Ella and Hank and everyone else at Two Love Lane are very charming. This is a fun, light romance full of interesting characters. I've ordered all 3 books for the shop and look forwward to handselling these titles. Hooray for happy endings!

Second Chance At Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer is the third installment of the contemporary romance Two Love Lane series but can be read as a stand-alone novel. Ella and Hank fall in love while supporting one another through struggle careers in the entertainment business. When great opportunities arise for both, Ella declines the job and Hank accepts one, which launches him into stardom. After 10 years, the two reconnect and their spark gets re-ignited.

A sweet story of Ella and Hank getting their second chance in love. Secondary characters were interesting.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This was definitely the best in the series. The writing was polished, and although the plot line was familiar I was very much looking forward to reading it.

The book began well with strong introductions of both main characters, a recap of their past and the setup for their present interaction. However I found I had the same problem with Ella as I had with Macy and Greer (although not to the same extent). Ultimately she wanted everything all her own way. She was content to be miserable without Hank rather than be the one to suggest some sort of compromise and that really really annoyed me! I understood that she had been badly hurt before by putting him before her own self interest, but this time it was as though she was incapable of even trying to meet in the middle! It was dressed up as Ella knowing herself and being proud of the life and career she had built, but I felt I made her appear selfish. It meant that I wasn't really invested in their HEA which was a shame as the story had a lot of promise.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher*

I always enjoy second chance romances and Ella Mancini and Hank Rogers are reuniting after a ten year separation. There's the magic of Two Love Lane and its matchmakers as well as family history and drama to help these two appreciate their love. I wanted Ella and Hank to overcome their career obstacles and find their happily ever after and the ending was extremely satisfying. I wish that there were more stories in the series!

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It is well written with interesting and complex characters, set in Charlestown with its old-world charm and good manners. There is humour and a sense that life is one long adventure. However, despite the blurb on this book, I found it to be very slow moving and the connection between Hank and Ella wasn't nearly as strong as Ella's friendship and loyalty towards her friends and family. This is not a book to be read in one sitting, as it is more like a painting that slowly comes to life. The story is a standalone and comes to a happy conclusion. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

This is a wonderful romance. I loved reading about Ella and her matchmaking business. Pammy was a great character and I really liked Hank and Samantha. I enjoyed seeing a little bit of how a movie is created. I loved the nonnas and how they were. This book had a lot of parts to it and they worked well together. I received a copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

Hank and Ella had an affair 10 years ago. It didn't end well as Hank took off to pursue a career in the movies, leaving Ella behind, dumping her instead of proposing, after she'd given up her big chance for him. She found her way to Charleston and started a matchmaking service with her 3 best friends and acting in community theater. Suddenly Hank is back in her life, filming part of a movie in Charleston, offering her a very small part in the movie as well. They both fought a second chance at romance, until people told them to let go (of the past) and love.

I wasn't too enamored of Hank at the beginning but came around, understanding why he did what he did, and enjoying his doubts about his choice of career. Ella is correct in saying that they'd both changed over the ten years, and that she wasn't the same person now -- but they still love one another. The book just ended, I thought there'd be another page but it just stopped!

I received a copy on NetGalley.

Ella and Hank are two actors who were trying to make it big. While Ella passed on the chance for maybe her big break for love, Hank decided to go his own way to further his career. This caused the rift between the two and they haven't contacted each other since. Now he's back in town for a movie and she is no longer an actor but a Matchmaker and he's offering her a chance to work I was an actress alongside a famous actress and she takes up the offer.

I love a good second chance at love book. And this book was no different. I love the characters. I love seeing the connection between the two and at times things got a bit steamy. I love seeing the family interactions. I love that there was a bit the drama. I love how supportive many people were in helping one another. Overall I thought this was a pretty good book I really enjoyed it.

Two Love Lane #3, I enjoy books romances about actors, it's my high school theatre geek coming out. All Ella wanted to be growing up was a famous actress but when she got the chance to finally make her break she chose love over acting and then got her heart broken. Hank Rogers wanted nothing more than to prove his parents wrong and that he could become a famous actor and he did but at the cost of losing the love of his life. Hank never forgot Ella and he deeply regretting the way things ended but when the chance to make amends crosses his path he almost turned down the part. Now Hank and Ella are finally in the same city at the same time and as luck would have it staying in the same house.

Hank's cousin, Pammy, just moved to Charleston and introduced herself to Ella they struck up a fast friendship so when Ella's relatives from Italy kick her out of her own apartment she offers up her place. Unfortunately when Hank accepts the role in the new movie they are filming in Charleston Pammy offers him a room too. Ella is on the verge of walking out to find a new place to stay when Hank bribes her into stay buy saying there's a part for her in the movie. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth Ella accepts now all she has to do it keep her distance and not fall back in love with Hank.

