This was such a fun and delightful book! Prudence is a former child piano prodigy, playing for the White House when she was only 5 years old. After a few years of the spotlight, she was tired and stepped away. After a few years, she needed money and she wrote a hit jingle known to many, many people. She makes a ton of money and lives a good life with her family.

Many years later, her first husband (when she was very young and it was annulled) is down on his luck and finds a dark secret about Prudence’s hit jingle. He blackmails her for money to stay quiet. But Prudence’s finances aren’t as good as she thought and paying off her ex husband will bankrupt them. She tries out to be on Alexei Petrov’s Dueling Piano tv show which has a large cash prize. Can she win after so many years away from the piano?

This was a true delight of a book. It was funny and heartfelt. I liked that Prudence was an older main character starting a new chapter of her life. She was also tired of doing things for other people and began to put herself first. There’s also a funny side plot with the neighborhood patrol in her housing development.

Thank you @penguinrandomhouse and @michelle.hoffman_ for my gifted ebook.

The plot of this story is really unique. It's emotional without being overwhelming and there's humor diffusing some of the tension at the right times. Hoffman knows how to twist reader's loyalties from one chapter to the next, which makes it an exciting and interesting read. Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this ARC!

Wow! This book was filled with music and was such a joy to read. As a musician and music teacher myself, it was fun to read a very rare storyline about what it is like to be a highly esteemed classical musician. I wish that the fictional show existed in real life!

DNF @ 37%. I am so bummed that I am not connecting with "The Second Ending" by Michelle Hoffman. I have picked this book up three or four times, and each time, I cannot get over my lack of connection with the characters. I feel like this book was made for me, between the quirky stuff going on and its focus on music, which is why I wanted to read it, but I am not getting pulled into the story like I had hoped. The abuse Prudence goes through at the hands of her grandmother is also a fascinating aspect, but apart from that, it's a little pretentious?? A lot of moments that were clearly included to be funny just aren't landing for me. There are shades of "Where'd You Go, Bernadette?" in this book, which should be a plus, but it's moving at such a slow pace that I am having a difficult time with it. I am so sorry!

Thank you to NetGalley, Michelle Hoffman, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

I really enjoyed the writing and found myself engaged throughout. The music aspect is definitely something I don't read too often so that was really fun as well!


Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was so dang good!! I was engaged the whole time and I wanted so much more. I did not want the book to end. I was so invested in the characters.

If you enjoy books about music and with quirky characters this one is for you!

Prudence and Alexei are master pianist. Prudence was a child prodigy but left the field as a teenager because of the pressures of her overbearing grandmother. Alexei was forced into beginning a pianist by his mother and became an internet sensation. Now Prudence (48) and Alexei (22) prepare to compete against each other in a dueling piano reality TV competition.

The story was told via the POV’s of Prudence and Alexei. Each character had their own issues. Despite the differences in their ages, they both shared things in common especially in regards to their childhood. I loved the character development and the plot was charming. It’s a book about second chances, facing your fears and not giving up on your dreams.

This book was not for me. I found it repetitive and not engaging. I found myself reading quickly to be onto the next.

I felt that this book was a really good palette cleaner and was a lighthearted read. It was humorous at times. I don’t feel like I connected with any of the characters so I lost focus at times. Overall this was a good read.

What a delight it is to read a story about the possibility of a new life for an older woman who no longer believed in herself and had given up the idea of pursuing her dreams.

This book reminded me of a Hallmark movie. Classic and cute, without being too cheesy. I enjoyed the story and the character development, and I would consider picking up this book again. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my "wish" to read this book!

My blog is https://bookreviewsbyjules.blogspot.com/

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/44083250-julia

Instagram/bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/bookreviewsbyjules/

Thank you!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I really enjoyed this contemporary fiction novel that came out last year, thank you to @netgalley for the ARC. Prudence was a child prodigy on the piano but in her late forties she finds herself adrift after becoming an empty nester. When her husband tracks down her beloved piano she finds herself in the spotlight again as she’s invited to compete on a dueling pianos TV show. But secrets from her past come to the surface and her ex-husband tries to blackmail her for money.

Alexi Petrov is Prudence’s competitor on the show and we follow his story as well as he tries to break free from the pressure of his demanding parents. This is a light-hearted read with some deeper, thoughtful moments. One of my favorite things about it is that it mostly takes place in Scottsdale, AZ, the area I grew up in. It’s always fun to see references to places you’re familiar with in books. This had more language than I prefer, including a fair amount of f words, but no steam or violence. Overall it was a great read!

Very deep yet also some light humor. I found it slow and didn’t necessarily leave me wanting to run and grab it every chance I got. Still a good book I just tend to gravitate towards really fast gripping books.

A retired child prodigy and a young musician, both with baggage to go with their extraordinary musical talent. They engage in a dueling piano competition. I liked the characters and the storyline. Kept me interested to the final page.

The author uses her knowledge of music and piano to create a dazzling story in which former piano prodigy Prudence Childs realizes that “the music would never let me down...the power to live the life of my dreams is, quite literally, in my hands.” Endearing and likeable, Prudence has a magical, interpretative skill when it comes to playing the piano, and I found myself cheering for this talented woman to conquer her mid-life crisis. This novel so entertaining due to each quirky character is connected to Prudence, often in unpredictable ways. There were several surprises, and it felt like an impending trainwreck in the best sense. Most of the chapters ended with some kind of cliffhanger that made me want to read “just a few more pages.”
Music plays a major role in this novel with the concept of dueling pianists. In a fun bit of homage, each chapter is titled with the name of a song or piece of music – from rock to classical to pop. I appreciated the novel’s humor, as each plot revelation creates even more of a tangled web. I couldn’t wait to find out how it all turned out.
While I enthusiastically recommend this brilliant novel, be sure nothing stops you from reading this laugh-out-loud novel that combines humor and drama into a heartwarming sonata. Thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher.

I DNF-ed this book. Didn't like it that much to continue reading. I tried picking it up again twice but sadly gave it up :( too many books to read and too little time

I’ve seen lots of great reviews for this one, but it just didn’t do it for me. I had trouble getting into the book and ended up skimming through it to finish.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. As a musician, I really enjoyed this humorous book. I'll definitely read more by Michelle Hoffman in the future!

The writing is solid, creating a vivid atmosphere, but the plot is a mix of captivating moments and predictability. Characters are well-developed, though some lack depth. Pacing fluctuates, making it a decent but not outstanding read.

This book kept me reading. I was intrigued throughout it. I wasn’t sure where the story was going to go, I thought the characters were well written. I found myself wanting to read it again. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for sharing this read with me.