Just Once

by Lori Handeland

Frankie Sicari is roused from sleep late one night by a key rattling in the front door lock. It's her ex-husband, Charley Blackwell: a man she hasn't seen for nearly a quarter of a century. What's baffling is that Charley seems to think they are still married, and has no recollection of his current wife, Hannah. When medical tests reveal shocking findings, Frankie finds herself reluctantly caring for the man who left her twenty years earlier, while Hannah is relegated to the sidelines. How can Frankie forgive the man who abandoned her when she needed him most? And how can Hannah cope with the impending death of the man she's loved for the past twenty years - especially now she is faced with the shattering truth that he has never stopped loving his first wife, Frankie?

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Historical, Womens Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published December 20, 2018

About the author

Lori Handeland is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels spanning the genres of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, historical romance and historical fantasy.

After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.

Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.

Reviews

[Debi Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read this author's bio, I was a little worried - paranormal is not my genre and just wasn't sure how far away from that genre she could go, even though this book was listed under "contemporary women's fiction".  I can attest to the fact that this book is indeed under the correct category and that Ms. Handeland is very skilled in this genre.  This was a great book and I'm glad I took the chance.

Can you even imagine your ex-husband -- the one who cheated on you and then married his mistress -- shows up at your door and appears to believe you are still married? Just that concept alone makes for a great story, and it's exactly the story of Just Once by Lori Handeland.

When she found out that he was having an affair, Francesca (Frankie) Sicari divorced Charley Blackwell. Charley then married the mistress, Hannah, and had been married with her for the past twenty years.  Then one evening, Frankie gets a call from Hannah and she's looking for Charley.  Frankie has absolutely no idea why Hannah would be calling her thinking Charley would be there, but before she can even figure it out, Charley shows up trying to use his door key as if it was the normal thing for him to do.  It is clear that Charley believes that Frankie is his current wife, but when when Hannah tells Charley that she's his wife, he really thinks she's crazy.

Charley undergoes hospital tests that reveal a devastating diagnosis - he has a brain mass.  This diagnosis could very well be why Charley has suddenly forgotten the past twenty years of his life.  He seems to have forgotten his marriage to his current wife, Hannah, his divorce from Frankie, and even more so, he has forgotten that he and Frankie's daughter, Lisa is now dead.

It's at this point Frankie makes a life-changing and emotional decision to go along with Charley's belief that they are still a couple -- still very much in love and married.  Her decision ultimately forces her to deal with the past that she thought she had overcome those many years ago.

I thought the book was wonderful and sad at the same time. In all honesty, if I had met someone like Hannah, I know for a fact that I'd want nothing to do with her despite the tragedy she must live through. She's a very selfish person and it made me feel even worse for Frankie.  Just Once is a well-written book with very descriptive characters that tugged at my heartstrings.

I  was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Severn House Publishers through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 5 out of 5]

A five star surprise. I grabbed this off the “new” shelf at the library and I’m so glad I did. Her bio sort of put me off as I don’t read western or paranormal romance but I started reading this and was hooked. What a novel concept - could it happen? Maybe, maybe not, doesn’t matter as the book addressed the art of living and dying in a very unusual way.

[patt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing thank you

A very different concept for a book
Well written and thoughtful
You love and hate all three main characters at different times
But in the end love them all

[T. Rosado · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This had all the hallmarks of a story I would enjoy. And I did, mostly.

Let’s start with the writing. While I’ve seen her books around and even have a few on my tbr, this was my first time reading a story by the author. From what I’ve discovered, she’s been publishing since the 90s. She's written some historical and contemporary romances that have been rereleased (also under the name Lori Austin), but a large portion of her books are PNR—a genre I rarely, if ever, read. Those years of experience are evident in the writing here. I was immersed in the story and the characters’ lives. Her handling of dual timelines also impressed me, told in flashbacks—a practice I don’t always enjoy.

As for this story, it has a great hook that drives a reader’s curiosity. The rest of the story was well told with great detail and interesting late 20th-century historical references. The characters had careers perfect for integrating pivotal historical moments into the timelines. Not just casual references but also not overshadowing the main story.

