It's a great second chance romance. The trope is a tried and true one -- girl from the wrong side of the tracks crushed on boy from affluent family. Little did she know, he was crushing on her too. Fast forward 15 years and they're working together. She has a chip on her shoulder, still, and he can't figure her out. The close quarters and prospective dates finally take their toll and TJ goes to get his girl.

It’s a charming story about learning how to love and trust and support when you haven’t had great examples to follow.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I loved this book! I remember that I had some problems with the first book because although I loved the story and the author’s writing, I didn’t like the male character a lot, Dean. I felt that he dithered too much, with his hangup that he was twelve years older than Charlotte. In this book, the couple are Jen and JT, and I loved both characters.

Jen and JT have known each other since middle school. Jen always had a crush on JT but she had the feeling that JT saw her as inferior. When she started to work with JT and his partners at Stag distillery, she was nice to everyone but snarky with JT. Poor JT didn’t know why she was like that, and he had a thing for her too. Talk about a huge miscommunication snafu!

There are several plot lines happening in this book. Jen’s mother was a negligent parent. During Jen’s adolescence, she was addicted to cigarettes and alcohol, but she’s just finished a bout of chemo due to cancer. Jen made her mother cut off cigarettes and alcohol to improve her chances of recovery and is also monitoring her diet and preparing smoothies every day. She’s being a good daughter because her mother is all she has left, yet Diane is depressed, indifferent, selfish and bitter. Jen would like to have a better relation with her mother, but Diane doesn’t cooperate.

Jen is also almost broke because her main job at the community theater stopped when the theater folded, so all she has now is her job as bartender at the brewery and her temporary gig as receptionist while Tara is on maternity leave. Her past history has made her broken. A negligent mother, a father who abandoned her when she was little, she expresses her brokenness with excess makeup and tattoos that cover three-quarters of her arm.  We know from the previous book that she was outgoing and lively.  In this book, we get to know her better, and we see that she's a warrior.  She faces problems and solves them herself without depending on others.  She's brave and spunky and very independent.

JT is the third son in his parent’s marriage. It seems like their love quota ended at the second child because he doesn’t feel loved and appreciated by his parents. His father has numerous affairs and his mother drinks to forget about her husband’s affairs. He’s being successful at his brewery but his family don’t seem to notice.  My impression of JT is that he's a nerd, therefore, he has trouble communicating and is a little introverted.  He has always liked Jenna but didn't have the guts to do something about it.

And the last plot line but no less important, is that Jen doesn’t have many friends and she likes Charlotte. She would like to be friends with her, since Charlotte is so nice to her, but she feels a ton of guilt. Years ago, she and Dean had a moment and she’s feeling bad about it, for Charlotte’s sake.

So all these tidbits make for a very entertaining and riveting book. A medical incident brings JT and Jen together, and JT was incredibly attentive and supportive. This broke down some of the walls around Jen’s heart. As JT saw his opportunity and approached Jen, the walls were crumbling. They both had several issues to overcome, Jen more than JT. Jen’s brokenness made her very defensive, and she didn’t trust the generosity she received from JT. JT had to be patient and very persistent, but Jen was so worth it.  It was a beautiful love story! Both characters were kind and loving and generous.

I loved the book in all its drama and diverseness. All the characters in this book were flawed and perfectly human.

After reading the first book in the Whiskey and Weddings series I was really looking forward to TJ and Jen's story. Especially since I knew there was history there as they had known each other for years.

Dean was a great lead in the first book, but I think TJ is definitely my favorite. He is sweet, thoughtful, and protective over those he cares about. He sees Jen for who she is and doesn't feel the need to change her to meet some sort of image.

