This one just isn't for me. I couldn't really get into the story or relate to the characters much. I like the concept of the book but didn't quite connect with the story the way I wanted to.

A sweet and heartwarming tale about second chances and starting over. Eve is about to be an empty nester, her daughter/niece Caitlyn is taking a job in France. Before Caitlyn leaves she gives her mom a stack of 12 “be kind to yourself“ notes, basically giving Eve permission to put herself first. Eve’s first act of kindness to herself leads to a run-in with an old flame and also reignites her passion for archaeology. What follows is Eve rediscovering herself and learning how to live life beyond motherhood. But can she let go of the past and learn to trust her heart and Paddy again?

Eve was such a likable and relatable character. She really deserved her happily ever after, after sacrificing so much four Caitlyn after her sister had passed. Caitlyn was a pretty clever and insightful teenager realizing what her mom needed. Grandma was another favorite character she added some comic relief and wisdom to the story. Paddy seemed like a good guy who made some poor choices when he was younger (as most of us do). I thought everything was going pretty well and then things got complicated. There is a definite plot twist in the story that could possibly change this second chance love story into a no chance love story. I was a little frustrated with the lack of communication between characters during this part of the book. I was also a little confounded as to why Eve’s mother didn’t take over guardianship of her granddaughter? But if she had we would not have had this delightful story. A lovely story when you’re in the mood for a feel good tale with a sprinkling of romance.

This book in emojis 👩‍👧 💌 ☕️ 🥐 🍸

*** Big thank you to Harper Collins UK/ One More Chapter for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I’m hoping that what I’m noticing is the beginning of a change in fiction. This is the second book I’ve reviewed recently that has a main character who has gone down one path in life and is now considering what happens next. Eve changed her life to raise her niece when her sister died but now that her niece is 20 and starting to live her own life, Eve is questioning what to do next.

I really liked this story and the way it combined elements of Eve’s past, before she took over raising her niece, with where she is now. Without wishing to spoil the story it was good to see her slowly realise that she can have dreams of her own again. It highlighted the fact that I agree with, you can do almost anything at any age, career changes are always an option and age shouldn’t stop you from pursuing what you enjoy.


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It’s a realistic and well constructed story. Eve’s dilemmas and the changes in her life are written in a way that make them entirely understandable even if you’ve not experienced them yourself. It was good to see her go on the journey she does with the range of characters that she meets along the way.

If you’re wanting something that shows that life doesn’t end at 25 and that there is always the opportunity for something new then this is a great book to read. It’s one of those books that’s brilliant for curling up with when you want a change of scene and something to get you thinking about life.

Sometimes, a book just hits the spot – whether it be the location it takes place in, the characters and the way they grow throughout the story, or something else entirely? A Dozen Second Chances basically had all of those.

The story
Seventeen years ago, Eve Roberts had the wonderful life she’d always dreamed of: a degree in archaeology, a gorgeous boyfriend, and exciting plans to travel the world with him, working on digs. But when her sister Faye died, the life Eve knew ended too. Faye’s daughter Caitlyn came to live with Eve, her boyfriend left, and she quickly gave up on her dreams.

Now approaching her fortieth birthday, Eve faces the prospect of an empty nest as Caitlyn is leaving home. Caitlyn gives Eve a set of twelve ‘Be Kind to Yourself’ vouchers, telling her that she has to start living for herself again, and that she should fill one in every time she does something to treat herself.

With her very first voucher, Eve’s life will change its course. But with eleven more vouchers to go, can Eve learn to put herself first and follow the dreams she’s kept secret for so long? Because life is for living – and as she well knows, it’s too short to waste even a moment…

The opinion
There are so many ways that this story could have been just a cliché. But Kate Field has that gift of completely captivating you, dragging you along archeological sites, school meetings and running and hiking the most beautiful scenery, never once wanting to stop reading.

