An unexpected and joyful second chance holiday romance set in suburban Florida. Eli and Nick were childhood friends and high school sweethearts but haven’t spoken in years, when they run into each other at the Wine Barn. Eli is back in town after his NYC comedy career imploded, and Nick is running a local restaurant and raising his daughter. The two grow closer over the holiday season, but any chance of a future between them may be threatened by circumstances all around them.

My only regret is that I read this book too fast and now I have to wait for TJ Alexander to write something else. Please hurry.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

There's nothing better than a rom com with a small town and second chance romance! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was so cute! I especially loved that the MC was sober because I feel that isn't always represented in books. TJ Alexander does it again!!

2024 Pride Month

While I didn't love Chef's Choice as much as its premise, I knew I just hadn't found the right T.J. Alexander book for me. Until now.

Eli is a trans man that works in New York as a writer. Or rather, he did, until someone very high up on the show got flamed for harassing the women on the crew. He flies home to Florida for Christmas, a place he hates, that has people he loves. This, I felt in my soul.

His ex, Nick Wu, semi-recently divorced, with major DILF vibes, comes flying back into the picture. You know how I said I hate second chance romance? With a fiery passion? Guess I just hate it for straight people. I loved this. Come for me.

So with the backdrop of the South, not that this can't happen anywhere else (because it 100% can), we've got family members that deadname Eli, a little casual racism from Nick's former mother-in-law, and other little microaggressions to boot. Obviously, this won't be for everyone, but the same people that come to hate this will be the same people that hate the Bridgerton changes in race and sexuality.

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books

I adored this book! Nick and Eli were excellent characters--both likable and well developed. TJ Alexander's writing style was able to transport me into these characters worlds and gain perspective of the experiences that queer and transgender people go through. The setting in Florida where there has been so much controversy and attempts to strip people of basic human rights was a perfect choice for Nick and Eli's story to unfold.

I have a ton of TJ Alexander books sitting on my shelf that I just haven't gotten to yet and I look forward to reading more of them now that I finally bumped one up my never ending TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and TJ Alexander for providing me with a digital copy of this book. This is my honest review.
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5 gold stars, baby! 🫶🏽 I enjoyed the relationship between Eli and Nick so much. The scenes with Zoe were so sweet and genuine. The trans and BIPOC rep is 🤌🏽 I’m also adding to this to my small, but growing, list of books that touch on demisexuality. This is by far one of my favorite books of the year so far.

I’ve started and stopped this book no less than 10 times in the last 7ish months and I think it’s finally time for me to just put it down at 19%.

I don’t know what it is but I just cannot get into it at all. Eli seems fine, Nick and his daughter are adorable but there’s just nothing holding me on the story.

It’s not you, it’s me.

The trans rep & specifically the 'didn't realize you were trans til fully an adult' rep is fantastic. The demi rep, yes please. These were fully fleshed out characters, you got to really see and feel their relationship develop - no insta-love here, and just so real.

Can we get a sequel where Nick's ex-wife decides to fully explore her clear bisexuality?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I started with that copy, but the bulk of my review is for the published version.

*SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD!*

Ugh, why did it take me so long to read this! I absolutely adored it! I liked TJ Alexander's other two books, but I didn't love them. I LOVED this one.

I don't usually like second chance romances, though honestly haven't read a lot of them. But the ones that I've read previous to this one just didn't work very well for me. But this one REALLY did. We have Eli who is trans and living in NYC who is home for the xmas for the first time in many years, and the first time since he transitioned 5 years earlier. On one of the first days back he runs into his ex boyfriend from high school, Nick, and things just go from there.

What I really liked was that both protagonists are a bit older, both Eli and Nick are in their late 30s (despite the description saying that Nick is in his 40s, he's not), and while they generally were doing alright at adulting, they both were still figuring things out. I thought the depiction of Nick's demisexuality realization was really well done. When you think you know yourself pretty well, but then as you're heading into your 40s and oh, huh, that's new. I love the fact that he just accepted it, there was no gay panic or anything, it was just something new he was learning about himself.

I think that it is a testament to how well written the book and the characters are that I didn't try to throw it through the window multiple times, when our two dummies are too dumb to realize that they are both in love with each other. Usually this kind of mutual pining, angst, poor communication drives me wild (in a bad way), but it didn't in this book.

I also loved the Florida Man references, they were so good!

Overall, this was just a really fantastic book with a great cast of characters and checks so many of the LGBTQIA+ identities, I love it. I have Alexander's next book as an ARC and think I will be getting to it soon, after loving this one so much!

Second Chances in New Port Stephen is a sweet second-chance romance. Eli, who returned home for Christmas, is difficult to like at times: prickly, elitist. Some of it's understandable, but he's almost forty (as we are reminded many times).

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Atria for the eARC! TJ Alexander is one of my favorite authors - their writing is so authentic, the characters were emotional and compelling. The second chance romance trope was incredibly well done here! I absolutely loved this and I cannot recommend this and TJ Alexander’s other books enough!

Second Chances in New Port Stephen is a lovely rom com about relationships, finding yourself, coming to terms with the past, and being open to second chances.

