A widow on the brink of enormous change. A shock of a lifetime that nearly tears a family in two. And an old man who, as it turns out, isn't done living quite yet -- not by a long shot.
Charlotte Hamner lost her beloved husband Jason three years ago. His death nearly destroyed her -- but with the help of her dearest sisters and cousins in the Montgomery and Sheridan clans, she was able to find hope once more, one day at a time, and ultimately build her wedding planning business back to new heights.
Against all odds, she found love again with the dashing photographer, Everett.
It's September, the tail-end of a glorious summer on Martha's Vineyard. Everett gets a once in a lifetime opportunity to work on an island in the northwest, near his family who live in Seattle.
Charlotte is terrified to tell him not to go. How can she stand between this wonderful man and his wildest dreams?
Meanwhile, another member of the Montgomery clan meets a tragic end -- one that threatens to destroy them all. So soon after Jason's death, Charlotte realizes she must remain on Martha's Vineyard and carry her family through this difficult path. She cannot abandon them.
Uncle Wes Sheridan was diagnosed with dementia several years back and has steadily declined. With his daughters and loved ones back on the island with him, however, his spirit is brighter than ever. A remarkable meeting with Beatrice, Tommy Gasbarro's great aunt, ignites something inside of him -- something that demands far more of him than he even knew he still had. Perhaps love is still possible, after all.
Dive into the fourteenth book of the Vineyard Sunset Series, where a vibrant cast of characters live out their dreams on Martha's Vineyard. This is the story of the Sheridan and Montgomery sisters, a heartwarming journey of friendship, loss, and love that will have you wanting the next book.
Katie writes women's fiction and clean, wholesome contemporary romance. She looks to everyday, real-life family issues to weave stories of heartfelt emotions, love and loss, and everything in between.
Come transport yourself to Martha's Vineyard: an island of vivid blue ocean, white sand, and a lively community of locals, who celebrate everything from the bright New England summers to the cold, yet cozy, snowcapped winters.
Once in a Lifetime is a book of contrasts - both happy and downhearted events. I really find the focus on people of all ages appealing. The love stories are really beautiful and love isn't always easy in Winters' books. Often one has to conquer personal fears and shortcomings and biases to find love. What I also like about this book is the deft unveiling of the story line and unexpected plot lines. I loved this book.
Once in a Lifetime by Katie Winters Vineyard Sunset #14 196-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Featuring: Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts; Wedding Planning, Wedding Season, Orcas Island, San Juan County, Washington; Widow, Siblings, Cousins, Drama, Bridezilla, Teens, Text Graphics, Dementia, Death, Change & Growth Trope
Rating as a movie: PG-13
Songs for the soundtrack: "Pachelbel's Canon" by Johann Pachelbel, "Just the Two of Us" by Grover Washington, Jr. Featuring Bill Withers, "(They Long to Be) Close to You" by Carpenters, "Top of the World" by Carpenters, "Take It Easy" by Eagles, "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel, "Old Friends" by Simon & Garfunkel, "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️🪦🏝
My thoughts: 🔖Page 40 of 196 Chapter Six - So we're back with the Montgomerys and the focus is Charlotte. It's obvious what's going to happen but I wish she'd think less and communicate more. 🔖148 Chapter Seventeen - This book has gotten too depressing for it to be the last thing I read before bed.
I felt the way the L was taken out to be distasteful, it was abrupt, emotionless, and unnecessary. Because of this I feared for Wes and had to take a major break. The story was better when I returned besides the usual questionable word choices. This felt 2-star zone for me but after I finished it wasn't the story but the context and handling I had issues with so I amended my 2½ to 3 stars and let the mourning I had to endure go. I was considering ending this series here, but maybe becoming emotionally invested, even if it's for lack thereof is a good sign. I'm going to wait a couple of books before starting A Vineyard Spring.
Recommend to others: Maybe. I think this is one of the better ones but I'm also still mad at it.
Vineyard Sunset 1. The Sunrise Cove Inn (2020) 2. Firefly Nights (2020) 3. August Sunsets (2020) 4. A Vineyard Thanksgiving (2020) 5. A Vineyard White Christmas (2020) 6. A Vineyard Vow (2021) 7. A Vineyard Lullaby (2021) 8. A Vineyard Wedding (2021) 9. A Vineyard Rebirth (2021) 10. A Vineyard Blessing (2021) 11. A Vineyard Christmas Guest (2021) 12. A Vineyard Blizzard (2022) 13. The Vineyard Bride (2022) 14. Once in a Lifetime (2022) 15. A Vineyard Spring (2023) 16. A Vineyard Love (2023) 17. A Vineyard Tide (2023) 18. Vineyard Winds (2024)
Once In a Lifetime is by Katie Winters. This is book is book 14 in the series. It is about Charlotte and Emmet. Charlotte is the wedding planner who has a daughter who is a senior in high school. She has finally met Emmet and they bought a house together and live there with Rachel. Emmet doesn’t take the place of her husband or Rachel’s father; but has his own place in their lives. Emmet is a photographer and a writer. He really wants to break into writing and photographing for articles by himself. He has a chance now to go to Orcas Island in Oregon. He wants Charlotte to go with him for two weeks so she can relax. Finally, she decides to go with him. Will this be chance to break free of Martha’s Vineyard or will it break them up?