More so than the setting and the atmosphere though, what really got me hooked on this story? The way the author unveiled not only to the reader, but to Eve as well what actually happened 20 years ago. The way someone’s personal interpretation of events can be so different to what actually happened? Something most everyone has some experience with.

More than that, though, I appreciated the set-up of her slow understanding of not just what happened, but also of how that influenced her understanding of who she was. Combine that with a great, sassy friend, a slow burn second chance at love and witty dialogue? And you end up with a pretty darn great read!

The rating: 4/5
If you want a book that will make you at times melancholic, a bit nostalgic, and most of all, that will make you feel for its main characters? Then A Dozen Second >Chances is just the read for you!

-Saar

After finishing this book last night, I can’t understand all the harsh reviews I’ve been seeing. I think going into this book, a lot of people expect the fast paced romance of new adult romance/YA but in reality as an adult fiction romance novel it was just perfect. I absolutely hate when romance authors deal with character feelings and emotions in such a fast pace that it seems so unrealistic because that in no way happens in real life. I think this author did a fantastic job in working through Eve’s emotions because after 20 years of not seeing Paddy, of course the woman is going to have plenty of unresolved issues especially after essentially putting her life on hold to raise her niece. Sure it was slow paced at times but I personally enjoyed the level of detail, character growth and just getting to know the minor characters like the grandmother.


*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review but all opinions are my own. *

The typeset for my kindle sent by the publisher is so full of errors and so difficult to read I have ordered it from Amazon and shall review it on Amazon. Sorry it's near impossible to read what I was sent from Net Galley.

I really wanted to like this title but it just wasn't for me. It may be because I'm younger or at a different point in my life, but I just had difficulty connecting with the story and the characters. I just didn't feel a connection with the main character. I really liked her grandmother but she wasn't in it as much as I would have liked. It may also be because of personal experience but the love interest at the start of the book just really upset me. I couldn't see anything redeeming or worth staying for. nOt to say I loved her old/new love interest much more. I just had difficulty with this book. I'm very sure it's just a matter of personal taste. I wanted to like it more, but the connection was not there for me.

DNF @ 32%

I loved the idea of this one, but I just could not get invested. I wasn't interested in the majority of the plot, and the one thing I DID care about (what seemed to be the huge big *thing* pushing most of the plot) didn't even start to get dealt with until about 80% in (yes, I skimmed until I found it, and even then didn't want to press on).

The writing wasn't bad, but I couldn't summon the interest. I feel confident that it has an audience, it just wasn't me.

Thank you to NetGalley & One More Chapter for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This is no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

This is the story of Eve Roberts. Her niece, Caitlyn, who Eve has been looking after since her sister died many years before, is leaving for Paris to become an au pair. Leaving Eve with 12 ‘vouchers’, Caitlyn makes her promise to ‘Be Good to Herself’ and when she does to write it on the voucher and send it to Caitlyn! Eve initially struggles to think of activities where she puts herself first, but as she thinks about it, she begins to think about her dreams that she never fulfilled…

This was a lovely easy read about a woman who has fallen into a bit of a rut, and now suffering from ‘empty nest syndrome’ finds this rut is emphasised even more. I loved Eve’s relationship with her niece, Caitlyn. She’s been looking after her for so long that Caitlyn now calls her mum, which I thought was really loving. The other characters within the book complicated Eve’s story really well and added to the enjoyment of the book.

The 12 vouchers idea was original and it was nice to see that Eve was allowed to think of her own ideas, rather than be told what to do. I imagine for some people it must be difficult to think of things to do for themselves as they spend their lives doing things for other people! I love the archaeology aspect of the storyline and again thought this was really original and interesting, with archaeology usually being confined to the murky depths of crime novels!!

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read. The storyline was fairly predictable and I did guess where it was going early on, but this didn’t mean I liked it any less. It’s definitely a book of life lessons, most importantly though only look forward, never look back as the past can’t be changed! It had some tender moments, and some laugh out loud ones, bringing a smile to my face throughout the book! I would definitely recommend for an easy, light-hearted read!

