Member Reviews

This is a gorgeous little story, you will fall in love with the characters and the setting, and the ending will leave you with a very cozy and happy feeling. The cover is very bright and pulls you in and matches the story perfectly. I had a lot of fun reading this book!

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I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this title just didn't work for me. It fell flat and I wasn't able to get into it.

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Sometimes things change in an instant and you have to adapt. That's what Eve had to do when her sister died. She changed her life to take care of her infant niece. After seventeen years, she's ready for a second chance. Love this book, it was just perfect.

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I'd like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I wanted to like this book but I could not get into it.

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Before her dreams really had the chance to take flight Eve's life as she knew it had ended. When her sister Faye passed away unexpectedly there was no question in Eve's mind that she would take on the responsibility of raising her now orphaned niece, Caitlyn. However, Eve's boyfriend had other ideas and left shortly after the two year old moved in leaving Eve to parent on her own. Now seventeen years later, Eve is saying goodbye as Caitlyn is headed out into the world leaving Eve an empty nester at thirty-nine. As a parting gift Caitlyn gives Eve hand-crafted vouchers challenging her to complete a dozen acts of kindness for herself pushing her to get her life back or better yet build one of her own for the first time. When cashing in her first "Be Kind to Yourself" voucher causes events to spiral beyond what she had envisioned, Eve has to force herself to remember that life is too short to not dream big and maybe return to where her life hit pause. "A Dozen Second Chances" goes beyond the light-hearted rom-com read that I thought I was getting based on the adorable cover. What I got instead was a heart-warming, mature, responsible and thoughtful main character, a grandmother that any of us would be lucky to have and a leading man that for some reason I kept picturing to be played by Andrew Scott. (Did I just find the perfect casting for the movie version?) If you enjoy a good rom-com but are tired of the cheesy, predictable plot lines, give "A Dozen Second Chances" a try.

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This story ended up being a lot sweetest than I expected. I did have a lot of issues with Paddy and Eve, especially the way Paddy acts which often comes off way worse than he intended and it was like he never learned. I feel like he did a couple of really unforgivable things, especially in the past before the book starts, which could have been talked about further, before the plot was resolved.

I flew through the book and it got quite emotional at times, but it wasn’t a new favourite either.

And I cannot look past the formatting of the book. I know it is an early copy and by all rights it should be fixed in the final copy. But it ruined my reading experience several times, because a lot of spaces were missing and the line breaks throughout the book were off and weirdly placed.

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This book is full of love, loss, heartbreak, and finding yourself again after taking on a kid that isn't yours. I really enjoyed following Eve as she takes her 12 "second chances."

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As an empty nest mom myself I really thought the idea of rediscovering yourself after the kids are gone really resonated with me, and Injadnt done an abrubt corse change earlier in life. I loved the ideas of being kind to yourself, second chances and hope this book put out there! Sweet and uplifting- good book!

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This is a thoughtful, well written book about how life occasionally does not turn out as expected.

Seventeen years ago, Eve is enjoying archaeology along with her boyfriend, Paddy. Everything is rosy but then her sister dies suddenly and Eve puts her life on hold to take on Caitlyn, her sisters baby.

Now Caitlyn is about to take a job in Paris but before she leaves, she gifts Eve 12 vouchers which are for Eve to do something nice for herself.

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This was a heartwarming book about a mother rediscovering herself once her daughter moves out, it was a decent read but unfortunately there was nothing setting it apart from others like it.

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I love books that end up giving me the feels.This heartwarming story about second chances and moving on definitely does. We begin with Eve, who is about to experience empty nest syndrome. You see, her daughter is moving out and taking a job in France! But before she departs, she gives her mother a stack of be kind to yourself notes. Eve's first act of kindness leads her to an old-flame. She sets off on a path of rediscovery - how to reconnect with herself and how to live beyond being a mother. I totally connected with Eve, who is such a likable and relatable character. I enjoyed the unexpected plot twist (I didn't see coming!). If you're looking for a feel good story, with a sprinkle of romance, I highly this book.

I would like to thank Kate Field, Harper Collins U.K. - One More Chapter and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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This book was simply brilliant. I just had to keep changing the pages and stayed up all night to find out what happened next, its very gripping.
Eve has a good degree under her belt and her life is all planed out but then her sister dies unexpectantly and leaves her children Caitlyn and Eve to her sister. She takes to it quite well doing what she has to rather than what she choose, her boyfriend leaves.... As time goes on, Caitlyn is leaving for Paris and Eve is alomst 40 and gives Caitlyn some advice.... and some postacrds to make sure she does everything she wants to do and wants to make sure shes doing it all for her needs and noone elses.
Caitlyn bumps into an ex and wants her to forgive him from what happened in the past
Caitlin goes to a talk with a good friend only to find it’s her ex from years ago leading it and they soon start getting Her plot of family problems are totally believable. I was going through the book at a fast pace as i needed to know what happens next, simply brilliant. we begin in Lancashire and head of the cosmopoiltan city of Paris, great locations.
Katie field is a great author and thank you to netgalley.

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I love storylines that center around a mom reclaiming herself. The author did such a good job of portraying warm and fuzzies, with reality, in a truly well told story! Would definitely recommend to friends,.

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A beautiful story about life beyond parenthood. We follow Eve on her journey as she reclaims her life outside of motherhood. Thought-provoking and heartwarming.

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Admittedly, I struggled to get through this book. The plot sounded interesting enough and the characters were well-written but there was nothing giving me that "wow" factor to the point where I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to love it, but there was nothing particularly unique.

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Based on the synopsis, I assumed this would be a pleasant enough chick lit novel, filled with lightness and brevity. What I got instead was a thoughtful and thought-provoking read full of moments of real meaning and connection. It's not the traditional boy meets girl and falls in love story, and in that sense it is something far better - it is not only about the love between a woman and her boyfriend, but also a woman and the girl she loves as a daughter.

This is one of those real feel-good books, encompassing themes such as loss, sacrifice, and of course, the importance of grabbing second chances whenever they come along. Self-fufilment and self-love are two key themes at the heart of this novel, and I honestly feel that it reminded me so much to be content with life whilst also seeking out those little moments of happiness. This is definitely a book that will stick with me, and it really pushes that beautiful message that before anything else, you must be kind to yourself. A must-read, and one I will be eagerly recommending.

Disclaimer - I was lucky enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

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Nothing wrong with it as such but I teach history and the history teacher annoyed me and the in school bits felt too much like work.

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This was the first book I've read from this author and it was just okay. It was hard for me to get into and the characters didn't keep my attention.

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This was a heartwarming story about second chances and moving on. Eve is about to be all alone, her daughter is moving out and taking a job in France! Before she leaves, she gives her mother a stack of notes, be kind to yourself notes. Eve's first act of kindness task leads her to an old-flame. After this we follow along as Eve rediscovers herself and how to live beyond motherhood.

I thought Eve was such a likable and relatable character. There is a plot twist in this book that you wouldn't see coming. If you're looking for a feel good story, with some romance, I highly suggest this one!

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I loved the idea of this book. A look back at your life a chance to change things. The story is heartwarming and fun. It also certainly makes you examine your own life.

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