I really wanted to like this one. I love a second chance romance, but this one fell a little flat for me. It was a strange relationship this married couple had. They had seemed to have fallen out of love with each other to begin with, and then all of a sudden they want to have sex with each other all over the place without really working through any of their issues with why they got to where they are first. It felt like when you first start a new relationship and can't keep your hands off of each other, but yet this couple had been together for years and now are jumping right back into this stage right after talking about splitting up? It didn't make sense. They did eventually grow together and work on things, but the lead up to that did not ring true.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Stmartinspress for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @macmillian.audio for a free download of the audiobook.

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North is a heartwarming and engaging second-chance romance that beautifully captures the complexities of rekindled love. This novel follows Liz and Tobin, who find themselves back in each other’s lives after years apart, navigating old wounds and new beginnings.

What I Loved:
Character Development: North excels at creating multi-dimensional characters. The protagonists’ personal growth and the gradual unfolding of their past make their reunion feel authentic and deeply moving.
Second-Chance Romance: As a fan of second-chance romances, this book hit all the right notes. The chemistry between the characters is palpable, and their journey from estrangement to reconciliation is both compelling and satisfying.
Emotional Depth: The story delves into themes of forgiveness, healing, and the enduring power of love. North’s writing captures the emotional nuances of the characters’ experiences, making their journey resonate on a deeper level.

Audiobook Experience:
Narration: The audiobook, narrated by Gail Shalan, adds an extra layer of depth to the story. The narrator’s ability to convey the characters’ emotions and personalities enhances the listening experience, making it easy to get lost in the story.

Overall, Rules for Second Chances is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant romance that will appeal to fans of second-chance love stories. Maggie North delivers a story full of love, heartache, and redemption, making it a perfect read (or listen) for anyone who enjoys a deeply emotional romance.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

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This one is tough to categorize - which is a compliment. Ultimately, it's a romance - but it takes you on a different path than you might expect based on the cover and summary. It's Liz's story - not just about her relationship with Tobin, but her overall relationships with everyone around her - friends, family, coworkers, etc.

Slight spoiler alert: the issues that would have likely been at the forefront in many writers' handling of this story, namely the toxic work environment at North by West and the absolutely unhinged lack of boundaries of both Liz and Tobin's families, are not directly addressed in the ending. While it seems a bit anticlimactic from the storytelling side, it's appropriate to the book's focus on Liz's personal path that the only thing that changes is her response to these outside factors. Bigger spoiler alert: While I imagine many of us would like to see Liz and Tobin move to Hawaii to get away from their families and sue the North by West crew for harassment on their way out rather than sticking around to come up with the worst baby name this side of X AE A-Xii - it isn't that kind of story.

But if you go in with the expectation of a good story with a memorable cast of characters rather than expecting a fairytale, this one will give you a lot to think about.

As an aside, this is one for which I would recommend the written version rather than the audio - someone made a choice to have the narrator use an odd accent vaguely reminiscent of the SNL version of Sean Connery for nearly every character except Liz for reasons that I'm sure made sense at the time. It's particularly off-putting during the many emotional exchanges between Liz and Tobin. I think the format of following the improv workbook loses something in the translation to audio as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

The story itself is intriguing. From chapter one you can immediately see how Liz fits into her life, or doesn't as she realizes at her 30th birthday party when she's mistaken for the help because her husband can't be bothered to invite people who actually know who she is.
I only made it as far as I did (5%) because I was so intrigued by Liz and her voice and what she was going through. As someone who is neurodivergent, I wanted to read this book so bad. Sadly I had to DNF at only 5% because the narrator was ANNOYING AS HECK with the husband (and any male character) voice. It was the kind of voice you do when you're mocking someone. And that was the husband? And I'm supposed to LIKE this character? I think not. Not with that VOICE.

DNF after 10%

Usually I try and give books more of a chance before calling it quits, but something about this one just wasn't working for me, and I think my main problem was the narrators voice. I will need to try again with a physical copy to see if that helps.

Rules for Second Chances follows the story of Liz and Tobin, a married couple working at a wilderness guide company in very different capacities—Tobin as a charismatic guide, and Liz behind the scenes in an analytical role. Feeling invisible and unappreciated, Liz embarks on a journey of self-discovery, surprisingly helped by improv, as she tries to reconnect with herself, her marriage, and those around her.

This novel is a mix of second-chance romance and personal growth, with some meaningful representation and relatable themes. The character development, especially Liz's, is well-intentioned and shows significant growth over time. The friendships she builds are quirky and enjoyable, and the idea of improv as therapy is both humorous and almost effective.

However, the romance between Liz and Tobin felt underwhelming, and the book juggles too many conflicts—Liz's strained relationships with her family, work struggles, and a missing child plotline all appear briefly but are not explored with enough emotional depth. At times, it felt like too many issues were introduced, only to be resolved too quickly.

Liz is a hard character to root for, as she often stands in her own way and makes frustrating decisions. While the second half of the book showed her growth and effort in her marriage, the frequent miscommunication and superficial resolutions to her problems, especially the glossed over autism diagnosis, detracted from the overall impact. Additionally, some side characters, particularly her family members, were unnecessarily harsh, which made parts of the story difficult to enjoy.

Ultimately, Rules for Second Chances has its strengths, particularly in Liz’s journey of self-discovery and the quirky friendships she makes. However, the overload of conflicts and a lack of emotional depth in key areas left me wishing for more.

I DNF around 50%. I just wasn’t for me, and I had a really hard time getting into it. Maybe I will try again in the future.