With the help of a wannabe matchmaker actress, whose basically the equivalent of Helen Mirren and Dame Judi Dench, Hank and Ella find themselves falling back in love but with their two seperate lives now can they fit each other into their lives or is Hank going to chose his career over her again. Overall, this was such a fun and enjoyable read that pulled at all the right heartstrings. Aside from her romance with Hank Ella has some family issues that come up that are really emotional and so she ends up not only struggling with her feeling for Hank but with her mother. I love the Nonnas! they were a great comic relief and Pammy was adorable. This series so far has been such great reading I really do hope this wasn't the last one and I want to find out what happened in Italy.

Ella Mancini had always wanted to be an actress, and is now a matchmaker in Charleston as well as acting in plays. Once upon a time, she had the opportunity for stardom but had passed on an audition waiting for a proposal from her boyfriend Hank, which never came. Instead, he had taken his opportunity to enter Hollywood and is a leading star. His next movie is filming in Charleston, and the leading lady is trying to fix up the two of them. Now he has to prove that Ella really is the important one in his life.

There is a whole series of "Two Love Lane" books, which I hadn't read before. As the name of a matchmaking business, it's the perfect setup for a series of romance novels. Ella is firmly ensconced in her business and with her extended family, which is really endearing to read about. She makes friends easily, and there are certainly quite a few characters in town that are wonderful as well. Hank is not demonized for his ambition to be a movie star, and the only thing he's really taken to task for is forgetting her birthday and leaving her in the lurch. He gets off pretty easily for the breakup, though Ella is aware of that. The two still love each other, and ten years' distance hasn't changed that.

I like that this story takes into account the difficulties in making a romantic relationship work, especially when demanding careers are involved. Their physical and emotional compatibility isn't the source of conflict here, and they do have honest conversations about their goals and what they want. I don't see that often enough in romance novels, and it's done in such a way that it's true to their characters as well as their hopes for the future.

If all of the books are done in this way, I need to pick them up for a read the next time I'm in the mood for a comfortable romance novel.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Ella is a matchmaker at a house at Two Love Lane and is also an actress, involved with community theater in Charleston, SC. I liked this but book but did not love it.

Ella Mancini’s move to Charleston ten years earlier had been a good decision. Her large Italian family followed her there from New York, her matchmaking agency was doing well, and she was even able to pursue her dream of acting through the community theater. Still, the thought of the role she turned down and Hank, the reason she turned it down, were never far from her mind. When Hank’s cousin Pammy moves to town, followed closely by Hank’s appearance in town for a movie role, Ella must examine her heart and decide exactly what is most important to her.

Let me preface this by saying this is the third in a series, and I have not read the first two books, though it reads well as a stand-alone. This is a nice book. The people are pleasant and polite, the setting is beautiful, and there are no real earth shattering issues that change the trajectory of the story (outside of the paternity thing, but even that is a side note). I just didn’t feel a connection to the characters or the storyline. I did feel that some of the scenarios were a stretch, like Ella going to stay with Pammy after just meeting her (isn’t there a Holiday Inn or Best Western in town?) and all the relatives converging from Sicily at the exact moment Hank is filming in town, forcing him to also stay with Pammy (Or a Hilton? A Marriott?) Anyway, I liked the book, but I wasn’t bowled over by it.

This was a cute read. I loved the romance between Hank and Ella, it was a cute plot. Unique characters in this story help to bring it to life. I haven't read the other books in the series, but I didn't feel lost. This book can be read as a stand alone.

Having rated book 2 of this series 4 stars, despite some aspects I try to avoid in my romantic reads, the twists and turns intrigued me enough to incline me to give book 3 a second shot at this series.

Maybe it was just me, folks, but I found the narrative way this one started out to be rather sing sony, fairy tale-ish. I couldn’t help but picture baby blue birds twittering about while Mr. Narrator spoke of Ella and her papa’s ritual trips to a particular restaurant. Sure it was sweet, but I found myself wondering why it was briefly scripted that way in the beginning. It didn’t match the feel of the rest of the writing.

