I did enjoy the book overall. But I wouldn't necessarily say I really loved it. I didn’t like the time jumps. There were too many and it was sometimes confusing.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was the music for me. And the book boyfriends. TWO unbelievable book boyfriends, are you kidding me? This book was my first by this author and I absolutely adored her writing. The characters were excellent, I related to being told you’re “barren” at the age of 35, Maggie was badass- such a good one.

The story is of the journey of Maggie Vine life. The ups and downs, trying to reach her dreams of making it as a singer/songwriter. Finding love not once, but twice. First love, forever love and not being able to hold on to love. Maggie is definitely on an emotional roller coaster ride, with heartbreaks along the way. There will be a few tears, and will have you wondering if Maggie with ever find her HEA.
I divided reading and listening to the audiobook, both were great. The narrator was exactly as I pictured Maggie voice. I rounded it up to 4 stars, seemed to drag on a bit with the back and forth of young Maggie and present Maggie. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #MaybeOnceMaybeTwice

This is not the first book I've read from Alison Rose Greenberg. I loved her "Bad Luck Bridesmaid," and loved "Maybe Once, Maybe Twice" also. The characters were amazingly well developed and I could feel everything Maggie felt. Maggie has had two loves in her life and neither of them has worked out. But love has a funny way of finding it's place. This is a great romance book and a must read for the romance reader!

There’s so much to love about MAYBE ONCE, MAYBE TWICE 💖 Greenberg created relatable characters with so much depth. I love how she wrote both a female character who so badly wants to be a mother while her biological clock is ticking, as well as a female character who doesn’t want children. All of the difficult topics were handled with grace and I have so much love for these characters 🫶

Second chance romance is my favorite trope, and I loved the unique spin with the female MC having two big loves that are portrayed spanning multiple decades. I loved both Garrett and Asher for different reasons and Greenberg kept me guessing who would be Maggie’s “person” until the very end. The music references were 🤌 and all of the song lyrics really brought Maggie’s music career to life! 🎶

MAYBE ONCE, MAYBE TWICE is an angsty love story that pulled on my heartstrings 🥹

I loved the storyline behind this book and I truly felt the chemistry between Maggie and her two men. The structure of the book, going back and forth to different impactful periods in Maggie’s life, was very unique and made for a more enjoyable read. I also loved all of the music lyrics and mentions of songs throughout the entire book. I actually found myself singing a bunch 🤣
While I overall feel as though it was a decent read, my only complaint is that there was a LOT going on and there were certain elements that could have been omitted. There was so much “fluff” that I feel it took away from the ending which left me unsatisfied because it was so abrupt.

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Alison Rose Greenberg for a #gifted ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5/5 ★

Maggie is a 35 year old aspiring singer & songwriter who has made some "innocent" marriage pacts (yes - pacts, as in plural) with two different men at different times in her life. Did Maggie ever expect to see both men at her 35th birthday party? No. Was she expecting to have to get her *ish together and figure out her feelings for these two? Also, no.

'Maybe Once, Maybe Twice' is a cozy, contemporary romance that delves into the inevitable heartbreak & loss that accompany living a life full of [multiple] great loves. My emotions ranged from happy, to laughing out loud, to heartache. My favorite thing about this book was Maggie's dedication to herself; she was her own main character & learned to love herself so beautifully.

If you're like me and regularly require a "palette cleanser" book of sorts in between your usual reads, this is it! It's emotional, wholesome, and SO relatable.

Nope. I didn't like this. Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is all over the place. It felt like a 30-something woman just journaling her sexual/relationship history and glamorizing this will they/won't they story in the midst of making super selfish decisions (TW: cheating). I didn't want to root for Maggie at all and truly didn't connect with her. I thought Summer's storyline with her wife and decision on whether or not to become a mother was way more interesting and raw and real. And the ending was rushed, unexpected, and mostly unbelievable. I don't know who this book is supposed to target, but as a woman who got married in her 30's, it wasn't for me. Too much going on- movie productions, song lyrics, lots of men, meet-cutes... every chapter was Maggie at a different (cue the journal feel)... I dunno, just no.

Maggie Vine just turned 35 years old. She figured by now her music career would have taken off and that she would have a family. Unfortunately, that's not the case and we find out that she made a marriage pact with two different guys from her past. 

Garrett and Asher are her past loves who end up coming back into her life during the present time. So she now has to choose which is best for her. 

