5 STARS!!!!!!!

I absolutely LOVED "Second Chances in New Port Stephens" by TJ Alexander!! The trans and demisexual representations are some of the best I have ever read. It's going to be hard to rival the queer joy on display in this book. I was so immensely happy and reading this. Eli and Nick are characters I won't soon forget. They both forged their way into my soul and heart. TJ Alexander did an incredible job bringing Eli and Nick's love story to life. Whereas other second-chance romances often feel too cliche, Eli and Nick's story offers equal parts nostalgia and rediscovery, which makes this story feel new and fresh. Eli and Nick both have a lot to learn about themselves, and they do it all while supporting each other. They tugged on my heartstrings, they made me laugh alongside them, they made me blush as they uncovered each other in more intimate ways, they made me sad for the discrimination they face, and they made me think about myself and my own life and my own journey. I openly wept multiple times while reading this book. The part with the pictures (IYKYK)? The part where Nick explains to his daughter Zoe who Eli is to him? I haven't read such touching dialogue in a long, long time. You MUST read this book. The banter is off-the-charts good. The story is layered, intricate, and emotional, with a touch of holiday dysfunction. There's not a ton of trauma here, it's just a touching, beautiful, heartfelt, cute, funny, important, brilliant book that I highly, highly recommend with my full heart and soul. TJ Alexander is and forever will be on my auto-buy authors list!

Thank you to NetGalley, TJ Alexander, Atria Books, and Emily Bestler Books for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

This was a perfect second chance romance! I am not always a fan of second chance romances, but the reasons why things didn't work out the first time around made for the second chance to be very believable. I loved both MCs even if Eli was sometimes a little bit annoying. It was in an endearing way. The side characters and setting also helped make this a thoroughly enjoyable read. I will definitely recommend this one.

I cannot recommend Second Changes in New Port Stephen enough! As a progressive living in a red state, the feeling and the atmosphere TJ Alexander created in this funny, heartwarming holiday book absolutely rang true. Sometimes it can feel lonely in these parts, but reading books like this can make you feel less alone. TJ Alexander created two wonderful, well-drawn characters in Eli and Nick that you really care about. I'm usually not one for second chance romances because I always feel like I'm playing "catch up" with the characters, but the trope was used very effectively to explore how Eli and Nick have changed as people over the years and how in some ways they had both stayed the same. I also loved that the characters were both pushing 40; not only because the 90s nostalgia was so fun, but how each character felt and approached this stage in life wrang true. 5 stars! Can't wait to read more from this author.

While this wasn't my favorite book of TJ's, it had the same page-turning quality I love so much about Chef's Choice and Chef's Kiss. The main characters felt fully developed. The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read was that I found some elements to be a bit cheesy.

4.5 stars, but rounded to 5 for NetGalley

Second Chances in New Port Stephen was a fun, heartfelt holiday romance with lots of great characters and representation.

I really loved both Eli and Nick as our POV characters. Their internal world's and struggles were unique and interesting, plus they had great chemistry together.

There were many laugh-out-loud moments throughout the book, but also important discussions surrounding sexuality, identity, and trans rights (particularly in Florida right now).

My only minor issues with the story was that Zoe didn't quite feel like a 4 year-old kid to me (occasionally saying and doing things that felt older than her age). Also, Eli could be very immature when it came to his parents and going off on them for no reason and not apologizing until much later.

But otherwise, I really loved reading a romance with a trans MC and the spicy scenes were great. Definitely recommend this one for a queer Xmas read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this title. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.

✨ Review ✨ Second Chances in New Port Stephen by T.J. Alexander

Okay this book was a total Christmas-time delight. Set in the not-so-conventional holiday story land of Florida, Eli comes home again after decades away. He re-meets Nick, his high school boyfriend, from before he transitioned, and the two strike up a quick friendship again. Nick, recently divorced and with a young daughter Zoe, finds a new kind of fun and happiness in Eli that he's missed in recent years.

The book is a queer delight -- in how it tackles trans identity, what it's like to be queer and living in Florida, finding your queerness later in life, and so much more. And it does it all with thoughtfulness and respect and care.

I'd also say the book didn't feel overly heavy on the romance and at times felt more like a "coming-of-forties" book.

Favorite moments:
-Nick and Eli at New Port Stephen's new gay bar
-Eli and Zoe bonding over the manatee
-Eli's parents and Nick's dad and the work they put into understanding Eli
-the flamingo with the santa hat on the cover

I want more TJ Alexander!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: m/m romance
Setting: Florida
Pub Date: December 5, 2023

Read this if you like:
⭕️ Christmas/holiday books that don't overdo the holiday
⭕️ excellent trans representation
⭕️ FL governor digs
⭕️ cuteness overload

Thanks to Atria, Simon & Schuster and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book! #BookClubFavorites

TJ Alexander has become one of my favorite authors this year. I was so excited for this book & I'm so happy I got a chance to read it early! Second Chances in New Port Stephen covers a large variety of deep and important topics like alcoholism, anti-transgender legislation, and miscommunication with family while still remaining a light-hearted rom com.

Eli moved away from his hometown in Florida to NYC. Since then Eli's transitioned and hasn't returned to his hometown until now. He's between jobs and is back at his parents' house for the holidays. Upon arriving, he runs into his first love, Nick, who now has a 6 year old daughter named Zoe. When the festivities with family get to be too much, Eli and Nick "run away" to the beach that they used to call theirs in high school. The more time they spend together, feelings start re-surfacing.

I was absolutely swooninggg when Nick explained what it means to be transgender to his daughter, Zoe. And her response was absolutely incredible! Moments like this between TJ Alexander's characters are the reason I love their writing style & books so much!

