A review by jess_bythebook
Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg

challenging emotional lighthearted 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? Yes

4.0

A love triangle done right! It feels real and chaotic and emotional all at the same time. Beautifully written and lyrically moving, this book left me guessing all the way to the last page. 

“‘Find someone who makes you laugh’ was a line I had always heard. But finding someone who made me see the world in psychedelic colors was equally intoxicating.”

Maggie Vine made a marriage pact with two people - one as a child and one as an adult. The problem, however, is that they both appeared back in her life the year she turned 35. With one having a hold over her past and the other offering her a dream of the future, she has to choose which one to let go of. 

“I would have walked away from anyone for you. Anytime. Anyone,” he said inches from my face, tears still holding tight in his eyes. 

“And now?” I cracked, my voice quivering.

“I’m getting married.”

Let me tell you, the grip this story had on me was strong. I could absolutely relate to her thoughts, her battle with letting go, and her heartbreaking struggle with infertility. And just when you think you know what’s going to happen, the author manages to flip everything with a single scene. 

I did have a hard time differentiating between the past and the present when the chapter titles are only numbers spoken briefly in the audio version. It made it somewhat difficult to follow along and got confusing very quickly. But other than that, this was really well done. I found myself wanting to get back into the story time and time again. Plus that ending? *chef’s kiss*

“All I wanted was everything. What’s so bad about that?”

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio of this book in exchange for my honest review.