If you tell yourself something often enough, it becomes your truth, even if it isn’t the truth.

Life has not been fair to Eve Roberts. She lost her sister, Faye, her father, the love of her life and her career, and her mom remarried and left the country. Raising Faye’s daughter, Caitlyn, was the focus of Eve’s life because she adored the child as much as she had her deceased sister. All her decisions were made with Caitlyn in mind, including where she lived and worked.

When Caitlyn leaves home for a job abroad, Eve gets more than the empty nest blues. Caitlyn’s gift of twelve self-kindness vouchers, coupled with her fortieth birthday approaching heightens her anxiety as she takes stock of her life, past and present. She doesn’t have an awful life, but the pain and loss of Eve’s past hinders her future.

Anxiety turns to anger when Paddy, the man who abandoned her seventeen years ago reappears. Though she tries to avoid him, the world conspires against Eve, slipping Paddy into every aspect of her life, from work to family, and even her home. The more she sees Paddy, the more she realizes he’s not the man she’s convinced herself he is.

That sea of pronouns sounds like an emotional journey of redemption and forgiveness, right?

It’s not. It’s complicated.

I understood Eve’s pain, and her anger. She had every right to them. But she went from being lost and alone to reaching out and helping others to being infuriating and inflexible. And I got that. She did what she had to do to keep more loss and pain and bay. However, it didn’t keep me from wavering between wanting to hug her, high-five her, or smack her.

Thank God for Phyllis, Eve’s octogenarian grandmother.

A force of nature—and resident of a senior care home—Phyllis says and does whatever she wants, much to Eve’s dismay, and it’s her determination to have things done her way that helps move Eve’s life in a new direction.

Great plot twists added mystery to this women’s fiction, and it became a page-turner as I, like Eve, had questions I needed answers to. Eve comes to realize her reality has been the safe one, not the truth, as admissions come from everyone… including Eve.

A Dozen Second Chances was one of those stories I didn’t want to end simply because I enjoyed the characters so much. Paddy Friel is a guilt-ridden man with his own pain to work through, but Paddy the boy and Paddy the man couldn’t be more different, and even Eve’s absent mom had a few stories to tell. Caitlyn’s a good kid who appreciated Eve’s sacrifices, but I won’t miss Rich… ever. And if the author ever decides to write a story for Phyllis and her rowdy gang from The Chestnuts, I’m here for it!

However, the ending is perfect and adorable and glorious, and even includes Phyllis… kinda sorta, because she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Set aside some time and download this one today!

Enjoy!

I really connected with the identity/midlife/empty nest features of this story early on, but in the end I was just interested in Eve and seeing how she negotiated all of the changes in her life. A great character-driven story. I loved watching Eve take some ownership over her life and choices again. (Some language, off-page sex)

What a thoroughly lovely read, and with some really original ideas that I loved. Stories about fresh starts and second chances are always personal favourites of mine, but the idea of the vouchers provided a lovely framework and motif to the story – because when the only thing standing in the way of future happiness is yourself, it’s often good to have a helping hand along the way.

One of the author’s greatest strengths is in the creation of her characters – never anything less than real, with depth and emotional authenticity – and I think Eve might just be her best yet. Having given up her own dreams and ambitions to bring up Caitlyn, her sister’s daughter, she now finds herself in an empty nest, unsure about the direction in which she might fly. The ensuing story is full of all those moments of doubt and uncertainly you might expect, the reluctance to be anything other than “safe”, the barriers sometimes real but more often of her own creation. The way she blossoms and finds her future path is quite perfectly handled, the obstacles (some unexpected, and laced with long-held secrets) steadily overcome, and the sometimes unlikely love story that develops was everything I wanted it to be.

