I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. The author did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

Growing up nextdoor to each other Dhillon and Riya are more than just childhood best friends. When a house fire takes Dhillon's father and Riya's brother their lives will forever be changed. Their families are intertwined as they support eachother. The trauma they have both endured leaves a lasting impact.

Riya takes on becoming a firefighter to help save anyone that she can so others won't feel the emptiness the does. She fights against her family, friends and other firefighters that don't believe a woman's place is fighting fires. I so admired Riya for turning toward her pain and to help others.

Dhillon grows up taking on the father role for his younger sister and caring for his mother. He makes a life for himself with a veterinarian practice far from the dangers of fire.

When the local fire station brings in a puppy to Dhillon's vet practice, Riya and Dhillon's world collide. Will they be able to reconnect, trust each other and become what they have each both wanted?

This contemporary romance is an interesting look into an Indian-American culture. The glimpse into Riya's food, culture and family structure kept this second chance love story fresh and intriguing.

Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the gifted copy. My review is my honest opinion.

The Second First Chance was a great novel about many themes, from moving on past a traumatic event to staying true to yourself. It teaches us a lot of life lessons. This is my first book by Mona Scroff and I definitely want to get more of her books. The characters and writing were strong.

Thanks to Mona Scroff and Harlequin Trrade Publishing for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

My first book of the Dewey’s 24 Hour Reverse Readathon July 2022.
4 stars.

This could be a Hallmark movie if you took out the unnecessary foul language. Towards the end there was a weird scene, where Riya and Dhillon were mad at each other, then all of a sudden they were okay and happy with each other. It felt rushed to me.

It was interesting to learn about the culture, but some of it was hard to understand who was an aunt and who was related to whom. I did like the independent women in this story and those women not backing down when a man thought they were not correct in a decision they made.

The epilogue covered a lot of time and wrapped it all up.

I love a second chance story and in this case, both leads were fantastic, I loved the family and stories around them and if Shroff would want to create a series around these characters, I would love that.

This book sounded like a fun, possibly second chance lovers or enemies to lovers, so I wanted to give it a read. First and foremost, I really enjoyed the culture that was woven into the story. It featured dynamic characters, especially Riya and a ton of emotion as the two leads as well as others went through the process of healing and reconciling after the traumatic event that impacted them and altered their lives.

All in all this was a very emotional and touching story that was full of culture, growth and healing. The writing was easy to read and flowed really well, making the story easy to progress through. Shroff is definitely an author I would pick up again after reading this.

They've been neighbours since they were five
And best friends until tragedy changed their lives.
Fire claimed the lives of his father and her brother
Now these two are no longer close to each other.

When Dhillon Vora learned Riya Desai is a rookie firefighter
His reaction certainly did not delight her.
He's shocked, annoyed and anxious, too,
Totally unsure what to feel or do!

Riya has trained and worked so hard but even so
About her job her parents and family just don't know.
She's determined to prevent anyone else losing their lives
Do her best to ensure everyone else survives.

Dhillon doesn't want Riya to take any chance
He's loved her for years but they've never had a romance.
His fears regarding her new job and the danger
Has him thinking she's now a total stranger.

With family losses, drama and more
This story their motives starts to explore.
With secrets from the past now being revealed
Maybe their love need no longer be concealed?

Will they be brave and give their love a chance
Or will their attitudes and past stop any advance?
There are also two dogs who play key roles with these two
One who is elderly and one relatively new.

A heartwarming story of tragedy, grief and moving on
When much loved ones have untimely gone.
For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

This was a wonderful edition to Shroff's writing. I have enjoyed every single book she has come out with. These second chance romances are full of the feels that I just can't put down. I cry, I laugh, and I fall in love as I read each page.

The Second First Chance by Mona Shroff is a contemporary romance novel. The story in this romance is a second chance clean romance with diverse characters and does change the point of view between them to give both sides.

Riya Desai and Dhillon Vora were once very close but fate ripped them apart when a devastating fire occurred. Riya lost her older brother Samir that night and Dhillon lost his father putting them both on a path that took them away from one another.

Riya is now a firefighter doing whatever she can to save lives and Dhillon has become a veterinarian. When Riya walks into Dhillon’s life again after all these years he’s shocked that she chose to put herself into the same danger that tore their families apart but they both cannot deny the attraction between them once again.

