Cover Image: Second Chance Lane

Second Chance Lane

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I loved this book so much that I was horrified to realize I hadn't reviewed it! What was I thinking????

We all love a good story about a "secret" love child and the reveal that comes along with that type of plot. Usually I find myself thinking how could you not know? Were you trying to convince yourself there was no child? But I didn't feel like that reading Jane and Kody's story. I enjoyed both of these characters so much and were rooting for them to find a happily ever after almost from the very beginning.

I have loved every Nicola Marsh book I've read and I recommend her books all the time. Do yourself a favor and read this one now.

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Sometimes you just have to stay up late to finish a book!

Second chance lane is a solid, super cute rural romance from Nicola Marsh. It’s set in the fictional Victorian town of Brockenridge and follows the story of single mum Tash when her old boyfriend/actual rockstar/unknowing father of her child turns up to stay in the house next door. There’s also a an extra side romance, as if one isn’t enough!

Marsh’s characters are fun, well developed and each with their own strengths and flaws. I enjoyed following the twists and turns as Tash and Kody come to terms with how their original relationship ended and everything that’s happened since. I appreciated that even when they were still working through their relationship, they were able to support each other as fellow human beings to work through external issues.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read - I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the rest of her books!

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Even though part of a series,this book is is easily read as a stand alone. Quick, sweet romance novel that is, of course ,all about second chances for several characters as they face their past and move forward into their past relationships and self image. My only comment is that ,while "in their head thinking" a couple of the characters thoughts were repeated so it was a little trite in several instances. Overall, a good read.
I was provided an advanced reader copy and was under no obligation to provide a review. The opinions expressed are my own. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

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Complementary copy given for honest review and opinion from Netgalley.

This book was a great read about two women finding themselves after loss of family that should always be around. It was a nice friendly read and definitely one for romance lovers.

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A story of mistakes, secrets and second chances in a small town.

When is it right to make a life-changing decision for another person? This is the situation that Tash finds herself in when she discovers herself pregnant by her up-and-coming successful musician boyfriend Kody. It is a decision that has consequences years down the track not only for herself but her daughter Isla and her ex Kody when their lives are thrown back together 13 years later.

Secrets and lies, once unearthed can cause a myriad of pain and problems. I felt that Isla handled the whole finding out who her dad was remarkably well, I certainly don't think many 13 year-olds would take it in their stride as she did. Kody on the other hand, whilst thrilled at finding out he has a daughter is furious at not knowing and missing out on 13 years of his daughter's life but also wracked with guilt about the fact he may well never have had his career if he had known.

Kody has come to town to hide and is dealing with his own trauma before this secret is thrown on him. This was a story of healing, of coming to terms with unexpected situations and of forgiveness, for self and for others.

I thought this was an enjoyable rural romance and I loved the characters in this novel, I must go back and read book one Long Way Home so as I can read Ruby and Connor's story. The supporting cast were really great friends to Tash and she was lucky to have had their support for the past 13 years.

It is not only Tash, Kody and Isla's story though, it is also Jane's story and hers is a sadder story. One of the popular girls in high school, she made a name for herself as selfish and nasty in many people's eyes, she has a truly horrible mother, who even after finding out why she was as she was, didn't make me like her anymore. Jane is realising that the life she has led since high school is not one conducive to happiness and she decides it's time to make some changes. At the same time, she bumps into a guy she was at odds with back in high school and they now need to work together and navigate a potential attraction. I grew to like Jane more as the story progressed as she tried to make up for the things she had done in the past.

I liked both of the story arcs in this novel they are tackle everyday issues and realities that many face and I enjoyed seeing them all grow and change and learn from past mistakes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

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Another book by new favorite author. Y’all. Oof. First. #nicolamarsh is magical in her writing skills. Second. This is a series. Buy both the books. But. If you read this and not the other I promise you won’t be lost. #secondchancelane is a story of love. Love that we have lost and love that we have gained. It’s such a promising story of hope. It gives you all the feels and that is exactly what we need with the world what it currently in. Settle down with this book. Wrap yourself in a blanket and enjoy this story ❤️ #netgalleyreviewer #netgalley #netgalleyreads #bookstagram #booklover #bookstagrammer #booknerdlife #bookworm #bookrecommendations

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Thank you NetGalley, Harlequin Australia, HQ, MIRA and Nicola marsh for gifting me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Second Chance Lane was my first book by Nicola Marsh, but the second book in her ‘The Brockenridge' series! I had no problem reading this as a stand alone and if anything, now I have to go back and read book number one!
When Natasha Trugg and Kody Landsdowne meet while Nataska is studying nursing, the chemistry is instant. When Kody is offered his dream gig as a touring musician, Natasha decides to keep her pregnancy a secret. Thirteen years later Kody is home from tour and soon runs into Natashsa...and the daughter he never knew about.
This is a super sweet, heartfelt romance that will leave you with that post book glow! The characters are all so likeable, including a side character, Jane, who’s story is interwoven with Tash and Kody’s. There’s typical small town drama, the heartache of your first love lost, great friendships and a whole lotta love. This book is perfect is you need a palate cleanser after an emotionally heavy book. If your heart needs a break and you need to be reminded that love exists, read this book!!

