I am such a fan of TJ Alexander, and this book only makes that love stronger.
the way that they write queer romances and experiences are amazing. In SCiNPS, we get to meet Eli. He's coming home to Florida under less than ideal circumstances as a trans man in his forties. His ex-boyfriend Nick is still there, now divorced with a daughter. This is exactly the kind of second chance romance I wanted to close out my year. TJ always makes the characters and the worlds so unbelievable. I have come to the conclusion that if they write it, I'll read it!

DNF. I really liked the premise but the writing did not work for me at all. It wouldn't be fair to the book if I finished reading and gave it a low rating.

I’m very torn on how to rate ‘Second Chances in New Port Stephen’ and landed on giving it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was a cozy holiday romance with lovely diverse representation, but it had some flaws.

Let’s start with the things I liked:
- The range of LGBTQIA+ characters (including a trans man as the main character), queer lexicon, and inclusive language woven into the story, which I haven’t seen before in a romance novel. I learned some new things because of this book!
- I loved the healthy co-parenting dynamics we saw between Nick and Laurie.
- The Taiwanese-American cultural elements sprinkled throughout, and Tian-Yi! He was my favorite character.
- I enjoyed that the main characters were finding love at age 40 (age representation in romance novels is important too!).

Now, the aspects of which I wasn’t a fan:
- Eli’s character and inner dialogue felt very immature to me, considering he is described as being a 39-year-old who’s gone to plenty of therapy.
- I have run into the miscommunication/lack of communication trope A LOT recently, and it really puts me off when it’s drawn out as much as it was in this book.
- Some plot points were hard to believe (the sinkhole…) and took me out of the story a bit.

Despite the flaws, I’m happy that I read this book and would recommend to anyone looking to branch out with their romance novels.

QUEER JOY TO THE WORLD because this book has come! Second Chances in New Port Stephen should be taught in every gender studies class henceforth! This powerhouse of a rom-com felt like the perfect introduction to the Trans community wrapped up in one of the cutest love stories I've read in quite some time.

There is no way this tale of a Trans man returning home to Florida to visit his family on Christmas WON'T be turned into a movie. The style of writing was like seeing storyboards in a Hallmark movie writing room with each scene carefully crafted.

PLUS - did TJ Alexander interview my therapist? Because cover to cover this book unpacked all of the traumas I've been through in my life! And I think that is the true magic of Second Chances in New Port Stephen - relatability. As a reader you get lost in the rekindling of Eli and Nick's romance while also seeing pieces of your own life coming to life on each page.

Even when things seemed the darkest and that the main characters weren't going to get back together, I still somehow had a smile on my face. It was quirky. It was caring, And most of all it taught valuable lessons on life, love and family with tons of laughs along the way.

US pub date: 12/5/23
Genre: romance (m/m, trans rep, second chance romance, high school sweethearts)
Quick summary: Trans comedy writer Eli returns home to FL for Christmas with his life in pieces - and to top it all off, he runs into his high school boyfriend Nick, who's divorced with adorable daughter Zoe - and still as hot as ever.

I loved both CHEF'S KISS and CHEF'S CHOICE from TJ Alexander, so of course I had to read this one. I was raised in South Florida, so the environment felt very familiar to me - I'm so glad TJ included the manatees and the 1-2-turn 2 TV news slogan - so nostalgic! I really liked seeing Eli's family become more actively supportive of his queer identity - it was clear that his coming out had been a little rocky, and I was glad to see them step up and take actions that would make him more comfortable in their home.

Eli himself was a bit hard for me to connect with - like a lot of romance characters, I think he really needed therapy! I didn't like seeing him turn around and blame everyone else for his misfortunes. But I was happy to see him and Nick together, and this was still a fun read. I'll continue to read TJ's books!

Thank you to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

All the stars for the queer and trans joy in this book. As someone in their early 40s that's still trying to figure stuff out, I appreciate that the characters were not the typically 20 year olds we usually see in romance. It's technically a Christmas story, but it can easily be enjoyed any time of year.

