When I read the blurb for this book I was intrigued and wanted to give it a go. Unfortunately it was a miss for me and I found myself disinterested in the plot. I found the characters were difficult to connect with. The chemistry and romance fell short for a romance novel.

While I’ve seen others say the duo point of view wasn’t to their liking, that was something I actually did enjoy along with the shifting timeline.

I received this book via NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars
First off, this is NOT a romcom for those who are drawn in by the typical romcom-type cartoon cover. (I was also led astray by Libby marking it as "humorous" when it really wasn't funny at all.) This is not the book's fault and the synopsis is properly worded, but I was in for a surprise starting this when it immediately started hitting me with heavy topics!

That being said, I really did enjoy this book. It wasn't in the way that I expected but it really hit me right in the feels. This is the sort of emotional story I wanted to write when I was in college and had those deep, all-encompassing crushes so I really connected with it more than I thought I would, combined with the main character wanting to become a mother at 35-36, AND wanting to finally find her way in her career, and it was a heavy book for sure.

I really loved the relationships in this book and they also broke my heart. We see the two great loves of Maggie's life -- the first being Garrett, her current unrequited love of 12 years with whom it never seems to work out and the second being her high school/camp love who comes back into her life. It's neat to see a sort of love triangle that really isn't a triangle since the timelines shoot back and forth over all of the important times in Maggie's life, but there is a point where things have to come to a head in the end and (we hope) Maggie ends up with one or the other.

This was just an incredibly emotional book packed with longing, heartache, and living through your first loves all over again -- and what it looks like when you have to let someone go. My only gripe was that I didn't love the ending (I guess I liked it for Maggie but it wasn't right for me) and it just threw me a bit. It wasn't a bad ending and it was actually neat seeing something more realistic than a fairy tale come true... but after a lot of emotion, I just wanted a VERY happily ever after here. Back to romcoms for me.... I can only read one of these books like, once a year. This was that book. Now take me back to LOL moments, fantasy worlds, and wild thrillers and stop making me feel feelings outside of my own life 😅

This cover is absolutely beautiful. I loved the synopsis of this book and couldn’t wait to read it. I was not ready for the emotional roller coaster Maggie took us on throughout her life. The girl has some tough life choices to make throughout her life so far. She dreams of having a musical career, settling down and hopefully starting a family soon. The story does switch between timelines from ages 17 to 20 to 30 and 35. She meets two wonderful young men in her early years and makes a promise to them if by 35 they are each not married they will get married. Maggie has a lot of decisions and choices to make for her life. I think the story wrapped up perfectly. The audiobook was Narrated by Katherine Littrell and it was done perfectly. There are some tough topics covered in the book but they were handled very delicately. Many thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really liked this book. I had no idea what kind of journey it would take me on and I really enjoyed the romance between both of the male love interests and the flashbacks. Even though I liked the flashbacks it was a little tricky to follow sometime to figure out where I was in her timeline. I also felt like the big twist was just out of place compared to the rest of the story.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice was a wonderful surprise that I literally inhaled in two days. I couldn't stop listening from start to finish. The story goes from past to present over the course of Mags life from a young teenager until shes 39. It beautifully weaves the story of her first love, and her current "never the right time" obsession. It was told in a way that made you ache for both men, and her, in a way I haven't felt in a while. I also LOVED that most of the story centered around Maggy and her life as an inspiring musician, and wasn't strictly about some obsession with a man. I didn't love the last few chapters, but it didn't deter me overall from the book. Just personally wished she wrapped it up a bit differently.

The narrator was a delight to listen to start to finish, even at 1.5x speed. Would happily listen to her all day long, and did.

If you're looking for a not too mushy, "who do I choose" romance, with depth and heartache, deep friendships and laughable moments, definitely give this one a shot. I'll be looking for more from this author!

