I absolutely adored this book! A story of dreams, challenges, second chances, and love. The chemistry between Jessica and Nathan was excellent, and Jessica was so well developed as a character. I wish there had been a bit more backstory development with Nathan, which would have helped his character a bit more. The story was nicely paced and plot well done.

Ballet dancer Jessica Stone has just landed her dream role in New York. At thirty-one this is her last chance to be a prima ballerina.

To celebrate, Jessica flies to England to surprise her parents before her rigorous training begins. But instead, when she gets home, she finds her whole family with their cases packed — they are going on holiday, without her!

Now she’s stuck in Surrey taking care of Monty the dog. At least he hasn’t abandoned her. But out on a walk his lead gets caught around Jessica and she falls, badly hurting her foot.

Luckily a handsome stranger comes to her rescue. Except he’s no stranger. He recognises Jessica immediately but it takes a moment for her to recognise this gorgeous man. It’s Nathan Townsend, an old friend she hasn’t seen for twenty years.

The chemistry between them is instant.

But Jessica knows this can’t happen, she’s going back to the States as soon as her foot heals. And Nathan has just worked through one heartbreak. He can’t face another.

But maybe, just maybe, some things are meant to be?

Really loved this book. The chemistry between Jessica and Nathan was spectacular. Will recommend to others.

This was a tell not show kind of novel, the interactions with the characters were just a bit off.

This was one of those "I picked it for the cover and blurb" books, but sadly, this was not the book for me.

The writing was a bit dry, details on things that didn't matter were there, versus giving meat to another part that could have used it.

Loved that Jessica was a ballerina in her 30s, and finally getting her big break (well almost). Loved that this portion was a bit more realistic.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my DRC.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Jessica is about to be promoted to principal dancers in her ballet company and decides to go home to Cowbridge to tell her parents the good news.

When she arrives her parents are about to go on holiday and the dog sitter for their rescue dog money has fallen through. One their first walk Jessica breaks her foot with her career is jeopardy she is in a bit of jam.

Nathan is back in his childhood village after his divorce, he needs noone except his dog Dennis and his job as a gp.

When he sees Jessica fall he insists on taking her to the hospital and then insisting she stays with him until her parents come back.

This is just a practical arrangement she needs to return to New York and Nathan isn't looking for another relationship, but they can't help being drawn to each other but there is no future or is there.

A wonderful book, couldn't put it down the characters were very likeable and the story nipped on at a very pleasant pace.

A great read for a quiet afternoon.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

In this charming romance novel, readers join ballet dancer Jessica Stone when she lands the role of a lifetime as a prima ballerina. To celebrate, she returns home to England to surprise her parents with her news, but it turns out that her parents are going on a vacation. Staying with her parents’ new dog Monty in her childhood home in Surrey proves to be harder than she thought, as an incident with his leash causes her to hurt her foot. However, handsome stranger and childhood classmate Nathan Townsend comes to her rescue, and sparks fly, but Jessica knows this is all temporary -- she has to return to New York eventually. Jessica and Nathan’s chemistry is brilliant, and their personalities are complex and dynamic, with full backstories. The romance tropes in this novel -- not to mention the dogs -- really add to the atmosphere and charm of the novel. The setting in a small town in Surrey, not to mention the various circumstances and minor characters, really build up the atmosphere and emotional heart of the novel around Jessica and Nathan. With its charm, heart, and fun atmosphere, fans of the modern romance genre and all of its tropes are sure to enjoy this book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun, quick book. I enjoyed it a lot!

Super fun summer read! Quite predictable - but super enjoyable! Read it very quickly and kept me wanting more - sign of a good summer read in my book!

A great read, the story of Jessica, a ballerina who is living and working in New York, and Nathan, a GP back in England. When they meet he takes care of her after an accident, so what will happen when it is time fr her to return to her life back in New York?

➸ 2.75 | ⋆˚˖🩰‧｡⋆🦮⋆˚˖ 🩺‧｡⋆🪞

·˚ ༘♡.thoughts
╰✎ i wish i could say nicer things other than it was easy to read. that’s already a stretch since the writing was honestly not the best. what i didn’t anticipate was how british this book was. even when there was an american character who grew up in new jersey, they were using british slang. also the writing was very straight to the point. there was a lot of telling, but not showing to the point the plot felt forced. its what made the book kind of hard to enjoy. i was groaning and rolling my eyes more than i was swooning over the romance. I liked the banter between the characters and some of the quotes were cute.

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡ ࣪characters
⤷jessica: could not tell you this bitch’s last name. i honestly thought i would hate her since the first chapter opens up her description like she’s perfect and better than everybody else but in reality she’s just independent. i respect that. jessica is career driven and doesn’t allow nothing to get in her way which i respect. even though she’s in her thirties, she doesn’t let that stop her dreams. i wasn’t connected to her and that might be because i’m so young and sometimes couldn’t understand her point of view or the reasons she said certain things (which pissed me off to another extent).
⤷nathan: he was a man. a british white man. who was a doctor. he was giving perfect book boyfriend to the point i didn’t think he had a personality except for being a doctor and latching onto the past (more in spoilers). that’s it. he was forgettable.

✩‧₊˚quotes
“For someone who hated being bossed around as much as she did, she quite liked it when Nathan became all doctory and strict with her. It made her feel looked after.”

“She loved how she could relax with him, not having to keep up the facade she usually maintained.”

“She’d needed things to fill up her time or else she’d go crazy counting down the days until her life could begin again.”

“I think it’s the first time that house felt like a home.”

“When she was with him, it always felt like there was someone on her side.”

