I have not read the first 2 Two Love Lane books, and this is my first Kieran Kramer read, however I felt that this is easily read as a stand alone. I enjoyed the basis of this book, I liked it, I didn't love it.

Hank and Ella met cute as young people and then Hank found fame. And Ella lost Hank. She's made a happy life for herself as a matchmaker in Charleston and as an actress in local productions. BUT, now a major motion picture is filming in town and guess who's here--Hank! This is a second chance romance novel with good characters, a lovely setting, and a fun (albeit predictable) plot line. Although this is part of a series, it's also easily and happily read as a standalone because Kramer has chosen to make each book about one of the partners in the agency. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Second Chance at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer a new to me author. This book was only okay for me. I liked the characters and storyline but I think maybe not having read the previous books in this series might have lead to not enjoying it more.

Great second chance romance story. This is a wonderful addition to the series. I have not read any of the other installments and did not feel lost. Nicely written.

Second Chance At Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer is the third installment of the contemporary romance Two Love Lane series. As with most romance series each book contains a different leading couple and could be read as a standalone novel if choosing to do so but there are mentions of previous characters in the series for those that follow all the way through.

The Two Love Lane series is centered around the ladies running the Two Love Lane dating agency in beautiful Charleston, SC. Being matchmakers themselves and priding themselves upon finding others true love they all have needed a little push to kick start their own love stories and this one would be Ella’s.

Outside of working at the dating agency Ella has always enjoyed acting but a career in the business never happened when she missed a huge role waiting for an old boyfriend to propose. When Ella gets the chance at a small part in a movie filming in the area she is of course excited but becomes a bundle of nerves when finding that same old flame, Hank, is the lead. After all these years the feelings are still there but will the call of fame pull them apart once again?

Having followed his series from the beginning I already knew going in that I enjoyed Kieran Kramer’s writing style so that part of the story wasn’t a surprise to me. Also, the ladies of Two Love Lane have become like friends at this point so the setting and characters are also ones that I knew in advance I would love. What was different here was Ella’s story being one of a second chance love story and those are often my favorites so I was definitely engaged from the beginning and when done I do think romance fans will enjoy this series overall with each read being unique and enjoyable.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

When Ella Mancini and Hank dated 10 years ago, they both promised to put their careers first. However, after Ella turned down a movie in Australia the day before Hank accepted a move in Hawaii, they broke up. Now, Ella runs a matchmaking business with her two best friends, Greer and Macy in Charleston. Hank's new movie is filming in Charleston, and he wants nothing more than a second chance to see Ella again. He has one week to convince her to give him another shot.

As with the first two books in the series, there are some over the top characters in this story. I wasn't a fan of Hank's cousin at all, and I don't feel like the side plot involving the Italian vineyard owner's son added anything to the plot, unless there is going to be another book in the series focused on that. To me, this was the weakest book of the series. It was just OK.

3.5 Stars
In her professional career, Ella Mancini plays matchmaker at Two Love Lane but, in her personal life, she takes the stage at the Dock Street Theatre. Now she has a chance at a new role in a Hollywood movie that happens to be filming in Charleston one that features a big-name actress, Samantha Drake. Long ago, Ella passed up a major audition while awaiting a marriage proposal. Not only didn't she get the role; she never got the ring, her boyfriend Hank went on to become a huge film star leaving her, and all her dreams, behind. Hank's back in Charleston, cast as the male lead in the same movie Ella's got a bit part in.
This is the third book in the series & could well be read on it’s own, I’ve read the first two books which I also enjoyed & give more background to this. I like second chance romances & this was a well written engaging read. The characters have plenty of depth & are likeable. Ten years after they parted Hank & Ella are still attracted to each other but Ella has been hurt once & doesn’t want to go there again. A heart warming light read ideal for whiling away a few hours
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Solo nos quedaba una de las chicas casamenteras de Two Love Lane por encontrar el amor de su vida. La cosa es, que Ella Mancini ya había encontrado a ese hombre hace 10 años y él prefirió avanzar con su carrera de actor a quedarse con ella.