Honestly I hated the FMC so much throughout this book. It sad how cruel she was with her husband's feelings and their marriage.

I wasn't a fan.

3.5
This book is a bit heavier than I anticipated. The main character is really going through some things. This is more about her journey than the romance.

The improv storyline was a great opportunity to weave some romance in. There were some funny parts and a few cringey parts, but overall good read.

The narrator for audio was a good choice.

Thank you to NetGalley, Maggie North, and MacMillan Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook narration.

I enjoyed reading Liz's journey, and her balance between work and love. I think I liked that I could relate to some of Liz’s struggles, especially at work as a woman. I think there were some great topics discussed in this book. I will say, I felt the issues with her husband were a bit irritating to me. Otherwise, the book was cute and a pretty easy ready once I got a few chapters in.

I had high hopes for this one, and I’m not really sure why? But I wanted to love it so much and I just kind of liked it. Second chance is my favorite trope but this just didn’t feel as realistic for me but mainly I just couldn’t connect to the story the way I wanted to.

Liz feels like she is not the main character of her own life. While her husband Tobin exudes main character energy, she finds herself often in the background. To the point where she is mistaken for a server at her own birthday party. As she tries to focus on herself, she joins an improv class. Tobin is the only person willing to practice with her, and as they become closer again, Liz is hesitant, remembering all the reasons their marriage was falling apart. But Tobin is determined to save their relationship.
There’s something about a marriage in trouble story that feels extra raw and really has me rooting for a happy ending. That was definitely the case in this book. Maggie North’s writing was filled with emotion and made this book feel so real. The improv definitely helped to lighten the mood in this one. I would have loved to have Tobin’s POV to see what was going on in his head throughout the story.
Gail Shalan did a great job bringing this story to life. She really captured all of Liz’s emotions throughout the story.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Liz and Tobin are married but separated. Liz has to attend an improv class for work, and soon realizes that the facilitator is her husband's friend. When she goes home to pack up her things and go, she sees that Tobin has his friend's book on second chances, and after talking, they agree to give their marriage a second chance through improvisation scenarios presented in the book.
This is obviously a second chance romance, which I usually enjoy, but (don't ask me why, I have no idea), when it's about a married couple giving things a second chance and working throught their problems, it's not really my jam. I know that relationships are not all romance and rainbows, but seeing a couple struggle to make things work is not what a expect a romance book to be about. The story was also very confusing, and it was dragging. I was actually rooting for Liz and McHuge to get together...
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Liz Lewis has always struggled socially. When she is mistaken for a server at her own birthday party, she decides she has had enough of playing a minor character in her own life. She leaves her hubby & signs up for an improv class to work on her confidence, not realizing how truly transformative the experience will be.

This one started out slow for me because Liz was so down on herself, it was depressing. Once she decided to take control of her life, the story really took off and became something special. Liz’s personal journey is amazing and was the center of the story for me, but I also enjoyed the journey for Liz and Tobin as they look to rebuild their marriage.

Gail Shalan’s narration was great, especially the way she captured the story’s emotional moments.

3.5 stars!

I really enjoyed reading Liz's journey through her work life and love life. I think I liked that I could definitely relate to some of the things she was struggling with, especially at work as a woman. I think there were some great topics discussed in this book to think about. I will say, I felt the issues with her husband were a bit irritating to me as I don't feel like they were resolved well and they kinda just made it seem like she was all at fault for her being herself when he very clearly was not recognizing and listening to her when she told him things she didn't like. Otherwise, the book was cute and a pretty easy ready once I got a few chapters in.

This was a beautiful journey of a couple rediscovering their love for each other, as well as fighting for their own self-worth. I loved watching Liz and Tobin's grow throughout this book, learning to better communicate and fall in love with one another all over again.

I took my time with this one since I have personal issues with the "married couple, second chance" trope, but I'm so glad I did. It wasn't a rushed story and I especially loved the secondary characters, except Tobin's dad, he can fry in a vat of acid.

I definitely recommend the audiobook for the ultimate reading experience, but be prepared to laugh, cry, and feel all the things when you do.

I really liked how real this book was, how it didn't seem far fetched but could be scenarios that many face in life and marriage. I found myself rooting for Liz and Tobin from the beginning but was also proud of Liz for standing up for herself in all areas of her life.

Gail Shalan does an excellent job narrating this book.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Rules for Second Chances was a book I was really excited about since I love marriage-in-crisis stories (who knew I would ever say that?). Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I just couldn’t get into this one.

What didn’t work for me was that there was so much going on that the story became hard to follow. The reasoning behind wanting a divorce didn’t feel fully fleshed out or even rational (though, to be fair, who is rational during such moments in life?). I would have liked to see both POVs so I could understand Tobin's thought process. I spent much of the book feeling bad for him, given Liz’s treatment of him and what I could see on the page.

I appreciated that they addressed their problems in an unconventional way, but it would have been great if they had just, I don’t know, talked to each other.

What I think was really well done was the representation of autism and social anxiety. You could see Liz's growth throughout the story.

Lastly, I wouldn’t recommend the audiobook—I had trouble with the narrator choice.

I really just couldn't get into it unfortunately :(
I found the characters to be a but unlikable, so I wasnt rwlly gunning for the romance from the start. It's not a bad book, there really were some nice scenes throughout but in general I found the writitng style to be a very confusing and there were a little too many cringy moments for my taste.

I thought audio was done well but this one was just ok for me. I thought the main character was pretty selfish and I just wasn't a fan of the story.