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice was such an unexpected emotional roller coaster of a novel. Alison Rose Greenburg ruined me with this one in the best way possible.
I listened to this one on audio as well as read along with the e-book copy I received. After reading Bad Luck Bridesmaid when it came out in January 2022, I fell in love with Greenburg’s writing, but still was left wholly unprepared for the amount of emotions this one stirred in me. I found myself crying at times, as Maggie’s conundrum of promising to marry two different men if they were not married by age 35 left me nostalgic and reminiscing while simultaneously wondering “What If?” about scenarios from my own life (despite being happily committed currently).
This book covers heavy topics with grace and emotional stability. I really appreciated the relationships between Maggie with Asher, Garrett and Summer. The amount of brutal honesty these friendships/situationships took on while addressing both light and tough topics was so appreciated and so raw.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the chance to listen to this one on audio, to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced e-copy, and to Alison Rose Greenburg for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 39%. While the story was lighthearted and had some colorful characters, the overall storyline and plot didn’t keep me interested enough to see it through. There was nothing particularly “bad” about this book per se, but there wasn’t a lot “good” either. For me personally, it didn’t have any of the redeeming traits I look for in a good romance novel: funny, banter, angst, swoons worthy leads, suspense. So for me, it just wasn’t worth it. I found it a bit difficult to connect to the MC and the two love interests, as they fell a bit flat for me. I also struggled a bit with the narrator as her tone and voice intonation was a bit dull. The most difficult thing about this book as the timeline as it jumped around a lot. The story is told in the present day as well as flashbacks from the past. As the past chapters don’t follow a chronological order, I found it hard to follow. Not for me, but may hit different for other romance readers.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Alison Rose Greenberg, and NetGalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

2.75 stars --

alison rose greenberg's novel 'maybe once, maybe twice' introduces us to maggie at age 35, struggling both to launch her music career and become a mother. when her ex garrett shows up at her birthday party, she thinks that maybe this one missing piece will click into place -- except he's engaged to someone else. but shortly after this, she bumps into asher, her first boyfriend from summer camp who became a famous actor. maggie made promises at different points in her life with both men that if they're single at 35, they would get together. who will she choose, and will it be the right decision?

based on premise alone, i wanted to like this book. however, the narrative style made it very tough to root for one man over the other, and i found myself disinterested in the overall plot. i listened to this on audio, and it was very challenging to follow the different jumps in the timeline from the present day to maggie's past. the ending felt anticlimactic, though i understand what the author was trying to do. ultimately, i think this is one you can skip in favour of other multi-timeline romcoms.

A love triangle done right! It feels real and chaotic and emotional all at the same time. Beautifully written and lyrically moving, this book left me guessing all the way to the last page.

“‘Find someone who makes you laugh’ was a line I had always heard. But finding someone who made me see the world in psychedelic colors was equally intoxicating.”

Maggie Vine made a marriage pact with two people - one as a child and one as an adult. The problem, however, is that they both appeared back in her life the year she turned 35. With one having a hold over her past and the other offering her a dream of the future, she has to choose which one to let go of.

“I would have walked away from anyone for you. Anytime. Anyone,” he said inches from my face, tears still holding tight in his eyes.
“And now?” I cracked, my voice quivering.
“I’m getting married.”

Let me tell you, the grip this story had on me was strong. I could absolutely relate to her thoughts, her battle with letting go, and her heartbreaking struggle with infertility. And just when you think you know what’s going to happen, the author manages to flip everything with a single scene.

I did have a hard time differentiating between the past and the present when the chapter titles are only numbers spoken briefly in the audio version. It made it somewhat difficult to follow along and got confusing very quickly. But other than that, this was really well done. I found myself wanting to get back into the story time and time again. Plus that ending? *chef’s kiss*

“All I wanted was everything. What’s so bad about that?”

This didn’t work for me. <i>Maybe Once, Maybe Twice</i> juggles two old flames of Maggie, a singer and our leading lady. We flash back and forth along the timeline as she explores the two second chance romances in present day and experiences them for the first time in the past.

I’m generally not a fan of alternating timeline books, particularly when it features two unlikeable stock characters (Maggie, our narrator, and Garrett, one of her love interests) and another immersion-breakingly perfect character (the other love interest, Asher). Poor characterization aside, jumping along a timeline makes the plot feel rootless and fleeting.

That was my biggest issue with this novel: There wasn’t much of a plot. Sure, the synopsis sells you on the fact that two old flames come back into Maggie’s life to fulfill a marriage pact they made when they were younger, except that isn’t exactly what actually happens. Asher “shows up” by announcing that he’ll be adapting Maggie’s favorite book on the night of Maggie’s thirty-fifth birthday. Maggie then tracks him down to rebuke him, because she has somehow gotten it in her head that she has ownership over this publicly-available book (which is a whole other issue). Asher then tells her he did it on purpose. The other love interest is Garrett, who shows up on Maggie’s thirty-fifth birthday and kisses her—<i>whilst engaged</i>. So, not exactly “showing up” to fulfill a marriage pact, as per the synopsis.