It’s their third novel in less than two years, and still, “Second Chances in New Port Stephen” is signature TJ Alexander.

Humorous, full of heart, and with a hopeful holiday twist, "Second Chances In New Port Stephen has all the positive queer representation of the Chef’s Kiss series, once again giving a voice to underrepresented trans and questioning voices.

I always learn something new in every TJ Alexander book I read.

But beyond that, it’s just good storytelling that keeps me coming back to this author.

Both Eli and Nick are such strong characters, at once familiar and relatable, while still so vastly distinct from Simon and Ray and Luna and John-Pierre. And I fell in love them both.

So much so that I’m hoping this isn’t the last we get to see of ElNick. A couple name? Oh, cringe.

But I digress… read this book.

TJ Alexander - This book was magic. Christmas magic, queer magic, second chance magic, the magic of making Florida seem like a romantic setting. God I loved it all.

Eli is returning home to Florida after losing his job as a writer on a show in New York. He hasn't returned in decades. And on his return who should he run into but his childhood best friend, first love, first everything - only Nick has never met Eli post transition. Nick's life is full. He has a four year old daughter he loves, and ex wife he gets along with, and a restaurant to run. He doesn't have time for anything else - but when he runs in to Eli, he starts to feel true joy for the first time just for himself in a long time.

I fell in love with these two from their first introductions. Eli is funny, prickly and oh so very loveable. Nick is strong, determined and measured. And also so lovable. Watching their journey just made my Christmas heart grow three sizes. I feel the Christmas spirit, and can't keep this smile off my face.

Go read it please.

Thank you Atria Books for sending me a copy of Second Chances in New Port Stephen by TJ Alexander! This was the perfect read for around the holidays. I really enjoyed this book, it was a second chance romance (if you didn’t already pick that up from the title), single dad trope, MM romance, with “older” characters (late 30s). Eli is a trans male who comes home to Florida because he lost his job in New York. He runs into his high school ex boyfriend and they reconnect. As they reconnect, they start to realize that maybe they never stopped loving each other, they had broken up in high school because they didn’t want to try a long distance relationship. The frustration from how clueless Nick and Eli were about their feelings for each other was adorable, but at some points just too much. Sometimes it felt like they were two high school students just starting a relationship, not two 39 year olds, one who is divorced with a daughter and the other who has been in many relationships and dating situations. The only thing I didn’t like, was the epilogue. I could have been happy imagining how their life panned out. The epilogue at the end of this book just didn’t seem to fit with the storyline. No spoilers here, but you will understand once you get there. Overall, I really liked this book, it was adorable and swoon worthy, with a couple spicy scenes! 4 stars!

I’ve loved everything written by TJ Alexander. This is such a great story with amazing trans rep. I don’t always love second chance romances but this was an interesting new take on an old trope. Eli and Nick were in love as teenagers, back before Eli went by Eli. Nick has always thought he was straight but when he reunites with his ex who is now an out trans man, he starts to question things. In other books with trans MCs, steamy scenes will graphically depict the cis characters but vaguely depict trans characters, like they just have black holes down there, like it’s too complicated or controversial to describe so they just don’t. This book paid equal tribute to both characters in a very respectful and loving way. Their romance was sweet and I really adored Nick’s daughter, Zoe.

Thank you to Atria for the eARC widget via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I absolutely recommend this read - overall it’s heartwarming and great for the holiday season, with a few spicy scenes. I started by listening to the audio but ended by reading the digital ARC because I wanted to get to the ending faster!
Second Chances in New Port Stephen was an unexpectedly fun read - the MCs are in their forties, one is a divorced dad with a precocious daughter, and the other is home for Christmas in Florida. There is a healthy balance of serious topics (alcoholism, the state of Florida, trans and queer issues) with a revisited high school romance, though a lot has changed since high school. The characters are (mostly) sweet. I appreciated how Eli’s parents and friends really tried to give him the space he needed, and I wish Eli had been a bit more cognizant of that, but it made for showing his character’s growth!