˚⊹ 𐦍༘⋆spoilers
^ྀི WHEN SHE TOLD HIM “no wonder you’re divorced” I WAS SCREAMING. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO MAD. This is where I started hating Jessica’s character again but I got over it. This was up to the 70% mark which had me questioning why this was called “second chance”. Technically, this is a right person, wrong time” trope because the breakup was mutual. To me, that’s not a second chance. It’s a personal thing. If the author set it up that she missed her family and loved them more (aka prioritizing them) I would’ve believed the random trip to England. It was only for the plot and made me remember this is a book. I wanted to be transported to a world, not remember that I’m just reading a book.

I want to start by thanking the author for sending me an ARC of this book. Thank you very much 🙏.

That said, this book was such a letdown 😕. When I read a good book, I want to feel all the feels—you know, like blushing, smiling, and getting those butterflies 🦋. I want to be so into the characters that I’m kicking my feet in the air. But with this one, I felt nothing. The whole time, I just had this serious face on, and I couldn’t connect with the characters or their relationship at all.

The chemistry between them felt super forced, like the author was trying way too hard to make something happen. It was rushed, and nothing about it felt natural. It was like the author just wanted to move the story along instead of letting the characters develop and actually build a connection. Because of that, the whole story just fell flat 😩.

Another thing that really bothered me was the dialogue. It could’ve been a bit more lively or engaging. It felt really flat, like it wasn’t pulling me in. And we definitely needed more description of the characters’ feelings. For example, I got to the kissing scenes, and they just felt bland. Usually, there’s some kind of description of how the kiss felt, how it made the characters feel, but this was just like, “he kissed me, he pulled me in,” and that was it. It felt lifeless, like there was no emotion behind it, just words on a page.

The writing was fine, but I just couldn’t get into it. The characters were boring, and the plot was so dry. I honestly wanted to like it, but it just didn’t work for me 😔.

And here’s the thing: I NEVER DNF books. Like, even if I’m not feeling it, I always push through to the end. But with this one, I was SO close to DNFing. The characters just didn’t do it for me, and the whole book was just not it. I wouldn’t recommend this one at all. It just didn’t have that spark or connection that makes a book fun to read.

1 star⭐

I really loved this book! I am a ballet dancer and I really love reading books that have ballet dancers in it. I would highly recommend this book!

"Last Dance, Second Chance" by Emma Bennet is a heartfelt romance that blends themes of redemption and rekindled love. The novel follows two characters who, after a period of separation, come together again to confront their past and explore a renewed future. Bennet’s writing is emotionally resonant and captures the complexity of second chances with authenticity and grace. The characters are well-developed, and their journey is both touching and engaging. This novel is a compelling choice for readers who enjoy romance with depth and the promise of new beginnings.

I really enjoyed this book. Jessica is a dedicated ballet dancer and she visits her parents on a whim before her next performance and discovers that they are going on holiday with her brother and family. They have adopted a dog and can't take it with them and the sitter has called sick. Jessica offers to dog sit Monty. She then meets someone she knew before she became a prima ballerina and starts to question if she is missing out.
I'm a sucker for a dog. I really enjoyed this book and seeing Jessica work through her life and discover something more in life. I liked the characters.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgallery.

"Last Dance, Second Chance" by Emma Bennet is a heartwarming and beautifully crafted romance that will captivate readers from the very first page

For one, I related to Jessica in many ways because ' um sir we haven't seen each other in years & now you're telling me because your dog made me hurt my foot you want me to move in with you because I am all alone ? ' Because this book was such a fast paced book that could also be the reason I felt the same way. However 1 thing I didn't understand was " put your dog on the lead " but he let his dog off the lead and it caused her injury. Unfortunately finally getting offered her principal dance position for the ballet company, she gets injured while surprise visiting her parents (I bet Jess knows now to shoot a text before just going someplace).

Other than that I love that Jessica was able to find another love on top of her first love.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I enjoyed this book.

Jessica, lives in New York and loves to dance. She gets the position she wanted in an upcoming production, which is prima ballerina.

Wanting to give the good news to her parents in person, she goes home to England, without informing them she’s coming. When she arrives, her Mother informs her that they’re going on an holiday with her brothers family. She offers to look after the house and their dog.

But, when she takes the dog for a walk, she has an accident and her foot has to be put in plaster, therefore meaning she has to let the company know she won’t be able to be back to for her prima spot.

She stays with an old school friend and slowly their relationship changes and feelings begin to develop between them but, as she’s going back, she’s not sure whether falling in love is right for her at this time.

Will she leave or give love a chance?

I recommend this book.

"Last Dance, Second Chance" by Emma Bennet is a heartwarming and beautifully crafted romance that will captivate readers from the very first page. Bennet skillfully weaves a tale of love, loss, and redemption, creating characters that are relatable and deeply engaging. The chemistry between the protagonists is palpable, and their journey towards finding love again is both poignant and inspiring.

The author's writing is crisp and evocative, painting vivid pictures of the settings and emotions that drive the narrative. The plot is well-paced, with just the right balance of tension and tenderness to keep readers invested in the story's outcome.

Emma Bennet's "Last Dance, Second Chance" is a testament to the enduring power of love and the beauty of second chances. It's a must-read for romance enthusiasts and anyone who enjoys a good love story with a happy ending.

This was so heart-warming, I fell in love with it instantly. Such a beautiful book that I devoured it so quickly,

Last Dance Second Chance was a sweet story, just slow and dense. I couldn’t really connect with the character and they weren’t really multi dimensional. It was an ok read. Just ok.