I love, love, love a good small town romance. And if you set it in a southern town or a coastal town, any place with quirky characters who are all up in each other’s business or one of a kind festivals? You might as well buy me a ticket there because I’ve already packed my suitcases (in my head) and started planning how soon I can move to this imaginary place. All of this to say, Reese Ryan has created a cozy little town in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and I can’t wait to read more about this town and its characters.

When small town girl made good returns to town with her tail tucked between her legs, no one in town bats an eye. Dakota’s father and her best friend, Sinclair, are overjoyed at her return, and so is her high school boyfriend, Dexter. Of course Dakota still has the hots for him, though she won’t admit it to anyone, not even herself, and he has the hots for her, but they both try to play it cool. In the hands of a less experienced author, this storyline could have been predictable and just a little cheesy. Reese Ryan, however, doesn’t make the focal point of the story about will they or won’t they.

Our girl Dakota gets to focus on family issues, friendship issues, employment issues. What I’m saying is she’s a grown woman whose life doesn’t revolve around whether or not she’s going to hook up with a man. But if she does? When she does? Steamy! 😅😅😅

Can you tell how much I enjoyed Second Chance? I started reading it on my lunch hour and skipped TV watching so I could finish it the same day. Thanks to @readforeverpub for sending this one my way. I saw so many potential couple matchups while reading it and I’m so looking forward to returning to Holly Grove Island in 2021.

So this was a sweet, beachy, small town romance. I liked the second chance at love trope but I did feel like after a while things got way too repetitive and I began to skim. Dakota and Dex kept going on and on about how they can't be together because he's her boss now. Yes, we know! And while I was enjoying them falling for each other again I just felt like they were harping on the things that are keeping them apart a bit too much. Like every chapter almost.

When they finally give in to their attraction I'd say it was worth the wait but that repetition man. t kept pulling me out the story and I just wanted to get to the end. I did enjoy the secondary characters, though. I love when we can see the relationships for the rest of the series being set up and I am looking forward to Sin's book, Nick's book. Em's book. I won't spoil who maybe paired up with who but these three intrigued me the most. Sin is Dakota's bestie and I wanna know whose gonna stress her outtt. I mean i do know cuz the set up there was clear but still

And Nick...has been set up as this ladies man but I think he's gonna have a reckoning coming mwahaha.

But yeah I did enjoy the romance here but felt like we didn't need to have both MCs literally saying over and over why they can't be together.

Dear world, please give me more Black small town romances like this! This is a thoroughly enjoyable second-chance romance with an insane amount of pining. Though it’s releasing during the usual holiday novel season, it’s actually more of a beach read, as it starts with the town’s Fourth of July festival.

Dakota is returning home to lick her wounds after getting fired from her job as an investigative journalist in NYC due to a scandal. Holly Grove Island doesn’t seem to have changed much from the small town she left seventeen years ago – though her ex-boyfriend is even hotter. Dex dumped her out of the blue when he returned home from college for winter break during her senior year of high school, and she’s never forgiven him for that, though she’s determined not to show how much it still hurts. That’s more of a challenge than she expected as she seems to keep running into him, and it gets even worse when she gets a job in marketing with the island’s new hotel… just as Dex is promoted to interim manager. But no matter how much chemistry they have, Dakota’s leaving again as soon as she can find a new job. Getting involved with him again would surely be a bad idea, right?

“If it weren’t for the small matter of hating Dexter Roberts’s guts, she’d be inclined to put him on a plate, sop him up with a warm biscuit, then wash him down with an ice-cold glass of sweet tea.”


I absolutely loved Dakota. When she returns home, she’s hurting from betrayal of her trust, but she’s desperate to hide that anything’s wrong from her family and friends. But at the same time that she’s talking about how wonderful NYC is and how hard she’s looking for a new journalism job, she’s also remembering how much she loves the small town she grew up in, and how much she misses her dad and her best friend. Dex was a sweetheart from the beginning. He broke up with her because he didn’t want her to give up her dreams of journalism school at NYU to follow him to his college, but he never stopped loving her. He’s sure that this is his opportunity to reconnect with her. Dakota and Dex have amazing chemistry, and while it’s also obvious the rear that Dakota still has feelings for him, she ignores them. After all, he already broke her heart once, and she’s set on finding another job and leaving again. But the more she sees of him, the more she remembers why she loved him (hello, jazz band scene), and oh, the pining is just perfect. From the moment they saw each other again, it was obvious they were meant to be together, and I loved watching then alternately attempt to fight it and lean in to it.

