The prologue of Wes and Addie Had Their Chance had me laughing out loud and firmly taking Addie's side. But as so often happens in real life, things aren't always as clearcut as they appear.

As you get to know Wes, you wonder if perhaps he wasn't the villain you thought he was.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is a second-chance romance with hints of a redemption story.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance will remind readers that sometimes love means giving someone a second chance after they hurt you. It means being willing to listen to the other person's side and empathizing with them.

This novel will also remind readers of the importance of clear communication and truly listening to what the other person says and not just so you can respond.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance may be read as a standalone, but is best enjoyed of you've read Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other and Cole and Laila Are Just Friends first.

I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley, a positive review was not required.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner is a witty, heartfelt second-chance romance that explores love, betrayal, and the complexities of moving on. The story centers around Addie Atwater-Elwyn, a former CIA analyst who returns to her small hometown in Colorado after her life falls apart. While trying to rebuild her life, she is forced to face her past—particularly Wes Hobbes, her childhood sweetheart who left her at the altar two decades ago.

Addie is fiercely independent, but she’s also carrying a lot of emotional baggage, and the last thing she wants is to confront the man who shattered her heart. Yet, as Wes reappears in town and old feelings resurface, she finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about love and forgiveness. Wes, now a senator with a hidden political agenda, brings with him a few secrets, making the tension between them even more compelling.

Turner's writing is sharp and engaging, with a perfect blend of humor and emotional depth. Addie’s dry wit and resilience make her an endearing protagonist, while Wes's complex nature and vulnerability add layers to their rekindled connection. The small-town setting and the town's opinion of Wes add a fun dynamic to the story, making it not just a love story but also a reflection on forgiveness, identity, and the consequences of past decisions.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is a delightful, romantic read that will keep readers hooked with its relatable characters, heartfelt moments, and unexpected twists. It's perfect for fans of second-chance romances with a touch of humor and depth.

I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you Thomas Nelson fiction and netgalley for the arc!

This book has two main characters, Addie and Wes, who were supposed to get married at 18 years old in their small town. However, Wes left Addie heartbroken at the altar. Now years later and a widower, Addie returned back to her hometown and lived with her dead, while still reeling from the loss of her husband Joel. Wes is now a presidential candidate and suddenly turns up in Adelaide springs where they see each other for the first time since Wes left. We follow as they face each other and their futures.

The chapters are divided between Wes and Addie, where Addie her chapters are in the first person and Wes’ are third person perspective. This sounds weird but it actually was not hard to get used to at all and made it actually really easy to differentiate when you were reading whose chapters. I thought both characters were likeable however, since they are both in their forties some of the references made as jokes were lost on me unfortunately.

In the first half of the book I was enjoying the reading experience because I liked the little secrets that were hinted at and that were revealed. However, I always thought the little twists were gonna be more interesting then they were. Sometimes I also thought that they weren’t as well explained as they could have been or their reactions to the twists were lackluster. Everything felt very grown-up and the conflict was never there. For example I thought Addie her reaction to seeing Wes again was very mild and she seemed to get over it very quick. And Wes his reasoning for leaving were, in my opinion, not explored enough. His insecurity, which he didn’t seem to have as a grown-up, felt unbelievable.

I thought the romance between the 2 wasn’t that interesting and it didn’t make me want to continue reading. I was more interested in Wes his presidential campaign aspect for example. Which brings me to the ending of the book. I did not like it.

The book is overall easy to read and I can see how it would appeal to some people but it just wasn’t for me unfortunately. I think the author does know how to write well and I enjoyed her voice so I wouldn’t be against trying another one of her books.

A sweet second chance love story that features mature characters. It is nice to read a romance that features older characters.

This is the third book in the Adelaide Springs series. All of the books can be read as a standalone but do include references to the characters in the previous books.
This one follows Wes, a politician, and Addie, a former CIA agent. Wes and Addie grew up together in the small town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado. They have a past that is quite intricate and complicated. Addie has recently moved back home after having a successful career in the CIA and an even more successful marriage. However, she has experienced a great loss. Wes left his small town and became one of the most successful politicians of his time and is now the presidential frontrunner. Now, he has decided to come back to his hometown after years of being away. Addie can't seem to escape Wes no matter how much she wants to.
I did end up liking this book but I was a little confused trying to start it. There is a lot of information and backstory that needs to be gathered in order to understand what is going on. I did like that these characters are in their 40s. I think it is refreshing to read a romance book that is not about people in their early twenties trying to get their lives together. There is a lot of life that Wes and Addie have lived by the time they meet again. I thought that Bethany Turner handled the topic of grief and loss very well. I also loved that it is a dual POV. One of the best things about this book was the callbacks to the previous two couples' stories.
Content: kisses only
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson. I was not required to leave a review and these opinions are my own.