While this is Alexander's third romcom, it is my first by them. It definitely has some heavy topics, but they are told with a lot of care. I loved the humor and swoony moment between Eli and Nick.

I loved this book in a way that makes me fundamentally sad it's my first TJ Alexander book, because this was absolutely delightful. I get so personally attached to MCs that have great banter with each other, and Eli and Nick had that in spades. I both liked and was made uncomfortable by the backdrop of present-day Florida for the story, it added another layer to Eli's depression about being back there and being stuck. Really, there were a ton of potentially weighty topics that came up in this, but never felt too weighted down by them, and I would consider that a triumph, to keep the story rooted in the time place and circumstances it's being told in, but still letting it breathe and be light when it could. His parents were an interesting study in (one example of) what it's like to love a trans person through their transition, and what to do about the memories and the memorabilia of a life that has complicated layers for one of the people who lived through it. I felt so bad for them through many portions of the book because they were absolutely doing their best in every way, but they had no way to dodge the landmines that were Eli's complicated emotional reactions and outbursts.

This was so close to a 5 star for me, I think if I had the mental bandwidth to deal in half- and quarter-stars, it would be higher, but there were a few things that held me back from that.
1. This was very much Eli's story, to the detriment of Nick. And sometimes that's okay for a book to do, sometimes even with dual-POV stories, you can end up with a main character and a love interest instead of two main characters and that can really work for the story being told. But Nick had enough going on with his weirdly shaped family and coming out journey and midlife identity crisis that I don't think he was intended to take a backseat, but to me all of his struggles felt secondary
2. The miscommunication with the phone call... babes, loves of my life, why in the fuck are you so dumb.
3. Eli's interactions with his parents didn't read anywhere NEAR a 40 year old to me. I know there's a lot to be said for queer people experiencing age at different rates because childhoods got stunted with all the secrets they had to keep and the tension they had to bear, and there's also a lot to say for being back home after so many years away and falling back into old patterns, but it was just a little too jarring for me. Whenever Eli and Nick were together and talking about their old knees and ages (which was so many of their conversations lmao) it felt fake that they were that old because Eli just never read that to me.

These things in no way stopped this from being a book that really resonated with me, and that I'm going to spend a fair amount of time thinking about. I really hope it's enough motivation to finally pick up TJ's other books from the shelf and get around to them. TBRs are so hard y'all...

This is a well done second chance romance with a twist.
Eli is a trans guy who’s been working as a writer on a comedy TV show until it was recently cancelled. He reluctantly goes home to his parents in Florida at Christmas. His parents are understanding but their house still has pictures of him before his transition.

Eli knows he’s going to see his high school ex, Nick, who was his best friend growing up. Nick is divorced and has part custody of his charming daughter. When he and Eli meet again and start hanging out, it feels like old times. As they visit places they knew in high school, Nick realizes his feelings for his ex haven’t changed and he tries to work through this realization, especially when he finds that Eli feels the same way about him.

I liked how the author navigated the complicated emotions throughout the book, with his parents and with Nick. 4 stars.

This book made me smile like no other book has done this holiday season and I can’t recommend enough.

Thank you for @bookclubfavorites for the gifted copy!!

The book follows Eli, a trans man down on his luck returning home for the holidays and moving back in with his parents. A chance encounter has him face to face with his high school ex Nick, who’s now a father to a precocious little girl. Turns out the two have gone through a lot of changes since they last saw one another but the spark is still there.

I loved Eli and Nick so so much. There was so much care and understanding as their lives once again intersected. The second chances come now only with their rekindling but with Eli finding joy in being home with his parents. There’s a moment in this book between Eli and his parents that had me simultaneously laughing and crying it was so beautiful and I don’t want to spoil it!

