I am a fan of second-chance romances and love triangle stories. Maybe Once, Maybe Twice falls into these two categories, so this could be the book for you if you're a fan. Maggie Vine has made a marriage pact with not one but two people at different times in her life. Asher Reyes is her first boyfriend from summer camp. She proposes that if she is still single when she turns thirty-five, they will get married. Fast forward to Maggie’s thirtieth birthday celebration with friends, including Garrett Scholl. Their timing has always been off, but again, she proposes that if she is still single when she turns thirty-five, they will marry. Who will she end up with?

While I generally like this type of romance trope, and I liked the plot of this story, I had a challenging time reading it. The book flitted back and forth between different points in the past and the present. I found it very distracting from the overall story and was frustrated with how it unfolded. I don’t mind time jumps, but there was just too much here, and it felt messy. If this is something you don’t mind, then I encourage you to pick this one up.

**Posted to Instagram (@read.rest.recharge) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxa9WEXOmJe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

i’m gonna keep this short and sweet — i absolutely loved this. i couldn’t put it down and finished it in a day. i’m thankful that i had an ebook and the audiobook so i could switch back and forth. i literally dropped everything else i was reading so that i could finish this book.

it’s such a well done love triangle. i loved both men and i would have been okay with whoever maggie ended up with. one did edge out the other just a bit more for me so i was pleased that’s who maggie ended up with. it was a hard won battle. i loved the time jumps and seeing how everything unfolded. i also loved maggie’s character growth! i’ll be thinking about this one for a while!

thank you to st. martin’s press and dreamscape media for the advanced copies. my thoughts are my own.

When I started the book, I wasn't sure if it was for me. I kept on and found myself wanting to know more about all the characters. I found Maggie to be an intriguing character. She seemed a little flaky to me at first, but she developed into such a strong character that I loved her in the end. The rest of the characters were complicated, and I enjoyed this about them. The story is told in an out of order manner with flashbacks to various points in the past. I found this a little hard to follow some of the time. I had to be aware of this since a lot of the characters were around in all of the points of time. The book is unique, and I enjoyed it. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

As you know by now, love triangles usually aren’t our jam, but Maybe Once, Maybe Twice did it perfectly (in our humble opinion)! This book really surprised us as it gave us all the feels (happy & sad).

At two very different times in her life, Maggie makes a marriage pact with two guys (Asher & Garrett) to ensure she won’t end up alone at 35. Now they are both back in her life and she’s not sure what to do.

Maybe Once Maybe Twice is told through flashbacks and present day, taking us on a journey as Maggie struggles at love and her career. She comes close in both cases to have it all ripped away. We really felt for Maggie and her ups and downs. In the end, we were really rooting for her and we were happy with her ultimate choices, because she remained true to herself, even if we did shed some tears along the way.

We fell for both MMCs and it was hard for us to choose a favourite when there’s usually a clear winner when it comes to this trope! Asher was her first love, Garrett was her right guy wrong time guy. Although they were part of the story, they weren’t the whole story and Maggie’s best friend Summer kept her grounded.

Read if you like:
▪️Second chance romance
▪️Love triangles
▪️Marriage pacts
▪️Slow burn + angst
▪️Multiple timelines

4.5 stars [Loved it]

Wow! I really enjoyed this book. Chapter one completely gutted me (that wound is still fresh for me). Thankfully infertility wasn’t at the forefront of the story and I was able to really loose myself in this book. I loved the writing, narration of the audiobook and the characters. All 3 main characters were amazing and I had a hard time choosing who to root for. Absolutely recommend checking this book out.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this ebook and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not okay 😭