I liked that the chapters went back and forth from the present to the past so we could learn more about both Garrett and Asher and her feelings toward both. I also really enjoyed the Monday night Trader Joe’s dates with Garrett from the past and how he would leave her little surprises for her to find. 

The story does touch on some heavy topics so I would check trigger warnings before reading. 

Overall, this has a very good love triangle that will keep you guessing who she will choose up until the end. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute romance that included marriage pacts. I kind of wished that they didn't make you feel so invested in the guy that didn't turn out to be the one for the main character. I also would've preferred a few less time jumps but overall I liked it.

This book sounded epic and I was so excited to get going. Maggie was a little unlikeable for me. She comes across as spoiled and has no concept of how to communicate with people hence why she ended up in the positions she was in.

I didn't find the romance parts of the book were wow worthy but I did laugh a fair few times and I thought the ending was really solid.

I am glad I finished the book but I guess I was expecting a bit more than I got.

3.5 stars

I had to DNF this one because I just couldn’t get into the premise… and the love interests were kinda awful in my opinion. Sorry!

I think we've all heard this one before: a character makes a promise with their best friend or their current significant other or just a random acquaintance that if you both find yourselves single by, in this case, 35 you'll marry each other and have the family you clearly want, but that's been eluding you thus far.

Well, if you're Maggie Vine you make that promise with two people at very different times in your life. And, for better or worse, they both show up. First there's Garrett. Garrett and Maggie met over ten years ago when he captured her attention at a bar during a musical set. They immediately clicked but have always been off when it comes to the timing - never seeming to both be available at the same time (whether that's emotionally or physically). Now, Garrett does show up to her 35th birthday, but he's engaged so clearly there's a line they shouldn't cross but also a lot of baggage left between them.

Then, there's Asher Reyes. Oscar winning, heartthrob actor - whom Maggie first met at summer camp when they were teens - is adapting Maggie's favorite book into a movie musical. It's too much of a coincidence, and Maggie is determined to compose the music for the movie. It would be the break her career desperately needs.

This book is, so far, one of the best descriptors of everything it takes to be a solo musician. The sacrifices, the uncertainty. Knowing you have the talent and the voice, but being just shy of actually gaining the fame you seek. It's a very lyrical story and I think this was done very well by Alison Rose Greenberg. The story is told from Maggie's point of view so of course we're going to get those lyrical flourishes and way with words that seem to be a staple of song-writers. Saying so much with just a few lines. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't playing Fleetwood Mac's Gypsy on my head on repeat while reading this.

For all that, this story is so full of angst. Maggie spends a good portion of the book pining away for what she cannot have with Garrett. It was difficult to get a sense of who he is because we're seeing him through Maggie's lens and there's a lot of fawning and adoration. She puts him and their bond on a high pedestal when clearly he's very fallible. By the time we get to the gut punch that he did not really come to her on her birthday in good faith, I'm ready for her to move on.

I think Maggie's a little more realistic when it comes to Asher, but to be fair, she's had years to come to terms with their ending which Garrett's it still fresh. The pivot from Garrett to Asher felt a bit jolting as were so focused on Garrett then all of a sudden there's Asher from her past being mentioned. I found a few jolts throughout the story. There's so much focus placed on one person, or event, then suddenly we switch gears and oftentimes it comes out of nowhere even though within the context of the story it makes sense.

I felt like these moments did Maggie's story a disservice because it removed the emotional impact. I couldn't get invested because oftentimes we're changing things up on the next page. There's no time to process what just happened.

I will say that looking back on the story in hindsight, by the end as Maggie's story has completely unfolded, we're given insight into how things could have been so different for her. It makes the story all the more heartbreaking and the fragility is noticed in how just the slightest curve can throw your life into a tailspin. We could have been reading a different version of the story which is an interesting concept idea. I almost wish Alison Rose Greenberg would give us that sliding doors-type book as a companion to this one.

Despite the angst and the unexpected pivots, I was very interested in how Maggie's story would end up. I didn't really mind the love triangle aspect of the story because while it is a romance novel, I'd say the biggest thing is Maggie's journey whether that includes Asher or Garrett is just one aspect of her overall journey and I think that was done perfectly.

