Second chances!

An engaging story based on the premise of the laws pertaining to guardianship in the Regency era. As Quinn explains in her Author's Note, 'Very few women were given sole guardianship of their own children, and almost never if one of the children happened to be a boy or an heir. ... Once a mother remarried, she could not have guardianship of her children at all ... married women were not legally allowed to have guardianship. ... Once she lost even partial guardianship, she could be barred from seeing her children.'
So, what is Patience the Dowager Countess of Worthington to do when widowed, unable to be guardian to her own children, re-meets the man she'd loved forever, Viscount Richard Wolverton. The man who'd left her heartbroken to travel thus having her lot cast by her father--wedding the bridegroom of his choice, Worthington! We do hear from Richard a slightly different version, although he does admit to his confused youth.
Now twenty years and four children later, the encounter shows that Patience that Richard still makes her feel giddy.
The thing is Patience doesn't want to be separated from her children Ah! It seems that she's damned if she does and damned if she doesn't!
Of course there's a cad sneaking around, lusting after Patience, witnessed in a most unpleasant encounter. I too was slightly shocked by the cad's verbal insinuations.
A succinct novella with a story that charms.

A NetGalley ARC
(February 2017)

London - 1815

Patience Worthington, the Dowager Countess of Worthington, has met an old acquaintance at a soiree. She has not seen Viscount Richard Wolverton in many years yet he can still make her heart pound. A botanist, Richard has spent many years traveling on expeditions and discovering new species of plants.

Patience lives with her stepson, Mattheus, Earl of Worthington. He is also the sole guardian of her four daughters. She hopes that when her late husband made their daughters wards of his son that it was an oversight and not meant to be cruel. However, the man had been cold during their marriage.

Patience and Richard had once been in love, but he wanted to travel before settling down to marriage. Thus, he lost her to another man. Now that she is a widow, he tells her he is back to pursue her again. Her late husband was not an affectionate man so she has never truly known real love.

Patience agrees to a picnic with Richard and they are enjoying themselves. But a sudden rainstorm interrupts their picnic necessitating they shelter at an inn where things turn passionate. But the chill from the rain has made Patience ill and Richard refuses to leave her side until she is well again. Is there hope that they might be united once again?

I feel I was quite generous in giving this novella 3 stars. This is yet another story of the Worthingtons. I have read many books of the series, each of which has been hard to follow due to the incredible number of characters to keep up with. Again, I had to refer back to my reviews of previous books to figure out who was who. This is a perfect example of why I do not like series books. Authors who continue to do this soon lose me as a follower. I cannot recommend this book to anyone unless they have read each of the books in the series and close together so they don’t have time to forget their names.

Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Feb 27, 2017 · edit
really liked it

Publisher's Description:

Can a beautiful Worthington widow find love again? Depends on who’s asking . . .
Before he died, Patience was the Earl of Worthington’s second wife. So why shouldn’t Patience be allowed a second chance at marriage, too? Of course, finding a new husband was not something the mother of four had ever planned on. But a surprise encounter with her first love has suddenly made the impossible seem possible all over again . . .

It seems like a lifetime ago that Richard, Viscount Wolverton, was halfway around the world, looking for adventure . . . while Patience, at her coming-out, was left with no choice but to take old Worthington’s hand. Richard never forgot the woman whose heart he yearned for—and now that he’s back, he’s not going to let her slip away again . . .

My Thoughts:
This delightful novella length continuation of the Worthington series tells us of the love of Richard and Patience. Before she married the old Earl of Worthington Patience had been in love with her childhood friend and companion Richard. Having decided to go abroad and promising to return before Patience's first season Richard left only to have his return delayed.
Now twenty years later he is back again and has come to claim his love.
Can Patience and Richard find love again in this second time around?
Again we find ourselves totally drawn into this madcap household with a combined group of ten children who belong to various family members and a young Great Dane all living and reeking havoc under the same roof.
This sometimes comical regency romance was a delight to read. The storyline is as well developed as a novella can be and since we have met most of the characters in the previous installments we continue to grow to love This is much better if read in series order rather than as a standalone but it is good enough to stand on it's own.
I gave this title 4.25 of 5 stars for characterization and story development. There is a very sensual background crammed into this short novella getting 4 of 5 flames. I received a complimentary digital copy of this from the publisher via NetGalley to read and review. This in no way affected my opinion or review of this title.

