Maybe Once, Maybe Twice

One of my most anticipated books this fall is Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg. I’m always a sucker for novels about music, and that’s what first drew me to this one. It follows a singer-songwriter on the verge of success at 35. But in her past, she asked two different men to marry her if they were single on her 35th birthday… and, well, they’re both here. Who will she choose? 

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Summary

Maggie Vine is a 35-year-old singer-songwriter whose career is finally about to take off, but her personal life is still unstable. At two very different times in her life, she asked two very different guys to find her on her 35th birthday and marry her if they were still single. Well, she’s single, and they both showed up. Jumping back and forth between earlier times in Maggie’s life and now, we get a sense of who she was and how either Garrett or Asher could be her soulmate… but who is right for her now?

Review

I’m always drawn to novels that incorporate music in some way, and this is what initially captured my interest about Maybe Once, Maybe Twice. However, I went in expecting a romance, and while it does have many romance elements, that’s not quite what this book is. It’s more women’s fiction, about a woman finding herself and building a music career, while also revisiting her past and finally attaining love along the way. 

What I love most about Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is how musical it is. There are so many references to 1990s and 2000s songs and bands—my bread and butter! Early on, Maggie describes herself and Garrett as music nerds; that’s exactly what I am and why I enjoyed this book so much. While Maggie is an indie, singer-songwriter type, Garret is into early 2000s pop-punk (my favorite!). I loved seeing references to “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” by Fall Out Boy, “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers, “Drops of Jupiter” by Train, “Zombie” by the Cranberries, “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes, and more. In addition to the popular music that comes up, Maggie’s own original songs play a huge role throughout the novel. I love how the author incorporated lyrics from Maggie’s various songs, even including the full lyrics to several of them at the end. The more technical side of music comes up, too, with references to specific chords and scales, discussions of music theory, and themes of how the music industry works and how things can go wrong. 

Maggie is a wonderful character to follow on her journey—career, romantic, and otherwise. She’s emotional, immature, and flawed, yet still likable. She’s indecisive and kind of intense in her own way, but she’s also so talented, ambitious, and a total dreamer. Her best friend, Summer, is an excellent character in her own right, and the most constant source of stability in Maggie’s rollercoaster life. Their friendship is top-notch, and I appreciate that Summer is nuanced and has her own arc along the way. 

Now let’s talk about the two romances Maggie is contending with. She’s 35 and two guys from her past are back in her life, potentially fulfilling the marriage pact they’d each agreed to with her years before. Full disclosure: This is a love triangle, and I generally hate love triangles. If it’s not the icky feeling of infidelity going on or the annoyance of someone’s indecisiveness, the biggest problem is simply that you’ll likely have a favorite… and he might not be the one who’s chosen in the end. I won’t tell you who I preferred here… but my guy lost, and I’m a little bitter about it! Contestant 1 is Garrett, the will-they-won’t-they music friend that Maggie’s been crushing on for 12 years. He’s sweet, but weak when it comes to his family, and their timing is always wrong for some reason or another. Contestant 2 is Asher, Maggie’s high school sweetheart who she dated at summer camp for three years as a teenager. He’s a creative type, too, though kind of flat in some ways. Both guys have their merits and their drawbacks, but will Maggie choose her what if option or her second chance (and “retrosexual”) option? 

Beyond all of that, Maybe Once, Maybe Twice highlights several different themes with skill. One is Maggie’s struggles with fertility and navigating her desire to become a mother as a single 35-year-old. Her best friend, Summer, is also facing the question of kids, and whether her and her wife’s different opinions on the matter might end their marriage. There’s also discussion of mental health, family traumas, the past death of a loved one (one of whom was to suicide), and grappling with sexual assault. 

Final Thoughts

There’s so much I loved about Maybe Once, Maybe Twice, from its numerous important themes to its music and the competing romances. It jumps around in time but I found it perfectly easy to follow. As much as I enjoyed the first two thirds, I admittedly didn’t love how it ended… mostly because my guy lost. Regardless, this is a well written and smart novel that would be perfect for book club discussions. (Seriously, I need to talk to someone about my many feelings about this book!) Just go in expecting women’s fiction and light drama more than an actual romance. 

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Get the Book

You can buy Maybe Once, Maybe Twice here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg
Audience	Adult
Genre	Women’s Fiction
Setting	New York City
Number of Pages	336
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	October 3, 2023

Official Summary

“Greenberg serves up some irresistible romantic angst in this page-turner… This is a knockout.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review

You know that old saying, “if we are still single we’re 35, we should get married?” Well, Maggie Vine made that vow with two different people, at two very different stages of her life.

And they both showed up.

Maggie Vine’s life is going extra-medium. At 35 she’s pursuing her dreams of being a singer and possibly being a mother—though neither are successfully panning out. So when Garrett Scholl—stifled hedge fund manager by day but electrifying aspiring rock singer by night—comes to her 35th birthday party with the intention to kiss Maggie senseless, it feels like one piece might click into place. Except he’s engaged to someone else (!!!), and Maggie knows she won’t fit into the cookie-cutter life he’s building for himself.

Enter Asher Reyes. Her first boyfriend from summer camp, turned into heartthrob actor, he’s lived a successful yet private life ever since he got famous. When a career-changing opportunity is presented to Maggie after her reconnection with Asher, it feels like everything—music, love, family—will fall into place. But her past won’t let her move on without a fight

Filled with the romance and angst that defines the years you come to know yourself, and told over the span of two decades, Maybe Once, Maybe Twice is a novel of second chances and finding your own way.