I loved reading romances with a 30 something FMC! This story was so relatable, especially as someone who lives and works in NYC. I also thought the narrative following multiple timelines was well managed. We’ll be excited to bring this into our star as a featured fall read!

I looooooved this book! First of all, it had me at the Fleetwood Mac reference in the title. There are lots of music references throughout the book, as well, which I felt really made it stand out.

The story was about a singer named Maggie, who has an agreement with two different guys that if she is still single at 35, then they should get married. Lo and behold, they both show up, and she has to choose. One of the guys is the one she believes to be her soulmate, and the other is her first love from childhood. The book jumps back and forth in time, which can be a tad confusing, but does keep the narrative moving along at a good pace.

I enjoyed this book and will look for others from this author! Thanks to St. Martin's Press for my ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the writing both fun and sweet! I also thought this premise for this was unique.

4 stars!

I was enthralled with "Maybe Once, Maybe Twice" from start to finish. Alison Rose Greenberg's writing is incredible and evocative... she really made me feel every single emotion while reading this book. The characters go through so much here, and readers can feel the anguish, the pining, the rage, the connection, the heartbreak, the lust, the love, the nostalgia, the yearning deep within their bones... at least I could. Greenberg certainly broke my heart over and over and over again while reading this! I really liked Maggie Vine as the main character despite her baggage and drama. She is still trying to figure out her life and what she wants to do, even when she's 30 and 35. This felt so authentic and realistic to me. So many people my age have no freaking clue what they want to do... it's really an epidemic! I loved the musical element of this story. I loved her talent and her drive, her belief in herself even when she was panicky or nervous about an opportunity. One thing Maggie always is and won't apologize for is being herself through and through, the mess and the fantastic, the vulnerable and the strong, the good and the bad. I also adored Summer, Maggie's best friend since they were college roommates. I loved their friendship so, so much. My heart broke for Summer just as much as it broke for Maggie but for different reasons. In terms of love interests, I think I fell for both Garrett AND Asher a little bit, at different times, for different reasons, just like Maggie. The lightning-strike chemistry between Garrett and Maggie was much stronger than the deep, undying connection between her and Asher. My chief complaint is that the story seems to run out of steam in the last act. I am not sure about the ending... I think it will take me at least one more read to come to grips with it. I'm not *mad* about it, but I'm not *not* mad about it. It just felt a little contrived and thrown together at the last minute. I think a lot of readers will be thrown off by the rapid and frequent timeline changes... it did get to be a little bit grating after a while as I struggled to keep it all straight. Still, I loved this book quite a bit. I will definitely be buying it because it made me feel things few authors this year have made me feel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alison Rose Greenberg, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

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.

At very different points in her life, Maggie Vine made the same marriage pact with two men. And now at the age of 35, Garrett and Asher are simultaneously back in her life. But who is the right choice? With multiple timelines and flashbacks threaded throughout, you're kept guessing until the very, very end.

I will say, Maggie did not end up with my preferred guy. But a well executed love triangle is my guilty pleasure in the romance genre, and this certainly delivered. It's filled with sadness and trauma, but also laughter and hopefulness—I simply couldn't get enough.

I’m always drawn to novels that incorporate music in some way, and this is what initially captured my interest about Maybe Once, Maybe Twice. However, I went in expecting a romance, and while it does have many romance elements, that’s not quite what this book is. It’s more women’s fiction, about a woman finding herself and building a music career, while also revisiting her past and finally attaining love along the way.

What I love most about Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is how musical it is. There are so many references to 1990s and 2000s songs and bands—my bread and butter! Early on, Maggie describes herself and Garrett as music nerds; that’s exactly what I am and why I enjoyed this book so much. While Maggie is an indie, singer-songwriter type, Garret is into early 2000s pop-punk (my favorite!). I loved seeing references to “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy, “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers, “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, “Zombie” by the Cranberries, “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes, and more. In addition to the popular music that comes up, Maggie’s own original songs play a huge role throughout the novel. I love how the author incorporated lyrics from Maggie’s various songs, even including the full lyrics to several of them at the end. The more technical side of music comes up, too, with references to specific chords and scales, discussions of music theory, and themes of how the music industry works and how things can go wrong.

