Lara Avery is one of my new favorite authors. The book The Year of Second Chances is wonderful. You will fall in love with all the characters. Happy reading.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

This is a humorous, heart-tugging, sometimes poignant, and ultimately hopeful story that kept me flipping pages from start to finish.

Writing about widowhood is a tricky thing and navigating grief is highly individual. Having said that, and from my own experience only, I thought Avery did a good job of balancing the many emotions that come at you during those first few years. It's an unsettling time. Making decisions is difficult. Clinging to the past is comforting. Moving forward is not. Sometimes, we need a nudge. My late husband promised to come back and haunt me if I didn't choose to move forward, choose to be happy. Robin's husband signed her up at an online dating site.

One would expect grief, and poignant moments, to be key elements of Robin's story and they are, but there's also humor, hope, the first flickering embers of desire that Robin never thought she'd feel again, and surprising stirrings in her heart (that she really never thought she'd feel again), all leading to a new path forward for a woman who was certain her life path had already been set in stone. I laughed, shed some tears, cringed with her as she reluctantly dipped her toes back into the dating pool, cheered her on as she finally confronted the dysfunctional issues within her family, and sighed with satisfaction as she ultimately found her footing - found herself - and took those first steps forward into a new chapter of her life.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley. Fair and unbiased review.

When his last wish makes you uncomfortable.


When Robin LIndstrom lost her husband Gabe, she was lost and heartbroken.

She lost him way too soon. And after a year of his being gone she received a shocking email that he had signed her up for a year of online dating. She was still grieving and feeling that he was her one and only true love.

After some serious thought and talking to her brother, she decided since "it;s only a year" she would go through with it.

So we learn more about Robin, we see her growing and still hurting over her loss, and having new experiences.



I like Robin and liked her experiences they seemed true to life.

I enjoyed the story, there were somethings about her family I wasn't thrilled with but again they were realistically written. I liked the parts where Robin would remember times with Gabe so we got glimpses of how they were when he was alive.

This was the authors first book but I've read 2 others that were published first and I enjoyed those.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher

4 stars highly recommended

Very good contemporary women's fiction. While there are elements of romance, the main focus is on Robin's personal growth and process of dealing with the grief of losing her husband. I thought the discussion of grief was handled very thoughtfully. At times, I was concerned that the material might wander into more superficial rom-com territory and take away from the heart of Robin's story, but it managed to walk that line in a careful and appropriate manner. I would definitely recommend this is you are looking for a more serious and introspective women's fiction title.

Has PS I Love You Vibes.

It does go in a somewhat different direction.

I feel like this woman had been through enough. She didn’t need the added family drama with her mother and brother. I felt like the mom really needed to step it up and she was pretty unlikable from the beginning.

The ending was sweet. It was just a hard one to read at times.

I received this book from NetGalley as an advanced copy for review.

In this book, Robin is learning what her life is going to look like after her husband's death. In a town that knows her as "Mrs. Mayor" she is finding it hard to make an identity of her own, and figure out what will come next for her.

While she is attempting to cut connections with her identity as the Mayor's Wife, she is also dealing with some family drama... she suspects her mom is an alcoholic - running the family restaurant - and her brother cannot seems to make a decision on what he will major on in college, extending the time that Robin is financially responsible for him even more.

While Robin is navigating her own feelings, she receives an email from her deceased husband telling her he has setup a dating profile for her because he wants her to get back out there and find somebody new. Robin goes through all of the feelings one would expect - shock, disbelief, denial, refusal. But in the end, is persuaded by Levi - a mutual friend of hers and her late husband to give it a shot.

Robin goes on many dates through the dating app that her husband set up for her, but none of them seem quite right for her. After her mom is in a serious accident and Robin is forced to analyze where she is in life and whether this is the path she wishes to continue with the same people in it, she comes to realize that some major changes need to happen in her life as well as the life of those closest to her.

This author has done the impossible. She has presented grief in a humorous way while still making sure the reader gets hits hard in the feels. You will not only want a tissue while reading, you'll need to have the whole box on standby. You'll find yourself sniffling and giggling at the same time. It's a beautifully written book that is so incredibly realistic and yet, absolutely entertaining in a fun and relatable manner. I absolutely felt Robin's grief and felt like I was living through the process with her. The email from the past was absolutely the perfect jumping off point for this story. I am in love with this author's writing and can't wait to immerse myself in more of her books soon! Her characters are so realistic with flaws and mistakes that lead them from one point of life to another so perfectly imperfectly. It's a very inspiring story of finding your way to a second act after losing the most important person in your life.

