Twice in a Lifetime

by Briana J Newstead, Connor Swindells (Narrator), Shalom Brune-Franklin (Narrator)

Narrated by Connor Swindells (Sex Education) and Shalom Brune-Franklin (Baby Reindeer) comes a heart-wrenching story of love and loss from debut author, Briana J Newstead.

Two hearts scarred by loss. One unexpected love that could heal them both.

Jo Savvides hasn't touched a guitar since the tragic accident five years ago that left her reeling with survivor's guilt.

Caleb Evans carries a heartbreak so deep he's vowed never to fall in love again.

When fate brings them together on a world concert tour, neither is prepared for what follows.

Caleb runs a tight ship as the workaholic tour manager. There isn't room in his life—or his business—for Jo's impulsive nature. But when their guitarist drops out mid-tour and Jo is the only one who can keep the rhythm of the band, an unexpected bond is forged.

With Caleb's steady support, Jo slowly rediscovers her talent and begins to feel alive for the first time in years. Yet while Caleb can start to hear the music of his heart, he doesn't want to listen—he knows how this song ends.

As these two begin to fall for each other, they must decide whether they're brave enough to accept their connection. Because allowing someone in means letting go of the past.

Set against the backdrop of a European summer, Twice in a Lifetime is a deeply moving testament to the healing power of love and music, and the courage it takes to choose life after loss.

Genres: Romance, Emotional, Slow Burn

Audible Audio

Published September 11, 2025

About the author

Briana J. Newstead is an Australian author living in London. She writes emotional, character-driven love stories with a quiet focus on timing, identity, and the small moments that can alter a life. Originally from Melbourne, she moved to the UK at nineteen, and her fiction draws on her love of music and travel. Her debut novel, Twice in a Lifetime, explores the enduring pull of first love and the courage it takes to begin again.

Reviews

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟

An audible original that was a hit! There is singing, but it fit the story and was actually really nice!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really precious. I loved it. The backstories, the tension, the friendships…adorable…briefly spicy.

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely, poignant debut! This story is heart-swooping, heartrending, and healing in equal measures. The slow-burn romance is impeccable, with the tension growing as taut as guitar strings. The travel is a vivid escape that immerses you like music. And, in fact, the power of music lies at the heart of this novel, along with the power of love.

The audio narrators are also wonderful, and do justice to Newstead's beautiful, nuanced prose and three-dimensional characters. And it was a treat for listeners to experience a snippet of real music toward the end, bringing the lyrics to life!

My only complaint is that when I tried to listen to this with a 30-minute timer before going to bed, I COULD NOT fall asleep. I kept extending the timer multiple times because the story was too engaging, and I ended up staying awake until like 2 a.m.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had great potential and yet, I did not like it. I did listen to this in the car on a trip and found myself tuning it out. It has a lot of repetition in it, if it had not repeated things over and over it would have been easier to like, but it made it too long and boring. It really was a great idea gone flat.

[Christina Boirie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a book that makes you smile! Heartfelt and far from spicy but just super deep and meaningful. Enjoyed it

[Speedy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved loved this book, the characters chemistry was off the charts. Will definitely be looking out of more books written by this author.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible love story, full of past tragedies, personal growth and healing, and heart-wrenching emotions set against the gorgeous backdrop of a European concert tour. The author's gorgeous words are brought to life by two wonderful narrators and the original song? Utter perfection. This was a treat from start to finish!

[lyd☼ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this story simply made my smile!! it tugged on my heart strings in all the right ways - slow burn, frenemies to lovers, second chance romance.. it was done beautifully. loved it!

[C.B. London · Rating 5 out of 5]

This shining debut from Briana J Newstead resonates with deeply emotional themes of learning to live again after loss, and healing through connection. Her immersive storytelling and beautiful character development take the reader on an epic journey with Caleb and Jo, both dealing with hidden wounds, and both drawn to helping the other. With no shortage of light-hearted moments, this character-driven story will pluck at your heartstrings and pull you under in the very best way, leaving you with joy, hope, and with a reaffirmed belief in the power of love. I can’t wait for more from this promising new author!

[Katie Given · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was heavy and sweet. Two people who'd lost themselves in grief after loss help each other find their way back to themselves.

It would be so nice to have Crete as a backup plan when I get sick of life. 🤣

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible debut! Twice in a Lifetime was such a refreshing read in the romance genre. The characters were flawed but deeply relatable, and the romance unfolded at a snappy & steady pace that was so immersive I couldn’t put the book down until I finished it. Themes of grief and displacement from home were conveyed with such sophistication -- Jo’s guardedness and eventual ability to open up to Caleb, along with Caleb’s acceptance of his past and his ability to move forward, genuinely brought me to tears at the end. I also loved the insights into the music industry, the backdrop of the tour, and the way music was woven in as an essential part of the characters’ healing process. I can’t wait to see what Briana writes next!

[Erin Aledo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story with beautiful love. I truly enjoyed both Caleb and Jo. They were flawed and relatable and lovable.

