What a sweet, heart wrenching, frustrating and beautiful book. This book goes back and forth in time and between 2 different storylines. Right when you are rooting for one guy, everything blows up.
I loved all the Taylor swift references but it did seem like the author was trying hard to add them in. I also feel like some of the writing and story line was jumbled but overall a fun read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. A fun contemporary romance book. I enjoyed this book. I am a sucker for second chances books.

3.5 Stars

This was. a fun Rom Com. This is a story about Maggie and her love life as she navigates a life revolved around her love for music. I especially loved all the musical references and I loved that Maggie always believed in herself and her dream of a career in music. She was always herself and stayed true to the vision of a happy life that she had for herself.

The love story in this book was a love triangle which always gives MAJOR ICK and there were times in this story that I was cringing HARD. But that is just a personal ick and overall, I think this story could be a realistic telling of how messy love can be. Maggie is in love with her best friend Garrett- who is so likable but also a major idiot and then she also finds herself back in love with her first love Asher - major swoon, in my opinion.

I thought that the entire story was well told and detailed right up until the ending. First, I did not enjoy at alllll what happened between Maggie and her man of choice right before the end of the book. However, like always, our girl Maggie stayed true to herself and what she wanted from life and I appreciated that. Then finally, the end of the book was a bit of a let down because it just felt very abrupt compared to the elaborate detail in the rest of the plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed Maggie though and her ability to go through her life dealing with all the obstacles and in the end, learning from every situation. It was very cutesy.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was a gut punch, and a very interesting take on a love triangle, which is not something I typically read in a contemporary adult romance.

Maggie is between two love interests who represent different things - Asher and Garrett. There's her first love, Asher, and then there's her adult love, Garrett, and they both highlight who she was when she met them and what her life would look like with both of them. She promised them both (separately, of course) "if we're both single by 35..." and now, the time has come. Naturally, Maggie doesn't have her life together and Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is actually perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid's "One True Loves". And of course who she picks at the end made my heart sing PERSONALLY. Like all love triangles, I'm sure there will be those who disagree but she definitely chose the best person FOR HER.

There was something so deeply nostalgic about Greenberg’s writing that made Maggie Vine’s story feel like a perfectly curated mix tape sending you on an emotional rollercoaster of melding the past with the present.

I loved how this was a story of reconciling the heartbreak and longing of “what ifs” while learning navigate the growing pains of the present “what is.” We’ve all had those moments where we look back and wonder how decisions made differently could have changed the trajectory of our lives. But we’re not always granted second chances, so we have to dream a new dream. Maggie loved deeply and while her setbacks were devastating, she had an incredible support system that rallied around her and pushed her to succeed.

Greenberg’s Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is a journey of finding one’s self, of passion, heartbreak, grief, fear, unrequited and first loves, and friendship. This is a story with flawed characters, but they’re relatable and mirror the choices we’ve made or strongly considered while trying to manage life and its curveballs. At its core is a story of what it means to be a human and it will make you feel deeply.

Greenberg also gives a glimpse behind the curtain at what inspires artists and creatives - how Maggie bared the paper cuts on her soul and transformed her experiences into art that others could connect with. I really loved how Greenberg wove Maggie’s songs through the story and included her entire playlist at the end.

This story was messy, emotional, vulnerable, and deeply human, and I absolutely loved it. Maggie left an impression on my heart.

Alison Rose Greenberg's Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is a unique twist on a second chance romance. On her 35th birthday, Maggie Vine is falling apart. Her career isn't where she expected, and she's been in love with the same man for 12 years. Garrett kisses her on her birthday - part of a pact they made on her 30th, and then immediately tells her he's engaged. Maggie leaves her own birthday party early, only to see in an article that her first love Asher Reyes (now a famous actor-turned-director) is adapting her favorite book - their favorite book - into a film.

The story is told non-linearly - while the present moves forward chronologically, we also jump back in time to key moments in Maggie's life with both Garrett and Asher. You learn a lot about how Maggie came to be who she is, what both these men mean to her, and why both relationships feel impossible at times.