Robin lost her husband a year ago, and now a message from him is decided encouraging her to start dating again. An emotional read.

Books on grief are often times a miss for me, however this one was enjoyable. Robin has lost her husband to cancer and is navigating the stages of loss. I felt as though this book was just too sad for my liking. maybe the timing was off for me to read this one and ill have to re read it in the future. I loved the writing and will definitely check out more of Avery's books.

This was a great read! It's a hard to put down novel if you know what I mean.
The author covered grief and mourning among a few other things very well.
Wonderful characters! I really enjoyed getting to know Robin and Theo.
an
With an awesome start for a debut novel that I very much enjoyed.
I kinda relate to Robin but not really cause I've never lost a spouse but I have lost my parents and grandparents. So not the same though. I get it. You never get over missing that person no matter how hard you try. Things are never the same anymore.
I thought Theo was the best big brother ever. I loved his love and support along with encouragement for his sister Robin.
I

A cute premise and well-defined character journey make THE YEAR OF SECOND CHANCES a solid pick for fans of women's fiction. As our story begins, Robin is focused on solving other people's problems. She's enabling her brother, Theo, and their mother. Did I mention she's also a young, grieving widow? As she begins dating again, the pace lags a bit and the plot line becomes somewhat predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable. I particularly admired how Robin found her way. She finally stands up to her family, has a chance at new love (swoon), and a burgeoning new career as a bonus.

Thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Robbie/Robin has lost her husband, the mayor of their town, has passed away from cancer and she's still grieving and finding her way in life. She is close with her family - Mom and Theo who she regularly saves by paying their bills, making sure her mom's business doesn't close and doing her books, making sure Theo makes it through school paying for his fees, his apartment, etc. - basically looking after everyone but herself. After a year of missing her husband, she receives a surprise email from him telling her live her life by starting to date again. He has created a profile on Bubbl and, as much as she doesn't want to come out of her safe life, she starts dating with funny and possible results. There is also Levi, her husband's best friend, who has always been a part of Robin's life. They were a threesome starting in college with so many happy memories. When Robin starts dating Jake seriously, she starts to question whether she's really ready for this. And there's an undeniable something between her and Levi that she tries to ignore. When she's asked to volunteer at a theatre company doing stage makeup, she finds something she loves and is really good at. She realizes all the ways she lives and becomes a part of others' lives but what does she wan for her lifet. This was a sweet story and nice summer read.

Young widow Robin Lindstrom spent a year barely holding it together after her husband died of cancer. She's hiding out at home and only venturing out when it's to care for her brother and mother like she's been doing since she was 18 and her dad died suddenly. On the one-year anniversary of her husband's death, she gets an email from him telling her that he signed her up for an online dating site and that he wants her to live her life. She reluctantly agrees to do it with the help of her husband's best friend and a genuine desire to find joy in life once again. But it's not an easy path and her family does not make it easy.
It's a testament to Avery's writing that you instantly connect with Robin. It also works against the book because it's a sad story that doesn't let up even when good things happen to Robin, so it's a very downer book all around.
My main peeve with this one is that the young widow learning to live and love again story has been told so many times before, and this interaction doesn't really add anything new. It's well told and it certainly makes you feel, but it also doesn't stay with you after the last page.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the read!

This is the authors debut novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed. A mixture of romance, complex family dynamics, a search for self and learning to let go, as the title states, it is a year of second chances.
Robin Lindstrom , had lost her husband, and the love of her life a year ago, and was having a hard time copping. But then on the year anniversary of his death she receives and e-mail stating that her husband had signed her up on a dating App along with a message "The app subscription lasts 12 months; use it!," Gable's message-from-the-grave reads ."I don’t like the thought of you being alone. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it as a favor to me . Please."
she is convinced by others to at least give it a try as it was her husbands last request.
Slowly but surely, it opens up a whole new world for her, not only romantically but discovering new interests and a fresh look at life.
This is a fun, different kind of a romance? Great characters and scenarios.
I would like to thank NetGalley and William Morrow for a copy of this book.

