3.5 stars. Rules for Second Chances honestly gives me such mixed feelings. I loved seeing the work each put in for their relationship and themselves. The idea of being seen and heard really resonated. The details of the improv and situations? Ehh kinda pulled me out of it with some cringe, but maybe that's just me and secondhand embarrassment.

Women's fiction focusing on an offbeat introvert woman trying to repair her falling marriage and "become magic" after turning 30 wouldn't usually appeal to me. However, when I heard "autistic", I jumped on it and started reading.

For years, Liz feels invisible at work and her marriage at home is falling apart. Turning 30 was her breaking point. In quick succession, she moves out and finally makes active steps in her promotion. Soon, she finds her way into the world of improv and character acting in more ways than one, discovering more than she hoped. In a way, this is a quarter life crisis book, as Liz discovers why she’s not as put together in her life as she hoped by this point. She’s figuring out how to do it throughout the book, even if she doesn’t get it right the first try, and I like that determination from her. Liz also happens to explore more about herself and her world in new ways, especially as she’s figuring out this world is not built for her.

I do like that her and her husband, Tobin, take time to at least talk things out. Tobin’s the outgoing one and despite what Liz thinks of him as the perfect guy that’s gone sour over the years, he has his own issues to work with. The second chance romance progression felt natural, and it didn’t feel like there was some type of artificial road block put in for drama’s sake, it felt in character. And to have two contrasting personalities was a great choice, as they played off each other. And it’s not just each other they have to navigate: they have to tackle work and extended family dysfunctions. I do like that this has an earned happy ending in more ways than one.

The other characters were really interesting, with Eleanor and McHuge being the two that stick out to me the most.

The setting was rural Canada, which I’ve never been, but I could feel the bitter cold spring and the mountain air of the region. The pacing was good, things mainly didn’t drag out for too long and overstay their welcome, or rush through too fast.

I laughed quite a few times throughout, especially during the playacting skits that the book they read makes them do. Also, there’s some inside jokes that I think some people might not like, but I thought it was too true in some aspects. I wouldn’t say this is a comedy book, but it was a definite welcome among the heavier stuff.

This does have plenty of sexual innuendo and some explicit sex (chapter 16), so it’s not for kids. There’s a list of content considerations and warnings on Maggie North’s website if you are interested. But if you’re interested in a Women’s Fiction book in rural Canada featuring a woman on a personal development journey and figuring out her autistic traits and reinventing herself, this is a good pick.

I loved this book. Liz’s life isn’t what she wanted. She is stuck working in the office at her job with an outdoor expedition company. Her husband Tobin, also works there. She feels like no one listens or appreciates her ideas at work. The spark in her marriage has extinguished. She joins an Improv group in order to help her with a pitch contest for work. Will Improv bring along other rewards? This is a second chance romance with found family. I highly recommend this book! Thank you Maggie North and Netgalley for this ARC.

I really loved it this book. Liz and Tobin's journeys are both so lovely and satisfying individually and also as a couple. Their relationship was romantic and emotional and really just SWOONY. The improv angle was fresh and fun and interesting. I truly loved reading it.

Maggie North’s Rules for Second Chances is a truly lovely second-chance romance, one that tackles its characters’ need to know who they are both in a relationship and as individuals. The novel is thoughtful and thought-provoking, funny and tender. What a wonderful debut.

Liz Lewis knows that her husband, Tobin, is magic. He’s magic at West by North, the adventure company where he works as a head guide . . . and Liz does spreadsheets. He’s magic with his mother, who dotes on his every move . . . and tolerates Liz. He’s magic at every part they attend, where he is the star . . . and Liz feels like either a barnacle attached to him or a wallflower hoping to fade into the background.

Unfortunately, their three-year marriage is not magic. Yes, the physical part of their relationship works as well as it ever did, but now the rest of their marriage is plagued by secrets and a long list of topics they avoid. Tobin is the ever-popular yes man, leaving Liz to always be the one saying “no” or staying—resentfully—silent.

Liz can’t take it anymore, and so, on her 30th birthday, she walks away from their marriage, vowing to “GET MAGIC.” She wants to find happiness, and herself, to climb out of her spreadsheets, earn a promotion, and find someone who can balance her.

But Tobin isn’t ready to let go. Just as Liz is dipping a toe into improv, after her boss tells her that’s the way to start earning her promotion, to gain confidence and sparkle, Tobin convinces her to try a relationship-counseling-via-improv book written by his best friend (who also happens to be Liz’s improv teacher).

What ensues is Liz’s fight to find herself, to figure out who she is and who she can be in her marriage with Tobin and her career and her complicated relationship with her sister.

Rules for Second Chances is a book that embraces the complexity of relationships and of identity. There are characters here to cheer for and to despise, situations that feel so real and so painful that the characters’ vulnerability shines off the page. I absolutely loved watching Liz’s journey, and I’m eager to see what Maggie North publishes next.

