I’m feeling majorly conflicted about this book. What I expected: A lighthearted second chance romance. What I got: An angst filled story of self discovery with some romance thrown in. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this book; it’s just that I feel like I got a cheddar biscuit when I ordered a jelly donut.

What I liked:
- A raw portrayal of an undiagnosed neurodivergent character who struggles to understand why she thinks and behaves the way she does.
- The chemistry between Liz and Tobin. He genuinely loves her for all the reasons she doesn’t love herself.
- Liz’s desire to establish herself as a person on her own right and not just as the invisible partner of a vibrant spouse.
- The unconventional use of improv to help Liz find herself and explore her relationship with Tobin.
- Found family who give Liz the support her own family, in-laws, and co-workers do not.
- McHuge ❤️
- Gail Shalan’s narration. She keep me engaged when it would have been easy to walk away.

What frustrated me:
- The constant, recurring miscommunication. It is a pet peeve.
- Liz’s initial treatment of her marriage making it seem insignificant.
- Side characters who are downright awful to Liz and Tobin. Made worse by the fact that they are family.
- The impression that an anecdotal diagnosis fixed Liz’s problems.

Overall, there was more to like than dislike about RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES. Cheddar biscuits are great. I just really had my heart set on a jelly donut.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to review an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

🎧 Audiobook Review! 🎧

Rules for Second Chances was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Macmillan Audio. Thank you for allowing me to read this book!

Release Date: 6/25/24

Y’all. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. To simplify, I want to break down what I liked and what I didn’t like.

What I liked:
-I like Liz’s journey overall, as she figures out why she feels the way she does. I think that is important.
-The overall setting of the book is beautiful.
-While this seems to be the reason Liz is frustrated, I really liked her marriage to Tobin. They actually do seem well matched.

What I didn’t like:
-The. Lack. Of. Communication. I just. No. I find it SO frustrating that, without so much as a, “We Need to Talk”, Liz just decides she wants a divorce. And I feel for Tobin in being blindsided. In marriage, and in life, you as a person can grow and change, and that’s ok. Tobin never said he wanted her to be exactly the same. He probably would have supported her desires, if only they discussed them.
-The improv group. While I agree that doing improv might be a good idea, having it include people you work with defeats the purpose, in my opinion.

This is one of those rare books that I am struggling on recommending. The reviews on Goodreads are mixed as well. For as many 5 star reviews, there are equal 2 star reviews. I did like the narration, though, so if you want to read it, check out the audiobook.

Maggie North's "Rules for Second Chances" is such a heartfelt dive into rediscovering love and oneself within a marriage that's hit a rough patch. It's refreshing to see a story that tackles serious themes like neurodivergence and self-growth with humor and love, especially using improv as a metaphor for life's twists and turns. It's rare to find a book that makes you laugh, think, and root for the characters all at once. Definitely a must-read if you're into stories that feel real and moving.

I’m so torn on this book. When I first started it, I felt SO seen by the main character (we even share the same first name!). By the third chapter though, I was so upset by her actions and the decisions she was making, I almost DNF’d (and I NEVER DNF!) However, because I was reading via audiobook and could multitask while listening, I decided to keep listening and just go about my daily business. I’m glad I did – I really enjoyed most of the book, despite a few head scratching moments. Overall, 3.5 stars, rounded to 4.

Here’s what I loved:
-I’m a sucker for a good second chance story and I love a main character who’s lost her way and needs to find herself again.
-The chemistry between Liz and Tobin is off the charts and I LOVED watching them heal their relationship. There are some really sweet, tender scenes between them that just make me grin and giggle.
-I’m so taken by the use of improv as a device to improve not only one’s confidence, leadership, and public speaking abilities, but also to heal relationships by looking at things with fresh eyes and a “yes and” mentality. It’s a really neat idea, it’s executed well, and I totally buy that it works.
-There are some absolutely hilarious scenes, especially the ones where the main characters are doing improv scenarios (the merman scene, anyone??).

