DNF at 40%

I just could not get into it. The reason for her wanting to leave her husband just made zero sense to me. Miscommunication is not my jam.

Thank you @smpromance @macmillan.audio for a copy of this.

RATING: 2/5 STARS

I could not mesh with the writing of this one. It felt very hot and cold. I loved the premise and the idea of a sunshine MMC but unfortunately was a DNF for me.

I found this a hard one to finish. The characters listen to and just didn’t resonate with me. I wanted to get invested in their second chance, but I think the characters could’ve use more development and I would’ve liked it better if we got Tobin‘s point of view. They’re also seem to be a lot going on which made the story very confusing.

This was a dazzling debut filled with so much heart. It featured characters we don't often see in the romance world or don't see as much as we should: a woman not in her twenties, dealing with the collapse of her marriage, and featuring autism representation. I loved the second chance romance aspects of the story and the setting was beautiful.

While these are just my opinions, still read this book if it interests you!

I picked up this book about 5 times to try to get invested and just kept putting it down. I wanted to love it but maybe it’s the wrong time? I made a promise to myself if I wasn’t enjoying a book, I’d DNF it.

I adore second chance romance and I’d relate this one to you deserve each other by sarah hogle. However, I didn’t really understand the initial conflict and once I saw the improv group I was done (personally scarred).

Thanks Netgalley and Saint Martin’s Press for gifting me an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book gave me all the feels- and that includes frustration, but justifyingly so. This story is such a beautiful one and I think Maggie North did a fantastic job writing a neurodivergent character. I loved Liz and I wanted to give her the biggest hug. I loved Tobin and his love for Liz. The prompts the pair did for improv- amazing. Especially that last one- it got me in my feels for sure! This is a story that you could read over and over again and I honestly can't wait to read it again!

I absolutely loved Liz’s growth and journey of discovery along with Tobin’s. As they worked through the self help book and navigated the workplace drama there were so many moments that hit me hard. What a wonderful debut with fantastic autism representation. As someone who has felt invisible, I could really relate to Liz

I just couldn't connect to this. I was disappointed because, second chance marriage is my all-time favorite. The conflict that caused them to separate was absolutely ridiculous. Liz left because Tobin was more popular and possessed more self-confidence. She kept calling him her ex after only leaving to stay at her sister's but still lusted after him each time she was around him? Why would you automatically call your husband your ex when divorce wasn't even on the table? I also didn't agree with some of the underlying morals in this book and honestly put the nail in the coffin. I just can't get on board with some things, no matter how subtle they are. Unfortunately, I was also not a fan of the narration. I especially did not like her "dude voice."
Thank you, NetGalley, and St Martin's Press, for the opportunity to listen, read, and review this advanced copy.
I just couldn't connect to this. I was disappointed because, second chance marriage is my all-time favorite. The conflict that caused them to separate was absolutely ridiculous. Liz left because Tobin was more popular and possessed more self-confidence. She kept calling him her ex after only leaving to stay at her sister's but still lusted after him each time she was around him? Why would you automatically call your husband your ex when divorce wasn't even on the table? I also didn't agree with some of the underlying morals in this book and honestly put the nail in the coffin for me. I just can't get on board with some things, no matter how subtle they are.
Thank you, NetGalley, and St Martin's Press, for the opportunity to listen, read, and review this advanced copy.

Stops her self loathing and leaves her marriage to find her magic. Lost herself as Tobin’s wife and to win a pitch promotion at work. She takes improv classes to help with her promotion and magic, then partners up with Tobin when he proposes to work on their marriage with an improv book from a friend. Tobin & Liz still have love for each other, we only get Liz’s POV but we can still sense Tobin’s pining for his wife. This book was not what I was expecting, it was better. The use of improv to work on their marriage and her pitch was unique and entertaining.

I recently discovered my love for the marriage in crisis trope, so I was so excited to read this and it did not disappoint. This was a beautiful and heartwarming story about a second chance at love and a journey of self discovery. It was a unique take on a marriage in crisis that included ND rep, a bisexual FMC, wilderness workplace drama, and improv. I was rooting for Liz, Tobin, and their attempt to reconnect and evaluate where things went wrong in their marriage. The unexpected star of this book was the improv subplot. It brought an added layer of vulnerability and trust between Liz and Tobin that only made you root for them harder. This was a beautiful debut novel and I can’t wait to read more from Maggie North. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for and honest review.

Dnf, unfortunately. I thought I would like this but I the writing style isn’t my favorite. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted arc.

