Maybe next time … Emma can change the outcome. That is the premise for this poignant novel and Emma’s goal everyday she wakes up and re-lives the same awful day over and over and over again. Her version of Groundhog Day happens on her and her husband Dan’s “dataversary” day (the fateful day they met) and each year they write heartfelt letters to each other. Their background story is told through Dan’s yearly letter to Emma. Emma is a busy mom and wife trying to juggle the stressful demands of her job, family, and other activities. On this particular stressful day where everything seemed to go wrong for Emma it ends with Dan dying. Ultimately, after many trials and errors, she realizes it is not about stopping Dan from dying, because nothing she changes impacts his fateful end, but she does realize they are others she can help along the way. This is a story any person can relate to and it makes you think what would you change if you could redo your day. This story shows us all how our busy lives can get in the way or distract us from what is truly important and what matters the most to us. I loved this entire story!

Emma is a wife, mother, and literary agent trying to juggle it all and failing. Her husband, Dan, her children Poppy and Miles, the family dog, and her best friend/sister in law, Hattie, all feel neglected. On her and Dan's anniversary, Emma finds herself running from crisis to crisis only to remember too late that it's their anniversary. In the evening, she and Dan argue and he storms out of the house only to be hit by a car and died. Emma is devastated.

...And then she wakes up and it is once again, the morning of her anniversary. She experiences the whole day again, only to end up with the same outcome. And again, and again. No matter what Emma does, the same ultimate outcome seems to happen. As Emma makes more and more changes in her life, she desperately hopes that something she does will allow Dan to live as well as fix some of the other relationships in her life.

What I liked:
- The writing was really compelling and made me not want to put the book down.
- The stressors in Emma's life felt really relatable
- Readers are not hit over the head with the big message of how important it is to be present in your life
- Emma's growth felt realistic - it took her a LONG time to figure out how to address the multiple sections of her life

What I didn't love:
- Listen, I totally get the ending in it's sort of vague ambiguity about what happens. But my brain will always want a very clear resolution, so that's a me thing! I do think the ending is pretty perfect for this book, despite my own personal qualms.
- I think the DV relationship between Hattie and her husband deserved a bit more care and time, though there is so much going on plot wise that I get there may not have been time to really talk more about it.

Overall, I was really compelled by this book and enjoyed it! I wanted to find out what happened, so I ended up reading this very quickly. Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for the eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts are my own.

Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #WilliamMorrowPublishers

What would you do if given the chance to relive a day in your life? What would you change if you realized you had made poor choice and had priorities in the wrong order?

Emma, a successful literary agent in London, is given the chance at a do over of the worst day of her life. Can she change the outcome?

This story brings all of the emotions and makes you consider what would you change if you could. Well written, heartfelt, and enjoyable.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for this advanced e-read. The premise of this book was intriguing and it did not disappoint. It truly made you think about how day-to-day life can get in the way of what is truly important and how we can’t always stop it control the outcome no matter how hard we try. Therefore we have to treat every day for the precious time that it is. I was starting to get a little bored with the story (hence the 4 stars) when that last letter hit. Bam! Wow that will make me cry every time I think about it. If I had a hard copy, I think I would have kept it just for that. Also, the end….I don’t know how I feel about it. After feeling a little drawn out, it felt like it just ended so abruptly allowing the reader to decide what happened next. I have a love/hate relationship with that type of ending. I would recommend it as a heartfelt, thought-provoking story about everyday life.

The description of Cesca Major’s “Maybe Next Time” as “One Day” meets “Groundhog Day” is exactly right. Emma is a literary agent, wife, and mom; she is successful in her career and volunteer work but she is also so overworked, stressed out, and chronically online that she neglects to take care of herself and spend quality time with her husband Dan, their children Poppy and Miles, the family dog Gus, and her beloved sister-in-law Hattie.

On December 3rd, the anniversary of her and Dan’s first meeting, she frantically yet tiredly moves from one person and mini-crisis to the next. By the end of the day, her boss and clients are unhappy, her marriage is in shambles, and her children are upset for unknown reasons. And then tragedy strikes.

…and then it’s December 3rd once more, and she has to go through everything again. And again. And again. There are days when she tries different things to change the final major event, there are days when she lashes out at the cruelty of her circumstances, and there are even days when she doesn’t try anything at all because it feels pointless. But each day has the same devastating outcome.

“Maybe Next Time” is an interesting story that looks at millennial anxiety—the need for job stability, financial security, and domestic bliss in an unpredictable, chaotic world where disappointments and failures seem to be magnified with texts and social media. As an almost-forty-year-old working mom, it was easy for me to relate to Emma and her desire to respond to each message, solve every issue, take all the opportunities and meetings, and be everything for everyone… and not quite meet the mark on any of it. Her characterization and the portrayal of her and Dan’s relationship are the strongest points of the novel. Less satisfying was the storyline with Hattie—despite its important subject matter—though I think its lack of emotional punch was simply because there was a lot going on in the main plot and her struggles would have best been told from her point of view.

Overall, I think “Maybe Next Time” is a well-written book that makes the reader want to step back, take a breath, and rethink their approach to life. Though the ending is left open and is perhaps a bit anti-climatic, I truly don’t know how else the story could have closed. Its message is made clear: “Live fully. Live presently.”

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. My review was posted on February 18, 2023 to: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5230174601.

This is a 3.75⭐️ book for me. It was beautifully written and covered some poignant topics in a meaningful way. There were a few plot points that I wished had been developed a bit more, but were eventually explained and wrapped up. I liked the main characters growth through pain.

