I normally love second chance romances, but I had a hard time getting through this one. The main character Liz seemed selfish and just blamed their relationship problems on her husband Tobin. I feel like they could have just communicated better and solved a lot of their issues. I did like the idea of using improv scenarios to help them work through their issues and there were some laugh out loud moments involving the secondary characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC!

Maggie North's debut romance, RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES is a thoughtful, touching, humorous look at how far her main character, Liz, will go to reinvent herself. When Liz realizes she's second-fiddle to her husband largely due to her own passivity in her life, she decides to "get magic", however necessary. But along the way, Liz's goals shift as she learns a lot about herself, her husband, and what "getting magic" really means to her.

First of all, let me say I truly enjoyed RULES. At its heart, it's Liz's story, with some wonderful secondary characters thrown in to provide foils to Liz, humor, and heart. Liz's charming husband Tobin, her improv instructor McHuge, friends Sharon and Bea, sister Amber, smarmy boss Craig, and other characters all have something to teach Liz, if she's willing to do the work to look inside and grow. Her goal starts off simple: to gain a promotion. But Maggie North's romance has layers! I loved that every time Liz found her footing, something came along to shake things up and keep her guessing and learning.

RULES is at times emotional, at other times hilarious as Liz tries her hand at improv comedy, and at times frustrating watching her navigate her fractious relationship with her sister. I was cheering so loudly for Liz to realize that she was enough on her own and I loved watching her slowly edge her way to that realization, although it came as Liz begins to realize her social anxiety and the other things she's hated herself for are part of what makes her, HER--an autistic adult.

I have to mention the deft way Maggie North handled the "marriage in trouble" trope here. It could have felt worn out but it didn't. Because of the careful way Liz and Tobin use an improv guide to play through scenarios, that impacts the work on possibly saving their marriage. It was beautiful to watch them re-learn how to be vulnerable with one another.

A sweet read with a FMC who seeks to take her life into her hands. Many sweet and funny moments in which the FMC and MMC are vulnerable.

Who knew that the second chance for love in your life could come from improv. It's such a funny and cute little story. Could definitely seeing this become a fun 2nd chance rom-com.

Rules For Second Chances was a beautiful story of a marriage-in-crisis told alongside the story of Liz coming into herself at the start of her 30s. Liz and Tobin, in an attempt to save their marriage, start doing improv bits together which make for HILARIOUS scenes, that are truly just so.... unique? Special? So outside the norm of what I'm used to reading in this genre? Honestly, this book restored my faith in RomComs that are both funny AND (yes, and!) heartfelt, AND beautifully written. This book was such a treat, and I loved how real it all felt. Heartbreaking and hopeful and hilarious.

The one thing I struggled with in this book (and by the 50% mark, it was fine) was understanding WHY Liz felt like she needed to leave her husband. There were explanations, but they felt vague, and not specific enough for me to REALLY buy into her decisions until the story progresses and we learned a little more. BUT, this truly didn't impact my enjoyment of the book at all. This book was SUCH a breath of fresh, funny air, and I can't wait to see what Maggie North does next!

Tobin & Liz are married, work together, and have a disastrous father/father-in-law, and an elderly feline, and the realization that you (Liz) have autism is going to make for some great stories. However, some of the scenes fell flat for me. I was determined to finish, and I'm glad that I did.

Love the cover!

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am sad to report that despite the beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis, this book fell flat. It took a while for the conflict between the couple to be fully fleshed out, which made it hard to understand both characters. This book would have been more enjoyable if the focus was solely on the heroine's personal growth and journey.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

2 stars

Utterly enchanting!

It's been a long time since I related to a main character as much as I did with Liz. That's probably because Liz, and Maggie North are autistic, like me. Seeing the world through Liz' perspective was almost unsettling at times, because it resonated with me SO deeply that it was like the author had ripped open my head and peered inside.

I especially resonated with Liz' struggle to earn her well-deserved promotion, and had to stop reading a few times to wipe away tears when it came to scenes with Tobin.