[Christine Letizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice in a Lifetime was a romantic adventure I didn't want to end. Newstead gives us insight into the world of touring musicians in this beautiful romance between a tour manager and a lost musician who are both scarred by grief.

Caleb and Jo give us an intimate view of the challenges of surviving loss and having to live as a survivor. Both of their stories wend their way into your heart and their journey across Europe and toward each other was so inspiring and moving.

I haven't listened to an audio book in a few years, but this book is a wonderful one to experience off the page. The narrators were perfectly cast. Their voices seem to cherish and give life to Newstead's impeccable prose. And the song at the end was a lovely bonus.

Twice in a Lifetime was a delectable treat of a story. I looked forward to listening every day, not wanting the book to end. Highly recommend this for both romance and music lovers!

[Christie Curry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes great love does come around twice in a lifetime.

What a stunning debut from Briana J. Newstead. This epic, character-driven love story will destroy your heart before Newstead expertly puts it back together. Jo and Caleb have deep wounds from past trauma, along with impenetrable walls of armor, but slowly, they begin to chip away at each other's defenses and heal themselves in the process. On top of this beautiful love story, the writing is breathtakingly lyrical. Newstead immerses the reader in the midst of a European concert tour, with vivid descriptions at every turn. And thanks to the magic of Audible Originals, we get to hear the music. This love story was truly brilliant and I cannot wait to see what Briana does next.

[Klarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was definitely one of the better Audible Original books I've listened to.
I appreciated that it was a romance with a little more depth and even length. I'm a sucker for the cliche romances and this one still follows, but it didn't feel quite the same to me. maybe part of that was the length (11 hours vs. 6-7 for most of them)
I also like the characters and their chemistry a lot. and for a first novel, I thought this was very well done!

Spice level - I say steamy rather than spicy. one scene that is semi-explicit.
language - several F-words and other langage but did not feel overwhelming

[Gracie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something I particularly loved about Twice in a Lifetime was that music is at the very heart of it. Right beside the messy, deep, emotional character dynamics and edge-of-my-seat will they or won't they tension is a beautifully written exploration of rediscovering a passion for music and what music means to the characters involved. The book unfolds like the best song or album and is the kind of story that you will feel deep in your bones.

[Laura · Rating 1 out of 5]

The MLI doesn't deserve happiness and needs therapy. The FLI needed better friends. Also what happened to the brother/sister relationship that was somehow shifted after the incident? This was the only love story that I was horrified to see play out and was hoping they'd break up. The MLI never apologized for his actions even though he knew he was being awful, the closet we got was "do you forgive me?" Bruh what?

[M. J. Hastings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, sexy…I can’t say enough wonderful things about Twice In A Lifetime. Briana is such a talented writer: her prose is lyrical, her characters feel like friends, and the story stays with you long after the book ends. I’m officially a fan girl and can’t wait to see what she writes next!

[Hilary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5- I didn’t love this but it was decent. A heavy story about grief that overtakes life. I think I wanted more lighthearted and this was just really heavy a lot of the time which wasn’t doing it for me. I didn’t really care for the romance and am not sure I believed it but the grief plot and themes were strong and poignant

[Maggie Eckersley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous debut telling a story of two broken people finding the meaning of life again and helping each other heal. It's not just a love story but one of overcoming the fears as the emotional scars take much longer to heal than the physical ones. Would highly recommend, loved every minute of it.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twice in a Lifetime is a beautiful and moving book. Briana has a way of writing that just pulls you in and makes you feel every emotion right along with the characters. It's more than a love story, it's also about healing and finding yourself again. I loved it.

[Hannah Crosbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing debut novel. The pain suffered by the main characters is palpable. However, the healing nature of both their relationship and the music, and the mellifluous manner in which Newstead describes both, beautifully transcends this pain.

Beautifully done.

[Jodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable enemies to lovers story. Too many similies, too much repetition of annoying phrases - he ran his hands through his hair, she bit her lip and tucked her hair behind her ear, he noticed her laughs and smiles, she had green gold eyes. An easy listen but not great writing.

[Sami Danley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really sweet romance. Enemies to lovers with a grief twist. I loved that liking each other took time. I'm glad this novel didn't end when they first get together with a happily ever after. The way it actually ended was highly satisfying.

[Rhonda Sherratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
I really liked it but it’s obviously a fun-light read, nothing deep and heavy. I didn’t like how long it took to discover both main characters ‘secrets’. The end was super cute. Just an easy read. The romance was there but nothing spicy.

[Mikayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. The last chapter was my favorite, probably because it had such a different experience of Jo singing that reading a book can't offer. Other than that, the book was pretty slow and there wasn't much development.

[Mrs N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just a whirlwind of all emotions. Such a powerful storyline beautifully told and in a unique style that had me blown away ! Please please make sure you put this on your list it’s brilliant !

[Irena Rožić · Rating 5 out of 5]

really nice book

[Charlotte E. Hicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, and it was well written. I didn't get attached to the characters the way I wanted to and thought I would, though, which was a bit of a bummer. Solid first book for this author.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 bumped up to a 4 star. Cute, a little sad, note they talk about the loss of loved ones, and a little relatable for me. Time has a way of moving on