Thank you to Net Galley, Harper Collins, the Book Club Girl Early Read Progam, and Cesca Major for this ARC e book.

I loved this book!! Such a beautiful and tragic story about realizing what's important and what's not and taking time to smell the roses. Emma is such a great character, I could see so much of myself in her. The writing is great; witty and funny moments, moments that break your heart. I couldn't put this book down! Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the copy of Maybe Next Time. This is my first book by Cesca Major and not in the thriller/serial killer genre I usually read but I loved the description so I thought I would give it a try. I’m glad I did because the writing style was so engaging. Emma is living the day before her husband Ben died over and over again. We learn the story of Ben and Emma mainly through Ben’s letters to Emma - an annual tradition for the couple. Ben’s letters are romantic and heartfelt and we see what an engaged husband and father he is. We also learn about the things Emma tries to change every day to try to prevent Ben’s death. The story was so touching I cried a number of times. This is a book I won’t forget.
My review doesn’t do the book justice- you have to read the book to really appreciate its brilliance. 5 stars.

Maybe Next Time
by Cesca Major
Pub Date: March 7, 2023
William Morrow
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
The cover is beautiful!
The author is a novelist and screenwriter and has written 13 novels under different names. Her books have been published in ten different countries.
One Day meets Groundhog Day, in this heartwarming and emotionally poignant novel about a stressed woman who must relive the same day over and over, keeping her family and work life from imploding as she attempts to spare her husband from an unfortunate fate.
How easy and tragic to get caught up in the stress of work and everyday life and forget what is really important.
I found this book extremely sad but realistic. I know I will be thinking about this one for a long time.
4 stars

A huge thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow Publishers for this advanced reading copy of "Maybe Next Time" by Cesca Major.

Cesca Major's book, "Maybe Next Time", is Groundhog Day meets Before I fall, meets Premonition, and whatever other film or novel that depicts the main character repeating the same day over and over again.

The book opens to the most endearing scene of a man meeting a woman as depicted through a letter celebrating the relationship's 1 year milestone. His awkwardness pays off because they immediately hit it off and we are reintroduced to the pair years later.

Literary agent Emma is having one heck of a day. She seems to go throughout the day too busy to notice the things in her life that matter the most, like her husband, her children, even the family dog. That night Emma is in for a rude awakening when her husband Dan is killed. As shocked and heartbroken as she is she falls asleep that night only to wake up to repeat the day over and over again. Everyday Dan dies, again and again no matter what she does. What is the purpose to all this? Can she save the man she loves?

I give this book a full ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I could NOT put it down. I found myself crying within the first few chapters. I went through every emotion imaginable right until the very end. I can't say more without giving away any spoilers. Read it for yourself and you will see!

You can catch Maybe Next Time on March 7th, 2023. Pre-order your copy today!

Oh my goodness, wow, AHH! I have so many thoughts about Cesca Major's <i>Maybe Next Time</i> but can't think them aloud without spoiling the experience for other readers. Trust me, just read it. But only if you have someone to talk about it with after because you'll definitely want to. This was a solid 4.5 star read for me. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing an advanced copy.

an upcoming groundhog day story where a woman tries to save her husband with each relived day. I liked this one but eventually lost a bit of interest, to be fair I hated the movie Groundhog Day. ⁣3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Maybe Next Time.

This isn't the first book I've read with a Groundhog Day premise (or the last).

But I was eager to read Maybe Next Time because I hoped for something unique about the premise. And I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read this.

Literary agent Emma is a busy working mom. Not surprisingly, as busy as she is, she nearly forgets her Dateversary with her adoring husband, how unhappy her son and daughter are, and that the family dog isn't acting himself.

Interspersed with the narrative are touching, heartfelt letters Dan writes to his beloved soul mate, a ritual they began when they first married (and one Emma increasingly forgets).

We see how the they first met, how their relationship developed into marriage, what happened when their children arrived, and how Emma struggles to be perfect at everything, when all Dan wants is for her to be present for him and their family.

When Dan is killed in a car accident, the following morning Emma discovers she's reliving the same day again. And again. And again.

Is this a sign she can save her husband? Or is it something else and she's missing the point of her own Groundhog Day?

First, I liked Dan. It was nice to read a story with a nice guy in it; usually I read domestic thrillers and dramas and the men or man in it are always terrible.

Second, similar to Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day, Emma goes through moments of hilarity and despair when the day keeps repeating on an endless loop and she finds herself utterly at a loss as to what to do.

How does she stop it? Will it ever end?

Third, Emma soon realizes (with the help of an astute assistant) that this endless loop is a gift; an opportunity to connect with her husband, her children and their cherished family pet.

I love how the author explains the reasoning behind Dan's demise every day; why Emma is unable to save her true love.

This isn't a story about saving a life, it's about building a life with the people you love, forging friendships and bonds with them and knowing when something sad or terrible happens, you are not alone because that's what family and friends are for.

Wow, what an intense read. This is a beautiful love story between Emma and Dan. I love seeing Emma work her way back to her family and find joy in the little things.
It was a tough read as things are revealed, but it comes to a close with resolutions.
I read it in one day, I just had to know what happens.

Thanks NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC!

I loved this book so very much!!
I was sucked into the story immediately, and was thankful that I was off work the next day so
that I could just keep reading. It is a beautiful love story, and also full of reminders about what's important in life and what's not.
Highly recommended!' ❤️