I liked Jen and I understood where some of her insecurities and issues arose from. However, I had a little bit of a harder time connecting with her. It was nice to see her growth throughout the book, though.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and the plot pacing. I am really looking forward to Jake's story and wondering if there might end up being a book for John too?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Whiskey and Weddings #2, First off the cover does not match the story. It just seems way to conventional for the free spirited Jen with her dyed hair and tattoos. The story was okay it was entertaining, I loved Jen, in high school we probably would have been friends and grown up to be even better friends. I don't think I would have liked TJ in high school especially after what he did to Jen. But people grow up and TJ and Jen meet again a couple of years down the line after she gets a job bartending at Stag, the boutique whiskey distillery and wedding venue that TJ and his friends Dean and Jake own and operate. Jen was just doing the bartending jig part time while she acted and coached kids in acting and vocal but when the theatre closed down due to lack of funding Jen was left without a stable income not to mention her mother has been battling cancer and even though they may not have had the best relationship Jen feels it's her responsibility to take care of her mother. Jen's luck finally changes when the main receptionist at Stag has to go into maternity leave early and they ask Jen to fill in for her.
Jen is bartending the night of Stag's big Uncasking Night, after five years they are "opening" up the first barrels of their aged whiskey. It's a big success but part way through the night Jen accidentally cuts her finger and TJ drives her to the hospital. While there they talk more honestly then they ever had and Jen confides in him that her Mom's cancer is back and refusing chemo. Usually Jen and TJ can't go five seconds without some kind of insult but that night starts anew chapter for both of them TJ breaks up with his girlfriend because he realizes everything Jen said about her was right and TJ finally feels confident enough to try and pursue Jen. TJ and Jen are just starting things when the apartment she lives in catches on fire and her and her Mom are homeless. Jen hates having to need anybody she's always done things on her own and she feels like she will have to repay TJ back for his generosity of letting her stay with him. TJ doesn't want to be repaid he likes taking care of Jen and after everything Jen has done for herself and her mother he thinks it's about time some took care of her for a change. But everything is moving to fast for Jen just starting a relationship and then moving in with him she's feeling overwhelmed. When she gets a call from a woman in Chicago about a teaching job at a prestigious art school she's conflicted about leaving.

Jen and TJ go from prickly to lukewarm to red hot in the matter of pages. Jen's defense mechanism ranges anywhere from a self deprecating comment to an insult. TJ always brought out the worst in her because she always felt that he was judging her and finding her not worthy which just made her feel worse that she was still attracted to him. TJ always liked Jen but her almost constant onslaught of insults kept him away. When Jen finally let TJ in he was full speed ahead no stops runaway train.

Overall, it was a good read. TJ had some family issues he had to deal with so it wasn't an all about Jen book. In the end everything was wrapped up in a pretty little bow with their conflict with their families. The writing was well paced and the dialogue was witty at times. I like that this took place in Kansas City it was a nice change for me.

3.5 Stars

Don't judge a book by its cover. Jen Mackenzie is anything but traditional - she's smart-mouthed, snarky, bold, sexual, and determined not to show any weakness. She's also insecure, vulnerable, a terrible money manager, and very proud. She has had a thing for TJ for the last fifteen years or so, ever since high school, but hides her feelings behind biting remarks. Now a twist of fate has Jen working at the Stag Distillery, where TJ is one of her bosses.

Trevor "TJ" Laughlin is determined to find his own success, rather than depend on his well-to-do family, and his part ownership in Stag Distillery is paying off. Having to see Jen every day at work is both pleasure and pain, as he's also longed for a relationship with her since their high school days. Back then, TJ's crowd didn't hang around with Jen, who was the girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

When a point comes when both Jen and TJ are free, he finally gets the courage to approach Jen about dating and a relationship. Their romance takes an uneven path with lots of highs and lows, due, I think, to how different they basically are. TJ is your typical good guy, who has his act together. He's responsible, kind, and a gentleman. Jen flaunts her overt sexuality and unconventionality and enjoys saying shocking things. She has been very irresponsible in handling her finances, though she's made an effort to improve. To some extent, her rocky relationship with her mother had a big part in shaping the person she is, and now that her mother is seriously ill, Jen is making an effort to mend fences. Still, I couldn't totally warm up to Jen and the chip she carried on her shoulder.

Though MAYBE THIS TIME concludes with Jen and TJ committed to each other, I'm not feeling confident their love is forever, at least not on Jen's part. Her self-proclaimed free spirited nature and her past actions lead me to feel she'll become bored and want to move on. If you're looking for a sweet, small-town romance, this is not for you. However, if you like a modern, bold, sexy story that ends with happy-for-now, MAYBE THIS TIME fills the bill.

jen mackenzie has always had it bad for t.j. laughlin. ever since high school. even when he was a total jerk. she loves him, but still goes out of her way to bait and annoy him. it's her way of protecting herself from hurt. the thing is, she has it all wrong. t.j. has always loved her too.

in maybe this time, t.j. and jen finally get their crossed wires uncrossed. and find that all that antagonism was a cover for true blue friendship and love. and because they've known each other for so long, their relationship is built up quick. maybe a bit more quickly than is comfortable, because for all that they are more or less on the same page, they still have no idea how to communicate with each other when it matters.

in some ways, their biggest problem has always been assuming that the other person is thinking the worst possible thing of them. so when they hit a stumbling block, they fall a bit harder because they keep failing to tell each other openly how they really feel. leaving the other person to make crazy, off base assumptions.

it's great to be back with the crew at the stag. i'm kind of hoping we get a story about jake and alexis next, but we shall see.