Be still my heart! Katie Winters has done it again…gifted us with a beautiful and heartfelt story that definitely requires tissues for you to complete. It makes my heart hurt just thinking about it! Be prepared for an amazing read…❤️
The storyline is really very good; the characters developed fully; the plot twists and turns will take your breath away; and the HEA will cause you to smile through your tears. Don’t let this one get away—it’s definitely a keeper! (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book and absolutely loved it!) ❤️❤️❤️
This was such a perfect story - combined Charlotte and Wes both moving forward with their lives. I thought that the Charlotte/Everett story really showed how much they love each other - willing to make big changes in order to stay together and be happy. I also loved that Katie Winters featured Wes Sheridan a bit - he's such a big part of the stories but he's always in the background - so having him be interested in someone was so lovely. Can't wait to see how that story line progresses going forward. As always - great story!
Changes are in store for the Sheridan and Montgomery families. Wes Sheridan seems to be falling for Beatrice but wonders how his dementia fits into the relationship. Charlotte Montgomery Hamner is working to make her wedding planner business a success while single handedly raising her daughter approaches her senior year
Tragedy strikes and the Montgomery siblings come together to support each other in times of tragedy
The families learn love is always easy but they stick together
Thank you to the author for this ARC. This review is my honest opinion.
A*R*C for honest review with no compensation 4.5 stars
Once in a Lifetime is book 14 in the Vineyard Sunset series by Katie Winters another great addition to this series.
Finding love on a second go around, teenage high school drama, loss, romance, bridezillas, job of a lifetime, friendships, family, and so much more rolled into this story…Ms. Winters never fails to take you on a journey with her cast of characters! Can’t wait to see where we go from here…
Love this series and the characters in this series. Charlotte is a cousin and is a widow after Jason's death and it has been just the two of them since until she meets Everett. Charlotte is a wedding planner and Everett is a photographer. They get engaged on the Orcus Islands where he is doing interviews and photographs which lands him a job there.There will be one on each coast. Can they make it work?? Read and see.
A wonderfully written heartwarming story of the Martha’s Vineyard family. Wes still struggles with his dementia, but may have found someone special to share his time with. Charlotte and Everett continue their journey together. An unexpected loss brings the family closer and teenage drama is alive and well on the island.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The Montgomery/Sheridan family continues their journey through hardships to joy. It warms the heart to be acquainted with these characters. It reminds us, we can and do move forward after trials and heartache. *What I did not like- the name of the book - it seems inappropriate to me, I would think 'Once in a Lifetime, Again' would be more fitting.
Charlotte and Everett started out slow because of everything that had happened to Charlotte. Finally things started falling into place, Everett proposed, Charlotte's company was blooming and then it wasn't life happened. Read and see how their love grows during this time. Teens, middle age and older will love this book.
Once in a Lifetime was an amazing book. There was new and old love in the air. But, sadly, there was also a tragedy. This book makes a person realize how important it is to live in the moment because you don't know if there will be another moment. For one person, there were no more moments, but for others, there were new ones to be made. Katie Winters had done it again.
Another great story about life! Corny at times, but you can not wait to get ack to reading to see what is going to happen to her characters! Tough decisions made by characters!
I read this series a number of years ago but thought I had read them all. Well, at that time, Once in a Lifetime was the last book in the series. Now I see I missed a number of new books in the Vineyard Sunset series. So I reread this one to get back into the story. After rereading book 14 it made me excited to read the next books in the series. Katie Winters is an excellent story teller and this story is mainly about Charlotte who is a famous wedding planner of the Montgomery/Sheridan clan. In this book Charlotte and her 17 yr. old daughter Rachel take on the absolute worst bridezilla of the century, which turned out to be an understatement. All the members of the family that are in the earlier books have roles to play in this book also. Wes Sheridan, Charlotte's Uncle who at 69 is battling dementia. Wes has made a really dear friend with Beatrice and is falling in love but there are complications. The Love story between Charlotte and Everett is really heating up as is his writing career. There is a great loss in the family and much much more. I am anxious to get started on the next book in the series. Once in a Lifetime was well worth a second read!