I liked parts of this book, but other parts were not for me.

This story follows Maggie, an aspiring singer, in the present time (when she's 35) and goes back and forth between other periods of her life. She made a marriage pact with two different men for when she turned 35 and now they're both in her life. Garrett has been in her life for the past 12 years and timing just never worked out for them, but he shows up on her 35th birthday and kisses her. Except he's engaged to someone else. Then there's Asher, her first love from her childhood who is now a super hot celebrity directing a movie based on her favorite book, but they haven't seen each other since they were 17. So it's kind of like a love triangle.

I did enjoy the time jumps and getting those different perspectives throughout the story. I liked Garrett for about two seconds until he almost had sex with Maggie at his engagement party. And Asher is just perfection, almost too good to be real? Maggie did annoy me plenty of times but I did like her confidence and perseverance with her dreams. I loved her best friend, Summer, and I wish I had her in my life.

The thing that truly killed it for me was the ending. I can see why Greenberg did it, but it just felt weird. There's all this build-up and we're supposed to think that the topic wasn't discussed AT ALL the entire time she was with him? And then it's a total dealbreaker once it comes up. But wait, never mind because then it's totally fine a few years later? At least explain more of how they got to that point because I felt like I had whiplash.

Also, check trigger warnings for this one because it had some difficult topics.

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

Turning 35, Maggie Vine’s dreams of getting married and having children seem to be dwindling. But when both her first love (Asher) and best friend (Garrett) decide to hold up their end of a deal they made decade(s) ago, she quickly goes from no prospects to two. Find out who Maggie picks in Alison Rose Greenberg’s second chance romance Maybe Once, Maybe Twice.

Greenberg tells the story of Maggie Vine and her two love interests by employing a nonlinear timeline. I loved the shifting timeline as it kept me on my toes. The oscillation between the past and present reinforced why Maggie struggled between Garrett and Asher. Both men appeared to be perfect matches during different seasons of her life. Ultimately, I would have been happy with whoever Maggie ended up with, but I loved the way Greenberg chose to end the story!!!

While I loved the format of the book, my favorite aspect of Maybe Once, Maybe Twice was Greenberg’s writing. She was able to create a dynamic FMC (female main character) in Maggie Vine. While there were times I disliked Maggie’s choices, I understood the reason behind them. For being only 35, Maggie was forced to endure many hardships that ultimately turned her into a strong woman. The fact that she was able to keep her heart open to the possibility of love was beautiful.

With Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, I highly encourage fans of second chance romances featuring the marriage pact trope to grab a copy!!!

Special thanks to Netgalley, Alison Rose Greenberg and St Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great romance book! Loved the second chance romance trope that is part of the storyline of this book. I really enjoyed the back and forth between the different timelines, but at times I did get confused about what time we were in. Overall I really enjoyed the glimpses into the past situations that brought the reader to the plot of this book and getting to see how the characters’ relationships progressed all the way to the end of this story. I loved getting to experience both romantic relationships developed through the book and how the characters themselves developed through the story. Definitely recommend this book if you enjoy second-chance romance and multiple timelines.

This book was such a pleasant surprise. A trope we don’t see often which was refreshing. I loved the marriage pact aspect - and I loved that the ending was surprising but fulfilling. Highly recommend to anyone who loves a romcom but is looking for something different. So much fun (and I drooool over Asher!)

There were aspects of this book that I liked and things I definitely did not. It took me some time to actually get into this book. The time hop, the pace, and the story with Garrett had me disconnected from the start. As I got further into the book I did enjoy the story with Asher and the real life emotions of a mid 30’s woman. I also really enjoyed the ending!

This book really had a lot of potential and the writing was good, but some of the tropes were just huge turn off’s for me. I will still recommend this book if you’re looking for a second chance romance with a little bit different of a premise. Thank you NetGalley and St Martins Press for this advanced copy of Maybe Once Maybe Twice.

This was a heartfelt read, it was funny and sad. Maggie is fierce and she looks at life in her own special way.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book. It was such an emotional rollercoaster and I loved the ride. I'm a fan for life.