The Second First Chance by Mona Shroff was wonderful story of healing and family that also had a side of romance. I loved that this book showcased an amazingly strong female lead and it was also nice to get a glimpse into the Indian culture that surrounded both characters. The author did a great job bringing the emotion that fueled the story to life and I definitely couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see how it would all turn out between the characters. Definitely an author I would return to again.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

📖Book: The Second First Chance
⭐️Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️rounded to 4
✍🏼Author: Mona Shroff
📚Genre: Romance
🗏 Pages: 352
💕Tropes: Best Friends To Lovers, Clean Romance, Second Chance
⚠️Warnings: Grief, Trauma
🔖Readability: 4/5 italic font is used

Things to expect:
✨Full of Family
💞 Clean Romance

The pacing bothered me, and it felt like Mona might have used a different editor. I usually gobble up Mona's writing, but I struggled to get into this one. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for a clean romance and was just craving the smut the entire time. A girl knows what she wants, and that is what is missing. Please tell me there is a spicey science hidden somewhere that we all can be blessed with. Thanks!

This was a cute second chance romance story with a lot of forgiveness and working towards growing. Strength comes in many forms, and this was one of those heavy romance stories that you need to be in a certain mood to read, like bend towards the sun by Jen devon. Or anything by colleen hoover. This is not for those with family trauma and issues because it might be a little triggering. You are trauma-free and want your heart ripped out. Read this.

Thank you so much to Harlequin Romance & Netgalley for providing me with an Arc. All opinions are my own.

The Second First Chance is a friends-to-lovers/second chance romance. Riya and Dhillon, childhood friends and neighbors, were on the verge of being more than friends when a house fire destroyed their lives, and Riya lost her brother and Dhillon lost his father. Now, as adults, Riya is a firefighter and Dhillon is a veterinarian. Even though their families are still neighbors, their friendship never recovered, but a stray dog brings Riya and Dhillon back together. And maybe they will finally become more than friends.
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As a woman who works in a male-dominated profession, this book and Things You Save in a Fire make me so happy. Seeing women firefighters, succeeding at their jobs and fighting alongside their male colleagues? It gives me life.
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Shroff is so good at writing stories with heart and heartache, this delicate balance of "cry your eyes out because of the hurt" but also "make you fall in love". The Second First Chance has cute dogs and a cute romance, but also real struggles and loss. Plus there's a lot about following your dreams and not letting others tell you how to live your life. Add in Riya, Dhillon, Hetal, and the firefighters and it's just a great book.

I loved this book. The friends to lovers aspect was wonderful and I absolutely loved their professions. I've never read about a female firefighter and it was spectacular. I loved all the things Shroff used that for but don't want to spoil anything.

I really appreciated watching these characters work through past trauma and grief. These topics aren't easy to read about but they brought great depth to this romance.

As always this book taught me a lot about Desi culture. I loved reading about the food, family relationships, and especially Rakshabandan.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review

The Second First Chance is a slow-burn romance that starts when Dhillon and Riya are children. It does take a break in the middle, but the reason for that break is so very emotional. It does take them a bit to find their footing, mostly due to some miscommunication and their different ways of handling their grief. Miscommunication usually isn't a favorite for me, but it's understandable given the circumstances, and these characters are so easy to root for. This isn't my first read by Mona Shroff, but it's one of the best in my opinion. Does it tug at the heartstrings? Definitely, but it does some healing as well.

Riya and Dhillon grew up next door to each other since they were very young. They were the best of friends, and possibly more, until a fire took the lives of Riya's brother and Dhillon's father. Their relationship was never the same after that. Both determined to save lives, Dhillon became a veterinarian and Riya a paramedic. A call to a fire makes Riya realize that being a firefighter is her what her heart desires. Being the only woman in a male dominated field and firehouse has it's own set of obstacles. When Dhillon realizes what Riya is now doing, he is livid. He can't understand how she can risk her life going into the same fires that took their loved ones.

I have enjoyed everything I have read by Mona Shroff! Her characters are relatable and likable, the romances are so sweet to read, the additional characters are just as interesting and likable as the main characters. The story flows well and is well written. I loved reading about a strong female lead, that too a firefighter. Cultural and social expectations were also well represented. Highly recommend any of this author's books!
Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was all about second chances and while I enjoyed the book, it definitely was not my favorite. Riya Desai and Dhillon Vora grew up together and are neighbors. When a tragic fire takes the life of Riya's brother and Dhillon's father, they grow apart and distance themselves. Years later when Dhillon finds out Riya has decide to become a firefighter- everything changes. Cute book.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 is, in my opinion, Shroff’s best story yet. It follows Riya and Dhillon, two childhood friends who are both traumatized by the past and trying to move forward after a fire killed her brother and his father years ago. Dhillon’s way of dealing has been to distance himself from anything to do with that memory, and as a veterinarian he’s found his calling. Riya’s always been the risk taker and is now walking into fires as a firefighter. They’ve been distant recently until Dhillon learns of Riya’s new career path. He’s livid and worried and has it out for her.

