of this book. (Of course, Twice in a Lifetime has so many aspects that are uniquely its own!)

One thing I wished was a longer “falling in love” build-up period for our protagonists. It felt a bit rushed to me, as did parts of the conclusion.

As someone who struggles with anxiety and panic attacks (though not to the level of our protagonist), it’s lovely to see a character who has a host of mental health conditions and is still lovable and bright and creative (even though she doesn’t always see herself as such). Seeing how she views herself versus how others view her was fantastic, and it’s clear to me that the author has had personal experience in this area.

Do check the trigger warnings for your own mental health. My anxiety was pretty high as I read the book, so if your anxiety is triggered by reading about the anxiety of others, just be aware of that. This isn’t really an escapism sort of novel. It was worth it though, and I really enjoyed the book!

I will read absolutely anything having to do with time travel so I requested this expecting a fluffy light-hearted chick-lit type of novel. But this was so much more! It deals with some weighty issues and was much more emotionally-resonant than I expected. Really enjoyed it.

Wow so the reference to Oona Out of Order was accurate and I'd also like to compare this book to See You Yesterday by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Holy rollercoaster, Batman!

If I'm honest, I struggled with the first 20% of this book. The premise was a bit unbelievable but the book quickly became about much more than just "time loops."

This book is much heavier than you'd expect. The main theme, in fact, isn't even the timeline really. It's mental health and mental illness as well as how that affects freewill more than anything else.

This is definitely more insightful that I originally imagined, I appreciate the journey that Melissa Baron took me on with this one but WOW was it an emotional one!

I adored this book - I love time travel and stories in a similar vein, where characters either intentionally or accidentally alter the course of events based on knowledge they have gained from somewhere outside of the present. In this contemporary story, Isla receives a text from a number she doesn’t know, but the sender certainly knows her - he claims to be her husband. Except Isla doesn’t even have a boyfriend at that moment. Trigger warning: suicide.

I was excited to receive this advanced reader’s copy because I really enjoy reading time travel storylines. The subject matter of this novel is much heavier than I realized. Overall, it was an enjoyable book but I did think the pacing was a bit uneven, especially in the middle.

I don't often give 5 star reviews, but this most definitely deserves one! It had so much more substance and depth to it than what I was expecting. I figured it was going to be a cute time travel romance, but it had so much more to it than that. Melissa Baron handles the mental health and grief aspects of the story so well. Yes, this is a love story between Isla and Ewan, but it's also about seeking out mental health supports and overcoming fears and insecurities. It was so clear how much future Ewan had loved Isla - so much that he was willing to risk his future with her if it meant keeping her safe and changing a traumatic moment in her life. There is a twist towards the end that I don't want to give away but that I had mixed feelings about. I really had to let it sit for a while to decide whether I liked it or thought it was a cop out. In the end I decided that it worked with the story that had already been established and it gave an ending that I really loved. It also reinforced how much Isla loved Ewan and what she was willing to do for him. Seeing Isla's progression from an introverted isolated person into the remarkable woman she was by the end was wonderful. I appreciated that the author didn't pretend everything was magically perfect for her and made a point of noting that she was still in therapy and working her way through her anxiety and depression. I recommend that you keep a box of tissues close, there are a few parts that will have you teary-eyed.

Love and depression and recovery and art and traumatic brain injury and deep friendship and dysfunctional family. This book is a lot, in a wonderful time looping, somewhat disordered way. I found the story and characters compelling and loved this immersive novel.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I very much enjoyed this book. There are a lot of heavy topics with in the book and a few trigger warnings but if you can get past that it is a great read and a great debut book.

Loved this. Heartbreaking and delightful about second chances and true love. Hit me right in the feels. Some of it felt over-written but it dealt with some pretty heavy topics so it didn’t detract too much for me. This was a true 5/5!