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Very much a story of second chances, Second Chance Lane brings readers back to the tiny northern Victorian town of Brockenridge. I’m a sucker for small town romances and I love rural Victoria so the setting was an immediate winner for me.
The central story is the rekindling of a romance between Tash and Kody, who discover they’re next door neighbours. He’s retreated to his friend’s house in Brockenridge following a tragic and fatal accident while he was performing in Wellington New Zealand and the last thing he expects is to discover he has a twelve year old daughter.
This is an emotional story with plenty of angst thrown in as well but there are lighter moments too, often provided by Tash and Kody’s daughter Isla. It’s also a story of healing for both Kody and Tash. These two clearly complete each other and I loved the way that their special bond shone through even when they were at odds.
A secondary story involving Jane, who’s got a reputation as a spoiled rich bitch, provides added interest. I thought author Nicola Marsh showed Jane’s insecurities, particularly through her sweet tooth. No wonder hunky patissier Mason Woodley was such a great match for her.
With plenty going on in this story I found myself zipping through the book. It’s an easy and enjoyable read and a story I’d happily read again.

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I have been looking forward to catching up with the fabulous characters I made friends with in The Long Way Home who live in Brockenridge, a small country town in Victoria and Nicola Marsh did not disappoint at all, I do love that in this series we get two romances at a time, this time we get to see Tash get a second chance at love and Jane reclaim her reputation and find love. I do hope that you come to Brockenridge and get to know these lovely characters.

Natasha Trigg grew up in Brockenridge with very hard parents, she left to go to university in Melbourne to study nursing, she meets musician Kody Lansdowne it was love at first sight for the shy country girl and Kody the confident musician. When the rock band that Kody leads is offered a touring contract in LA Tash finds herself pregnant, she dumps Kody although it broke her heart and moved back home and had to find her own way with a beautiful daughter Isla, she is working as a waitress in the Watering Hole Roadhouse and doing well.

Kody left Melbourne thirteen years ago when he was dumped by the love of his life Tash and the band made the top travelling the world for years hit after hit, but when there is a tragedy Kody needs some time out and the band returns to Melbourne and Kody takes off to the country to recuperate, but his life is going to be turned upside down when he finds that he is staying next door to Tash and the daughter Isla he never knew he had, needless to say he is not happy but is prepared to work with Tash but that means realizing that he had never stopped loving her.

This is a beautiful romance with heartfelt emotions that flow so beautifully Kody and Tash are really awesome people and deserve such happiness with their daughter but there are a few hoops to jump over first but when they do that, wow what a HEA,
Jane Jefferson has been having a tough time for many years, she has done some things that she is not proud of and a lot of the town does not think that highly of her, but can she have a second chance at making friends again and finding love and respect from Mason Woodley someone who she went to school with when he returns from Paris to help his mum and open up a patisserie?

This is a story that I highly recommend, so well written with wonderful characters that are easy to make friends with I do love a small town romance, secrets are hard to cover and keep and memories last a long time. Three of Brockenridge’s well- loved residents find love and happiness and that everyone deserves a second chance even if there is a bumpy road to get to their beautiful HEA’s. I loved this story, thank you Nicola Marsh for another keeper.

My thanks to Harlequin AUS and Harper Collins AU for my copy to read.
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What a wonderful read.
Rock star Kody finds out he’s a dad thirteen years after the fact. He is really cranky; but more than that, he is still in love with his daughters mum Tash.
Tash is flabbergasted when Isla’s father moves in next door. She can’t believe a Kody has moved in and goes to investigate. Sure enough it is her ex and father of their daughter.

Tash and Kody have many things to overcome in order to coparent Isla. The hardest part for them though is forgetting how much they both love each other still.

A beautiful story that has a happy ending.