It’s a delicate balance to dredge up traumatic memories and also have characters live in the present. I thought it’s done wonderfully in 𝙏𝙎𝙁𝘾. I never felt overcome by their sadness, only that I got to understand them better. Both their POVs were given equal depth. Even side incidents such as the sexual harassment Riya endures at work is given enough attention within the framework of the story and dealt with positively.

This is also a romance, a friends-to-lovers scenario where there’s a delightful push and pull between them until they get their acts together.

I for sure recommend this to anyone looking for an inspirational and heartfelt story. The sweet growing romance spurred on by shared grief, Riya’s ambition to be the best firefighter and fight sexism in the workplace, the importance of family … this is all good stuff from Shroff and I hope she keeps in going!

Many thanks to @harelquinbooks and @NetGalley for my arc. This is my honest review.
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They were inseparable for most of their lives. And then a disaster forever changed the fabric of their families and their lives, and they didn't know how to make it okay again.

It's been over ten years since the world ripped them apart. It's been more than ten years waiting for the memories to fade and the wounds to heal. Dhillon is trying to make his vet clinic a success and be a mentor to his effervescent sister. Riya has finally decided to pursue a career as a firefighter.

Dhillon can't understand her decision, and Riya has her own demons to work through. She's the first woman ever in her company, and she has to do everything she can to be the best and the brightest. She doesn't have time in her life for people who can't support her decisions, especially when she's not sharing them with her family. There are already pressures from her Indian family to find a guy and settle down, and she doesn't want to give them more fodder to talk about. She wants to put her nose to the grindstone and be a success in her own right.

Circumstances and matchmaking relatives keep throwing them together and it becomes harder and harder to ignore the past and all of the things between them that remain unsettled.

It takes the possibility of loss to force their bittersweet reconciliation. It takes confronting the legacy of the tragedy that shaped them to finally bring them together.

I loved this second chance romance! It focuses on the cultural expectations that shape the main characters, and shows the extraordinary strength and resilience that can arise from tragedy.

Shroff has done it again. The emotional journey that we go on with Riya and Dhillon is everything I thought it would be, considering this is the 4th book I've read by this author.
Both of our characters deal with their shared trauma and grief of when they watched their homes burn as children differently. Riya decides to do it head on as a firefighter, and Dhillon didn't initially support this decision in her.
When they were reunited over a rescue dog that Riya brings to his vet clinic, they have a chance to start over as friends, and finally explore a romance between them.
As always with her writing, the families are a large part of the story. She uses these opportunities to beautifully weave culture and family stories into them in beautiful ways. It's something I always love in her stories.
Things go slowly for this couple, but it wouldn't have been believable to me if it had gone any faster. I can't wait to see what is next up for this author.

THE SECOND FIRST CHANCE – Mona Shroff
HQN
ISBN: 978-1-335-45346-4
August 2, 2022
Contemporary Romance

Maryland – Present Day

Riya Desai and Dhillon Vora grew up together and fell in love as teens. But they share a tragic past, one that drove them apart. Riya’s older brother and Dhillon’s father were killed in a house fire that left emotional scars on the families. Dhillon has grown up to become a veterinarian and Riya has decided to train to become a firefighter, even though her family is against it. Dhillon hasn’t been in contact with Riya for a long time, so wasn’t aware of what she is doing. When he finds out, he is angry with her. How can she decide on a career as dangerous as firefighting after what happened to their families? But she is stubborn and informs him that this is her way of giving back to the people who tried to save their loved ones. Even as the two bicker over her career choice, the sparks that had lain dormant for years come roaring back. But with their differences hanging over them, is there any way they can get a second chance at love?

Much of THE SECOND FIRST CHANCE focuses on the tragedy that happened in the past. Even though it has been years since it happened, the families seem locked in the past. Dhillon is protective of his little sister, and when she indicates an interest in what Riya is doing, he explodes at both. A lot of the emotion drawn here is that there is a lot of “if only…” Dhillon and Riya do have something they share a love for: an older dog of his named Lucky. The dog is part of their past and was rescued during the fire. When he dies, our couple grieves together, which does bring them—temporarily at least—together. But her career choice as a firefighter breaks them apart after she participates in a dangerous fire situation. It isn’t easy being a firefighter, but that is what she wants to do.

When Dhillon and Riya do have a truce of sorts in THE SECOND FIRST CHANCE, their old feelings come tumbling back, leading to a night together. However, the danger involved in her job reminds him that he can’t forget what happened to their families and they split up again. Will they ever get the chance to move past the tragedy? What about Dhillon’s sister? Will she follow Riya into a firefighting career? When fire touches Dhillon’s life again, how will it affect them?