Eve might be the story’s focus, and the character that draws your eye and engages your heart, but the supporting characters are excellent too. Although absent for much of the story, I really liked the portrayal of Caitlyn, the relationship with Eve as she moves into adulthood herself captured with real warmth and believability. Paddy is a perfect foil for Eve – at first you might share Eve’s own doubts about him, but his character slowly unfurls, revealing depths that are wholly unexpected. (And if things don’t work out, could you pass him in my direction please?) I must mention too Eve’s grandmother Phyllis, because I thought she was simply wonderful – while she’s the source of much of the book’s funniest moments, she’s also so realistically and sympathetically drawn, and (I’ll admit) rather made the book for me.

The story-telling is perfectly paced – this is one of those lovely books that you get totally immersed in, living the story with its characters. I really enjoyed some of the set pieces too – Eve’s first encounter with Paddy is just perfect, when you feel everything she does, the dread and fear and excruciating embarrassment – and also the touches of detail about archaeology and Eve’s life at the school where she works (with more of those really well-drawn characters). I also really liked the way the idealised memories of her sister and Eve’s relationship with her mother were handled – but to explore that one a little more I might reveal rather too much of the story.

There’s a real depth of emotion in this book, Eve’s small steps forward – often followed by the same steps backwards – sometimes frustrating but always relatable. And the book’s whole leaves you with a tremendous sense of warmth and satisfaction, a journey accomplished – and with an enormous smile on your face. I really loved this one.

It's official, I want to be an archaeologist - and it's all thanks to Kate Field's new book.
The way she writes about it in A Dozen Second Chances is more than just passionate, it’s exciting and infectious. I immediately wanted to jack in a 20 plus year career and head off to a dig – and if there was a dark curly-haired celebrity called Paddy in the next trench, I don’t think you’d hear me complaining.
This book starts off like you’re on a slow boat ride down a calm river and gradually builds until it feels like you flying down thundering rapids.
One of the things I really liked was that Eve is a slightly older heroine than I’m used to. Her being closer to my own age made me relate in ways I probably can’t to 26-year-olds any more. She felt real to me, as did the wonderful supporting cast of family and friends, who give the book its lovely warm feeling.
That’s not to say it’s without emotion and drama because there is plenty of that. The chemistry between Eve and Paddy is palpable from the start. You also know there is an undercurrent of something (or several somethings) going on but can never quite put your finger on what until it all comes out at the end.
Kate’s writing is always so easy to read but also engaging - there are sentences that made me stop in my tracks; either for their beautiful imagery or because they perfectly illustrate the moment.
Anyway, no more time for chat. I'm off to Google 'becoming an archaeologist'.

An enjoyable read, nice story but I found it dragged in the middle, it did pick up again toward the end, but I think it put my enjoyment out a bit. A light hearted and easy read though, should be enjoyed by many

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Cute story about a woman who has mothered her deceased sister all her life. When her niece goes off to Paris for an au pair job, it’s time for some self care. She just has to figure out how exactly she’ll go about that and if her old interests are still there.

The main character is Eve Roberts, a character I quickly warmed to. Eve works as a secretary in a high school, a job she doesn't exactly love but one which she carries out to her own exacting high standards. She lost her sister, Faye, at a very young age and brought up Faye's young daughter, Caitlyn, as her own. Now Caitlyn is off to Paris for a year to work as an au pair and knowing that Eve has always put her first, leaves her some vouchers. These twelve vouchers encourage Eve to be kind to herself. Every time she does something special for herself she is to fill in a voucher and send it to Caitlyn. I won't tell you all of the things she does of course but some are very simple things like going for a meal with friends or buying some new clothes.

Paddy is Eve's ex-boyfriend who left just when she really needed him and turns up unexpectedly when Eve goes to a lecture it turns out he is giving. They both studied archaeology at Uni and began working life together. When Eve took on the care of Caitlyn though, she had to give up her promising career. It was always their passion and dream to work together and while Eve had to put this passion on hold, Paddy went on to have a successful career including TV work. He wants to explain why he left so abruptly all those years ago and to show he is now a different man but Eve doesn't want to hear! If I was in her shoes I would probably be the same but as a reader I was desperate for her to give him a second chance!