This second chance romance involves Maggie and the only two men she has loved in her life, Asher and Garrett. She made a marriage pact with both of them at very different points of her life and now at 35, they're both back in her life. I was rooting Garrett when Asher came in to the picture and I fell in love with him as well. I love that the chapters are based off on Maggie's age and what she was going through at that age that changed outcomes in the future. We see as she struggles in her career to make it and be successful while also struggling with the feelings of wanting a child amongst other things. Summer is the ultimate best friend that is always there for Maggie and seems to have the perfect life, but nothing is perfect. All the characters had their own struggles that put them in different places in their lives emotionally and physically. I definitely enjoyed this and was anxious to see if Maggie ended up with either of her love interests.

I know this book isn't going to be for everyone, but if you appreciate a messy love story with sizzling tension, all-consuming heartbreak, and loads of angst, this is a winner! Absolutely gripping from the start, I loved following Maggie throughout her years of musical aspirations, romantic relationships, and dreams of becoming a mother.

I love a good "friends to lovers" story line and this has it twice :) And this book will cause the Team Garrett or Team Asher discussions.

I really like how the chapters are different years of her life and how they all blend into each other over the course of the book. When you question why earlier on, and then get the answer in another year of her life.

There is a trigger warning for a small part of the book, but it's written in a such a very gentle way, it was not difficult to read.

My favorite relationship in the story is that between Maggie and Summer. It's a true love and makes your heart smile.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an advanced copy of this book. Readers should know there is a described instance of sexual violence without trigger warnings.

Maggie Vine is a 35 year old woman always on the brink of her big break. That is, until the two men she made marriage pacts with return to her life. Throughout this story, Maggie closely examines love and what she believes is necessary for her relationships to flourish. She learns how to become a better friend to those around her and to herself. She learns that sometimes what you think you want, isn't what you really need, which is a lesson that everyone can benefit from.

I’ll admit that I loved this book so much that I am struggling to put it into words. This book is the stand out book of this year. I encourage everyone to run, not walk, to purchase their copy. Maggie’s struggle to find and pursue her dreams are relatable to everyone. Fans of authors like Emily Henry and Taylor Jenkins Reid, fans of angst, fans of romance, fans of New York dreams coming true need to read this book.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. Okay we were all young once,,,but who makes marriage/wedding pacts with 2 different guys? I guess I am just not that lucky. I liked the book-but I do not like the jumping back and forth in time. I just don't care for the time travel. So I have to be honest and say I skimmed those sections. It detracted for me from the book-but I still really liked the book! How much drama can one person have in their life? Wow! Maggie is a super complicated woman but has the most amazingly talented friends. I enjoyed Maggie and Ashers journey. Well worth a read 4 stars

4 1/2 Stars

This book pulled me in and didn't let go until I read the last word. It was a beautiful love story about a woman who finds herself at a crossroads when she turns thirty-five. Her life is tough enough already and then is further complicated when two of her former boyfriends show up to check in on her with their "if I'm thirty-five and not married..." pact.

I just fell in love with the characters. The main character, Maggie is relatable and someone you wish the best for. Even though her two previous love interests, Garrett and Asher are very different men, they both hold a special place in her heart. It's hard to figure out which one you want to see her end up with. There are positives and negatives about both of them. Overall, I'll say she didn't end up with the one I really thought she belonged with....but hey, I'm not the author of this book. Regardless, it was well done and a story that had me shedding tears at so many different points. Since it was told in multiple time lines, you got the history of how Maggie met and fell in love with each of these men. They truly did each hold a piece of her heart and it broke mine a little to know she'd miss out on something with one of them. I did feel the book was a little rushed with the wrap up at the end. Considering all the build up throughout the story, I expected a little more time for the resolution at the end. For this reason, I kept my rating to 4 1/2 stars.

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: The audiobook was beautifully done with spot on narration. I really enjoyed it and bounced between that and the ebook effortlessly. It enabled me to gobble up this book rapidly as I was hooked from the beginning.

Thank you to NetGalley for early copies of both the ebook and audiobook. I voluntarily chose to read/listen to each of them and write a review. The opinions contained within are my own.

Maggie Vine made the same marriage pact with two different men at very different times in her life. When she hits her 35th birthday, both of them, Garrett and Asher, come back into her life and she has to decide which one is the right choice for her. This book takes the reader throughout Maggie's story with both men, alternating between the past and present timelines.

Overall, I thought this book was cute! It was definitely a bit messy (and honestly, she didn't end up with who I wanted her to), but i still think it was very well written!

Than you to netgalley for the eARC - 3.5 Stars.