Maggie is a wonderful character to follow on her journey—career, romantic, and otherwise. She’s emotional, immature, and flawed, yet still likable. She’s indecisive and kind of intense in her own way, but she’s also so talented, ambitious, and a total dreamer. Her best friend, Summer, is an excellent character in her own right, and the most constant source of stability in Maggie’s rollercoaster life. Their friendship is top-notch, and I appreciate that Summer is nuanced and has her own arc along the way.

Now let’s talk about the two romances Maggie is contending with. She’s 35 and two guys from her past are back in her life, potentially fulfilling the marriage pact they’d each agreed to with her years before. Full disclosure: This is a love triangle, and I generally hate love triangles. If it’s not the icky feeling of infidelity going on or the annoyance of someone’s indecisiveness, the biggest problem is simply that you’ll likely have a favorite… and he might not be the one who’s chosen in the end. I won’t tell you who I preferred here… but my guy lost, and I’m a little bitter about it! Contestant 1 is Garrett, the will-they-won’t-they music friend that Maggie’s been crushing on for 12 years. He’s sweet, but weak when it comes to his family, and their timing is always wrong for some reason or another. Contestant 2 is Asher, Maggie’s high school sweetheart who she dated at summer camp for three years as a teenager. He’s a creative type, too, though kind of flat in some ways. Both guys have their merits and their drawbacks, but will Maggie choose her what if option or her second chance (and “retrosexual”) option?

Beyond all of that, Maybe Once, Maybe Twice highlights several different themes with skill. One is Maggie’s struggles with fertility and navigating her desire to become a mother as a single 35-year-old. Her best friend, Summer, is also facing the question of kids, and whether her and her wife’s different opinions on the matter might end their marriage. There’s also discussion of mental health, family traumas, the past death of a loved one (one of whom was to suicide), and grappling with sexual assault.

There’s so much I loved about Maybe Once, Maybe Twice, from its numerous important themes to its music and the competing romances. It jumps around in time but I found it perfectly easy to follow. As much as I enjoyed the first two thirds, I admittedly didn’t love how it ended… mostly because my guy lost. Regardless, this is a well written and smart novel that would be perfect for book club discussions. (Seriously, I need to talk to someone about my many feelings about this book!) Just go in expecting women’s fiction and light drama more than an actual romance.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice has such an interesting concept- what would you do if you made a marriage pact with two different men and they both showed up for you? This is what happens to Maggie Vine. She made a pact with her first love, Asher, and her best friend, Garrett, that if she wasn't married by age 35, then, she would marry them. Both men show up, and she has to decide what she wants out of life.

This story went through time jumps to show the relationship between Asher and Maggie when they were teenagers to early 20s- the present for her friendship with Garrett. I enjoyed the time jumps, and I liked to see the progression and growth of Maggie through all of the years.

I loved learning about Maggie's music and songwriting career. There were some serious topics in the book, and I think that they were handled well.

Maggie's best friend, Summer, was amazing! She's the ideal best friend that we all wish we could have. Summer's story was very interesting too, and I'd read a book about her for sure!

I won't give away any spoilers, but I didn't like the ending of the book because I think that Maggie had a stronger connection and I didn't like it was all wrapped up in the end. I guess I'm just not a fan of love triangles.

Even though I didn't like the ending, I enjoyed the story overall, and I would definitely recommend it.

Such a relatable modern story - filled with female empowerment (love that for our girl Maggie!), second chance love, and a stunning backdrop in all the beauty that NYC entails!

I appreciated the writer's exposure of how different our relationships can be in different times of our lives. Maggie's connections with Garrett and Asher were developed through separate chapters of her life - therefore they knew very distinct versions of her. Cue the ache of childhood love, yearn for adult commitment, and music to relate to both!

