I just love Second Chance Romances and especially in small towns where everyone knows everyone. They all give me that Hallmark movie feeling with a few twists and turns that make them even better. Second Chance on Cypress Lane dealt more with a broken heart that needed repair. Not only was this story about second chance but also forgiveness and finding your true self.

Second Chance on Cypress Lane by Reese Ryan

Dakota loses her job to scandal and her only option is to go home and lick her wounds. Dakota finds that things have changed in the five years since she’s been gone and her mothers death, she also finds her high school sweetheart is also still in town.

Well written book that has it all scandal , romantic break up, the solution ,understandings also will there be a second chance for Dakota returning from the big city to small seaside town?

In this "sweet tale of secrets, truths and the beauty of second chances" (Woman's World), a woman starts over and discovers that, when it comes to finding love, there's no place like home.

Rising-star reporter Dakota Jones is usually the one breaking the news—until an inadvertent scandal wrecks her career. The only place she can go to regroup is Holly Grove Island. But her small North Carolina hometown comes with a major catch: Dexter Roberts, the first man to break Dakota’s heart, is her new boss. Working alongside Dexter, who is more attractive than he has a right to be, shows Dakota what might have been . . . but she isn’t giving him another chance to break her heart.

Dexter has always regretted the way things ended between him and Dakota. Her return could be his opportunity to finally make amends. But the more time he spends with Dakota, the more he realizes his feelings for her never went away. Now he has just a few months to convince her to give their love a second chance. But for Dakota to agree to stay, Dexter will have to reveal the devastating truth about why he let Dakota go all those years ago.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. Love the cover! A great book and highly recommend.

I held onto this one for far too long. What a fabulous story! Thank you for the opportunity to read this! I line this trope

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book For a nice light hearted read

Another one that lost me at the halfway point and I think it’s because second chance romance just isn’t my favorite trope. Nothing inherently wrong with this one just lost interest and focus.

Lawd, I realized quickly I read this book before, bit it was worth a second read. Fast paced romantic. After failing in the big city Dakota Jones ran home with her tail hiding. What turned out sad was the best decision in the town of Holly Grove Island, SC. Reuniting with a lost love, best friend an family tells me it's never too late to go home. Dexter Roberts never got over his first love an then she shows up matured, Beautiful an sizzling. Up for the job of his dreams what does he decide? Loved it.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. After a scandal ruins Dakota's career, she has to head home and lick her wounds. Her new boss is her first love who broke her heart. Quite predictable but a heartwarming story just the same.

I really enjoy Reese Ryan’s harlequin titles, but I don’t think this one worked for me. I’ve tried it a few times since receiving this arc and I can’t seem to get into the plot. I think someone who enjoys small town, second chance romances would like this more. DNF

Dakota returns home at age 34 with a lot of regret due to a romantic situation that led her to be labeled a 'homewrecker" and getting fired. She was fulfilling her dream to leave Holly Grove, NC to live in NYC. Since her return, she has seen the decline in her father's health and had met up with her high school sweetheart, Dexter, 36. who had dumped her when he went to college. Instead of returning as a success story, she feels like a failure, so she conceals that she was fired,. even from her best friend who she dumped when she went to NYC to pursue her dream of becoming an news anchor.

Her embarrassing situation made her relatable. As she reflects on her life choices, she realizes some things she held dear were for reasons that were not her own. Also Dexter has his own regret and secret that could possibly change everything between them. Then they end up working at the same company, which further complicates things, though she intends to return to NYC as soon as her father's situation has improved.

Dexter turns out to be a sexy, hardfworking, and kind guy who sweeps Dakota off of her feet again, despite her lingering question of why he dumped her 17 years ago. Dexter's character is nuanced as Dakota discovers there is a lot more to him than the teenager who broke her heart. He is hoping for a second chance with Dakota, but she sees her time at Cypress Lane as temporary. I liked Dexter a lot and how well he treated Dakota was major for me. There were also that very hot, sexy scene!

I liked Sinclair a lot. She is one of those secondary/side characters who have a lot of heart and self-confidence. Other side characters helped to move the storyline along as well as provided humor and drama.

The dramatic way that the truth of why Dexter dumped her cam out was terrific. It packed a solid reveal of his secret that also included a reveal of another secret. Way to up the drama! The writing made a story that started off a bit unbelievable and rote into an absorbing story with layers. I would have liked a bit less explaining and a bit more showing of what happened. I wish it was the beginning of a series instead of a standalone.

Note: I received an advance reading copy from Netgalley and enjoyed it so much that Ibought a copy too.

Really tried to get into this one but just couldn't. The writing was fine but the story seemed predictable.

Second Chance on Cypress Lane by Reese Ryan is the first book in the new contemporary romance Holly Grove Island series. With the title of this series I’m under the impression that the common thread between books will be the location in the series. This first book did read like it could be a standalone so it would make sense the next in the series will feature new characters.

Second Chance on Cypress Lane was a great title for this series as it does feature a second chance romance. Dakota Jones had left her home in Holly Grove Island to chase a career as an on screen reporter. Unfortunately for Dakota though she has lost her dream job a the station she was working for and is not sure what will come next.

Dakota decided the place she needed to be to heal from her set back was back home in Holly Grove. After returning to the island Dakota did try her best to avoid the ex that once broke her heart but Dexter Roberts kept making it impossible to avoid him and before long those old feelings came rushing back for both Dakota and Dexter.

