Desi Thompson is gravely injured after being assaulted by her abusive husband and rushes to ER where Harry Besantes is assigned the task to assess her injuries. Harry is shocked by the state of her long lost love, Desi, being the victim of domestic violence. The two had grown up together and were deeply in love until, one day after high school,  Desi's father’s threats forced her to cut all contact with her. Harry who is still angry and hurt over Desi sudden disappearance on her is surprise to learn why she never contact her again and the sacrifice she made. After listening Desi’s part, she can’t turn her back on her when she needs her most. So, Harry promises to stand by Desi and help her through this while they try to give their relationship one more chance.

The main crux of the story lies in the description of after events of the domestic abuse. The initial shock and the aftermath when victim tries to recover from the pain and hurt both physically and emotionally, unless that person has a strong support system to help them leave their abuser like Desi had in Harry. The descriptiveness of the abuse allowed us to get in the terrifying mindset of the victim to get a better understanding of their shock and reasoning. 

With all being said, although the violence that is described is realistic, but the aftermath seems a little bit exaggerated to me. The romance between Desi and Harry was too rushed for my liking. At times it feels that Harry’s and Desi’s conversations are just repeating over and over. The bad guys in this novel are really dumber while consumed with homophobic and jealous rage. I liked Ali Vali’s writing style, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was missing in the story. 

*𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

Oh wow - this was a walk down memory lane.  I read the original online version of this <<cough>> years ago and picking it up to read today brought back a lot of memories.  I don't remember enough to identify how much changed  - I believe the plot, characters, dialogue and overall writing is much tighter than in the original, which is what you would expect as Ms Vali has a few more years of writing under her belt these days.

After nearly being killed by her abusive spouse, Desi ends up with Harry as her doctor.  The two had grown up together and were deeply in love until Harry went away to school and Desi's family's threats forced her to cut all contact with her.  There's lots of angst in this one - the "one true love" who broke her heart has returned, the rather horrible family threats and abuse that went untold, and the current threat of a vengeful spouse.  Through it, the unbreakable bond between Harry and Desi reasserts itself and it really is a soul-mate match.  

There's an odd mix of violence and humour in this - the domestic violence is dark (present and past), and the "villians" are villainous (something that Vali tends to overdo)  but there's also fair bit of humour and sass in the dialogue between the characters (main and secondary).

Overall, I enjoyed the book - it brought back a lot of memories and how can you resist a soulmate story that has so much conspiring against the two.  It just makes you root for the happy ending all that much more.

Harry and Desi are magic! These two were meant to be together. The subject matter of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse is never easy to read, but when an author does it right and uses the subject in a realistic way I don’t have a problem with it. This story moves is wonderfully paced with no dragging parts. As soon as I started I wanted to finish this is one sitting. It took 2, but that is saying something. The sex scenes between Harry and Desi were well written. The supporting characters were well developed and had bigger roles than many romances. Personally I’d love to see Rachel get her own HEA.

So I had to try three time with this book just because the beginning is already really graphic and violent.. You know that it's also about an abusive relationship so that doesn't come as a suprise but still...
But I really like second chance romances so I did keep reading the third time. And as you say third time is the charm. And I didn't regret it. You really hate some of the characters but that's how it's supposed to be. The sweet love story between those two women was beautiful.

This was a difficult read. There were extremely graphic scenes of domestic violence and depictions of deeply misogynistic behaviour that I found hard to stomach, and a little over the top at times. The characters were well built, but the romance developed way too quickly given one of the characters had just ended an abusive relationship after almost getting killed. The dialogue and tone felt too comical and cheery throughout, which didn't sit well with the dark themes the story covered. Having said that, I enjoyed the final chapters where some truly evil characters got their comeuppance.

I was given a copy of the story in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED THIS STORY.

Totally believable scenario - young lovers separated because a father has antiquated ideas of right and wrong, that he has total authority over his daughter.

Harry is too perfect - strong, compassionate,romantic, passionate, intelligent, loyal, generous and her first love, Desi, breaks her heart.

Desi has a lack of self worth which makes her believe she has no choice when threatened with a horrible fate for herself and her younger sister by her father.

Desi disappears and Harry can't understand what could have gone wrong... until over a decade later when she is called to the ER to treat a domestic abuse victim - Desi.

The story follows Harry. Desi through the battle to be free of Desi'husband, to heal from years of abuse and to come back together in love..

There are supportive friends, legal drama and character growth.

Ali Vali is a great story teller.  My only comment is that I'd prefer fewer sex scenes - though I am sure other readers will clamor for more.