It’s refreshing to read a romance where the characters are my own age and of similar life experiences. Cole and Laila was perhaps my favorite read of last year and this title is a satisfying addition to the series. Highly recommend.

Overall it was a nice easy book to read! Although it’s not mat favourite book, I definitely do not regret reading it!

Some of the conversational sentences threw me off because of the way it was structured (e.g one sentence with quotation mark back to back confused me who was actually speaking to which line)
I do think the romance moved a bit too quickly for it to be believable.

Wes and Addie were childhood sweethearts who were engaged at the age of 18, but Wes left Addie on their wedding day thinking that he was holding her back from college and success. 20 years later, Addie finds herself back in her hometown widowed and recovering from alcoholism. In the meantime, Wes is a widower who is on the fast track to become President of the United States - and seemingly perfect in every way. However, Wes has a secret and things are not as they seem. He stops home to do an interview with Sebastian, and Wes and Addie face one another for the first time in two decades. Can they forgive one another and find their way forward? Or will Wes fly away and chase his dreams of becoming President without her?

Wes & Addie had their chance*My interest was piqued from the get go and I wanted to know what happened between Addie & Wes. Author fed enough pieces throughout the book to keep me wanting more. Learning about their pasts & their current journey had some nice surprises & plot twists. You start off with thinking you have the FMC & MC figured out but as you progress through the story you realize that you can like and root for someone in spite of being deeply flawed. The only thing I would say could improve upon this story is maybe some flashbacks of when Wes & Addie were younger. To get more insight to how they came to their choices, & how their relationship had developed. I look forward to purchasing the physical book to add to my personal library.

It has its heart in the right place, even though Wes & Addie struggles with pacing and tone, providing readers with a story of second-time-around romance, moving on following bereavement, and working through old traumas.

First off, I recommend that anyone new to this author or fictional universe first read Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other.

I jumped in without realizing this was essentially the third book in a series and…you know when a book is part of a series and it sort of feels fanfiction-y because the supporting characters’ personalities and places within this world had already been established in previous books? I rarely care and will happily jump around a series depending on what trope I’m in the mood for. But in this case, some Sebastien-related context would have probably helped fill in some gaps.

Once you’ve completed your homework, I recommend reading this if you’re the type who avoids stories with widowed characters because of Dead Spouse Erasure. Yes, it seems like every prior marriage was arranged or of-convenience. True, Every dead husband was an asshole. Every dead wife was a starfish in bed. I get the ennui, I do.

But writing is hard! And convincing readers that two emotionally wounded dummies can get over their rivalry/age gap/[insert favorite trope here] to live happily every after together is an art! Imagine if one of those characters fucked up real bad two decades prior and the other had been happily married up until two years ago. Impossible!

Unless, it turns out, the widowed FMC is a former CIA analyst who doesn’t hold a grudge. Addie is so quietly intelligent and pragmatic, one can’t help but trust her judgment.

That being said, Addie’s rationality may not jibe with some readers’ requirements. For instance, if you are in the market for a big grovel, I would look elsewhere.

The book is dual POV, but Addie’s chapters are first-person and Wes’s chapters are in third. This back-and-forth has the potential to feel disjointed and unbalanced, but it’s not (for the most part). I think it’s because Wes’s interiority feels close enough that it meets Addie’s voice in the middle.

Both POVs are very introspective. And sometimes the long blocks of thought noticeably slowed down a scene’s pace. But the overthinking made sense for the characters and never felt unnecessary or repetitive.

Speaking of pacing, I will say the ending felt a bit rushed. This may be because I’m so used to dramatics and break-ups and extended Dark Nights of the Soul. Which were not present here because, again, rational characters. Plus, all the angst happened twenty years ago. It may also be because we don’t get Wes’s POV, so his whole dilemma and how he comes to his decision isn’t explored or fully explained. Which may have worked if the entire book was from Addie’s perspective. But the single-sided perspective at the end made the conclusion feel a bit…wonky.

Also, just FYI, there is no sex. On- or off-page. Which is fine. The (one) make-out scene was pretty hot, I guess.

All in all, well-written and I’m not mad I read this.

This one is tricky… I really thought it would be a 5-star read, even though second-chance romance isn’t my favorite trope. And while it is a charming book, the short timeline (just three days!) made it hard for me to fully enjoy. The couple moved past their history too quickly, and I really wished Wes had done more groveling—it would have made their reunion feel more earned.