What I struggled with:
-Mostly, Liz’s motivation and the way she treats her marriage. It’s actually so baffling to me that I might re-read the book to see if I missed something. I don’t understand how the emotions we get from her justify her actions toward her husband and their marriage. I could go on and on about this but it boils down to this: what she’s all in her head about and what she says she wants don’t seem like obstacles to working on her marriage and I’m unsure why she continues to push him away.

Comments on narration: Gail Shalan’s voice is perfect for Liz. She’s easy to listen to and performs with the right inflection and intonation. Her man voice gave me chills in the best way.

✨ALC Review✨

I’ll be honest- I knew almost immediately this book is not for me. The reasoning the FMC had for leaving her husband and NOT TELLING HIM WHY had me apoplectic.

About a quarter of the way through, it was easier for me to read. I’m thankful #gailshalan was narrating because I don’t think I would’ve kept listening without her compelling narration.

There were parts that I very much enjoyed though. Loved the improv circle stuff especially the friends she made. Adored Tobin’s efforts for their scenes.

Overall though, would I recommend this book? Not really. I didn’t enjoy this book enough to recommend.

I received an ALC from #netgalley and @macmillan.audio in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romance #contemporaryromance #secondchanceromance #netgalley

Maggie North's "Rules for Second Chances" takes us on an unconventional journey of self-discovery with our heroine, Liz Lewis. Set against the backdrop of a mountain resort town, this story tackles some heavy themes: toxic positivity, introversion in an extroverted world, and the daunting task of finding oneself within a crumbling marriage.

Liz's struggle is real and relatable. As an introvert myself, I felt her pain when she was mistaken for a server at her own birthday party. North does a great job highlighting the challenges introverts face, especially in a world that values outgoing personalities. The idea of Liz turning to improv comedy to build confidence is both bold and slightly cringeworthy—in the best way possible.

However, the story hit some rough patches for me. The toxic positivity in Liz's marriage to Tobin felt a bit heavy-handed at times. And while I appreciated the attempt to show growth, Tobin's transformation from part of the problem to Liz's improv buddy felt a bit too convenient.

On the bright side, the improv scenes were delightful. Watching Liz fumble and gradually find her footing was endearing. North also hints at a deeper issue with Liz's social awkwardness, which added an interesting layer.

Overall, "Rules for Second Chances" is a mixed bag. It has heart and tackles important issues but sometimes trips over its own ambition. It's worth a read, especially for introverts who've felt invisible, but it doesn't quite stick the landing.

I laughed out loud a few times and to me, that makes a great read! I loved the second chance romance and the lengths that the character went to find her happiness. I was genuinely rooting for the marriage of these two funny people! I also loved the consideration that the main character went through to find out what made her happy and where she could compromise in her marriage. The cat and the niece were great side characters!

It's been a little more than a week since I finished reading Rules for Second Chances and the further from it I get, the more I feel fondly toward it, but in the moment of reading the book, there were times where I just wanted to scream at the characters. Essentially, this book is a marriage in trouble story where Liz feels like she has truly become a background character in not only her life, but in her marriage. The sex is great, but she doesn't feel like her husband, Tobin, or the other people in her life really see her. So on the night of her birthday party, where she's mistaken for staff, she decides it's time to go. Only Tobin is not ready to give up on their marriage. Liz also has a lot going on in her work life and that's a large part of what this book focuses on, in that, based on some comments her boss makes, she winds up joining an improv comedy class and that sets the stage for a lot of fun shenanigans with Tobin as well.

What I really enjoyed about this book was how Liz got to learn about herself and watching her and Tobin take steps back toward one another. I also loved how she slowly starts to realize that maybe she is autistic. My frustration with this book is that both Tobin and Liz have kept so much bottled up for so long and they forgot how to communicate, but honestly, it's almost like they never knew how to do so because we don't see them falling in love really. I think a failure to communicate is 100% realistic for the breakdown of a marriage, but it can get really aggravating to read. That said, I listened to this book (thanks again, Netgalley for the audio review copy) and I never got so aggravated, I had to turn it off, so that's something! I really enjoyed listening to it and I will definitely read more from Maggie North in the future.

