Literally screaming. I loved this story so much. It had so much heart and soul. Before this I wasn’t sure if I loved the second chance romance trope, but this converted me.

Unfortunately this one just didn't work for me. I think it was totally on me, though. I was hoping for a light, sweet rom com and this instantly felt very political. There is definitely nothing wrong with that, it just wasn't the right book for me at the time. I did like the characters and thought their relationship was sweet, but it took a little too long to get there, and many things also felt a little unrealistic. I would definitely be interested in reading more from this author in the future, though.

Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander. Pub Date: December 5, 2023. Rating: 4 stars. I have never read a book by this author, but this was a pleasant surprise and I will most definitely be reading more of their work! Set in Florida around Christmas time, this is the story of a second chance romance between high school sweethearts who have both lived separate lives to come together and reignite the spark that once was. Themes of LGBTQ+, identity, sexuality, romance, family and grief are all explored in this book. I really appreciated the author's attention to detail to describe LGBTQ+ and identity because I think these are important topics to talk about especially in today's climate. I really learned a lot about the transgender population and felt it added a lot of substance to the book. I had a tough time putting this book down and would recommend it wholeheartedly! Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review. #netgalley #secondchancesinnewportstephen

Absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2023 and a huge success with our book club. TJ somehow manages to take an experience that I’ve never had and root me so firmly in the story that I could relate so thoroughly to the main character. It was funny, it was heartfelt, it was beautiful, it was spot on. I loved the demi rep, too. I loved everything about this book and can’t wait for Triple Sec.

I really loved the premise of this book, second chance romances are a favorite. Also as a Queer person who lived in and recently moved out of Florida I appreciated the attention on the difficulties Queer and more specifically Trans people are going through.

The main character, Eli, felt a little immature. However, I did like Nick’s character and his journey, learning and exploring his sexuality.

Overall I enjoyed it.

This book is a joyous read! It is queer, fun, and incredibly sweet. Second Chances in New Port Stephen is a Christmas story that is readable at any time of the year!

As someone who doesn’t normally choose to read a second chance romance, this book has completely sold me on this trope. This story follows two men who are almost forty, one of them trans and the other a single dad. The side characters are wonderful, especially Zoe. She was hilarious and adorable.

Overall, this book was a funny, happy read. However, this book does touch on some heavy topics like alcoholism, loss of a parent, transphobic legislation, and many others. These topics aren’t to be taken lightly, but this book doesn’t necessarily flesh them out.

Overall, I LOVED this book. The representation in this book was great. The writing was amazing and will definitely have me looking into more books by TJ Alexander!

I ended up loving this one! I read it over the Christmas and New Year's break, which was perfect. It's a lighthearted second chance romance set during the holiday season. Eli Ward comes home to visit his parents in Florida for Christmas and beyond. He's lost his television writing job and is down on his luck. He is trans and runs into his high school love, who knew him to be a different person twenty years ago. Nick stayed in his home town and is now divorced with a young daughter.

They begin to hang out and realize they still have such a strong, innate connection. The story is told in both of their perspectives. Eli got on my nerves a bit. He seemed a bit immature and oblivious. He does grow in the novel though. Nick is wonderful! I loved his character. He's such a strong, stable force for good. His daughter was always a hoot as well. She reminded me of the kids in The Guncle. If you like that kind of writing style, this is for you! In addition to the two main characters, we get to know a wonderful ancillary cast in their parents, who are wise and so kind. This is the perfect read if you're looking for something light and heartwarming, especially around the holiday season.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I love me a second chance romance and this one was great! I love the originality of Eli being trans and coming back home to see his ex boyfriend Nick, who then discovers his sexuality throughout the book. I ADORED Nick and his daughter Zoe. Eli annoyed me with his immaturity and this didn't feel like they were 40 years old. The ending was expected and bless them for leaving Florida lol

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

There’s something about a TJ Alexander book that hits every time. In this one, Eli and Nick are given a second chance at love, even though they’re arguably different people now. I loved how they both pushed the other to become a better person and find their main character energy.

This was my last holiday read this past year and it was my favorite. I loved the characters, the queer representation and the swoon worthy romance between Eli and Nick! It was such a charming read!

Read if you like:
- Small Beach Town Setting
- LGBTQ+ characters
- Second Chance Romance
- Single Dad Trope

Second Chances in New Port Stephen is a fun holiday romance where Eli and Nick meet up after many years and they have both changed a lot. This second chance romance has great heart and I love that it is set in Fla!

This is my favorite read of the holiday season by a mile. Full of heart, humor, and honest depictions of the adult queer experience, Second Chances in New Port Stephen is the perfect Christmas rom-com for anyone who doesn't look forward to going home for the holidays. We follow Eli, who is returning to his hometown in Florida for the first time post-transition, and Nick, his high school ex who is now a busy father who may have to reevaluate some things about his sexuality now that Eli has returned. This book is a second-chance romance, but it is also about finding your space in a world that doesn't want you to, and it's about how messy families are, and it's about coming out later in life. All of these things are done well and made me tear up, mainly in a happy way. Eli also goes on a journey with his career, and Nick goes on a complicated journey with fatherhood. I loved that Nick's journey with his sexuality and realizing he isn't straight really isn't that hard. He just sort of realized it. I also think that these two characters have a great and honest connection, and I believe that they should've been together. Finally, I truly laughed at this book. There are some very funny scenes in this. Overall, it was my perfect romance and one of the only second-chance love stories I have enjoyed.

