The Second Chance Hotel is a story of a woman trying to escape the city life and her problems and decided to backpack across Europe. Her last stop was in Greece where she ended up accidentally getting married and owning a hotel.

Hits: The setting was well described in the book, made me fall in love with Ria Hotel.

The plot is also interesting.

Misses: There are details and narration that I find repetitive and some are I think unnecessary.

I failed to see how Amelia really sees James. The good parts of their relationship were not really given emphasis in the book.

Overall, this book is a cute, quick read. Recommended for those who like marriage of convenience tropes.

I really loved this book. Godfrey describes the island of Asteri so beautifully that I truly felt like I was there, and I was cheering for Amelia right up to the last page. If you've ever wondered what it might be like to hop on a plane and start over somewhere else (and who hasn't, at some point?), this is your chance to live vicariously through Amelia and James and the life they find in Greece.

After the first few chapters I hated Amelia. I found her irritating and not a very good person. But I'm glad I stick with it because overall I enjoyed the escapism of the novel.

The Second Chance Hotel
Sierra Godfrey


How many of us at one time or another, especially when life seems to be taking you down a wrong road, dream of running away? Ditto the protagonist of this novel. While there are no great surprises and the ending seems inevitable, the pull of a small Greek island, a group of quirky, warm-hearted villagers, delicious food, white sand, the blue of the Aegean and the potential of romance made this a lovely read.

Amelia works in the tech industry in a chauvinistic environment. She makes the mistake of dating one of her coworkers. When they break up, he sabotages her at work. At a meeting when she is wrongly blamed for a significant mistake, she throws a mug at the ex’s head and gets fired.

She and the ex-boyfriend planned a vacation in Europe . She spontaneously decides to use the ticket despite her commitment as maid of honor at the upcoming wedding of her best friend. Evidently, running away is one of Amelia’s go to options.

The reader only gets a small peak after the fact of the wild time she had at the beginning of the trip. For us, the adventure really begins when she travels to a small, isolated Greek Island and stays at her parents’ honeymoon hotel. It is there that she plans to organize her thoughts and plan her way back to some semblance of real life.

In the thirty years later, since the hotel is deteriorated. It’s shabby, out of date, the owner’s wife has died, and there is only one other guest, another traveling American, James. He is in search of himself as well and conveniently is very handsome, single, and of course, her opposite.

Through a series of events that are a hoot to read, they discover they are married and the new hotel owners. The ensuing conflicts, colorful personalities of newfound friends, and the twists and obstacles and yes… more running away, make it fun to read.

The author paints a beautiful picture of this very worn but picturesque island that make the hardest decisions become clear. Whether you are reading this in tropical climate or a cold wind is howling outside your window, the escape to this island is a delight. Added to this are characters that could be stereotypical but there is enough of a twist in them to avoid that. The only character that was overdone and impossible to read was Amelia’s mother. Very one-dimensional and the pages of her harping went on way too long.

I’d highly recommend if you’re in the mood for an escape to a beautiful island, are drawn to books that celebrate the best in people, or simply love reading a love story.

Many thanks for this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Amelia’s life is a chaotic she however takes the chance and settles on a Greek island after travelling for 3 months, but unexpectedly she is tricked into meeting James, being complete strangers and being gifted a hotel they must work together through the challenges to make it work but Amelia starts to have second thoughts and doubts and wants to move back home! This book is so gripping from the start to the end!

What I loved: the premise, the location and descriptions of said location, all the talk of food.

What I didn't love: the characters. I didn't particularly like any of the characters which made it a bit of a slog to get through the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Sourcebooks Landmark.

This book was one of the best ive read yet the cover is adorable. A different plot which is refreshing the author did an amazing job with the writing and made me really feel for the characters. I wish there was more from this book or get a second one because i really loved it

Thanks to NetGalley, Sierra Godfrey, and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book- it was a quick and easy read that drew me in immediately. Amelia Lang's life has effectively imploded- she gets fired from her job when her jerk ex-boyfriend sabatoges her at work (sure she threw a mug at his head- but it didn't hit him) and she cannot stand the thought of going back home (oh yeah, she still lives with her mother). Amelia risks everything she has left to flee the country for a european vacation and makes friends and lovers over the next couple of months. At her mother's insistance she ends her trip at a hotel on the same small Greek island her parents visited on their honeymoon. There she befriends the owner and ends up unknowingly marrying a cute fellow vacationer. When the newlyweds are gifted the hotel they are forced to examine what they want out of the rest of their lives- and if they want it to be with each other.