That said, the book is still cute, and I absolutely loved the setting of Adelaide Springs. I didn’t realize this was part of a series, so I struggled a bit to connect with the side characters, but thankfully, that didn’t take away from the main couple’s story. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read in advance copy of this novel. This was an enjoyable read. I read a lot of modern romance/rom-com type of books. I find a lot of characters in their late 20s and early 30s. The main characters in this novel are 40–my age. They had real world problems, and had lived a little more life than most characters in this type of book.. Albeit, one of the characters is part of a presidential race, so perhaps not quite as relatable to most of us, but added to the plot of the story. I did not realize this book was part of a series, so may have to go back and read the books that came before it. I was able to follow along despite not reading the others. I liked the author’s writing style, appreciated the age of the characters, and while there were serious topics like grief and substance abuse, the book was never unduly sad, and I found myself chuckle a couple times at dialogue. This was the first time I’ve read this author and I will make sure to seek out some of her other books as I enjoyed this one..

This was a beautiful second chance romance read, following Addie who was left at the altar two decades ago by her childhood friend Wes, now that they've both had their fair share of " life" happen to them can Addie's decision to returning to Adelaide Springs rekindle what they once had? What I loved about this book was that even though parts of the book felt a bit jumpy, the communication between the two of them was like actual adults this for me made the storyline much more enjoyable (miscommunication trope in books personally is a hit or miss for me)

This is my first read for the author definitely will come back to her, on that note I wasn't aware this was a series (they can be read as standalones as each book follows different characters )

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am so sorry to do this but I am DNF'ing Wes and Addie Had Their Chance. I did not know that this book is part of a series so that is on me but it's also on Netgalley or publisher for not pointing this out for first time readers. Though, it is not why I am giving this book 1 star.

I believe the series is based around a small town called Adelaide Springs set in either Colorado or Connecticut (there are continuous errors on which one it is) and each book seems to follow a different couple, from what I can gather. Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is the third book so there are a lot of characters being mentioned. Like A LOT of secondary characters. I'm assuming a few of them are from the other books because we get a huge info-dump on a few of them and what they are up to. The info-dump is a bit to take in. There's almost too much info being dropped on the reader, even if I were caught up on the series it would still be too much.

The story is told in the 1st person point of view by Addie and the 3rd person point of view by Wes. I like that it differentiates the voice between them but it can be jarring to go back and forth. This is a second chance romance book between Wes and Addie. He had left her at the altar at eighteen years old and become a big part of politics. She left the small town and met her deceased husband. Addie decides to come back to Adelaide Springs and.... that's all I really got to experience. I stopped when Addie picks up Wes from a location and she is driving him to his Inn.

I am giving this book 1 star because I did not like the writing style, the huge info dump of secondary characters, and even Addie and Wes themselves. I was trying to give this one a chance especially after finding out about it being part of a series. I really didn't want to DNF it. I just couldn't find a connection and I was a little bit bored.

The one positive I have is I do like that the characters are older. There are many contemporary romances that feature 20-30s and not many in their 40s so this felt like a nice change of pace based on age.

A great modern romance about second chances. I loved learning about the events from both Wes and Addie's perspectives and how the events changed their town.

Thank you for the ARC and opportunity to read the book, unfortunately I struggled and DNF. The obvious Colorado/Conneticut error threw me off as did the abrupt switch between first and third person. I’m sure the characters are charming but it all just felt stilted and tropey but not in a good way.

This book was about a second chance romance and gave me all the feels. I loved the small town setting and political drama. The main characters had loss and flaws and I could connect to them. I liked the writing and the flow the banter between characters. This was a really cute book!

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is a heartwarming second chance romance that hits all the right spots! The small town of Adelaide Springs is the perfect setting for this book filled with humor, personal growth, and nostalgia. Wes and Addie’s complicated history adds layers of depth to their reunion. I loved seeing how both characters had changed over the years, each on their own personal journeys of healing and self discovery. Addie, with her sharp wit and CIA background and Wes’s transformation from a political figure to someone seeking true redemption.

Bethany Turner really makes the reader experience the emotional highs and lows throughout the novel. The chemistry between Wes and Addie feels genuine, and their witty banter is entertaining. I enjoyed the political drama and the quirky small-town charm that gave the story a homey charm.

That said, there were a couple of moments that felt a bit out of place, but overall it was still very enjoyable! If you’re into small town second chance romances Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is the book for you!

*Wes and Addie Had Their Chance* is a heartwarming and delightful read. The story captures the emotional journey of love, second chances, and personal growth. I really enjoyed Turner's as I thought it was engaging and relatable, making it easier to connect with the characters. Wes and Addie’s relationship is full of ups and downs, but their story is both touching and inspiring. With its blend of humor, romance, and genuine moments, this book is perfect for anyone looking for an uplifting and feel-good read. Highly recommended for fans of heartfelt romance and I'm excited for everyone to read it when it releases in July!