This is a story about reconnecting. Jen is wanting to be accepted. Little does she know that TJ has been wanting her from afar. This is a very good entertaining book. I really liked the characters. I feel like I could be friends with them.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for another chance.

TJ and Jen’s story is complicated and emotional, they both have their own baggage weighing them down. They met in high school, TJ was the hot rich, popular nerd, Jen was the poor girl hyperaware of TJ’s supposed bad opinion of her. I loved TJ ! His loving nature, his positivity and his good heart. He is a beautiful person, generous and caring. He never takes anything or anyone for granted.

Circumstances bring TJ and Jen together. TJ becomes Jen’s boss when she starts working for his distillery business. They have maintained a tumultuous relationship, she enjoys pushing his buttons. Jen is deeply flawed, this character definitely has a chip on her shoulder. And frankly, it bothered me! She keeps everyone at arms’ length, she is ashamed of her bad financial situation and refuses TJ’s help. She is struggling and I felt for her.

Watching TJ slowly break down her walls was inspiring. He revels in taking care of her and he is so determined! He is everything Jen never realized she could have. This sweet second chance romance is filled with emotion and chemistry. All in all, while I had mixed feelings about the heroine, it was a solid read with an endearing hero and I look forward to more from this author in the future.

This is the second book in Whiskey and Weddings series, but it is my first time reading this author. The blurb, as well as the cover, promised a hopeful, interesting and sweet story. That is not what I got reading it.

This story had so much potential but the main characters, especially Jen’s character, was so off putting that I really didn’t care for her at all. There was nothing likable about her. I think the author wanted Jen to be strong, self-sufficient smart-ass and in doing so she managed to create someone that came off bitchy and whiny. I tried to understand her but I just couldn’t get her.

TJ, the hero of this story, wasn’t what I expected either. I was hoping that he’d grow out of his insecurities, but by the time that he showed some potential for it, I lost interest in their story.

For someone who loves a second chance tropes, I found this one underwhelming, but you might not. If you’ve read book one, than you probably would read this story as well. However, if you’ve never read this author before, I’d tell you to skip this story and possibly read the book before it. I believe that I’d like to do that myself.

Melanie for b2b

I really enjoyed this book. I love the crew at the Stag! Jen and TJ are wonderful together though they have PLENTY of baggage between the two of them. They’ve known each other forever and this story has some of the best parts of friends to lovers and second chance (though they’re really more of a not quite). I loved getting to see Dean and Charlotte again too. If you’re looking for an engaging romance with all the feels then this would be a good choice.

I enjoyed reading this book. The book was well written and had great characters. Jen was a guarded and TJ made mistakes but I still loved him. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking for the 1st book in the series.

If you are looking for a poignant, uplifting and captivating read to curl up with and lose yourself in, then look no further than the latest novel in Nicole McLaughlin’s enchanting Whiskey and Weddings series, Maybe This Time.

Life has never been a bed of roses for Jen Mackenzie. She has been knocked down more times than she cares to remember, but if there is one thing that Jen can lay claim to is being a survivor. When life kicks her in the teeth, she always dusts herself off, takes a deep breath, pulls back her shoulders and gets back into the swing of things. However, having lost her job and made some pretty poor career decisions in the past, Jen’s careless choices are making her seriously worry about what might be coming next for her. But as luck would have it, she manages to secure a position at The Stag, Kansas City’s go-to wedding venue. For the first time in a very long while, it looks like things might be looking up for Jen – until she realises that one of the venue’s owners is none other than TJ Laughlin, the one man who always manages to make her feel inadequate…

TJ has been crazy about Jen since high school. As her new boss, he finds himself torn between wanting to kiss her senseless and wringing her neck for being so stubborn and self-sufficient. Watching her struggle is killing him and he would do absolutely anything in his power to help her, but Jen is convinced that accepting anyone ‘s help – especially TJ’s – is a weakness and that is a trait which she absolutely abhors.