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Typical, Yet Not. This was a solid genre piece with a few nice wrinkles. If you like romance novels generally, you're going to like this one. If you don't, you may still actually like this one specifically because of the wrinkles. Without going into spoiler territory, the drama here just seems far more realistic than some others of the genre. You've got the mother with a secret. The haunted rock star. The rambunctious and inquisitve 12 yr old. But you've also got a second romance in this particular tale - a feature so rare as to be seemingly unique in all of my reading. Normally you get a secondary character blatantly introduced to continue the series in the next book. Here, this secondary character gets their own full story-within-the-story. This story-within-the-story serves to fill out the town and its wide cast even more fully, even as the main story does a good job in and of itself with this. Ultimately this *is* a romance novel and hits pretty well everything one expects - including on-screen (though not erotica-level explicit) sex. So if you are a reader that can't handle such a scene (and there are less than a handful of them here, basically enough to fulfill the genre requirement and little else) or you can't handle the occasional "curse" word (again, not prevalent, yet present), you may want to skip this due to your own hangups. For the rest of us, this was an excellent read. Very much recommended.

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This was a great romance with just the right amount of humor, forgiveness, and honesty.
Second Chance Lane is actually two different stories intermingled in the same town. While both Tash and Jane have very different pasts and experiences, they both want a second chance to redo things from their pasts. Living with regrets and questioning past decisions is not the way to move forward with a wonderful future. Both woman learn to let go of past mistakes and embrace what life is offering them right now so they can each find their happily ever after.
I really liked this story and look forward to more by this author.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Second chances don’t come along very often, but when they do you must choose between taking that chance and keeping things the way they were. This is the first romance book I have read by Nicola Marsh. I was not disappointed and I will be looking for more! Well written, relatable characters and problems that made me feel like I was a part of the story and rooting for love.

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‘Second Chance Lane,’ written by Aussie author Nicola Marsh, is the second book in the Brockenridge series and one I thoroughly enjoyed. This small-town romance series is unique as each book contains a second mini romance tale embedded in the master plot. The hero and heroine, Kody and Tash, are the leading couple, but you'll also get introduced to Jane and her love interest Mason.

What's not to love about a 2-in-1 romance novel.

This rural romance begins with Tash fleeing from Kody’s life without telling him that she is pregnant. Usually, I can't stand this trope, but somehow Nicola justified the reasoning enough to make me look past Tash’s decision. Even though I don't necessarily agree with Tash keeping a secret of that magnitude, I still felt compassion towards her. I developed a respect and understanding of just how difficult the decision must have been for her to make and how she more than likely felt in that difficult moment in time.

Kody’s reaction to learning the truth was written realistically. There's nothing worse than a character glossing over such a monumental event and carrying on like nothing happened.

But his daughter Isla’s reaction was surprising. I guess I expected her to be more dramatic and show a bit more anger towards her mum for keeping her away from her dad for all those years.

I have to applaud the steamy scenes between Kody and Tash. They contained the right about of heat for the situation, setting, and genre.

The only character I found hard to connect with was Jane, but after learning more about her past and watching her soften towards Mason, I started warming up to her.

Hopefully, there will be more installments of the Brockenridge series because I've fallen in love with the small-town and the close-knit community.

Thank you, Netgalley, Harlequin Australia, HQ (Fiction, Non-Fiction, YA) & MIRA for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Oh so delicious! A rock star having some time out in the country after a terrible accident discovers he's hidden himself away next to his ex-girlfriend and discovers his band problems aren't the only problems he's facing.

A kid he was never told about, and the reawakening of feelings for his ex that he had thought were buried in the past, are getting in the way of him recovering from the guilt that drove him to hide away.

Tash (the ex) has some guilt of her own to work through ... like, why did she lie to Kody all those years ago?

How can he forgive her for denying him all these years of his daughter's life?
How will she fight him if he wants to take his daughter away from the homey, small-town life she's worked so hard to provide?

Add all this drama and tension to the the fun of a small town rural setting, with characters you just want to move in next door to, and you've got yourself a fabulous read.

Loved visiting Brockenridge again!

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Second Chance Lane is my second read by author Nicola Marsh and a very different read to the one I read before.
Tash is living her simple life as a single mother to young Teen Isla, in her small backwater village of a hometown. No one knows the details of the father of her child, Isla included, and she plans on keeping it that way.
Until he rocks up at the house next door. Kody Lansdowne is Australia's Rock Golden Boy. From humble beginnings, he, and his rich band have conquered the world, these past thirteen years, but nothing can prepare him for the news that he is a father. To a teenager.
Jane is fed up of her reputation as the village homewrecker. After years of putting on aa facade, her resolve crumbles, as. she finds it harder to cope with the way she is viewed by the locals, and her mother doesn't help matters either. Then up rocks Morgan. Nerd from school who she had no time, for, but he's not so much of a nerd now.
Second Chance Lane is a wonderfully written story, a Rural Second Chance Romance (or two of them in one book!) I enjoyed reading the story and loved the twists and turns. taken to get two couples so obviously right for each other, to realise, and get it on!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There was a great combination of second chance romance and contemporary issues that people face in every day life. The characters are believable and likeable. I highly recommend reading this book.

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