Book Review: Maybe One Day by Catherine Bybee

Some stories don’t arrive with fireworks. They arrive quietly, gently, and then stay with you long after the final page.

Maybe One Day is exactly that kind of book — a tender, later-in-life romance that feels earned, honest, and deeply rooted in family.

Book Description

A Caribbean cruise opens a widow’s heart to a love she never expected in a breathtaking novel about second chances by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee.

Mari D’Angelo’s life is complete. Her children are all married. Two grandbabies fill her days, with two more on the way, and her thriving family restaurant is running on autopilot. Not once in the ten years since she’s become a widow has Mari considered another love of her own — until she sets sail on a singles cruise to placate her recently divorced best friend. Then James comes crashing into Mari’s world.

Charming, witty, and with two daughters of his own, James isn’t looking for love either. But Mari is as irresistible as she is beautiful. As their simmering attraction grows, Mari’s resolve to ignore the spark James has ignited slowly breaks away. She promised her beloved late husband she’d find someone new. Maybe that impossible day has come.

Knowing her protective sons would not approve, Mari chooses to keep the romance a secret. After all, there is no reason for her family to know about James if their relationship doesn’t work out. It’s up to James to prove he can be trusted with the heart of a woman he’s come to cherish. But without her family’s approval, their love doesn’t stand a chance.

Book Info

Title: Maybe One Day

Author: Catherine Bybee

Series: The D’Angelos #5

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Later-in-Life Romance

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

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Tropes You’ll Find

• Later-in-Life Romance
• Widow Finding Love Again
• Second Chance at Love
• Strong Family Bonds
• Slow-Burn Romance
• Protective Adult Children
• Found Family & Community

My Review

This is Mari D’Angelo’s story — the matriarch we’ve known through her children’s romances, always holding the family together, always putting everyone else first. At fifty-five, Mari’s life is full, but it’s also carefully contained.

Ten years after losing her husband Paulo, she isn’t lonely so much as settled. And yet, there’s a quiet ache beneath the routine — the sense that a promise made long ago has been gently ignored rather than broken.

One line early in the book stayed with me: “Maybe one day. Many years from now.” Mari has lived those many years, and the weight of that realization shapes everything she does.

James enters her life without force or pressure. Their connection grows through conversation, shared experiences, and a mutual understanding of love after loss. James’s patience is one of the most attractive qualities in this story — he doesn’t try to fix Mari or rush her healing. He simply shows up.

Family, of course, is at the heart of this book. Mari’s children are fiercely protective, and their reactions feel real and earned. This isn’t manufactured drama — it’s what happens when roles shift and a mother dares to reclaim part of herself.

There are moments of humor, warmth, and deep tenderness — especially in the small details: shared meals, Italian comfort food, and the simple act of caring for someone when they’re unwell. Those scenes made the story feel lived-in and personal.

Maybe One Day is a reminder that love doesn’t expire with age. Sometimes it simply waits until we’re brave enough to choose it again.

A small detail that stayed with me was the mention of pastina — the kind of simple, nourishing food that shows up in families where care is expressed quietly and often through the kitchen. It’s always been my go-to when I’m not feeling well or when the world feels a little heavy. That moment felt less like a plot detail and more like a familiar act of love, a reminder that comfort, heritage, and healing are often carried in the simplest things.

Final Thoughts

Maybe One Day isn’t just a romance — it’s a meditation on grief, loyalty, family, and the courage it takes to choose joy again. Catherine Bybee reminds us that love doesn’t lose its magic with age. If anything, it gains depth, patience, and clarity.

One line in particular stayed with me: “Sometimes we argue. Sometimes we need to be louder to be heard. But it’s always with love.” As someone who’s half Italian, that sentiment felt deeply familiar. In my world, loud was never about anger — it was about being present, engaged, and making space for every voice at the table. That kind of noise is love lived out loud, and it’s woven beautifully through the D’Angelo family.

This was the perfect farewell to the D’Angelos — warm, emotional, and deeply satisfying. If you’ve followed this series from the beginning, Mari’s story feels like coming full circle. And if this is your first visit with this family, you’ll still walk away feeling like you belong.

This was the perfect farewell to the D’Angelo family — warm, reflective, and emotionally satisfying. If you’ve followed this series from the beginning, Mari’s story feels like coming full circle. And if this is your first D’Angelo book, you’ll still finish it feeling like part of the family.

About the Author

Catherine Bybee is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of forty-five novels that have collectively sold more than eleven million copies and have been translated into more than twenty languages.

Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms.

She now writes full-time and is the author of the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, the D’Angelos series, and the First Wives series, among others. For more information, visit www.catherinebybee.com .

Series Progress: The D'Angelos

Book 1: When It Falls Apart ✅

Book 2: Be Your Everything ✅

Book 3: Beginning of Forever ✅

Book 4: The Whole Time ✅

Book 5: Maybe One Day ✅

For readers who aren’t quite ready to say goodbye, you may enjoy my Book Club Pairings for D’Angelos #1–4 .

Want more Catherine Bybee?

You can browse all of my Catherine Bybee reviews here → Catherine Bybee on Forever Book Lover