Once and Again

A Novel

From the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years and Expiration Dates, a novel following a family of women with a singular gift: the opportunity to redo one moment in their lives

Lauren has spent a lot of her life waiting. She spent her childhood on her surfboard, waiting to catch the perfect wave. She waited a long time for her husband Leo. Now she and Leo are together waiting for those two lines on a pregnancy test that will tell Lauren she’s finally pregnant.

But many women wait for those things. Lauren has also spent her life waiting to use the gift that only the women in her family have: the opportunity, just once, to turn back time and reverse a bad decision, or a moment of catastrophic luck. When Lauren was fifteen, her mother Marcella reversed the car crash that killed Lauren’s father, and ever since then, both Marcella and Lauren have been extra cautious around Dave, and perhaps extra brittle with each other. Even though Dave is alive and healthy, and out on the Malibu waves every day.

Lauren and Leo’s marriage has been rock-steady for the three years they’ve been married, but their fertility journey is starting to wear on both of them. When Leo takes a six-week job in New York, Lauren temporarily moves back to her childhood house. She’ll spend time with her dad, spend time on the water, and try not think about the relationship with her mother she wishes she had. What Lauren doesn’t expect is to run into the love of her youth: fellow surfer Stone, back home for the first time in ten years. Since he left and broke Lauren’s heart. Now Lauren’s thinking about all the choices that have brought her to this moment in her life—and wondering if one of them should be undone.

A wise and luminous novel about mothers and daughters, the complexity of marriage, and the choices we make that come to define our lives, Once and Again is Rebecca Serle at her finest.

Needed more

This was good. Not great. The character development of Leo and Stone both felt lacking. The book felt a little rushed. Could’ve been longer, imo and would’ve been better. I did not like how POV switched chapter to chapter but there was no distinguishing at the beginning of a new chapter. The use of the last ticket was a poor choice. I’d get this from the library. Not worth a credit, imo.

Sweet Slightly Supernatural Story

It was well written and the storyline was engaging. Believable characters. I didn’t know where it was going. I did not love the ending but it’s not my story to end

Irritating main character

Lauren monologues way too much for too long. I wanted to shake her, and tell her to get over herself!

This tried to pass itself off like a magical story and there was absolutely nothing magical about it.

Sweet Story

Heartwarming but a bit over the top family story. Great narration as always with Julia Whelan.

Felt like a cozy easy to listen to book, thoroughly enjoyed

Maybe it was the fact that Julia Whelan was reading this, but I really enjoyed this book from start to finish as someone who has gone through infertility myself. The emotions and feelings felt so relatable. The story was fresh but familiar. I love her spins and only wish it was longer! I wish there was more character development on Leo and felt like we spent most of the time getting to know Stone, but all in all another great book by Rebecca and an easy listen to while doing chores!