From there, Maggie teeters back and forth between Garrett (who is <i>engaged</i>—yes, I will keep repeating this because Maggie didn’t seem to care) and Asher, as the chapters in between flash back and forth along the timeline. The synopsis will have you believe that the timeline hopping “ratchets up the tension,” however, since the characters are flat, underdeveloped, and uncompelling, the flashbacks only serve to dump information on the reader regarding how each respective relationship started and failed. This doesn’t “ratchet up tension,” it stunts it in its tracks every time the plot begins to find even a small amount of momentum.

Now for the characters, I’ll start with Maggie. She comes across as a massive self-insert fantasy who has extremely poor ethics. After she badgers Asher about adapting <i>her</i> favorite book (one that is open for public consumption and is probably quite popular if there’s a market for an adaptation, mind you), she convinces Asher to get her an interview for the job writing the soundtrack for the movie. She gets it and her career instantly skyrockets. There is nothing difficult about her journey; everything comes to her effortlessly, even though any fame-reliant career as a singer is rooted not in skill but in luck. And clearly, Maggie has luck in spades since she, unbelievably, has almost no setbacks as she rises to success. After a certain point, it started to feel like a self-insert fantasy, an unconvincing delusion of grandeur.

My other issue with Maggie lies in her questionable ethics. She continually gets physical with a man who is ENGAGED. She kisses him several times, and almost has sex with him in a barn AT HIS ENGAGEMENT PARTY. His fiancée is present! And Maggie has no qualms about it, and never even feels guilty. It’s wild. Meanwhile, she has Asher on the hook and still keeps crawling back to Garrett, who, I will say it again, IS ENGAGED. It’s so wrong and honestly sickened me every time it came up in the novel.

This brings me to Garrett. Not only is he a cheater, but he’s a cheater that continually strings Maggie along (not that she doesn’t have free will), wanting to have his cake and eat it too. There was nothing in him that I could find attractive as an outsider looking in. He’s a cheating, spineless fuckboy. The end.

As for Asher, Greenberg went way too far in the other direction for her second love interest. Asher is perfect. He has no flaws. He’s rich and famous, but he’s also humble, down to earth, and treats Maggie well. He hasn’t lost touch with who he is, despite skyrocketing into the kind of worshipful fame that balloons the male ego to the size of Mount Everest. It’s unrealistic, not just because no man catapulted into that kind of fame stays humble and down to earth, but for the fact that no human lacks flaws, and yet that was how Asher was portrayed.

The final issue I had with this novel was how it ended. I’ll warn you, spoilers are ahead.

Maggie opens the novel finding out that her eggs are rapidly dwindling and she is running out of time to have children the old fashioned way. Yet, Greenberg wants us to believe that Maggie gets into a serious relationship with Asher for several months and not ONCE discusses procreation with him? In the eleventh hour, the twist that is sprung on us—that Asher doesn’t want kids and the two must go their separate ways—feels astoundingly cheap and contrived. I can’t believe for a second that having children didn’t come up for two thirty-somethings in a serious relationship, especially since it weighed so heavily on one of them from the first pages of the novel.

Then, to make matters worse, there is a three-year time skip and the two get back together just because Asher suddenly doesn’t care if he has kids as long as he has Maggie. So in a matter of pages, the two have to separate, and then Greenberg turns back and UNO reverses it. It felt cheap and forced, and did little to assuage my frustrations with the novel; it only exacerbated them.

Finally, the last chapter clinches the story with all of the song lyrics Maggie wrote for the movie (full length, with no melody or sheet music). Note to authors, editors, and whoever else needs to hear this: Song lyrics don't translate well without hearing them sung. There is no flow like the one that comes with poetry; they come across stilted and awkward when you read them on the page or aloud. There was just no point to that final chapter.

Overall, this was a disappointing read and I can’t recommend it. With a morally corrupt main character that is impossible to root for and who gets everything she wants handed to her, she has two love interests who somehow want to be with her—one who is detestable and another who is flat and perfect. The writing is trite and cliched, and the plot was lacking. My initial instinct was to give this two stars, but upon further reflection, I’m downgrading my rating.


<b>Overall Rating:</b> 1 star

<i>A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Dreamscape Media, for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Maggie Mae had an epic journey to find love and the life she imagined. We followed her ups and downs. She did not waiver on her end game. My heart broke for Maggie and then celebrated with her HEA.