There is a lot going on in this story.  It's graphic and gritty with a lot of heart.  A sweet second-chance romance with some troubled characters who have a lot of overcome from the past and the present before they can look into the future.

I’m not sure why it took me so long to read Ali Vali’s books. I can’t get enough of them these days.

This book comes with a trigger woman for anyone not comfortable reading domestic abuse. I absolutely adored this book. The first chapter was pretty graphic, and I could almost hear the pain that Desi was going through at the hands of a despicable man, but I needed that harsh reality to then be whisked off on a beautiful and captivating story of second chance love.

Ali Vali took a hard subject, a woman who didn’t think she deserved happiness and just turned it all into one big bundle of love. Desi was one hundred per cent my favourite character. She deserved the best life with Harry after the torment and pain she endured for years. She was so brave, and even though Harry is strong and protective of Desi, it was ultimately Desi who was the hero of the book.

Harry Basantes is a dream. I was totally crushing hard on her. She was the whole package; sexy, caring and very protective of the ones she loves. #dreamy

Secondary characters, Serena, Rachel and Butch just completed the book, and I fell in love with them, too. The book definitely was better by having them in the story. I really (REALLY) hope Ali Vali writes a sequel with Rachel and Serena as the main characters. I kept thinking about them after I finished the book, and I’ll be first in line if the author writes them a happily ever after. Little Butch wants it too!

Desi really came into her own in the moments she had with Harry. The love and chemistry they had during their youth was intensified by the circumstances around them meeting again. When they do have sex, it’s fueled by the power of their love for each other. #swoon

I adored this book, and I know it will be on my reread list time and time again. I can’t see what’s next from Ali Vali.

This is a romance but also has elements of suspense.  Ms. Vali has chosen to address the profoundly serious topic of domestic abuse.  The story is extremely believable, and I wondered if Ms. Vali or a loved one encountered abuse.  If this is not the case, then she did some excellent research and hit all the key points of abusive relationships.  

Desi Thompson is the woman who is trapped in an abusive marriage.  Actually, through most of her life she has been in such a situation.  Ms. Vali develops her character in such a way that I wanted to hold Desi in my arms and help her.
  
Harriet (Harry) Basantes is the other main character in One More Chance.  She and Desi grew up together.  In high school their relationship developed into a romance.  However, they were unwillingly separated upon graduation.  Harry continued with her education and became a respected orthopedic surgeon at the local hospital.  Desi, however, gets married and remains in the area.  Their characters finally cross paths years later when Desi comes in as a critically injured patient and is seen by Harry.  The secondary characters in this book are also well developed and believable. 

As with most of Ms. Vali’s books, the setting of this book is New Orleans.  I liked how she was able to bring in one of the characters, Detective Sept Savoie, from one of her series.  It is always enjoyable when an author starts to overlay the different characters from other books/series.

Domestic abuse is a very emotional topic.  I feel that Ms. Vali handled it extremely well.  This is a topic which needs to be addressed so that abused women do not feel alone.  Ms. Vali has pledged a portion of the sale of this book to her local abuse shelter.   

I highly recommend One More Chance and rate this book with 5 out of 5 stars.     

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I remember, back in my fanfic consuming days, reading the Harry and Desi series and enjoying it. When I saw the published version hit NetGalley, I knew I had to give it a shot.

The story and characters are as I remembered them. What I didn't factor in is that my tastes have changed. Harry is Vali's typical perfect butch fighting and loving the perfect femme. I enjoy butch/femme stories, it's the perfect part that becomes trying for me.

I moved pretty quickly through the first 90% of the book but got burned out on the perfection and over the top romance bits. Again, this is what you usually get from old Ali Vali stories and if you know that going in, you're probably good to go. I really struggled with that last 10% though. I think I was just ready to end my visit with Harry and Desi.

If you're a fan of Vali's old school romances, you'll very likely enjoy One More Chance.

Thanks to Bold Strokes and NetGalley for the chance to check back in on the Basantes family.

Netgalley:

One more chance is not for the faint of heart. It is a beginning to end the journey of a victim of intimate partner violence, with violence and pain throughout. The love story is sweet but it is resolved very quickly and then you are left in a state of vigilance about the violence perpetrator. I enjoy Ali Vali's writing and this book was not an exception.

