I might be an outlier here, but I just could not get into this book. This might be the first second chance romance book that I’ve read, which might be the reason why it didn’t really resonate with me, but I just found that I wasn’t having the best time reading the book. The main characters, while fully developed, felt like they truly had no chemistry at all and I’m shocked they were even married in the first place.The improv portion was also just too cringey for me. I appreciated the representation of neurodivergent people, but it felt a bit too on the nose at times. I do feel like the narrator did a decent job bringing the characters to life, so it was an easy enough listen. Ultimately, this book will likely be forgettable for me, but it might be a perfect book for you if you appreciate second chance romances with characters that are not your typical leading woman and man.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listening copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

This book had a promising premise but ultimately the characters and storyline did not manage to hook after numerous attempts to engage with the story in multiple formats. Thank you for the opportunity to review.

I really didn't like this book and so I won't be publicly reviewing it. Sorry about that! I don't necessarily think there was anything objectively wrong with it, it just wasn't for me.

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North is a heartwarming and witty exploration of love, self-discovery, and the complicated process of rebuilding a relationship. Liz Lewis has always been the quiet one, trying to meet the expectations of others, especially in her marriage to Tobin Renner-Lewis, a charismatic adventure guide. When Liz’s life reaches a tipping point—marked by a humiliating moment at her thirtieth birthday party—she decides to take control of her own story, starting with an unlikely step: an improv comedy class.

The novel’s charm lies in Liz’s journey of self-empowerment and the unexpected way she reconnects with Tobin. As she dives into the world of improv, she struggles with the spontaneity and uncertainty it requires, but finds herself reluctantly practicing with Tobin, who seems determined to help her—and perhaps their marriage—by diving headfirst into one absurd improv scene after another.

North skillfully blends humor with heartfelt emotion, creating a story that’s both funny and relatable. As Liz faces her past, she must grapple with the tough questions about her marriage: Can she ever truly reconnect with the man she married, or is the distance between them too vast to bridge? The novel’s pacing is perfect, offering a balance of laughter and reflection, with a message that true love requires more than just chemistry—it demands honesty, growth, and the willingness to embrace change.

Rules for Second Chances is a delightful and thoughtful read, perfect for anyone who has ever questioned what it takes to start over, whether in love or in life. North’s exploration of vulnerability, love, and self-acceptance is both charming and inspiring.

Rules for Second Chances was so good! I loved this audiobook! It was such a beautiful almost coming of age story! I loved the relationships and friendships North created!

This was my first Maggie North book and it did not disappoint. Gail Shalan really brought the characters to life! I will definitely be reading more of Maggie North's books.

3.5/5 Stars

Liz Lewis is a quiet people pleaser, following her husband Tobin around for the past eight years, until she can't take it anymore. She gets mistaken for a waitress at her own thirtieth birthday party, and decides that she will no longer be meek and mild. She joins an improve class, in the hopes of gaining confidence and a promotion at work. In the hope to save their marriage, Tobin agrees to help her to practice improv and bet her social anxiety.

This was an okay second chance romance, but I don't think it was anything new or original. I did like the character growth Liz went through, becoming more confident in herself. I wish that we had gotten a few chapters from Tobin's POV, as it was hard to connect with his character. I thought that a lot of Liz and Tobin's relationship was focused on how hot she thought he was, we didn't quite get anything other then she wanted to be physical with him. I do think their scenes together were fun though.

I’m not sure what I expected, but this was definitely a heavier story than I thought. While second chance romances aren’t my fave, I’ve come around to them more and more.

Liz is quiet and keeps to herself, while her husband Tobin is the sociable and gregarious opposite.

I paired the book with audio, and enjoyed the narration. I love being able yo switch between formats or immerse myself this way.

*many thanks to St Martins Press Romance and Macmillan audio/Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

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)

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #stmartinspress #macmillianaudio #ltbreaderteam #rulesforsecondchances #maggienorth #smpinfluencers

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.