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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Cute premise but otherwise pretty meh
This is NOT a light, breezy rom com, but a more insightful, thought-out romance, which I enjoyed. The book covers some mature themes including infertility, depression, and sexual assault, so just know that before jumping straight in.
I love how this plot feels authentic and genuine, possibly based on experience. It's nothing like unrealistic romances we are accustomed to, with everything working out perfectly no matter the circumstances. Greenberg does an excellent job of highlighting the nuances of Maggie's (the MC) journey.
The narration is first POV past tense, alternating between different stages of Maggie's life. I started loving Maggie almost instantly, sympathizing with her on many levels. Yup, the blurb makes it sound filmy, with the 'marry me at this age' idea, but the execution is chef's kiss.
A constant theme for me was YOLO- and I understood it's full extent through this book. Following a compelling, self-empowered woman was a truly rejuvenating experience. The story is that of failure, love, pining, friendship, rejection, heartbreak, trauma, healing, introspection, and prioritizing yourself. There were times when I felt like my heart would burst with joy, times when I felt low with Maggie, and times when I cracked up at some scenes.
If you're worried about loose ends, don't worry coz it's all done amazingly well. I finished reading with a tiny gap in my heart, but a smile on my face. Maggie's choice doesn't disappoint either, and all the closure and perfect goodbyes were balm to my soul. Ten on ten recommend for everyone!
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love how this plot feels authentic and genuine, possibly based on experience. It's nothing like unrealistic romances we are accustomed to, with everything working out perfectly no matter the circumstances. Greenberg does an excellent job of highlighting the nuances of Maggie's (the MC) journey.
The narration is first POV past tense, alternating between different stages of Maggie's life. I started loving Maggie almost instantly, sympathizing with her on many levels. Yup, the blurb makes it sound filmy, with the 'marry me at this age' idea, but the execution is chef's kiss.
A constant theme for me was YOLO- and I understood it's full extent through this book. Following a compelling, self-empowered woman was a truly rejuvenating experience. The story is that of failure, love, pining, friendship, rejection, heartbreak, trauma, healing, introspection, and prioritizing yourself. There were times when I felt like my heart would burst with joy, times when I felt low with Maggie, and times when I cracked up at some scenes.
If you're worried about loose ends, don't worry coz it's all done amazingly well. I finished reading with a tiny gap in my heart, but a smile on my face. Maggie's choice doesn't disappoint either, and all the closure and perfect goodbyes were balm to my soul. Ten on ten recommend for everyone!
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
This book was so CUTE! I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed this book and I was very happy with how it ended (even if those last couple chapters made me briefly very upset lol). I tend not to like reading song lyrics in books because I cannot even pretend to imagine how they would be sung so I liked that the author generally only incorporated verses or lyrics into the story instead of the whole song. I didn't find any of the characters super cheesy or annoying, and even when I didn't like a choice a character made I did understand why they were making it (for the most part, there are always exceptions, I'm looking at you Garrett).
While I did enjoy reading, and am ever so grateful for the opportunity, I really just felt like we were missing something with this one. The end seemed rushed to me. Maggie out here just making promises to everyone all Willy Nilly. And personal preference but I wanted Maggie to end up with the opposite of who she did. Which, again, I know is a personal preference and I know why she didn’t but still lol Or neither of them! I wish Maggie had chose herself! This novel definitely made me feel a mix of emotions for sadness, to frustration (obviously.) I do recommend the read, even while giving a mid range star rating. The novel was great, I just wished for a little more, I guess.
I related to this book too much. The idea of Maggie’s “right person, wrong time” relationship with Garrett hit too close to home for me. Thankfully mine didn’t haunt me for as long as it did for Maggie. Also the breakup with Asher towards the end of the book was so real and stressed me out. There’s more to a relationship than just love, your lives need to be compatible, and agreeing on having kids is a huge part of that. I’m 32 and single, wanting kids as desperately as Maggie did, and I’m so scared that anyone I find now won’t want kids..and that’s just not an option for me.
Overall, I found this book very realistic and relatable! Which is rare for romance novels, at least in my opinion. The drama was real life drama and real problems that couples face. None of this “oh he didn’t text me on my birthday” bullshit like another book I read recently. All I ask from my romance novels is for the drama to be realistic and this book did that for me.
