On Maggie Vine’s thirtieth birthday, she makes a wedding pact with the good-looking, broad-shouldered, sunbeam-smile-having Garrett Scholl. Factor is, the struggling singer-songwriter had already made an analogous take care of her first boyfriend, Asher Reyes, who’s now a particularly profitable — and engaging — actor. Thus the 2 nice loves of Maggie’s life come crashing again to her at 35.
Alison Rose Greenberg’s second novel, “Possibly As soon as, Possibly Twice,” is a protracted, luscious buildup of will-they-won’t-they, love-triangling, song-writing, and journeys down reminiscence lane because the narrative hops again to teen Maggie and 20-something Maggie to flesh out her previous.
Greenberg writes distinctive characters who nonetheless match into the extraordinary world, like our protagonist. Maggie Vine is the stylish, All The Feels, folk-singing heroine we needed however secretly didn’t imagine might exist so tastefully. She’s acquired humor and sorrow, delight and doubt, good moments and unhealthy, and a model-gorgeous, standoffish-yet-lovable finest buddy for a sidekick.
Maggie desires all of it: love, a child, and a profession. And, actually, why can’t she have it?
When Maggie learns that Asher shall be co-producing a movie adaptation of her favourite novel, it may very well be the important thing to unlocking all her desires. She will reconnect with Asher, show herself as one of the best musician to jot down the songs for it, and, with the form of cash she’d make on a film deal like that, she might begin a household.
Greenberg’s model is sharp and humorous, with quirky traces like “Cease making an attempt to make me fall in love with Dave Matthews!” and “Progressive grandmas are nationwide treasures.”
For as enjoyable because the story is, you may nearly overlook that it nonetheless takes place in an insidious trade that always makes use of ladies’s our bodies and minds for the good points of the boys on the high. Besides Maggie can’t overlook.
After greater than 100 pages, we get the title of the person who had dangled a profession in entrance of her earlier than ripping it aside: Cole Wyan.
The tone turns downright ominous surrounding this Chekhov’s gun of a person who we readers hope towards all hope doesn’t discover his method again into the pages of this ebook.
However Greenberg doesn’t depart us hanging in despair. Maggie Vine at all times chooses hope, and eventually, FINALLY, perhaps it’s doable {that a} lady does all the appropriate issues and really comes out higher for it; rewarded for combating again and going to remedy and telling the reality.
Ripe for a super-meta movie adaptation (concerning the novel a couple of movie adaptation of a novel), “Possibly As soon as, Possibly Twice” is all the pieces you need in a wise romantic comedy: deep, tear-inducing feelings; sharp, sardonic humor; steamy intercourse scenes performed by even steamier leads; and an epic soundtrack beneath all of it.
Musically, it’s hands-down 5 stars, full with an accompanying playlist on Spotify. Musical mentions vary from Dolly Parton to Fall Out Boy to Olivia Rodrigo. And, in fact, Stevie Nicks — the novel’s very title is an homage to the nice musical prowess of the Rock & Roll Corridor of Famer.
The story wraps up shortly — a sudden halt on the finish of a curler coaster that leaves you questioning what that ending actually means, and whether or not lightning strikes 3 times.