Twice in a Lifetime by Melissa Baron
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Isla has moved to St Louis after her mother died. Since she struggles with severe anxiety, this move was a bit out of her comfort zone. She usually keeps to herself and is surprised when she gets an intimate text from an unknown number. And the person claims to be her husband.
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What I liked:
-I really felt for Isla. Anxiety is no joke and she had a rough go of it from day one (of her life, not just when the book picks up).
-I loved her cottage. It sounded so cozy and I was jealous everytime she was there.
-I really enjoyed the moments when she went after what she wanted, even when she had a panic attack right in the middle of trying to reach her goals.
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I really liked where this book was going but I wasn’t really feeling the last 10%. The epilogue was good though.
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 There are some heavy topics here so be mindful of triggers.

It’s hard to write a review of this book without spoilers, but here goes. (The publisher’s blurb already gives a lot away!) Isla has some major issues: anxiety, depression, grief over her mother’s death, to name a few big ones. I really liked how the author described Isla’s anxiety and panic attacks. Very sympathetic/empathetic. You will be surprised that this is Baron’s debut novel.

To make a new start, Isla moves away from Chicago to the St. Louis, Missouri area, renting a lovely cottage in the countryside. One day she gets a mysterious text from someone who says he’s her husband - or used to be her husband, as he’s texting her from some time in the near future! Ewan’s trying to help her, so that she can avoid something terrible. Ewan was a fabulous character, but just a little too perfect: gorgeous, kind, a wonderful son and grandson, etc. No one is that amazing. I wish the author had given him just a little imperfection of some sort.

So suspend your disbelief and dive into this lovely book!

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook is narrated beautifully by Megan Tusing.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The beginning the book reminded me of the time travelers wife with a twist. I really like the writing style from the author but i wish that the book could have ended differently. I loved Ewan and Isla's personalities. The thing that made it feel so relevant to myself was seeing how someone else copes with anxiety in the book which I appreciated. Overall i really enjoyed the book. I would recommend others to go in blindly and ride out the rollercoaster

In a Nutshell: Had loads of potential, but works only to some extent. Somewhat repetitive. Unlike what the cover suggests, it is not a plain romance but is quite intense on the emotions.

Story Synopsis:
Isla, who is almost thirty, has not had a great year. Her mother died a few months ago, and this, coupled with intense work pressure, intensified Isla’s anxiety attacks. Hoping that a change might help matters, she moves to a new cottage in small-town Missouri. One day, she gets a text from an unknown number. This turns out to be from a man named Ewan, who claims that he is her husband, and is texting her to save her from some dire fate in the future. But Isla doesn’t even know any Ewan, forget about being married to one. Is this Ewan some stalker, or is there some other explanation to this bizarre experience?
The book is written in a limited third person narration from Isla’s and Ewan’s perspectives.

Where the book worked for me:
😍 This is the first time I am reading a book where the lead character has chronic anxiety issues. The depiction seemed true to life, and the challenges of being a panic attack sufferer come out very clearly. Isla’s growth over the pages is also nicely depicted.
😍 I appreciate how the plot made optimal use of its location without making it forced. Missouri’s local life and attractions have a pride of place in the story.
😍 Ewan is of Korean heritage, and this is woven wonderfully into the storyline without going into stereotypes. It’s not representation for the sake of representation, and at the same time, it doesn’t hammer you with Korean trivia just to emphasize on his background. I loved how natural it felt.
😍 The conversations between Isla and Ewan are quite interesting at times. There is emotion as well as humour in their dialogues.


Where the book left me unsure:
😐 I don’t know what to feel about the ending. In many ways, I knew it was coming, but I didn’t like the way it came. It was somewhat bittersweet but still good.
😐 The cover and the blurb made me feel like I would be reading some kind of a second-chance time-crossed romance. There’s second chance, but not the way you would imagine. The timeslip elements are far and few between. Also, the story is very heavy on the feelings. I was hoping for a light read, but that didn’t happen. At the same time, I did like the serious focus on anxiety attacks and the difficulty of life choices.
😐 What genre is this? Romance? Self-acceptance? Mental health? Fantasy? It has bits of all and yet does complete justice to none. It isn’t a straightforward love story, and yet in many ways, it is just a love story. I enjoyed this mishmash and at the same time, was befuddled by its intent.
😐 For a change, the blurb is well written. It reveals just what you need to know about the story without going into any spoilers. Unfortunately, this also means that when the story changes direction after the events mentioned in the blurb, I felt somewhat short-changed.

