bookswithboo 's review for:

Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major
5.0
emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
đź“– Maybe Next Time
✏️ Cesca Major
đź“ŤLondon
đź‘Ą Emma. Dan. Poppy. Miles. Gus. Hattie. Jas.
đź“Ž Contemporary Romance 

e-ARC from NetGalley and HarperCollins UK
Publication Date: 30Mar23

“Sometimes I see you swaying in our living room to the music you love to play or adjusting an earring over the mantelpiece mirror and I get that sucker-punch feeling I got on that tube all those years ago.”

I read this in a day. I was absolutely engrossed. Emma is a successful literary editor trying to balance her work and home life. Tragedy hits, bringing this starkly into focus and we follow her story as she tries to identify and subsequently save what is really important to her in a Groundhog Day-esque loop.

There are so many important themes, not least of all social media and career burnout. Emma’s phone is constantly pinging, and we see the different messages build up. It’s pretty overwhelming and many women will recognise the pressure of trying to keep all those plates spinning - being spread too thin and not really delivering on any front. 

But the thing that hit hardest was the need to take a step back and remember what’s really important. Work will replace you in a heartbeat - it just pays the bills. Being present (physically AND mentally) at home is the most precious thing - we never know how much time we have. 

I cried buckets. I love Emma and Dan as a couple - Cesca Major writes the perfect couple as they are not perfect. They are flawed and real which makes this romance land exactly where it should - straight to your heart.