A really enjoyable story, of what might happen if we can turn back time. Grace and Charlie fall madly in love when they are both young. Torn apart by the ravages of war, they eventually reunite later in life only to have the worst happen. But then Charlie vows to give his life for Grace and everything chnages.

Author Mandy Margo never disappoints in creating interesting characters and events to draw a reader into the story window. One More Time was another good read from the author.
Review copy received from Harlequin Aus

This is a change from Mandy Magro's normal writing.
Charlie and Grace are in their 70s and are the love of each other's lives but fate saw them spend most of their lives being friends after Charlie left Grace and their daughter Hope to search for a MIA soldier in Vietnam.
One fateful car accident sees Grace end up in the hospital and Charlie make a deal with a fortune teller to sacrifice his life for hers.
He ends up waking from a vivid dream back in the 70s before his relationship with Grace. Their new story ends up being very different from the last and it really is a wild ride of emotions.

I wasn't originalally gripped by this story but eventually it sucked me in as I wanted to see where they ended up. It definitely brought me to tears a number of times as I saw these characters try to fight through the hand they were dealt to still love each other.

Set on the sparkling Queensland coast, One More Time is a different style of book to those previously written by Mandy Magro. This is an epic love story running over fifty years of romance between Grace and Charlie. While I enjoyed this book, there were times when I really didn’t like Grace at all. I thought her treatment of Charlie when he faced a difficult situation mid-book was less than admirable and I loathed Rodger, her secondary love interest. Charlie, on the other hand, kept his place in my heart despite his flaws and when I could have throttled Grace for her behaviour, it was Charlie’s constancy that kept me turning the pages. I thought the ending was a bit saccharine, but overall this was a good read.

Coming towards the end of their lives, Grace and Charlie each look back with regret on the events that led them to divorce early in their marriage. So when a freak car accident puts Grace's life on the line, Charlie takes a chance and swears he would trade his life for hers. With a little bit of magic, Charlie is thrust back in time with a chance to make it right.

He wakes in the 1970s from a nightmare in which all he can focus on is his intense feelings for Grace, a girl he kissed before leaving for the Vietnam War. This early focus changes the trajectory of not only their love story, but their entire lives. Will this second chance be enough to keep their love alive? Or will the butterfly effect take full force and change far more than just the path of their relationship?

Thank you to Author Mandy Magro, Harlequin AU & Netgalley for providing me with both a physical & ebook ARC of this book. All opinions shared in this review are my own.

Both Grace and Charlie were complex characters, and you very quickly realise that their love story is anything but pretty. When you include PTSD, alcoholism and ultimately have a 'love isn't enough' relationship, the initial yearnings of older Charlie definitely seem to have glossed over the harsh reality of their early marriage. Of course, knowing what we do now about the effects of war on returning soldiers, Charlie's actions aren't unexpected and I really felt for him as he navigated this alone.

I really enjoyed the concept and that we got to witness an entire lifetime for Grace and Charlie. I struggled to connect with some of the choices made by the characters and often felt frustrated in the direction their lives took. I feel that this is based on personal preference; maybe I saw a few too many of my own deal breakers pop up for me to believe their relationship should last.

If you're a fan of a one true love, across a life time romance then you'll really enjoy this book. Please be wary of the triggers listed above and that you'll feel an absolute rollercoaster of emotions! The book is available now 💕

One More Time is Mandy Magro’s step away from her wonderful rural romances, the result is absolutely brilliant!
This wonderful story delivers on so many levels, the emotional roller coaster that is life is described beautifully!
I loved the main characters Charlie and Grace, their love story is told with the perfect touch of emotion, truth and connection.
The storyline didn’t waver from it’s commitment to the relatable realities of life, illness, survival and horror. There’s a touch of magic in the air, the slow build to forgiveness and second chances is truly heartwarming!
The characters and storyline clearly show the sliding door moments in life and the impact of our choices.
This book is written with compassion, showing Grace as the strong woman she is, the backbone of the family. Charlie is slower to reveal his true self, he battles his demons on an intense path of discovery!
You must experience the magic of this well written powerful book!

