Beautiful story! Amazing 😍



Thank you soooooo much netgalley, the author and the publisher for the advanced review copy if this book💗
"I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Another wonderful book by Tj Alexander.This one drew me right n the characters looking to find happiness in their forties the true messiness and joy of finding their way.#netgalley #atria

I love TJ Alexander's books, and this one blew me away! I was swept up with Eli and Nick's love story. There were so many layers to their romance, and all of it was handled with love and care. I thought that this was a beautiful second chance romance story about two people who dated when they were in high school. They are both now 40 years old. Nick is a divorced, single dad, and Eli is a trans man who is back home in Florida to visit his family.

Nick and Eli haven't seen each other in years, but when they meet up at a liquor store, they still feel that connection that they felt their entire lives. They might be different people who have grown and changed over the years, but they can't fight that they have a deep connection and love for each other. They were each other's firsts, and the bond that they have is evident right from the start.

I loved the way that Nick's daughter, Zoe, added to the story because she immediately was drawn to Eli. He was so adorable with her, and I loved how much of a role family played in the story.

Eli's parents mean well, but they don't fully understand how he feels. When he returns home, he sees pictures of him when he was a child, but to him, that person doesn't exist anymore. The way that his parents handled the situation with the pictures was so sweet, and it made me tear up.

Eli and Nick's relationship was so beautiful because it shows you that no matter what you age is, you can still learn things about yourself. I'm the same age as the characters in the book, and I can really relate to being an older millennial and still learning things about myself. There was some steaminess in this book, and it felt so passionate and full of love. Nick and Eli were rediscovering each other, and it was so real.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for an ARC of this book.

This is the first book I’ve read by TJ Alexander, and I loved it! Both main characters are almost 40 and are still trying to figure out their lives.

Eli is a trans man who recently lost his job and is visiting his parents over the holidays… or longer if he can’t find a new job.

Nick was Eli’s first boyfriend in high school. He’s still living in their hometown, but now with an ex-wife and little girl in the picture as well. Both of those secondary characters were fantastic! Actually all the other secondary characters were pretty amazing (well, except Kay blech).

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Second Chances in New Port Stephens to come out December 5, 2023.

This friends to lovers second chance romance was incredibly sweet and a joy to read. Yes, there were hard parts, but nothing that real versions of these characters wouldn’t be dealing with.

I really liked that this starred characters in their almost 40’s. Eli and Nick felt very much their age. They both had struggles that were extremely relatable to Xennials.

I also appreciated how careful the author was with word choices. (Some characters said some terrible things, yes, but those were an intentional part of the story.)

The use of reminiscing to show character growth was lovely. Reading how their relationship grew from first love to their second chance, while letting memories shine through, was extremely well done.

This is my favorite work of the author so far. I definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an arc of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Eli Ward hasn't returned home to New Port Stephen, Florida, since his transition 8 years ago, but now that his comedy career has tanked thanks to scandal, he just wants to get through the holidays with his well-meaning but misguided family. Of course, returning home means running into his past, and it's not long before Eli bumps into his high school boyfriend, Nick Wu, a divorced dad to Zoe (age 4). Eli thinks Nick is hotter than ever but must be completely straight, while Nick realizes that he still loves Eli, which sets him off on a thoughtful exploration of his own sexuality. But can they find a meeting of the minds -- and hearts -- in a state where Eli's very existence as a trans man is threatened by the government?

Alexander's latest book explores some of the nuances of establishing one's trans identity, especially with people from a pre-transition life. For example, while Eli's parents offer their verbal support and love, Eli has to point out that some of their actions (like holding on to several photos of pre-transition Eli) have the impact of making him feel unseen. But some of those nuances can be internalized, like how Eli can't seem to see Nick as anything but a straight guy since Nick's only relationships have been with people assigned female at birth. Eli and Nick's relationship suffers at times from lack of clear communication, based on assumptions like those, and it takes time for them to express themselves openly.

These two main characters get support from great side characters: Eli's friend Margo is brash and blunt and funny but always loving, and Nick's ex-wife Laurie provides acceptance and suggestions for Nick to help him reconsider his own sexuality. Little Zoe is, of course, a treat -- funny and feisty and totally accepting of Eli as Daddy's friend.

Beautifully imperfect characters with a moderately steamy level of attraction (and sex) and a bumpy journey to the HEA are hallmarks of Alexander's writing, and this book has all that along with heartfelt notes on the transphobic trend of legislation in the US today. 4 stars.

CW: rise of transphobic legislation, loss of parent in an accident, alcoholism, discussions of racism

Thank you, Atria and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

This is the first book I've read by TJ Alexander, and it definitely won't be my last. I loved this book!!! I loved the overarching theme of how it's never too late to discover who you are and how we are all learning and growing.

In this book we follow Eli, a trans man, coming home for the holidays who runs into his highschool ex and their journey of re-meeting and getting to know each other again.

Maybe it's the millennial in me, but this book was SO relatable on so many levels. The boomer parents, the fucked up things we said and did as kids, the awe of younger generations and how we can learn so much from them. There's something really special when the main characters are in their late 30s, but have known eachother since they were kids. I personally cringe all the time when I think of how I acted/my beliefs when I was in my teens, and TJ really captures that sort of growth/mortification.

I loved all the supporting characters (except Kay). I don't normally love kid characters, but ZOE??? SO cute and funny.

TJ also did a really good job of handling a wide range of topics thoughtfully, and all of the political issues mentioned are present IRL (unfortunately). I loved this, it was so refreshing to read a book that doesn't shy away from a lot of the fucked up realities that make up living in the USA as any sort of minority.

The spice!!!! It was really good, and never felt repetitive (which is how I feel about spice a lot of the time).

Also all the Florida man references made me laugh and the Florida references were perfect.

One thing I didn't love was the cover, but that's just a personal preference.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the ARC!

TJ Alexander ALWAYS nails it but this book ran even deeper for me. To read about two characters who are nearly forty and still trying to figure out who they are, whew I needed that. To read a hopeful romance set in the climate that is modern day Florida? WHEW I needed that too. This was beautiful and messy and perfect. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.