In the process of finding herself once again in the power of music, Prudence is reborn. It is such an extraordinary gift that she has to be able to play with such heart and emotion that she evokes memories and emotions long forgotten by her audience. She is able to find the extraordinary from the ordinary. One line that stuck with me was between her and Alexei in terms of their skill as piano players is that one was born and one was built. Yes, Alexei had great talent but he played with precision. It is only when he let his guard done and joined the world did he start to feel. I was so glad what ended with he and Mia. I cannot imagine the level of practice and devotion to get to this type of level but I thought this book did a very accurate portrayal.

This book was a cute read. It told the story of two different characters with the same passion. One had a learned passion and the other with a natural born passion. It also told the tale of how one can lose passion for many years and then find it again. It also told of the different struggles each faced. It had a great lesson at the end and I love books that have this. It feel like I not only read a story but also learned something during. As a fur baby parent I also loved that there were animals in the book.
I had a hard time getting into the book however because it was written about a passion that I really have no interest in. It took me a while to get though it but once finished was a good book.

The Second Ending - Michelle Hoffman

3.5/5⭐️

This Book will be coming out May 30, 2023

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At the beginning child prodigy star is becoming depressed, both kids moved out and off to college. Things from Prudence past have come up and once faced with some scary in her face, she then decides her life is worth living for! When going to sell something she thinks she no king cares about, a crazy opportunity comes about. Prudence jumps on. It’s stressful but necessary. Prudence for herself play agains in the last amazing way why meeting some amazing people along the way.

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If you enjoy:
~Pianos
~Child Prodigies
~Blackmail
~Having to overcome to move on
~TV Shows
~Good Competition
~Midlife Crisis
… You should definitely check this out

📚📚📚
I loved this story! Tamara made me so angry at times because truly she should have opened her eyes and just went about things more adult like it may work out better for her. I love Alexei and wow what his parents did. That made me want to cry for him! I’m glad he found words in Prudence when he needed them most.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC E-Book, in exchange for an honest review!

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The story of a child prodigy pianist who grew up and raised a family, but now wants to rekindle her passion for the piano. She is invited to perform on TV in a piano playoff with another pianist, and must train again to compete.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the AR copy of The Second Ending.
Prudence was a child prodigy on the piano, and now at 48 she is having something of a mid-life crisis now that her children are away at college and she worries that her husband isn’t quite as excited by her as he used to be. Aside from that, she’s at risk of being exposed by her evil ex-husband for plagiarism for an advertising campaign she wrote as a child and she needs money fast. Prudence decides to compete in a reality show hosted by a famous pianist in order to make money to pay off her ex/blackmailer. This story was so fun and entertaining and I absolutely loved Prudence, it is well worth the read.
4 stars

Prudence is experiencing a midlife slump after she takes her younger child to college. When her ex-husband shows up demanding money or he will reveal a secret that will upend her life, she strikes out to regain her dreams, but on her own terms.

This book is an excellent study of the stages of life and the confident attitude we gain as we become older. Though there were many laugh out loud moments as Prudence tries to reestablish her piano career, there were also times when Prudence’s impulsiveness caused reader frustration! However the negative feelings were what made this book a true emotional journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC so I could establish an unbiased opinion!

If it’s taken me 5 days to get through 40% of a book that’s a problem and it’s not on me. It’s just boring, great she can play… 15%-30% could be cut out. The HOA lady? Completely unneeded and you can tell the character was added in as an afterthought due to the main plot line being stagnant. Bobby Wheeler? Again added later due to the lacking plot line of “this second chance” … which in actuality the FMC had 3 chances not 2 so that faltering detail with the title is annoying.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I adored this book and the writing. The characters were quirky and interesting with an intelligent plot. As a pianist myself, I found myself understanding much of the book and identifying with the main character and some of her practices. I would recommend this book to others and look forward to what the author writes in the future.

Prudence was a child prodigy playing and composing music since the age of three. Once her children were born, they were her life. As she is approaching fifty and the children are off to college, she believes she has nothing to live for. Stuart, her devoted husband, decides to bring her Steinway piano to their home in hopes that it will help fill her days. She is not interested in playing until she is asked to enter a contest with a famous, accomplished Russian pianist who has a show on television. Prudence and Alexie will face off playing three pieces and the audience will decide who wins. Prudence was exploited by her grandmother and Alexie was manipulated by his parents. Both struggle to find the joy in playing. I loved how both young and old needed to find the music for themselves. Bobby, Prudence’s first husband that Stuart is unaware of, tries to blackmail her believing the jingle she is still earning money from was written by her music teacher. If Alexie does not win the contest he and his parents face being returned to Russia. There was a lot at stake, and it was fun watching Alexie and Prudence embrace their music, talent, and each other. Great book with surprises along with way.

There are a lot of pieces in this story - Prudence is a woman nearing 50 and now with both her daughters off at college, she's feeling at ends with her purpose. She was a child piano playing prodigy. Alexei is a young man in his early 20's, a renowned pianist. Prudence has a gift, Alexei was trained. Both their pasts intertwine with the present. The ending with the truth about the jingle was unexpected. I thought there would be more interaction with the two pianists but that wasn't the case. I sometimes felt bogged down with the side characters but enjoyed the story overall.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a fun read and a good debut novel. I really enjoyed it.