As you can probably figure out, this tale is a bit of a somber read. But by the end, things are sorted out and we will hope to see a happily-ever-after, and not just for our happy couple. Prepare to cry a little and then be happy. Don’t miss the drama and emotion in THE SECOND FIRST CHANCE.

Patti Fischer

Heat Factor: Closed door
Character Chemistry: I have always loved you but can’t say anything because we have too much history and also our families do everything together
Plot: Dhillon doesn’t mind his damn business
Overall: This book commits the cardinal sin of being boring

I really wanted to like this book, for a very niche reason: it takes place in Howard County, MD. I grew up in HoCo, so I recognize the references enough to know that things are specific, but I haven’t lived there in years, so I don’t notice if small details are inaccurate. (I hate it when I notice inaccurate details.) Also, Shroff does a great job of balancing specificity with story, so that the sense of place is real but not overwhelming.

Unfortunately, this book really didn’t work for me. I found it a slog to read.

So the basic set up is that Dhillon and Riya have been best friends since they were five. They almost got together when they were in high school, but there was a fire in their homes (they grew up in a townhouse with a shared wall), and both of them lost a family member. Ever since then, their relationship has been weird and stilted. Now it’s ten years later and Dhillon discovers that Riya is working as a firefighter and he flips the fuck out.

Here’s my first problem: Dhillon and Riya have seen each other at least once a week over the intervening years, and they never, once, in that entire time, managed to have a conversation? If they are really that estranged, then the fact that Dhillon feels entitled to tell Riya that her decision to change careers is pretty unacceptable. On the other hand, if they have maintained enough of a connection that this conversation is even moderately acceptable, then I can’t buy the awkwardness between them. Basically, I don’t believe the catalyst for them coming back together.

My second problem is that once they start interacting, everything is slooooow. And not in a delicious slow burn kind of way. More in an I (the reader) don’t have all the information kind of way. That summary of their backstory is doled out in drips and drops of flashbacks, so Riya and Dhillon spend a lot of time thinking about how they made a move long ago and it was ruined—without telling the reader what the parameters of the betrayal were. Sidenote: the betrayal was that Riya needed Dhillon’s support as she processed her grief over her dead brother but Dhillon needed to process his grief over his dead father in a different way. Both of their positions are completely valid and the fact that their friendship was strained because of it was believable. However, the way that these two reflect on that moment from the present (before telling the reader what happened) makes it seem like something big and dramatic happened between them, rather than something big and dramatic happening to them. My point is, they are up in their own heads a lot, but not in a delicious way.

The final point that killed this book for me was the truly egregious black moment. Some backstory is necessary, so bear with me. Dhillon’s younger sister decides that she, too, wants to be a firefighter. Riya agrees to mentor her through the process because being a woman in a male-dominated field is tough. (There’s a whole sideplot about Riya’s struggles with fitting in with her crew and the fact that there isn’t a women’s locker room at her assigned firehouse. Considering my local firehouse was recently renovated to add a women’s locker room, I absolutely believe this detail.) One evening, Dhillon’s vet practice catches on fire. His sister is there, and while trying to get one of the dogs out, is trapped in the fire. Dhillon blames Riya for his sister being in danger; if Riya hadn’t made firefighting seem glamorous (by being so cool, basically), then his sister would not have tried to save the dog. Even worse, Riya agrees with him!

Like. What? Maybe Dhillon should blame himself for not properly maintaining the building his practice is in. He talks several times about wanting to remodel because everything is outdated—maybe the wiring might be outdated, Dhillon. Also, it’s not like his sister ran into the building; she was already inside and struggling to get an animal out. Plus she is a grown-ass woman who maybe just wants to help people and being a firefighter has nothing to do with her split-second decision. And I get that Riya feels sad and upset and guilty that this woman was hurt, but she should have stood up for herself and her decision to work as a mentor. Being a mentor was not about convincing a young woman to become a firefighter, but rather to help her navigate the process of becoming one once she had already been convinced.

As you can see, I’m getting all worked up about this. Not gonna lie, it made me mad. Which after a few hours of slowly slogging through some emotions that made no sense and weren’t that interesting, was not a great way to end the book.

A final note: In case a lot of emotions plus a female firefighter plus a childhood friends to lovers sounds great to you, please note that a dog does die in this book. Of old age, not fire. But it’s still very sad. (The writing is on the wall for this good boi from the very beginning.)

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. We disclose this in accordance with 16 CFR §255.

This review is also available at The Smut Report.