The characters caused a sticking point with me. I enjoyed the writing and the author’s story of love and forgiveness, but I didn’t find any of the three main characters likable. The book has three intersecting POVs—Frankie and Hannah, connected by their separate marriages to Charlie. The book blurb reveals the particulars of their situations, but the characters' choices are fraught with bad decisions, selfishness, and regret. While I could feel empathy and sympathy for them at different times, it wasn’t enough to overcome my irritation at their selfishness. However, it also felt realistic. Every reader will feel what they feel based on their own life experiences. I wanted to tell Frankie to speak your truth and share precisely what you desire from Charlie. I wanted to ask Hannah to stop making excuses for chasing a married man. And Charlie… you just need to stop! Be honest, be faithful, and communicate. There wasn’t one moment he asked for forgiveness, yet he was often forgiven without apprehension.

Based on everything I enjoyed—the unique premise, detailed saga, and historical references—this would have been a 4.5-star read, but I’ve taken an additional star off my rating for unlikable characters throughout most of the story.

[Olivia Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Handeland's book was outstanding. The relationship between Charlie, Frankie and Hannah were masterfully done. This is a story of acceptance, love, and forgiveness. With her fine prose, Ms. Handeland wove important past and present social issues throughout the story. A lovely read that will tug at your heart.

[Miriam Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the moment I started reading I could not put it down. I had to read read read until I got to the end. It had me on the edge of my seat...until I cried....loved it!

[Christine Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankie's husband cheated on her 24 years ago. When Frankie needed Charlie the most he was having an affair with Hannah. They divorced and Charlie married Hannah. Fast forward 24 years and Charlie is at Frankie's door thinking they are still married and has no memory of the divorce or even Hannah herself. This story is told by Frankie, Charlie and Hannah. It is told in the past and present so you get the entire story. Frankie takes Charlie to her doctor and he is given a terrible diagnosis. As he only remembers being married to Frankie can she forgive Charlie and be the person he needs now? Can Hannah deal with Charlie forgetting her and only wanting his true love? This is an amazing story of love, redemption, and forgiveness. I received an advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Severn House Publishers. All opinions are my own.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book!!! Imagine your husband cheated on you and marries his mistress. Many years later he shows up at your door and thinks you are still married. He has lost all memories of the past several years. He does not even recognize his new wife. What do you do? That is the question for Fancy in this amazing book. It pulled me in from the beginning!

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women’s contemporary fiction

Excellent story although sometimes heartbreaking and sad yet not depressing. This was the first time I’ve read anything written by Lori Handeland and it a one of my top 2019 reads.

[Nanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Booklist. I liked this more than I thought I would!

[Barbara Tetro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazng

The book was totally amazing and beautiful. A must read
Really fantastic. It isn't something that you will get to read again.

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing foray into women's fiction! The emotion conveyed in the writing had me hooked and kept a hold straight to the end! I have loved all of Lori's books this one is no different.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that I didn’t want to put it down I know it gripped me from the beginning and I didn’t. I almost read the whole thing in one sitting.. If you love romance novels you would love this book.

[Midniteandwolves · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I have to say is it a MUST READ.

[Wendy Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good - but so much sadness. I think I need to read something light and happy now....

[Ashley Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was wonderful. Started early morning and finished in one day. The story of two women and their love for Charley broke my heart. Definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year.

[Norah Gibbons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book to read through NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. Just Once by Lori Handeland is her debut woman’s fiction novel and hopefully not her last. The book is about the love story of Francesca (Frankie) Sicari and Charley Blackwell and how it all ended when their daughter died. It’s also the story of Hannah Cartwright and her love story with Charley Blackwell. The book moves between the present and the past to fully explore the relationships between these 3 characters. In the present Frankie is awoken in the middle of the night by a phone call from Hannah the last person she ever expected to receive a call from, Charley is missing and Hannah thinks that he may turn up at Frankie’s as he is experiencing memory loss. Charley does turn up at Frankie's door and he thinks its 24 years ago ... he does not remember that their daughter died, that he left Frankie and that he’s been married to Hannah all this time, he doesn’t remember Hannah at all. The reason for his memory loss turns out to be a cancerous tumor and Frankie is forced to make the difficult decision of whether to care for Charley in his last weeks/months or abandon him to a world he does not recognize or understand. I adored Frankie, came to respect Hannah and considered Charley damn lucky either of those women gave him the time of day because really how can you love someone who is never there ... until the end of his life when he couldn’t run off he was never present even when his was there, Be prepared to have several boxes of Kleenex by your side when you read this especially if you’ve ever lost a child or had a cheating husband. Publishing Date January 1, 2019 #JustOnce #NetGalley #LoriHandeland #SevernHousePublishers

