2.75 stars --

alison rose greenberg's novel 'maybe once, maybe twice' introduces us to maggie at age 35, struggling both to launch her music career and become a mother. when her ex garrett shows up at her birthday party, she thinks that maybe this one missing piece will click into place -- except he's engaged to someone else. but shortly after this, she bumps into asher, her first boyfriend from summer camp who became a famous actor. maggie made promises at different points in her life with both men that if they're single at 35, they would get together. who will she choose, and will it be the right decision?

based on premise alone, i wanted to like this book. however, the narrative style made it very tough to root for one man over the other, and i found myself disinterested in the overall plot. i listened to this on audio, and it was very challenging to follow the different jumps in the timeline from the present day to maggie's past. the ending felt anticlimactic, though i understand what the author was trying to do. ultimately, i think this is one you can skip in favour of other multi-timeline romcoms.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book, more than I thought I would. So much of it felt real and I think that's what my favorite thing about it was. I loved the relationships in this book but Maggie and Summer's friendship was top tier.

I am not going to spoil anything by saying who she ends up with but I so happy that she ends up with who I wanted her to. My opinion on the book would have been vastly different if she had ended up with the other guy.

***** I have received and read an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for giving my honest feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.*****

While romance is not my usual go to, I like to throw in a little something different after reading heavy materials.

When skimming through the romance options, the description for this book caught my attention and I had to request it immediately.

Greenberg's writing feels authentic- the characters are flawed in a genuine way, not just flawed for the sake of being flawed (like you find in many romance novels).

The idea of a marriage pact showing up and shaking up your life is always an interesting premise, To see that happen not just once but twice in the novel definitely makes for a refreshing take on the subject, especially when we get to find out how the previous relationships played out and how they affect our main character (Maggie) in the present day.

Overall, even though I'm still not a huge romance fan, I'll definitely be picking up any book that Greenberg puts out.

dnf

The premise of this book totally interested me when I read it but I have started the book several times now and something isn't working for me. I'm not sure if it's the characters or the writing but it's not holding my attention. I wanted nothing more than to love this book.

Finally, a romance with real world problems for women - infertility. The single mid-30's MC is feeling the societal pressures for childhood, only to be told its now or possibly never. Her fallback plan is a pack she made at thirty-five with two of her favorite men. Its says they'll marry her if they are still single. Well guess what she's single, and both men come back in her life.

A love triangle thats realistic and honest. The author provides context for each men by flashing back to times in the females life. It all slowly clicks into place, and you are torn "who" she needs until the very end. I've reread the conclusion, and song multiple times - its perfect!

Thank you St. Martins Press for the complimentary copy.

Someone that I follow on IG read this book and raved about it so when I saw an ARC was available, I jumped at the chance to read it. This book did NOT disappoint. Hollywood romance. Second chance romance. Finding yourself and your people. Solid friendships. Making it in the music industry. Women supporting women. A tad bit of a messy love triangle.

It was exactly the story I was hoping it would be.

Maggie sure did proposition not one, but TWO men to marry her when she turned 35. Like hey, if we are still single, let's just get married. Asher and Garrett are very different people, but I honestly found myself rooting for both of them. I don't want to spoil the story for anyone but the scenes in Trader Joe's gave me butterflies. The stories of first loves and first time experiences were so beautifully written. The way my heart hurt for each of these characters at different points of the story....I cried a couple of times.

Can we get a book about Summer? I adored her brutal honesty and I'd love to learn more about her character and what happened to her.

These characters are each messy. They are flawed, but they had a purpose for each other, at some point in their lives. I honestly had no idea which way the story was going to go, but I was really happy with the ending. Although, i'd like a little more about what their future looked like for each of them.

Check trigger warnings on this one as there are some deep issues discussed.

