Tag: second chance romance

Book Review: Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Annabel Monaghan
Publisher: G.P. Putnam
Release Date: June 6th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The ultimate summer nostalgia read, about an engaged woman who comes face to face with her first love who she hasn’t seen in fourteen years, but who she spent every summer with from age five to seventeen when he broke her heart, calling into question everything she thought she knew about their love story, and herself.

Beach Rules:
Do take long walks on the sand.
Do put an umbrella in every cocktail.
Do NOT run into your first love.

Sam’s life is on track. She has the perfect doctor fiancé, Jack (his strict routines are a good thing, really), a great job in Manhattan (unless they fire her), and is about to tour a wedding venue near her family’s Long Island beach house. Everything should go to plan, yet the minute she arrives, Sam senses something is off. Wyatt is here. Her Wyatt. But there’s no reason for a thirty-year-old engaged woman to feel panicked around the guy who broke her heart when she was seventeen. Right?

Yet being back at this beach, hearing notes from Wyatt’s guitar float across the night air from next door as if no time has passed—Sam’s memories come flooding back: the feel of Wyatt’s skin on hers, their nights in the treehouse, and the truth behind their split. Sam remembers who she used to be, and as Wyatt reenters her life their connection is as undeniable as it always was. She will have to make a choice.

LOVED.

This is my new favorite from Annabel Monaghan! Great second chance romance, I FELT the angst and the chapters in the past were gosh dang sweet and heart breaking.

Often with second chance I feel like I need the reason for the original break-up to make sense. And this one did!! It still hurt my heart, but with all of things surrounding why there was a breakdown, it worked well and I loved seeing Sam and Wyatt work towards a resolution. I love a first love reconnection.

I loved the setting, this really is a great book for summer. It’s fast paced (and short, the audio was 7 hours), brings the feels and a little bit of heat. There were a lot of sweet moments and good conversations, I wish the other guy would have been gone sooner though!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating (parents, recounted)

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Book Review: 50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover (Bower Boys #1) by Kelly Siskind

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 331 pages
Author: Kelly Siskind
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: September 6th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From Kelly Siskind comes a slow-burn romantic comedy about one man’s creative attempt to win back his high school sweetheart after a change in fortune gives them a second chance at love.

Growing up, I had it all—my art, close friends, a gorgeous girlfriend who owned my heart—but then my life exploded.

Turns out my father was laundering money, and my whole family got shoved into witness protection. No notice. No chance to explain. I was ripped away from beautiful, blue-eyed Delilah Moon, shattering both our worlds.

A decade later, fate has given us a second chance.

The cartel my father worked for has been wiped out. I’ve returned to my hometown, determined to win back the love of my life. But Delilah is engaged.

Or…is she?

I’m almost positive she’s lying about her fiancé to protect her heart. Which means I need to up my game.

I’ve made a list of fifty ways to prove we’re meant to be. Except Delilah’s barely looking at me, never mind swooning. I have a feeling my disappearance scarred her more than she’s admitting, and no one in town will tell me what happened…

NOT FOR ME.

The idea was there. I was hopeful, but I just don’t love the way everything shook out in the end.

I LOVE the concept of a MMC only POV. That’s fun, I haven’t read that before. Within all of that was some of this books downfall. It does not work for me to hear over and over “c*ck twitches, bulging pants, etc.”. It feels like unnecessary innuendo that takes me out of the book each and every time. I get the physical attraction aspect, lets add more to the other elements of a relationship too.

The second chance trope worked. I liked the witness protection program back story (once again, haven’t read that before) which made for some interesting angles. I think it would have been cool to have a little more suspense? I guess this was supposed to be wholly romance though so that’s fine.

I liked the audiobook narrator and I did enjoy most aspects of both characters. There is a third act issue that makes me shake my head. Everything was just okay about this (which makes me sad because I LOVED Siskind’s previous series).

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: multiple open; high explicit
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: father in prison, witness protection program, mentions of gang violence, recounted near death injury

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Book Review: Built to Last by Erin Hahn

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Erin Hahn
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Release Date: October 18th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Shelby Springfield has spent the last ten years trying to overcome her past, sanding it away like she does the rough spots on the vintage furniture finds she makes over. But as a former child star, it’s hard to forget a mediocre pop career, a meltdown widely documented by the paparazzi, and a huge public break with her former co-star Lyle Jessup. It’s also hard to forget her other co-star and childhood sweetheart, Cameron Riggs — the one who got away.