Maybe Once,Maybe Twice will hit you hard in the heart. A slow burn romance with all the angst and feelings. This novel has a little of everything: friends to lovers, second chance romance, love triangle. I fell in love with all the characters and can't decide if I'm Team Garrett or Team Asher, but I'm most definitely Team Maggie Vine. And everyone needs a friend like Summer. At 35 years old, Maggie's life isn't going as planned.. but shortly after her 35th birthday, new and old love interests make it known that they have come to fulfill promises previously made.
I stayed up way too late finishing this book. It made me laugh, made me cry, and most of all made me wish it didn't have to end. I was immersed in the story, from the nostalgia of 90's song lyrics to Monday nights at Trader Joe's. The chapters alternate from past to present, giving the reader flashbacks to young Maggie and how she got to the point at her 35th birthday. It all worked, the plot, the writing, the characters, the spice, the conflict, and the love. I did think the ending was a touch rushed, but that might have been just my desire to continue living in Maggie's world. There are some heavy topics touched upon in the story, such as suicide and sexual assault and infertility, so if you struggle with reading about those things, you may want to take caution. I can't recommend this novel enough, though, to everyone. If you couldn't tell, I give this novel 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced digital copy for my honest review.

4.5 stars!

I just finished this one yesterday and loved it! It follows Maggie Vine, a 35 year old woman trying to pursue her dreams of being a singer. Enter two men she's loved in the past.

Now I'm not a huge love triangle fan and hated that she seemed to bounce back and forth between the two men, however, I couldn't decide who I wanted her to end up with! I did feel that the one story line and closure felt a little rushed by the end and didn't really feel "closed" in a way.

Not only is there romance, but there's also great plot lines of Maggie finding her way and growing and friendship, which I loved! The book also flips back and forth between different years of Maggie's life. While I did enjoy this as I felt it allowed a glimpse and better understanding of her relationships and growth, sometimes it felt like a lot and was hard to follow.

Overall, this book was both a heartwarming and heartbreaking story.

Greenberg knows how to write the best stories and her writing never fails to amaze me.
Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg was a delight and she has written an absolutely lovely novel.
This book is well written and the characters are described well.
The lacing was spot on and when I say I did nothing for one full day…. I mean it.
I was completely hooked onto every word that was written in this story. And the characters I couldn’t have loved more. I adored Maggie’s character and their journey was such a engaging experience. The realism of our main character’s is so relatable.
The development of her character throughout the book made me care for her more and more.
A phenomenal and heartfelt story. If I could give this book a 100 star rating I most definitely would.

Oh, and if you haven’t read her previous title Bad Luck Bridesmaid…. It’s also a cute, sweet and funny read.

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

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Title: Maybe Once, Maybe Twice, a standalone

Author: Alison Rose Greenberg, 1st time read author

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: 10/3/23, read 10/2/23.

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction, Rom-Com

Tropes: love triangle; marriage pacts; shifting timelines; 2nd chance romance

Format: e-ARC, Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC🩷! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Page Count: 320

Setting: NY

Summary: Maggie Vine is 35 years old and at a point in her life she wants to settle down, have children, and a satisfying career. She made a pact with 2 men to marry her if she's still single at 35. It's 2nd chances, healing the past, and finding your "person."

Heroes: Garrett Scholl and Asher Reyes

Heroes descriptions: Garrett was an aspiring rock singer turned hedge fund manager now engaged to Cecily. Asher was Maggie's first boyfriend from summer camp who becomes a famous actor with a job opportunity for Maggie to do what she loves.

Heroine: Maggie Vine

Heroine description: 35, aspiring singer/songwriter who wants children but is single, still in love with old flames.

Other characters: Summer Groves-Maggie's bff; Valeria-Summer's wife; Maggie's mother; Maggie's father-deceased and Maggie still grieving him. 

Highlights: Very nostalgic with 90's and 00's music and LOVED the Felicity reference. The angst is the best, especially with Maggie fighting for her HEA. 

Rating: 4 ⭐

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is a fun second chance romance. Maggie Vine has made a marriage pact with two men and now she is in a messy situation with some major chemistry. This story had me hoping my marriage pact guy shows up!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Maggie is a 35 year old struggling indie musician who is still looking for her big break and just found out that it will be difficult for her to get pregnant. She has been pining for her friend Garrett since she was 23, but their timing has not worked out. On the flip side, she has not seen her first love Asher since they were 17. The storyline was interesting, but bounced around too much for me between the years from early teens to age 35. As more of her back story was learned, it was easier to keep up with the story. I liked the later part of the book better and would give it 3.5 stars.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice took me by surprise in the best ways!

Maggie is a 35 year old woman still chasing the same dream she's had since she was 14. But, over the course of her life, Maggie made marriage pacts with 2 separate men. If they were still single when she turned 35, they'd get married. So, what happens when both men show up on her 35th birthday?

