Once and Again
By Rebecca Serle
Atria, March 2026, 256pp.
The Short of It:
Getting a “do-over” in life sounds like a dream come true, but is it?
The Rest of It:
Lauren and Leo are married and, for the most part, happy. The one thing they want most just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Infertility, and the costly treatments that come with it, begin to wear them down piece by piece. You can’t help but wonder if their marriage will survive the strain.
In the back of her mind, Lauren knows she’s been given a gift. The women in her family inherit a single, extraordinary chance to go back in time. It can be used to fix a mistake, undo a tragedy, even prevent a death. She’s never considered using it. Not seriously. But after one terrible moment, she is forced to choose.
How do you live with that kind of power? Knowing you only get one chance. Do you fix what’s right in front of you, or hold onto it in case something worse comes later? It’s the kind of pressure that would paralyze most people. I’m not sure I’d ever use it at all.
That tension sits at the heart of Lauren’s story. Choices are made. Secrets surface. And through it all, she wrestles with whether to stay with Leo despite the uncertainty surrounding their future, or return to what feels safe. A past love. A familiar life. The beach house that still feels like home.
Serle handles these questions with care and emotional clarity. The story invites you to sit with every possibility and feel the weight of each one. Yes, there is a way out, but it comes at a cost. What happens to the good memories? Can they ever be recreated, or does one decision shift everything that follows?
It’s a thoughtful, empathetic exploration of love, loss, and the choices that define a life.
I enjoyed this one and the questions it raised about life and what makes a home a home.
Recommend.
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.
Book Chatter 
Oh boy, as I read this review, I started to think about if I would use that option. What would I change? How would it affect everything that comes after it?
Like you, I’d probably never really use it but it is interesting to think about it.
Right! You’d end up saving it for some really big tragedy but then you’d play the what if game, like what if something bigger happened? Too much stress.
I’ve only read one book by Rebecca Serle (In Five Years), which I liked, but didn’t love. I also have One Italian Summer in my stacks, so I’ll wait and see how I like that one before I give her new book a try.
Hope life is treating you well, Ti!
Funny, this was my first Serle book but I have a copy of In Five Years on my shelf! Totally forgot I had it.
The book sounds interesting, but….I don’t think I would use the ‘change’ option. Might pick it up at the library if they have it. Thanks for sharing about it!
Exactly. I would hang onto the “change option” to save it for a really big ask, but then I’d probably never use it.
What a great responsibility to have that gift. I cannot imagine what would prompt me to use it.