DNF pg 212/360

the main character annoyed me so much. also why is one of the love interests literally engaged??? ofc i'm not gonna be rooting for them lol. I was also confused a little at the beginning with all the jumping around in time, it was hard to tell her 30yo self apart from her 35yo self. the plot wasn't bad, but I just can't get over the fact that SHE LITERALLY KISSED GARRETT AT HIS ENGAGEMENT PARTY?!?!?!?!

✨ NetGalley ARC Book Review✨

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg
Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5 (rounded to 3 on Goodreads)

Trigger Warning: This book contains mentions of death, grief, and sexual assault/the aftermath.

Read if you like:
-second chance romance
-what if’s
-love triangle-ish
-musician/songwriter’s road to fame
-multiple & alternating timelines

Oof, I really wish I liked this one more than I did because this book really did have potential! I really loved getting to ride along Maggie’s journey to fame as a musician/songwriter. The author does a great job presenting the highs and the lows when in this type of business. I loved that the author incorporated their own songs and lyrics for Maggie as well which were tied into the book. With that said, I did think that there were some points of the book that weren’t necessary for the book in general which I think might be why it took me 9 days to finish it (I typically read a book in 2 to 3 days). I also had whiplash from the multiple and alternating timelines and it was difficult to keep track of them all. I have also decided that the love triangle trope is not for me. Actually, this book didn’t have a love triangle per se, but there were two different love interests and Maggie asked both of them to find her on her 35th birthday if they were both still single. On Goodreads, there a lot of different reviews and I am happy to have seen that others did really enjoy this one, it just wasn’t for me 😕

3 1/2 stars I give this book, it was good but it just wasn't enough

So we have Maggie, who has a lot going on with herself and clearly throughout her life.
So has a hard time with relationships but not in the ways you might think. For these answers you need to read the book bc it gets kinda crazy.
So the "flashback" parts, or Chapters I guess you could say are the interesting parts in this book. It goes back to certain places in her life and gives you more of the backstory there. Now I am always happy for more backstories in books bc I like to know it all but this was kinda hard to go back and forth with sometimes.
Some parts of the story were a bit slow for me also. I am just saying for me bc I know others will probably be ok with it and enjoy it.
Garret & Asher are 2 guys in her life who represent different parts of her (Maggie's life) and where she is in each area. At some point, because of promises that were made, she is going to have to choose the best guy for her and her ending. She is going to have to do some soul-searching and dig deep on this one.
This book and Maggie's life have a lot going on and it's a wild story.

I am glad to have read this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. The above is my own opinion (review) that is honest and voluntary.

I love the twist to a plot line that we've all read and seen on the big screen before - "if we're still single by.... we'll get married". This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed her writing style - it made me laugh. This classic love triangle has gone all wrong for sure. I felt this scenario could totally be real life and I think that made reading about it more enjoyable.

I really enjoyed the premise of this book, and the delivery was better than expected. All of the characters were lovely and believable. And, I was really torn about how I wanted the book to end! It did not disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.

Wow. Wow. Wow. This book. I think every woman at some point in her life has said “if we are still single when we’re X AGE, we should get married?” Maggie Vine is just like us and made that vow to get married at 35. the catch? She made it with two different people, at two very different stages of her life.

At 35 Maggie's life is not where she wanted it to be. She is an aspiring singer and wants to be a mother. Maggie is an incredible character. She feels so honest and real. She is talented, strong, and a good friend, but she is also beautifully flawed. This story has a prominent love triangle, but more than being about the two men Garrett & Asher, it was a triangle between Maggie and the future she wants and the future she envisioned.

The story follows Maggie's current timeline at age 35, but also flashes back to her first chances at love with Asher & Garrett. I loved watching everything unfold, watching Maggie grow, choose who is right for her, choose herself and stand up for herself. I don't want to spoil anything, but I do just need to praise the women in this book, who are all going through their own issues, but are a loving support system and encourage each other to champion their own conflicts.

The book I thought I was reading from the description & the book I read felt a little disconnected. This book was so much more. This was more than just what we have come to expect from romance (especially a love triangle) and I enjoyed every minute.

