Maybe Once, Maybe Twice

I love love love the premise of this book! I love reading stories like this & this was a wonderful one. I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm super glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy romantic & romcom books. I mostly enjoyed the characters and overall enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

Despite having books on my tbr list that have been there longer, I remembered how much I adored Bad Luck Bridesmaid and, after receiving the invitation to read an early copy, I jumped right in to Maybe Once, Maybe Twice, no regrets.

Okay, first things first - I love a book that references a favorite song of mine - it’s a little thrill to my reader’s heart - but I will lose my heart to a book that references quite a few of my favorite songs (Gypsy, Crash into Me, Everlong (the acoustic version), fecking Silver Springs, and LC’s Hallelujah).

The comedy in this one made me laugh out loud in several places (see Dave Matthews Band concert in Central Park scene for example), the ache and hunger here is rendered beautifully, it’s nearly palpable - there’s so much about this one that works. There’s love and heartbreak, there’s heartache and lifelong friendship, and there’s slow burn galore. Silver Springs - the one that got away, you’re getting that same star-crossed longing here.

This is now two home runs from Ms. Greenberg, and I, for one, can’t wait to read what she writes next ❤️

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg tells the story of Maggie Vine, who is a 35-year-old singer songwriter who is still searching for her big break. The novel follows Maggie throughout various points in time in her past, which all have shaped who she is at 35 and the relationships that exist at that time. While this book is a romance, I think the best part is that on two occasions you see characters choose putting their priorities first instead of the wishes of a partner. If you like references to 90’s music and/or parts of a story that takes place in Trader Joe’s, this could be the book for you!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for reaching out with an offer to read on NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

TW: infertility, suicide (off-page), sexual assault.

When Maggie Vine made marriage pacts with two different men from different times in her past, she never imagined either pact going anywhere. But when both men turn up in her life on her 35th birthday, she is torn between the man who was her first love and the man she has loved for twelve years.

I received an advance copy of this book and was excited to dive into it after reading Alison Rose Greenberg’s debut novel, Bad Luck Bridesmaid, last year. I was not disappointed!

I am not a huge romance fan, but I LOVE romance written by Greenberg! Her characters are flawed and genuine and her writing style pulls you in from the first page. Maggie May, the protagonist, is a little bit Daisy Jones and a little bit Carrie Bradshaw and you cannot help but love her. Her relationships with Garrett and Asher are beautiful in their own ways, but the true love story of this book in the one between Maggie and her best friend, Summer.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an arc of this book. I loved every minute of it. 🤩

This is what Book Boyfriends are made of. This was a good book and I will be reading more from them. Read it today. you will find a new author to love.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“‘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.” 
 
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Maggie Vine is a 35-year-old singer songwriter, who is still looking for her big break while also trying to navigate what her future looks like in terms of love and family. so when the two great loves of her life both show up because of separate marriage pacts she made with them (at very different times), she’s got some things to figure out. 
 
"Maybe Once, Maybe Twice" is an empowering story of love and loss and life, full of uplifting relationships and heartbreaking disappointments. it’s a story about betting on yourself by going after what you want and not settling for what’s easy or what makes sense to other people. it’s a story about believing in yourself, even when you’re scared.  
 
Alison Rose Greenberg writes top-tier relationships that are impossible not to love. I absolutely adore Maggie’s best friend, Summer, who embodies the type of friendship we all deserve: a friend who will be there for you without you even telling them you need them, and a friend who loves you unconditionally. 
 
when it comes to the boys: whether you’re Team Asher or Team Garrett, it’s undeniable that both of them contribute to Maggie’s journey in seismic ways. at different times, each is her muse, champion, and love. no spoilers, but my favorite guy wins, and it makes me so happy! 
 
but above all, it’s Maggie’s relationship with herself that I value so much. she’s confident and vulnerable and open to what the world has to offer, while also demanding that it give her what she deserves. she doesn’t just let life happen to her; she jumps on the stage and directs the show, even when it’s hard. she lives and loves out loud, and she’s not ashamed to turn up the volume.  
 
Maggie Vine is a supernova of color that will come crashing into your heart full force without apologies. She’s a heroine for the ages, and she’ll make you look at life through a kaleidoscope of hope and joy and vulnerability and messiness that will encourage you to be present, embrace the moments, feel the hurt, and cherish the love. you’ve only got one life, so don’t waste it on things that don’t make your heart dance.  
 
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read if you like: 
♡ a kickass female lead 
♡ betting on yourself 
♡ synesthesia  
♡ Trader Joe’s smashing s’mores (literally my fave) 
♡ music (especially 90s/00s. think: fallout boy, blink-182, dmb, deana carter) 
♡ great love, bad timing  
♡ women supporting women 
♡ Jewish representation  
♡ running away from engagement parties 
♡ rebellious ponies  
♡ beautiful goodbyes  
♡ hopeless romantics  
♡ NYC 
♡ friends that are family  
♡ big breaks 
 
trigger warnings: 
☞ infertility / difficulty conceiving  
☞ suicide  
☞ loss of loved ones 
☞ grief 
☞ absentee parenting  
☞ fear of abandonment  
☞ sexual assault  
☞ survivor’s guilt  
 
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oh, and I would be doing a huge disservice if I didn't mention the magic of music within this story. it will be a riot for people of all ages, but it will be especially enjoyable for children of the 90s and 2000s. The nostalgia will gut punch you, and you’ll be left with a desire to lay on your bed with your five disc CD player circulating through all your mixed CDs.
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thank you to the author for sending me an early copy for my honest review!