Hank es un gran actor y ha conseguido el papel principal de una película que se filmará en Charlston, el lugar donde vive Ella porque se arrepiente enormemente de haberla dejado hace 10 años. Quiere recuperarla pero Ella aún está dolida por el abandono y quiere que el trato sea de formalidad entre ellos. Pero claro que eso no sucede. A pesar de no haberse visto en tanto tiempo pronto caen en la familiaridad y siendo que el amor aún está allí, es imposible resistir la atracción.

Tenía un poco de miedo con esta novela porque eso de las segundas oportunidades no me encanta. Sobre todo porque sabía que él simplemente la había dejado y desde el principio eso me cayó mal. Poco a poco Hank se va redimiendo y se entiende que ambos eran jóvenes y cometieron errores.

El libro se sintió diferente a los anteriores porque aquí los personajes no se estaban conociendo, más bien era volver a acostumbrarse uno al otro, lo cual sucedió bastante rápido. También tenían que perdonarse. Ella no tenía un gran resentimiento hacia él porque entendía la importancia de su carrera y en 10 años tuvo tiempo de analizar lo que sucedió. Pero si hay un poco de resentimiento no sólo hacia Hank sino consigo misma porque ella dejó de lado su carrera de actriz por él y cuando Hank la dejó la abandonó completamente. Asó también se trataba de que Ella estuviera en paz con las decisiones que había tomado en el pasado.

Disfruté mucho de la familia de Ella. Los Mancini son una enorme familia con personajes muy interesantes y llenos de color. Hank tiene una prima en Charlston y debo admitir que no me agradó mucho. Se me hacía un personaje sobreactuado y terminó cayéndome un poco mal.

Algo que me confundió fue el tiempo. Se la pasaron mencionando que el rompimiento sucedió hace 10 años y Ella en este momento tiene 29 así que lógicamente terminaron cuando ella tenía 19. Pero ellos comenzaron a salir después de que Ella terminara el College y mencionaron que fueron 4 años. El College por muy jovenes se inicia a los 17 así que ella debería haber salido de 21 años. Las cosas no me cuadran y confieso que pensé demasiado en eso.

En general el libro me gustó pero siento que le faltó algo. La historia de amor no la sentí tan fuerte o atrayente como la de las demás protagonistas. Además, la trama se sintió un poco floja a mi parecer.

Aún así quiero seguir leyendo libros de esta autora por sus personajes diferentes e interesantes.

I have enjoyed reading all of author Kieran Kramer's Two Love Lane Stories. I shared Macy and Deacon's Happily Ever After in Christmas at Two Love Lane and Greer and Ford's Happily Ever After in A Wedding at Two Love Lane. Now in this story I have been happy to share Ella and Hank's second chance at a Happily Ever After. I do like second chance love stories and this is a good one. It took some soul searching but in the end both Ella and Hank knew where they wanted to be - together. I just loved the ending in Second Chance at Two Love Lane - so romantic.

his is fanciful, fairy tale type of love story. Easy to read. Several entertaining and interesting characters. Italian and southern flavors enhance the story.

Second Chance at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer

I love that reading experience of getting lost in the fictional world. Where hours go by and you don’t notice as the movie plays on. That’s what this book and the writing did for me.

I loved the connection between Hank and Ella. Even after years apart, they can still clearly read each other. They both want the best for each other without bitterness. Truly nice people.
The southern charm of Charleston, as portrayed in this series, has made the location a point on my map of places to visit.
Secondary character Samantha totally surprised me. And who wouldn’t love Miss Thing with her vintage charm?
3rd in the Two Love Lane series. Can be read as a standalone romance.
Loved this couple.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy or sharing.

Second Chance at Two Love Lane by Kieran Kramer This is the 3rd book in this series...I give it 4 1/2 stars... Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for permitting me to preview this book. This is Ella and Hank's story but all the old favorites are there to spice things up. This is their "second chance" at love after ten years apart... He is now an A list actor and she still act in community theater and runs a matchmaker agency with her friends. There are laughs, tears, hard decisions to get to their HEA. I enjoyed nonnas and Pammy..

Ella Mancini at an early age wanted to be an actress. Every year her father would take her to a Broadway show and then desert at theS3. Hank Rogers was a busboy at the S3 and an aspiring actor. He and Ella agreed to meet there after Ella graduated from college. All was well until their aspirations caused a rift. Hank becomes a famous film star and Ella becomes involved with matchmaking at Two Love Lane. Will they ever work things out?