Where the book could have worked better for me:
😒 A great part of the book feels repetitive. Ewan especially seems to have only one main role to play: counselling Isla, either through an anxiety attack or through a stressful family situation, or through a life-saving choice. Isla herself swings from confident to unsure, though this is partly because of her mental health issues. But her constant to-and-fro gets tedious after a while. Also, her reaction when future-Ewan first sends her the text was not convincing.
😒 Is it possible for a character to be too perfect? I would have loved seeing at least some negatives in Ewan. He was too good to be true, which would have been (somewhat) tolerable in a romcom but not in a serious dramatic book. It kills the realism.
😒 The perspective changes between the two characters aren’t always smooth. The narrative voice shifts randomly from Isla to Ewan and back, especially in the second half.
😒 A significant chunk of the book is nothing but conversations between Ewan and Isla. (And the conversations were mostly about what I mentioned in the first point of this section.) As such, sometimes, I felt like I had read nothing even after reading a lot.
😒 The pacing of the book is quite erratic. It starts slow, then goes into a nice steady pace, and then becomes slow again, and so on and so forth until the end.

All in all, this is a debut work that had great potential to be a memorable read. The basic premise is interesting, and Isla’s health condition was the perfect add-on to the plot. However, the repetitious writing and the almost-instant connection between the leads was not something I enjoyed. At the same time, I do see the underlying beauty of the story. It will work for a certain kind of reader, but not for someone as cynical as I am. It was a decent read for me but not memorable.

2.75 stars.

My thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the DRC of “Twice in a Lifetime”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I really thought I would love this one, but it just didn't click with me. However, I think it is an exceptionally clever twist on an oft-told tale, and I know many people will absolutely adore it and be moved by the relationship at its core.

I was expecting this book to be a lot like The Lake House or another one of those movies where the characters communicate through time and then find each other. Those usually gradually work up to the characters communicating. This book started the process right away. I didn't feel like I got to know either character at all before this happened and I had to stop reading because I didn't care about Isla. Who was she? Who was this man texting her all of a sudden?

I guess I like to be wooed a bit before the big event.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC! These thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

So much more than I expected it to be. Understand that this is not a rom-com but rather a novel about two people with two time lines who cope with mental health challenges and find love both for themselves and for each other. Isla and Ewan are intriguing characters I suspect will resonate with readers, It's thoughtful and nicely written in a way that pulled me in and kept me reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

I so enjoyed this book. I normally don’t like or read time travelers books, but this one did not feel that way to me even though it was! I would definitely recommend this book!

This was so much more than I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be about a second chance for love, and it sort of was. But it was so much more. It was a second chance to live your life, knowing so much more about that life. The concept off this bordered-on time travel and was much more of a deeper emotive book than I expected it to be (I like that in a book). I think when you go into this book you need to open your mind to what this book could be about, and what it morphs into. There are some rather darkish elements that are dealt with as part of the story: the result of a traumatic brain injury, sadness, longing, anxiety, loneliness, exclusion – and this balances well with the beauty that comes through – tender romantic conversations, blossoming love and friendship, and acceptance of the self for both Ewan and Isla. We do experience this book from the point of view more from Isla, but I think that is okay. Isla is exhausting, let me make that clear, and she is very hard work. And Ewan is elusive and at times I though he was more of a gaslighting manipulator – but that is the beauty of how this book unfolds, and you will have to stick with it to watch its transformation.

It is unique and not what I expected, and that was the selling point for me.

Thank you to the author, Alcove Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a pleasant surprise . Told in two parallel timelines (plus some mild magicking in-between), it tells the achingly sad but so lovely story of a romance that could have been the victim of a butterfly effect several times throughout. The two main characters, as well as the secondary characters, are well-written and believable, with the portrayal of someone dealing with anxiety and depression being especially effective. The book takes on heavy themes, and the first part may be too heavy - but it's wonderful to see how the protagonist gains strength and self-confidence, and learns that she is worthy of support and love. I look forward to reading more from this author!

TWICE IN A LIFETIME by Melissa Baron was one tough read. Starting slow and then plunging the reader hard into exceptionally difficult and harrowing topics, this was not the enjoyable, easygoing read I thought I was getting into at the beginning. As other reviewers have noted, this is a dark, heavy read with complex, extremely serious issues. It was tough to get into the story from the beginning and even harder to keep going, so I forced myself to keep going until I had to put it down. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

This started off a bit slow for me but ended up really pulling at my heartstrings. I thought it was going to be a rom-com with splashes of time travel, which is my favorite kind of read, but ended up being so much more emotional and frankly, sad. This is not a light-hearted book. There is a deeply moving portrayal of mental health that I will continue to think about. I grew very fond of Isla and how she battled her fears. You may enjoy this if you liked The Time Traveler’s Wife of Oona Out of Order but I recommend reading the trigger warnings before diving in.

Thank you @alcovepress and @netgalley for the early copy

3.85 stars

Twice In A Lifetime is the first novel by American author, Melissa Baron. Not long after graphic designer Isla Abbott has quit Chicago for a quiet cottage just outside St Louis, she receives a text from a number she doesn’t recognise: “It hasn’t been the same without you, Buttercup.” Clearly a mis-send, not intended for her.

