Loved this second chance romance, Billy was an enjoyable MC and I loved the interactions between Billy and Cal.
It’s not often I have the opportunity to read a book with mature characters and I appreciated the change of pace.

Would definitely recommend and read more from this author.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Willa and Cal. Willa is a movie star. Cal is a high risk baby doctor. They meet when Willa’s brother and sister-in-law have Cal for their doctor. There is an instant attraction. Willa and Cal start dating. Willa is pregnant. Cal steps up to be the baby daddy. They both fall in love.

This was a DNF for me... besides the fact I couldn't get past the ethical implications of a doctor and his patient's sister (which could be argued either way, but it still felt icky to me...) there were some blatant errors in the story. For instance, right from the start, Billy was supposedly wearing "a cream colored sleeveless blouse and dark skinny jeans" yet just a short while later, her date wanted the "fabric of her dress" to run through his palm... Cal and Frank were at odds, then suddenly had an understanding. The dynamic between Billy and Cal felt very forced and rather cheesy for lack of a better word. The word "slug" was used five times in the first half of the book. Nit-picky...maybe, but it was enough to seem repetitive. All in all, it was too much for me - too many errors, too much cheesiness, too quick to fall - it didn't hold my attention past that. I'm sure it will be a hit for some, but not this reader.
Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Blaufeld Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Quick and simple read that's ideal for anyone looking for a rom-com with a more mature cast of highly lovable characters (Hollywood actress and physician). Well-written, entertaining narrative with an Oscar-winning happily-ever-after!

I was drawn to this story to be honest because the main character is a female over 40. Most books these days love the young, carefree, non wrinkled heroine. Willa is an aging actress, with fewer juicy roles coming her way. Her career has always been her companion and there was no need for children. But these days, there's a bit of a yearning for what could have been.

Callum Rand is a high risk obstetrician who is treating Willa's sister-in-law. He lives on the opposite coast from Willa. He's not looking for a glitzy life full of paps and photo ops. And yet, they manage to have chemistry and desire.

I just felt the story line was a little flat to me. I wanted something, something big and angsty to make my heart beat faster and maybe give me the stomach thuds. I just didn't get it with this one.

I sometimes have the attention span of a toddler when it comes to reading. When I decided it was time I read The Second Half, I opened it up and discovered I had already started it and was three chapters in...with no recollection of having done so or what was going on at the start of chapter four.

This can’t be a good thing, I told myself. But I started back from the beginning. And promptly realized why it was so forgettable. Regardless, I continued on because there truly is a shortage of romance books written about the 40+ set.

Ultimately, there wasn’t anything I found objectionable about this story. The hero and heroine were both mature people who had a genuine interest in the other but lived on opposite coasts of the US. Add in the extra challenges of navigating a relationship when one person is famous and has paparazzi following all the time, and this could have been a dramatic love story.

Instead, there wasn’t much to the story other than the hero and heroine spending brief periods of time together in which they talk about how much they miss each other. Yet I felt not an ounce of their yearning.

There were also large jumps of time, and a good amount of telling vs showing. For example, the hero’s identity getting revealed - a huge source of contention that caused the heroine to push the hero away because of her concern over what the paparazzi will do to him - happened completely off page and was resolved and all over in a single paragraph. I'm not a fan of ridiculous, over-the-top drama, but some realistic turmoil is good. Please show it to me!

I wanted to like this one. Sadly, it just fell flat. Even with a plot twist (I saw coming from a mile away) that I LOVE in my romance stories, I finished this one feeling meh.

*thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Blaufeld Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The second half is a love story that is troubled by all of the ups and downs and many complications of life. A good read.

Thank you for the advanced reading copy of the second half. How cute! Older couple and exploring their new and different relationship!

I love this book!! Very few books do 40 + and this one is done exceedingly well. There is a previous book in this series that I am going to have to read now. But oh I adore Willa and Cal. Maybe my favorite book couples yet this year.
I just reviewed The Second Half by Rachel Blaufeld. #TheSecondHalf #NetGalley
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I think this book is a good representation of how lonely a famous actresses life can be. Yes, Billy is hugely successful and emulated by her fans but it must be such hard work when appearances are such a large part of one's life. Her true companion was her bodyguard, Frank. It is only when she is with her family that the reader truly sees her softer side and how loving she is. I can see why she pushed Callum away as he gained more exposure into her life and all that it entails. He is successful in his own right; however, they did deserve far more than just the career. At the end of the day, nothing is more important than true love and family. With Quinn, they were complete.

The Second Half by Rachel Blaufield is a quick read for anyone looking for a romance story focusing on more mature characters. This is the second in a series, but you don't need to read the first book to still enjoy this read.

The first book is The Back Nine, Ford and Jamie's story.

This story gives all the warm and fuzzies and is a great summer read.

Quick Summary: A Notting Hill-esque love story

My Review: The Second Half by Rachel Blaufeld was a sweet, moving, problematic romance between a woman who was a Hollywood movie star and a man who was a high risk obstetrician.

About the Book: This women's fiction romance was about two people who were so different yet shared a longing for something more. When their paths crossed, they couldn't stop themselves from merging. Even as internal and external challenges hindered their relationship, the longing for each other remained.

My Final Say: I couldn't put this book down. I was completely enraptured. The love story between Dr. Rand (Cal) and Billy (Willa) was beautifully complicated. I felt for both of them. I wanted them to find an easy love, but they didn't. It was messy. It struggled under the weight of life, family, responsibilities, and choices. Still, it was heart wrenching, in the best way. This couple's love story is one that I would not hesitate to revisit again and again.

Rating: 4.75/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Status/Level: 💞

Appreciation is extended to the publisher (Rachel Blaufeld Publishing) and to NetGalley. Thank you for providing access to a digital ARC of this work in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own thoughts and opinions.

A great read. Billy is a Hollywood star who meets Cal when he is the doctor for her sister in laws surrogate. Billy secretly longs for a family of her own, but will everything be too complicated to give Cal a chance.

The Second Half by Rachel Blaufield is a quick read for anyone looking for a romance story focusing on more mature characters. This is the second in a series, but you don't need to read the first book to still enjoy this read. Billy Conway is a famous actress struggling with the idea that she is aging out of the roles she once played; she is also seeing her brother start building a family and struggling with what she wants to do in the second half of her life.
As Billy decides to get involved in her niece or nephew's birth, she meets the handsome and charismatic but normal Callum Rand. The two become close by seeing each other's worlds and hiding from the public eye.
I enjoyed this story and thought the pacing was excellent. I think Billy and Callum's relationship moves at a pace that is neither quick nor slow, making it perfect. The problems faced by the characters are mature compared to a lot of romance books which I appreciated since it really fit the characters in the story,
Overall this is a great quick read with cute dates, long-distance, puppies, and babies.

The Second Half is a quick read perfect for someone who's looking for a romcom that focuses on a more mature set of characters. Thank you Rachel Blaufeld Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest review.