I feel badly that I did not enjoy this contemporary romance set in NYC more than I did. I found the structure confusing- it jumps in time from Maggie's early twenties to her early and mid-thirties, but despite the chapter headings indicating her then age, the chapters sometimes move around in time.

Most of the story takes place in Maggie's thirties, but she feels younger than that age. She is a struggling musician, and the music scenes set in karaoke and dive bars feel authentic. The author clearly knows the neighborhoods of lower Manhattan- the streets and shops. But Maggie feels and acts younger than her thirties, and that was a struggle for me to connect with.

The romance elements were good- the longing between Maggie and the elusive Garrett, a financier by day, musician by night. He feels appealing and you can envision her desire for him. But there was little who Ma mystery as to Maggie would end yo with, and ASher often seemed too good to be true for a major movie star.

Maggie's best friend Summer, a wealthy lesbian, felt a little too cool for Maggie, although their bonding over family loss as college students was a good backstory. I didn't dislike her as a haracter, but her mentions in the story felt a little off in this story.

While family trauma was all over this story in terms of Maggie, Summer and Garrett, these plot elements were
underdeveloped. They were "told" rather than "shown"".

The narrator Katherine Littrell did an excellent job portraying the characters and injecting appropriate emotion into this story. She helped the story to sound both lively and poignant, despite my misgivings about the jumps in time and the nature of the characters.

Loved the narrator on this audiobook. The story was great. Loved how the characters related to one another. Had me guessing on who she would actually wind up with...would one of the marriage pacts actually stick. Liked how the stpry unfolded with the back and forth in time.

When she was younger, Maggie made a marriage pact to get married to a friend/longtime crush if they were both single at 35. However, she made two separate packs with two different men at different stages of her life. Now she’s 35, single, and both men have shown up in her life. Garrett, a hedge fund manager and aspiring rock star, comes to her birthday party ready to kiss her. He’s the one who got away and they could never get their timing right, however, he’s engaged to someone else. Then Asher shows up. He is her first boyfriend from summer camp who has grown up to be a famous actor. As both these men make a reappearance in her life, Maggie also gets a life changing opportunity in her career. With so many decisions to make, Maggie also finds it’s hard to separate her future from her past.

This book really hit me in all the feels and will stick with me for a while. I loved this twist on a second chance romance and seeing Maggie get that opportunity to reconnect with two men from her past. It was interesting to read because I found myself not being sure which man I was hoping she would end up with and my thoughts kept changing as I read. This story was messy, full of tension, heartbreaking at times, but most of all full of hope. There is some mention of sexual assault and other trauma, however, I felt those topics were handled with the care they deserve.

I switched between audiobook and ebook and really enjoyed the audio narration by Katherine Littrell.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice felt like going on a rollercoaster. As a reader, I sometimes hit the fast ups and downs of excitement/pacing. But, there were times (especially at the end of the novel) where everything felt like it was going in a slow circle. While I wanted to care about Alison Roe Grreenberg's characters and connect, I didn't see a point in where the story was going. I wish there was more clarity with the characters and less of a "will she or won't she" plot structure. The audiobook kept me interested and moved me to finish this novel.

I hope to read another by Greenberg in the future however; this one wasn't a hit for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 Stars

Happy publication to Alison Rose Greenberg and Maybe Once, Maybe Twice! Thank you to Alison, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ALC (Advanced Listener 🎧 Copy) for an honest review!

📅 Tuesday, October 3, 2023 was the pub date for Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg. The narrator🎙️for this audiobook 🎧 is Katherine Littrell. 📅

Maybe Once, Maybe twice is a very angsty romance that follows two timelines (decades apart) of the main female character, Maggie Vine. In both timelines, Maggie made a pact that she would marry her love interest at the age of 35 if they are both still single.

The first pact was made with Asher Reyes, Maggie’s summer camp love…her first boyfriend. The second pact was made with Garrett Scholl, finance man by day and singer in a band by night.

Maggie was very much in love with both men at very different times of her life. She hasn’t seen Asher in years and she remains close friends with Garrett. Asher let her down by not being in contact when summer camp ended. Garrett constantly lets her down by dating other women. Hence not showing interest in her.

Just when Maggie is ready to embrace her fate of being single, both men re-connect with her in unexpected ways when she turns 35. Are the men in love or in lust? Is Maggie still interested in them? Does she honor one of her pacts? Does she learn how to be single and happy? Guess you’ll have to pick up your copy to find out!