This book is (in my opinion) the perfect mix of fun and serious. I read it in a day because I did not want to put it down. I loved mostly all of the characters - but I think the one that wasn't my favorite is written that way on purpose. If you like romance, I definitely recommend this one!

Read if you like:
-friends to lovers
-second chance romance
-high school sweethearts
-female empowerment

This started off so good, even epic, that I thought it would go into my favorite books list. I loved the musical references and how the story was told in birthdays. Unfortunately, the last third of the book just really went downhill for me. While I knew what I wanted to happen and it kind of got there, there was some unnecessary drama and it dragged on so much. Also, the heroine described herself as willowy one too many times. However, I would still recommend this book because it has some truly great moments and just for those, you won't be disappointed!

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice comes out next week on October 3, 2023 and you can purchase HERE.

For the first time in so long, the what is was better than the what if.

[3.5 Stars] There are so many things to love about Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg! Maybe Once, Maybe Twice was my first book by the author, and I loved her writing style, sense of humor, and angsty, bittersweet tension. Since I'm around the same age as Maggie, I also loved all of the music references because that felt like the soundtrack to my adolescent and early adult years.

However, where it came unraveled for me was the romantic interests. While I LOVED Garrett's golden retriever personality and Asher's gravity and earnestness, I thought Maggie deserved better. I eventually grew frustrated with the whole "a lot of love, but lack of communication and honesty" dynamic because it began to skew as cowardly to me. But, despite the not-quite love triangle scenario in this book, I was SO glad she steadfastly pursued her dream despite other aspects of her life not working out, and I felt like that could have been a really great ending for her. BUT, because I'm a romantic, ultimately, I was happy with how Alison Rose Greenberg chose to end Maybe Once, Maybe Twice.

I think Maybe Once, Maybe Twice had a great premise, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a gloriously messy romance with a lot of yearning, tension, and angst. I will definitely read more by Alison Rose Greenberg in the future!

Maggie Vine is floating through life not really crushing it in terms of her career and love life. At the age of 35, she wants to start a family only to be told it’s nearly impossible. Just when things are looking bleak, two men from her past renter her life- turning up to possibly collect on vows she made to both of them long ago- to marry each other if they were both single at the age of 35. Now Maggie has a lot of choices to make as her past meets her present.
——————————
I really wanted to love this book. While I did loved the plot idea of making a “marriage pact” at a certain age with two separate men who both turn up at the same time, I just didn’t connect with this story. Having a then and now plot is usually a fun way to read a backstory between characters, but having to do it for two different men was a lot to have to follow. Maggie’s life described as extra-medium was just that. She was neither a particularly compelling or memorable character and though I absolutely loved her relationship with her college roommate turned best friend, everyone else she interacted with fell flat. Truly though- I highlighted so many conversations between her and Summer because they were emotional and hilarious. I wish her character sizzled like that with the two men in her life.

There was just one too many plot twists here (and don’t even get me started on the scene involving a runaway miniature horse🙄) for it be an engaging story for me. And the ending?! You get them together, break them up, time jump us, and then she finally gets her happily ever after (with the wrong guy *cough cough*), all in a few pages.
SIDE NOTE- apparently 35 is ancient. Who knew?

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

While I can admit Maybe Once, Maybe Twice WON'T be for everyone, I enjoyed this crazy ride.

3.5 ★

Not only was their obvious chemistry between Maggie and her two men, her two "backups" that both came calling on her thirty-fifth birthday, their was also a lovely friendship that shined throughout. Different versions of how love manifests itself was on display in this story. And since I'd never read any of Alison Rose Greenberg's work before, I was impressed by the writing. It was both witty and poignant.

Having said that, there was a lot going on. At times, it did feel like certain elements could have been omitted for the better, such as a third act conflict that I could've done without. Due to that inclusion, the ending did feel rushed. Since so much of the plot centered around Maggie choosing between Asher and Garrett, it was disappointing to see that hardly any time was allotted to showing the final couple being together.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Alison Rose Greenberg for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A cute story, and I liked how the chapters alternated between Maggie in her 20's and Maggie in her 30's. This did not have the ending I was expecting. It felt like she walked away and came back multiple times with the two guys even though she said it wasn't meant to be. I was thrown off by that.