There's a lot to like here - if you're a music fan, especially a 90s music fan, it's incredibly nostalgic. It's also nice to see romance in slightly older women (I say that as someone who is years older than Maggie myself!) - I like that she's sort of still figuring life out in her mid-30s.

I would put out a brief warning that there are lots of mentions of infertility (it's certainly a major part of Maggie's life) and is mentioned on-page. I also, frankly, found one of the men somewhat insufferable. I think it was set up to see these two men as two equally viable options for Maggie, but I was rooting so hard for one over the other that a good chunk of the book was frustrating for me.

That said, although it was not a home run for me, I think there are a lot of readers who will love this. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

I took a big chance on this book because love triangles and second chance are high on my list of “tend to avoid” tropes. Ultimately, the risk was rewarded. This book was brimming with deep emotions—turmoil, hope, heartbreak, longing, and joy.

Maggie has had two loves in her lifetime. One being her first love, Asher, from her teen years who she hasn’t seen since she was seventeen. The other being Garrett, who she met as an adult but the timing has never been right for the two of them to give things a real chance. At different points in her life, she made pacts with both men to show up for her on her 35th birthday.

This story is told in back and forth timelines, which occasionally took me out of the story, but it was especially necessary to show how deeply Asher and Maggie felt about each other as teens. It helped give legitimacy to the depth of the feelings from so long ago past when they reconnect as adults. I think these worked better for me with Asher’s storyline than Garrett’s because it felt like there was more of an equal balance between past and present with Asher. With Garrett, the past scenes were needed to show all of the missed opportunities between him and Maggie, but there wasn’t a lot of time spent in the present giving me any feeling of them being able to make it work. He’s engaged to another woman for the entirety of their present, which made it so their scenes didn’t sit well with me. The feelings between them in the present were raw and often painful, so it was never a matter of not believing that they cared incredibly deeply for each other.

Honestly, the relationship I loved the most for Maggie was her friendship with Summer. It was real and deep. They were there for each other through the good and the terrible. Their friendship was the best example of true love in this book.

In the end, it felt like a lot was crammed into the final 20%. Like the word limit was approaching but there was still a lot of story left to tell. There were a couple flashback chapters of Maggie’s other relationships that I felt could’ve been left out to give more time for the present day later chapters. I was satisfied with the ultimate conclusion, even though it felt rushed.

Overall, this book was a deeply emotional, complex journey with Maggie in a variety of ways, and it was incredibly well done even if you don’t love the tropes.

Romance and angst?? Sign me up! This cover and title drew me in before I even opened the book. I enjoyed it so much! I also really enjoy when the FMC are in their 30's and still figuring it out. It gives me hope lol. I loved this and would recommend to anyone!

This was so good. It reminds me of a hallmark movie. I enjoyed this so much.
I just reviewed Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg. #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fun ‘rom-com’ type story about Maggie Vine. She is a singer/songwriter who makes a pact with her childhood sweetheart, Asher, that if they are still single at the age of 35 they will marry each other. However she also makes the same pact with a more recent heartthrob, Garrett. When Maggie turns 35, and is still single, both men show up to win her heart.

I loved the way the story was written. The chapters alternated between present day (Maggie at 35 years old) and earlier in her life. We get to see Maggie grow up, and experience how she fell in love with both Asher and Garrett. There were times in the book that my heart just ached for Maggie and a few laugh out loud spots too.

I loved this book! Pretty spicy in a few scenes, so you have been warned. :)

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC. This is Greenberg’s second book. I’ve also read her first book (‘Bad Luck Bridesmaid’) and really enjoyed that one too!

I loved reading the story of Maggie Vine and the two marriage pacts that she made with two different men. Her love stories were realistic in their beauty and heartache, and the story line kept me guessing and engaged until the last page. I was a bit confused in the beginning with the alternating timelines, but I soon caught on and devoured this book!

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Phew, this book packed an emotional punch. There were so many deep and raw relationships here -- Between Maggie and Garrett, Maggie and Summer, Maggie and Asher -- the feelings were practically rippling off the pages.