'The Second Time Around' by Ella Quinn is book 2.5 in "The Worthingtons series ". This is the story of Patience and Richard. I have read the other books in this series but feel this can be a standalone book. This is a Semi-Novella with about 105 pages and the story is a 'Second Chance at Love" theme.
Patience is now a widow with four children who are the ward of her Step-Son Matt. Matt we met in the first book "Three Weeks to Wed" who married a women with 7 younger siblings. So you can image that house is one busy place. Richard went on a World Tour but had promised to return for her coming out ball but failed to do so and when he did return Patience was days away from marrying and older man. Now several years later with Patience being a widower Richard has come to her wanting to start again. Patience is still hurt from him not returning but goes forward to spend time with him.
This was another good book by Ms. Quinn!
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This book was a lovely follow on from books 1&2 of the Worthington series. This story follows Patience stepmum to Lord Worthington and a young widow in her thirties. When an old family friend and old love returns to town for the season Patience must decide whether to pursue a second chance at love and if so how it will affect her children who are under the guardianship of her stepson.
It was lovely to get to hear Patience's story but just as enjoyable to reconnect with the Worthington family as a whole.
As a shorter story I was easily able to read this in one sitting, it includes the start of the next book in the series which I didn't read, I'd rather wait and read all together as a book.

A short but sweet story about lost love and finding it again years later. I would recommend to anyone who likes a good, sweet, historical romance and wants a quick and easy read!

This is a nice novella that features Patience and Richard. They were young lovers but when Richard went off to explore the world Patience married an older man. Now she is free but is she really. It was fun to watch Richard discover what he was up against with Patience. Times and laws were different then and Patience faces a choice between Richard and her children. This will stand alone but I think it would be better if you had read the previous Worthingtons books. Be sure to read the authors notes about the rights of women in Regency times at the back of the book. It is an eye opener.

This is a novella in the Worthingtons series and is a adorable story about second chances. Before her first marriage, Patience, the dowager countess of Worthington was in love with Richard, Viscount Wolverton. But when Richard chose traveling instead of coming back to Patience, she agrees to marry another man. Now years later, Richard is back in her life and is here is to stay. This is a sweet story with well written characters and great for a short weekend read.

* I received this ARC from netgalley and the publisher for an honest review*

This was a lovely novella by Ella Quinn and I am now looking out for the story of Lady Louisa. “The second time around” follows the Dowager Countess of Worthington, Patience, who is in her 30s and Richard, Viscount Wolverton. When making her ‘come-out’ into society, Richard failed to return from his grand tour, sealing her fate with marriage to the much older Earl of Worthington. Her parents, refused to allow Patience and Richard to meet, days before her wedding so it is 19 years later, that they meet again. Richard is determined not to let this second encounter result in marriage but unfortunately, tradition bodes unfairly for the couple.
The story was hectic for such a short piece with all the different characters involved but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Ella Quinn’s novels never fail to deliver.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although this is technically listed as book 2.5 in a series, you do not need to have read the first books in order for this story to make sense, although the sheer number of children residing in the home may be somewhat confusing at first. If however, you have read the other books, you will be happy to see some familiar faces appearing in this story as well.

I adored this quick, and cute read! The chemistry between Richard and Patience was obvious, however, I really enjoyed the way Patience was able to walk that delicate line between following her heart and doing what was best for her children, knowing that to marry Richard meant living apart from them.

One of the things I really enjoyed is the fact that at the end of this story, there is a note from the author in which she explains some things about the time period that I was unaware of. This made the story as it pertained to Patience's children with her late husband make more sense.

Overall, I am sure this story will still appeal to those who enjoy a well written historical romance novella.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

I love second chance romances and this is a sweet short read. Richard and Patience are great characters who deserve a second time around. A nice story to sit back and enjoy with a cup of tea/coffee that will bring a smile to your face.

The Second Time Around is as it sounds – a second chance at love novella. When Patience was a child she thought she would be with Richard for the rest of her life, but he did not return for her debut when he had promised he would. So, Patience became the Countess of Worthington rather than the Viscountess of Wolverton.

Richard and Grace meet by chance at a ton event, at least that is what Patience believes. But no, Richard has decided he has waited long enough for her. He is determined to finally make her his wife.

We first met Patience in Three Weeks to Wed as Matt Worthington’s very young step-mother. Patience had four daughters with her husband, Matt’s father. Upon her husband’s death Matt became guardian to her four daughters. Three Weeks to Wed is a precious romance that has Matt meeting Grace Carpenter and her seven siblings. (If you haven’t read Three Weeks, pick it up and enjoy!)

As a widow, Patience was determined to never do anything that might cost her to lose being with her children. She kept all men at a distance, never even driving out with one for an afternoon drive. Her quiet dignity helps her to keep those men discouraged from trying to engage her. Richard, Viscount Wolverton, is not going to let her keep him at arm’s length again. He tries to woo her even when another gentleman is causing them problems.

This novella is just the right length for you to appreciate their deep love and heartache at not being able to be together. The same precocious children who made a plan to make sure Grace and Matt got together, formulate another plan for Patience and Richard. The Worthington series has been adorable. I look forward to watching all of these children grow up and find their love matches. Thank you Net Galley for sharing another wonderful Worthington book.

A sweet novella. I thought at times a little slow and perhaps a little confusing if you have not read the other books prior to this one. However, all in all you will enjoy this sweet little read. I like the characters as she writes them and only wish this had a little more life in the plotting. However, taken for what it is , a sweet passionate romance novella it was great! So relax and enjoy. This author has a way of writing that is very interest catching. I shall back up and read the others in the line up for the characters are many and have caught my imagination. I was given this book in return for an honest review. Anna Swedenmom

The relationships are confusing.

Her kids have a guardian even though she's still alive? That's horrible!

Her husband sounds like a schmuck.

Maybe she has numbers dyslexia?

Geez, that Sir Grant is everywhere! I'm getting rape-y vibes from him.

I guess they're not worried about her being contagious.

Well, the solution was surprisingly easy.

She might be older, but in some ways she is more innocent than a lot of debutantes. Why did no one instruct her on keeping a house?

I really enjoyed this book. Ella Quinn's characters in this book are amazing. Patience was the Earl of Worthington’s second wife and he has die. Now she wants to find a new husband.Richard, Viscount Wolverton never forgot the woman he loved and now he wants to win her. I will be definitely be reading the next book of the series.

This second chance love story was bogged down by legal guardianship laws of the Regency period and graphic sex. The main characters were, however, very likeable. There was a little intrigue with an unwanted suitor, but all in all it was just a pleasant continuation of Ella Quinn's series. I will continue to follow as the characters in the series have become important to me.

A fantastic regency escape - fun, light-hearted and emotional - just what the doctor ordered for a winteery afternoon!

This was a nice light read, I liked the plot & wish it could have been expanded on more with the author showing us the characters falling in love or being in love before the heroine had to marry someone else.
The only things I didn't really like and here I am nit picking are the amount of children in the family got a bit silly specially trying to remember which child belonged to which character. Also the book cover didn't match the heroes description (book cover: blonde book: dark brown hair) both silly things but thought they were worth mentioning

Overall I enjoyed reading this story & from reading the excerpt from the next book I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

4 stars - ARC received from Netgalley for a honest review.

Lovely addition to the series. I didn't realize until I was reading it that it was a novella, not a full separate book, but it was still very nicely done and a tremendously fun read. Can't wait for the next one!

What a sweet little second chance at love story.

Patience, the dowager Countess of Worthington and Richard, the Viscount Wolverton share a past, 19 years ago they were in love and Patience believed they would marry. But when Richard failed to return from his grand tour in time for her come out ball, Patience believed he had forsaken her and accepted the offer of marriage to the much older Earl of Worthington.

Richard has never forgiven himself for missing Patience's come out, he returned to find she was days away from marrying another and her parents refused to let him see or speak to her. Feeling defeated, he left England again and didn't return for 14 years.

He has returned and has waited for the last five years for Patience to come home, when she doesn't, he finally comes to claim her.

19 years has not dulled the attraction between them, but Patience can see no way for them to be together. She knows that they can have no future, but she can't help herself and agrees to spend time with him while he is in town. She plans to make the most of the little time they have and then walk away.

Richard has other ideas and he is not going to lose his love a second time.

The tale that follows is a very nice second chance love story. It has some steamy love scenes, some funny moments, a little bit of angst and finally a very well done HEA. Also, the author's notes at the end of the story were incredibility enlightening regarding widowhood in Regency England and really cleared away any doubts I may have had regarding the plot of this novella.

This series is outstanding and I can't wait for Lady Louisa's story!