Is it just me or when the title of a book mirrors the lyrics of a song, do you get the song stuck in your head in a loop? Ever since I picked up Maybe This Time by Jill Mansell (in stores June 4), I have Liza Minnelli’s voice in my head—not that I ever mind a good Broadway soundtrack every now and then. But that’s beside the point.

I was looking for something a little lighter to read while I was on vacation, and this ended up being a perfect read. It was much more plot-driven than the typical beach read (which I really appreciate) and the story was a mixture of heartwarming and heartbreaking and really made me feel. I’ve never read anything by Jill Mansell before, but this definitely won’t be my last.

Synopsis
When Mimi first visits her dad’s new home in the Cotswolds, she quickly falls in love with Goosebrook and its inhabitants. (Well, maybe not rude Henrietta, who lets Mimi walk miles in the rain rather than give her a lift.) There’s Paddy, with his flashing eyes and seductive charm. Friendly and funny Lois makes her laugh. And seriously gorgeous Cal is welcoming and charismatic. Mimi would be more than happy to return to Goosebrook if it means bumping into him again…

Time passes and Mimi comes and goes, and concentrates on her career. Yet as their lives continue to intersect over the years and emotions (or relationships) become tangled, it’s Cal who makes her feel most welcome whenever she does return to Goosebrook. But if he’s The One, will it ever be the right time for them both?

My musings
I appreciate the fact that Jill Mansell sets up a world with many developed characters with intertwined stories that make me feel like Goosebrook is a real place and that I want to visit the pub to hang out with the residents on a nightly basis. I love that we get to know the characters with Mimi, first as an outsider, and then on a more deeper level as she becomes more integrated into the community. Her relationships with the people of the town seem genuine as we get to see them develop over many years.

There is a tragic event that happens pretty early on in the book and the rest of the book deals with the aftermath beyond what we would normally get in this type of novel. We see how this catastrophe affected everyone in this little town over the next few years and how relationships needed to grow or change to make it through.

The central love story of the story is a slow burn, and I love it. It’s a true testament to missed chances, timing not working out quite right and miscommunication that is much more realistic than falling in love over a long weekend vacation. I was expecting more of the former, so I’m very happy we had time to get to know them and fall in love with them, too.

4.5 STARS

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy, and to Ivy Barn on Unsplash for the featured photo of the Cotswolds.

This review will appear on my blog The Modest Reader on May 27 at 7 am (https://themodestreader.com/2019/05/27/maybe-this-time/)

I both enjoyed and was irritated by this book at the same time,
Im a long time Jill Mansell reader, and fan, she offers utterly unbelievable stories - bringing the prince charming story to the modern reader - and whilst some parts really do irk, overall I still keep coming back for more as ultimately you always know you will be rewarded with a smile.

A touching book about the importance of family, friends and relationships.

Mimi is devastated after the loss of her best friend, boyfriend and job. This is her story of recovery, full of mishaps, new friends and experiences. The characters are diverse, the village life is fun, and, in spite of heartache, Mimi is resilient throughout.

Another successful read

This is my very first book from Jill Mansell! I loved Mimi’s character development and her sweet story from start to finish. Maybe This Time was a very realistic story, and less predictable than I originally anticipated. The book was filled with love, friendships, and lots of drama! A very cute summer read that I would recommend. Can’t wait to read more books from this author! P.S. Goosebrook sounds like the coziest little village and makes me want to visit!

I love Jill Mansell's books and this one did not disappoint! I loved reading Mimi's story and meeting all of the people in the charming little village.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
It's a nice easy read with a few devastating incidents that change the life of the main character, and a few others around her. Despite the sorrow, time moves on and slowly everyone is able to live life again.
I'm surprised that these events don't cause Mimi to be a bit more pro-active with her choices, seeing that life is short etc. Instead she hides away for most of it, only voicing her desires at the end.
I liked the story but would've been a bit happier if Mimi had been a bit stronger with voicing her feelings for Cal.

Another entertaining read from Jill Mansell, perfect for summer! I love her characters, she really makes them come to life and makes them into people you'd want to meet.

Mimi goes to visit her father and his partner in their village and meets their neighbors and friends. When a tragedy hits her and the village, Mimi moves to the village herself and changes her life.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Love Jill Mansell and have read pretty much all her books. you just cant go wrong. I love her style of writing and believeable character 5/5

This book was a slow start for me, but I ended up enjoying it despite its predictability. At the beginning of the story, the time period jumps ahead without warning, no indication that the narrative is now taking place 6 months after the previous chapter. It does get better through later chapters as the story levels out. This is a fun, light summer read. The characters are not very complex and the plot is your garden-variety “missed connection” star-crossed lovers doomed to never realize their feelings for each other. But enjoyable nonetheless.

Another great read by Jill Mansell. I loved the extended timelines and the way that you get sucked into the character's lives. I couldn't wait to keep reading it!