This book jumps all around in a timeline as we learn how Maggie made the "if we aren't married by 35" promise to BOTH of the loves of her life -- her first boyfriend Asher and her Mr. Right but Mr. Wrong Timing, Garrett Scholl. Both of these men were dreamy AF so lucky Maggie to have options.

Maggie is an aspiring songwriter who still hasn't "made it" at 35 -- and as we watch these relationships unfold we learn how timing is everything in life. The song lyrics were beautiful and it felt like where was a moment that was ripping my heart out on every other page. Definitely not a lighthearted summer romance but loved it nonetheless.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice was a rollercoaster of a book! Throughout the story, we follow singer-songwriter Maggie as she navigates a life in the music industry while also dealing with the ramifications of two separate marriage pacts she made with two different men: Asher and Garrett. Told from different points in Maggie's life, this book has it all: love, grief, friendships, chasing your dreams, and awesome original lyrics and songs.

(Content warnings: mentions of the death of a parent, suicide, anxiety, panic attacks, attempted rape, cheating, infertility, and absentee parenting. Please use care when reading this book <3)

Surprisingly, my favorite part of the book was not the romance but Maggie's friendship with Summer. Have you ever read a book where the main character's friendships felt forced? Well, that's not the case in this book. Maggie and Summer's friendship is literal goals. Summer is funny, supportive, loyal, and deep. She is there for Maggie all the time, and it was amazing to see that. I loved how Summer got her own storyline, too. She was a fully developed character and I hope she gets her own book some day!

At times, this book was difficult to get through, just because it was so heavy. I often had to put it down and come back to it after a while. The writing was very lyrical, but I also thought there was an overabundance of metaphors. (That could just be personal preference, though!) Maggie was a great narrator, but she felt everything very deeply, so it took me awhile to get used to her constant thoughts and emotions.

Finally, the romances were good. Without spoiling anything, I'll say that I often questioned why Maggie was pursuing one of these men. However, Asher and Garett each brought out a different beautiful side of Maggie, and it was interesting to see the way she loved and interacted with both of them throughout different moments in her life. (FYI, both romances are open-door.)

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice surprised me with how good it was! Thanks, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the Digital ARC!

I adored every single moment of this story! I stayed up late to read it, found breaks in my day to sneak a chapter in here or there, might consider it in my top 5 books of this year so far....it is that good.
This is especially good if you've ever been in love where the timing was JUST not right. This felt like reading a page out of my college diary with just the tiniest bit of spice. Couple that with a perfect love triangle (who is your soulmate?), a B story line on friendship that was really engrossing, and balance with a musician career growth arc that actually felt believable: just chefs kiss!
I will say: I would not have picked the guy Mags picks in the end, BUT, it was still ridiculously satisfying. That says somthing about the strength of the relationships in this story: you can not agree but still totally love the ending.
5 out of 5 stars and I will go pick up all of Greenberg's back catalog immediately.

Unputdownable with a capital U-need-2-read-this.

ARG took me on a journey that is a little Daisy Jones in the sense of an incredible singer songwriter chasing her dreams and also the classic tale of being in love with two different men from two different eras of her life. Taylor Swift ain’t got nothing on Maggie Vine.

And in true ARG fashion - our protagonist is not one to compromise who she is for any man and the ending left me with a tear streaked face and a heart full of joy.

It's been difficult to get this book out of my head. Maybe Once, Maybe Twice follows the love life and music career of Maggie Vine. At two very different stages of her life, she makes a pact with a different man regarding her 35th birthday.

There is serious angst and chemistry with one of these men. You feel his pain and longing in every scene he's in. He's well-formed as a character, and he gets under your skin. There are several moments with him from this book that have haunted me for the last two days. I can SEE and FEEL his anguish.

Then there's the other guy. He didn't feel as well-formed. The chemistry was lacking, and there's a particular scene near the end that seemed contrived and included just to add drama.

