Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North
Pub Date: June 25, 2024
Rating: 4/5 stars

From the very first time Liz sees Tobin in this book, I was absolutely hooked, and knew that, based on the premise/book description, these two were going to wreck me a couple times. I was right, and I'd read it again and again just to relive it.

If you're a fan of Sarah Hogle's "You Deserve Each Other" I really think you will enjoy Rules for Second Chances. The story is very different, and this one is not funny in the way so much of the tormenting in Hogle's book is. But this book gave me the same longing for the couple, Liz and Tobin, to work out. And when I say longing, I mean I literally felt sick to my stomach at the thought that they might possibly not work out the problems in their marriage.

The love between Liz and Tobin is so palpable, even when they're causing one another emotional hurt. Maggie North has a magical way of making you invested in this love story, and in Liz and Tobin's personal development (we get much more of Liz's given the POV in this book, but what we get of Tobin from Liz's perspective is also compelling). This book so wonderfully captures the challenges of a marriage that can come about when the people in the marriage haven't taken the time to really see themselves and one another, or the ways in which they can make each other stronger and support each other even as they have individual growth journeys to go on.

I won't provide quotes since I read an ARC and not the final copy of the book, but as someone who doesn't highlight a ton while reading, I highlighted all over this digital copy; this included the way Liz described how social interactions are for her, what she felt she needed for her husband, what she loved about him, her descriptions of him that just scream at the reader how much he clearly adores her. I re-read so many lines in this book that I just LOVED.

If the book description does not totally hook you while you're book browsing, but you have any interest whatsoever in the marriage in trouble trope, READ THIS. Another author whose work I enjoyed shared this book on Instagram, which is what made me seek out the ARC. But reading the book description again now that I've read the book, I really do not think it does it justice.

The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because I didn't really connect well with the improv aspect of the story; which, given its importance for Liz's development and thus the evolution of her relationship with Tobin, sounds sort of ridiculous to say. But, I just found myself wanting to quickly skim those sentences to get to other things.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for honest review

When her marriage falls apart she realizes it's time for a change. Will she take a leap of faith try something new? Or is life greener on the other side? Never know what will happen when you are going through a tough time.

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

I’m very appreciative of the opportunity to read this as an ARC, however, I was unable to finish it. Some parts felt disconnected to me, therefore having me consistently ask “wait what?”. I had high hopes given the other reviews online. I’m sincerely sorry I wasn’t able to finish this!

This book's premise sounded interesting to me as a person that has been married, divorced and remarried to my spouse. I find that concept so interesting and love to see how it lines up with my own experience. However, the FMC is so hard to relate to and it's not because she has difficulty in social situations. I think as a very outspoken person, I'm drawn to characters that show how the derive strength in the face of their adversities and she was just to slow to react. I understand that she is dealing with social anxiety and spectrum based diagnosis but for me, personally, I have a hard time reading page after page of this struggle. I DNF this book but it's mostly based on my personal dislike of the "weakness" of this character.

maggie north is a genius and this book was phenomenal!!! this is one of my favorite second chance romances ever. liz and tobin are EVERYTHING. the angst, emotion, and swoon worthy moments are so so good. i can't wait for maggie to release more books in the future.

What a unique and special book! Written with great care and passion, “Rules of Second Chances” is a love story about what happens when people feel like the connection is fraying and are trying to figure out if they can prevent an unhappy ever after. Liz has always known she is slightly different and introverted . Tobin, her husband, has always been extroverted and Mr. Popularity. When Liz finally vocalizes that she is not happy in the marriage, the journey of discovery begins for both people. The ultimate question is are they at their breaking point or can things change for the better.
The journey, at times painful, is one you will enjoy walking with this couple. This book may make you cry, but it will give you hope for humanity.

This was a very cute book. Really enjoyed the characters and story arc! I love a second chance romance and this one hit all the cheese moments

While I love a second chance romance and the setting of this novel seemed picturesque, unfortunately this book was a miss for me. For starters, the pacing was slow and the story was missing key info. Issues would be raised and then basically ignored. It had a lot of potential but just wasn’t executed well enough for me.

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

This didn't work for me. At all.

Disappointment one: despite the marketing and cover, this is not about the outdoors helping a couple stay together. It's about improv. That's almost the entire plot, which also feels a bit like improv in that it bounces from scene to scene without much character logic.

It was very hard to root for the narrator (this is first person single POV) who seems to create obstacles for herself out of thin air and can't take yes for an answer (even though the book keeps reminding you the point of improv is "yes and...").

I'm not even going to touch on the very heavy-handed and poorly-framed attempt to make a point about people who are autistic. I leave it to those with more expertise to criticize.

Somewhere around the 80% mark, I started sighing deeply as I read because the plot kept getting worse and I started hoping there wouldn't be a happy ending for this couple. Everyone in this book is so mean to each other, and the people who occasionally are kind are rewarded with more poor decisions by the narrator.

This book about a couple trying to work on their marriage for a second chance was just meh for me. It was slow and not my cup of tea. The author did a great job of making you feel what the main characters were feeling.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins press for this eArc in exchange for my review

Liz and Tobin realize that their marriage is at a breaking point and is in desperate need of saving. Between personal issues, work, and family dynamics - they are left needing and wanting more from each other. Needing to prioritize communication and understanding, Liz and Tobin commit to working through their marital issues and find themselves along the way.