But when she replies, the sender insists his message is for Isla Abbott, and he seems to know way too much about her. Is she being catfished? Numerous messages and a few photos later, and this man, Ewan, is claiming he’s her husband. And the wedding photo sure looks genuine, too real to be a grandiose hoax.

Is it perhaps her own delusion? She’s just barely controlling her chronic anxiety, depression and the panic attacks that have plagued her much of her life, recently exacerbated by work stress and a crippling bereavement.

It takes a while for Ewan to convince Isla that he is the husband of a future Isla and when he does, it becomes clear that they are no longer together. Gradually, Ewan reveals the reason, and what he believes she must do to avoid the future he’s living. But if she manages that, does it cut him out of her future?

Much more cannot be said without spoilers, but it’s true there are elements of The Time Traveller’s Wife within the plot. And if some facets of the plot feel a tiny bit predictable, there are also shocks and surprises, enough to require the tissues at a certain point. The time-travel aspect is approached with a minimum of confusion or ovrcomplication and the resolution is very satisfying.

Baron’s characters are appealing for all their very human flaws. Her depiction of depression, anxiety and panic attacks is very realistic, so much so that it does drag down the mood in the first third of the story somewhat, but readers who persist are rewarded with a wonderful love story featuring a protagonist who manages to gain strength and self-confidence, one who eventually learns that she has found friends who believe she’s worthy of the support and love they freely offer. This is an outstanding debut novel and Baron’s next work will be eagerly anticipated.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Alcove Press.

📝R E V I E W 📝
Twice in a Lifetime by Melissa Baron
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Start date: November 12, 2022
Finish date: November 15, 2022
Pub date: December 6, 2022

▫️time-travel aspect ⏰
▫️mental health representation 🤍
▫️emotional read 😭

Thank you Netgalley and Alcove Press for this digital ARC!

📚 Read if you liked: The Time Traveller’s Wife, The Midnight Library

This started off really slowly, but ended up turning into a heart-wrenching, emotional read. I expected it to be a lot more light-hearted, but it has some heavy subject matter and I strongly urge you to check out the trigger warnings at the bottom of my review before picking this one up.

I just adore Ewan and Isla’s relationship. They are the very definition of soulmates, destined to be together. I loved the love-story portion of this book. Ewan is incredibly supportive and understanding about Isla’s anxiety. These were extremely well-developed characters.

I may have cried reading this. Possibly.

If I could change anything about this book, I would have liked the author to condense the first third and expanded on the remaining 2/3, so we could get into the story a bit quicker.
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⚠️ TW: Anxiety, depression, death of a parent, suicide, car accident, traumatic brain injuries, grief

This was an interesting read. Isla receives a text from a man claiming to be her husband, Evan. However, Isla is single. It turns out to be her husband from the future texting his deceased wife. The book takes many twists and turns in how Isla and Ewan find they’re happily ever after. I truly enjoyed the time travel and time bending aspects of the book.

The Time Travellers Wife has been a favourite of mine ever since I watched the movie many many moons ago. (Yes, I watched the movie, rather than read the book. Gasp, I know)
This retelling of the classic with a YA twist is a great read for anyone who enjoyed the original story.

Twice in a Lifetime was a sweet romance with a strong theme of mental health. The timeline differences were interesting. Based on advice from future Ewan, Isla sets out to change her future (his past), to prevent a tragedy from happening. In doing so, Isla has to meet Ewan in this timeline. Future Ewan gives her some tips about how to go about this.

I loved Isla and Ewan and their relationship. Isla grew so much over the book and the messages the book gave were lovely. There were a few twists and turns I didn't see coming which added some suspense. Whilst the topic matter was quite heavy at times with the mental health, it was well worth the read.

This book was a little different from books I would typically grab off the shelves. I had a hard time getting into because the subject matter was a bit too heavy for me. However, it is beautifully written. It just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for sending me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Rating edit: 4.5 stars

Loved it! Speculative fiction, an endearing love story. Unique, imaginative and so engrossing. The writing style is neat and engaging. The story deals with the mental health issues in a very thoughtful, non-judgemental and sensitive manner (warning: it talks about death/suicide).

Loved Ewan-Isla bonding, their conversation and texts exchanges. I wish I could reread it like I was reading for the first time.

This time twist romance was a bit of a mind f*ck and at times hard to follow but the overall message of mental health and finding ways to love yourself despite the challenges life throws you was top notch.

Isla has battled depression and anxiety from a young age, dealing with suicidal ideation among other things. When she gets a surprise text out of the blue from a man claiming to be her husband from the future, she starts to rethink her life choices.

This book kept me on my toes, wondering how things would work out. The multiple timelines were a bit difficult to keep straight but I still really enjoyed how much this book made me think and empathize with anyone who has suffered from traumatic brain injuries and chronic pain.

Great on audio and highly recommended for fans of books like Meredith alone or Oona out of order. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!