Once In A Lifetime

Do we all have a “one and only” the love of our lives? A soulmate? I personally like to think so. I think we have multiple soulmates, maybe only one on a romantic level, but I firmly believe you can have friendship soulmates too. In Nicola Yoon’s “the sun is also a star” I stumbled across a profound quote: “Natasha doesn’t say what she suspects. That meant to be doesn’t have to be forever.” 

In Nicole Vidal’s “My Once In A Lifetime” the concept of meant to be is once again explored. Jake lost his wife, a tragic accident when he was deployed, yet he can’t get past it and move on with his life, because they were “meant to be”. Norah, a serious accountant intent on making partner has given up on romantic relationships and tells herself she is happy with the purely physical relationship she and Jake share. This all changes when Norah discovers a money laundering scheme by a prominent crime family and is forced to call upon Jake and his security company for aid. As Norah stays with Jake, unable to go back home while Jake attempts to neutralize the threat. Their true feelings for each other surface. 

I was sent a complimentary copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only. I was suspecting a romcom, but honestly it was more of a suspense. Vidal holds her secrets close as you traverse through the novel in as much confusion as Norah. Norah’s ability to remain calm and level headed in the face of multiple attempts on her life and extensive threats is incredible. She never panics, she never questions Jake’s instructions to keep her safe. Really, it’s obvious that her “I don’t have time for relationships” didn’t stop her from emotionally investing into the one she had with Jake. Her trust in him is unfailing. Yes, he’s a professional, he knows what he’s doing. But given the same situation I would probably be questioning things and definitely panicking, maybe even regretting having brought the information forward given the events that followed. Norah says multiple times that she doesn’t regret her actions. She followed her morals, and she trusts that Jake will make the world safe for her again. 

They’re so cute, how they think they won’t end up madly in love haha. It just goes to show that when s*** hits the fan, you really do discover who’s in your corner and feelings become clear. 

This novel really reminded me of “the sun is also a star”. As Jake struggles with his feelings for Norah and the deep rooted fear that being happy again is a betrayal of his first wife. I was constantly pulled back into that quote. Meant to be doesn’t have to mean forever. Meant to be could be a day, an hour, a chance encounter. Meant to be doesn’t mean always and forever, no matter how much we want to believe that. Jake and his first wife were meant to be. But so we’re he and Norah, and that is okay. Comforting even, that he is not destined to be alone and hating himself forever.