The pair are approaching their 40s and I thought it was refreshing to see no matter the age, there’s still a lot of self discovery to do!!

*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review*

Oh. My. God. This was EVERYTHING I was hoping for from TJ Alexander. I DEVOURED this. I loved everything about it. I have nothing bad to say about it. I love it all and want more of Eli and Nick <3

If you’re looking for a queer holiday romance that has a trans main character and is MM, I highly recommend Second Chances in New Port Stephen!!!!!!!

Trigger Warnings: transphobia, past death of a parent, racism, alcoholism, child custody battle, sex, alcohol, past fatal car accident, cursing, discussion of Florida’s politics, drunk boat driving (not main characters)

Representation: Transgender, Lesbian, Gay, Asian, Queer

Second Chances in New Port Stephen is a rom-com about family and second chances. A trans man returns to his Florida hometown for Christmas after his career goes up in flames, only to cross paths with his high school ex.

Eli Ward hasn’t been back to his suffocating hometown of New Port Stephen, Florida, in ages. Post-transition and sober, he’s a completely different person from the one who left years ago. When a scandal threatens his career as a TV writer and comedian, he has no choice but to return home for the holidays. He can only hope he’ll survive his boisterous, loving, but often misguided family and hide the fact that his dream of comedy success has become a nightmare.

Just when he thinks this trip couldn’t get any worse, Eli bumps into his high school ex, Nick Wu, who’s somehow hotter than ever. Divorced and in his forties, Nick’s world revolves around his father, his daughter, and his job, but even a busy life can’t keep him from being intrigued by the reappearance of Eli.

Against the backdrop of one weird Floridian Christmas, the two must decide whether to leave the past in the past…or move on together.

I love TJ Alexander's writing. This book is so sweet and the inclusion of various types of families really shines throughout. The love story is also great and I very much enjoyed our leads, as well as the chorus of supporting characters. Eli and Nick are such an adorable couple with their instant rapport, teasing, and banter. I loved how seamlessly they fall back into their old rapport. The obstacles they faced together are very realistic and the author handles them with care. I also loved how the author incorporates various LGBTQ+ terms and answers to questions that people may have about transgender people. Besides the romance, I really enjoyed the individual stories that both Eli and Nick had with their families and personal lives. Overall, this was another home-run from this author!

This was a beautiful story about a trans gay man coming back to his hometown for Christmas and also running into his childhood sweetheart. This is a love story with 40 year old main characters which is just lovely to read. All the side characters were great and I loved getting the dual POV.

Thank you to netgalley and Atria books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

To me, this book was like a warm hug. Loved the trans male MC. Loved the Christmas story set in a warm climate. Loved the second chance romance. Loved all of the representation. I ended up listening to the audiobook and it was done so well!

Eli has returned home to New Port Stephen as a new person. While he loves his family, they’re a lot to take in.

Just when he thinks things can’t get any more over the top, he bumps into his high school ex, Nick. Nick is not hotter than ever. Nick’s divorced and his world revolves around his daughter.

As the two start talking, they must decide if they want to leave the past in the past, or move on…together.

This book did such a great job highlighting some very sexually diverse characters. I think that the issues highlighted were done tactfully and well. I loved that this was set around the holidays, and some real family issues were touched on and it made it feel real. It was nice to see how the characters dealt with some very real issues surrounding homophobia and transphobia. I find it sad that we are still struggling with issues like this as a society in the current day and age. Nick and Eli were a special couple, and I loved their journey. The way they listened and grew together was fabulous and real. Because they were willing to grow together the romance blossomed and grew into something amazing. The side characters were great, but Zoe was my favorite. I always get a kick out of fun side characters that help the main characters shine.

This was my first book by this author, but I can’t believe it! Where have I been? I can’t wait to read more.

This book review was featured on my blog: speedreadstagram.com

I absolutely adored this book and hope you pick it up.