There’s a lot to unpack as well in terms of parental pressure and expectations for both Dex and Dakota. Both felt the need to live up their parents’ ideas of what their lives should be like, and that’s what forced them apart, and naturally, just as they’re getting back together, more bombshells threaten their relationship again. Dakota spends a lot of time wrestling with this in the book, especially as the parent involved was her mother who had since passed away from cancer. The way Dakota handled her outrage and grief and finally found a resolution was especially touching to me.

The side characters were amazing, especially Dakota’s best friend, Sin. I loved how even though Dakota dropped the ball on their relationship, when she asked her for help, Sin was there for her. Her matchmaking antics were pretty hilarious, too. And truly, this book had some absolutely hilarious zingers.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to the next Holly Grove Island book!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Second Chance on Cypress Lane begins the Holly Grove Island series with another chance to get love right for Dexter and Dakota along with a small coastal town community that will quickly draw you in and invites you to stay for a while.

Once upon a time, Dakota and Dex were a young couple in love with a future ahead of them right up until Dex left for college and broke Dakota’s heart with a break-up instead of a forever. There were reasons (there always are), but ones that Dex couldn’t explain, and so they parted, still in love, to their separate futures.

Now, years later, Dakota has returned home after being fired and shamed after a romance blows up in her face, a very public, very married already scandal that stole not only the job promotion she expected but her confidence as well. She’s not about to tell anyone the real reasons that she returned home – but she needs a restart and where better to figure out what to do next than with the man who loves her unconditionally – her father. She just didn’t expect to run into Dex again – or for those feelings that never really died to flare up even hotter than she remembered.

Dex has a career he loves, one he excels at, and life should be good but something is missing. And when Dakota returns to their small hometown Dex is well aware of what that “something missing” is… the woman he never stopped loving, even if their break-up was for her own good. (note to guys: stop making our decisions for our own good!)

I had such a good time with Second Chance on Cypress Lane for several reasons. Dakota might be down on her luck right now but she’s no pushover, she doesn’t need a man to make it all better, baby – this girl can and will rebuild on her own terms. And that aspect of her personality I adored. She knows when to be strong and she also knows when to soften, and she’s learning how to regain the trust in the man she never stopped loving. I adored Dex, yes, he had reasons but they hurt him just as much as they did Dakota. He’s a strong man without being overpowering, he knows how to wait, to play the long game when the goal is the woman he loves back in his life.

I love a quirky, gossipy, in your face small-town community – and that fits Holly Grove Island to a tee. I want to know more about some secondary characters, hoping that they get books along the way – others I realize will probably always be the background characters that make a town functional and growing but I’m looking forward to hearing more banter from them as well. In all, Second Chance on Cypress Lane hit all the boxes just right for me. Now comes the wait until I can return with the next story in this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Forever via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

This second chance at love small town romance was super cute. While it started a little slow for me in the beginning, I enjoyed it in the end. It was done in true Reese Ryan form. If you like Reese Ryan stories, you’ll definitely like this.

Dakota Jones and Dexter Roberts were first loves in high school. They broke up and went their separate ways when it was time for college. Now after an unfortunate scandal, she ends up coming back home to Holly Grove Island to not only get away from the scandal, but make sure her father is taken care of. She runs into Dexter, and reluctantly builds a rekindled friendship that turns into something more.

Although I love all troupes, Second chances are one of my favorites. I loved the camaraderie with the characters, as well as the romance between Dakota and Dexter. There were also secrets, not so secrets as well as lessons learned. This was a great and well written book, and I can't wait for the next book in the series.