I highly recommend this cute, engaging story, it was the perfect escape!

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Riley Rogers's Reviews > The Second Chance Hotel

The Second Chance Hotel
by Sierra Godfrey (Goodreads Author)

Riley Rogers's reviewMar 16, 2023 · edit
it was ok

Amelia arrives to Greece after getting fired from her male-dominated job, for throwing a mug at her ex-boyfriend due to a last-minute code sabotage. In a moment of impulsiveness, nothing short of irrational, she books a next-day ticket to Europe. The only problem? Her friend’s wedding is in a few weeks – and she won’t be there. She happily trots down, backpacking across Europe for close to 3 months – leaving two weeks left in her destination trip when she arrives at the Ria Hotel in Asteri, Greece. This is where she meets James, a man apt to talking about olives, farms, and botany – which isn’t her style. Unknowingly, they end up getting married. Then, they inherit the Ria Hotel as a couple, and chaos ensues.

At first, James comes onto Amelia, but Amelia lets him know that this “relationship” is friends only, and that this whole “situation” is temporary. And that’s ok – but quite literally, we’re halfway into the book at this point. Pacing, to say the least, is insufferably slow. They act like jealous, irrational teenagers around each other, when, in fact – they’re in their 30’s! Please, for the love of all that’s holy, please communicate! That does not mean send broody stares at each other, or death glances, ignore each other, or yell. If you’ve both had previous serious relationships, that’s got to count for something, right?

“Look. We barely know each other, you and me. You have zero claim on my attention.”

“That’s true. Absolutely. And thank goodness for that, since you seem to be giving it all over the place.”

Extreme jealousy and critical comments when you’ve known each other for a week? C’mon, James. You’re setting the bar real low here, now. At least Amelia can set some healthy boundaries.

I will sympathize that the situation they’re both thrust into is unfortunate to say the least. But Amelia gives me the most whiplash from a character I’ve had in a long, long time. She goes from wanting to hightail it out of the hotel and get a cushy tech job back in California, to wanting to run the hotel within a matter of a few pages and some sweet-talking from James. I cannot fathom how you make such a life changing decision so quickly. But psyche! She does it again, and again, and again. Even at the end!

The only thing I will say is a good “lesson” in this book is that you shouldn’t base your expectation of marriage and love on an unhealthy relationship. Amelia did learn that she avoided anything “serious” as her parents weren’t healthy – her mom is undoubtedly narcissistic. I still wouldn’t say Amelia and James are ideal though – they act like jealous, irrational teenagers when they’re both in their early 30’s.

”She didn’t want marriage or kids, especially not after watching her parents’ marriage dissolve slowly over the years like a horrible chemical bath.”

Overall, though, this was a drag to get through. So much “teasing” (if it can even be called that) lack of anything really driving the plot van forward. A little bit of spice near the end, a positive ending overall, but nothing major. There was nothing in this book that made me go “oh my gosh, I can’t stop reading.” Instead, it was more of a “when is this finished?”

If you’re a fan of arranged marriage tropes, a little comedy, beautiful scenery, and an extremely slow-burn romance, pick this up. It would likely be up your alley! However, it just wasn’t for me.

Amelia Lang needs to get away from it all, including her ex-boyfriend, her needy mother, and her corporate job. When Amelia is fired (because of said ex-boyfriend), she decides that a major reset, far away from her current life, is in order. Unfortunately, leaving just before her best friend's wedding is something only a very crappy (or very desperate) person would do. After several months of living a carefree life traveling in Europe, she visits the small Greek island of Asteri before she must head home, and back to real life. She stays at the neglected Ria Hotel at her mother’s urging. There is only one other guest, James from Oregon, and their host, Tikas. Tikas gives Amelia and James the hotel and they decide to run it for a season, denying their growing mutual attraction, while trying to bring back the glory of the Ria Hotel.