Liz tries so hard, and it's soul crushing to watch the other characters stomp on her when she deserves so much more. I wanted to yell at her annoying coworkers so many times--it's very rare for a book to get me so riled up!

I recommend this book for people who are love:
- Autistic rep
- Second chance romance
- Older main character (30s)
- Canadian setting
- Improv
- Grumpy/Sunshine

Not recommended for readers sensitive to the following themes:
- Family
- Marriage-in-crisis
- Social anxiety

MERMEN UNITE!

Rating: 3.75/5

Thank you Maggie North and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book via NetGalley!

This is a book for the ones who think they need to change when what they need is to find the right people.

To start, I have to note that this book read as two parts for me. The first half focused largely on Liz and I did find her relatable in some ways. Along those lines, I appreciated seeing her take initiative to challenge herself and pursue self-development. That said, I went into this excited for the romance and found that those moments, (which I loved) were far and few between, and I really felt that loss. That isn't to say anyone should be deterred from picking this book up. Instead, go in expecting less in the romance department and if that's okay, then this may be a non-issue!

Now the second half, I *loved*. It shouldn't come as a surprise when I say the shift towards seeing more Liz with Tobin played a large part in that. I loved seeing them be playful while they tried to rekindle their relationship but it was so much more. It was the two of them communicating what they needed. It was letting their guards down and being vulnerable. It was getting messy and admitting they *both* played a part in the demise of their marriage. I just felt so much more emotionally invested and their HEA was the perfect ending to their journey.

Normally, I wouldn't explain my rating (bc *vibes*) but I do want to mention that the overall rating is an estimation of what I think would be the average of what I would rate the two halves of the stories separately. I did enjoy the second half significantly more but did it make the first worth it? Hmmm... I *am* glad I got to experience the journey that was Liz and Tobin's love story but if I had stopped in the first half, I don't think I would have regretted it. But again, just bc this book wasn't a complete hit for me doesn't mean it won't, in its entirety, resonate with someone else.

CN: open-door romance, toxic/complicated family, parental neglect and abandoment, autistic characters (established and discoverying), anti-autistic bias, medication given with needle, temporarily lost child and pet, non-graphic depiction of childbirth

Okay I did not expect this book to be as heavy as it was! wow.

It is a second chance romance that was different than any other one I have read. I have to admit, I didn’t love the fmc at the beginning. It took me a bit to enjoy being inside her head. However I definitely loved her and Tobin and their tension was fantastic. i LOVED the ending.

This book took me by surprise with it's utterly unique storyline. It is filled with hope, has swoony moments, and full of healing. The beautiful prose captures the reader's attention and could make it a forever favorite for one. I do wish for everyone to experience this book and be transformed by it. Just like I did.

The main character, the socially awkward introvert, makes the story a little heavier and that is exactly what i was expecting going into this book. Many readers can relate to this aspect of the character. Including myself. Maybe that is why this book touched me so deeply. Reading this book was so up my alley, truly.

Liz and Tobin are very important characters and feel so real. Personally I couldn't help but connect to them easily. The author's talent for creating relatable characters definitely shines through!

The journey of Liz and Tobin trying to save their relationship is captivating. As a huge second chance romance fan I was super happy because of it! The use of improv adds humor to the story, but the author's skill in transitioning from laughter to tears is remarkably beautiful.

The dynamic between the main characters is particularly interesting, especially when they have meaningful conversations about their relationship. This genuine communication is a departure from their previous struggles and i absolutely loved seeing such improvements from their relationship. The book is emotionally intense, and Maggie's writing style is stunning.

Overall, I REALLY enjoyed this book! Amd I am eagerly waiting for more stories from this author!

Thank you to Netgally and St. Martins Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!