This is such a good book to read that has a second chance love theme. The fact that is takes place in a nice cozy small town setting made me feel like I was right there too.
Dakota Jones has left her hometown of Holly Grove Island to attend college in New York City after her boyfriend Dexter Roberts has broken up with her. After Dakota graduates from college she has worked her way up in the journalism field to Television news anchor but now because of a scandal of the man she was seeing had a wife and did not tell Dakota he was still married. So the news station let her go and she returns back to Holly Grove Island to bid from her being ashamed.
Dexter Roberts was the high school football jock who hoped to make it to the NFL after playing football in college. Unfortunately is senior year he was sidelined with an knee injury so that was the end of his career.
Now that Dakota has returned back home and Dexter runs into her at the town festival, you can see the sparks are still there for each other. Now will Dakota be able to forgive Dexter for hurting her all of these years and can Dexter be truthful and tell Dakota the real reason why he broke up with her all those years ago? There are some surprising twist as to what happened.
I love the characters in this storyline and I look forward to perhaps reading more about Dakota’s best friend Sin, Dexter’s sister Em and Nick, Dakota’s sister Shay and Dakota’s father Oliver and Lila Gaye.
I recommend this book to read especially if you like a second chance romance taking place in a cozy small town setting.
Cassandra H.

I voluntarily read a copy of this book from Netgalley and this review is of my honest opinion and thoughts.

Cosy, lighthearted, and romantic!

Second Chance on Cypress Lane is an uplifting, charming tale that takes you into the life of the kind, heartbroken Dakota Jones who after being shattered by a scandalous affair returns home to the idyllic Holly Grove Island to rebuild her self esteem, repair old friendships, help out her widowed father, and hopefully hide from the one man who broke her heart to pieces seventeen years ago.

The writing is sentimental and warm. The characters are multilayered, supportive, and endearing. And the plot, using flashbacks to the past is an enticingly nostalgic tale full of secrets, friendship, tension, chemistry, tender moments, self-reflection, and second-chance love.

Second Chance on Cypress Lane is the first novel I’ve read by Ryan but it won’t be my last. It’s an entertaining, enjoyable, satisfying treat and I can’t wait to read what happens in this small North Carolina community next.

Dakota Jones is coming to Holly Grove Island after a devastating career disaster that left her unemployed and in the tabloids. She just wants to refocus and decide what to do with her career, so spending time with her dad might just do the trick. When she runs right into her old high school flame Dexter, the man who broke her heart, maybe returning home might not have been the right choice.

Dexter is home for good and when he sees Dakota, he wants to explain to her why he left her so many years ago. When it turns out that they must work together, and Dexter is her new boss, being friends is now his only option.

Dakota and Dexter must fight their feelings for each other even though their friends and family can clearly see that they are meant to be together. Dakota is only in town for awhile, so she is bound and determined to stay casual friends, she does not want another broken heart. Dexter must decide if his feelings for Dakota are worth risking a career, he spent so much time building.

This was a sweet story of second chances and rekindling a broken friendship. As a reader we get insight into how each character is feeling as the story is told from both points of view. I did feel however that a lot of time was spent with them reminiscing on the past and retelling their earlier romance. I would have liked to have the story focus more on the present and their time spent learning how to trust one another. All in all it was a good story and I do look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you so much to the author Reese Ryan, Forever (Grand Central) Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review. All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.

I was instantly able to get into this novel the moment I started reading!! Dakota flees back home after losing her job to figure out her next move and hide out until the heat dies down from her failed romance and scandal. On top of dealing with her fledgling career, Dakota comes home and face her father who she has avoided and even more daunting, her former love, Dexter. I lived for all of their scenes together, even when Dakota didn't want to believe it, the chemistry was still there. I am loving this small town, second chance romance. It doesn't hurt that it takes place in a beach town while we slowly start to freeze here in New York.

Second chance romance. Second chance at a career. Reuniting with family and friends. Don’t read this without tissues nearby.

I'm a huge Reese Ryan fan and Second Chance on Cypress Lane on cemented why. This second chance romance/reunion love story had everything--wonderful and relatable characters, dashes of humor, a perfect small town secondary cast of characters, a beautiful sense of family, dashes of humor, a wealth of emotion, passion and the loveliest of romances.