Godfrey’s descriptive writing made me feel as if I’d been to Asteri. She brought the island and the Ria Hotel to life. I could see the night sky full of stars, the clear turquoise water, and the steps leading down to the swimming cove. There are a host of quirky and lovable characters living on Asteri (including all of the various Yorgos’ - Angry Yorgos, Feta, Yorgos, Olive Grove Yorgos, etc.) who bring an additional depth to the story. More than anything, I wanted Amelia and James to succeed and find their happy ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions belong to me.

After epically getting fired from her job Amelia decides to head off to Europe. During the last leg of her trip on a small Greek island. After on drunk night she finds her self accidentally married and the owner of a hotel with her new husband James.

This was a quick cute read. Accidental marriage/marriage of convenience isn't always my favorite trope to read. However, the author really made this work. The progession of the them falling for each other felt natural and not forced. And I came to fall in love with the little island. As always, I wish this was told in dual povs, i would loved to see all that was happening for James pov as well.

Cute story! Light-hearted and easy to read. It was a little slow moving for my tastes, but I enjoyed the book overall. Great characters and descriptions of Greek life!

OH MY GOSH! What a fantastic read. A fabulous book that whisks you away to the beautiful sights, sounds, and tastes of Greece. Amelia, the main character, is having a bad day.....she ends up throwing a mug at her ex-boyfriend's head at work (sadly she missed) and gets fired for it (he did sabotage her, in her defense) On her way home, she decides to take an exit to the airport - to run away from her problems (noted above) and her narcissistic mother. She ends up being in Europe for 3 months and her last stop is a quaint hotel on a small island - where her mom and dad spent a romantic honeymoon (back when they were first in love) - for quiet time to prepare for real life back in San Francisco. However, after a few drunken nights and meeting a handsome guest at the hotel, chaos ensues and they end up married to each other and was gifted the hotel. When I first read the plot, I was like really??!! Married and not knowing it?! But you have to read it to believe it. The author did a fabulous job with writing complex but relatable characters. It was a funny, sweet, romantic story that kept my attention until the very end. I look forward to reading more from this author, a new favourite of mine. A solid 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A delightful, escapist read! Ever dreamed of owning a resort on a remote island in Greece? Well, it might be less glamorous in practice than it sounds. At least for Amelia Lang, a 32-year-old project manager from California. Amelia is nearing the end of a monthslong adventure in Europe. For her last destination, on her mother’s insistence, she books a visit to Hotel Ria on the (fictional) island of Asteri (the magical and romantic place where her parents visited decades ago).

Amelia soon finds herself charmed by the island and by another guest at the hotel, James, a handsome and slightly dorky American who is very into olive trees. But that was before they end up accidentally married to one another. Oh, and they also now own the Ria hotel (which is in need of many costly repairs and updates). Amelia and James find themselves reluctantly preparing the property for their first and only guests with the help of their generous neighbors who want to see the resort succeed so the whole of Asteri can prosper. They can handle hotel management for a few days and then go their separate ways, right?

This was an intriguing and fun story that definitely made me want to visit Greece (and maybe end up co-owning a resort with stunning views). The push-pull of Amelia’s and James’s relationship and growing friendship/simmering tension between them along with the lovable cast of locals (including the many different men named Yorgos) were the highlights of The Second Chance Hotel for me. We get friendship drama, family drama, romance, and plenty of laughs. An enjoyable read for anyone currently on, planning, or dreaming of a fresh start. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

What happens when Amelia follows through with her mothers wishes to visit a small island in Greece?
She ends up meeting a gorgeous and nice stranger, gets married to said stranger and ends up with a hotel (in not the best shape). Following Amelia trying to come to terms with her own feelings and dreams, we go through heartbreak and love. And the biggest question of all, what will happen with the newlyweds and their hotel?

I'm so glad I got an arc for this book! It was so sweet and fun, and just the book I needed. This was so well written and easy to follow, I had a hard time putting it down.