4 ⭐️

Synopsis: Liz feels like she’s living in the background of her own life. In order to repair her marriage and be more visible at work, she participates in an improv class. Along the way, she puts herself in new situations, makes friends, and discovers that she may be neurodivergent.

I’m honestly a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator was wonderful, I found the main and supporting characters to be relatively well developed and I loved the way improv helped create and mend Liz’s relationships. The miscommunication trope is my least favorite, but I thought it worked in this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

Thank you netgalley, MacMillan audio and st martins press for the #gifted #freebook e-arc and ALCin exchange for my honest review. Miscommunication is my most disliked trop. I am glad I did the audio in edition as it helped me fall in love with the story. She is a proud Canadian and I love reading Canadians authors.

4.5/☆

I enjoyed the previous book by North, but this was just not for me. The whole book could have been wrapped up with a conversation and that kind of miscommunication is just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I usually don’t enjoy second chance romances, because they tend to focus on the process of falling out of love, but I found myself enjoying this one - because it’s not about the undoing of love, but about finding it again in a more honest way.

I appreciated the complexity of Liz and her plight to find voice after silencing herself for so many years both in her professional and personal life. You can feel her struggling with her anxiety and another issue as she joins an improv training - and has to learn to excel in the exact area she fails. I did enjoy how improv was used as a vehicle to help Liz find her voice as well as help both Tobin and Liz navigate misunderstandings and their relationship. At first, I thought Tobin was painted a little too perfect, but as the story unfolds, we come to appreciate the truth and how he’s been hiding his own insecurities.

Overall, I thought the book was well written. As someone who has social anxiety - Liz’s thought processes and quirks are certainly understood. I loved the dynamic between Liz and her friends and the messy way in which her journey unfolds. Also, as a 30 something, I get the feeling of losing yourself and wanting to rediscover your “magic”.

The only thing I question is her being bisexual. It’s thrown into the book twice and it just seems as an excuse as to why she might watch pirate porn or have a close friend that is a woman…almost as just a box to check as opposed to being meaningfully integrated. But, that aside, I’m glad I got to read it in advance and hope others enjoy it.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🎧

I am a sucker for a second-chance romance. But this is so much more than that. Liz is trying to be what everyone wants her to be, but what does she want? She is tired of being "different" and is not taken seriously or ignored altogether.

Tobin, her husband, is everyone's man. He is the center of attention, and everyone loves him, but Liz is drowning in the shadow of being the only one saying no all the time. He won't talk to her; he wants to bury his head in the sand.

Liz has had enough. She needs to take the reins of her life, and she needs to do it now.
She and Tobin need a break, and she needs to get out of her shell, so she is suggested to take an improv comedy class. Well, if that doesn't get her out of her shell, I don't know what will.

Tobin is shaken and stirred by Liz's revolution and wants to make their marriage work. But Liz is terrible at improv, so it's suggested she get a partner, and Tobin is the first to sign up. Liz goes along with it because she also wants to work on them. She has been trying for three years just alone.

The story is amazing. It shows heart and commitment and that life is hard. If you want something to work, you both must want it. You both must put the work in. My gosh, I need more stories like this. Falling in love with the man you already fell in love with once is that possible?

I loved this story and these characters and was 50% in. But I wanted to ensure I hadn't missed anything, so I started the book over. I don't think I have ever done that, hoping I would not miss anything because I loved the book so much.
I loved it; my heart is so full. The narration was perfect. Gail gives these characters life, and I, for one, will be looking for both the author and the narrator for more fantastic stories.

Oh goodness, my heart. I related to this book in so many ways that it broke me and also filled me back up. Lizzie lives in the background, no one sees her for her. She needs to find her magic. She just wants someone to listen to her and not see her as just Tobin's wife. She sets out on a journey of self discovery and needs to find herself without Tobin.
There are so many layers to this journey and while we don't get Tobin's POV (I wish we would have for some parts), we see her journey not ony of self discovery, but of realization. She finds her voice, only to discover that maybe the people that were listening to her the whole time are the ones who truly mattered anyways.
I love marriage in crisis books because I love to see the way that they find their way back to one another. At a few points, I was a little scared, but I had faith in the two of them.
Thanks to Macmillian, Netgalley and Maggie North for this early copy.

the narrating of this story was AMAZING!,!!! I loved reading this story as an arc and listening to it again made this already beautiful story absolutely captivating!

I absolutely loved this story! Marriage in crisis is one of my fav tropes, and this story was written so well! Liz's perspective here was written so well, as you see how she feels so isolated and lonely while surrounded by so many people who claim (and I believe do) love her. And as the story progresses and Liz finds ways to become more happy within herself, she's able to see and accept that love from her husband and family, while also explaining to them how they haven't been showing their love to her in the best way. I absolutely adored Tobin. It is clear right from the beginning how much he loves his wife, and will do anything and everything he can to save their relationship. Moreover, I love the way he's able to also speak up for his hurts and wants and that this whole "saving of the marriage" is put on both Liz and Tobin (not just one of them) because I believe that's how it actually has to work. It's clear Liz and Tobin love each other so much, and I loved reading them reconnect in their relationship so that they are both happy and fulfilled. One of my fav books! thank you for the ALC!!!!

