I enjoyed this story it was such a fun, refreshing, & cute book... perfect for the summer if you need a good beach read! I would have appreciated more depth in scenes between the two main characters but in general, it was a good read!

Second Chance Romance by Carol Mason
Rating: 3.5/5
Release Date: 22 July 2024

Moira and Frank: the epitome of perfect adversaries. At forty-two, Moira finds herself newly single, her life in disarray. And now, thanks to their supposedly smitten adult children, she's thrust into the company of the incredibly affluent, incredibly handsome, incredibly conceited Frank. Their mission? To break up their impulsive kids.

Their plan seems foolproof: simply demonstrate that their children are too young to dive into serious relationships. But things take a wild turn when their frustrated offspring decide to elope. To Greece. Without a word to their parents...

In a frantic pursuit, Frank and Moira comb every cobblestone street and glistening beach. Greece could be the perfect backdrop for Moira to discover love anew— if only she didn't find her current companion so exasperating.

Yet, as they compete on jet skis by day and stubbornly claim separate tables at tavernas by night, followed by unexpected dips in steamy hot tubs, an undeniable chemistry blossoms between them—no matter how hard they resist.

This book is the quintessential holiday read—light, breezy, and engaging right from the get-go, sparing you the wait for the drama to unfold.

Moira and Frank's banter is some of the most amusing dialogue I've ever encountered in a novel. It's a nice change to dive into a story marketed as enemies-to-lovers and actually witness genuine animosity before their feelings take a turn.

However, the one aspect I found lacking was the portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship. Harriet, albeit 19 and still learning, can come across as spoiled and frustrating, particularly in her treatment of her mother.

Nevertheless, Carol's writing is superb, vividly painting the landscapes of both LA and Greece, immersing you completely in Moira and Frank's world.

Overall, this book offers a unique premise with characters outside the typical romance novel age range, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It's a departure from the usual, and that's what makes it stand out.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author, Carol Mason, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

There is a way to make a grumpy character endearing, and this was not it. The MMC was just rude, and never really redeemed himself. Our main characters did cute things together, but the second they opened their mouths all hope was lost. Had we been shown more of the depth of their relationship, maybe I'd believe it a little more? But we weren't and their relationship is wholly unconvincing. There were bits of dialogue that were relatable, especially between mother and daughter, which I enjoyed. That might be the only bits from the book that I did enjoy.

Do you *have* to get with your daughter's potentially father in law? That bothered me. It also bothered me that our love interests didn't act like they were in their 40s. They truly acted like children in certain parts.

I appreciate the ARC, but will not be getting this book when it comes out. One star for putting pen to paper, another for the few parts I did enjoy

This book was yummyyyyy!

“Second Chance Romance” by Carol Mason is the perfect beach read! This story follows Moira and Frank, whose children are dating and neither of them are very happy about it. The two parents conspire to break up their children, which seems like a great plan, except the newly single Moira can’t help but find herself attracted to her super attractive (and ass-hatty) co-conspirator.

There’s juicy drama right from the beginning, so there’s no lull in the story. I was left on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering how things would shake out. I loved how relatable Moira was, and how you could just feel everything she felt. I felt so connected to her and her relationship with her daughter. She was perfectly balanced by Frank, who is just straight up saucy 🥵🔥

Second Chance Romance is perfect for anyone looking for a light summer read. I’ve never read a book with this premise, and it’s been a long time since I read a romance with the MCs over the age of 30. I really enjoyed the change of pace!

This comes out July 22nd so be on the lookout!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Second chance a fun summer read it's here!

This book follows Moira and Frank, two single parents whose kids have embarked on a whirlwind romance all the way in Greece.Completely set on putting a stop to this relationship, they follow after their kids, all the while trying to ignore the growing tension between them.

I enjoyed this story it was such a fun,refreshing,easy read perfect for the period if you need a reading with these vibes! A thing I would have appreciated to read in this book more deep scenes between the two main characters but in general,it was a good read!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me the arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was lovely! First, I've been looking for more romances that deal with 40-something characters, marriages, parenting, etc. They are hard to find. I keep reading about 20-somethings, and while fun, they don't match my life. So it was such a welcome change to simply have characters I can relate to in some way. Second, this was a fun story, with witty banter, and steamy chemistry, and thoughtful navigation of emotional histories. I also loved the adventure of it, and that the love connection was not obvious. My only negative is that it was a bit too closed-door; just as I have needed some mid-life romances, I could use mid-life steaminess in more detail. Thank you for the arc.