This book showed what Vali does at her best. She wrote an amazingly strong MC (Harry) and a vulnerable lady in trouble (Desi). With domestic violence being the main topic of this book, you may not want to read it. The way it was described made my toes curl, so this will be your trigger warning. This is only in the beginning though, the rest of the book is spent building back trust and making sure Desi is safe and recovering. These are the parts that'll make your toes curl in a very good way!

But also these parts are the reason why I made this a 4-star instead of a 5-star review. I found that Harry and Desi were walking around in circles. And I do get that in situations like these you need to be repetitive towards the person coming out of an abusive relationship. But for me it felt al little too much.

Other than that I really liked and enjoyed the storyline of this book. Vali writes in a way I really feel the emotions and get engrossed in a book. Also the dependable part of this second chance relationship is what really warms me up. Please don't tell other people that I (as a self-respecting, independent woman) love reading about strong and fierce loving butches who take care of you ;)

All in all a great read which fits fantastic in the brand that is Ali Val

What a story!
It never cease to amaze me how difficult getting over such a huge drama as domestic violence. It takes extremely strong person to accept help and have the will to get out, get life back on track. In this case I am amazed by Harry and her will to never give up. Connection like that happens once in a life time. I love this story very much. I was happy for the ending as well.

This book just wasn't what I was expecting. An interesting premise, but it fell far below expectations. The characters felt one dimensional and never got the depth that I hoped they would as the novel went on. The dialogue was clunky and unrealistic for the character's age. 

I had trouble following the story at parts too. The narrative jumped in the middle of a scene and I couldn't follow where the characters were. 

There's potential, and I feel like this author could be successful with a less hard-hitting genre.

Content warning: This book contains strong portrayal of domestic abuse and its aftermath. 

Ali Vali is a fabulous storyteller, this one is clearly close to her heart, which is reflected by the the extra passion and strength of her words. There is a classic butch/femme relationship at the heart of the book, with the twist that they are meeting again after years. Desi had to abandon Harry in high school and their reunion takes place in hospital, when Harry, the orthopaedic surgeon is paged to attend to a Domestic violence victim who turns out to be Desi. Their mutual shock and complex feelings of seeing each other again and processing the violence is explored with empathy, particularly of Desi who needs time to heal both physically and emotionally. Desi's ex is determined to get her back and finish what he started, thus turning the book into a thriller, stopping your breath at moments, as his temper escalates. 

The story is very well told, a difficult subject is handled with care, believable and empathically told. The relationship between Harry and Desi is fully developed with both going on emotional journeys as well as passionate ones. The side characters of Harry and Desi's family and friends, (especially Harry's 'nephew' Butch) provide much needed light relief and humour. Couldn't put this book down. 

With thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.7*

I'll be honest. This was a very difficult read. The story is about Desi, a woman who as been subjected to domestic violence. This maybe a trigger for some people. 

Surgeon Harry Basantes is called into the ER when a patient  who as been assaulted by her violent husband. She is instantly thrown back sixteen years when she sees Desi Thompson for the first time after just walking away, disappearing without a word.
Desi as always done as shes told, unfortunately that means marrying a man who her father insisted was a better match then Harry. But when she is rushed into the ER at the result of her husbands hands, she cant help wondering if the right thing is worth the cost. 
Harry refuses to let Desi go home, even if she as to put her own feelings aside. Can they rekindle their friendship?

Some parts of the story don't feel very realistic to me, so i'm having trouble with the story line. The violence that is described is realistic, but the aftermath, no. The romance that ignites between Desi and Harry was too rushed for my liking. I might be wrong, but anyone who as been beating for many years, along side emotional and financial abuse don't just jump from one relationship to another practically over night. (And i;m speaking from my own personal  experiences)  

The main characters, Desi is very insecure which led to lots of repetitiveness in the story line. Harry as a bit of a god complex. 
I tried to like this book... maybe because I've been through something similar I shouldn't really be writing this review due to comparing my own feelings. SO please take this review with a 'pinch' of salt and read the book for yourself.. 

I was given a ARC copy for a honest review.

