“How many people, Prudence thought, lose sight of a dream because of one careless comment from a stranger? When someone tells us we can’t do something, why do we accept it?”

Prudence Childs was a child prodigy on the piano, playing for presidents and on talk shows. To get away from her demanding, emotionally abusive grandmother, she stopped playing classical music and cashed in on writing jingles for commercials. For the last thirty years she has led a quiet life of being happily married and raising two daughters. Then a man she was briefly married to pops up out of nowhere blackmailing her, threatening to ruin the life she has created by revealing a secret. When a showrunner for an unexpectedly popular show that pits pianists against each other, she realizes that if she can win the prize money she can pay the bribe—and maybe rediscover what she gave up so many years ago.

The host of the show is handsome Alexie. He’s 22-years-old but has never made any decisions for himself. His parents make them all so he can practice, practice, practice. If he wins the million-dollar prize money, he can finally get out from under his parents’ control.

This is breezy and fun and reminds us we don’t do art for commercial gain but because art is a way to express ourselves in otherwise largely tedious day-to-day existence.

Recommend. NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES MAY 30, 2023.

4.5⭐️. Empty nester, Prudence Childs, gets a second chance to do what she was born to do, play the piano. The former child prodigy is eccentric, dramatic and weirdly confident and unapologetic. She is also quite funny! She has a secret and finds herself in a predicament in which she has to revisit her past and focus again on her talent. I really enjoyed this book a lot. It’s a debut and gives total Lessons in Chemistry vibes. It’s an entertaining story that also sends a powerful message. Everyone has a dream and you are never too old to make them come true.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the gifted eARC of this book. It was a treat to read!

4.5*
The power of music...When music stood for everything a child was known for, Prudence backed away. She backed away from her cruel success driven grandmother and her first love... the piano. As a child prodigy, she was invited to the White House. What didn't show on the outside was the talent that was power driven and not from within. She left home and became successful in writing commercial jingles.
When she was 48 years old, her children are at school when she signed up for a piano competition. In comes another child prodigy and fellow competitor Alexei Petrov. He is friendless due to his parents consistent belligerent behavior for him to concentrate on his piano. He is successful on social media with his skills and a huge following. When they became competitors, little did they expect something more.
There are so many other things that come into play making this a stand out from other books. It was enjoyable except for the abusive behavior of the caretakers. The internal drive for them to break away from the only norm they knew and despised to find the one thing they loved to do. This was a great debut and an impressive display of writing skills. The story was easy to follow and one you don't want to put down until it is finished. Second chances always give hope and resurrection to this story.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Summary: A former child piano prodigy is struggling to adjust to the idea of being an empty nester. She’s asked to join a competition show for pianists but she buried her piano days for a reason. Suddenly, she is being blackmailed by her ex-husband and it gives her reason enough to dig up her past.

Thoughts: My favorite thing about this book was how raw and real it was. The humor is very, very dry which gave it a very unique flair. If you liked Lessons in Chemistry, I think you’ll like this one.

The story is also unique and something that hasn’t been told 10,000 times. I enjoyed the characters but didn’t fully connect with them until about 2/3rd of the way in.

This is the type of book that you need persistence with. The first half almost lost me at points because it felt like the backstories were overdone. However, it redeems itself in the second half. It really builds into such a beautiful and inspiring story. I highlight more quotes in this book than I think I have in any other.

Thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book. I can see this book taking off on Book-Tok. It is buzzy, has a competitive themed undercurrent and gives the reader someone to root for-I love rooting for the underdog. Everyone of a certain age has experienced the 'what am i going to do next with my life" crossroads and our main character is facing this same conundrum. What they choose to do is outside the box and over the top! I enjoyed the peek into her world, although it was a little messy, the book was a fun read and I can see it as a a great book club read.

