Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Hera
Pub Date: 23rd June 2021
Review Date: 11th June 2021
Blurb
Amelia might have met The One.
But is she twenty years too late?
After her husband left her out of the blue, the only relationship 48-year-old Amelia Simpson has enjoyed recently is with Nutella and Pinot Grigio. While her 8-year-old twin boys, Jasper and Rupert, keep her busy, Amelia dreams of a life more than washing muddy rugby kits and weekly chats with best friends Sian and Jamie.
Amelia needs some magic back in her life – but magic seems in short supply in her small Welsh town. So when she finds the phone number that was given to her twenty years ago by a handsome stranger in New York, Amelia wonders whether he might be The One That Got Away.
But when Sian takes matters into her own hands, launching a worldwide hunt to find the handsome stranger Amelia met outside Tiffany’s two decades ago, Amelia finds herself on a flight to the Big Apple to reconnect with her ‘Perfect Patrick’.
But as she explores the sights of NYC, has Amelia reconnected with The One? Or will she discover that the sparkle she was missing is actually closer to home?
My Review
What I loved about this well-written and laugh-out-loud funny story, Twice in a Lifetime, was that the protagonist was a little older than those in a lot of romantic comedies. With many books in this genre, it’s like you reach a certain age and you’re not allowed to find true love and happiness, or have to start being sensible or something. What’s all that about? Well, that’s not the case here! Being in the same age bracket as Amelia myself (okay she’s a teeny bit younger than me), it was truly refreshing to find such a relatable protagonist.
The author’s colloquial writing style and fantastic characterisation drew me right into the story, and it was easy to route for Amelia. Some of the things she does will have you screaming ‘no, don’t do it’! but at the same time, you just know she has to make those mistakes to find true happiness.
There are loads of moments where I was literally rolling about on the floor laughing. I totally loved Amelia – I think we share exactly the same sense of humour! This was a fantastic debut and I look forward to reading more from this up and coming author.
I recommend this book for fans of Kim Nash, Carole Matthews, and Cathy Bramley.
About the Author
Helga Jensen is an award-winning British/Danish author and journalist. Her debut novel was a winning entry in the 2017 Montegrappa First Fiction competition at Dubai’s Emirates Literary Festival. Helga is currently working on her second book and a Creative Writing MA, whilst continuing to work as a freelance journalist. Having lived in the Middle East for the past 25 years, the former airline stewardess is now in the UK to complete her MA before deciding where to move next. She lives with her wonderful family, which includes a crazy Labradoodle who never stops making her laugh. Helga loves chocolate, wine, nice people and everything dog related. When she isn’t writing she is probably eating.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an Advance Review Copy of this book.