"The Second Season" by Emily Adrian is a smart, reflective novel that delves into the pressures and complexities of life after success. Through the lens of a once-promising TV actress, Adrian explores themes of identity, reinvention, and the struggle to find purpose beyond fame. The writing is sharp and insightful, with well-drawn characters who feel both relatable and real. It’s a compelling exploration of second chances and what it truly means to start over.

The Second Season by Emily Adrian is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that explores ambition, motherhood, and identity through the lens of Ruth Devon, a trailblazing sports broadcaster. As Ruth faces the challenges of aging in a male-dominated industry and navigates her complicated relationship with her adult son, the story delves into the sacrifices and compromises women often make to succeed in their careers. Adrian’s writing is sharp and insightful, seamlessly blending the high-stakes world of sports commentary with the deeply personal struggles of her protagonist. With its richly developed characters and nuanced exploration of what it means to reinvent oneself, The Second Season is a powerful and resonant story that will linger with readers long after the final page.

Emily Adrian’s The Second Season is a heartfelt novel that delves into the complexities of ambition, identity, and relationships. The story centers on Ruth Devon, a trailblazing sports broadcaster at the top of her game but faces unique challenges as a woman in a male-dominated industry. Against the backdrop of professional basketball, Adrian portrays Ruth’s love for the game, her professional struggles, and her internal conflicts about motherhood and her place in a rapidly changing world.

However, while Ruth’s professional journey is compelling, the narrative sometimes feels uneven. Some emotional beats, particularly in her relationships with her son and mentee, lack the depth to resonate fully.

The Second Season by Emily Adrian was a great novel. It tied together themes of sports, career, and family. It was a very interesting perspective on how women are often forced to choose between their career and family, even though men do not. Ruth was such a wonderful character and I always understood where she was coming from. Though this book kept me entertained while I was reading it, I did not always feel the urge to pick it back up after putting it down. That said, I thought the storyline and pacing were well written.

I appreciate the ability to send a rating and review for this title. I love any story about women in journalism!!!

Sports has an amazing way of bonding friends and family together and this book has it all. I requested this one as I’ve been watching and playing basketball ever since I was a kid. There are so many great basketball moments from watching Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Labron James. This book was really enjoyable and I would highly recommend it.

Interesting story about a woman striving to succeed in the male-dominated field of sports broadcasting. I enjoyed the characters, who were more multi-dimensional than I expected going into this!

I'm afraid I DNF'D at 10%. Subject matter not really for me so didn't feel really engaged.. I did like the writing style though.

This book was a DNF for me. The subject matter didn't catch my attention so I chose to DNF. I may try again in the future but as of right now I was not interested. Thank you again for the opportunity to take a chance on this book.

This story is all about Ruth, a woman trying to solidify her place in the sports world and navigate her new family life. She was a basketball star back in the day, but as many athletes know all too well, an injury stopped her career short. Ruth hasn't given up on staying involved with basketball and has become a sports reporter with big goals.

The Second Season is cute. It's a feel-good read and while pretty predictable, still one of those stories that allows you to enjoy the ride. Much of the book centers around Ruth's difficult professional & personal relationship with her ex-husband and navigating being a working mom.

If you're game for a lot of basketball talk & some cliche "woman working in a male-dominated field" material, this is the book for you! I can't say it was a favorite of mine, but I enjoyed the book nevertheless.

Thank you so much to Blackstone Publishing, Emily Adrian, and NetGalley for the ARC of The Second Season!

This book was nice. I really liked how it showed how difficult it is to be a woman in a field dominated by men. I'm not a big fan of the pregnancy trope and for that reason I felt a disconnect. I would still recommend to my friends though!

A cute read, but didn't really grab me like I thought it was going to based on the description. Thank you for the opportunity!

You would have thought that a book about sports, female ambition, and motherhood would have been a better match for me, but this missed the mark. The back and forth between past, far past, and present was too jumbled and choppy for me to truly enjoy the story. What the author wanted to be meaningful ended up just being confusing.

I did enjoy the sports aspect and how Ruth is unapologetic about going after her dreams and desires.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Now this is a women fiction book. Writing about a women journey in life which can be complicated and messy at times. And boy does this main character, Ruth, struggles with maintaining a career and family. It will always be struggle for any women to maintain a high-level career in a male dominant career while being mother. It's not always easy. It's challenging at most. It's something that Ruth is going to discover.

not what i expected, but i was decently surprised with the care i ended up feeling for the characters. the middle did drag a but

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this title. All opinions are my own.

As women, categories like wife/mom/employee don't merge seamlessly. Where there is friction, it often causes turmoil within a personal life. Add into the mix a female working in a male dominated field, to really up the stress factor. Emily Adrian addresses the conflict that can ensue from women trying to "have it all" by exposing the sacrifices that must be made. This book is great for anyone interested in sports as a primary topic, mixed with gender inequity, motherhood, marriage, ambition, etc.

I very much enjoyed this as a reader, woman, and sports media producer. Recommend to anyone interested in one of the three! Thanks to #netgalley for the copy!

This was one of my favorite reads of the year. The struggle between motherhood and career, traditional gender roles, and being a woman in a male/dominated field was incredibly well written.

Rating: 3.75/5
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Thank you to Blackstone and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Second Season is out now!

I was really excited to read this book, I’m a major fan of a breaking the glass ceiling vibes and this book was fantastic but also, I really don’t like basketball and this book was all about basketball. Take my rating with a grain of salt because of this. The Second Season was delightfully feminist, honest and did an excellent job navigating the journey of a working mother. Ruth was a strong female lead in this fast paced book and a great read for anyone navigating a ambitious career in 2021.

I really enjoyed this book. With the thousands and thousands of books being published each year, I really love when an author takes a somewhat common story or relationship to explore, and sets in a non-traditional set of circumstances.

This book isn't just about a woman working with her ex-husband in an arena mainly dominated by males. It is set on the sidelines and in the announcing booths of the NBA, which adds such a high profile, high stakes backdrop that it immediately heightens the tensions of each relationship, each line of dialogue, and each discovery. When Ruth is forced to choose which direction her life will take unexpectedly, it strikes right at the heart of a dilemma that women face every single day.