Impossible NOT to cackle out loud at the hilarious pony scene - but you'll find yourself cheering for Maggie as she finds her true happiness!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

The writing was amazing and I really enjoyed the storytelling. I loved the story plot line with Maggie making two different marriage pacts, but I guess I just hoped it would have gone differently. I was a HUGE fan of one of the guys and I just felt like Maggie's connection was so much stronger with him than with the other. This was a 4 star book for me because the writing was so good, but I just wish it had ended differently. I feel as if Maggie did not end up with her soulmate going by the interactions and heartbreak Maggie had. I will definitely read other books by this author because I enjoyed the book, and it could have been a 5 star book for me.

First and foremost, I loved this read. I found that Maggie's character was extremely relatable. She was driven, funny, and determined, while still being vulnerable, and human. The story revolves around life in her mid-thirties and realizing that life hasn't followed the exact path she always envisioned for herself - as most people can likely relate to in one way or another. I loved how this was a little bit of everything. A messy love story, a story about friendship, a story about advancing in your career, and it came together so nicely. It had light and airy moments, but it also touched on some bigger, more heavy topics.

This book was so cute. It was giving NYC rom com, second-chances, hopping between past and present, and had a lot of common life hurdles between Maggie, and the supporting characters. It was great to see the growth from the female main character and how her story unfolded throughout. It was also extremely refreshing to have a middle aged main character, as I feel that is a more accurate reality for many.

I was laughing (the pony...if you know, you know), crying, and screaming while reading this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the ARC!

"Maybe Once, Maybe Twice" is a love story centered on a middle-aged single woman named Maggie. Despite never having good timing with a man she's infatuated with, Maggie still remembers the love she felt for someone in her childhood. Throughout the book, she encounters various people from her past, which often elicits both anger and love towards different characters. The story includes enough twists to keep the reader engaged, with shifts in time that are clearly indicated at the start of each chapter.

The character's story could benefit from a longer ending that goes beyond one chapter. A supplementary work could make the experience more immersive for readers.

A solid 4.5 stars. This book broke my heart, or maybe repaired it? Or maybe a little bit of both?

Once things started looking up for Maggie, I couldn’t read it fast enough. I was on the edge of my seat, fully expecting the other shoe to drop - and fully expecting to be heart devastatingly bad. I am so happy with her growth over the span of the book, and ecstatic with the ending - but I was fully expecting her to make worse decisions.

Ordinarily I hate time jumps, but in this book where it slowly pulled back the curtain a bit at a time…fantastic. It never revealed too much at once, and the time jumps were not confusing at all.

At first I was counting how many times the main character referred to herself in the third person, but then I lost count. It was definitely cheesy, and started to drive me a little nuts. Other than that, the lyrics were beautifully complementary to the plot and the character’s feelings complex.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you Alison Rose Greenberg and St. Martin’s Press!

Wow I loved this so much! In the beginning I wasn't quite hooked, but by a third of the way in I was dying to see how it all played out. Maggi was so relatable, as a thirty something single gal myself, so I loved that aspect. And I could not decide who I wanted her to end up with, I was torn!! Which I think was the point. But OMG this tore my heart out by the end. Happy tears, sad tears, all of it. Asher and Garrett were both so equally sweet and played such a pivotal role in her life I could not decide who I liked more. There were some slower moments here and there, and it was definitely super far fetched, but I loved it beyond that. Will definitely be recommending this to all my fellow romance lovers.

NOTHER fave of the year! OMG this one needs to be talked about more and I am begging you all to add it to your EOY TBRs!

Maggie is an up and coming singer living in New York who somehow made a pact with two men that if they’re both single at 35 they’ll be together… only thing is they both show up.

This was such a cute, heartwarming, beautiful, intense story of self worth, love, and friendships. I couldn’t have loved it more if I tried. The ending was also PERFECT and something I will never get over. UGH I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK!

This story was very enjoyable. The main character, Maggie, has a lot of depth and vitality. She is flawed and fun and real. The two guys she made the "marry me at 35 if we aren't married to someone else" pact are very different from each other, which is nice. Garrett is a musician that feels like he has to follow in his father's footsteps and take over his business, which means giving up music and his creativity. Asher is her high school summer camp love that has become a famous actor and director. The story is told in a present and past method, with each chapter titled by the age Maggie is at the time. I thought this was very effective and thankfully not confusing. Highly recommend reading about Maggie's journey with these two men and where it ends up taking her.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for advanced copy, and I give my review freely

This book gave me all the feels- nostalgia, heartbreak, joy, anger, frustration. It is a beautiful story about love and finding yourself.