Second Chance Romance, as the name suggests is a book with a central theme around second chance at love. Frank and Moira are complete strangers with their own set of challenges in their respective first relationships.
It claimed to be a hilarious enemy-to-lovers romantic comedy but turned out to be a big disappointment. Multiple times I had the idea to DNF it, but I wanted to do give it a fair shot and completed the book.

I can not appreciate glorifying condescending and contemptuous behaviour in name of enemy-to-lover trope. These are highly inappropriate ideas that feed into mind of women readers, that its okay if a man treats you disrespectfully because, eventually he may fall in love with you. Frank constantly insults Moira, leaves her stranded on a highway alone without a working car or conveyance, questions her intellect and finances, calls her daughter (his son's girlfriend) a green card digger. In return Moira's character is painted as nymphomaniac, she only keeps thinking about having physical contact with Frank, his skin, his touch, his skin, his bare legs !! This is little saddening especially coming from female author. It justifies Frank's behaviour :
"Frank might have just acted like he doesnt give a damn but he gave a damn when he pretended he'd drowned. He gets frustrated when i struggle to see things".

Moreover, this whole love story just felt incestous. Frank and Moira are potential co-parents-in-law. They meet each other, because their children are planning to marry each other. But the parents (the supposed adults) are busy having one-night stand and hot tub baths with each other. They both keep calling their young adult offsprings as acting childish and not ready for marriage. But I found Moira's behaviour as much worse than a teenager, who indulges in revenge sex due to provocation by a friend, day dreams about his daughter's potential father-in-law. The conclusion is much more creepier, since both relationships are shown active. What is the message here, the younger couple who is dating and planning to marry will turn into step siblings ??

This is fiction and we can have characters making weird decisions but its being glorified here. Its being painted as a beautiful love story.

While the dialogue between Frank and Moira was witty, I quite frankly could not stand either one. This book wasn’t for me but I am sure many will enjoy it while basking in the sun next to some gentle waves.

It took me a minute to get into this book but once I did, I couldn’t stop reading. The fact that the characters were a bit older and settled in their lives made this book unique to others I read. The dual “coming of age” theme for both mother and daughter were also a draw to this story. If you like Annabel Monaghan, you will no doubt love Second Chance Romance! Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

I enjoyed this one! It was quite a bit different than my usual read, but a nice change of pace. Set in Greece, it felt exotic at times, although this was a bit marred as Moira and Frank chased their kids around. A fun read.

This is an interesting concept and first novel. What would it be like to date Erich Segal transported to the current era as a 40-something British sort of transplant? There are some plot holes and missing pieces that would have made this novel better but it was super interesting and I was definitely invested in the characters. The parenting was both cringeworthy at times and also realistic in the failure to communicate.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute little romance that’s perfect for the summer!

This book follows Moira and Frank, two single parents whose kids have embarked on a whirlwind romance all the way in Greece. Completely set on putting a stop to this relationship, they follow after their kids, all the while trying to ignore the growing tension between them.

Considering the current landscape of romance (very saturated), this is probably one of the more unique books I've read. It takes on a lot of common tropes but does so in a way that contributes something new, which I appreciate. I also just love a good frazzled English woman narrative, and if this were a movie, best believe I would be *sat*.

However, what I would have liked from this book was more intimacy between the two protagonists. It felt like the story was always so honed in on their kids or their stories about other people in their lives; I suppose I just didn't feel like I got to know them as well as I could have. Also— I am the same age as the daughter in this book, and I can confirm that she was being annoyingly unreasonable. I don't know how Moira put up with all that.

Overall, it was a fun read!

THIS BOOK GAVE ME ALL THE FEELS! I absolutely devoured it, cover to cover. I think we can all related to being in a relationship out of convenience and settling for something. I was so emotional during this book and rooting for Moira and Frank the whole time. I found Harriett and Aiden to be rather annoying, but seriously obsessed with the flirty banter between F&M. I could see this being a movie with Eric Dane as Frank and Emily Blunt as Moira. The dancing scene in Greece to Touch Myself!!! I die. Amazing. I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I blushed, truly an entertaining heart warming read.

i loved the tension in this and really enjoyed the banter between our main characters. i think the blend of the more funny elements with more emotional moments worked for me. i also really enjoyed the imagery and found myself being able to picture everything clearly. this would be such a good holiday read.

i do dislike any cheating in books and so that’s where this lost me, i think i would have enjoyed it so much more without that element.

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

Second chance romance was a gorgeous book. There’s a lot to love it’s not just a romance, it’s about love and family, loss and healing, learning to live again and accept.
Aside from that it’s pure escapism and I loved the characters, though sometimes I found them infuriating at times, but it all comes together and they’re well developed and their actions make sense as the story goes on. 📕

This is a tough book to review.

