This novel draws at the heartstrings as it involves love in its infancy between an older man and a much younger woman.  As the relationship evolves, the eventual outcome is not known, going through several labyrinthine twists and turns throughout.

Daniel Caldwell, in his mid-fifties, wealthy, is a retired university professor.  He is divorced with two grown children and living alone in a log cabin on South Long Lake outside of St. Paul.  Eventually he becomes lonely and joins an online chat where he meets Brittany, a thirty something recovering alcoholic working for minimum wage in a grocery store checkout in Kansas City.  Although Daniel is not looking for love at this stage in his life, he is nonetheless taken in by her charm and intelligence.  Though nothing more than friendship is ever expressed when they write each other, he finds himself falling in love.  Realizing the potential challenges, distance and age difference being the utmost, Daniel decides to stop communicating with her before he is totally overcome.  However, as he says goodbye, he writes, “I love you.”  This sets into motion a series of events whereupon he invites her to visit.  She can stay as long as she wants, they can travel, and do whatever at no cost to her.  Though reluctant, she decides in favor fearing that she is falling back into alcoholism.  He promises a platonic relationship, with the possibility of a long-term loving union though she is free to leave whenever she wants.

There is also a strong emphasis on family, the importance of support and loyalty.  Daniel’s family, his ex-wife Maggie and her new husband Ross become important characters in the book and perhaps the most stable.  Maggie and Daniel have two children, Elizabeth and Tom who are subject to a series of trials and tribulations.  Elizabeth and her husband Gary have a young child, Nicholas. Gary is caught cheating and the two separate. The lawyers, hoping to avoid a divorce, allow for a reconciliation to take place with Gary promising to address his philandering and drinking at which he struggles.  Tom has troubles of his own, remarkably talented in computer engineering but working in a dead-end job at a car dealership.  He is recently divorced, his wife Tiffany taking full financial advantage of their properties. When her new partner departs, she then turns to Tom, wanting him back.

The real crux of this novel is the suspense.  The events are fast paced, jumping from situation to situation employing foreshadowing techniques to pique interest.  They travel, have fun together, share many things in common, but will they end up united?  Daniel is a complex character, caught up in time and the inevitability of his age.  Often times he finds himself fading, his hands disappearing, his face crazing like old pottery.  Of course, the substantial issue is whether the two main characters will end up united because, although Daniel is heavily invested in Brittany, she is nor certain about her feelings. 

‘One More Time’ appeals to a wide audience, including young adults (20’s) because of characters like Elizabeth and Tom as well as those whom time is tapping on the shoulder as Brittany is in her 30’s.  It also petitions middle-aged readers as Daniel is on his mid-50’s.  The intricacies of romance touch most people; this work, in short, invokes the interest of those who are touched deeply by relationships. The real appeal of this novel, however, is the suspense.  The events are fast paced, jumping from situation to situation employing foreshadowing techniques to pique interest.  They travel, have fun together, share many things in common, but will they end up united? 

Excerpts from ‘One More Time’: In the first one, Brittany, Daniel’s love interest, shares something with him she has never before shared:

“Once when I was a little girl, there was this babysitter – he was the son of one of my father’s friends.  I remember he used to burn me with his cigarettes.  I still have the welts on my back.” She hadn’t spoken to her mother in 10 years, and her dad walked out on the family when she was still a girl.  The only contact she had was with her older sister, and it was casual in nature as she had been on the receiving end of one too many drunken phone calls.  Daniel expressed, of course, shock and dismay which did little to make the memory less vivid.  What was of greater consequence was that she actually voiced those words as if they’d been trapped inside, holding her back.  Brittany began exposing secret parts of herself to this stranger, something no one else, even Frank, had seen.  Their contingent release allowed her some modicum of normalcy, opening a dark door for the first time to the daylight of affirmation.

Here, Brittany contemplates Daniel’s offer to come up and join him:

Brittany’s head was spinning – never before had anyone offered a little spire of heaven with no strings attached.  She at least was being given an opportunity to fly up and out of earth’s atmosphere, to become weightless.  Most didn’t have this chance, would never experience its ecstasy.  She wandered around the apartment lost in thought, weighing the pros and cons.  If it felt too good to be true, then experience dictates it’s not true.  She had enough heartbreaks in her life already, and she hadn’t even seen this person.  Brittany had learned not to trust others at an early age, and this strength got her out of a lot of situations.  However, it also served to dampen the flame of her spirit, to trap her in a purgatory of apprehension, of wandering around looking for a truth she wasn’t convinced even existed.

Finally, Gary, Elizabeth’s estranged husband, is carrying on with one of his romances, Helen. He was supposed to be breaking it off with her so that he could get back with Elizabeth:

All the while he was repeating the same mantra in his head,
“I don’t care what happens, I’m going to tell her.”
This mantra, however, suffered a serious blow when she appeared in a full- length gold designer dress with thousands of sparkles in its embroidery, each one like a tiny rocket aimed at his ability to reason.  Around her neck was draped a stole, he presumed mink, which she later fastened in front of her low-cut gown. As was his wont, Gary focused almost entirely on her bare chest which Helen made abundantly available. Any concern of the chilly night went out the window as she chose not to wear a coat,
“I’ve got to tell her,” The voice becoming more and more nuanced.  As they merged into the hallway, she went right up to him, kissing him full on the lips, not caring in the least if they were being watched. 

On the way to the dining establishment, Gary’s inner voice was mute, so taken was he with the elegance of the woman beside him.  They drank Martinis, she ordering lamb, while he had prime rib.  At one point, she cautioned him,
“Dear, you better watch how many drinks you have.  You’ve gotta drive, and when we get to my place …”  This was followed by a provocative smile, Gary all the while half listening, staring into her cleavage, wondering how many olives it would hold.
“Just think – next week at this time, we’ll be living together for good – no more sneaking around, worrying about your damn divorce.  I think we should make love at least twice a day.”
At this point, Gary nearly choked on his drink,
“You OK, honey?”
“Drink went down the wrong way,” he managed after coughing.

When he recovered, he immediately began to undress her in his mind.  She had this little mole just above her bellybutton, and her right breast was noticeably larger that her left.  However, while looking it over, he decided it was a genetic anomaly he was perfectly content to overlook.  When she undressed for him, she often did this little striptease, turning and bending over right in front of him at its climax … so to speak.  And for a woman of such class, she loved the dirty talk.