Having left Ella for his own selfish reasons ten years ago had me already hankering to give Hank, the hero, a hard time. He left the supposed love of his life high and dry because, even though they shared the same dream of becoming famous actors, his desire for fame and fortune burned brighter and hotter than his love for her. We are told he loved her, and it was hard to cut her out of his life completely, but he had to. Poor thing, he couldn’t be distracted for a single second from being a Hollywood hero. We were simply supposed to accept his pea brain notion that because he told her to go off and do the same made his actions at the time OK. Yeah, he regretted doing so but letting ten years go by and do nothing to correct what easily could have been remedied. Sorry, I can’t help but shake my head in dismay over that set-up.

Finding out about Ella’s big sacrifice to stay with him and the fact he dumped her on a day she should have been celebrating, which he didn’t even remember, well, that is so not cool I don’t even know where to begin, especially since they had lived together and had a particularly scary yet bonding moment. As it was build up to even more relationship angst, I just had to roll with it.

Hank’s been living the life of Riley for years while Ella also has made a mark in the world in her own way. She may not be a household name or have a Hollywood star to glorify it but she’s got family, friends, occasional acts in community plays/commercials, and works with a posse of great, supportive friends in their match making business. So except for the dark shadow that still haunts her heart, at least she’s found a way to be happy.

Honestly though, it didn’t seem realistic to me she kept claiming even if she became famous she would still cling to her love connection job, meaning juggle the two vastly different occupations. There are only 24 hours in a day, afterall.

About midway through, I found Hank’s determination to win her back still hadn’t completely soothed my resentment towards his past knucklehead decision to love himself more than Ella. He can call it whatever he wants, but that is what it felt like to me. To top it all off, it actually took someone to nudge him in the right direction to finally seek her out again. You see, he was still in avoidance mode, not that they travelled in the same set of circles.

The sideline, drawn out, lengthy discussions of a client who had a weird hurdle to overcome had me wanting to throw in the towel. She was a somewhat interesting character, but it was a distraction from the main couple plot proceeding that felt unnecessary. Perhaps it was a set-up for the next book.

If you are a lover of relationship angst and don’t mind the hero being 100% at fault, well, here you go. At least Ella kept telling her heart not to trust him again. By 80%, I felt her faltering and bracing herself to get hurt again. When she initiated their hanky-panky late in the book, I wanted to tell her to put her clothes back on. Hank claimed to be committed to winning her back, but due to his movie making schedule, he was only allowing a week to do so. How big of him, my fellow romance book loving friends. Wipe out ten years of love lost with less than ten days, because he had other places to be. Isn't that line of thinking what got him in this mess to begin with? That hardly felt like determination to get the girl to me.

Here’s to hoping others really like this book. I did enjoy parts of it, though it was more slow paced than I expected. I just struggled with letting go and forgiving such a knucklehead decision ten years ago.

Title: Second Chance at Two Love Lane, Series: Two Love Lane (Book 3), Author: Kieran Kramer, Pages: 336, second chance, never should have left her, slow paced, steamy scenes late in the book.

Book 1 - Christmas at Two Love Lane
Book 2 - A Wedding at Two Love Lane
Book 3 - Second Chance at Two Love Lane

(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher/NetGalley.)

I always love the idea of a second chance romance but regularly struggle with the execution. The ones I typically read involve a couple that broke up in high school yet somehow are convinced they're still in love with each other despite not seeing each other for a decade which frankly never feels very healthy OR the cause of their split was so traumatic I have a hard time believing that they ever really could get past it. I was really pleased with the execution here. For starters Ella and Hank were both young adults and starting off they're lives when they got together AND what really caused the split was them just not being quite on the same page at the same time. As well, Ella truly believes she's moved on until she receives a message from Hank and Hank is just realizing that he messed up all those years ago with a little more life experience under his belt. The fact that this second chance really worked for me really made me enjoy this book.

I loved the side characters - Miss Thing, Roberta, Pammy, the Nonnas and everyone else floating around in Ella's life. As well I loved that Samantha Drake isn't a one note villain. At the very beginning that was fully where I expected her to go but I was so happy that she was such a more complex character. Even when I didn't trust her I really enjoyed her time on the page. Ella and Hank are a little flat though they're likable and sympathetic. I did really want them to just communicate with each other more. They both kind of relied on their previous knowledge of each other instead of talking for far too long. Though this did lead to a kind of sweet/funny scene involving hazelnut creamer that was pretty funny.

While this wasn't a romance that really pulled on my heartstrings and will make my all time favorites list I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the characters and really enjoyed the setting. This is the 3rd book in the series and I'm looking forward to going back and reading the other two so I can revisit life on Two Love Lane. Hopefully Miss Thing will be there in full Queen Elizabeth dress.