As things begin to heat up between the two of them, will TJ manage to prove to Jen that he is a man she can trust with her body, heart and soul and that the only way they can ever be happy is if they spend the rest of their lives…together?

An emotionally satisfying contemporary romance you are simply going to love, Maybe This Time is a fantastic tale of second chances, new beginnings and learning to trust I just couldn’t bear to put down. Jen is a wonderfully believable, flawed and humane heroine who is relatable and real and TJ is a gorgeous heroine you are going to love.

Maybe This Time is a fun, sexy, sassy and feel-good tale that touches the heart and will keep you engrossed from start to finish. A spellbinding read from a writer I’ve added to my must-buy list, Maybe This Time is compulsively readable contemporary romance at its best!

While I loved Jen and TJ's current relationship, and thought their boss/employee tension played well with their romantic sparks, the revelations about him secretly wanting her his whole life didn't seem to match the facts. I really love the guys at The Stag, and look forward to more in this series.

This was a very enjoyable read. The heroine, Jen is a tough cookie. She comes from a poor background and has a chip on her shoulder. She’s had it tough and things just keep getting tougher. She works at a distillery/wedding venue owned by 3 guys - because you know that 3 guys trying to make a go of their craft distillery would also use the space for weddings.

One of the guys is TJ Laughlin, who has had it bad for Jen since high school. And she’s also had a crush on him, but just is insecure that she’s not good enough for him. Communication is a basic problem. If they’d communicated in high school or as adults or now, things would be a lot better.

They’re both likeable characters so you’ll be pulling for them to figure things out.

I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

There's the bones of something good in here, but as it is I didn't find it particularly satisfying. Jen is an abrasive, hard-to-like heroine and although TJ has his moments (although it's hard to get past the fact that the T stands for Trevor) he has his low moments too. I thought there were too many plot twists here to give a satisfactory ending too - everyone seems like they're sacrificing things that they shouldn't be, and there was one part of the final act that really didn't work for me, but I can't explain it without spoilers.

Jen has been dealing with a lot and became stronger for it. Now that her teaching job is no more and her mom is battling cancer things aren’t getting easier. She works at The Stag which helps but knows the owners from her school days. When a fire breaks out at her apartment she has no choice but to except help. TJ, has had a thing for Jen since high school and now he is her boss, can he show it is okay to be vulnerable and ask for help, maybe fall in love? This was a good read for me, I liked the story although I found the characters a bit annoying at time the overall story is emotional, entertaining and sweet. A good read.

I really enjoyed this story. I get that it is part of the whole story line, but it was very frustrating that Jen CONSTANTLY pushed TJ away when she has liked him for so long. I'm glad they finally managed to get their HEA.

Ms. McLaughlin is a newer author to me and I am so glad I discovered her.
Maybe This Time is unique in that our hero is incredibly likeable and an overall good guy, but our heroine is prickly and needs a little bit of redemption. Jen and TJ have known each other since high school and given that they have crushed on each other ever since, this is almost a second chance romance.
This well written and I enjoyed getting to know Jen and TJ and watching them figure out how to be together. It was nice to see them both figure out how to talk to each other and in Jen's case that it was okay to lean on someone.
Maybe this time was definitely entertaining and has me curious about the first book in the series and books that will be coming in the future.

Maybe This Time by Nicole McLaughlin is in the Whiskey and Weddings series. Although I have not read any from this series it could easily be a stand-alone book. This is a second chance romance between Jen and TJ. Life has dished out a lot to Jen, but she keeps moving forward by using her humor to cover her issues. She is also sarcastic and a little bit mean. TJ also has issues, but he is a more likeable character. Their journey is interesting. I enjoyed the story and recommend it.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