A very enjoyable read. However, it was too angsty and drawn out for me. At times it was not relatable. Full disclosure: I listened to this book during a time when life was very challenging. I think I would have rated it higher if I had listened at a different time. So, I would still recommend it to friends.

Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for my #gifted copy! This book was published October 3. The book is narrated by Katherine Littrell and she does an excellent job voicing for Maggie. The pacing works well in audiobook format and the story moves quickly to see her interactions with each character.

Maggie Vine makes a "if we're 35 and not married, let's get married" type of pact with two different men, Garrett and Asher. Now that she's 35, they are both back in her life.

I really enjoyed seeing who Maggie would end up with, rooting for a certain relationship, and seeing how different her life could be with either person. This story also explores finding your partner a little later in life when your social network seems a bit more settled, having kids over 35, exploring a change in career, and sexual assault. The ending didn't quite work for me but I still recommend this one overall.

Recommend if you enjoy:
🔺Love triangles
🎥Celebrity/normal person romance
💕Best friend/ and childhood romances
🎶The music industry

I don't normally go for books that feature love triangles but something about the premise of this book just really drew me in.

When we meet the protagonist, 35 year old Maggie Vine, she is pursuing two of her biggest dreams, becoming a successful musician and becoming a mother. She unfortunately isn't having much luck with either though and feels like her life is passing her by. Maggie's life soon takes an unexpected turn when two men from her past re-emerge. What Asher, a childhood friend of Maggie's, and Garrett, a friend she has had feelings for for a few years now, have in common is that at different points in her life, Maggie made the same marriage pact with each of them: "If we are still single when we’re 35, we should get married."

Maggie is genuinely torn about which of these men, if either, would be the best choice for her at this point in her life. I love how the author has the story unfold, mostly through a series of flashbacks where Maggie reminisces about meeting Asher and Garrett for the first time and how their relationships developed over the years. It also offers Maggie the opportunity to explore many key moments, both good and bad, from her life that have shaped her into the person she is today. Through those flashbacks, we can also see that both Asher and Garrett are pretty great so it's easy to see why Maggie is so conflicted about who to choose.

I was very much invested in her romantic journey, but her personal journey of growth really appealed to me as well. Maggie learns so much about herself throughout the course of this story and I just really enjoyed watching her grow and learn to trust herself more.

This book is an emotional ride for sure, but I really enjoyed it. I switched back and forth between the e-book and audiobook and thought both were very well done. Katherine Littrell's narration perfectly captured all of the emotion and angst Maggie experiences and really pulled me into the story.

What happens when you've made a marriage pact with not one, but two very different men at two very different times in your life? 35 and discovering her window for childbirth is rapidly closing is the reality check Maggie Vine was hoping to avoid this year. After chasing her musical dreams and never really colliding with Mr. Right at the right time is taking its toll.

Jumping between ages and situations in Maggie's life, the reader is slowly introduced to Maggie, her backstory, heart aches and moments of love in between. This beautiful story is filled with heartache, lost opportunity and villainous career plight.

This is NOT a light, breezy rom com, but a more insightful, thought-out romance, which I enjoyed. The book covers some mature themes including infertility, depression, and sexual assault, so just know that before jumping straight in.

I love how this plot feels authentic and genuine, possibly based on experience. It's nothing like unrealistic romances we are accustomed to, with everything working out perfectly no matter the circumstances. Greenberg does an excellent job of highlighting the nuances of Maggie's (the MC) journey.

The narration is first POV past tense, alternating between different stages of Maggie's life. I started loving Maggie almost instantly, sympathizing with her on many levels. Yup, the blurb makes it sound filmy, with the 'marry me at this age' idea, but the execution is chef's kiss.

A constant theme for me was YOLO- and I understood it's full extent through this book. Following a compelling, self-empowered woman was a truly rejuvenating experience. The story is that of failure, love, pining, friendship, rejection, heartbreak, trauma, healing, introspection, and prioritizing yourself. There were times when I felt like my heart would burst with joy, times when I felt low with Maggie, and times when I cracked up at some scenes.

If you're worried about loose ends, don't worry coz it's all done amazingly well. I finished reading with a tiny gap in my heart, but a smile on my face. Maggie's choice doesn't disappoint either, and all the closure and perfect goodbyes were balm to my soul.

Full marks to the beautiful, heartfelt narration, which enriched my experience. Ten on ten recommend for everyone!

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this complimentary ALC in exchange for an honest review.