NETGALLEY ARC:


I went through waves of being really into the book to then not reading as much, but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Maggie North is a new favorite at our library. I am thrilled for this book to be released so we can purchase it for our patrons.

Hi SMP, you’ll get my review when you respond to readers for accountability.

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I could not possibly have loved this book more. I was sobbing in the opening scene. A stunningly written and beyond moving marriage in trouble romance that follows the enormously sympathetic and lovable Liz and Tobin as they struggle to find their way back to each other, this is a romance that I will never forget. Liz's journey meant so much to me, and Tobin's steadfast love is truly the stuff of dreams. I can't put into words how much I adored this novel!

Liz Lewis and Tobin Renner seem to be a happily married couple as the story opens on the celebration of Liz's 30th birthday. And yet, there's so much more going on beneath the surface that emerges as the story progresses. Both Liz and Tobin work for an wilderness outfitter and back country travel company in the Canadian northwest. In fact, the company's name is West by North. Tobin is the charismatic guide whom everyone loves. Liz is the behind-the-scenes operations person who makes sure everything happens as it should, even though she started as one of the guides herself. And as the only woman in the company, she is often overlooked and taken for granted. Add in toxic family on both sides and unacknowledged neurodiversity issues, and it's no wonder Liz wants something major to change. As part of that effort, she signs up for an improv class that also echoes ways to strengthen relationships. Since Liz walked out on Tobin, to think things over, following the disastrous birthday party ,both of them are really struggling. Yet they are both deeply in love with each other. How they work to get back together in a stronger, healthier way makes for a very satisfying story. Add in interesting secondary characters and smoking hot chemistry between Liz and Tobin and you have a story that starts out seemingly happy, but grows into something much more real, and truly happy.

I really wanted to love Rules for Second Chances because I love me some neurospicy main characters, but this just didn't hook me the way I hoped it would and I never really found myself invested in Liz & Tobin's relationship.

DNF at 10%. Honestly, I was just bored and not invested in the MCs at all. And I didn't like the writing style at all.

I like the fact that Rules for Second Chances follows a neurodivergent woman who wants to make changes in her life that reflect who she is and what she wants. It kind of felt like there was too much going on though. She doesn’t want to just be the spreadsheet person at work, so she signs up for improv to gain confidence to pitch an idea that could earn her a promotion. She’s fighting with her husband Tobin because she feels like he doesn’t see her and listen. She’s frustrated with everyone else because they all view her as Tobin’s sidekick. She’s also having relationship issues with her sister Amber. With her boss and with her sister Liz is on point. They’re perfectly willing to box her into a role they’ve designated for her whether it’s what makes her happy or not. In the case of Tobin, they’ve both made mistakes in their relationship, but Liz compounds the situation by expecting Tobin to adapt to her relationship expectations without also learning from him where he has struggles and where she’s creating conflicts. When the two pair up for their own improv, the scenes feel confusing and cringey. They’re role playing but also trying to sort out their relationship issues, but it’s hard to sort out and it feels like they’re going in circles without really making progress. The high point to me is the relationships she forms in the improv class and her willingness to try that gradually allows her to feel more comfortable and confident in herself. I know that when someone makes life changes it affects more than one part of their life, but I wish that this had been more heavily emphasized with the relationships with her husband and sister being more secondary storylines. There definitely need to be more stories about neurodivergent characters, especially when they’re written by neurodivergent authors, but this one had a little too much going on for me to enjoy it as much as I could have.

Second chance romances are usually hit or miss for me! I thought this one had a unique storyline but I ended up just feeling a bit medium on the book overall. The own voices rep was so lovely and handled with care. And that cover? Oh my, it’s beautiful!

A beautifully crafted marriage-in-trouble romance that tugs at the heartstrings. This novel explores the delicate balance between love, self discovery, and the power of improv.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Slightly spicy contemporary romance that centers on a marriage in crisis . I was hooked right away by the female lead's situation (feeling invisible and misunderstood). It was an emotional rollercoaster but I enjoyed the ride. I was surprised by the lack of detail in the few bedroom scenes because the couple's chemistry sizzled. The story dragged a bit here and there (surprisingly improv is a major theme) but, overall, a fun read.

I really enjoyed this story. I wasn’t sure about a second chances trope but this one won me over because of improv. I love the growth in both the FMC and MMC. Side characters were a lot of fun too.

I received an ARC from netgalley and the publisher.

This book was a bit of a hot mess. The reality is there was nothing inherently "wrong" with the story, but the relationship between Tobin + Liz felt completely shallow and I don't know that this could be considered a romance novel.

I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!

I so wanted to love this novel featuring a neurospicy, introverted main character navigating the possible end of her marriage and *finding herself* at the advanced age of THIRTY (major side eye here), but ultimately was disappointed by the really strange extended metaphor of improv that runs through the entire novel and the distinctly unspicy "spicy" scenes. Breezy quick read that ultimately fell flat.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Didn’t love. The writers writing style was not for me unfortunately. I had very high hopes but this fell flat. DNF @23%

I really liked this book. It was refreshing to see someone in a book who just wants people to understand her for her, and be loved and respected for who she is. I also loved the representation in this book. The only thing that bugged me a little bit was it seemed like the arguing between the couple was the same every argument, but I did see growth. I think the sister relationship is very relatable. Overall I really enjoyed this book.

Rules for Second Chances
by Maggie North
Pub Date: June 25, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
Brimming with heart and heat, Rules for Second Chances explores the hardest relationship question of all: can true love happen twice...with the same person?
I enjoy second chance romances, but the structure of this one was a little weird. Not sure how I felt about the whole improv storyline, just kind of made some scenes more cringe than they needed to be.
Not one I can recommend.

I thought this was well done. I don’t usually like second chance romances but I am determined to find out that I do and this definitely fits that for me. I liked the style of this book and the author did well with this trope!

Thank you St Martins Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review .

I did enjoy the second chance romance aspect of this book . Also the autism representation and honestly the first time I read the marriage in crisis trope .

I struggled with some of the writing and keeping engaged at times but it was a cute story . I also felt it would have been beneficial to have Tobins POV and not just Liz’s . But that’s a preference of mine .