A great beach read! This is the first book that I've read from this author and I really enjoyed it. Nice writing and kept my attention.

Before writing this review I checked my Goodreads: yep... I've read almost every book of Jill Mansell. Why? Because if you are in need of a good and cosy read, Jill is my to-go-writer. And I don't know how she does it, but again a lovely read. Although I must admit: this time even I wasn't sure if Mimi would end up with the guy she fell for. It took a lot of twists and turns for Mimi throughout the book. It starts when she walks in on her boyfriend and her BFF having sex in their shared apartment. So, when she decides to get away, she ends up in Goosebrook with her father. Her (gay) father and his boyfriend have lived in Goosebrook for almost a year now, but they haven't socialized very much. They are wary of how people react to a gay couple. However, Mimi convinces them to start to integrate in the lovely village of Goosebrook with great succes.
The inhabitants are very friendly and both her father, Marcus and Mimi feel directly at home. So Mimi and her family start to make friends and enjoy everything, until disaster strikes. When Mimi decides to pick up the peaces and takes on a job in Mallorca, she regrets having to leave everyone behind. Especially Cal. But will there ever be a time for them together? Find out for yourself in this wonderful read. Four out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley.

Another great beach read by Jill Mansell. I read plenty of Jill's books, because they are funny, heartfelt, romantic comedies, and this one does not disappoint. It is about Cal and Mimi and the way they find each other, cannot have each other, and then find each other again. Love the rural setting of this book, and the quirky characters of this village. A must summer read! Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

#MaybeThisTime #NetGalley

I am a massive fan of Jill Mansell so I had high expectations of this book and it massively surpassed my expectations! It is funny, engaging, witty, captivating and full of love, warmth, heartache, healing, humour, friendship, community and much, much more. This is a must-read for 2019!

I am going to have to give up on this author. This is the second novel I've tried to read by Mansell and I just cannot get into her writing style. I like the cover, its bright and cheerful, but the story line didn't capture my attention. A major pass on this one.

Maybe This Time is one of those books that is perfect to read while snuggled up warm and cozy on the couch when you have hours on hand to spend any way you wish. It envelopes you with warmth and comfort and leaves you with a happy smile on your face while reading. The characters are so quirky and fun, the towns and settings so quaint and welcoming, and the storylines so alluring and familiar. It reminds me a lot of The Gilmore Girls, which I adored and looked forward to binge-watching whenever I could. I definitely would read more about the characters in this book and would love for this to be a start of a new series!

I enjoyed reading this book. It has some good storylines and characters. It was entertaining to read about Mimi's first encounter with the rural area where Goosebrook is. Taxies and sheepwrestling is the best! Things getting in the way of Mimi and Cal were making me frustrated. Where would we be without Cora? She's my most favourite character in this book! How I hate Charlotte and kind of also Henrietta. What about Paddy? He is such a nice guy under all the flirting. I want to find out if he ever finds true love. Hopefully he will find that in a future book.

This is a fun summer beach read. I really enjoyed it! I was rooting for Cal and Mimi from their first meeting, and it was fun to follow all the twists and turns it took to get them together.

​This was a really enjoyable story set mainly in a village in the Cotswolds and set over a number of years as the characters developed and their lives changed.

Mimi is the main character and initially visits the village of Goosebrook when her Father and his partner, Marcus, move there. At first they're quite wary of the villagers as they think they'll be discriminated against for being gay, but Mimi ends up dragging them down the local pub and they soon become an integral part of the community.

On Mimi's first visit there she runs across Cal and over the years their paths cross again and again, but Cal is married at first, and even when tragic events occur they never seem to get their timing right. I know they were friends throughout the years, but it was quite frustrating the way things continually worked against them.

The cast of characters were lovely and really varied. There was one major tragic event that changed the lives of a few of the villagers, but eventualy over the years everyone came to terms with it.

I did also love how Mimi worked in Puerto Pollensa in Majorca for a while with a cranky writer, as I love ​Puerto Pollensa and the description really brought me back there and definitely made me wish I was there wandering along the Pine Walk on the beach front.

So whilst I did find it a bit frustrating that it took so long for Mimi and Cal to actually get together, the story itself was really lovely and laid back with characters I really liked. Very enjoyable way to while away a hot sunny day in the garden!

Mimi's life goes into a spin when her boyfriend/boss happens to be sleeping with her best friend/flatmate. Desperate to escape she moves to the Cotswolds to the friendliest village in the world where life revolves around the village green and the pub and everyone is lovely. Especially Cal the friend/neighbour she's in love with but who is unattainable. Cal and Mimi seem to keep missing their moment. But there's enough going on with the other characters to keep you interested while they figure it out.
Thanks to Netgalley for this copy, I'm guaranteed an entertaining read with Jill Mansell. My only issue is why have the pavements in the Cotswolds become sidewalks? That really stood out each time I read it. Aaagh.