I loved Eve's Gran, Phyllis, who was a real character. I loved her bluntness, her way of seeing straight through people and her unwavering love and support for Eve. When a horrible new head teacher begins work in Eve's school and starts rubbing everyone up to the wrong way, I was outraged on Eve's behalf that she was so underappreciated! Gran's thoughts? "Why do you want to spend [time] on a job you don't love? You get to my age and there's nowt to do but regret what you've done and not done. It's not much fun, let me tell you. If you don't like the path you are on, try another while you still can." See? Wise words indeed!

I so enjoyed reading about Eve as she started being kind to herself, prompted by the vouchers, but eventually realising that she did truly deserve happiness. A Dozen Second Chances is such a beautifully told story about taking second chances in life and love. The story really shows the importance of self care and putting yourself first every now and then. Kate Field's writing is touching, uplifting and emotionally engaging and I loved reading this book.

First of all I'd like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will point out first the formatting was really poor and made this difficult to read at the best of times.

Eve had a promising career in archaeology ahead of her and man she loved when her life was totally upended after her sister dies. She accepted responsibility of raising her young niece so wasn't able to follow the career path she intended. Then her man, Paddy leaves her abruptly with no explanation. So she spend the next many years working in a basically clerical position in a school until her niece grows up and moves away. Her love life is mostly non-existent. She has a "boyfriend" but it's not exactly a close association and doesn't begin to compare with the love she had with Paddy once upon a time. Her niece goes away and gives Eve a set of "coupons" to put herself first for a change and she starts to use them a bit at a time.

Paddy comes back into her life and over the course of several months leading towards her 40th birthday, they reacquaint themselves to some degree. Eve doesn't want to fall in love with him again so she fights off any possible attentions in that department. He now regrets the actions in his youth but she doesn't want to talk of the past so the idea is to start anew and take things from there. Of course reality has something to say about that and by the end we discover why Paddy really left.

Okay I won't say I love this but I did like it in a lot of ways. I do like this idea of the vouchers to do things for yourself a lot following long periods of doing all for others. The character of Eve is fairly relatable and has a bit of character development over the course of the story. I love the character of Gran who is quite a bit of fun and her side story provides a decent plot device to carry the main story.

I do think the story dragged a bit at times. I had to force myself to keep going occasionally and it did eventually get over that hump. Maybe a bit too much padding and not quite enough story? Overall it turned out to be okay in the end.

Anyway, I would give this a tentative 3 stars overall.

I received an arc to review. This story idea sounds so cute BUT I just could not with this book. There were a million (only a slight exaggeration) grammatical errors in the first 5 pages. I knew I wouldn’t be able to read it without being annoyed the whole time. Also, the main story starts immediately and I feel like there should have been some character development. I may read it when it’s published and someone has edited it.

A Dozen Second Chances is a story about Eve, a woman who is quickly closing in on the big 4-0. Her niece, whom she raised, is leaving their home to be on her own. With an empty house and 12 cards from her niece to do things for herself, how will her life change?

I really enjoyed this book. It's about finding yourself, finding love and second chances. It was a cute, easy read that I breezed through. It had some unique facts about it, like the archaeology aspect which was really cool.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

Eve gave up a lot to raise her sister's daughter Caitlyn and now Caitlyn is heading off to Europe, leaving Eve with 12 notes. It's also a call to Eve to go back and rethink things. What does she really want in life? She loved archeology and she loved Paddy. She left the former, the latter left her. Eve has to face facts about her sister (who OD'd) but this never gets too deep. What she also has to have a hard think about is Paddy, now a TV star, who finally tells her why he left. Nothing too complicated, a good lesson about recharging yourself, and some nice characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.