Maggie is a musician dreaming of making it big. She has had two great lives in her lifetime, and made marriage pacts with both of them. With her 35th birthday approaching and the pacts coming due, both of the men play significant roles in her life and her future.

The timeline spans multiple years, showing us exactly how Maggie fell for her first love, Asher, at summer camp. We also watch her meet Garrett in her 20s, flirting with him and side stepping an actual relationship for years and years. Being able to envision the entire story of both relationships felt incredibly revealing, giving the reader a perfect view of each pairing. There were times I was Team Garrett and times where I was Team Asher, and that confusion mimicked how Maggie felt struggling with her feelings for each man.

The focus on song writing was so well done. So many songs were mentioned that gave me flashbacks to my own teens and twenties, leading to even more nostalgia. Maggie is a songwriter in the Taylor Swift mode- her songs are super personal, and the lyrics that the author came up with are incredible! Can we get an album to go along with this book?

Another piece of the story I loved was Maggie’s friendship with her best friend, Summer. She uses an expression that one friend is the rock and the other is the kite, and I adored that thought and the way the girls truly were each other’s rocks through everything.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I loved this one and will be highly recommending it!

Maggie Vine made the age old saying "if we are still single when we're 35, we should get married" with not one, but two men at two very different stages of her life. The kicker, they both showed up. At 35 Maggie is pursuing both her dreams - to become a singer and a mother. Asher, her first boyfriend turned actor, has lived a successful and private life to date. Garrett, hedge fund manager and one of Maggie's best friends, comes to her 35th birthday party and kisses Maggie senseless. Unfortunately, Garrett is engaged to another woman. With everything coming to a head, Maggie is forced to figure out which opportunity best fits her dreams.

MAYBE ONCE, MAYBE TWICE was one of my most anticipated romances to publish this autumn; unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The story is told in Maggie's perspective with shifting timelines spanning over two decades. I would normally love this type of storytelling but it ended up feeling disjointed, not allowing me the chance to fully love and/or root for Maggie nor her two male leads. It felt chaotic and gave me whiplash trying to piece together the story with each love interest from one chapter to the next.

Alison does a great job at writing relationships, particularly friendships in her novels. Summer and Maggie's friendship is one that all of us need, a friend who is there for you when you need them and loves you unconditionally.

I absolutely adored the musical subplot, it was a nice touch to the story, adding depth and growth to Maggie. I appreciated seeing Maggie find her joy through both her professional and personal life. There were a couple scenes that had me laughing out loud, particularly the barn scene (IYKYK).

There's plenty of triggers contained within this novel, so do look those up before picking this up. I liked how the author navigated the themes of grief, trauma, and loss amongst each of the three main characters; highlighting the importance of taking care of our mental health in a positive manner.

Although MAYBE ONCE, MAYBE TWICE missed the mark for me, I am sure that others will love it!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Griffin, of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions shared are my own.</i>

This book was honestly not my favorite. It took a bit for me to get into the story (figuring out the characters and time periods because the chapters go back and forth between past and present, which threw me off a bit at first). The ending seemed a little rushed to me, after getting through the book. I think the premise is a really good story and interesting concepts with two marriage pacts with two very different and significant men, but I don't think this was the book for me.

“You’re a little marriage pact whore”

I don’t even know where to start with this book. It’s was honestly amazing, from start to finish. I was sucked in from the first line and there were multiple moments where I had to put the book down and scream into a pillow (in a good way of course).

The marriage pact trope is something I haven’t actually read a lot about, but this was a really interesting read. I loved Maggie, I loved both men, and I really loved Summer. It took me until the end of the book to decide which guy I wanted her to end up with because I did like them both so much.

Would highly recommend this book to anyone who would listen to me yell about it.

This book was everything. I loved it! Not your average second chance story. Add this to your fall TBR it’s a must read!