Francesca "Frankie" (Or Fancy as Charley calls her) Sicari has lived on her terms for the last twenty plus years; she is working, she is happy, and at long last she is fulfilled by her life. One night, however, a knock on the door disturbs her reverie and upon opening it, she sees her ex-husband, Charley Blackwell, a famous photographer who won numerous Pulitzers, on her doorstep. Upon seeing her, he begins to act as if she is his wife when in fact they divorced twenty some years ago upon their daughter's death and discovery that Charley has been having an affair with a younger woman, whom he shortly married. Why is Charley not able to remember the last twenty years nor his current wife, Hannah? Why does he think his daughter is still alive and what will Francesca and Hannah do when the two are forced to team up to make sure Charley is in comfort, and the time for reckoning has come?

JUST ONCE by Lori Handeland is a superbly written tale that dares to ask what one would do if their ex came back into the lives and is dying; and it's a difficult question to answer. In addition to dealing with the scenario of a dying ex, Lori Handeland tackles the costs of selfishness, death, PTSD and the Vietnam War which accrued more live casualties than dead, will ultimately pay. It's a testament to Lori Handeland's skills of how well each character was sketched and drawn in this tale, creating an intricate spider's web around the reader's heart.

Charley is a character that any sane reader will detest and unfortunately very little is redeemable about him as years move on; he is selfish, unreliable and is drawn more to darkness than light. He puts his career way above his life and his family and will do whatever he can to get ahead. He seems to enjoy using photography as a weapon to break people's minds and to change the world, and often looks down upon non-tragedy photography as drivel.

Where JUST ONCE really shone is portraying the two women who stood by Charley's side throughout the years: Francesca "Frankie" and Hannah. Francesca is also a photographer, but unlike Charley, she loves beauty and wants people to heal from it. She understands and accomodates Charley's needs and always puts him in the first place, trying her best not to get in his way. However, upon the death of their only child, she tries to take care of her own needs for a change with disastrous consequences. Hannah is the second wife and had a twin brother who died in tragic circumstances. She is wealthy, take-charge and extremely devoted to those she loves. She, like Frankie, understands Charlie all too well and is willing to put up with him. What will happen when Frankie and Hannah are forced to work and be together to help protect Charley from himself? Can they put their rivalry behind them and become friends, if only temporary?

For readers looking for a tale that focuses on women's friendship, or that is reminiscent of THE HALF WIVES by Stacia Pelletier and has a memorable if extremely flawed male character, JUST ONCE by Lori Handeland should be on top of the to be read list.

Book Summary

What do you do when you are forgotten by the man you’ve loved for twenty years? What do you do if you are the one who is remembered?

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?

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Author Note

Dear Reader,

I'm so excited to announce my debut women's fiction novel, JUST ONCE. This is a book I've spent years thinking about, the book I just had to write.

Spanning over four decades and sweeping from Vietnam, to Washington DC during the AIDS crisis and on to the present day, JUST ONCE tells the story of two women who love one man and how they come together when he needs them the most.

JUST ONCE is a novel of love, betrayal and forgiveness. It asks the questions: What would you if you were forgotten after 20 years? What would you do if you are the one who is remembered?

Please come along with me on this journey that has not only taught me so much but given me even more.