The first 40% of the book was not enjoyable for me: I didn't find the characters likeable, there was a lot of text and dialogue that felt dull to me. The main characters kept bickering, and it was very annoying because it felt like there was no substance in any of the conversations. Their kids were also acting childish for 19' and 22' year olds; very impulsive and careless.

After that, there was a very self-aware conversation where Moira is talking to Frank about his book. They're not self-aware but the author of this book is, by basically telling us how Moira and Frank act like the characters in the book and they, themselves, don't understand how that can lead to a love story. That made me want to read the rest of it.

So, from then on, it wasn't as bad. Their kids realized they were acting like kids and apologised; plus, started acting their ages, thank god. I liked how Moira finally made up her mind, and it wasn't based on what was waiting on the other side, but actually, in what she wanted to find and fight for, on the other side. I liked the ending, I felt like the charcaters were a lot more likeable at the end.

Pluuus, I did finish this book in less than 24h, so do with that what you will!

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book, in exhange for an honest review. :)

The epitome of a fun easy beach read. super quick, witty and it drops you right into it from the start so there’s no waiting around for the drama to unfold.

moira and frank have some of the funniest dialogue i have ever read and it’s refreshing going into a book marketed as enemies to lovers and ACTUALLY having them dislike each other before their feelings change.

the only thing i disliked about the book was the actual mother daughter relationship. Moira doesn’t necessarily stand up for her daughter at the start when frank is berating her and insulting her behind her back implying she is only seeing his son for a greencard and the whole “people” comment, which i’m not sure a mother who has a good enough relationship with their daughter would stand back and take. Harriet can also be spoiled and a headache too, she’s 19 she doesn’t know everything and the way she treats her mother at times especially with everything that’s going on in her life, is a little uncomfortable to read.

the writing is excellent and Carol paints such a vivid picture of both LA and Greece where you feel like you’re right there with Moira and Frank.

all in all i haven’t ever read a book like this with these sorts of characters and this premise and i’m surprised how much i liked it given most romance books these days are between people younger than both of mc’s.

thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me the arc

El libro no fue lo que esperaba, cuando leí la sinopsis me atrapó y pensé que me encantaría el libro, pero no fue así.
Es la historia de Moira quien tiene una hija (Harriet) que un día le dice que conoció al indicado y dicho chico (Aiden) es hijo del famoso escritor Frank.

Tanto Moira como Frank no creen que sus hijos deban estar en una relación seria, entonces hacen un plan para separarlos.

Ella está pasando por una crisis matrimonial, al parecer su esposo la está engañando y ahora tiene que decidir si lo perdonará o le pedirá el divorcio.
Arriba dije al perecer porque no se sabe hasta los capítulos finales si hubo o no infidelidad.

Era necesario que Frank tuviera povs porque todo el libro me la pasé intentando descifrarlo y no lo logré.

¿Existiendo tantos hombre lo tuvo que hacer con el suegro de su hija?

Todo el libro me sonó a una mujer que no está conforme con su vida y que tomó la primera cosa que la puedo sacar de esa vida. Se me hizo triste que dejara su matrimonio por otro hombre y no por ella.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Second Chance Romance is everything I hoped it would be! I loved the tension and witty remarks between Moira and Frank.. Moira is so funny! I was laughing out loud at some of her snarky comments and her inner dialogue. This was a very quick and easy read, and I would have loved to have been poolside or on the beach while reading this book. If you're looking for a lighthearted, fun, breezey read, definitely pick up Second Chance Romance.

Thank you Bookouture and Carol Mason for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC

Before I begin, I want to gush about everything I love: namely the characters and the settings.
Each character that had a scene in this book was their own person. They had thoughts, visions and dreams. I could see them living their lives and I absolutely adored reading this book.
Also I think naming a child Rupert already dooms him to a life like our cheating husband here.
And the gaslighting, bro has a degree in that. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d cheated on Moira before with that friend.
It would make so much sense. And he’s such a dingbat. A dingbat.
I like that the kids weren’t their parents. Hurt was something they both knew but they didn’t let it stop them from falling in love.
So kudos to the kids.
And also I might not have been to those countries but it was so easy to picture being there. With the rain, the breeze, the beach and everything.


Despite all I loved, I found I couldn’t tolerate the cheating aspect. Her husband was already a dingbat for doing it, but Moira doing it as well , even if it was her chance at HEA was a sore point for me.


Anyway absolutely adore the writing style and would love to see more