I absolutely loved this book! It is a story about the healing power of music and how music helps transcend self doubt and uncertainty. Two musical prodigies, Prudence Childs a former child star and Alexei Petrov, a technically perfect musician are pitted against each other on a reality television show called 'Alex Petrov's Piano Wars'. Prudence, bullied by her domineering grandmother as a child has given up playing professionally since leaving home as a teenager. She has made millions writing jingles for advertisements. But she has a secret, she believes she did not write the one jingle that made her famous and brought her fortune. She feels she is a fraud. Alexei has been manipulated and dominated by his parents all his life. He lives a regimented lonely existence with no friends, no hobbies, and no fun. His life is only about music and though he is technically a flawless pianist, his music lacks heart and soul and he does not realize how unhappy he is. These two pianists are to appear on the Piano Wars show to vie for a million dollars. On their journey to this competition they both must find the strength and inner heart to be their best. Their journey is a delight. This book is funny, heartwarming and full of positivity. I loved all the characters even the flawed ones. Highly recommended.

Unfortunately I put this one down after a few chapter. I felt the story was a bit too predictable and I lost interest feeling like I knew how the rest of the story was going to go.

What a delightful read! Prudence was a child prodigy with a demanding grandmother. She escapes her grandmother and writes jingles. Now at 48 she wonders what is left of her life. Alexi has won a lot of piano competitions and is young and controlled by his parents. Add to this a reality competition called Alexi's Dueling Pianos. Pru will be his competition and is determined to win. Each competitor learns a lot about life along the way.

This book is amusing and fun. If you are tired of reading books with heavy topics then this is a book for you. It will amuse and delight you. You will not want to put it down. I would highly recommend reading this book.

Thank you to #netgalley, #MichelleHoffman and #BallantineBooks for a copy of this book
#TheSecondEnding

The Second Ending by Michelle Hoffman is an absolutely spectacular story about two people who were child pianists and their stories ultimately culminating with their paths crossing. To tell you more would spoil the ending. The book is an awesome telling of two tales that many who played instruments of any kind, but especially piano, can relate. The author is brilliant with her descriptions which transport the reader into the re-telling. There are two parallel stories going on in tandem with the two main character stories and yet the author is able to clearly convey without confusing or leading the reader astray. I will certainly look for more of Ms. Hoffman's books in the future and thoroughly enjoyed The Second Ending! Thank you to NetGalley, Ms. Hoffman and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to review this fabulous book.

In the process of finding herself once again in the power of music, Prudence is reborn. It is such an extraordinary gift that she has to be able to play with such heart and emotion that she evokes memories and emotions long forgotten by her audience. She is able to find the extraordinary from the ordinary. One line that stuck with me was between her and Alexei in terms of their skill as piano players is that one was born and one was built. Yes, Alexei had great talent but he played with precision. It is only when he let his guard done and joined the world did he start to feel. I was so glad what ended with he and Mia. I cannot imagine the level of practice and devotion to get to this type of level but I thought this book did a very accurate portrayal.

This book was a cute read. It told the story of two different characters with the same passion. One had a learned passion and the other with a natural born passion. It also told the tale of how one can lose passion for many years and then find it again. It also told of the different struggles each faced. It had a great lesson at the end and I love books that have this. It feel like I not only read a story but also learned something during. As a fur baby parent I also loved that there were animals in the book.
I had a hard time getting into the book however because it was written about a passion that I really have no interest in. It took me a while to get though it but once finished was a good book.

The Second Ending - Michelle Hoffman

3.5/5⭐️

This Book will be coming out May 30, 2023

✨✨✨✨✨✨
At the beginning child prodigy star is becoming depressed, both kids moved out and off to college. Things from Prudence past have come up and once faced with some scary in her face, she then decides her life is worth living for! When going to sell something she thinks she no king cares about, a crazy opportunity comes about. Prudence jumps on. It’s stressful but necessary. Prudence for herself play agains in the last amazing way why meeting some amazing people along the way.