An original story. I have yet to read anything with this storyline.
Rules for second chances takes a peek at the life of an Neurodivergent Woman who suspects she is Autistic.
Married and in a rut she starts to pull apart her life.
The “Rule book” is supposed to help mend and create an everlasting bond.
Taking a second chance at her marriage and career . Most importantly, give yourself a second chance!!!
I listened to the audiobook version of this story. It was wildly entertaining and inspiring!

Story: 2-2.5 stars
Narration: 3 stars

I usually love second chance/marriage in trouble romances, but this one was a struggle for me. The book read primarily as women’s fiction, and I thought the HEA with the main character’s husband took a back seat to her personal development. Liz is gunning for a promotion at work so she takes an improv class to build her confidence and leadership skills. She decides to use the same strategies with her estranged husband. Honestly half the time I struggled to really know what was going on - some of the improv scenes were too long and dragged on so that it was hard to follow what was happening.

There is great bisexuality and autistic/neurodivergent representation in this book.

The audiobook is narrated by Gail Shalan who did a really great job with the voices. I definitely enjoyed the parts I listened to more than the parts I read with my eyeballs.

I voluntarily read and listened to gifted copies of this book. All opinions are my own.

*Thank you to St Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC*

Marriage in trouble is one of those underappreciated tropes that can be so hard to do well, and dang did Maggie North nail it. Despite only offering Liz's PoV, we can quickly see why her relationship with Tobin is so strained. I'm so glad that this book is about finding your true self, rather than becoming someone else. Also IMPROV!! Here it's used both as a technique to get out of your shell and to find trust and connection with your partner. I truly thought it was genius. And the narration was just chef's kiss - between the hilarious scene about zombie wasps and the myriad of accents, Gail Shalan cemented herself as one of my new favorite narrators.

I also enjoyed Liz discovering her potential neurodivergence, as understanding that really helped her understand herself more. Her relationship with her sister Amber was a subplot that I really enjoyed (despite it starting out strained). There's still some work for them to put in to truly heal, but their progress gave me a lot of hope.

I really hope that we get books for Stellar and Amber because they deserve their happy endings!

Holy crap this book absolutely blew me away! Marriage in trouble/second chance romance is my all-time favorite trope but it's so often not given the treatment it needs to be truly successful. But oh my gosh Maggie North knows exactly what she's doing. There's not a moment in this book that I would change. Maggie North is a master at writing about interpersonal conflict and I couldn't put the book down cause I was feeling so much. She gave both characters so much grace to have their own individual needs and slowly pushed both of them to discover what those unspoken needs and desires were. She was so tender with both of the characters and left room for both of them to be completely vulnerable in their longing for each other. The narrator infused every line with so much yearning that I NEEDED to listen to the whole book with my ears so I didn't miss a single raw moment. I absolutely adored watching Liz go on this personal journey and felt so seen by her struggles. The autism rep was such a fantastic inclusion. I'm thrilled that we're getting more of that now. This book was the perfect combination of a what I love in a romance - hopeful and swoony in equal measure. I 100% recommend this book! Please pick it up and then come into my DMs to tell me about your feelings cause I have many I need to process now 🥹

Such a cute and funny book! I loved it! I related to Liz more than I would to admit. I definately have alot of the same social issues Liz has. Liz's personality is funny and quirky, but also so real. I love how Tobin is masculine but also just loves Liz the way she is. He loves her for her despite her flaws. I was invested into Liz and Tobins realationship and was rooting for them the whole time.
I also loved how Liz calls her c0-worker D*ckhead instead of David had me literaly laughing out loud.
Overall highly recomend this book. Looking forward to more books from this author.
Thanks you Maggie North and Netgalley for allowing me to listen to this book as an ARC

What was there to like about this book? Over all, the writing itself was...fine. But that's about it. Listening to the audiobook, which may be the fault of narrator and not the author, I tuned out quite a bit and sometimes had trouble following along with what the character was talking about. Because, 80% of this book is Liz's internal dialog. Liz also doesn't stop beating you over the head with how much she just "doesn't understand" and how socially awkward she is --because, oh! she's autistic and doesn't know it.