Huge congratulations and thanks to the publisher, NetGalley and the fabulous Mandy Magro for the opportunity to read this book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Grace Burrows and Charlie Wilson know each other, they both grew up in Sapphire Bay and years ago they shared a first kiss.

Grace is about to celebrate her seventieth birthday, her daughter Hope has been busy planning the party and Grace has just received some bad news. Charlie is a Vietnam veteran, he’s suffers from undiagnosed PTSD and has terrible nightmares. Charlie has made mistakes in his life, he’s hurt the people he loves and others.

One More Time is a story with a sliding doors scenario, Grace and Charlie are at a cross road, by magic Charlie is given a chance to take a different path and the plot explores if two goodhearted people can find forgivenes, move forward and maybe have a second chance at love!

Charlie returns home to Sapphire Bay and he stays at his grandparents house Moonflower Acres, he’s been fighting in the Vietnam War and he plans on going back. He and Grace meet again, both enjoy to dance slowly and the chemistry sizzles between them, of course they fall in love and their future looks bright. Charlie struggles to live as a civilian, he loves Grace with his heart and soul but he can't cope with the awful war memories, he's chronically tired and he makes terrible decisions.

I received a copy of One More Time from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I like it when an author tries something different, Mandy Magro takes a risk with her latest book and it works brilliantly. The narrative is about Grace and Charlie, how fate stepped in and changed the direct of their lives. A story about war, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcoholism, being a veteran and a civilian. The effect it has on their wives, children, health, decision making, struggle, adversity, never giving up, making amends, second chances and hope. Five stars from me, not your typical romance and love story and it will make you think about life, relationships, fate and destiny.

One More Time by Mandy Magro is a delightful read. Heartwarming with laughter but not without tears! A lovely story that touches your heart and reminds you that every moment in life is important. I loved the magical aspect that allowed Charlie Wilson change the direction of his life with the love of his life Grace. While second time round all is not smooth sailing nor without major difficulties it was a wonderful change of direction.

Thank you to Mandy Magro for a read that did indeed make me feel warm and fuzzy, made me laugh and also to cry but most importantly for a wonderful ending that made the journey worthwhile.

If you enjoy contemporary romance then you will love reading One More Time.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from Harlequin Australia via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#OneMoreTime #NetGalley

One More Time is the story of Grace Burrows and Charlie Wilson and their move through life together. The story starts at Grace's 70th birthday celebration, with Charlie as a guest to his beloved's party, and their daughter, Hope, keeping guests and her parents happy. But something happened to change the direction of life...

Charlie Wilson was a Vietnam veteran who held a lot of guilt deep inside, suffered terribly from nightmares and tried to find solace inside a bottle. Charlie's treatment of his wife, Grace, was something he regretted deeply. The heartache he'd caused her was something he desperately wished he could change. Grace and Charlie had seemed like, had been, soulmates...

One More Time by Aussie author Mandy Magro is a different take on her usual romance novel, and I'm not sure it was right for me. It focuses on second chances and is done in an unrealistic, fantasy-like scenario. For fans of Ms Magro, I recommend One More Time, but unfortunately it didn't hit the right note for me.

With thanks to HarperCollins AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have read many of Mandy Magro's previous rural romance stories and enjoyed them all. Unfortunately this book did not hit the mark for me. It felt too over the top lovey dovey and dramatic. It just felt like there was too much going on.
I found myself pushing through in the hope I would enjoy it more but I just didn't. I'm sure I'll be in the minority as I usually love Mandy's books.

