Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is story of realizing that years fly by, a women's biological clock is ticking, and that dreams (or promises) can come true at any age. Also.... that having a plan B with multiple people can get a little messy.
The beginning chapters are a time hop back and forth as Maggie Vine gives us a peek at past birthdays and why they are memorable. At about chapter 7, I stopped to take a break for a few days, as I found the back/forth confusing at times. By chapter 9, I finally got a good hand at all the characters and what in the past was relevant for the present.
The last 15 chapters I was on board for and got more invested in the storyline. There were some areas and conversations that were a bit too long and felt like fluff in the book. I think I may have an unpopular opinion on who Maggie ends up with. I thought the ending was wonderful in that not everything was perfect, but worked out as it was supposed to.
While this book was not completely for me, I will highly recommend to anyone that enjoys the topics listed below.

👉🏻This book has:
•Musicians Dreams •Friendship •Love Triangle •Friends to Lovers •Second Chance Love •Celebrity Romance •Multiple Timelines •Biological Clock

Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley, for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review! 💕

**Since my rating is under 4 stars, I will be waiting to review on Goodreads & Amazon until later in October. I will post a publishing day reminder on 10/3 on my Instagram account.

This was a cute rom com! I really connected with the female main character. At times I thought the transitions in time were a tad choppy and I truly loathed the ending. Still a fun and easy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is about a girl, Maggie navigating through life of love and heartbreak along with trying to make it as singer/songwriter. She meets Garrett in her twenties and over 12 years she falls in love with him but their timing is never quite right. When she’s 35 she reconnects with her first love, Asher who is now a famous movie star/producer.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down. It pulled on my heartstrings and kept my stomach in knots with suspense as the story unfolded. It was an emotional roller coaster and heartbreaking at times. Great read, 5 stars!

Thank you @dreamscape_media @netgalley for a copy of this book. I love how real Maggie's journey felt and how relatable it is. I love all the music references and that Maggie never wavered from her dream to make music. I am not a fan of love triangle and this was done so well and not really a triangle but more Maggie's relationship with Garrett and Asher. Katherine Littrell did a great job with all the voices and bringing the story to life.

Maggie Vine thought she would have landed her big break by thirty-five but her career seems to be stagnating. Not to mention the guy she’s been in love with for years just got engaged and her fertility journey is not going so well. After Garrett’s engagement Maggie decides to do her best to move on both in her career and personal life. When she meets her first love Asher who happens to need a singer/songwriter for his upcoming film Maggie relishes in the opportunity to establish herself as an artist and to reconnect with her ex. When a high profile producer from Maggie’s past stirs up drama Maggie must finally come to terms with her traumatic past to move on and create the life she’s always dreamt of.

This book immediately hooked me in with the love triangle which was so well done with the flashbacks. I connected with Maggie a lot not only by name but feeling like she is not in the place she expects or wants to be at this point in her life either personally or professionally. I thought Maggie’s past experience with sexual assault was relevant to her story as it is unfortunately happens to people working in the entertainment industry and was beautifully and respectfully written. This book gave me a lot of A Star is Born vibes and I very much enjoyed being taken along on Maggie’s journey.

DNF at 28%.

After reading a sentence, "My eyes were pointed together in confusion," I gave it another couple of pages before accepting that I didn't really care about this character or this story. The writing style doesn't feel natural although some of the descriptive language is well done.

Overall, I thought the main character and at least the first love interest introduced made some pretty questionable choices with pretty obvious red flags. While the premise of this sounded interesting, once I actually got into the story, I wasn't a fan of the way things were shaking out. I'm sure someone else will enjoy this one, but it just wasn't for me.

Maggie Vine made a marriage pact for age 35 with two different men at two very different stages of her life... and they both showed up. Told in alternating chapters at different ages, we see her love stories unfold with Asher and Garrett, leaving you guessing who is the right choice until the very end.

I am not usually a fan of a love triangle so I don't think this book will be for everyone, but I really enjoyed this messy love story. Maggie feels like she still hasn't 'made it' in life (~relatable~), and the flashback chapters show us her years of pursuing a music career, evolution of her romantic relationships, and her desire to become a mother. I loved different elements of her two love interests which made it easy to root for Maggie in the story since she'd come out a winner either way.

While the romance is an element to the story, it's not your average romcom and instead is more of an adult coming of age story about coming to terms with where you are in life and not giving up on your dreams. There are some deep conversations and trauma, but also lighter moments and nostalgia.

This first bit of this book was so interesting and fun but unfortunately the rest fell flat for me.
I really liked the idea of the time jumps but it got clunky and confusing as the book went on trying to keep up with all the different storylines. I ended up giving up 25% in and skimming the rest.
I wanted to like this book, but it just wasn't for me unfortunately.