Now, before anyone gets uppity with me, I am also likely somewhere on the spectrum. Getting some kind of a diagnosis isn't important to me because I've built coping mechanisms to deal with the world around me, even when it does put me out of my comfort zone and wear me out. Liz is somewhere else on the spectrum, which is fine. But only getting HER perspective during this ordeal was exhausting to me. I really, really would have loved a break from her to hear from Tobin and how he was dealing with this. What it was like to have fallen in love with this woman. And for them to both be totally and completely blind to the obvious signs of neurodivergence.

I *wanted* to like Liz. I really did. I almost cried during the first chapter and the birthday party. That was legitmately awful and I almost DNF'd it immediately, but I was like...this is a romance about improv! It can't be that bad, can it? And...it sorta was. While there weren't too many other incredibly emotional scenes (although I was LIVID when meeting Tobin's dad...) and the improv stuff itself was....oddly used. Like, Liz began to view her entire life as an improv routine? Which, life sorta is, but you're not supposed to be conscious of it. In Real Life, you DO get to say no. Has no one seen the movie Yes Man?

Lastly, and a bit of a spoiler: I absolutely did NOT need the "heartwarming" birthing room scene at the end. Kids and babies and birth squick me out something fierce. And that they just...decided to have a kid because her birth control was already messed up, so...why not? Ugh! Get an IUD, lady.

So, while I gave this 3 stars for managing to get through this actually kind of a long read (10 Hours, even at 1.25X speed, which you need because the narrator can be excruciatingly slow). Did I retain much of it beyond the bad? Not really. I doubt it will be memorable enough for me to suggest to anyone.

I really wanted to like this book, but after 4 hours into it, I had to give up. I didn't like the characters and felt no connection between them. I also couldn't get past the narrator's voice of Tobin. The storyline was different, which I liked, but in the end, it was flat. I picked this one up because I thought it was going to be more of an outdoor adventures book, but it really wasn't.

Liz has given up on her marriage. When an opportunity arises for Tobin to reenter her life, he comes in with vigor. He is prepared to do anything to save their marriage if only Liz would give him the chance. 

I loved the premise of this book. Falling in love with the same person all over again seemed really cute however I don't know if it was the improv storyline or maybe not connecting with the characters that threw me off this book a little as I found it dragged a bit towards the end.

I just could not get past the narraters voice. Even during everyday tasls the narrator had a passionate pushy voice. It had my anxiety at a 10. I did however push through. The story was OK but nothing above average.


Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest oppinion

Rules for a second chance is an interesting take on relationships and self improvement. The narrator does an excellent Job getting into character. I loved the interaction between Liz and Tobin. Tobin is my fantasy man. I would improv with him anytime. lol. Good read not too much drama. Easy listenning.

This book was quirky and cute. One of my favorite tropes is second chances so I was really rooting for Liz and Tobin. I often felt bad for Tobin because he seemed to be really trying but Liz had some difficulties getting her true feelings across. The idea of improv for couples therapy was a different concept to me but made for some funny and cringey moments. Overall I enjoyed this one .

This was my first book written by Marggie North.. I adore second chance romance tropes and FMC that are not exactly the norm, so I was excited to listen to this audiobook kindly provided by Netgalley and St. Martins Griffith.

Liz is a socially awkward introvert struggling with how to articulate what she really wants out of life and her marriage to Tobin. She moves out into her overly critical sister's house, joins an improv class, and prepares to give a career changing pitch at the wilderness tour company where she works.

I liked the dynamic between Liz and Tobin. The improv element was an interesting way to push Liz's character arc and I en;joyed getting to know the others in her group. I'm wondering if there was maybe too much going on at times. Tobin going up for the same pitch as Liz didn't seem like necessary conflict, and there were improv bits that I thought sort of came out of nowhere.

The narration was very good. I felt Liz's social frustration through Gail Shalan's voice and also her joy.