Big thank you to Maggie North, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the audiobook arc. Personally, I really enjoyed the process these characters went through. Liz is confused, frustrated, and feels very alone even in a crowd of people. Her husband, Tobin, doesn’t seem to see it. He’s the life of the party, the yes man. At her thirtieth birthday party, Liz can’t do it anymore. She needs space and time to figure out what she wants. One thing she’s sure of is she wants that job promotion but she doesn’t have the it factor. How will she get it? Improve comedy and a book that seems less than helpful by Tobin’s best friend.

This book is about how communication is everything in a marriage, self discovery, and healing old family wounds. Gail Shalan does an amazing job with narrating.

DNF at 40%

I just could not get into it. The reason for her wanting to leave her husband just made zero sense to me. Miscommunication is not my jam.

Thank you @smpromance @macmillan.audio for a copy of this.

This was a dazzling debut filled with so much heart. It featured characters we don't often see in the romance world or don't see as much as we should: a woman not in her twenties, dealing with the collapse of her marriage, and featuring autism representation. I loved the second chance romance aspects of the story and the setting was beautiful. Updating to include that I loved the narrator for this story!

This book gave me all the feels- and that includes frustration, but justifyingly so. This story is such a beautiful one and I think Maggie North did a fantastic job writing a neurodivergent character. I loved Liz and I wanted to give her the biggest hug. I loved Tobin and his love for Liz. The prompts the pair did for improv- amazing. Especially that last one- it got me in my feels for sure! This is a story that you could read over and over again and I honestly can't wait to read it again! This narrator did a fantastic job as well!

I just couldn't connect to this. I was disappointed because, second chance marriage is my all-time favorite. The conflict that caused them to separate was absolutely ridiculous. Liz left because Tobin was more popular and possessed more self-confidence. She kept calling him her ex after only leaving to stay at her sister's but still lusted after him each time she was around him? Why would you automatically call your husband your ex when divorce wasn't even on the table? I also didn't agree with some of the underlying morals in this book and honestly put the nail in the coffin. I just can't get on board with some things, no matter how subtle they are. Unfortunately, I was also not a fan of the narration. I especially did not like her "dude voice."
Thank you, NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and St Martin's Press, for the opportunity to listen, read, and review this advanced copy.

Stops her self loathing and leaves her marriage to find her magic. Lost herself as Tobin’s wife and to win a pitch promotion at work. She takes improv classes to help with her promotion and magic, then partners up with Tobin when he proposes to work on their marriage with an improv book from a friend. Tobin & Liz still have love for each other, we only get Liz’s POV but we can still sense Tobin’s pining for his wife. This book was not what I was expecting, it was better. The use of improv to work on their marriage and her pitch was unique and entertaining.

The audiobook narrator did an amazing job with the book, distinguishing voices for each character and had an engaging voice.

I recently discovered my love for the marriage in crisis trope, so I was so excited to read this and it did not disappoint. This was a beautiful and heartwarming story about a second chance at love and a journey of self discovery. It was a unique take on a marriage in crisis that included ND rep, a bisexual FMC, wilderness workplace drama, and improv. I was rooting for Liz, Tobin, and their attempt to reconnect and evaluate where things went wrong in their marriage. The unexpected star of this book was the improv subplot. It brought an added layer of vulnerability and trust between Liz and Tobin that only made you root for them harder. This was a beautiful debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from Maggie North. Shalan did a fantastic job narrating. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC in exchange for and honest review.

This story was so good! Good narration for the audiobook. I loved the connection between the main characters and how they found out so much about themselves and their relationship and through everything, how much they still cherished each other. The mermaid “scenario” was hilarious. I laughed, I cried and I felt really connected to these characters.

I absolutely LOVE a second chance romance for a married couple! This was a beautiful story, and while it is definitely a romance, it was more focused on the FMC Liz as she explored her own neurodivergence, family dynamics, and what she wants out of this life. I would recommend this to anyone looking for diversity in their romance reading!

I am not going to be able to truly do justice to this incredible #ownvoices autism second chance/marriage in trouble debut. That said, know that I ABSOLUTELY loved it and it was one of those books that just finds you at the right time and truly speaks to you deep in the heart.

Liz and Tobin have been married for eight years but lately have drifted apart so far that Liz feels unseen. Ignored at work and in her own life, Liz is determined to put herself first and go after a promotion she has been dreaming about for years.

When her boss encourages her to join an improv class to improve her leadership potential it turns out to be the opportunity she didn't know she needed, allowing her a chance to both make new friends and work on her relationship with her husband too.

Set in a small mountain town in British Columbia, I loved the Canadian wilderness setting of this book. I also really loved how the author is able to make you laugh out loud through so many great role-playing scenes (The Little Mermaid, Titanic, The Princess Bride, Never Been Kissed, etc) and break your heart through countless emotional family moments. Both Tobin and Liz have extremely complicated relationships with family members (Tobin's father and Liz's sister).

If you enjoy love stories full of heart, laughs and big feels, you are not going to want to miss this absolutely delightful Canadian debut!! I seriously cannot recommend it enough and am so grateful to have been part of a travelling ARC team. Many thanks also to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

🔥Steam level: a couple of open door scenes, mild details