I really enjoyed reading Maybe This Time by Nicole McLaughlin, part of her Whisky and Weddings series. Life has been difficult for Jen Mackenzie. Each time she gets knocked down she picks herself back up and tries again. Since losing her job when the community theater closed and trying to help her mother beat cancer, life and lack of finances are starting to catch up with her. Working at The Stag as a bartender and temporarily as the wedding venue planner has become her saving grace. Now if only TJ Laughlin, one of the owners and high school classmate, didn’t make her feel incompetent. TJ has cared for Jen since high school, albeit secretly. Being her boss and working closely with Jen made it difficult for TJ to watch her struggle. Jen views accepting help, especially from TJ, makes her weak, but TJ only sees beauty and strength. As things heat up, finally, between these two they need to learn that love is about communication as well as give and take. When Jen is offered a job of a lifetime will it destroy all she has with TJ or will they both learn that compromise might be the answer?

I loved reading this story. Ms. McLaughlin is wonderful storyteller, keeping me interested in this story so that I had trouble putting it down. I felt for Jen and all the demands on her as well as lack of knowledge in knowing how to handle the stress. I recommend this great book to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

What I liked:
I’m a sucker for the strong silent types and TJ was that with a sprinkle of adorably awkward. Although when it counted, he didn’t mince words or pull his punches. I liked him.

I liked him and related to him but I couldn’t quiet grasp what he saw in Jen. Like what was it about her (other than a pretty face) that he find so irresistible? For the last twelve years, he’s crushed on her silently with everyone knowing (accept the h, of course) and taken so much attitude and snarkiness from her, I’m convinces any normal person would have buried any lingering infatuation with her and just moved on. But I guess TJ is loyal to a fault because he takes it all in stride and still finds it in himself to fall in love with her. All while she’s antagonizing and poking fun of him! I guess miracles really do happen!

What I didn't like:
At this point, I think it’s pretty obvious I didn’t like the h. Jen’s name should be changed to Debbie, for Debbie Downer. She is definitely the bemoaning, throws-her-own-pity-parties kind of girl. She complains about her job, her lack of trust, her dismal love life and loves to play the blame game. She has trust issues because of her mother, she doesn’t’ believe in love because of her mother and her absentee father, she’s stuck in a rut and doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life because …. *drum roll* her mother!

I wasn’t a fan of her mother either (she was a bitter and angry woman) but I got tired really quick with Jen constantly complaining about her and bringing up all the things Jen did to relieve her own damn guilt to really care. Their relationship was super messed up but this woman was still her mother and she was dealing with the return of cancer and facing her mortality. I think snapping back at her and constantly expecting praise for checking up on her (which any remotely decent human being would do) was too much.

Then there’s the awful way she behaved and treated the H. Jen likes to think she’s a mind reader and can interpret your body language and thoughts perfectly and accurately. She also likes to put words in your mouth.

For more than a decade she’s treated TJ to her full on bullying attention over her own misconceptions and assumptions. Instead of talking it out or asking what he means or even just shutting up and waiting for a response would have cleared this up a long time ago. But our h does none of that. She makes up her mind that the H thinks she’s trashy, not his type and disapproves of the way she looks without once having a full conversation with him. The H could have literally been having a heart attack, face all scrunched up and she would have assumed he was frowning his disapproval of her, yelled something sarcastically mean and stormed out. She was so dramatic and too quick to jump to the wrong conclusion. It was super frustrating.

This girl has huge insecurities that she nurtures for years, really low self-esteem and a chip on her shoulder a mile wide. She needed to fix herself and I just didn’t feel she ever really dealt with any of her emotional baggage.

Would I recommend?
This didn’t work out for me because it had too many of my personal pet peeves, but the writing is solid and this author knows how to write an amazing book boyfriend. TJ was definitely the highlight of this story. He was really a sweet and caring guy. I enjoyed him.

This is the first book I’ve read from Nicole McLaughlin. I admit that I do get nervous trying a new author. I think it’s because I want to love her every book that floats my way and I feel bad if I don’t like something. But I didn’t need to worry. I actually read this book in one sitting. It was easy to read and I became so invested in these characters.