A magical story that has left my heart singing! With this story I have to say I was shocked when it went in a completely different direction then what I was anticipating but I absolutely loved it. This one is a little different to Mandy Magro previous books and I have to say she really nailed it! I felt so many emotions and I laughed and smiled and cried and screamed while reading. It made me reflect on different choices I could have made and how my life would have been different had I made those choices. It's also a stark reminder not to waste a single second that we have on this earth. It tackles some difficult issues like PTSD and alcoholism with empathy, kindness and honesty. A beautiful uplifting romance that I highly recommend!

Mandy Magro has written an awesome contemporary fiction instead of her wonderful rural romances and excelled, I loved this one and it really had me feeling every emotion there is to feel. What would do if you were given another chance at changing things in your life?

Grace Burrows is just about to celebrate her seventieth birthday with her family and friends her life has not always been filled with joy but she has had a great life, she has a beautiful daughter and a couple of grandchildren, she has some news she needs to tell the family but that can wait, her time is short.

Charlie Wilson has loved Grace forever and was thrilled when she accepted his marriage proposal, but coping with the scars after returning from Vietnam put a lot of pressure on him and Grace their marriage didn’t go as planned, but tonight at the party he is determined to tell her how much he loves her and always has and always will.

Driving home together an accident will change their lives and give them a second chance at love and happiness, it will give them one more time, this story is filled with so much heartbreak but so much love as well the emotions run high throughout the story and I felt everyone one them, anger, sadness and lots of happiness, there were lots of tears from me and frustration while I was reading but for me that is the sign of a fabulous author if they can show me them all and make me feel them.

This is a story that I highly recommend, a must read that was hard for me to put down, it is heartbreaking, while heartwarming at the same time as Grace and Charlie get one more time.

My thanks to the publisher Harlequin AU for my copy to read and review.

One More Time is an incredibly powerful novel that gripped me and held my attention from start to finish. It is a story about a couple named Charlie and Grace and how their eternal love is tested to the limits. Some of the topics covered are terminal illness, gut-wrenching regrets, alcoholism and PTSD: the after-effects and horrors of war and survivor’s guilt. Also, we see the negative impact from loss of vital family members. But it is not all doom and despair as the warming light of renewal, forgiveness and second chances glistens across these pages. Yes, it is a roller coaster experience. But this strong and persistent emotional ride was like diving into the depths of the ocean and peering into the heart of darkness. Yet once realising all that is possible, learning to let go and rising buoyantly to the surface. Followed by an exhilarating release of joy when everything falls into place. Thanks to Charlie’s new direction, decision and devotion to the woman he loves more than life itself, things begin to turn around.

This novel takes a magical side step in time into the ‘what if.’ In both realms there is plenty of heartbreak and on the edge of your seat drama but the value of changed actions comes sailing through, providing an ending that oozes with the healing power of love. Great challenges befall this couple as they move from the heights of a celebration dance to moments of despair. But just before that, we learn that Grace harbours a secret, one that could affect the people that surround her. It is her 70th birthday, though, and she does not want to spoil the festivities and keeps quiet. As for Charlie: he has made mistakes and decisions that have caused him grief and injured the love of his life. He has loved Grace always and wants to tell her on this special night but a drastic turn of events alters everything. Hanging by a thread, Charlie is faced with a choice and seeks out advice. This choice takes him on a journey that will shake him to the core, sift out the nasties he battles in his soul—and maybe give him another chance. His encounter with a spiritualist sets him on an unexpected path.

One More Time is a mysterious and mesmerising novel filled with intense moments and well- researched traumas. Since it is written extremely well, it was easy to be drawn into the complex lives of Charlie and Grace. In fact, I found my heart pumping faster many times!

This was my first experience with Mandy’s writing and I understand this novel is a side step from her usual rural romance writing, but I hope she writes more of these kinds of stories as I feel she has done an amazing job. Highly recommend. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to HarperCollins Au (Harlequin) and Netgalley for my review copy.

One More Time is a story about second chances, undying love, giving your life for another and family. Things are not all rosy and happy for Charlie and Grace. Charlie has many demons from the war which causes tension in their relationship. There are bumps in the road and many times spent apart, but this is their story.