I’m extremely grateful for and appreciative of the invitation from St. Martin's Press to read and review this book via NetGalley. I adore small-town romance, and one set in historical Charleston in the Lowcountry of my beloved South Carolina was an added bonus. This was a new author for me and I had high hopes, and perhaps too-high expectations. It might be best if I just give you my likes and dislikes in order for you to decide if this book is for you.

What I liked: The setting, the plot, the storyline and the characters. Secondary characters were especially colorful and entertaining, and the main characters were realistic, compelling and likeable. The Prologue was wonderfully poignant and set up the plot beautifully. The sense of family and community was strong, which provided some endearing, tender moments, and I easily felt invited into this book world. I also loved that this was a second chance romance.

What I disliked: The lack of vitality and color in the setting. With such a well-known, beautiful, charming city, I expected the locale to come alive and jump off the pages in the first few chapters of the book, and that didn’t happen. When I would have anticipated details about the outside of Emma’s mother's home in a city known for its unique architectural history, instead there was paragraph after paragraph, in great detail, about redoing the inside when it was really inconsequential to the overall story.

Next, there were things about the main characters that bothered me. The degree of musings and introspection of the main characters went on for pages, several times. I understand ambivalence, indecision and inner turmoil, but it was so overdone it weakened otherwise strong characters and made the reading experience an annoying, cumbersome chore. Also, it took until the final few paragraphs for these two to get back together. That was too much tension and uncertainty with too little payoff.

And last, too much of the story was told rather than shown, which prevented my engagement and immersion in the story. There were also a couple of elements that threaded throughout book that weren’t tied in to make them significant enough for the time spent on them - one about a painting and the other about Ella’s mother. I was left frustrated and dissatisfied from a story that had great potential to move me, inspire me, and leave me uplifted and satisfied.

When I read fictional romance, my goals are to escape and be entertained. I don’t want to work at it, as one might with classic literature, and an intellectual pursuit is the last thing on my mind. If I find a contemporary romance that touches my heart, stirs my emotions, makes me think and moves me deeply in the process, that’s a precious gift that I treasure, along with the chance to escape and be entertained. This is quality writing and a well-crafted product that had great potential to do all of these things but sadly missed the mark for me.

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

What a delightfully charming story! From the characters to the settings, the author has perfectly captured the quirkiness of Charleston. The descriptions and actions of all of the characters are so good that it feels like they are based on real people. I especially liked how the author treated the movie stars; they’re real people as well, instead of the stereotypical spoiled stars one usually gets in stories. The supporting cast of characters, from Ella’s co-workers to her entire Sicilian family, are well-written and provide much comic relief (one kitchen scene had me literally crying with laughter) from the main plot. Speaking of which, the conflict between Ella and Hank is heartfelt, but not overly-dramatic, and their chemistry sizzles. My only criticism is that the end seemed a little rushed. There were no loose ends, but subplots that had taken center stage in various parts of the story were explained away with a few sentences. More attention to those would have been nice. I would have also loved to have seen a little bit more of a wrap-up, possibly a scene at a movie premiere or a few months down the road. But I’m hoping that the introduction of Pammy (she’s fantastic!) means that there will be another book in the series. I usually don’t like coming into a series in the middle. But this was so fun, and the characters were so likeable, that I immediately went and bought the first two (even though I essentially know how they end due to references in this book). I just want to spend more time in Charleston with all of them! Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. The whole series was wonderful. Second chances for love, and finding yourself is just a recipe for happy. Also having a big family that is so in your face. Hopefully, there is still room for more.

This story is part of a series and not having read the other ones, I thought it might affect the flow of this story but it did not. It can easily be read as a standalone story.

A bit slow paced for me but it is a sweet story as opposed to steamy so you can expect that for the most part, there aren’t too many descriptive scenes. Ella and Hank met years before when she would accompany her father to a restaurant on her birthday. He was their waiter and told her that he would meet her there for a date when she graduated from college.

That date led to a relationship for the two fledgling actors, each one focused on what they needed to do to succeed in their careers. Those choices split them apart with Hank finding great success and Ella leaving her acting career for local theater. He accepts an offer to work on a film where she lives now in hopes that she will give him a second chance.