Anytime Shelby has called, Cameron has come running… And then he runs right off again to chase stories around the world by making documentaries, too scared to admit what he really wants. But when Lyle stirs the pot, getting the two back in the spotlight with a home renovation show, Cameron can’t help but come on board.

There’s something in it for everyone — almost. Cameron wants to come home and set down some roots. Shelby wants to prove to the world she’s not the messy party girl anymore. And Lyle wants to twist the screws on his two childhood friends who had more chemistry than he could dream of with anyone. Sparks and sawdust fly as Shelby and Cameron film the pilot for “Homemade” and battle Lyle’s shenanigans at every turn.

Erin Hahn’s sparkling rom com debut, Built to Last, is a second chance romance sure to have readers falling in love fast.

Two childhood sweethearts find a second chance at love in this adult romance debut from a critically acclaimed young adult author.

WHAT WAS THE POINT?

I should have listened to my friends, they did not give this good reviews but I still wanted to give it a go. Aaaand I wasted a day for this audiobook.

These were a bunch of lust and hormone filled adults acting like teenagers. The jump from YA to adult really didn’t work for me. I didn’t like that the focus was continually on the physical side of the relationship. It felt bleh and one dimensional. I want to see focus on all sides and really watch the them come together as a true partnership.

And what was with the other ex?? Why was he there?? SO DANG FRUSTRATING. He only caused stupid drama that made me want to throw my book across the room.

The setting with the home flipping show was great. I did enjoy those aspects and had a good time with all of that stuff. I probably could have had enough more of that in here and would have enjoyed the book more.

Yes yes, I’ll read her next book, but dearly hope it’s different.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: multiple open door; high explicit
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: cheating recounted, disordered eating & food shaming recounted, paparazzi harassment

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Book Review: Landin’ in Trouble (Creekville Kisses Too) by Brittany Larsen

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Rating: ★★
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Length: 313 pages
Author: Brittany Larsen
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 6th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One woman is about to ruin everything.

They call me Landon-In-Trouble for a reason. I think it has something to do with my dimples and ability to charm my way out of anything. And if causing a little trouble grabs the attention of a beautiful woman, even better. The spotlight and I are old friends and perfect partners.

That is, until Brynn Foster dances her way into my life and my heart. She’s stunning and everything I never knew I wanted—grounded, down-to-earth, good with kids. She has this ability to see right through my usual crap to the dark secrets beneath. But that’s just the problem–although my charm may have won her over once, it won’t be enough to keep her. She already gave up a career in the spotlight. There’s no way she’s going to compete with my need to still be in it, whether I have dimples or not.

So it’s time for an impossible choice: the life I always craved or the woman who’s unexpectedly stolen my heart.

Landin’ in Trouble is a sweet and sizzling closed-door romcom that will have you laughing out loud. It also includes the sensitive topic of disordered eating. Please be aware should this be a triggering subject for you.

Thank you to the author for a copy of this book!

WARNING.

I firmly stand by the fact that books need trigger warnings and that they should be at the front of the book. This was much heavier and I even found myself triggered by some of the main themes here. I wish I had known prior so that I could have felt more prepared.

I don’t think this couple makes it past the book. I did NOT like the MMC, Landon. He betrayed Brynn’s trust, went behind her back, did not listen when she said no, and thought little of her for “just” being a yoga and pre-school teacher. That in no way made me think they would be good together. That’s a lot of red flags and strikes against him.

It also ended SUPER abruptly. I had to flip the pages back and forth and I’m sure anyone watching me on the treadmill while finishing this probably thought I was making the wildest faces. There needed to have been a longer epilogue that actually fleshed things about between them. They haven’t solved their issues [yet].

I’ve gotta stop myself. I will say I did like Brynn (though her choice in Landon is questionable) and the small town vibes with the meddling grandma were fine too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of multiple miscarriages (side character), disordered eating (recounted and discussed often), themes surrounding weight control

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