I'm honestly not sure I could be any more in love with a book than I am with this one!

Maggie made a marriage pact with two men. If when they reach the age of 35, they would come together, find each other wherever they are in their lives in that moment. Now, as she turned 35, struggling with her career and the desire to start a family, Maggie is faced with both men.

This book was everything. The formatting was amazing. The jumps back and forth in time weren't confusing at all and were needed to help tell Maggie's story. I honestly was soooooo incredibly torn between the two men in Maggie's life. Asher was positive and so in touch with himself. Garrett was just as lost as Maggie at times but still connected to that rocker side of her. I at times wanted to shut the book and not know who she ended up with, solely because I would have had to let one go.

But overall, this story is about Maggie. She is a passionate musician who found life through music. And it's through music that she truly loved and lived. There are so many amazing music and pop culture moments in this as well. The writing was perfection.

Please, read this book. There is so much to love.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the gifted copy. My reviews are always honest.

I loved this book! The main character, Maggie Vine, made the "if we're not married when we're 35, we will will marry each other" deal with two different guys and they both show up. She has amazing chemistry and sparks with both of them. Maggie is an aspiring musician who writes incredible lyrics. Additionally the book references lots of 90s music and song lyrics - totally my vibe! I'd recommend this to fans of Colleen Hoover or Christina Lauren.

Sweet entertaining story. I loved how so many different things were represented in this romance with a women in her 30’s still trying to find love, and the life she wants for herself.

⭐️: 4/5

Maggie Vine made a pact with two different men from two different periods of her life that if they’re single at 35, they should get married, and they both show up. Garrett used to be an aspiring rock singer, but now has embraced his parents dream of pursuing a more structured livelihood, and he also happens to be engaged, leaving Maggie unsure how she would fit into the cookie-cutter life he’s building. Asher Reyes, her first love, is now a famous actor, and when he presents her with a career-making opportunity, it seems like everything she wants is within her grasp, but the past won’t let her move on without a fight.

At the beginning of this book, I was really unsure how much I’d end up liking or relating to it at all, since initially, the structure and time-jumping makes it hard to get invested or really see a point to where the story is going. Additionally, before finding its voice, I felt it relied a little too much on trying-to-be-funny one-lined quips that just felt really try-hard to me. I truly had whiplash during the first part of this because of all the scene setting and time jumps, and I get irritated pretty quickly by main characters who blatantly self-sabotage like Maggie had the habit of doing. Ultimately, it ended up winning me over more than I thought it would. I found the themes of dwelling on what could have been at the expense of living in the present so relatable. The story ends up getting a lot deeper and touching on much more serious themes than originally expected too, and handling them with finesse. The conclusion to the secondary plot was very satisfying, but overall, the romance between Maggie and the men involved in her love triangle was honestly kinda mid. One key takeaway from this one though, always use a female gynecologist, because male ones are not to be trusted with providing helpful and understanding information, as they themselves are not vagina owners.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

I'm easily adding Alison Rose Greenberg to my favorite author list after not only loving her first book Bad Luck Bridesmaid, but Maybe Once, Maybe Twice as well. I absolutely love her writing style, that her characters are flawed and incredibly relatable, which makes her books very hard to put down.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice follows Maggie who at 35 is evaluating her life and what she has always wanted out of it, to be a mother. Previously, she made two separate vows with both her high school boyfriend Asher, and her friend Garrett, for them to find her at 35 if she was single. They both do, and Maggie has to decide if it is best to follow her head or her heart in choosing who to be with.

In the end, Maggie ended up with the guy I was rooting for, but I understood why both were so important to her and why it was hard for her to come to terms with the possibility of letting one of them go. The book flashes back to build the case for both of the guys and I also liked seeing Maggie's growth throughout her 35th year.

Maggie and Garrett's arc hit a little too close to home for me having had a guy friend in my life where I felt at times our situations mirrored and I feel like reading about it also helped me in opening my eyes to things I didn't want to see. I also loved Maggie's best friend Summer and her storyline throughout the book. I truly loved the ending, it was a little unexpected, but perfect for the journey the reader is taken on.

If this one isn't on your TBR, highly recommend adding it, and I can't wait for Alison's next book!

Maggie Vines is a 35 year old singer songwriter, who is still looking for her big break and trying to navigate what her future looks like, as someone who really wants a family. Things become even more complicated when at her 35th birthday, both of the men she made marriage pacts with (at very different stages of her life) show up. Asher is her first boyfriend from summer camp, who she has known she was 14– who is now a famous actor. Garrett is following his parent’s dreams for him of working at a hedge fund, but plays in a rock band after his 9-5.