For the very first time in my life, I didn't have a love interest preference when or came to a love triangle situation. I just went with the flow. And guess what, that turned out pretty good.

Just like Alison's first book, this too has a strong, brave, messy heroine. Maggie was a complex character that you can and can not relate to at some point. I appreciated her journey throughout the book.

Coming to the love interests, with one of them, I didn't know what was happening or what went wrong until the very end. Eventually, things made so much sense.
With the other one, I got friendship vibes for a long time, but hopefully, that didn't remain the case.

Overall, I really enjoyed the love triangle aspect teamed with dual timelines and a hell lot of character development.

Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

It has been such a long time since I have been unable to tear myself away from characters when I am not reading about them. The cover of Maybe Once Maybe Twice looked more like a light hearted rom-com to me but this story is anything but. This story and these characters will live in your heart long after you finish this book.

"You know the moment you realize the person across from you could be the person who fills the blank inside your soul?"

From the very first page of this story, Maggie had my heart. She has synesthesia and can see music in color and taste specific words. She is thoughtful, brave, vulnerable, and a character you really can relate to perfectly. I love her nerd music heart. I love that she is 35 years old and loves writing music and is still on the road to figuring herself out. I love all the lyrics of her songs and wish there was a spotify playlist I could have listened to while reading this book! I love that she doesn't have it all figured out and that's okay. I also love her love for Garrett and Asher.

Garrett, or more specifically Grocery Garrett, is also in love with music. Like Maggie, he is also trying to figure himself out and wants to always do the right thing by the people he loves and cares about. He would rather others be happy than himself. Asher is the kindest human. There is so much grace in his character, so much heart. Both men are the perfect book boyfriends. The way they both care for Maggie and the way she cares for them in return is such a gripping plotline. They both offer Maggie different and unique things and the "will they won't they" had me guessing and riveted the entire story. I truly did not know what I wanted Maggie to do and that is the best kind of read!

I also loved Maggie's best friend Summer. She is direct and the best friend you want in your corner. I love Maggie and Summer's dynamic so much and their friendship reminded me a lot of my best friend. Summer is loyal and will show up for you at 3am if you need her. I love the way Summer and Maggie challenge each other and show one another so much understanding and tenderness, never judgement. Also, they are both going through different parts of the fertility process and I really love the way that Greenberg explores this topic.

So many women are going through different parts of the fertility process. Whether it is struggles to have a baby, or fears about having a baby, or questioning whether they want to have a baby. The process of Motherhood is unique for everyone. I think so many feel alone during this process for fear of expressing their situation and feeling judged. I love that this story brings that process more out in the open and the way Maggie and Summer talk about it and support one another is so important. I think we need more of that. I also think we need more women loving themselves!

I loved the way Maggie works on her relationship with herself. She has been through some things and the way she processes that trauma and accepts who she is without apology is something I want to strive for. Maggie's character is so inspiring! I loved that Maggie realizes what she deserves and goes after it with her heart open. Maggie is definitely one of my all time favorite characters and I would love to read a sequel of this story to see where she ends up some time from now. I miss her and am still thinking about her and will for some time.

This is my first read by Alison Rose Greenberg and I cannot wait to read more from her! Her writing is poetic, heartfelt, and the vulnerability and development in her characters is my favorite. The way emotions are described paints a picture in your mind that is impactful. I also loved the funny lighter side of her writing too.

If you love a strong yet vulnerable female protagonist, friends that are your family, and women supporting women. definitely get your hands on this book!

4.5 stars

I thought the premise and the promise of this book were lovely and it was really fun to try to chase both love stories through to the end, but overall, a lot of this was a miss for me. The constant jumping in time felt a little chaotic and unstructured as things were unfolding, although the past scenes definitely heightened the connection and stakes of the scenes in the present timeline. It also felt like there were a few too many complications at any given point in the novel - I wanted a break from the angst by the time I was midway through. That said, I thought the writing in this book was beautiful and I think many people will connect with Maggie at the various points on her journey as she figures out how to have the life she wants and the love she deserves!