Lara Avery's THE YEAR OF SECOND CHANCES is a love story after a woman's love-of-her-life love story is supposedly over. A widow given the gift of on-line dating by her late husband on the one-year anniversary of his death ventures into the world of dating and forming new relationships, hopeful and also wary. It was a fun read, entertaining, creative, and very enjoyable. I cheered on this brave character with happy enthusiasm.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. It was sweet, fun and heartwarming. It held my interest and I didn't want to put it down. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

📖 Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This book made me laugh at the chapter intros & then suck in my breath when something hit home. It has a lightness even though it covers the journey of grieving and alcoholism. The dialogue can be very wordy so I had to reread sections to stay on track with who was speaking or what was happening. Mostly in the beginning. Good read with some great quotes!

🧡 Lara gives us the main character Robin who is trying to be a proper grieving widow, but she’s wondering who she is now that she is alone. Just as she is coming up for air a year after her husband passes an email comes in from her husband Gabe.

He has subscribed her to an online dating service and requested his best friend to help her along the way.
We watch Robin go on awkward dates over and over, but it pushes her to heal little by little with Gabe’s approval.

Then there’s also her brother and mother with their own issues that Robin has been enabling.
She’s a glue person. Holding it all together and supporting others while being the orchestrator behind the scenes. She’s ready to think of herself and follow her dreams for the first time ever.🧡

👉🏻This book has:
•Mother/Daughter Relationship •Family Relationships •Grief •Healing
•Alcoholism

💡What would you do if you were in Robin’s shoes? Check out the app or delete immediately?

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow & Custom House for a #gifted copy in exchange for my review! 💕

**Review posted today on Instagram & Goodreads

The Year of Second Chances is a story about Robin, a 33-yar-old widow grieving the loss of her husband. A year after his death, she gets an email from her late husband who signed her up for a year long online dating subscription to encourage her to move on after him. Reluctantly, Robin starts going on dates, dealing with her family issues, and generally trying to live again. I was nervous to read this book as I am generally not one for stories of intense grief, but I do like stories of people not in their 20s trying to find love or change their lives in a big way. I was hopeful that this book would hit a balance of pulling at my heart while having a generally light tone.

And now that I have read it, AHHH!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK! It really hit the balance I was hoping for and more. For several days after I read it, I found myself not wanting to start another book and going back to read my favorite passages. The mix of emotions with trying to move on, redefine yourself, and to continue living while keeping your previous responsibilities while honoring the memory of your previous partner really did it for me. That being said, it wasn't a sad book. There was a light tone and many funny moments, a lot of which through dating and with Levi, Robin's late husband's best friend. Robin gets really into special effects makeup and loves horror movies. I also think that it helped that the book started a year after her husband's death, so there had already been time for all of the characters to grieve.

I thought grief was depicted really in this book. I haven't lost a very close friend or family member, but I am a psychologist and have seen that grief ebbs and flows. The book takes place over a year and Robin goes through a lot of ups and downs throughout that time. Grief is not a linear process, and this book featured this point. Robin is in a support group of other widowed women and they also move on at different times and in different ways. Grief didn't look the same for everyone throughout this book.

Also, this book is NOT a general romance novel. It doesn't hit the same beats of the romance genre. I really liked this about book, but if you are expecting it to fall neatly into the romance category, you may have more issues with the way that the plot goes. In general, I would also check-in with yourself to make sure that you are in a place to read this book before you start. Robin does a lot of self-reflection after losing her husband, her mother's alcoholism, and her brother's self-identity in being one of the only gay people in their small Minnesota town. I thought that these themes were handled well, but it might be a lot for some people.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and am so glad that I read it. I highly recommend it to anyone who thinks that the description sounds interesting. A full 5 stars from me. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the electronic advanced reader's copy of this book; my thoughts are my own!

CW: Alcoholism, death, grief, physical injury

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

Although the theme explored in this book is heavy (dealing with grief), I particularly found the author's narrative storytelling to be engaging - this really made even mundane situations as well as the cast of characters come alive! This reads more like a women's fiction than romance & I enjoyed it!

At first I thought it was creepy that Robin’s deceased husband had created a dating profile for her. Then I could see how it was kind of sweet.
Turns out she needed the nudge. Robin does try out a lot of new things and people. I knew something important in the plot by the third chapter.
I thought her mom and Theo were major mooches and the scene where she delivers verbal bombs was way over due.
I didn’t like the ending, too much was up in the air. I wanted something more concrete.