**maybe this time will publish on february 27, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/st. martin's press in exchange for my honest review.

12 years earlier- Jen didn’t care about popularity as she went through the halls of Green Hills HS. She had played the lead- Sandy- in the HS adaptation of Grease. She had dyed her hair blonde, wore tight pants and for now she was wanted. Normally Jen was the outcast not that she wanted to be a nobody it was just so much easier not to care. TJ was in Jen’s history class and she had been crushing on him . He was a hot rich nerd. Present day- Jen was at her moms checking on her.Also jen was checking her bank account hoping it hadn’t bounced so far she was ok. She had lost her job at the Maple Springs Community Theater due to Federal funding cuts. Jen hated being broke but until her Broadway dreams came true or the sugar daddy's quit evading her it was probably her destiny. Jen took the brunt of her mother’s frustration with her life. Jen and her mother really didn’t know how to love each other. Her mother had battled cancer for the last year or so and gave up drinking and smoking but then was still another cyst. Jen was trying to show her mother she cared by showing up daily taking her to the doctor when she needed to go. Making her food or whatever she could do. Sometimes jen wanted to stand on the side of the highway and hitchhike her way out of this life. Jen had crushed on TJ during middle and HS now she worked for his and his buddies companyStag for several years now as a bartender and recently a temporary receptionist. Jen didn’t have a lot of friends especially female but she really liked Charlotte who was one of TJ’s partners -Dean- and friend’s girlfriend. What Jen didn’t know was when TJ looked at jen all he seen was curvy hips, plump red lips, and colorful tattoos of flowers and fairies. She was an enigma.
I just couldn’t really get into this book. I felt like Jen had a big chip on her shoulder she needed to get rid of. TJ was nice to her and all she usually did was taunt him that was just very immature. Jen had been into TJ since HS but you couldn’t tell by the way she acted as far as I am concerned she was suppose to be an adult. Jen and TJ just don’t jell for me as a couple. If anything TJ is too nice for her. I also felt the end was too rushed. This just wasn’t for me.

Teenagers, almost all of them, go to high school. It’s unfortunate that Twilight has ruined high school as a setting for too many authors. I confess, when I was introduced to teenage Jen MacKenzie and TJ Laughlin and the two had a crush on each other, but each thought the other one hated them, and then had to work together on a school project…yeah, Twilight. It’s not fair, but it’s there. Maybe in another decade my mind won’t go there immediately. To McLauglin’s credit, I forgot about Twilight as soon as she continued to develop these characters, especially as adults. I liked them. I also liked that we got to skip over the fifteen years they spent after high school yearning for each other, but never acting on it. So the reader arrives on the scene when they finally decide to do something.

Maybe This Time is the second installment in the Whiskey and Wedding series. TJ is one of the owners of the boutique Stag Distillery. Jen works for him as a bartender and temporary receptionist. Her out-going personality makes her a natural at customer service, but she can be grumpy and bristly in private. TJ loves having her around as well as what she can do for his business. Unfortunately, Jen’s heart is in the performing arts and doesn’t plan to make a career out of bartending. He’s from money, she’s from the other side of the tracks. They shouldn’t work which is why they don’t act on their mutual attraction for so long. Once they do come together, however, they move very quickly. Circumstances in Jen’s life force them to move even faster than she would like, but TJ is there going head to head with her to get the relationship he wants.

Overall, it’s a sweet, contemporary romance between what should have been high school sweethearts. The ending wraps up too quickly for me, but that’s kind of the definition of chick lit. TJ makes a sweeping declaration that would probably play well in a Larry Levinson movie, but in the book where we have time and space, it felt insincere—his only moment that felt that way. That’s not too grievous in this category of literature, but it’s not the only issue I had which brought down my overall enjoyment of the novel.

