Overall, I loved how over the top this was but the pacing in the second half of the book was excruciating. Definitely a summer beach read, with a beautiful setting and great secondary characters. Not a huge fan of the romance part, mainly because I don't think I liked the main pairing as much as the rest of the story.

This book was really lovely!

In The Second Chance Hotel, we meet Amelia, who has recently lost her job and broken up with by her ex-boyfriend. On a whim, she decides to use her nom-refundable tickets to go to Europe, needing an escape from life. She makes it to her final stop in Asteri, Greece and stays at the Ria Hotel, where her parents had stayed on their honeymoon. After a drunken wedding, she wakes up married to James, another guest at the hotel, and as a wedding gift? The hotel. James and Amelia agree to keep the hotel open for the season, and we get to follow along as they jump into their new normal.

I had a lot of fun with this book. Sure, the premise is a bit predictable, but I thought the characters are well developed and I loved their interactions. There’s a colorful group of side characters and I adored those characters as well. The settings sounded beautiful and I dreamt of what I would be like to be there. It was beautiful lighter fare and I found myself transported.

If there was anything to find issue with, I felt the book slumped a bit in the middle. Not a major story issue by any means though!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC copy of this book!

Publishing Date: 9/12/23

Many thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.

É oficial: romances sobre protagonistas no fundo do poço que embarcam numa viagem de autodescoberta e acabam se envolvendo em relacionamentos falsos ao longo do caminho simplesmente não são pra mim. Esse é o terceiro livro que li com essa premissa. O primeiro foi mediano, até agradou; o segundo foi terrível; esse aqui foi infelizmente chato.

Cheguei até os 30% com muito esforço e depois daí fui só lendo os diálogos e pegando o contexto geral de onde estavam os personagens. O final da história é previsível demais. Tem alguma coisa sobre essa premissa que pede excitação, pede alguma coisa nova, diferente, animada. Amelia e James são até fofos, mas a narrativa foi tão exaustivamente lenta e monótona que eu não consegui terminar a história com vontade.

Quem sabe um dia eu releia essa história com um novo olhar, ou então consigam escrever um livro com essa premissa que realmente seja divertido, mas até lá eu sigo com a minha lição aprendida.

DNFing this one. It was not what I expected at all. The beginning about the work conflict and leaving suddenly and missing your best friend’s wedding seemed extremely unrealistic to me, so I wasn’t able to buy into the premise of going to Europe. I was really excited to read a book about Greece but I guess this one wasn’t it!

Regardless; thank you for the ARC.

A slow burner of stranger to friends to lovers.
I’m not usually a fan of slow burners but the sweet story of Amelia and James and how their lives drastically changed, paired with the friends they made in town and the relationships Amelia was trying to manage her with her mother, her friendship and her work situation, kept me reading.
I rate this book a 3/5.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this lovely story.

This was a very interesting modern romance. I enjoy books that give a window into someone's life--especially someone who is trying something completely different. It was not a "typical" romance and I appreciated that, too. It will appeal to younger adult readers especially. The descriptions of Greece and the island were lovely and it was a great escape! The characters were beautifully flawed and this would be a great book for discussion--the discussion group guide at the end had some good questions. Even though it hit some pretty serious topics, it also had great tenderness.

The Second Chance Hotel is a cute read. It was a little slow to start and you definitely have to suspend your belief with the accidental marriage and inheriting a hotel. A fun and funny story as long as you’re willing to accept the absurdity!

I so enjoyed this book. Sierra Godfrey wrote a fantastic book in a dreamy setting filled with a found-family cast of characters that was fun, lighthearted, well-developed and so easy to escape into.

There were so many little details and elements to this book that made it charming and heartwarming. I think Godfrey nailed the "accidental marriage" and inherited hotel trope. Yes, it's a bit out there as far as "Would this happen in real life?" but that is the joy of the book. I particularly loved the arc of Amelia and James's relationship. I was skeptical about the FMC thinking he was boring in the beginning but then as the story unfolds and through little moments and shared laughs you get a really rewarding love story.