First I want to mention that my review copy did not contain the bonus novella which was kind of disappointing since I enjoy Annie Rains. Second Chance on Cypress Lane however was a lovely story to help get over my disappointment though, I loved meeting Dexter and Dakota and did find myself engrossed in their story. Dakota just coming out of a relationship gave me pause but since it was a second chance at an old one I let that slide away from my mind. So with a lovely setting (I want to move into the house on the cover!!) and an engaging story I rather enjoyed this opener.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I am so late to give feedback about this. I read it. And Reese Ryan is an amazing writer. I am never a fan of second chance romances, but this was such a sweet book. You really root for Dex and Dakota to overcome their BS and get together.

So sweet and such a great reminder that timing is everything in a relationship and in life. Really enjoyed this one and loved these characters!

Second Chance on Cypress Lane by Ryan Reese is a 2020 Forever publication.

Wonderful, light-hearted romance!

Dakota Jones returns home to Holly Grove Island after her big dreams of becoming a news anchor comes to an abrupt halt. With her reputation in tatters, Dakota is reluctant to expound on the reasons behind her sudden return.

Despite that, Dakota is happy to spend some time with her father, and to touch base with her best friend again. On the other hand, she's absolutely dreading the inevitable run in with Dexter, the man who once broke her heart, the man she’s never really gotten over. When the two finally do meet again, it is as Dakota feared- she's just as attracted to Dexter now as she was all those years ago...


With Dakota back in town, Dexter hopes he can convince her to at least forgive him for the way he ended things between them. It would be even better if he could convince her that he still loves her. Unfortunately, Dakota has made it clear she’s not interested in anything beyond friendship and that her stay on Holly Grove Island is only temporary.

Can Dexter change her mind?


To my knowledge, I have not read anything by Reese Ryan before now. Reading the first book in her new series, feels like a great place to start.

The author did a good job of setting the scene, balancing the introduction of the characters with the romance, and created some great chemistry between Dexter and Dakota. I loved the tension between these two, and of course, most people know I’m a sucker for second chance romances. There is a little angst, with some surprising developments and revelations, but nothing too emotionally taxing, which just happened to be what I was in the mood for.

Overall, this a is a wonderful, light and easy love story, and a solid start to a new series-perfect for the beach or poolside this summer!!

Reese Ryan's Second Chance on Cypress Lane came out last December but it was a really great read for spring. It was light and full of heartfelt moments and told a sweet second chance story.

Here's the book's description:
When a romance gone wrong lands reporter Dakota Jones in the pages of the tabloids, her rising star crashes and burns. Instead of getting the weekend anchor job she'd been promised, she's promptly shown the door. Which leaves her one option: return home to lick her wounds, eat lemon meringue pie, and plot her comeback while actively avoiding the man who once broke her heart.
Dexter Roberts made a huge mistake when he walked away from Dakota, and he's regretted it ever since. So when Dakota returns to Holly Grove Island to regroup and decide what's next, Dex can't pass up the opportunity to win back the love of his life. Now he just needs to convince Dakota to give him a second chance.

I've always said one of my favourite romance tropes is second chances. I've read a bunch lately (in the last couple of years) that have kind of disappointed me. I have a sneaking suspicion it's because I put too much pressure on the trope and the novels (which aren't bad at all) can't quite live up to my expectations. I think I've also had a stretch where it seems like ALL of them are a second chance after almost 20 years as the couple broke up before going away to college and then reconnect (almost always in their small town) many years later. There are only so many ways that story can go. Ryan's novel didn't surprise me in too many ways but it was really sweet to read as the people around Dakota and Dexter keep telling them that they're clearly meant to get back together and you could see that they were so much happier since they had reconnected.

I really liked the setting. Small town stories can do no wrong in my book. (Don't try to prove me wrong. Let me enjoy my small town charm.) I've never been to North Carolina but it's always seemed like a nice place to visit. I loved that Holly Grove Island was on the upswing and the small town was trying to stay current and restaurants and shops are being revitalized. I can see how great it'll be to read on through the rest of the series that's planned. And I cannot wait for Nick and Em's story. Or Sinclair and Garrett's. Oh, boy, I'm excited.

The steam level in this book was just right for my mood (I'm happy for all steam levels, in case you're new). Doors are open but it's not intensely descriptive. Plus the pair are so totally into each other which makes it SO much better. There's history and there's respect (even if they're a bit wary because their hearts, especially Dakota's, were broken so many years ago) and there's love (even if they haven't admitted it yet). That's pretty sexy.

I had a good time reading Second Chance on Cypress Lane and I'm going to keep my eye out for the next in Reese Ryan's series. I want to revisit this small town and see what everyone's up to!

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Forever, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

Reese Ryan has created a sweet small town second chance romance that was full of emotions. I enjoyed all the characters and the relationships. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

When I gotten this book, I was a little skeptical with the story. But it surprised me as I read the story. I love Dakota and seeing her dealing with her inner selves over Dexter’s rejection is a little hard for me to take it in. I love intensity of feeling between them, the ‘ not so obvious’ but ‘wanted to’ make the story more lively. I would never have guessed the reason Dexter broke off their relationship when it was reveal at the end of the book. It is a good twist to the ending of the book. Overall it is a good read for me

Dakota found herself moving back home with her father after her reputation was ruined and ultimately jobless. She was not looking forward to going back to her hometown for many reasons. Her biggest concern was seeing Dexter, her high school sweetheart.

When Dexter broke up with Dakota, it shattered her heart. Although the attraction was still there, she could not get over what he had done. Dexter was determined to get her back.

What happens when Dakota finds out the real reason Dexter broke up with her? It's surprising and also hurtful.

This was a nice second chance love story. Dexter was such a lovable character with good intentions. It shows how important honesty and communication are in any form of relationship.