dual timeline

by Amanda Gayle

coming October 6, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

In Once, Again, Always we meet Molly, who has lost her memories from the past 6 years and is horrified to discover that she’s married to her old high school nemesis. It’s not surprising that this one turned out to be a pretty emotional read. It really captured Molly’s grief over her amnesia and how disorienting it could be. I also felt for Aster, who was in such a difficult situation as the spouse. But amidst the sad undertone, I also felt like there was a feeling of hope. I really enjoyed watching Molly and Aster reconnect, and the romance felt natural. I also liked the found family that Molly gained through some unexpected friends. Between the chapters, we get some brief “before” flashbacks to Molly’s time in high school and college. Aster was not likable at all during that time, but it also makes sense given Molly’s opinion of him in the beginning. It’s almost hard to believe that a person could change so much, but not enough that it took away from my enjoyment of the story. This book was mostly about the characters’ journeys, though there’s still some drama worked in. I’m impressed with how drawn in and invested I was with this story. What a great debut novel, I look forward to seeing more from the author!

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions in my review are completely my own.

by Ana Holguin

Narrated by Jacqueline Sol

(4 / 5)

Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever, and NetGalley for providing a free review audiobook of Second Chance Duet! All opinions are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this one! I thought both Celia and Oliver were relatable characters in their own ways. They were both very driven, leading to a rivalry between them when they were in college. The book has a dual timeline, so we are able to follow their story in the present as well as get perspective about their history and rivalry from the past. The present timeline was definitely my favorite, and I loved seeing the walls between Celia and Oliver come down as they finally got to know each other better. Even though there was a lot of friction between them at times, I liked that it didn’t feel mean or unjustified. Oliver had issues communicating so often came across in ways he probably didn’t intend to… I couldn’t really blame Celia for feeling the way she did about him. It was nice to see how much Oliver improved over time. He was actually quite sweet once Celia got to know the real him. A lot of Celia’s story is about her struggle trying to break into a tough industry composing music. I liked learning about Celia’s Latina heritage (with some basic Spanish mixed in here and there) plus her strong bond with her family. I absolutely loved the romance that developed and was glad that it didn’t feel rushed. The theme with the characters composing music for a TV show was fun too!

I was lucky enough to receive the audiobook copy of this book. While the narrator wasn’t quite as expressive as some narrators I’ve listened to, I still think she did a good job. The various characters had different voices, and she really captured Oliver’s quiet nature. A couple times the audio quality seemed reduced, but most of it sounded fine.