Carmen and Ally have been friends forever. They’re both at a crossroads of sorts. Trying to figure out the rest of their lives while it all seems to be falling apart around themselves. They’re well written fully human flawed characters dealing with real life problems and not glossed over with unrealistic situations. Well narrated. A little longer than it needed to be and I’d have liked a bit more time to the resolutions, but all in all realistic and honest.

I received

Are you looking for your next audiobook? Check out Again, Only More Like You by Catalina Margulis . I really enjoyed it. It's available now.

This was a thoughtful, relatable read that really caught me off guard in a few places. It follows two women—Carmen and Ally—as they both hit that almost 40 crossroads, and everything they thought was steady starts to shift. Careers unravel, relationships fracture, secrets surface. But underneath all of it is this quiet question: Are your best years behind you, or could they still be ahead?

What I appreciated most is how real Carmen felt. She’s not perfect, and there were moments where I didn’t agree with her, but I still felt for her. The uncertainty, the exhaustion, the internal tug of war between who you were and who you’re becoming,that all rang true. There were times I found myself nodding along like, “Yep, I’ve been there.”

I loved the Goodnight Sweetheart song reference. My parents used to sing that to me as a little girl, and the second I saw it on the page, it completely caught me in the heart. It’s wild how something so small can connect you to a character instantly.

I also really liked how the story handled friendship. Carmen and Ally are on such different paths, but their connection is what keeps them grounded. It reminded me that good friendships can bend, stretch, even break a little and still matter deeply. I have childhood friendships like that, the kind that stay rooted no matter where life takes us. It was beautiful to see that kind of connection reflected on the page.

The writing was accessible, emotional, and reflective without getting too heavy. It’s not a big, dramatic story but it’s a sincere one. It’s more about sitting with the hard questions, the quiet disappointments, and the flickers of hope that come when you least expect them.

This landed at 4 stars for me. I liked it, I connected with it in meaningful ways, and I’m glad I read it. It left me feeling like maybe 40 isn’t something to fear… maybe it’s just the start of something new.

If you’re into stories about friendship, reinvention, and the quiet chaos of being a woman in your late 30s or 40s, this one’s worth picking up.

“Life had taught her so many reasons to say no, but when she finally dared to say yes, it made miracles happen.”

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced release copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 STARS ROUNDED UP)

I really enjoyed this debut about female friendship, motherhood and starting over/reinventing yourself in midlife. Told in alternating perspectives from best friends Carmen and Ally we get to see their very different lives and how each woman is struggling with her choices. Carmen is juggling life as an editor at a fashion magazine and discovers she's pregnant with her fourth child. Meanwhile Ally is also not finding the career satisfaction she yearns for and also can't seem to find the right man. I definitely connected more with Carmen than Ally both liked how the two friend's made different choices and each had regrets. Great on audio narrated by Cindy Kay. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review. I'm excited to read more by Toronto author Catalina Margulis.

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC!

I went into this book blind, but quickly realized this was a timely read for me. As a mom, I often struggle with identity as I push up against the milestone age of 40. I definitely found myself relating to both Carmen and Ally's struggles with identity and belonging throughout the book. However, I found a lot of their story repetitive and both characters to be very frustrating at times. I know that is what it takes to be human, but it became very tiresome seeing the same thing repeated every other chapter. Otherwise, it was a decent book and I'm glad to have read it!

Thank you again for the ARC!

This book wasn't what I was expecting, but it was still a good listen. I really enjoyed the journey female friendship go through

Rating: ★★★½ (3.5/5)

Again, Only More Like You by Catalina Margulis is a heartfelt exploration of friendship, reinvention, and the complicated beauty of life at a crossroads. Centered on two women approaching 40—Carmen, whose picture-perfect life in NYC suddenly falls apart, and Ally, a marine biologist starting over after personal and professional heartbreak—the novel balances emotional depth with moments of humor and warmth.
Margulis does a great job capturing the complexities of female friendship, especially as life takes Carmen and Ally in very different directions. The alternating perspectives keep the story moving, and the contrast between the fast-paced city life and quiet introspection in Portland gives the book a rich, layered feel.
That said, some plot turns feel predictable, and there are moments when the pacing dips. While it touches on big life themes—motherhood, loss, identity—the execution occasionally lacks the sharpness needed to fully land the emotional weight.
Still, if you’re looking for a story about second chances, growing pains, and the unshakable bond between friends, this book delivers. It’s not flawless, but it’s sincere—and sometimes, that hits just right.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The main story revolves around two friends entering their forties in very different situations. Carmen and Ally have been lifelong friends who are struggling to maintain their friendship and find their way amid extremely different life situations. Carmen was a magazine editor and balancing her three kids and work life before a surprise baby and job loss. Ally has a career she enjoys forcing her to relocate and she continues to struggle navigating her way to a meaningful relationship. Trying to be earnestly happy for their friend and making the right space for it amid the hardships of life becomes increasingly difficult.
I listened over a few days and found it extremely relatable. I will identify more with Ally, someone in her mid 30s with no kids and home responsibilities. I know too well about losing touch with a close friend in the thick of motherhood and postpartum. Sometimes we can have the best intentions but communication and making time for people can be hard. The inevitable fact is that friendships over time can change, and they take work. Simply for the fact this novel was incredibly honest, full of compassion, and also humour, is why I recommend this audiobook to anyone, particularly anyone who knows what it’s like to struggle to juggle all the parts of life, or has found it tough making time for friendship amongst the chaos.