After Dakota's career crashes and burns, she returns home and it's inevitable that she'll run into the man she loved and who broke her heart. And it would be too easy to resent Dex for doing so until we discover his sacrificial reasons, and you love him and his beautiful heart. I so rooted for these two, and joining them on their journey back to each other was such a joy that was a pleasure to lose myself in. Reese Ryan really wove a gorgeous story and I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Sweet second chance story for Dakota and Dexter. Dakota returns home to Holly Grove Island after some tabloid controversy. She has avoided home for a long time. Her 4elationship with her father and best friend Sin has suffered because of it. Not to mention her ex boyfriend Dexter is there. Great story about second chances, not just the romantic variety. The characters are well written and makes me anxious for the next book in the series.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley for my voluntary, honest review. The opinions are my own.

I really do love small towns and the characters they bring. It was just such a charming setting. And of course in this small town, Dakota and Dexter just keep running into each other. How else could this second chance romance go? This was definitely a cute and cozy romance and I think readers will really enjoy it!

This was a heartfelt and sweet second chance romance! I loved the emotion, drama, and passion between Dexter and Dakota. It was a really entertaining story that made my heart happy!

I loved Dexter and Dakota and learning about their history. I liked the details of their youth and what happened between them and where they're at now in the present. Dexter was such a sweet guy, he seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve and I liked how he was trying to reconnect with Dakota. I loved Dakota, she was trying to get her life back on track because of a minor scandal and I liked that perseverance. There’s a lot of tension between them as well as underlying passion and chemistry as they reconnect and work through their feelings because things aren't always as they seem. I loved the pull between them as they reconnect, there was a nice slow burn happening.

There was a really great cast of characters introduced and I see the foundation for future stories that have been set up. I not only liked the healing taking place between Dakota and Dexter but also with her best friend Sinclair, they have a really great bond. There's were also some really nice moments with Dakota’s dad that choked me up. The storytelling was really well done with an excellent build. I liked the third person, dual POV and thought it flowed well and had really good details. There were some fun, playful scenes as well that brought in some really entertaining moments.

I thought Second Chance on Cypress Lane was a great introduction to a new series. A sweet and fun story full of healing that will fill your heart and leave you smiling.

I loved the quaint small town of Holly Grove Island! The setting was excellent and the details made the book come alive. The townspeople are the shining stars in this book, each unique and integral to the town. This book was so much more than a second chance romance! Dakota also begins to see the people in her life in a new way and come to terms with the small town she abandoned for the big city. This was the first book in a series and I’m so excited for more! I can’t wait to see what characters are next and return to this lovely town. 4⭐️. My thanks to @readforeverpub for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

I love second chance romance, childhood friends, and small town romance, so this story was very enjoyable. I especially liked the friendship between Sin and Dakota as it felt so realistic, and Sin was just a lot of fun. I also liked the build up to learning why Dakota and Dexter originally split, and I think it was well placed because it let me learn more about Dexter and their current relationship before knowing all the facts. I think the main thing I didn't enjoy about this story is that it felt really repetitive in that the characters kept mentally rehashing the same information every couple of chapters. Overall though it was a cute romance with characters I loved and a great setting that made the town feel like its own character.

I received an ARC from Forever (Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley for an honest review. Dakota was really close to becoming the lead anchor but she got fired because of a scandal. She hadn't been home to visit her father for a while so she decided to go home to visit. Once she got there she saw how much weight her father had lost in the six months since he had come to New York to see him.
Her high school sweetheart, Dex, had moved back and he is the one who told her that her father had diabetes. As I continued to read, I saw how she was picking herself back up and the changes that were happening. This wasn't a smooth sailing story, it had its ups and downs, the community members we meet, are the well-loved members of a small town, and it is will someone really stubborn stop and think about maybe there is a compromise. There are also secrets along the way which adds more spice to keep you enjoying this book. The story takes us on Dakota's journey and it is like most of our journey's which is one reason I loved this book. Second chances isn't always a second chance at love, it is also picking yourself up from a mistake you made, learning that other people's decisions might have been different than what you always thought and you decide what you are going to do about it. I enjoyed this story and life does have a way of making us see things differently sometimes.

This is such a wonderful feel-good book! I loved it!. Reese Ryan is an excellent author. The storyline and characters are very well written.

This is a great start to a new series! Dakota comes back home to Holly Grove Island after losing her job and a romance with a married man. The author writes an inspiring story about starting over. This is the perfect chick lit to lose yourself in.