This book was cute and interesting. The improv thing was different and fun. I did enjoy all the side characters and friends from improv. I agree that this is more a story of the FMC “finding” herself than it is a true romance, but that’s ok. There was a-lot going on. It was just ok.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

Don't judge a book by its cover, right? I'll admit that's what drew me to this one. Too bad I had to DNF at 27%. I was confused during most of this, I couldn't even figure out where it took place. Liz was awful, her sister was worse, and Tobin's mother was a close third. I didn't understand what Tobin saw in Liz. And why would you request a birthday party when your social anxiety (and other reasons) usually keep you from such an event? I didn't even get very far into the improv part of the book. By then I was done.

I had such high hopes for this book because I'm a huge sucker for second chance romances, but this one just didn't do it for me.

There was some really beautiful writing, especially when Liz & Tobin are together, but the plot was a little too much for me. Messy? Absurd? I'm not sure what adjective I'm looking for...

I think the improv aspect of the plot was what threw me out of the story. I am not a fan of improv by any means, so having that be the thing that saves their marriage was a little out there.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

How do you save a marriage when you don't even know who YOU are? Liz and Tobin had my whole heart as they went on this journey of self-discovery through improv. Liz struggles to be the "main character" in her own life, a wallflower who fell in love with the life of the party. This second-chance romance encompasses so many life lessons about pushing away doubt and what others think and embracing the true you. North did a phenomenal job of showcasing Liz's journey to realizing her neurodivergence, and I appreciated being able to see myself in a character. It was poignant and beautifully written.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eArc in exchange for an honest review!
I have never read a second chance romance trope book involving a married couple before, but this book follows Liz and Tobin and their achingly beautiful, honest look at themselves and their marriage. This book was tender, serious, funny, raw, and I was rooting for them the whole time. I will 100% read whatever Maggie North writes next.
4.5/5

This was such a sweet debut novel by Maggie North!

When Liz reaches a breaking point with her marriage and her career, she signs up to take an improv class, but she needs an improv partner. Her (sort of) ex-husband Tobin sees this as an opportunity to help Liz with her improv practice while also attempting to save their marriage.

Throughout the book, there are several different improv scenarios that Liz and Tobin complete which are meant to help them work through their underlying marital woes. I thought the inclusion of improv was a unique spin on marriage counseling that I’d never seen before.

There was a lot of soul-searching in this book for both Liz and Tobin. It was refreshing to see such different perspectives for solving relationship issues and self-discovery.

Overall, I thought this was a really cute story. However, it felt drug out in some areas and I found myself getting a tad confused throughout the book. Nevertheless, it was a fun second-chance romance novel!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s for providing a digital advance copy of this book in exchange for my opinions!

Smart, empathetic, and enigmatic. I very much enjoyed Maggie's writing style and keen observations about the human spirit. Tobin was dreamy and wonderful and I want him I WANT HIM.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I love second chance romances - and this is a good one. The main character, Liz, is an outdoor enthusiast who is (clearly but unbeknownst to her and somehow all her loved ones except her sister?) on the autism spectrum. This has caused issues in her personal and professional life, but she's tired of being overlooked and stepped on and decides to leave her husband, the town's golden boy. The rest of the book is about the two of them shaping up and getting their relationship back on track by...improv. Yes. That is correct.

For the most part I really enjoyed this book. The friends Liz makes through the improv group are super fun, and like I said I love a second chance romance, so it was sweet to read about Liz and her husband working their way back together.

The reason I gave this three stars is because I felt there were several issues that were presenting big issues for the two main characters that really did not get resolved in a satisfactory or big enough way. We don't have any background or resolution into why Liz's parents (largely absent) kept throwing their daughters together and forcing them to have a relationship when Liz clearly was treated like crap by her sister. We also don't really get a satisfactory resolution to her husband's boundary issues with his mom. (Suddenly his mom just wakes up and realizes her husband is a jerk and that's supposed to make up for her treatment of her daughter-in-law?). Because those parent issues felt like they were resolved really expeditiously, I was left wanting more. Otherwise, I would have rated this book higher.

Love a good second chance romance and this was no different! I thought the characters had such nice chemistry and I really enjoyed most of all the setting - I felt transported to the outdoors. It was a fun and light read that I would recommend as a nice palette cleanser type of book!