Let me start off by saying that I have never resonated so much with a romance book before. I was truly taken aback at how this book made me feel seen and how real it felt. I could clearly picture Liz and Tobin and was invested in their story from the first page. This story was so unique and clever, keeping me engaged the entire time. I saw myself in Liz and I think anyone who has been in a long term relationship will resonate with the issues that her and Tobin experienced. North does an incredible job tackling heavy and hard topics in a tactful way. Overall an amazing read and would highly recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

This book ended up being a little heavier than I expected, but maybe that's because the FMC was a socially awkward introvert, something which I can completely relate to.

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.

But I liked the dynamic between the FMC and MMC, especially when they took the time to have real conversations about their relationship instead of not communicating about it which is what fucked them the first time around.

Solid effort for a second chance romance.

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North is a charming story about a women who is questioning who she is, in a world she feels left out of. Lizzy or Dizz is the FMC who is turing 30 and qustioning what she wants, her future, and her relationship. She joins an improv class, directed by her boss, to gain strength for a leadership role she is gunning for. She is dealing with a sister that has a chip on her sholder and a husband who is spends more time dealing with his family issues, than communicating and connecting with Lizzy. This story was truly sweet and as somemone who is questioning her own possibilty of having austism, it felt like a very close connection with my heart. I adore Lizzys strenght and her determination to go change and challange herself. There were a lot of characters in this story and sometimes it felt like there was so much going on, it took away from her the romance or the repair of her marrige. I adored all the characters, but for me personally it took away from parts of the story that their could have been more focused on. I felt it was difficult to love the MMC because they never addressed his relationship with his mother, he spent years puting his mother before his wife and I feel like it was brushed away too much. Lizzie never really said what was truly bothering her, she just danced around it. I really loved the idea of using improv and comedy to connect with your spouse. It is something that could definitely open people up and being more vulnerable with eachother. I was not fully on board with the merman situaiton because I just did not get it, but that is most likely an antic I don't fully get or connect with. Overall, this was a great story with a ton of heart and I plan on reading more from Maggie North in the future.

This was such a unique twist on contemporary romance! the marriage in shambles/marriage under construction tropes can be difficult to get right, but I felt like Maggie did a fantastic job! Plus, the setting and their jobs were so cool!

I went into this with a preconceived notion based on the summary of how the book would play out. I was totally and joyfully wrong! From the moment I started reading until I finished later that night, I couldn't put it down. It was so tightly woven with beautifully flawed characters and the journey they took. Everyone knows a Liz and Tobin couple and getting a chance to peek behind the curtain into their growing pains was a revelation. Liz beginning to try and understand her complete self, grappling with a new perspective on her husband, and their relationship with the help of McHuge had me cheering them on every step of the way. The author does tend to get a bit wordy and too lost in descrptive details in some chapters but overall a fantastic, absorping read. Well done!

Heartwarming story of family, friends and yes, second chances. Liz and Tobin have been married for a few years, and Liz feels that she is living her life in the shadow of her outgoing and very popular husband, Tobin. So she goes on a journey of self-realization through improv. Some parts during the middle totally lost me. I came so close to putting it down, but after pushing through a few more chapters it was SO CUTE. So, stick it out and you won't be disappointed!!!! Also, a stunning backdrop for the story!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

What grabbed my interest in this second chance romance was that it was about two characters who were already married. Usually, romances end with a marriage/engagement/commitment and we readers just assume it all works out. This book dumps us a few years into Liz and Tobin’s marriage and it is not going well. Feeling unseen and unheard and a little lost, Liz decides the marriage has run its course and leaves Tobin. Tobin, however, is not done and suggests a unique way to try to work through things - improv. In addition to the story of them discovering if their marriage is salvageable, we also get to see Liz work towards some career goals she’s been wanting for awhile and tackle a toxic family relationship.

In the first half of the story, I was honestly fairly annoyed. I think part of the problem was that the story needed a stronger set up. We needed to have a bit more of a vision for who these two were when they met, when things went wrong, etc right in the beginning. Instead, we’re just dumped into Liz’s misery and what seems like an impulsive decision to jump ship. Consequently, I just kept thinking that I didn’t really understand what was so terrible that she wanted a divorce. Also, I felt like she was so stubbornly stuck on absolute independence that it came across as unnecessarily selfish.

However….without spoiling anything, I do really appreciate where their relationship ended up. Despite improv feeling like a kind of silly way to unravel complicated and sensitive emotional issues, the issues addressed were relatable and realistic. There was definitely clear character growth and increased maturity demonstrated in both main characters. I think the lessons they learned were valuable and a good positive message to send to readers. For the first half of the book, I was sure I would be rating this 3 stars but the character growth in the second half bumped it to 4 stars. If you’re looking for a little bit of a unique second chance romance, give this one a shot!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and to the author, Maggie North, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This second chance, marriage in trouble trope wasn't my cup of tea, it could possibly be that it was just hard for me to follow. I think fans of this trope would enjoy and may be a better fit for them.

I was excited about this spin on second chance. It was just too slow for me and I couldn’t find my groove. I thought the writing was well done, it just wasn’t for me.

I didn't love this one but I also didn't hate this one. However I'm not sure how I feel about this one. And eventually I'm going to learn that I don't enjoy second chance romance that much.