This is my first experience reading something by this author, and after reading this, I would love to read more of her books. Although I'm not a big fan of love triangles, this one was really well done. Maggie once had two great loves, both of which she vowed, at separate times in her life, to marry if she wasn't already settled by the age of 35. Well, now she's 35 and far from settled, and not one but both of her past loves show up in her life ready to make good on that vow. She loved both Asher and Garrett at different points in her life, but who is the right choice for her now?
I enjoyed learning Maggie's past through the flash backs and seeing how she got to this point in her life and what happens now to ultimately bring her to her happy ending. But there was definitely some heartache experienced before it got to that point, but along with the sad emotions were also some fun and humorous times. Great characters and an entertaining story - glad to have had the opportunity to read this!
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing a complimentary copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

5 ⭐️ (infinite stars!!!!)

Thank you Alison and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of my dreams.

Tropes:

♡ Second chance
♡ Love triangle (ish)
♡ Childhood friends to lovers
♡ Celebrity romance
♡ Mental health rep
♡ Time jumps

“Find someone who makes vou laugh' was a line I had alwavs heard. But finding someone who made me see the world in psychedelic colors was equally intoxicating.”

I have not enough words in me that’s good enough or does enough justice for how I feel about this book. Everyone and their mother have to pick this book up because it’s just that special. It breaks every barrier of what a good book is for me.

Maggie Vine is a 35-year-old struggling singer and songwriter who’s desperately trying to find her way and get her big break. All while she’s trying to navigate what she wants her future to look like when it comes to love and family. So when the two loves of her life comes back into her life because of two different separate marriage pacts she made at two very different parts of her life, she’s got a lot to figure out.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice made me feel the whole range of emotions. I felt empowered more than once, I cried, I laughed, I gasped and then I cried some more. It’s a story of female empowerment and between the fine line of love and loss. It has so many uplifting relationships and a few heartbreaking moments that made me wanna sink into the ground and hug Maggie at the same time. If I had one thing to say about this book then it’s that every woman needs this book in their life no matter their age. Everyone could benefit from reading this. The book also jumps in time, so you get to see Maggie from different stages of life and how she grew into the woman she is and I’m almost sure everyone can relate to one of the different stages of Maggie somehow.

And lastly, I might just be almost 24 years old but I’m so glad I read this book now because then I can have it with me while I go through these next stages of my own life and through the rest of my twenties. It’s weird and I can’t really explain it fully but I feel as if I was meant to read it at this point of my life. It’s really changed the trajectory of my life, I’m that serious.

I’m so proud of Ali for writing this book and she just continues to amaze me with her talent. I would definitely recommend her books if you want a book where you just get to FEEL.

A slightly spicy, second chance celebrity romance — multiplied by two. Creating a cleverly executed love triangle that results in a heart wrenching story of lost-and-found love, personal discovery, and healing.

In a race to settle down and become a mother, musical genius Maggie Vine is still struggling to find success in life and love well into her thirties when the same marriage pact she made with two different men years apart proves faithful on her thirty-fifth birthday. Now, simultaneously reacquainted with her past flames, one her first love and the other her best friend, she is forced to make a final choice that promises to lead her into the future she has always dreamed of living.

Told in three alternating timelines (not chronological), Maggie explores both second chance romances in the present day while experiencing each of them for the first time in the past. Despite the life encounters shared over the years (many traumatic) there doesn’t seem to be much growth or maturity in any of the main characters. True to any Hollywood romance this story is frustratingly unethical, emotionally messy, and unrealistic. But also deliciously addicting, funny, and sweetly nostalgic. I enjoyed the Trader Joe’s plot line. And appreciated having a relentless female protagonist with an authentically supportive girl friend. Plus, being strung along to the absolute utter end. No spoilers here. Will you be Team Garrett or Team Asher?

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, infertility, suicide, ptsd.

It just took such a long time for me to get into this book. I understand what the author was doing when she decided to switch between timelines, then vs. now, but it made it really hard for me to follow and in turn get invested in the characters. The romance initially didn’t make sense to me and I didn’t get the why between Maggie and Asher. Their chemistry just wasn’t there for me.

Aside from that, the writing was phenomenal and the book had a lot of potential. It just didn’t spark my interest right away.