One of the things Jen and TJ have is common is that they don’t have especially likable parents. Through their dialog and actions, McLaughlin lets us know that these are not the kind of people you look forward to visiting for the holidays. Dutifully, I didn’t like any of them even though their flaws, especially in Jen’s mother, seem to be somewhat justified. The parents in both cases move from unloveable to warm too quickly. As much as we wanted it for Jen and TJ, the about face left me with whiplash rather than relief. In fact, every change of significance seems to be reactionary and precipitated by a major event, rather than the gradual growth that comes of maturity.

Finally, it was odd that McLaughlin named one of her main characters “Laughlin.” There’s certainly no rule against it like not ending a sentence with a preposition, it just feels uncreative. I had the same issue with Cassandra Clare, author of the Mortal Instruments series, who named her main character Clary.

I did like Maybe This Time enough that I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, Maybe For You. Maybe it will be for me?

My Rating: B- Liked It, but I had a few small issues

T.J. and Jen have known and been attracted to each other since high school, but they both misunderstood certain instances. Now they work together and it is becoming harder and harder to deny their feelings.
Once T.J. finally decided to throw caution to the wind, because of jealousy, and tell Jen how he feels, he really stole my heart. Standing up for her, taking care of her (even when she tried to act like she didn't need him), and loving her through all of the hard times really showed how how much he wanted her.
Jen had always taken care of herself and her mother and had never relied on anyone, so she had a hard time letting her walls down to accept any support from T.J. Even though she tried to push him away, she can't deny that she likes how safe she feels.
When she finds out about a secret he had been keeping and he finds out that she is also keeping some life-changing information from him, can they finally start communicating openly and honestly with each other? Or, are they over before they really got started?
I absolutely loved this book. T.J. stole my heart and all of the minor characters added to the story. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

I love a snarky, sarcastic heroine. That funny, self-deprecating gal who uses her humor to cover her insecurities, but who on the whole is still sweet and charming. But Jen is actually one half of the Bickersons. She bickers with her mom...who herself is not really a character worth routing for in most of the book. She bickers with TJ, but it’s a bit mean-spirited to start. Yes, she feels unworthy of him, and is trying to hide a crush. But it took me a long time to not cringe when she spoke.
TJ was more to my liking, but even he wasn’t without fault. Maybe the sheets could have cooled off a little bit? He comes on like gangbusters, too, which turns Jen off, even when he’s being sweet.
This was my first Nicole McLaughlin book. I really liked her writing style and the pace of the book. But sadly, the main characters aren’t a couple that will be memorable for me.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, but it felt like there wasn't a lot of happy happening. Jen is an independent woman with a rocky relationship with her ailing mother. She and TJ have secretly liked each other since high school, but take forver to admit to it.

Maybe This Time is the second book in the Whiskey and Weddings series. After reading the first book I was so excited to get to read TJ’s book. While I was a little unsure at first, TJ’s story was definitely worth waiting for.

Jen’s life took an unexpected turn when she was left to take care of her sick mother. Even after life knocks her down she gets right back up hoping that the happiness she is searching for is right around the corner.

TJ has known Jen since high school and has always had a bit of a crush on her, it should be pretty easy to show her that her happiness could be right in front of her. Well it could be, if TJ wasn’t just a little broken, or Jen’s new boss.

Watching these two piece each other back together after life has thrown them curveballs was sweet and refreshing. Overall this was a great book and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

A feisty romance that keeps you on your toes
Meet Jen. Jen is a headstrong young woman who has been through a tough time. She isn’t the usual soft spoken, timid heroine. Jen has spunk! Her mom has cancer, her job is gone and things are not adding up financially. The one good thing Jen has is a job at a local distillery. Here’s where the story gets interesting. Jen’s boss is TJ! TJ is a former crush from her early school days. She spends her time trying to make it on her own in this story, while T.J. is there trying to help out this feisty gal. There are twists and turns, highs and lows throughout the book. It was interesting to see such a unique heroine and I thought that Nicole McLaughlin did a great job with both characters and the story line. I was so graciously gifted this book from St. Martin’s Press for my unbiased review

Maybe This Time by Nicole McLaughlin was such a sweet, even at times a bit frustrating, second chance romance of sorts.