I was disappointed with this one. The synopsis sounded so good but it just didn't fulfill my expectations. The friendships, in my opinion, weren't true genuine friendships. It seems that it's more about having high hopes for later in and no matter if you achieve your goals or not you can still be let down. Lots of whining about their lives and wishing they had what other people or each other had.

Again, Only More Like You is a book about 2 friends approaching their 40th birthdays. Carmen just got fired and found out she is pregnant. Ally just got dumped. This book shows the 2 different paths ones life can take, motherhood or single life. Although I'm not a mother, I know many women my age juggling motherhood, a job and a husband. The book kept my interest and I found it refreshing having characters in middle age instead of their 20s.

Great premise, love the idea, ultimately wasn’t for me. Sometimes relatable though most of the book felt like a cloud of overwhelm and stress. I probably would have enjoyed it more with some humor sprinkled in. The narrator did a great job.

2.75⭐️ rounded up:

I appreciate the work that must be involved in writing and producing any piece of work to bring it to publication however unfortunately this one just didn’t seem to gather momentum.

From the book synopsis there is a lot of scope for this to be very relatable to many and although at certain points I absolutely could relate and understand the message and meanings behind the authors work I also found myself not really feeling the characters. This was one that was difficult to fully engage in the story, therefore keeping and holding my interest at times wasn’t always there meaning I felt distracted from the storyline. I didn’t feel fully immersed due to it being a little monotone overall and the relationships between the two main characters simply feeling more focused on this and that, rather than hopeful inspirational moments.

I appreciate the opportunity to listen to this ELC from NetGalley & Dreamscape Media. Wish Catalina Margulis best wishes for publication on 29th April 2025. 🙏🏽📚

I don't typically leave reviews when I DNF a book, however part of taking on an ARC means giving an honest review.

This book is billed as a poignant and humorous look at friendship and reinvention at age 40. Sadly, this book wasn't humorous. The two main characters, who have been besties since childhood, are separated by distance and they're at different stages in their lives. And they come across as anything but besties. I'm not even sure they like each other, and they certainly don't like themselves, and they don't like anything about their lives. They were extremely self-centered and negative, and I struggled to find any humor in their thoughts or actions.

I made it through about 40% of the audiobook, but the characters had no redeeming qualities, and I was constantly irritated with them. This made it an easy DNF.

I do appreciate the opportunity to listen to this book, but it just didn't hit it for me.

Overall rating: 2.5/5
I absolutely love reading a relatable story about women facing challenges and struggles that come with motherhood, careers, middle age, and just existing as a woman. However, this book… kinda boring to me. The relationship between Ally & Carmen is very realistic in terms of having a long distance best friend, but I just did not like the dynamic between them. While both at different points in the book were jealous/envious of each other, Ally seemed to be the one who carried more disdain towards Carmen for living her life as a mother and being more family centric - all while Carmen is kicking herself for not having time/energy to check in with Ally more frequent. Overall, the whole story just felt mundane and flat to me. Thank you Netgalley for the ALC.

Started out great but the story soon devolved into a mis- mash of stuff that was almost impossible to follow.

hanks to NetGalley for an ALC. 2.5 stars. Really nothing special at all- and I don’t feel like a whole lot happened. I was waiting for some big defining thing but it didn’t come. And the two women weren’t even that nice to each other? I would have w DNFed this if it wasn’t an audiobook.

As childhood best friends approach their 40th birthdays, Carmen and Ally are at different but crucial crossroads. Carmen is trying to have it all, juggling a career and motherhood, while Ally is searching for her place in life. Add in some job changes, pregnancy, relationship turmoils, and death—the women must determine what is most important to them now.

I enjoyed this story of women's difficulties balancing past expectations, current social stigmas, and the need to find their own way. Carmen's and Ally's journeys are relatable; however, the story did not allow for much investment in their friendship. As a 41-year-old mom, I am always happy to see real motherhood life represented, and hope shining through in the chaos.

Early Listening Copy courtesy of Negalley and Dreamscape Media. All opinions are my own.

Two lifelong friends are reaching 40 and neither has the life that they'd expected. I felt the stress that Carmen had with a daily commute to NYC, a punishing job, 3 young kids, and a supportive husband. But he's growing tired of her being late for everything, seeming to give her job her best and not as much to her family. then she finds herself fired and pregnant. Ally has a job that she loves. She also loves her boss, but he's married. When he dumps her, her life starts again with a new job, a new state, and maybe a new relationship. But again, life disappoints her.

I didn't see much humor in this book, but it is reflective of life the way many of us have been living for many years. Always seeking more, better, whatever.

I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a great job.

I was drawn to this because it was about two best friends, about to turn 40, who are still trying to figure out their lives. So relatable to me- the age, the sentiment, the uncertainty.

However, I hate both Carmen and Ally. They are whiny, miserable people who refuse to do anything to change their circumstances. I almost DNFed and wish I had. I hated them both and was annoyed the whole time.

Cindy Kay narrates. Not her fault, but there should have been two narrators used. One for Carmen and one for Ally.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a relatable premise and characters with promise but ultimately I found the friendship not very nice or understanding, the trajectories of the two characters too neatly divergent and the book about 30% too long.