Part of the reason I give this book 3 stars instead of 4 is because of the second man I mentioned. He seems like an afterthought. It is a convenient way to make this a love triangle rather than a viable love interest. I felt no emotional ties to him, and that greatly affected my enjoyment of the story.

The second reason I gave it 3 stars is because the main character seems to hate men. It's kind of hard to get into a romance where the main character is supposedly in love with two men but also heavily dogs on men at every turn.

It's rare for me to have two such large issues with a book while still recommending it. I think the author is VERY talented and does a great job breaking your heart over and over again. If you have a few days to stare into the abyss while clutching your heart in pain, and let's face it - many of us LOVE books that make us feel like that - grab Maybe Once, Maybe Twice!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was the first novel that I have read by Greenberg and I was in for a delight. Her writing style is one that pulls you into the page and doesn't let you go. Her characters are well-developed and lovable. They are genuine and relatable, which makes the read even more enjoyable to me. There are some hard topics that emerge and the author portrayed them really well. I would definitely classify this as a rom-com.

4.5/5 stars

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

Funny, Heart wrenching, beautiful, cute.

My only complaint was there was a lot of sex and I don’t need to hear about her grabbing men’s dingalings.

Alison Rose Greenberg's novel, Maybe Once, Maybe Twice, explores themes of romance and self-discovery over a span of two decades. With a captivating narrative structure and a sense of mounting tension, the book delves into the concept of second chances and forging one's own path.

The story revolves around Maggie Vine, who finds herself making a vow to marry two different individuals at different stages of her life.
As fate would have it, both of them resurface, throwing Maggie's life into turmoil. At 35, Maggie strives to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer and a mother, but faces setbacks in both areas. When Garrett Scholl, a charismatic aspiring rock singer, enters the scene, Maggie's life takes an unexpected turn. However, Garrett is engaged to someone else, and Maggie realizes she may not fit into his preconceived life plan. Enter Asher Reyes, Maggie's childhood sweetheart, now a successful and private actor. When an opportunity arises for Maggie after reconnecting with Asher, she believes that everything she desires—music, love, and family—will finally fall into place. But her past refuses to release its grip without a fight.
Throughout the novel, my heart ached as Maggie searched for love in the wrong places, particularly with the wrong person. The story captures those moments of lingering on the "what ifs" in life.

I easily empathized with Maggie's character, experiencing the forbidden desire for Garrett and the longing for Asher, her first love. Each intense moment resonated deeply, evoking both heartache and tears as Maggie navigated her journey as the leading character.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice was such a lovely read! We all know by now, I'm a sucker for a great story that has music involved (looking at you, "The Happy Ever After Playlist" and "Daisy Jones and the Six"). The pacing is on the slower side throughout which I thought really works with the story (imo, it rarely dragged and was incredibly engaging). Because of the slower pace, it felt like the last few chapters were a little off and possibly wrapped up too quickly, but that would be my only complaint.
I am generally not a huge fan of love triangles, but it is done very well here and it's likely because the two men were not the main focus. Don't get me wrong, they were a huge part of the story, but I felt the main theme was Maggie and her love for music (ugh the music is so good, I made a playlist of all the existing music mentioned) among other themes. The marriage pacts seem like such a small part because Maggie was such a great MC and I love that we were on a journey with her to really find what she wanted out of life. I also loved that we were able to see so much of her friendship with Summer and how much of a positive impact she had on Maggie's life. Also, I want to mention that Garrett and Archer were both very different love interests from different times in Maggie's life, so it didn't seem like a redundant back and forth between the two men like it usually does with the love triangle trope.
The book is written with multiple timelines (I will also praise how this was done, it was so clear and concise. I have a tendency to get frustrated if I have to revert back to previous chapters to remember where we are, but the author chose perfectly here). I also thought the conflict built and resolved well without being dragged out. Between the lovely Maggie, the original (and existing) music, and Alison Rose Greenberg's beautiful writing and everything else mentioned, "Maybe Once, Maybe Twice" is easily one of my favorite books I've read this year. Definitely planning to read this again!