📚📚📚
If you enjoy:
~Pianos
~Child Prodigies
~Blackmail
~Having to overcome to move on
~TV Shows
~Good Competition
~Midlife Crisis
… You should definitely check this out

📚📚📚
I loved this story! Tamara made me so angry at times because truly she should have opened her eyes and just went about things more adult like it may work out better for her. I love Alexei and wow what his parents did. That made me want to cry for him! I’m glad he found words in Prudence when he needed them most.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for the ARC E-Book, in exchange for an honest review!

#books #booklover #smut #booknerd #bookfriend #bookish #booklovers #bookishcommunity #bookloversunite #instabook #bookporn #bookphotography #reviews #igbooks #ilovereading #smutty #bookaddiction #bookhoader #hotnsexy #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecs #yummy #givemeallthebooks #readingthepainaway #booktok #netgalley #arc #randomhouse #TheSecondEnding

The story of a child prodigy pianist who grew up and raised a family, but now wants to rekindle her passion for the piano. She is invited to perform on TV in a piano playoff with another pianist, and must train again to compete.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the AR copy of The Second Ending.
Prudence was a child prodigy on the piano, and now at 48 she is having something of a mid-life crisis now that her children are away at college and she worries that her husband isn’t quite as excited by her as he used to be. Aside from that, she’s at risk of being exposed by her evil ex-husband for plagiarism for an advertising campaign she wrote as a child and she needs money fast. Prudence decides to compete in a reality show hosted by a famous pianist in order to make money to pay off her ex/blackmailer. This story was so fun and entertaining and I absolutely loved Prudence, it is well worth the read.
4 stars

Prudence is experiencing a midlife slump after she takes her younger child to college. When her ex-husband shows up demanding money or he will reveal a secret that will upend her life, she strikes out to regain her dreams, but on her own terms.

This book is an excellent study of the stages of life and the confident attitude we gain as we become older. Though there were many laugh out loud moments as Prudence tries to reestablish her piano career, there were also times when Prudence’s impulsiveness caused reader frustration! However the negative feelings were what made this book a true emotional journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC so I could establish an unbiased opinion!

If it’s taken me 5 days to get through 40% of a book that’s a problem and it’s not on me. It’s just boring, great she can play… 15%-30% could be cut out. The HOA lady? Completely unneeded and you can tell the character was added in as an afterthought due to the main plot line being stagnant. Bobby Wheeler? Again added later due to the lacking plot line of “this second chance” … which in actuality the FMC had 3 chances not 2 so that faltering detail with the title is annoying.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I adored this book and the writing. The characters were quirky and interesting with an intelligent plot. As a pianist myself, I found myself understanding much of the book and identifying with the main character and some of her practices. I would recommend this book to others and look forward to what the author writes in the future.

Prudence was a child prodigy playing and composing music since the age of three. Once her children were born, they were her life. As she is approaching fifty and the children are off to college, she believes she has nothing to live for. Stuart, her devoted husband, decides to bring her Steinway piano to their home in hopes that it will help fill her days. She is not interested in playing until she is asked to enter a contest with a famous, accomplished Russian pianist who has a show on television. Prudence and Alexie will face off playing three pieces and the audience will decide who wins. Prudence was exploited by her grandmother and Alexie was manipulated by his parents. Both struggle to find the joy in playing. I loved how both young and old needed to find the music for themselves. Bobby, Prudence’s first husband that Stuart is unaware of, tries to blackmail her believing the jingle she is still earning money from was written by her music teacher. If Alexie does not win the contest he and his parents face being returned to Russia. There was a lot at stake, and it was fun watching Alexie and Prudence embrace their music, talent, and each other. Great book with surprises along with way.

There are a lot of pieces in this story - Prudence is a woman nearing 50 and now with both her daughters off at college, she's feeling at ends with her purpose. She was a child piano playing prodigy. Alexei is a young man in his early 20's, a renowned pianist. Prudence has a gift, Alexei was trained. Both their pasts intertwine with the present. The ending with the truth about the jingle was unexpected. I thought there would be more interaction with the two pianists but that wasn't the case. I sometimes felt bogged down with the side characters but enjoyed the story overall.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This was a fun read and a good debut novel. I really enjoyed it.