All the stars fall into alignment and that’s what happens with a little help from those around them. HEA and all that. The story was a little too predictable.

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was promised or received for this review.

This Book is just alright, I didn’t really gain much from reading it. I also didn’t realize that it was part of a series so that may have taken away from the story.

Ella lost the man she thought she’d love for ever years ago. He chose his career over her. Since then, her work life is full. She’s a professional matchmaker & she indulges in local theater productions to keep her drama background alive. After all these years, her ex-boyfriend has reached out to her. She can’t figure out why & refuses to call him back.

Hank should be on top of the world. His career has skyrocketed. Ever since he reached out to Alex, he can’t get her off his mind. He decided to take a role in a movie in Charleston to see her again. Is the spark still there?

This was a good second chance love story. Ella & Hank let their ambitions rip them apart when they were younger. Now they are relatively happy in their lives but feel something is missing. Both characters needed to grow up & decide what was more important to them. Hank admits that he loves his job & status but feels something is missing from his life. He’s on the road for work or alone in his house between jobs. Ella realizes she’s still hung up on Hank & that’s why no other relationship has worked out. I enjoyed the interactions between them & the supporting characters. The secondary plot lines involving Ella’s family, coworkers & clients added humor, drama & affection.

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SECOND CHANCE AT TWO LOVE LANE – Kieran Kramer

Two Love Lane, Book 3

St Martin’s

ISBN: 978-1250-111081

August 28, 2018

Contemporary Romance



Charleston, South Carolina – Present Day



Ella Mancini once loved—and lost—Hank Rogers, and it’s still painful. They met in New York City, both aspiring actors, and just as his career heated up, they split when he didn’t propose to her as she expected. Ella has built a new life in Charleston running a matchmaking service with her two best friends and acting in the local theater on the side. Hank is now a world-famous star—and he’s about to come to Charleston for a week to shoot a movie with an equally famous star, Samantha Drake.



As SECOND CHANCE AT TWO LOVE LANE opens, Ella becomes friends with Hank’s cousin, Pammy. After Ella temporarily gives up her apartment for a few days while her relatives visit, Pammy invites Ella to stay in her house. Ella figures Hank, since he’s now rich, will be staying in a hotel, but it turns out Pammy also invited him to move in. Now we have Ella and Hank once more together under the same roof. Will the sparks fly? Hank is pleasant and works it so that Ella gets a small part in the movie. Working together reminds her of what she once had—a budding acting career that she essentially gave up for Hank, only to have him want his career more than having her.



Meanwhile, the ladies at Two Love Lane, the matchmaking business, have a difficult client in Roberta. Nothing and no man can seem to please her. But Roberta may be cursed and one of the ladies has a suggestion for Roberta that requires dedication and time. Will it work and will she find a guy?



The reunion of Ella and Hank in SECOND CHANCE AT TWO LOVE LANE is a sweet one as they rekindle the flames. They first met when both were teens and they endured lean acting years. But once Hank’s career started to take off, loving Ella became less important. She expected a proposal, but what she got was him accepting a job far away. Hurt, Ella broke off their romance. She is insistent that she won’t fall for him again and figures since they’ll both be busy they won’t be around one another a lot. Of course, fate intervenes, first with their both being in the movie, then with everyone around them wanting to push them together. Even Samantha Drake gets in on the act. As readers expect, Hank and Ella are soon locking lips. Will there be a reunion of these one-time lovers? Their romance builds slowly in this tale, yet things heat up once they give into the passion.



Reading SECOND CHANCE AT TWO LOVE LANE, I felt it sometimes got bogged down with all the different characters in this tale. Not only did we see some of Pammy, Samantha, Roberta, Ella’s best friends and the office manager, Miss Thing (what they all call her), but even her relatives made appearances. This also meant there had to be a few other minor storylines, some of which did not get resolved. Will there be more Two Love Lane books? We’ll have to find out, as this is the presumed final tale in the Two Love Lane series.



Hank and Ella have a past that ties them together and they’re perfect for each other. But Ella has made her life in Charleston, while Hank is still active in his acting career. Can they make it all work? A cute and engaging romance, SECOND CHANCE AT TWO LOVE LANE will have readers rooting for Ella and Hank to find their happily-ever-after.



Patti Fischer