I could not put this book down, and devoured it in under 24 hours. The relationships between Maggie and both Asher and Garrett are so well fleshed out, and because of the time shifts in the story, you really get to understand the backstory and development of the relationships with each MMC both in past and present. There is so much tension, and angst, and I thought the pacing was perfection. I also loved Maggie’s best friend Summer, and how well we get to know her. She was such an important side character to this story, and I thought her conflicts made sense with the themes of this book. These characters and relationships felt so real, and it was honestly a joy to see all of their personal growth and journey’s but especially Maggie’s.

This is a story about love, loss, timing and second chances. What it means to really believe in yourself and live the life you choose for yourself, no matter how little sense it makes to those around you.

I only wished the ending felt a a tad bit less rushed after the climax. But the ending did surprise me, which is rare in a romance book. Honestly, I think I needed more because I wasn’t ready for this story to end. There are so many 90’s and early 2000’s musical references in this book— it made my heart so happy. This is such a unique story within the romance genre, and it is one that will stay with me for a long time— and will go down as one of my favorite romance’s of all time.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for the ARC!

Loved this book! It was a surprisingly fun read in parts- I laughed over some scenes in Trader Joe's and the DMB concert in Central Park. Maggie Vine is a bit of a mess, and when she hits her mid-30s, she finds she wants different things. Two men make huge impacts on her in her life, and while I found myself rooting for one, Greenberg ends this novel the way it really should end! I was so happy to see Maggie get a unique Happy Ever After that suited her spirit. While the romance/love stories were on point, Maggie's friendship with Summer is also absolutely wonderful. Just grab this book when you can!

Maggie Vine is hitting 35. She thought by now her music career would have taken off and she’d have the family she desperately wants. This flashes back and forth showing Maggie at different ages. The two men in her life are Garrett and Asher. Asher was her first love and first everything starting as teens as summer camp. Garrett comes into her world in her 20s. The idea that she agrees with each of them if they hit 35 and are single they should marry, is clever and works.

Love triangles are tricky but this one gets it right. It fits better that there is a time difference when they were first involved with each other. And I like that Maggie knows that she has to be true to herself and what she wants. It isn’t just about being in love or married. I connected to her best friend's story as well. This is thoughtful and left me guessing until how things were going to work out.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review.

I absolutely adored this book! I loved the characters and all of the friendships/relationships between them all. I loved this author’s sense of humor and writing style too. One of my favorite parts was the references to 90’s music which evoked such a cozy sense of nostalgia. I loved the dual timelines and the second chance/happily ever after tropes which are my favorite. The main character ended up with the one who I was rooting for from the start which is always a good thing! I caught myself smiling throughout reading this book and did not want it to end. I will definitely be going back and reading this author’s other book, Bad Luck Bridesmaid!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press Griffin and NetGalley for my early digital copy for my honest thoughts and review.

Maggie Vine makes a habit of making marriage pacts with boys she loves. Unfortunately, she made both pacts for her 35th birthday.

Garrett is a man that she fell in love with on Monday's at Trader Joes - but the timing is never right. Right before her 35th she professes her love to him only to learn weeks later he is engaged. They just can't seem to make it work despite their love and pact.

Asher is the boy she fell in love with at summer camp. Now he is a famous actor and on the eve of her 35th birthday it is announced he is making the movie of her favorite book but needs someone to make the music. Maggie seeks him out and lands her dream job but realizes the deep love the two shared never left them.

However, Maggie's happy ending has some bittersweet twists and turns.

The main character is 35 going on 25. I found her incredibly immature and very much just wanting any partner despite what she said about love. The book just felt very icky and young to me and I didn't really care for it.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice tells the story of Maggie, and her on again, off again, on again, relationships with her first love Asher, and her best friend Garrett. Having made a pact with both men, at different stages in her life, to marry at 35, if they were single, Maggie gets caught in the middle of two great loves. Between countless missed moments, like two ships passing each other in the night, and unlucky breaks, this book proved to be a combination of extremely frustrating, and simultaneously fascinating, as the author untangled so many components. While there is some heavy material in Maybe Once, Maybe Twice, there was also humor, one scene in particular involving a pony that will live rent free in my head, making me laugh until I cried. Ultimately, Maybe Once, Maybe Twice was a wild ride, that left me a little wanting in the end, giving me sparklers, when I wanted fireworks, but overall was a great read!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early review copy of this book!
Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is being released October 3rd 2023-mark your calendar!
**Posted to Goodreads on 8/21/2023