DNF, but an extra star for the neurodiversity representation and a great setting. I just don't understand this drama. You're telling me Mr. I Want a Perfect Marriage doesn't fight more for the fmc to stay? It just doesn't add up to me. The drama seems escalated for the purpose of moving to the plot and is not necessarily believable. I also didn't love the particular writing style used. I think it's meant to emulate a neurodivergent thought process, but it was a little all over the place for me and was hard to stay keyed into.

I’m not usually a fan of second chance romances, but this was a new and interesting perspective. I liked how Liz and Tobin were reconnecting before the “break up” or “divorce” rather than years later. Not only were they reconnecting but Liz and Tobin were rediscovering themselves as individuals outside of the relationship. Improv was a unique way for Liz to let loose and go with the flow as well as help her get out of her introverted shell.

Read if you like:
- improv
- second chance romance
- small town
- Autism representation

I was so excited for this because I love romances where the couple is already married, and because it’s all about eco tourism. But I don’t know, it was just awkward and flat for me. Like the descriptions of things were odd and I never felt connected to Tobin or Liz or even the beautiful setting. Not my favorite read unfortunately :(

I like the narrator in general, but when they were doing Tobin’s voice it was abysmal.

The plot of this book took a while to really get going. I gave up on it the first try, but enjoyed the idea of this story and the location so gave it another try. I think it's worth a casual read, but there are a few problems: poor character development. There was no depth to Tobin's character and it was not developed over the course of the book. It would have been a more powerful book had we been given his point of view or at least more deep communication with him.

I applaud the neurodivergent and autism POV, as main characters who open us up to perspectives other than traditional, standard, "normal" people are imperative. And I enjoyed the improv component as a fan myself of improv. And the appreciation for the nature, environmental setting was beautiful. I wanted so badly to root for this book as it had so many things going for it in theory. But ultimately, it is doing too much, unfocused, undeveloped, and extreme miscommunication that was obviously included to complicate the storyline and could have been solved easily.

Unexpectedly more charming that I'd bargained for; I really appreciated that both parties in the marriage at the heart of this second-chance romance recognized that they each had caused some harm to the other and had brought unexamined baggage into the relationship. The fault for the marriage starting to fall apart was not, in the end, heaped on one person or the other. The reunification and happy ending were believable and touching. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher.

Liz and Tobin's relationship was cute, but it did not work for me. I usually love the "second chance romance" trope, but the conflict in this one seemed absurd. The writing style made it harder for me to enjoy it.

I'll be honest...marriage in trouble romance is not usually my jam. It's just so deep, and usually heart-wrenching, and sometimes I'm in the mood for that but I usually just want to escape, you know? So when I started this book, I really wasn't sure what to expect. Then the book opened, and I met Liz, a woman on the verge of an identity crisis, who struggles with social situations and is constantly doubting herself. And I saw so much of myself in her, I couldn't stop reading. Liz and her husband Tobin have lost their way from each other, and it takes Liz finally making a stand for herself for things to start to shift. She starts to find her way to herself--and she and Tobin start to find their way to each other--through the lessons of improv comedy. And if you think that sounds cheesy, you couldn't be more wrong. My predictions were correct--this book IS deep, and heart-wrenching. It deals with hard issues--not just the marriage in trouble, but challenges with family, and work, and friends. Reading it is like touching a raw, exposed nerve, but it's done with such tenderness, and care, and really freaking beautiful prose, that days later I'm still thinking about it and how it made me feel. Pretty impressive, especially considering it's a debut. This is easily one of my top reads of the year, and I can't wait to see what comes next from this author.

RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES had a lot of potential. The neurodivergency representation is a crowning achievement to this story and demonstrates the increasing need for these types of stories. However, the pacing of the book is all wrong and, while marketed as a love story, it should be categorized as women’s literature.

Through the book, I couldn’t help but keep saying to myself that I loved Liz, the FMC and neurodivergent queen. My bit taken way from the story was an appreciation of that representation and I think it’s important to have these stories. To read this book from that perspective, as someone who is not neurodivergent, was interesting and made me better understand and empathize with Liz. She is a person who just wants to be seen, and, ultimately, isn’t that what everyone wants? To be seen for who they truly are and be loved regardless? That, to me, is a powerful message.

But, I will say the story has a couple of things going against it. The story is doing too much and there is too much going on. There are so many conflicts and issues that need to be worked out that each feels like they do not get the adequate time to be worked out by the characters. It not only drastically impacts the pacing of the book, but also the story itself in a way that leaves plot holes or unfinished narratives for readers. And, to be honest, I was bored by some parts as well because of that.