Nick and Eli are exes who haven't seen each other in years. A series of unfortunate circumstances bring Eli back to his home town and his ex-boyfriend's orbit. At times hilarious and at others absolutely poignant, this book gives us two fleshed out characters, with distinct voices and POV, with a gentle and satisfying progression from exes, to tentative reacquaintance, to the realization that the love they had for each other never really dimmed despite the years, and an HEA that felt believable.

You can feel the nostalgia and the yearning in this story. The way these characters who are in their 30s are navigating challenging experiences--divorce, loss, grief, parenting, job loss, bigotry, and more--felt real and heartfelt.

Overall an enjoyable read and secondary characters that felt realistic also. Particularly Nick's daughter, who was a joy to read.

TJ Alexander is an auto-buy author for me and I really loved this book. It has just the right amount of whimsy and silly, but is truly beautiful..

3.5 stars!

Cute read!

I loved the small town feel and the holiday season setting! The second chance was also cute.

TJ Alexander cannot miss! Every single book I have read by this author, has been an instantly loved one.

This book follows Eli, a trans man who returned to his hometown in Florida for Christmas with his family. He very quickly ran into his high school boyfriend, now a single dad, Nick.

I expected this second chance romance to be a light and fluffy romance, but the com in rom com was definitely evident. This book was hilarious!

Thank you to NetGalley, TJ Alexander, and Atria Books for the digital arc.

TJ Alexander has definitely become a must read author for me. Relationships of any type are difficult to navigate and with the characters that are in this book, TJ Alexander does an incredible job having them navigate these uncharted waters with each other. I loved the idea here of this second chance romance also feeling like somewhat of a brand new romance in a whole different way. The characters were incredible and I did also enjoy that they were a bit older and you got to see that dynamic play out as well.

The wit in this book was also incredible and I found the characters and the banter genuinely funny. Nick and Eli’s relationship was great but I thought the addition of Zoe was perfect for this story and added such a charm to their lives together and how she fit into that.

Many Thanks for NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved this new rom-com from TJ Alexander! They never miss on delivering loving and fun romances. Full of queer joy and love, a great read for any time of the year!

"Second Chances in Newport" by TJ Alexander is a captivating romance novel that sweeps readers away to the charming streets of Newport, where love, redemption, and unexpected connections reign supreme. Alexander crafts a heartfelt story that explores the power of forgiveness and the possibility of finding love when least expected. The characters are wonderfully developed, each with their own unique struggles and desires, making them feel like old friends by the end of the book. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Newport, the novel immerses readers in its vibrant atmosphere, evoking a sense of nostalgia and longing for a second chance at love. With its compelling storyline and engaging prose, "Second Chances in Newport" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys heartwarming romance with a touch of serendipity.

Second Chances in New Port Stephen is an LGBTQ romance (yes, a second chance romance!) built around the Christmas season in Florida.

Eli Ward has returned to his childhood home after losing his job as a TV comedy writer. But Eli was very different as a child; he’s now a man, having transitioned. He’s 40, unemployed, sober, and at loose ends. He hasn’t been home in many years and doesn’t really want to be there now. He bumps into his old high school boyfriend, Nick Wu, while out shopping for a Christmas gift, and thus begins to rekindle a friendship with Nick, which will turn into something more. Their journey of discovery, self-discovery, rediscovery is charming. I loved Eli’s funny boomer parents, who were accepting of him but also very clueless in many ways. Nick’s dad is great and his younger daughter Zoe is a cute little hoot. We don’t get to know Eli’s good friend and colleague Margo very much; I would have liked more scenes with her.

Having a son in the TV writing field made Eli’s precarious career situation feel very real. I also grinned at references to Florida’s governor and grumbled at the references to Florida’s extremist legislation. Florida is currently not a particularly comfortable place to be anything other than cisgender and heterosexual, unfortunately.

Content warning include: transphobia (mainly references to Florida legistlation), references to alcoholism (in the past), death of a parent (also in the past), racism, and a few rather spicy scenes.

I read this as part of the 2024 Trans Rights Readathon, but it had been sitting on my (virtual) shelf for a while, so I took the opportunity to finally read it, and I’m glad I did. I bounced between the ebook and the published audiobook. The narrators, Aden Hakimi and Feodor Chin, did a great job with the various voices and accents. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Book 1 for me for the 2024 Trans Rights Readathon. This year, I'll be making a donation to LGBT Youthline

Rounding up to five stars. Sometimes it's harder for me to write a review for a book when I really like it. This book wasn't perfect - there were a couple of little turns of phrase here and there that felt off and the pacing didn't always work for me - but ultimately, I can't think of much I would change. This is a low plot, high vibe book with clever and subtle humour that worked for me beginning to end. I laughed out loud a number of times. The characters are flawed but endearing and the connection between them was well done with so much underlying tenderness and care. I was really charmed reading this book and can't wait to pick up other books by the author.

I’m a huge TJ Alexander fan, and this book was exactly what I was expecting it to be.

Super sweet, a little spicy, and an overall adorable second chance/queer romance. Zoe was written as the world’s most lovable kid. And Nick’s dad was my favorite character in the book. He’s everything I aspire to be as a parent. The drama around Christmas is all-too-familiar, and I was losing my mind during the library scene!

Overall, a very fun read that was more fun than spicy (maybe 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ …a few open door scenes but nothing that made me think twice)