[Romantic Intentions Quarterly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine your husband cheated on you twenty years ago. Imagine he married his mistress. And then imagine he shows up at your door, ill, and can’t remember life without you. That is the scenario facing Franki Sicari when her ex-husband Charley struggles with his key in the door one night, unable to understand why it won’t work. His current wife Hannah is, of course, devastated, and the relationship of the two women, two women who never wanted to have any kind of relationship, is at the heart of the book. Compelling and thought-provoking, leaving you constantly wondering what you would do, Just Once is an exploration of the choices we make when all is lost, and what we need to do to begin again. Just incredible. -- Glory Martin

This review appears in Romantic Intentions Quarterly #4

[Diane Saul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Someone knocks on Frankie’s door late at night demanding to be let in. It is her former husband Charlie. He is the man who cheated on her over 20 years ago and married the woman he cheated with. Charlie has no memory of being divorced from Frankie. He is stuck in the past. He doesn’t recognize Hannah, his current wife. The woman he cheated with.

Two women in love with the same man trying to deal with a difficult situation. After Charlie receives a devastating diagnosis Frankie decides to play along with him and pretend they are still married. She is forced to confront issues she had buried long ago. Hannah is left in the position of an outsider because Charlie has no memory of her. Both women have no choice but to co operate with each other. Along the way they come to understand each other better.

I didn’t care as much for Hannah, she came across as a bit selfish. I understood where she was coming from but didn’t like her choices. This book drew me in from the very first. It is a compelling book about love and forgiveness that will bring a tear to your eyes. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy of this book.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Once is a uniquely different story by Lori Handeland. First I usually read romance, either paranormal or contemporary by her. Second, it has an unusual but captivating fiction plot. It still has her style that draws the reader into the story making them care for the characters and the outcome of the problem.

Boy, does this novel have a whopper of a problem. The description gives away some of the this but really it is only the barest of glimpses into the struggles, unforeseen complications causing the characters to deal not just with the present conditions but the past too.

Fans of Julianne MacLean’s Curve in the Road will want to read Just Once. It will blow you away. Lori Handeland is an accomplished author who has make the leap into thought provoking, what if this happened, women’s fiction.

An ARC of the book was given to me by the publisher through Net Galley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Linda George · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a unique book with a plot unlike any I have read. Twenty-four years after her divorce, Frankie Sicari answers the door to find her ex-husband on her doorstep acting as if he had just returned from a photographic assignment to return home to his wife and daughter who had died months before their divorce. Told in flashbacks and the present day and from the points of view of Frankie, her ex-husband Charley Blackwell and his current wife Hannah, this is a story filled with tragedy, resilience and love. It is a love story unlike any other I have read.

[Kristi Schmitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just Once by Lori Handeland is a heartbreaking book that I just devoured in one afternoon. It’s about a woman named Frankie, who receives a knock on the door one night. It’s her ex-husband, a man who cheated on her and walked out on their marriage 20+ years earlier. He’s been married to the woman he cheated on her with since he left. Frankie wants to slam the door in Charley’s face, until she realized her ex-husband thinks they’re still married and living in the 1980s. He remembers nothing about his current wife and is still madly in love with Frankie.

After a devastating diagnosis, Frankie makes the heart-wrenching decision to play along with the charade that they are still very much in love and married, and this forces her to confront the heartache she thought she overcame years ago.

I thought the book was wonderful and sad, but I REALLY, REALLY hated Charley’s current wife, Hannah. Even though you get a lot of her backstory and learn about her and the tragedy she lives through, I found myself having no compassion for her. I thought she was the most selfish person ever, and my heart just broke for Frankie even more.

If it weren’t for her character, I would probably give this book more stars. As it is though, this book was very well-written and certainly tugged at my heartstrings.

3 out of 5 stars for Just Once by Lori Handeland.

[Sharon Grow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very brilliant and thought-provoking story about a woman who divorced her husband when he cheated on her only to have him return to her twenty years later as if the divorce never happened. Francesca (Frankie) Sicari divorced Charley Blackwell when she found out that he was having an affair. Charley married Hannah and has been with her for the past twenty years. One evening, Frankie gets a phone call from Hannah looking for Charley. She has no idea why Hannah would think that Charley would be with her. Before she can process this strange phone call, Charley shows up trying to use his key to open her door as if it were normal that he would do so. He believes that Frankie is his wife and when Hannah tells him that she is his wife, he thinks that she is a nut case. Hospital tests will reveal that Charley has a mass in his brain and this could be why he has forgotten the past twenty years…his divorce from Frankie…his current wife Hannah…and the fact that the daughter he and Frankie had, Lisa, is dead. A very intriguing plot line. What would you do? Charley is no longer her problem, but can Frankie just walk away? How will Hannah cope with Charley’s medical issues as well as his insistence that he is still married to Frankie? I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

