What a beautiful book indeed. From the cover to the writing to the plot to everything in between, I absolutely loved this book. I wish I could read it again for the first time. I can see this being very popular in my library.

Thank you to Alison Rose Greenberg, St. Martin's Griffin, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 Stars

This one was cute. However, it was kind of hard to keep up with because there were a lot of time jumps. I did like the lyrics that were put throughout the book. But I wasn't a fan of Maggie. She didn't act her age, and she could not make up her mind at all.

The writing style of this book is beautiful. The figurative language, imagery, and descriptive language that is infused into every page is gorgeous and kind of reminds me of Emily Henry's writing style.

I love the overarching themes of this book because they feel so human. Maggie struggles in this book so much, which gives her character so much dimension. Also, not everyone in the book gets a happy ending, which hurt me so badly, but made the story so good. I am a sucker for a happy ending, but a bittersweet, not perfect fairytale ending, takes me out every time. It gives the story a purpose and shows that life is messy, not a linear path from start to end. It also shows that these characters are REAL. They have their own lives and desires, and none of them are there just to serve as a plot device. Their stories are messy because humans are messy, which is something I wish more romance books did.

The miscommunication and right-person-wrong-time and wanting-different-futures aspect of this book took me on an absolute rollercoaster of emotions. I went from swooning to crying to screaming in frustration so many times in this book. I literally loved every second of it though.

All of the characters are so well flushed out and developed too. Every character has flaws and issues they are working through, and every character also has admirable and lovable qualities as well. again, and i know i’ve said this multiple times, they feel so real.

Some unique parts about this book: first, they have written song lyrics in the book. I know a lot of people actually don’t like songs in books, but I personally think the lyrics are pretty good. I don't know if they would sound cringey when you sing them though.

Also, the book has many different timelines. Each chapter of the book jumps to a different point in Maggie's life. At first, I found it kind of annoying because I liked specific ages more than others, but I appreciate how the seemingly random age jumps actually enhance the story because you can watch how Maggie's current relationships parallel her past. It was a really great narrative choice.

The men in this book are *chef’s kisses*. Although it was a love triangle and you had to choose one of them, they were both great people who did love Maggie, which is really sweet.

Overall, this is such a good book if you want to feel happy and sad and frustrated all at once. I rarely ever give out 5 stars to books because there is always something I can nitpick. this book is so good, trust me you need to read it!

This book was everything I needed. I flew through the story, I was routing for everyone. The main characters are so love able, in my opinion, it’s hard not to want happy endings for each of them. I laughed, I cried and I loved.

**thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read and review**

While I enjoyed the main character and her entanglements, the time jumps were hard for me to manage. I also did not see the point of the third relationship and what bearing it had on the story. I enjoyed most of it though!

Sophomore slump was no problem for this author!! I don't even have words to do justice to this INCREDIBLE love triangle romance between Maggie, a talented singer-songwriter with synesthesia, her summer camp crush, Asher and Garrett, the man she meets in her 20s and thinks is her music loving soulmate who never seem to get their timing right!

Fair warning, your head might get whiplash from the sudden jumps in time and place as this is a VERY nonlinear story that starts as Maggie is about to turn 35 and the two men she made marriage pacts with BOTH show up. Over the course of the book we learn about the roads that lead to this moment through a series of flashbacks.

I've never been a huge fan of the love triangle trope but Alison does it to PERFECTION in this book. I was rooting for both men and honestly didn't know who was going to be the final guy. It was almost unfair that Maggie gets to fall in love with two such swoony guys in her life. But the way the book ends actually turned out to be exactly what I wanted and I was 100% satisfied!

Getting to her HEA wasn't easy though, this is an extremely emotionally heavy story perfect for fans of authors like Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, Carley Fortune or Sarah Ready. The book tackles grief, depression, sexual assault (off page), infertility (PCOS) but on the flip side, there are some of the most HILARIOUS scenes in this story too!! The miniature pony ride had me cackling in horrified glee and every scene with her no filter best friend was a refreshing delight!

All that is to say, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! You don't want to miss this one friends! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review! I listened to this twice back to back it was just THAT good!!

Steam level: fade to black/closed door

DNF at 18%. I’m so not captured by this story. It feels incredibly messy. I can see how the writing is so poetic and beautiful but it makes some of the chapters long because of the poetic paragraphs. I’m just not interested enough to want to know what happens.

A witty and humorous coming of age romance novel. I loved all the banter and references to music from the 90s/2000s.

Maggie made a marriage vow to two different people that if she was single at age 35 they would get married. I laugh about this because when I was in my 20s I did the same thing. They both show up once she is 35. The story takes us on a journey of Maggie discovering herself and where she fits in life. I enjoyed the jumping around of each chapter at different ages of Maggie. Surprisingly this was not confusing or hard to keep track of. It kept things moving and interesting as bits of Maggie's past are revealed.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. The writing was great and loved the story. I do believe that certain people are mean for certain parts of your life and this book is all about that.

I was not prepared to feel the things I felt while reading this. There is something refreshing about what I consider unconventional happy endings weaved in a book that rips your heart out of your chest (repeatedly) and yet somehow leaves it feeling whole. This book is messy and I know it will be one that I think about repeatedly.

While we do get a beautiful story about love, the heartbreaks along the way, right person wrong time...etc...this book is so much more. We get to see beautiful friendships, overcoming trauma, and learning to choose yourself..even if it hurts.

I don't think I can do this book justice and will be buying a physical copy to add to my bookshelf and annotate. Never have I highlighted as many passages as I did with this book.

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!