Jen Mackenzie might be one of my favorite female characters ever. She is exceptionally flawed. She’s made some poor decisions, she has her own insecurity, plus her present day life brings a lot of stress. I aligned with Jen. There was a scene where she sort of breaks down as all of the stress just hits her. I cried right along with her. Her stress and anguish just soared off the page.

TJ Laughlin is, again, a favorite character. When you look at these characters, without meeting then, you see TJ as the rich kid and Jen as the poor kid. Which is true. But having money, or not having money, doesn’t leave you immune to insecurity or issues in life. TJ has many battles, they are just of a different caliber. Even with all of that, TJ isn’t scared to give Jen his love.

Jen and TJ are in their early 30’s. I feel like this is a weird thing to hone in on, but I really appreciated that the characters weren’t so young. And the fact that they both had sexual experience. I know we all love a good virginal, first love romance, but I also appreciate when the characters have experienced life with other people. It makes the connection so much stronger. There was one particular love scene in the story where you the passion was so intense and, as a reader, I understood how these two could feel how they did.

If you enjoy contemporary romance, you will enjoy this story. But if you also love seeing a couple overcome the odds, you would also love Jen and TJ’s story. Both characters have flaws that are realistic, and when we see these two come together, the passion and chemistry seem to jump off the page.

Jen MacKenzie is your typical girl from the wrong side of the tracks, living in a bad apartment, no full-time job, drowning in debt, tattoos, no college education. She was poor but happy teaching theatre in a local community college until the funding ran out, now she's juggling two part-time jobs and struggling to make ends meet.

TJ Laughlin was the Andrew McCarthy to Jen's Molly Ringwold in this variant in Pretty in Pink (or Cinderella, if you are old school). The son of wealthy parents he was one of the popular kids at school, handsome, glossy, well-dressed and gleaming smile.

Years later TJ is a joint owner of the The Stag, a boutique distillery that has become Kansas City’s go-to wedding venue. Jen has been part-time tending bar on a Saturday night and acting receptionist while the regular woman is on maternity leave, she's not thrilled to be working for someone who looks like he smells something bad every time she walks into a room but a job's a job, right?

TJ has lusted after Jen from afar ever since school, he even watched every single one of her Am-Dram productions. But his snobby friends and family deterred him from ever approaching her. Now, years later, working with the woman of his dreams is sweet torture.

I liked this but I didn't love it. My ARC had lots of grammatical errors (which I am sure were corrected before it was published). It was so blindingly obvious from the get-go that TJ liked Jen that her obliviousness appeared deliberately obtuse. Yet she continued to delude herself that TJ hated her, TJ looked down on her yadda yadda. Denial ,denial, denial. TJ was just as bad, he didn't get the courage to speak up until another man looked likely to sweep in and steal Jen.

Overall, it felt like Nicole McLaughlin was trying too hard to be even-handed, Jen had family issues, TJ had family issues, Jen had a secret, TJ had a secret etc etc.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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What I liked:
The writing style
Most of the characters
Part of a series: Whiskey and Weddings
Standalone
HEA

What I didn't like:
Jen

I look forward to reading more from Nicole McLaughlin.

I’m torn on Maybe This Time. I loved the first story in this series, Maybe I Do, liked aspects of Maybe This Time and refuse to give up on a series simply because I cannot stand one character. I do not like Jen. It’s really that simple. I could go on a long rant about her horribleness to TJ, her entitlement personality and her ‘oh woe is me while I kick you in the man parts’ moments. I could, but she’s not worth the time to type all of my thoughts out… and that’s pretty telling for me.

There were parts of this story that saved it for me. I cannot fault the author because I could not stand or connect to a main character, that’s on me. So this is going to be a very brief review.

The story falls into the “good book” for me mainly because it moves the series forward and I liked TJ. I’ll round up like I always do on half stars. I would strongly suggest that you make up your own mind about Maybe This Time. Jen hit all the wrong buttons for me – but she might be exactly the type of character you love. Remember, this is simply my opinion, my thoughts – you should really check this one out for yourself.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*