Jen Mackenzie could be frustrating at times, but she was also fighting to be strong and independent. Her choices have not always been the best, but she likes to think of herself as the get up and keep going type of woman. When her mother needs her, and she needs a new job, she finds herself working at The Stag, a popular wedding venue.

TJ Laughlin has wanted Jen since high school. Just when he thinks he might be able to convince her to give him a chance, he is her new boss. But he wants to help her and be there for her, but how can he when she wants to stand on her own two feet?

There is a bit of back and forth between TJ and Jen as they find their way. Jen could be very stubborn and most of the time stood in her own way, however, TJ was patient with her. There is a bit of angst between them, but love is never easy!

This was my first book by this author and the first book I read in this series. I did not once feel lost and enjoyed the story without feeling lost. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Happy reading!

4.5 Stars!

Maybe This Time by Nicole McLaughlin, is the second book that I have read recently with one of the title characters having the first name of TJ. In this book, TJ Laughlin is a smart and good-looking guy that co-owns The Stag, along with his his equally handsome brothers. The Stag is both an upscale distillery and premier wedding venue in Kansas City.

Jen Mackenzie has known TJ since high school and she now works for him. Her uncanny ability to make people feel comfortable, has made her indispensable to The Stag, as a bartender, receptionist, and now a wedding planner. Jen is a smart and beautiful woman, but life has not been kind to her or her ailing mother. She and TJ have crushed on each other for years, but up until recently have never acknowledged their feelings for each other.

This is an absorbing and nicely written novel. Jen and TJ share an amazing chemistry, and Ms. McLaughlin does an excellent job of creating sexual tension, longing, and desire. The genuineness and strength of the secondary characters adds an extra believable quality to the story. This is the second book from Ms. McLaughlin's Whisky and Weddings series, and it can be totally enjoyed as a standalone. I read book one, Maybe I Do, and loved it. Overall, this is a captivating read that will keep you engaged from start to finish.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

"Maybe This Time"
By Nicole McLaughlin
St. Martin's Paperbacks

Contemporary Romance -- Release Date: February 27, 2018

ReaderToReader.com review for NetGalley download

Jen Mackenzie has been in love with TJ Laughlin since they were both teenagers. But TJ comes from a well-to-do family; Jen knows she would never be accepted into his way of life. Her single mom, Diane, now suffering from cancer, had been an alcoholic, and many times Jen's young peers teased her so she felt she never fit in. When she played the lead role in "Grease" in their high school play, she was transformed and realized her true calling of acting and singing.

Employed for years at the community theater, Jen loses her job due to lack of funds. She also works part-time as a bartender at The Stag, a boutique distillery owned by TJ and two friends. Their receptionist goes on maternity leave and TJ offers Jen her full-time position in the interim. Jen desperately needs the money, so she accepts, finding she and TJ are thrown together constantly.

Unknown to Jen, TJ also carried a torch for her for years. Jen is sassy, flamboyant, and a nonconformist, and so unlike any other women TJ usually dates. The only problem...since their youth, they both shared an animosity which probably stemmed from their secret attraction.

Meanwhile, Jen must deal with Diane's bitterness because of her illness, wishing they could be close, knowing they only have each other. Then when their apartment complex is destroyed by fire, Diane comprehends she's wronged her daughter, especially after TJ gives them both an interim residence and she notices the love and desire in their eyes.

This second book in the Whiskey and Weddings series is a sensual and seductive tale of two independent personalities from different backgrounds finding respect and adulation for one another.

This is book 2 in the series but I was not lost at all. The books are standalone and it is easy to catch up. However I am looking forward to reading book 1.
The story was good. I like many others was not as fond of Jen as I was TJ but I dont agree that it made the story unreadable. May I relate to the lot Jen has had in life and thats why I am more sypathetic to her plights.
She does have a chip but it is earned with all the crap she goes through. I feel that she redeemed herslf by the end.
I will be reading more from this series and cant wait for Jakes book.

ARC provided by NetGalley

I truly loved this book and the chance to read it. I am anxious now for more stories surrounding this group.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

I loved TJ & Jen's story! There were so many special moments between the two of them. I like that TJ loved Jen just the way she is & I loved the surprise that he bought for her during their shopping trip. My favorite part was the scene right before they were interrupted by the FedEx lady. After reading Maybe This Time, I plan to go back and read the first book in the series.