CW: Fertility treatments, SA

WHEW. I’m so angry I waited so long to pick this up. Maggie is the perfect kind of imperfect MC. I loved watching her develop as a human, her emotions always raw and never guarded. The two men in her life somehow are both kind, but one obviously is moreso. 😉 Summer is such a good best friend and the metaphor of kite/rock friendships is beautiful too. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy!

I was surprised by how much I liked this book. It was such a fun read. I loved the writing style and all the references throughout the story. Although the story deals with very serious situations (death and SA), I thought both were handled well. This is a book I will definitely pick up next chance I get. I loved the characters and how new and old loves were handled in the story. I liked that it wasn’t obvious from the start who she would end up with. I also liked how the MC examined her life and her actions. Side characters were also well fleshed out and gave the story even more depth and realism. I loved this book.

CW: death, SA, divorce

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This is a second chance romance about a woman, Maggie, who made marriage pacts (if we’re both not married by 35, etc.) with 2 different men who both reappeared on her 35th birthday.

Garrett is a hedge fund manager and a singer who’s recently engaged, but he still has feelings for Maggie after they dated on and off for years.

Asher and Maggie met at summer camp as teenagers. They pledged their undying love but broke up when they were college students at different schools.
Since then, Asher has gone on to become one of the most famous movie stars in the world. Maggie is trying to become a singer and wants to be a mother. Even though it’s been years they’ve never forgotten each other.
They’ve always had intense chemistry, and the intervening years haven’t changed it at all. But life is much more complicated than it was when they were teenagers and there are hurdles to overcome.

I liked reading about Maggie’s choices and especially about her teenage years with Asher. 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

i couldn't help but click on this one when i saw the cover, and then when i read the synopsis i was so intrigued! totally my catnip. i'm not normally a fan of love triangles but i just couldn't resist this one, and it was handled really well. would definitely read more from this author.

Maybe Onve, Maybe Twice has turned out to be one of my favorite romances of the year! It started off pretty slow for me, but picked up when Archer came into the story. I related to Maggie a lot as someone in her mid-thirties and currently being single, while still wanting kids and a fulfilling career. It was so refreshing to have a romance book not focused on people in their 20’s. I loved learning more about Maggie’s history with both guys and was so happy with how the book wrapped up. I’ll definitely be recommending it to people, and thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance audiobook copy of Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg in exchange of an honest review.

"I can't recommend 'Maybe Once, Maybe Twice' by Allison Rose Greenberg enough. This book had me hooked from the very first page. It seamlessly blends humor, romance, and profound emotional depth. The author's writing is simply beautiful, and she tackles important topics such as infertility, sexual assault, grief, and PTSD with grace and sensitivity. The characters are relatable and their relationships feel authentic. While the ending left me wanting a bit more closure, it also left room for imagination. I'm eagerly awaiting the author's next book. If you find yourself at a crossroads in life, I highly suggest picking up this gem.

I can't wait to read more my Alison Rose Greenberg! This is my first novel by her and I loved it. Talk about a hot book boyfriend!

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice
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You know that old saying “if we are still single when we are 35, we should get married?”
Well Maggie made that vow with two different people.
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I would like to start that I think this was a great idea for a book, a good plot, written well and would made an excellent emotional love story movie. I also think CoHo fans would love this book.

I just did not like it. 🙈

And I think it’s me because this book has made me realize that I HATE love triangles. They are the absolute worst, and this love triangle lasted till like 90%? And it just WOULD. NEVER. END.

Maggie was a frustrating character for me to read because, as the lead in the love triangle, she kept going back and forth between these two guys and I just wanted to bang my head against the wall.

I did enjoy when I FINALLY was made privy to the back story of what was up with Maggie, and it helped me understand things a lot more.
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I gave this 3⭐️⭐️⭐️ in Goodreads but honestly I would love to never read another love triangle ever again in my life. Thank you.