Desi Thompson didn’t have that great a childhood but when she met Harry Basantes on her sister Rachel’s first day of school she felt she’d won the lottery. When her mother died it left both Desi and Her little sister with an abusive father.Harry started inviting her, along with Rachel into her world. A place with parents so far removed from where she was living she couldn’t believe it. Harry's parents quickly became in many respects the mom and dad she longed for. Harry was a friend she could count on, whether it was helping with the lessons from school or introducing Desi and Rachel to a world of fun. As Desi and Harry grew they discovered the feeling they had for each other were more than ‘just friends’ so they started planning a life together. Harry also recognized the fact that where Desi went so did her little sister.  
    When Desi’s father saw the two girls making out he quickly cut them off from each other. Using threats against Harry, Desi  couldn’t do anything but follow her father's orders. She stopped seeing Harry, dropping out of her life all together.  While not understanding why all of a sudden Desi wasn’t going to be a part of the life they’d planned. 
    It isn’t until Desi was rushed to the emergency department with her injuries that Harry realized Desi didn’t leave her behind because that was what she wanted but what her father had made her do, using his fist to keep her in line. Now they were back together and Harry was determined she wasn’t going to lose Desi again.
    Ms Vali knows how to tell a great story. A very enjoyable read.
ARC via NetGalley/ Bold Stroke Books

3.5 stars

Harriet (Harry) Basantes is shocked when she discovers the victim of domestic abuse in her emergency department is the woman she once loved, a woman who disappeared from her life without explanation. Her anger and hurt feelings do not stop Harry from doing her job or from accepting the request to ensure Desi’s safety by bringing her home when she is ready to leave the hospital.
Desiree (Desi) Thompson has spent her adult life enduring both physical and emotional abuse in an effort to keep those she loves most safe from harm. She is battered, beaten and broken. She is shocked to see Harry again after sixteen years apart. She wonders if it would have been better to die than risk her husband's wrath directed towards her long ago girlfriend, Harry.

Despite the opening scenes of violence and the persistent threats to Desiree and her sister Rachel, this turned out to be a feel good, second chance romance. The misunderstandings which can drag a romance to a crawl are dealt with quickly and hard feelings between Harry and Desi are soon replaced with the rekindling of their love for one another. The threats Desi has lived with continue, putting her life at risk but having Harry and an entertaining cast of friends and family on her side make Desi hope for a life she thought she would never live to see.

The fanfic origins of this story shine through at times. The Xenaverse allowed many of our best lesfic authors to hone their writing skills. Maybe Harry could have carried Desi less often and maybe the bad guys in this novel are dumber than posts while consumed with homophobic and jealous rage. Hard to know what an abusive spouse will do to control those they think they own. Well done, Ali Vali for shining a light on domestic violence. Most women don’t have a Harry to save them from their violent partners. I’m happy Desi was one of the lucky ones.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

One evening when Dr. Harry Basantes is working in the ER she comes face to face with her high school sweetheart, Desi, who she hadn't need in sixteen years. Desi has been badly beaten by her husband, and Harry not only fixes her leg but brings her home to give her a safe place to heal in spite of her broken heart, still not healed after sixteen years. Their attraction still sizzles beneath the surface after so many years, but with all their baggage, is there a future for them?

 This was a really sweet story and cute romance with great chemistry. I think the author did a really great job showing the connection between Desi and Harry - you could really feel that their connection had been there for years and only strengthened and grew as the story went on. I really enjoyed the secondary characters, Mona, Rachel, Serena and her kiddo Butch (Albert), they added a lot of depth and dimension to the story and made for a really cozy read when some of the subject matter is a little heavy. I would have been interested in reading the full story about Rachel, Desi's sister, and Serena. Harry was just a little too perfect? It's an odd complaint to have because most characters in romances are perfect people with cute flaws and I admittedly love that. However, Harry was next level - she had worked at two hospitals and her private clinic? Ali Vali always writes great books, engaging characters and settings and sweet and steamy romances. Not my favourite but a solid read and a sweet way to spend an afternoon. (There is a lot of violence, and while I'm happy to read Desi getting her happily ever after and her freedom, if you're not comfortable with violence I'd give this a pass.)

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The novel is about Harry, a surgeon, and Desi, Harry's girlfriend when they were kids who then just disappeared, breaking Harry's heart. They meet again when Desi appears in the hospital ER where Harry works. Desi has been beaten very badly by her husband.

Other than her sister, Desi has no one, and both of them have nowhere to go, and so Harry takes them into her place, so that maybe Desi's husband and his family can't find her. Of course, as Desi is finding her inner strength and courage to stand up to her husband and his family, she and Harry are also falling back in love with one another.

This was an amazing book by Vali, it was also, really, really, really intense. I usually fly through the awesome five star lesfic novels when they come around, but, this one was so intense that, despite its amazingness, I had to put it down a few times and take some time in between reading it here and there.

It was worth the read though. It was complex and multi-layered (both characters and plot) and it feels really weird writing that I enjoyed it, but, I did enjoy this read quite a lot.

I was given this ARC by Netgalley on behalf of Bold Strokes Books