The second issue is something that is not the author’s fault, so I am not factoring it into my rating, but I think it’s important to note. This is not a romance book. This is a women’s literature book. This is about a woman coming into her own. Are there some second chance romance elements here? Yes. But they are a plot mechanism to further this character growth. What I was expecting to read was a romance book. It was not. And I think it needs to be marketed differently as a result. So don’t go into this thinking it’s a light romance read. Instead, it is a read that is light on romance.

Overall, as a story about a woman’s journey of finding herself and acceptance of herself, this was a good read filled with neurodivergency representation. But its plot is a bit all over the place and there was a bit too much going on that made some places in the novel a bit of a slog to get through.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Liz works in the world of wilderness adventures and has tried everything to be the person people need her to be. She's married to the handsome and popular wilderness guide and when he throws her a birthday party where she's mistaken for a server she decides it's time to take back control of her life.

I typically love a second chance romance and was excited for the wilderness tours aspect, but it was business focused instead of out in the wilderness and Liz and Tobin just didn't do it for me. Tobin wasn't likeable. The opening party wasn't Liz's style at all and I cheered when she broke things off, and was anticipating the second chance may be an old flame as Tobin just seemed off in his own world.

Liz prioritized her confidence and making herself a priority participating in improve classes with the goal of getting a promotion at work.

Liz and Tobin decide to work through their relationship challenges with a role playing/improve book. There are some incredibly funny, laugh out loud scenes, but I just didn't get the substance I was craving. I felt their relationship challenges were glossed over and replaced by improve practice. Challenges were brough up and Liz and Tobin quickly moved past them without the resolution or compromise I was looking for.

3 stars.

"Rules for Second Chances" by Maggie North is a bit of a mixed bag for me. I loved the exploration of a complex adult relationship falling apart and coming back together. I appreciate how different this book felt from many other fluffy romances I have read. It felt grounded and mature, something for readers like me (people in their late 30s who are married and/or don't have kids). I liked the late-in-life neurodivergence representation; this really resonated with me! Unfortunately, I didn't love the main characters, Liz and Tobin. I didn't love how much stuff was going on in this novel. There are a lot of side plots in and around Liz and Tobin separating and Liz's attempt to find herself away from their marriage. I appreciate that Liz wanted to take the time to get to know herself and figure out who she was away from Tobin's looming, outgoing shadow. This being a story told only from Liz's point of view, I felt we only got to see the best and worst aspects of Tobin... and he's pretty one-dimensional and kind of a bore once you get to know him. There's a lack of depth there that felt sorely needed. There is SO much miscommunication in this book! It might have some of the most, and biggest, miscommunication I have ever read in a romance novel. Some of the improv content made me laugh, and some of it was pretty cheesy and awkward. I *I hated* the very last part of the book, which made me cringe out loud. When going to write my review for this book, I totally forgot I had read it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Maggie North, St. Martin's Press, and St. Martin's Griffin for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

4.5 ⭐️s!

This is such a beautifully written book. Marriage in crisis books don’t get enough credit, or love.

RFSC is a nuanced story. I loved the complexity of it all, and all the layers North was able to weave together with such gorgeous prose. I could say exactly the same for the characters, too.

As much as this is a marriage in crisis book, it is also a journey of self-discovery, especially for Liz (FMC). So expect a lot of reflection and introspection, which again, was just so beautifully written.

An emotional story filled with heart, healing, and most of all, hope.

Thank you so much for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Maggie North and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of “Rules for Second Chances”. I found this book to be warm, authentically written, and relatable. I really enjoyed Maggie North’s writing and the plot of this novel. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I enjoyed the unique plot of this one. I think trying to save a marriage via a book about second chances and improve was really fun. I would have been little annoyed by our FMC without reading the authors note at the beginning so I found that very important. I think Tobin was an amazing MMC. The way he cares for Liz is beautiful and the way they work through their issues together was special. But overall a great second chance romance read!

I enjoy second chance romance, but less so when it involves a married couple.

Liz and Tobin's marriage is in crisis and this means they must go through the painful process of figuring out what has lead to the breakdown of their relationship before they can even begin to heal.

I found Liz and Tobin's journey toward reconciliation honest, but a bit frustrating at times.

Still, Rules for Second Chances was a solid debut.

A very sweet “marriage in crisis” romance. There was much more depth to the characters and story than I was expecting, but not totally surprising given that the characters were so relatable. It’s not a perfect book, though. There were an unbelievable number of high stakes road blocks on Liz and Tobin’s journey. Like, it was almost unrealistic (improv showcase, job pitch, his father, her sister, family crisis - one thing right after another). If I were Liz and my life was that up in the air… I dunno. I think therapy would be my first step. I did enjoy the world created here, and I wouldn’t mind visiting northwest BC again in the future - I think Stellar and McHuge have a story to tell.