With apologies to F Scott Fitzgerald, American and other lives can sometimes have second acts. Prudence feels adrift when her second daughter starts college. She had purposely left the past behind to have a normal life. Alexei is also at a crossroads. The story of how their paths cross is fascinating. This story is about the balance between talent vs discipline; artistry vs showmanship; and substance vs form. Both Prudence and Alexei have to deal with obstacles in their paths and financial pressures in the present. There are great, if not always likable, supporting characters. I did love the failed rock star but successful studio musician Gabe.

This is an intriguing look at the price one pays for talent – perhaps not all the time, but often enough. It also explores the nature versus nurture dilemma – are great musicians born or made?

Prudence Paddington Childs was a child prodigy, playing concerts at age five while being cruelly exploited by a grandmother who was thwarted in expressing her own talent. As one might expect Prudence walked away from it all when she became an adult – swapping fame for marriage and family. Now facing an empty nest and a middle age crisis, Prudence has an opportunity to rekindle her career as a pianist on her own terms. A blackmailing ex-husband forces her into a competition that ultimately provides a second chance to reclaim her love of music.

Alexei Petrov, a Russian immigrant, is also a pianist, but unlike Prudence whose gift is the feeling she evokes through her interpretation of the music, his talent has been honed by perfecting the technical aspects through rigid discipline and arduous practice. He, too, has been exploited by parents who rely upon him not only for financial support, but also protection against returning to their homeland. It is Alexei’s popular reality television show pitting piano players against one another that brings Prudence and Alexei together. Despite their age differences and the competitive nature of their relationship, they find they have much in common.

The story unfolds in alternating chapters from the perspectives of the two protagonists. These characters are engaging and well-developed with an interesting mix of supporting characters – the blackmailing ex, Alexei’s controlling parents, Prudence’s current husband and a seriously disturbed HOA President with an axe to grind.

The author’s skill in weaving together diverse characters and social issues is evident. What I appreciated the most are the beautiful, evocative descriptions of what Prudence experiences in the interpretation of a variety of compositions. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to more offerings by this author.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman is a story about second chances. And pianos, mostly. Prudence Childs had been a child prodigy. Really. She had been pushed to greatness by her grandmother. When I say pushed, I mean abused. When she finally got away from her grandmother, she basically quit. Now she was 50 years old, happily married, had just seen her second daughter off to college, and she didn’t know where to turn. Her husband tried everything, until he located her childhood grand piano and had it delivered. She lost it. She didn’t want a piano. She wanted to start a book club. At the same time, Alexei Petrov was hosting the last of his reality tv shows in which two piano players competed and were put to a vote by the viewers. He didn’t love it but he made a lot of money, which was all his mother wanted. She didn’t care about him so much, just the money. Then for the next season instead of being host, they decided to pit him against Prudence. And they changed the rules: they would now include a category of rock/pop. He couldn’t play that. He was in a panic.

Lots of intertwined stories in this complicated book. There was lost love, blackmail, death, child abandonment, grudges, empty nest syndrome, and so much more. Nothing is ever easy, but telling the truth often has more rewards than not. That might be the theme of the book. It was well written and very entertaining. It was hard to see where it was going, at first, but it made it to its destination in good time, with a happy-ever-after for most of the characters, although it looked different than one might expect. It was a terrific book.

I was invited to read The Second Ending by by Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Ballantine #MichelleHoffman #TheSecondEnding

While the story was enjoyable overall, the large number of characters and slow pace made it a bit hard to follow and stay engaged at times. Music is a huge part of my life, so I really enjoyed that angle, as well as the humor. The story appears, at first, to be a romance ... but it's not! And I appreciated that.

The story was creative and enjoyable, but it would benefit from closer editing. At times the story got bogged down in the events of the past, and some of those were repetitive.
It was a unique take on what can happen to those with helicopter parents.

Oh this was just lovely! I love quirky Prudence and her silly thoughts about everything. And Alexei is such a dear young man. The life lessons these two people learn makes for a great story. “And when someone believes in us, it unlocks something inside.”

This was a really good debut book! A lot of interesting Characters, second chances and fun. I enjoyed that Prudence had some growth and life lessons along the way. 3 stars!

Publish date 5/30/23

Thank you NetGalley for this fun Arc to read!

I got about 50% of the way and can’t bear to read more. I disliked most of the characters, especially Prudence. She changes her mind every few minutes and I felt so bad for Stuart that she kept secrets from him and put him in some bad situations. I also didn’t love the pacing of the story.

The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley for review. My opinions are my own.

5/5 stars

This is such a smart, well-written book! The protagonist, Prudence, reminds me of Bernadette from “Where’d You Go, Bernadette.” She has a similar eccentric vibe.

I also loved Alexei and how he came into himself throughout the novel. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a “coming of age” story but it does have that element.

The story follows Prudence and Alexei, as well as several supporting characters, as they prepare for a dueling pianos TV competition. The book is, at times, humorous and sad.

Loved this novel.