I am such a fan of TJ Alexander, and this book only makes that love stronger.
the way that they write queer romances and experiences are amazing. In SCiNPS, we get to meet Eli. He's coming home to Florida under less than ideal circumstances as a trans man in his forties. His ex-boyfriend Nick is still there, now divorced with a daughter. This is exactly the kind of second chance romance I wanted to close out my year. TJ always makes the characters and the worlds so unbelievable. I have come to the conclusion that if they write it, I'll read it!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

I’m very torn on how to rate ‘Second Chances in New Port Stephen’ and landed on giving it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was a cozy holiday romance with lovely diverse representation, but it had some flaws.

Let’s start with the things I liked:
- The range of LGBTQIA+ characters (including a trans man as the main character), queer lexicon, and inclusive language woven into the story, which I haven’t seen before in a romance novel. I learned some new things because of this book!
- I loved the healthy co-parenting dynamics we saw between Nick and Laurie.
- The Taiwanese-American cultural elements sprinkled throughout, and Tian-Yi! He was my favorite character.
- I enjoyed that the main characters were finding love at age 40 (age representation in romance novels is important too!).

Now, the aspects of which I wasn’t a fan:
- Eli’s character and inner dialogue felt very immature to me, considering he is described as being a 39-year-old who’s gone to plenty of therapy.
- I have run into the miscommunication/lack of communication trope A LOT recently, and it really puts me off when it’s drawn out as much as it was in this book.
- Some plot points were hard to believe (the sinkhole…) and took me out of the story a bit.

Despite the flaws, I’m happy that I read this book and would recommend to anyone looking to branch out with their romance novels.

QUEER JOY TO THE WORLD because this book has come! Second Chances in New Port Stephen should be taught in every gender studies class henceforth! This powerhouse of a rom-com felt like the perfect introduction to the Trans community wrapped up in one of the cutest love stories I've read in quite some time.

There is no way this tale of a Trans man returning home to Florida to visit his family on Christmas WON'T be turned into a movie. The style of writing was like seeing storyboards in a Hallmark movie writing room with each scene carefully crafted.

PLUS - did TJ Alexander interview my therapist? Because cover to cover this book unpacked all of the traumas I've been through in my life! And I think that is the true magic of Second Chances in New Port Stephen - relatability. As a reader you get lost in the rekindling of Eli and Nick's romance while also seeing pieces of your own life coming to life on each page.

Even when things seemed the darkest and that the main characters weren't going to get back together, I still somehow had a smile on my face. It was quirky. It was caring, And most of all it taught valuable lessons on life, love and family with tons of laughs along the way.

US pub date: 12/5/23
Genre: romance (m/m, trans rep, second chance romance, high school sweethearts)
Quick summary: Trans comedy writer Eli returns home to FL for Christmas with his life in pieces - and to top it all off, he runs into his high school boyfriend Nick, who's divorced with adorable daughter Zoe - and still as hot as ever.

I loved both CHEF'S KISS and CHEF'S CHOICE from TJ Alexander, so of course I had to read this one. I was raised in South Florida, so the environment felt very familiar to me - I'm so glad TJ included the manatees and the 1-2-turn 2 TV news slogan - so nostalgic! I really liked seeing Eli's family become more actively supportive of his queer identity - it was clear that his coming out had been a little rocky, and I was glad to see them step up and take actions that would make him more comfortable in their home.

Eli himself was a bit hard for me to connect with - like a lot of romance characters, I think he really needed therapy! I didn't like seeing him turn around and blame everyone else for his misfortunes. But I was happy to see him and Nick together, and this was still a fun read. I'll continue to read TJ's books!

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All the stars for the queer and trans joy in this book. As someone in their early 40s that's still trying to figure stuff out, I appreciate that the characters were not the typically 20 year olds we usually see in romance. It's technically a Christmas story, but it can easily be enjoyed any time of year.

It’s their third novel in less than two years, and still, “Second Chances in New Port Stephen” is signature TJ Alexander.

Humorous, full of heart, and with a hopeful holiday twist, "Second Chances In New Port Stephen has all the positive queer representation of the Chef’s Kiss series, once again giving a voice to underrepresented trans and questioning voices.

I always learn something new in every TJ Alexander book I read.

But beyond that, it’s just good storytelling that keeps me coming back to this author.

Both Eli and Nick are such strong characters, at once familiar and relatable, while still so vastly distinct from Simon and Ray and Luna and John-Pierre. And I fell in love them both.

So much so that I’m hoping this isn’t the last we get to see of ElNick. A couple name? Oh, cringe.

But I digress… read this book.

TJ Alexander - This book was magic. Christmas magic, queer magic, second chance magic, the magic of making Florida seem like a romantic setting. God I loved it all.

Eli is returning home to Florida after losing his job as a writer on a show in New York. He hasn't returned in decades. And on his return who should he run into but his childhood best friend, first love, first everything - only Nick has never met Eli post transition. Nick's life is full. He has a four year old daughter he loves, and ex wife he gets along with, and a restaurant to run. He doesn't have time for anything else - but when he runs in to Eli, he starts to feel true joy for the first time just for himself in a long time.

I fell in love with these two from their first introductions. Eli is funny, prickly and oh so very loveable. Nick is strong, determined and measured. And also so lovable. Watching their journey just made my Christmas heart grow three sizes. I feel the Christmas spirit, and can't keep this smile off my face.

Go read it please.