[Lillian Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you get over him again? Frankie has moved on with her life she survived her daughter's tragedy death and the breakdown of her marriage. But she isn't prepared for her ex Charley to walk back into her life. He can't remember his new life with a new wife and now she knows that something is seriously wrong. They find out that he has a tumour and that he will probably die soon. But his new wife Hannah can't handle being around him she already lost someone to illness and she loves her husband too much to watch him fade away. Frankie doesn't know if she can do this, Charley cheated on her and she blamed him for their daughter's death but he needs her now. Charley had a good life, a loving wife and beautiful little girl and he let it all slip away. He made choices that were selfish I think as it always seemed to be about him. Can the two women in his life be able to do this together for Charley? A good read took a lot of strength from both women to look after him. I don't know if I really liked him much as he wanted everything his way. I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley and the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.

[Corissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a copy through bookfunnel and all opinions are my own.

When I found this book I was unsure just how much I would enjoy it. The characters are well developed and explained throughout the journey the plot provides. The plot is immediately catching, set with a husband who returns to his former life in the face of his own medical demise. He returns home, to the wife he knows, except she doesn't belong with him anymore. He chose to leave two decades ago and remarry, but doesn't seem to recall any of this twenty year span of time. All he knows is the love he has for his wife from that time. Not knowing his new wife. This journey through lost love, love being refound, and ultimately loss is captivating. A truly engrossing read for anyone who has experienced loss of love of the passing of a loved one. From start to finish this story took me on an emotional journey one would hope they'd never have to face in reality, but if confronted with such a moment, I hope I could handle it as the two heroines managed. With a daunting grace in the face of hurt and loss, and with a love so deep you only want to see the other happy, no matter the pain you must endear.

[Wanda Cone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read this year.

I have been a fan of this author for a long time. Mostly her paranormal stories. But this book. This book touched my heart and my emotions on so many levels.
Her characters were relatable, believable, so real. Of course I had to cry. The story itself was a journey, the past to present path she took was a great way to tell it.
I was hooked from the beginning and read straight through,I couldn’t put it down.
Lori Handeland you did really well.

[Linda Beilstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: I received this as an ARC.

Being divorced myself, the premise of this book intrigued me. Frankie Sicari is wakened in the middle of the night by her ex-husband pounding at her door. When she finally opens the door, he comes in and acts just like they are still married. Seems he has lost the last 20 some odd years since they were divorced and he thinks he still lives there and they are still married. Wow, how do you handle that one? In the early years after my divorce, I wondered what I would do if my ex wanted to come back and get back together. I never even thought about what I would do if he “forgot” we were divorced and came back and thought everything was the same as before. When Wife # 2 shows up (the one who broke up their marriage and who he now has no memory of) things really got complicated. I just had to keep reading. A whole range of emotions came up as I was reading the rest of the story. Anger, sympathy, shock to name a few. If you like a book that keeps you amazed as you go along, I would definitely recommend this book. I loved it!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Described as contemporary women’s fiction, reading this book made a change from reading the usual type of romance or psychological thriller.
It was a fairly emotional read centred round the frailties of a former married couple reunited after many years when he is diagnosed with a brain tumour but who has lost the memories of the intervening years and thinks they are still married.
The relationship between the present wife and the former wife was described really well and was also very moving in their way each of their feelings past and present were explored.
A very enjoyable, different type of book that I would recommend.
4.5 stars

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do two ladies who loved the same man come together to do what is best for all?
Two strong women who are both in love with Charley need to deal with his impending death. Frankie was married to him until they they suffered a tragic loss and divorced.
Hannah is currently married to Charley. He helped her pick up the pieces following the devastating demise of her twin brother.
Charley is in desperate need of help. The only person he wants is Frankie aka Fancy. How did he forget that he has not been her husband for twenty years? How can he not recognize Hannah after all these years of marriage?
A novel of forgiveness, survival, love and resilience that I read in two days!

[Dianne Biscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me back to the city that I grew up in during the 1970's forward and that alone drew me into the story. I vividly recall when the AIDS fear started and how it affected many folks (I was an RN at the time). I could feel each character's anger, hurt and betrayal and finally healing of individual issues as the story progressed. It does jump back & forth from present time to the past to give us all the info we need to understand the background of each person. Many parts truly tug at the heart and I thoroughly enjoyed the gift of this book!