Rules for Second Chances immediately got me with its striking cover. Liz Lewis is tired of being overlooked, of coming second to her charismatic husband, and in order to find her own magic, she decides she needs to be on her own. She goes after a promotion at work but needs a confidence boost and turns to the ultimate outside-her-comfort-zone hobby: improv. And her husband Tobin is determined to win her back. I feel like this book wanted to be a lot of things. It’s a coming-of-age type story for 30-year-old Liz, it’s a romance, it’s about growth. But I think the improv angle became too heavy a focus. It was part of how Tobin was trying to help them and it was how she was finding herself; it was just kind of too much. I felt like the romance took a heavy back burner here, and I’d categorize this more as women’s fiction than a romance. Liz was the star of this, and I think having it have all the split focus, the end felt rushed and a little unsatisfying. The banter with her friends and that growth though was wonderful, Tobin was so sweet, and watching Liz find her voice was a great journey. Her self-growth journey is really beautiful and I was really rooting for her! It’s well written and interesting, I just wish the focus was stronger

Maggie North's debut is a brutally honest, intimate, and beautiful second-chance love story. I felt Liz's character so intensely and all of her confusing emotions and internal battles felt so real. Watching her fall back in love with Tobin was magical. Can't wait for what she does next!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started the book but wow this was emotional and so good! Happy for Liz and her Tobin and both finding out more about themselves and really communicating! Loved this and I’ll be on the lookout for more from this author!

Maggie’s writing is absolutely beautiful! And I loved the uniqueness of the improv. I thought the complexity and interiority of Liz’s state of mind were well-done and made sense in the context of marriage. Overall, a really strong debut! I’ll definitely read more from this author.

What a unique read for a second chance romance/marriage in trouble! Maggie North's debut is captivating with it's original story and take on romance.

Read this for:
-Second chance
-Marriage in trouble
-Forced proximity
-Bi heroine
-Neurodivergent rep
-Workplace

Liz Lewis is tired of not being seen by anyone, including her own husband. She is ready to find her "magic" and decides that a promotion and the pitch contest at work is the way to get her magic back. In the midst of this decision, she also decides that her marriage needs some work.

Forced to step out of her comfort zone, Liz finds herself in an Improv class to improve her leadership skills. She also finds herself using improv to help her struggling marriage to her husband Tobin.

Liz goes through so many awakenings in this book. She really starts to learn about trusting herself, who she is, and how she can set boundaries. Her relationship with her boss, her sister, her husband, and even herself are all changed. This is not only a romance, but a story about finding oneself in the process of thinking you need to live up to some supposed standard of who you are supposed to be.

It's emotional to watch Liz struggle so much and as the reader you find yourself rooting for her to come out on the other side of all the things and ideas weighing her down. I enjoyed seeing all the growth she had in all areas of her life and her relationships. Not only was she able to make her marriage work, but she developed real friendships, and started to mend the issues with her sister.

Her journey to self discovery and finding out she was Autistic seemed so realistic. It wasn't something she knew her entire life but something she found out as an older adult and the layers peeling away to help her uncover that seemed so poignant.

Tobin was such a sweet man underneath all his charisma. That merman scene tho, IYKYK.... I really enjoyed seeing how he grew with his own issues with his Dad and Mom. They both went on a journey as a couple and came through on the other side changed for the better and together.

I would recommend reading this one when it comes out! I'm looking forward to what Maggie comes up with next. I'm really hoping its going to be the love story of McHuge and Stellar!

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I absolutely loved this book! I could see so much of myself in Liz, all of the social anxiety and anti-social behavior. I was so happy that Tobin didn't just let her walk away, muddling through trying to figure out a way through their issues. The way the author took you through all the twists and turns of a marriage in trouble was done with such skill. I could not recommend this book more highly and look forward to more books from this first time author. Thank you NetGalley and Maggie North for an advanced copy. I will be purchasing this book when it is published and it will go in my to be re-read folder!!

I really like the second chance romance trope. I was do excited to find this one.

It was for me to get into the book. I wanted to like it but couldn’t get into it. I kept picking it up and putting it down. I didn’t love the writing style and the couple, Liz and Rubin, was hard to root for.

Second chance romance? Sign me up, I resonate with Liz so much, her struggles with meeting people, feeling like you’re being over looked, and trying so hard to fit into societal norms. I loved that through out the story it was her husband fighting for the second chance, when most of the time it’s always the women’s that is pushing for the last ditch effort. I loved the process of the couple reconnecting through out the story in a healthy way but really loved the growth and self actualization Liz had through out her journey.

The book cover is what first caught my attention. The synopsis was promising and I was very excited to read this book. I unfortunately had to dnf it. I was struggling with understanding with what was happening at times. There was too much jumping around. I couldn’t focus and had to re-read the page again. I like the love the couple have for each other. Tobin is a great guy and wished I could have read his POV.

Favorite quote: “But Tobin can read me, when he looks. And sometime in the past four weeks, he started looking again. And he started letting me see him, too.“