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Once and Again by Rebecca Serle

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Once and Again

Narrator
Julia Whelan
Publisher
Quercus
Publish Date
10 March 2026
Run Time
6 hours 50 minutes
Format
Audiobook

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What to expect

'Rebecca Serle is a maestro of love in all its forms' GABRIELLE ZEVIN

The women of the Novak family were each born with a gift: they can, just once, turn back time.

Lauren has known since she was fifteen that her mother Marcella saved Lauren's father from a deadly car accident. Ever since, her power spent, Marcella has lived in fear of what she won't be able to reverse. Her own mother, Sylvia, is her polar opposite: a free-spirited iconoclast with a glamorous past she only hints at. Lauren has spent her life between these two role models - and waiting for her own catastrophe to strike.

Then one summer, Lauren's husband takes a job in New York and she moves back into her childhood home on the shores of Malibu. Lauren looks forward to surfing with her dad again and perhaps repairing an unspoken fracture in her relationship with her mother. What she doesn't expect is for the boy next door to return home as well: Stone, Lauren's first love, who broke her heart nearly a decade before.

As Lauren falls into familiar patterns, with her family and, more dangerously, Stone, she finds herself thinking about all the choices, large and small, that have brought her to this moment. And wondering, finally, if one of them should be undone.

'Brilliant, original, and sure to leave you shoving a copy into someone's hands so you can talk about it' JODI PICOULT, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

READERS LOVE REBECCA SERLE

'I was hooked from the start' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'So beautiful' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Unexpected but amazing' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Beautiful and devastating' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An emotional rollercoaster' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I couldn't put it down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Moving, thought-provoking and compelling' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Critics Review

  • Every now and then I read a novel that makes me jealous, because the author has come up with a concept so breathtakingly unique and has executed it so cleverly that I am angry I didn't think of it first. ONCE AND AGAIN is one of those books: brilliant, original, and sure to leave you shoving a copy into someone's hands so you can talk about it

    Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

  • Once and Again is a tender and achingly romantic story about first love, second chances, and those moments we all have where we wonder 'what if?' Evocative and escapist, this beautiful novel about family, connection, and the choices that make us who we are will transport and enthral you from the first page to the last

    Holly Miller

  • This imaginative and compelling tale of marriage, motherhood and second chances had me turning pages into the wee hours of the morning. Rebecca Serle is a master storyteller-and this is her best one yet

    Colleen Oakley, author of JANE AND DAN AT THE END OF THE WORLD

  • A brilliantly original concept, made all the better with characters you can't help but fall in love with. A gorgeous love story about second chances and staying true to yourself, perfect for anyone who has ever wished they could change just one thing in their past . . .

    Emily Stone

See more reviews
  • A magical and deeply captivating novel full of what ifs. I read it in a day and absolutely adored it. What a belter!

    Emma Cooper

  • Once and again, Rebecca is bringing the magic to your TBR list

    E! News

  • Serle's ability to ask questions about the truths behind our relationships and decisions is unparalleled

    Booklist

  • [A] poignant reflection on the price of a person's decisions, and how far someone will go to save the ones they love...Deeply and surprisingly moving

    Kirkus Reviews

  • PRAISE FOR REBECCA SERLE: 'Heart-breaking yet uplifting'

    Heat

  • Clever, beautiful, special

    Beth O'Leary on IN FIVE YEARS

  • Startlingly fresh and utterly original

    Holly Miller on ONE ITALIAN SUMMER

  • Rebecca Serle is a maestro of love in all its forms

    Gabrielle Zevin on ONE ITALIAN SUMMER

  • Serle has a knack for writing beautiful stories that speak to the anxiety of forging a new road for oneself, of being brave enough to start all over

    Bustle on EXPIRATION DATES

User Reviews

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Details

Author
Rebecca Serle
Narrator
Julia Whelan
Duration
6 hours 50 minutes
Release Date
10 March 2026
ISBN
9781529450255
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Quercus
Genre
Speculative fiction, Romance, Magical realism

Synopsis

'Rebecca Serle is a maestro of love in all its forms' GABRIELLE ZEVINThe women of the Novak family were each born with a gift: they can, just once, turn back time.Lauren has known since she was fifteen that her mother Marcella saved Lauren's father from a deadly car accident. Ever since, her power spent, Marcella has lived in fear of what she won't be able to reverse. Her own mother, Sylvia, is her polar opposite: a free-spirited iconoclast with a glamorous past she only hints at. Lauren has spent her life between these two role models - and waiting for her own catastrophe to strike.Then one summer, Lauren's husband takes a job in New York and she moves back into her childhood home on the shores of Malibu. Lauren looks forward to surfing with her dad again and perhaps repairing an unspoken fracture in her relationship with her mother. What she doesn't expect is for the boy next door to return home as well: Stone, Lauren's first love, who broke her heart nearly a decade before.As Lauren falls into familiar patterns, with her family and, more dangerously, Stone, she finds herself thinking about all the choices, large and small, that have brought her to this moment. And wondering, finally, if one of them should be undone.'Brilliant, original, and sure to leave you shoving a copy into someone's hands so you can talk about it' JODI PICOULT, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORREADERS LOVE REBECCA SERLE'I was hooked from the start' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'So beautiful' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Unexpected but amazing' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Beautiful and devastating' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'An emotional rollercoaster' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I couldn't put it down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Moving, thought-provoking and compelling' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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