Overall, I found this book very realistic and relatable! Which is rare for romance novels, at least in my opinion. The drama was real life drama and real problems that couples face. None of this “oh he didn’t text me on my birthday” bullshit like another book I read recently. All I ask from my romance novels is for the drama to be realistic and this book did that for me.
Maybe Once, Maybe Twice:
Thank you @smpromance for my gifted copy.
“Time was on my side, this whole damn time”
I don’t know what I loved more, the emotional depth on the pages, or the playlist that I know is somewhere on Spotify waiting for me to listen.
I love how we were intertwined in knowing each person and phase of life. I loved it wasn’t linear. I didn’t know at first if I’d want to cheer for any of them, but I realized with reflection, different people do come in your life at different stages and make similar impacts. It was masterfully done. In all honesty, I was cheering for Maggie, and making sure she was happy, with or without someone by her side. (But yes, I cried at the end).
As someone who also gate keeps music as my little secret, there are just some things that are so amazing that you just can’t do that. You have to tell the world about it because everyone needs to experience the heartbreak, the love, the loss, the journey that you just went through.
This book touched a part of my soul I didn’t really know I had. It unlocked a lot of feelings and emotions and I’m so glad it’s out in the world. Released 10/3.
Thank you @smpromance for my gifted copy.
“Time was on my side, this whole damn time”
I don’t know what I loved more, the emotional depth on the pages, or the playlist that I know is somewhere on Spotify waiting for me to listen.
I love how we were intertwined in knowing each person and phase of life. I loved it wasn’t linear. I didn’t know at first if I’d want to cheer for any of them, but I realized with reflection, different people do come in your life at different stages and make similar impacts. It was masterfully done. In all honesty, I was cheering for Maggie, and making sure she was happy, with or without someone by her side. (But yes, I cried at the end).
As someone who also gate keeps music as my little secret, there are just some things that are so amazing that you just can’t do that. You have to tell the world about it because everyone needs to experience the heartbreak, the love, the loss, the journey that you just went through.
This book touched a part of my soul I didn’t really know I had. It unlocked a lot of feelings and emotions and I’m so glad it’s out in the world. Released 10/3.
I found this book to be quite enjoyable, despite only giving it a three-star rating. The story revolves around Maggie, a 35-year-old woman whose life hasn't turned out as she had hoped. Her music career hasn't taken off, she's single and childless, and she has just received the devastating news that her chances of getting pregnant are slim to none. However, she does have her best friend Summer and a pact she made with two men, Asher and Garrett, to get married if they were still single by the age of 35. On her birthday, both men reenter her life, and Maggie wonders if she will finally have everything she's always wanted.
This book explores themes of life, friendship, love, and the importance of making choices that align with one's own desires.
While I did enjoy the overall story, I did find the constant back-and-forth between different points in the past and present to be quite challenging. The frequent time jumps were distracting and made the unfolding of the story feel messy. I believe that a more focused approach would have improved the reading experience. Additionally, there were certain elements that could have been omitted, such as a third act conflict that felt unnecessary. The inclusion of this conflict resulted in a rushed ending, which was disappointing considering the central plot of Maggie choosing between Asher and Garrett. I would have liked to see more time dedicated to exploring the dynamics of the final couple's relationship.
Overall, if you don't mind the frequent time jumps and enjoy a story with multiple layers, I would recommend giving this book a try. However, be prepared for a somewhat disjointed narrative and a rushed conclusion.
This book explores themes of life, friendship, love, and the importance of making choices that align with one's own desires.
While I did enjoy the overall story, I did find the constant back-and-forth between different points in the past and present to be quite challenging. The frequent time jumps were distracting and made the unfolding of the story feel messy. I believe that a more focused approach would have improved the reading experience. Additionally, there were certain elements that could have been omitted, such as a third act conflict that felt unnecessary. The inclusion of this conflict resulted in a rushed ending, which was disappointing considering the central plot of Maggie choosing between Asher and Garrett. I would have liked to see more time dedicated to exploring the dynamics of the final couple's relationship.
Overall, if you don't mind the frequent time jumps and enjoy a story with multiple layers, I would recommend giving this book a try. However, be prepared for a somewhat disjointed narrative and a rushed conclusion.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes