Beautiful second chance at love story! Jennifer Probst knows how to craft stories with relatable and likable characters going through everyday, real life situations with the right amount of emotion and feelings woven into the story.

If you haven't read anything by Jennifer Probst. you should totally rectify that. She is amazing!!! This is a very beautiful second chance love story with a ton of forgiveness. Can't wait for the next installment. As always Jennifer did not disappoint.

This was an emotional second chance romance. I loved how this book had a real life fell to it. This could happen in anyone's life and I think that is why I felt such a connection with this book. Jennifer did an amazing job creating this world where love is worth the fight but sometimes it's just no enough. We need to fight for what we want and learn to compromise. The pace of this book was planned perfectly and their love story shined through in a way that you can't help but feel their pain and emotions. I look forward to reading more from this series it's very addicting.

Ophelia and Kyle ran off to New York to pursue their dreams, only Ophelia found herself going back home with a broken heart. Years later, Kyle comes back into her life to write his book realizing his mistakes in the process. While Ophelia had moved on, she never really stopped loving him.

When it comes to broken hearts, I tend to be an unforgiving kind of person, so I knew from the start that forgiving this hero was going to be tough. While the heartache he brought was not completely unforgivable, I just had my reservations from the start. Did he earn his forgiveness? Debatable, but I suppose he proved himself worthy for Ophelia.

Ophelia and Kyle are not my favorite couple but I enjoyed their story. They were sweet, funny, and so are the rest of the characters in this book. But what I found is that this book is more than just a second chance at love. Probst wrote the nitty gritty of it all; acceptance, forgiveness and the unconditional love despite the mistakes.

What hit me close to home is Kyle situation with his dad, Patrick, who took a little of the spotlight at some point (IMO). I love that Probst not only touched on his hardships as a recovering alcoholic but how long the process was. Kyle’s hardships and heartaches are not to be missed as well. She described Kyle and Patrick’s past and present so vividly that I felt their pain. I felt Patrick’s shame and I felt his need to make amends.

Don’t get me wrong, this book is neither sad or depressing. Despite the touch of heartaches, this is still a (stand-alone) light contemporary story and perfect for a weekend read.

I've been hearing nothing but good things about Jennifer Probst's novels for a very long time, but A Brand New Ending, the second book in her Stay series, is the first book I've read by her and wow, people who've been raving about her books weren't kidding. I lost two nights' sleep reading this novel but it was so worth it and it gets 5 stars from this reader.

I truly enjoy the second chance at love trope, and when combined with the best friend's sister trope, and this novel is one of the best combination of those two tropes I've read so far, and while it's the second book in the series, it works just fine as a standalone. The two principle characters are Kyle Kimpton, Ophelia Bishop, and Ophelia's older brother, Ethan, whose story comprised the first novel.

Kyle and Ophelia had been friends for years, with Ophelia tagging along with him and her brother, but in high school, Kyle and Ophelia fell in love and knew they were going to love each other forever, but as every romance reader knows, there are always complications and bumps in the road. The first bump is Kyle's abusive, alcoholic father, Patrick, whose wife died giving birth to Kyle, and who blamed Kyle for her death for his entire life. Kyle can't wait to turn 18, and has dreams of being a screenwriter. Ophelia has a lovely voice and wants to be a singer, rather than taking over the day-to-day job of catering to the clientele of the B&B her mother owns and operates. She and Kyle decide to elope and head for Hollywood to pursue their dreams, but while Kyle is experiencing quite a bit of success as a screenwriter, Ophelia's lovely voice is receiving notice, but she soon realizes that worrying about her image, appearing in tabloids and being told to change her look, her attitude and her manner of dress turns her off, and just at the brink of stardom, she realizes that this lifestyle isn't for her, and when she repeatedly tries to get Kyle's attention and talk to him about it, he's physically and emotionally obsessed with his own career, and finally Ophelia has had enough of his inattention, and one day Kyle arrives home to find her and her belongings gone--no note, no goodbye. They eventually divorce after two years of marriage, and Ophelia returns to her home town in upstate New York to work with her mother at the B&B, and she finds it fulfilling, taking over after her mother's death. However, Kyle blames her for the breakup of their marriage.

Fast forward 8 years, and Kyle has had great success as a screenwriter, made millions, and fit quite nicely into the partying, popularity contest, and schmoozing which is so much a part of the Hollywood lifestyle, but he's had writers' block for a year, and wants to stop writing the action/thriller scripts that have earned him respect and admiration, and finally realizes he needs to return home, something he swore he'd never do, and write a novel he's been thinking about for some time. To do so, he needs to stay at Ophelia's B&B, go back to his roots, and has given himself 3 months to do so. To say that Ophelia doesn't want him to stay at her inn is putting it mildly, but she eventually concedes and gives Ethan a room, as well as the cold shoulder, but it's clear that these two have amazing chemistry, Kyle wants to try again, and Ophelia is terrified of having him break her heart again.

What I absolutely loved about this book was the pacing, which was slow, but which also gave us the chance to really get to know these characters, because in order to write his novel, which is really all about breakup of his marriage with Ophelia, and the destruction of the love he thought would last forever, Kyle needs her input to help him understand what went wrong and why, and we get a lot of Kyle's interpretation of events from reading chapters of his work in progress. We also get a good look at what Ophelia wanted and expected when she ran away and married Kyle, and Kyle will soon have to re-think his opinion that they both had the same goals, and finally come to terms with the fact that they didn't really share his goals at all.

In addition, there's also the issue of Kyle's alcoholic father, a man he never wanted to to see again, but whom Ophelia's open heart takes pity on, only to discover just how broken and alone Patrick is and has been for years. He's been sober for about a year thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous, and would like to make amends for what he did to Kyle, but can Kyle ever forgive him? And how will Kyle react when he learns that Ophelia has behind his back, befriended the father Kyle so despises ? What will be the outcome of the book Kyle has been working so hard to see to completion? How will his agent react to Kyle's change of subject matter, when Kyle's career success has been built on his action/adventure screenplays?

This remarkable novel has it all, a deep and deeply moving story about two people at a crossroads in their lives, broken promises, the importance of honesty and communication in a relationship, forgiveness, and the deep and abiding love between these two appealing characters, and I will admit that, at times, their story brought me to tears and it also made me laugh. It was, quite simply, a excellent and absorbing read, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this novel. The opinions expressed are my own.

Jennifer Probst’s new book!! Finally! I just love getting into her stories and getting to know the characters, for this one I was particularly excited because of that little snippet of information that she gave us in the past book in this series, but I was not expecting the complexity of this story, so many feelings still bottled up, some goods some not so good.

Kyle and Ophelia made a great couple and I just love it when the male main character is open about his feelings and isn’t afraid to profess them, it’s so refreshing because that almost never happens in a book from the get go.

A perfect read for this fall weather where getting cozy with a book and your favorite snack always seems like the best thing to do (is it just me?)

Ophelia is not welcoming Kyle back with open arms. In fact she's more than a little pissed off at her brother Ethan for saying that Kyle can stay at the Inn for three months to work on his newest project. The thing is that Ethan doesn't have a clue as to why her and Kyle went their separate ways and she isn't about to start sharing all the secrets with everyone either.

But before she can even blink, Kyle is in the room upstairs and her heart is beating a mile a minute because even though she knows that leaving Kyle back in California was the best thing for both of them... her heart and her body didn't get the message.

Kyle knew that coming back to see Ophelia was going to be tough. He just didn't know it would be THIS tough.

The connection is still there, but will either of them be able to let go of the past, so there can be a future? Or will the hurts of their young adult years just be too much to forgive and forget?

I adore Jennifer and this series about three siblings in a small town in New York. Emotionally driven with some sibling humor that made me laugh out loud. Each book can be read as a standalone but why would you want to do that? LOL Read the series. It's so good!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC from Netgalley.

I have to tell you, I was anxiously awaiting Ophelia's story when I read "The Start of Something Good." It absolutely DID NOT disappoint! Ophelia was an amazing character who knew her own mind and didn't let anyone change her mind. Go Ophelia!! I was extremely happy to see Kyle get his head out of his hind parts. Needless to say, I can hardly wait for the next installment.

PS - I have yet to read a bad book by Jennifer Probst. You should try her - she's awesome!!!

This is a beautiful second chance love story. Forgiveness is a major theme throughout. The sex scenes are explicit, appropriate to the story and fun. I love the realistic secondary characters of this small town community and cannot wait to return for Harper’s story. Overall, it was a quick and sweet read.

A beautiful second chance romance that will melt your heart, A Brand New Ending is everything I love about a Jennifer Probst book.

Needing to travel home to reclaim the man he once was, Kyle craves what he lost. He had one obstacle, Ophelia. The woman he still loved, but they both are still incredibly raw from what broke them apart.

Book two of the Stay Series kept the same feelings and excitement that book one created. This little town will capture your heart. Ophelia and Kyle come with major baggage that filled this book with love, hate, sorrow, and forgiveness. The emotions were pure Probst. She was able to create another story that pulls you under, yet laid the groundwork for the next story of the series. I am fully invested in these characters and their world. Well written and addictive, the Stay Series is a must!

Ophelia Bishop and Kyle Kimpton were high school sweethearts who ran off together to Hollywood to pursue their dreams of stardom. Only Kyle lived out those dreams, Ophelia did not. She returned to their hometown heartbroken and jaded by love.
Ten years later Kyle is Hollywood’s “it boy” when it comes to movie screenplays but he’s finding himself in a slump. He can’t seem to write anything that appeals to him. He returns to his hometown determined to write the screen play of all screen plays the story that won’t let him push it to the back of his mind any longer; he and Ophelia’s story and maybe, just maybe win her back. Ophelia, however, is less than pleased to see Kyle again and she has no intention of letting him anywhere near her.
My first encounter with Ophelia was in “The Start of Something Good”, Ethan’s and Mia’s story. When she learns that her brother’s best friend is coming home and plans to stay at her Inn, she basically freaks which pretty much had my mouth watering for the story behind the freak out.
From the moment they lay eyes on each other, it’s clear that Ophelia and Kyle are steal in love with each other. You know the old saying “there are three sided to every story; his side, her side, and the truth? Well Ophelia and Kyle should probably have their pictures next to that saying. It was very interesting reading each of their versions of what happened in their relationship and learning the big secret they kept from their friends and family.
While Kyle is trying to win Ophelia back and coming to terms with how he broke her heart he’s also facing his past and his broken relationship with his father. In the meantime, Ophelia is learning that while Kyle broke her heart, she also broke his.
There were few times when the story kind of dragged a bit but for the most part it was a pretty enjoyable read.

Lovely second chance love story with Probst trademark writing style. I enjoyed this one a lot. The sweetness and the angst was well balanced, the conflict well written.

A Brand New Ending is a total feel good read. Ophelia and Kyle have quite the past and when he shows up at her B&B she isn't very happy. Allowing Kyle into her home is not on her list of things she wants to do and before you know it her heart is on the line. This story left me with that warm and fuzzy feeling that makes me just want to the book to go on and on.

I have been waiting for this book for a while. It was a very heartwarming touching story. May need some Kleenexs. Definitely keep you entertained and not wanting to put it down. Great second chance romance.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Second Chance Romance
Triggers: Alcoholism

Ophelia and Kyle had a puppy love that they thought would last a life time. They planned to live their dreams and the fairy tale that came along with them. But when their dreams do not seem to be merging, it will be up to each of them to decide whether or not they can truly be happy.

Ophelia knew fairly early on that she loved singing. She knew that if she wanted to keep Kyle, she would have to seek out that dream, because he was going to Hollywood to live his. When Ophelia realizes what she truly wants, she makes her own choice and has to live with what that choice means for her relationship.

Kyle is a successful screenplay writer. He has a lot of blockbusters and knows what it's like to rub elbows with the rich and famous. But now that he's lived his dream, he wonders what's missing and why he feels so lost. He takes a chance to go back to where it all began to see if he can see the magic again.

This is a second chance romance where both characters have their own baggage. I was slightly worried about this premise, as it seemed that with second chance romances, either one has to work too hard or too little to win the other back. This was somewhere leaning more towards the work too little. I thought that for all of the forgiveness that Kyle wanted, he was pretty stubborn in his own right.

Overall, this was a successful second chance romance, but I thought that it needed something else. I'm not quite sure what, but it was missing something. I did like that there was a secondary story and that it had a great resolution. Also, I wanted to see more into the future – where were the two main characters down the road? But it was an enjoyable read, nonetheless.


Mary Jo – ☆☆☆
A sweet second chance romance that I liked very much. However, for me, the story seemed to drag in places.

When Kyle returns to town after living in California for years, he yearns to get reacquainted with his high school sweetheart, Ophelia. Ophelia has other ideas. When she left Kyle in California, she left that part of her behind. She doesn't need the constant accolades or criticism from strangers to make her life complete. She knows that Kyle loved her with all he had back then, but it wasn't enough and she's not willing to trade the happiness she has now to go back to that life.

Kyle knows what he lost and he's back to reconnect with Ophelia. He lost a lot when Ophelia left him and he thought he was over her, but everything always comes back to her. To loving her, to being with her, and he's willing to give it all up for a lifetime with her. The only thing he needs to do is to convince her that she's more important than anything Hollywood has to offer, and to do that Kyle has to embrace the life that Ophelia has created in their hometown.

I did enjoy the book, and the subplot surrounding Kyle's father added an element that to the story that made Kyle's growth as a person even more relatable.

Sweet, enjoyable but unmemorable.! This felt like so many other average romances that I have read, complete with gorgeous hunky guy and spirited beautiful girl, who suit each other in every way but for some reason aren't together. In this case, they had thought each other soul mates and run away with each other as teenagers until something drove them apart. Kyle is now determined to win Ophelia back. There were some interesting new elements, but overall I wasn't inspired. Its not a good sign for me when I start skimming passages. Better as an unchallenging beach read.

Kyle's back in his hometown for one reason - to get back his love, Ophelia. Yes, he's also back to write his newest screenplay, but that's secondary to what he really wants. But, when it becomes apparent to him that not only does Ophelia not realize he's back in town, but, more significantly, she doesn't want him back, what's a desperate man to do? Perhaps his best friend, Ethan, Ophelia's brother, will help. Of course, Ethan has no idea what happened between his sister and his best friend, except that they had a falling out 10 years previous. In a nice twist, Ophelia falls ill, and Kyle is the only one there to take care of her and her family's inn. After that, how can Ophelia say no to letting him stay the three months he needs to get past his writer's block? And, sneakily, worm his way back into Ophelia's heart.

I love second chance romances, IF the two deserve a second chance. I'm still not sure Kyle deserved a second chance, but Ophelia definitely deserved happiness, so I can give Kyle a pass even though I never liked him or connected with him. But, I liked the rest of the story so even though Kyle left me cold, I think 4 stars is fair. I love that this is a story of forgiveness and healing, and the secondary cast is superb. I hope Ophelia and Ethan's sister Harper's story is next, because she's hiding a lot underneath that seemingly placid exterior, I think!

Ophelia Bishop and Kyle Kimpton ran away together in hopes of making a name for themselves in Hollywood. However, while things worked out for Kyle, they didn't for Ophelia and she returned to their hometown and now runs her family's B & B. Yet, time and distance hasn't diminished their feelings for each other and when Kyle arrives at her doorstep looking to stay for a while, she eventually and reluctantly agrees. But when it's time for Kyle to head back to Hollywood, will he break Ophelia's heart all over again or will the pair fight for the second chance at happy ever after?

Having really enjoyed the first book of this series, I couldn't wait to read more about the Bishop family because Ophelia and her siblings have a tight bond after all that's happened in their lives and deserve every bit of happiness they find. The way this story started with the prologue had me immediately hooked to the fast-paced storyline, as I wanted to know how things went wrong between Kyle and Ophelia when it's palpable they were so in love. However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face for the first time after what happened in the past where this story really takes off and gets very interesting, as Kyle is a painful reminder of her past and it's understandable why she wants nothing to do with him. He hurt her badly by not being everything she needed ten years ago.

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories and everything this couple go through on their journey to happy ever after. Will Ophelia be able to forgive Kyle? Will Kyle finally discover how their relationship went so wrong and why Ophelia left the way she did? Moreover, I really enjoyed the obstacles these two face to be together and the depth of emotion Ms. Probst put into this story that had me smiling, laughing, crying because their second chance felt like -- at times -- it wasn't going to happen and had me shedding happy tears when it finally did.

With the main characters, the heroine was resilient, courageous, feisty and I could understand why she's wary of giving the hero another chance because of what happened between them in the past. Kyle really hurt her with his 'suck-it-up' attitude when she was struggling to handle being in Hollywood and everything it entails. Since trying to break into the show business industry is so cutthroat. While the hero, he's confident, driven when it comes to his career, persistent in his pursuit of winning the heroine's trust back and I liked that he didn't give up on winning the heroine over. I also liked the decisions the hero has to make when it comes to his career and his future with the heroine. This time around, things are going to be different. Can he prove to Ophelia that things are going to be different?

Overall, Ms. Probst has delivered a wonderfully-written and enthralling read in this book where the main characters are well-developed; the secondary characters entertained me just as much as the main ones; the chemistry between this couple was off-the-charts; the romance was full of heat and passion and had me loving how these two find their way back to each other; and the ending left me completely satisfied because of what the hero does in order to show the heroine that their life together is the most important thing to him. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up perfectly, as a new opportunity opens for the hero when it comes to his career and it shows that forgiveness is possible when it comes to the past. I would recommend A Brand New Ending by Jennifer Probst, if you enjoy second chance romances, the brother's best friend trope or books by authors Melissa Foster, Marina Adair, Catherine Bybee and Jill Shalvis.

I won’t bother with a recap of the above synopsis because it’s not necessary. I LOVE a second chance romance like you would not believe. In fact, I’d say it was my favorite of all romance tropes. Throw in the fact that Jennifer Probst was one of the authors to renew my love of romance with The Marriage Bargain so no matter what, I always give a new series a try.
Which is why it bums me out that I couldn’t give A Brand New Ending a five star review. I enjoyed the story, nearly all aspects of it if I’m being honest, but there was one glaring problem in this story for me. Kyle.
He invaded Ophelia’s life and he just never seemed to get it. He was like a bull in a China shop at every turn, clumsy and heavy handed in his efforts to win her back, all without every really acknowledging his role in the implosion of their relationship. It took him entirely too long in my opinion to see what happened and I don’t feel as if he ever really atoned for his past transgressions.
Ophelia was great, just angry and mistrustful enough not to be annoying. I was #teamophelia all the way and the more I learned about their previous relationship the truer it became.
I wish there had been more scenes with Ophelia and Kyle so maybe I could see what she saw in him because sadly, I didn’t.
Having said all that…I’m still going to go back and read The Start of Something Good.

I refuse to give up on this series, I don't exactly know what it is, but I haven't been connecting to this series like I want to. The stories are definitely enjoyable, but they seem to be lacking a bit of something.

Now I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Probst, I absolutely adore her Marriage to a Billionaire series, it's one of my favorites and I'll still read anything that she writes.  So don't let this review make you think otherwise.

I'm a sucker for second chance romances, so I couldn't wait to dive into this one. And I'd say young love and different dreams (at the time) is what really set them apart for so many years.

Kyle frustrated me a bit to no end, I wasn't quite a fan of his tactics to win Ophelia back. He just implanted himself back in her life and it wasn't really smooth at all. A bit annoying if you ask me, but you can't fault a guy for being persistent towards what he wants. He was going to make her his end game.

I was hoping for more of connection between Ophelia and Kyle, I just didn't see it. And I think the plot needed something a little bit more.

I'm still not giving up on this series, I will see it through to the very end!