The first 15-20% or so of the book was a little slow to get into but after that point, I flew through reading this.

If I could eliminate one element, it would be the portrayal of the FMC's mother. This seemed present to tick the "this character has real person problems and she needs to overcome them" box. I think that was accomplished by some of the other elements of the plot and it probably could have been pared down and still had the same impact.

A big thank you to the publisher, SourceBooks and to NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy for my honest review!

A gorgeous story with a beautiful setting. Thank you to Sierra Godfrey, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the arc of this book.

Thank you to Net Galley for a chance to read this ARC! I enjoyed this story - 3.5/5 for me. It’s a solid read about our main girl Amelia who is facing a big change - and adventure - after a breakup and crappy work situation. The story was sweet and I enjoyed it, but it was somewhat predictable in the best of ways.

The Second Chance Hotel is a story of a woman trying to escape the city life and her problems and decided to backpack across Europe. Her last stop was in Greece where she ended up accidentally getting married and owning a hotel.
I loved the humor and the story lines! Great read!!

Amelia runs off to Europe to escape the craziness that is her life. She has broken up with her boyfriend, gotten fired, and into a huge fight with her best friend. When she "accidentally" gets married in Greece to a man she doesn't know, her life definitely does NOT get any less crazy, especially when the owner of the hotel she and James are staying in dies and leaves the hotel to them! Amelia and James have to figure out what to do with not only the hotel, but their pretend relationship.

This was a nice escape from the real world and I'm so glad I was able to read it. I think it will fit very well with our collection, especially for readers of Jenny Colgan. We will definitely be purchasing.

Ah, I often love an escapist read and the synopsis - please!

* The setting in Greece is appealing
* Marriage of convenience
* Slooooow burn

But …
* A bit “huh” and, imo, implausible in places,
* Couldn’t connect with the MFC
* Repetitive


I wasn’t the right reader for this.



Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the DRC

This was a great read!!! Loved the setting, characters and story. Never read this author before but went and purchased her first book!

The Second Chance Hotel started out great. The scenery of the Ria Hotel and the island was phenomenal. I feel the storyline was somewhat far-fetched but it was cute. Unfortunately, I just did not believe the relationship between Amelia and James. I found the side characters were great though. All in all, it was a cute romance with great scenery, just not something I would read again.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. All the above opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was the perfect getaway! I really loved the characters and the plot. A light fun read.

i am actually in a travel fever and couldn't have read this book at a more perfect time. if only i could escape to europe for months without a care in the world ...

i admit i thought amelia selfish in the beginning leaving her best friend like that, but i guess some things just have to be done at a spur of the moment. despite my first impression of her, amelia gradually became likable to me. james, on the other hand, had as much character as his beloved olive trees. he was boring asfffff but that's OK! just the ken to amelia's barbie. he's even tall and blonde and handsome! there's so much going on with our heroine (threw a mug at her stupid ex, fired from her job, bff mad after leaving her before her supposed wedding, parents getting divorced) while her love interest remains a mystery to the reader (do we know his last name? i don't recall), and even to herself!

so why does she like him? because! he's just there! it's really giving "she's everything, he's just ken." and i mean it in the nicest way i swear! sometimes guys just have to be calm and nerdy and supportive and conventionally attractive.

i regrettably didn't read the synopsis in full before i started reading the book and was surprised with the accidental wedding and joint hotel ownership. i do love me some marriage of convenience and small town romances. thank you so much to netgalley for my advanced copy!

Overall Acute, fun romcom and light-hearted story. The perfect book to escape into during summer. I loved the Greek setting and can’t wait to try some of the recipes.

This sweet and quirky Rom Com,, Is just what I need to get out of my reading slump. The cheekiness of the MCs and their inner circle is just amazing, This Book made me want to travel so much! This Book had me laughing as you get to know some of the characters. 10/1o you need to read this almost getting forgotten on a greek island book.

*I received a Copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair, unbiased review*