Hank and Ella both wanted to be serious actors when they met and fell in love. Unfortunately, when Hank was offered a major role on the West Coast and, Ella was offered a major role on the East Coast, she refused, believing that Hank was going to marry her and take her with him. Hank took the job but, not Ella. That was 10 years ago. Ella moved to Charleston and, opened a matchmaking business with her best friends. Her family also moved there. Suddenly, Hank is in ,Charleston, doing a major film with a major actress and, he wants to start things up with Ella again. She wants the same thing but, was burned so badly before that, she isn't sure she can endure the loss again.
This is the perfect summer beach read!

The characters in this book are not very interesting. I found the whole book to be pretty boring. The only reason that I finished it was because I received a free copy. I am voluntarily leaving this review

I didn’t realize this was part of an interconnected series when I picked it up. But I had no problems following along.

I liked the overall story. It was sweet and the pace had a very relaxed vibe to it. But I’m not so sure if certain side stories relating to secondary characters were really necessary. I also wish there was an epilogue or a few more chapters as I thought that ending it the way it did was just too abrupt. I would’ve wanted to find out how the movie did and how Ella’s part turned out.

The plot of Second Chance at Two Love Lane was simple. Ella is a matchmaker. She is also an actress who failed to make it big. She turned down the role of a lifetime because she thought her long-term boyfriend was going to propose. Not only did he not propose but he ended up becoming an A-list movie star. Ella is bitter over that. She also has never gotten over Hank. Imagine her surprise when she finds out that he is in Charleston filming and he is the cousin of her new friend, Pammy. Hank is able to get Ella a small part on his movie. Soon, they are reconnecting. Ella wants to keep Hank at arm's length. But it doesn't happen. Can she let go of the past to embrace the future? Or will she be left behind and heartbroken, again?

Ella got on my nerves. I know suddenly ending a relationship sucks, I have been there myself. But to hold onto it for 10 years. A little excessive, if you ask me. I know her heart was broken but still. I kept breaking out (in my head) "Let it go". I did like her, though. Her relationship with her mother, sisters, cousins, and nonnas was amazing. Not to mention her friends. She had a huge heart.

I didn't know what to think of Hank. He didn't like being a superstar. All he wanted was to be left alone....which wouldn't happen because he's famous. But as the book went on, I started to like him. He wanted to make things right with Ella. He didn't know how to make things right with her. Getting her that small part in his movie was part of that. I started liking him by that point. He wanted more from Ella but he wasn't going to push her into anything she didn't want. He knew that she was still dealing with her feelings from 10 years ago. By the end of the book, I was crushing on him hardcore. If I had any doubts about his feelings for Ella, they went away by the ending.

The chemistry and sex scenes with Hank and Ella were lukewarm. I couldn't get into those scenes as much as I wanted to. I didn't get a hint of chemistry between them which reflected in the sex scenes. Don't get me wrong, they were beautifully written. They didn't do it for me.

The secondary characters made this book. Mainly Miss Thing. When I first saw her name, I thought "Maybe its a typo". But no, it isn't. I loved her!!! I also liked Samantha and Pammy. Samantha made me laugh with her not so subtle ways of trying to get Hank and Ella together. That whole dinner that she set up cracked me up. I loved Pammy too. She was refreshingly real. From her telling Ella that she had a nice butt (which cracked me up) to her unlikely romance with the mayor of Charleston, she made me laugh.

I also liked Ella's family. They were large, loud and they love each other. It was the sub-storyline about Ella's mother that made me tear up. I wasn't expecting it. Neither was her mother or Ella.

The end of Second Chance at Two Love Lane was your typical romance novel ending. I did like what Hank did to Ella. Tied in perfectly with the book. The author did a great job of taking all the sub-storylines and tying them into the main storyline. I was not left wondering about anything. Which happens more often than I can count.

What I liked about Second Chance at Two Love Lane:

A) The secondary characters

B) Ella's family

C) The end of the book

What I disliked about Second Chance at Two Love Lane:

A) Ella. She got on my nerves up until she got the part in the movie

B) The chemistry and sex scenes were lukewarm

C) Hank. I was iffish about him most of the book.

I gave Second Chance at Two Love Lane a 4-star rating. This was a cute romance with relatable characters. While I did not like Ella or Hank at the beginning of the book, they did grow on me. My only major complaint is that the sex scenes were lukewarm. As was the chemistry between Hank and Ella. Other than that, I liked the book.

I gave Second Chance at Two Love Lane an Adult rating. There is sex. There is mild violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Second Chance at Two Love Lane. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin's Paperbacks and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Second Chance at Two Love Lane.

All opinions stated in this review of Second Chance at Two Love Lane are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**