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria, and TJ Alexander for sending me an early copy!

Cute book. I liked the characters and the story was enjoyable. I need to check out more from this author.

Wow! I loved this book so much! Eli and Nick have crawled into my heart. This was such a great love story and I will never shut up about it.

This was my first book by TJ Alexander and I will absolutely read more from them in the future. While dealing with some seriously heavy subject matter, it does so with a clarity that is needed in this world at this time. This story gave me the perfect view from the outside about the inner feelings of a trans person as well as those around them trying to accept and understand them and their feelings in the best way possible. Eli and Nick are proof that when you are meant to be, you are meant to be and that is all that really matters. The fear of what is going on currently in Florida is something I think about every day and I can't imagine how trans and queer people must feel on the regular in this country. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved this book! Second Chances in New Port Stephen is a contemporary sweet and spicy second-chances Christmastime story set in balmy Florida. I loved the trans and demi rep - so well written - and the blooming relationship between Eli and his high school ex, Nick. It has a great overall 'love is love" message that the world could do more of these days! Highly recommended!

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced gifted copy.

This is such an excellent holiday book with queer and transgender representation. I loved Eli and Nick and their often dysfunctional but mostly trying their best families. I was rooting for them to figure themselves and each other out. I also loved the Florida setting and I still think this is the best book cover ever. Would definitely recommend!

Eli is back in town for the holidays for the first time in 25 years, meaning it’s his first time returning to his hometown since his transition. It’s why when he first runs into his childhood best friend and first love, Nick, he’s unrecognizable. Quickly enough, though, the two start hanging out and chatting like old times, even the romantic aspects of the old times…

This book was super cute, but also super fluffy. When you break down the plot there isn’t too much substance there. Both characters went through their own trials and tribulations, of course, but Nick’s were definitely more interesting to read about and had higher stakes than Eli’s. I noticed a lot of reviews were critiquing Eli’s whiny attitude, and, yeah, that was definitely there but it didn’t bother me so much while reading. I just wish more was happening with Eli, something bigger than waiting around for a job and trying to get his supportive parents more up to speed with the times.

I’m not sure if this next point is just a me thing or if others felt this way, too, but Nick and Eli’s high school relationship didn’t feel real to me. It was hard to see this as a second chance romance when the characters both seemed severely moved on from one another by the time they bump into each other. The author did a great job recreating moments from their childhood that would spark romantic nostalgia in the characters, but I guess I needed more. The moments felt really removed from the present day, nothing more than a fond memory to the characters.

I did love the Florida setting. The goods and bads of Florida were shone throughout the book and it affected the plot a lot. Gotta love a good setting!

I’m settled on a 3 Star, in the middle rating. It’s a nice queer holiday read, has some deeper content but all very surface level, and is something I can see myself forgetting fairly soon.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not much of a rom-com fan anymore, but OMG this was such a cute story!

I’ve read very few books where there’s a trans main character and this was so enjoyable and also educational. I must admit that there were some parts in the middle where I lost a bit of interest (and almost DNF’d it), but I decided not to give up on it and I was very pleasantly surprised.

I requested this for consideration for Book Riot's All the Books podcast for its release date, but my cohost claimed it first, so I was not able to review it myself.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book.

When Eli returns home for the holidays to his hometown in Florida, he feels trapped and like a failure for losing his last job. But when he meets back up with Nick, his high school sweetheart, things in New Port Stephen start looking up. Can the two reconnect even after all the years and changes between them?

This was good! The transphobia of Florida hits hard right now. I really loved both Eli and Nick and enjoyed their interactions and renewed romance. It took me a little while to get into the book, but by the time I was done I was so sad it was over. I especially love how supportive Eli's parents are and his friend Margo is the best and should have been in it more.

This is a feel-good romance about two adults reconnecting later in life and still finding a spark even after everything they've both gone through while apart.

CW: transphobia/anti-trans legislation, racism, past alcoholism

This was such a beautiful holiday rom-com! Eli (post-transition) runs into his ex-boyfriend Nick and after re-introductions begin to get to know one another as adults and the people they are now.

Eli is now a man and Nick now has a child and has been divorced but at their core they still connect to one another on an emotionally intimate level. This was one romance where the miscommunication actually made sense due to how the MC’s were feeing rather than added in for dramatic effect.

I do wish it would’ve been touched back on the conversation of Nick’s likely demisexuality, as it leaves it rather ambiguous and I think representation in ace community of all kinds is important and is often left ambiguous or un-discussed (especially in adult media).

4 stars!

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Atria Marketing for sending me this arc.

I was very excited for this book and I do want to try and give it a second chance soon but right now as someone who lives in a state that is enacting laws like what is talked about in this book I can't do it. It's an important topic and I read the first chapter which I loved the writing so I do think this will be fun but I am temporarily DNFing for now.

I was provided an e-arc thank to NetGalley and Atria. This book is a beautifully story of lost love and recapturing it. A wonderful queer story that captures your heart! It follows Eli as he visits for Christmas in his hometown and goes down memory lane and rediscover love and family. It touches on some dark topics such as alcoholism and anti-trans politics in states, loss of a parent. But is a funny heartwarming story!

It’s only fitting that on the night Eli Ward returns home for Christmas after years away, he runs into his still-hot, still-charming ex-boyfriend. Eli’s a different person now—post-transition, sober, and recently unemployed after his TV writing gig blew up—and it takes Nick a moment to put the pieces together after their carts bumped into each other. They hang out for the remainder of the holidays, both unsure if the flames are really being rekindled or not. Second Chances in New Port Stephen is such a sweet and funny book about family and love and identity.