I loved this. I'm completely 😭😭😭😭 right now.
This is one of those books that will stay for a long time for me What a unique trope, and what an incredible journey for Maggie. Garrett is so flawed and yet so understandable, how many of us struggle with what he has struggled with. Archer is a cinnamon roll, his emotions and empathy so pure, he was absolutely written by a female. I was almost immediately not rooting for Garrett - Maggie deserved better and I couldn't understand why she was so in love with him when he was so inauthentic.
I love the growth and strength of Maggie, a strong, kind and full of life lead.

I think the author's writing style was beautiful and poetic- along the lines of Abby Jimenez, Ashley Poston, Emily Henry, Carley Fortune and Renee Carlino.

I would absolutely read another book by this author, she is one of my new favourites. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

The story was ok but I did not love it. I had a hard time keeping interest throughout the story. The pace was a bit slower which I have a hard time with.

Wow! I was excited to read this book but I did not bargain for the beautiful, emotional love story and tale of personal growth that Maybe Once, Maybe Twice delivered. The format was clever and I loved that it contributed to the suspense and investment in the story. The character development that occurred over the 25+ year storyline was incredible. It’s obvious that Alison Rose Greenberg left it all on the page. The writing was fun and vivid and the dialogue was realistic and engaging. I absolutely loved this book and will be telling everyone to grab it.

I received an ARC and shared my review voluntarily.

“The love of your life doesn’t have to last forever. I would live the rest of my life knowing that loving and being loved by him twice in this lifetime, was more than enough."

"Success doesn’t come easily for women who dare to be themselves. It’s a painful road, and Summer and I had already let down a few people along our chosen paths, and we’d let down more. But if we were lucky, at the end of our roads, we’d look back and smile, realizing that we’d made ourselves proud."

"The sob of heartbreak is primal and universal, and if you’ve ever been there, just thinking about the moment your heart broke makes your insides heavy, leaving you with a need to clutch your chest, as if to marvel over the fact that you survived."

"It’s not the heartbreak that defines who we are, it’s how we react to it."

"Hope is the Unknown wrapped in a safety net. It’s wading through rough waters, clinging to the possibility that a big wave might push your shivering, tired body onto the balmy, sun-kissed shoreline, and ignoring the fact that a big wave might sneak up on you and drown you. When sparkly hope gives way to a cruel reality, when you can nearly taste the shoreline but you’re caught in the undertow, it’s heartbreak."

These Quotes you guys!! I really enjoyed this one! I love that it was centered around music and choices that you didn't know how the MC was going to decide and overall she kept choosing herself which was beautiful! There was a small part of the book where she was adament she had to have a kid by the time she was 35 which really threw me off as not all women have to have children like its some sort of milestone that just be accomplished in life. I just felt it was a little unneeded and didn't add to the story! But maybe some people will dig it! Besides that though I really enjoyed the writing style and the storyline! Thank you @mbc_books & @alison.greenberg for sharing this ARC with me! I'm late though friends because this beauty released on 10/3! So go get it!

I give Maybe once, Maybe twice by Alison Rose Greenberg ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is like being wrapped up in a blanket that just came out of the dryer. This book is like drinking the perfect cup of tea while watching it snow outside, knowing you don’t have to leave the house. All in all, this is my new comfort read!

This book just wasn’t it for me. I did not like the main character & the love interests did nothing for me. The time jumps were distracting and the miscommunication trope drove me insane.

Overall it was just okay to me.

I went into this book expecting it to be funny and sweet, and while it was it delivered so much more. It introduced depth and emotional range that made me tear up and feel for the characters. It's also wonderful to read a book about a woman in her 30s-so often books focus on younger women but women of all ages deserve to seem themselves in books as well

I really loved Greenberg's debut but this just wasn't a vibe for me. I think I wasn't the audience for this one.

Let me start this review but stating that I don't think there was anything wrong with this book, it just wasn't for me. To start, I normally don't like dual timelines because I always find myself preferring one over the other, making the book seem to drag and that's how I felt about this book. It was hard for me to be fully invested in the book when I was only interested in reading half of the story. This is a personal preference though and I think if you like second chance romances with dual timelines, then you'll really enjoy this story!