I thought this was a cute read. Was light and very funny at times! I enjoy a book that has this kind of setting and storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the pleasure of reading this ARC!

Second chance romance! An outdoor excursion company in the Canadian wilderness! A cat named Yeti!?

This book was pretty funny. The improv element was unexpected/unique and pulled a lot of laughs out of me. It added a level of silliness to the story that I personally enjoy, especially when the Hard Stuff (TM) is getting fleshed out on page. Chuckles aside, this story is a pretty heavy lift emotionally - self-actualization with neurodivergence rep, a marriage in crisis, workplace toxicity, parental conflict, sibling conflict, etc. The story felt a bit overwhelming at times because of this. However, some of these factors obviously impacted Liz and Tobin's communication breakdowns resulting in their marital issues, so I can see how these items were needed for the sake of the plot. Doesn't mean it didn't hurt me, though :')

TY Net Galley and St Martin's Press for the ARC <3

Liz feels that people don't see her, that they all want to be in her husband's life and that she's seen as an extension of him rather than her own person. This got off to a strong start, jumping right in to a situation Liz was uncomfortable with, and continuing through until she left her husband the same evening.

Liz feels that she needs to "get magic" and has decided on what will help her reach out and grab her life back - improv with coworkers. There were some funny moments, but overall this was as painful as improv with coworkers would generally seem.

Eventually we begin to learn more about Liz and Tobin and that they actually have the same job. And we meet Tobin's best friend who is a self-help-improv-writer-relationship-guru. And we learn more about Tobin's family and there's just... a lot at play here. And not all of it makes sense with the story, and some of it would've helped make sense of things if it was delivered earlier in the book.

I requested this ARC for the second chance at love trope with a neurodivergent female lead. This is much more of a journey of self discovery than a love story, and though I did like the characters, I just couldn't get a handle on what all was going on in too many parts.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Not your typical neurotypical story. This story was a charming and sweet story about a woman just trying to authentically be herself in a world where people tell her to be anything but.

Mixed in there is a realistic “love story” about people changing after marriage, breaking up, attempting to reconnect.

“A square peg trying to fit in the round hole of life”.

Liz, an introvert, has faded into the background of her own life, outshined by the light of her charming, extrovert husband, Tobin. She decides it’s time for change - in her personal life, she and Tobin separate, and in her professional life, she decides to enroll in a improv class to help her be less passive at work.
✅ Liz and Tobin are both 30
✅ they both work for a startup-ish wilderness company
✅ second chance romance
🌶️ yes

I love this book, and I can’t wait to read what Maggie North writes next.

This book is centered on Liz Lewis, who grew up and lives in a small community in the mountains of B.C. where much of the business is around tourism. She is married to Tobin Renner-Lewis, and they both work for a small backcountry tour company. Lately Liz doesn't feel seen, either at home or at work. At work, her suggestions don't seem to be taken seriously by the owners, and she hasn't been promoted, even after her immediate boss left and she'd doing all his work.
At home, her husband doesn't appear to be able to say no to anyone that asks for help, even when that means her plans are affected. Her parents have a house nearby that is no longer their primary home, and that her older sister and niece live in. She is close to her niece, who is autistic, and spends a lot of time with her.
Tobin's parents bought the house next to theirs shortly after they married, and his mother demands of lot of him, and hasn't warmed up to Liz at all. As the book opens, his mother has co-opted Liz's birthday party and that is the last straw for her.
As she takes a break from her marriage, and tries to put together a winning pitch for the company's annual service pitch competition, she gets pushed into attending improv classes.
This is a very interesting twist to the story, as improv becomes a way for Liz to let go of some of her fears, as well as using an improv guide to reconnect with Tobin and change their dynamic.
I really enjoyed Liz as a character, and could relate to her in many of the feelings and experiences she has.
I loved the Canadian setting, and found it especially interesting that the author is herself autistic and thus could really describe certain elements of the autistic characters in the book so well.
This book has real depth to it, and some of the exercises described for Liz and Tobin might be taken and used in readers' own lives. I loved seeing Liz grow and appreciate her own strengths.

This book by Maggie North is a wonderful take on second chances as the FMC works her way through personal struggles on where she has found herself in life. She is wanting to make a change in her career, in her social life and in her marriage. Maggie does a wonderful job of walking through those struggles and how things don't always go as planned. She does not shy away from the reality that relationships are tough and messy and require work. It is a beautiful story about how strength and friendship can come in unexpected places and how taking small chances can help you find the path you were meant to be on. It can be heavy at time with detailed descriptions but overall was a good read with a HEA.

really cute romance that's super well writtten! would recommend this interestin little thing. tyssm for the arc!

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a digital ARC.
Rules for Second Chance by Maggie North is obviously a second chance romance about marriage on thin ice and improv magic as its savior. Liz Lewis doesn’t shine in the way that she feels her husband Tobin does and is locked in on trying to bring herself center stage. They both work for the same outdoor expo company and both are trying to go for the same promotion, without realizing. The way Liz thinks she’ll find magic is by joining an improv group and practicing with her husband, while living with her older sister and autistic niece.
Chaos ensues.
I enjoy second chance romances because I like rooting for a couple that already has history and it doesn’t feel fake or like insta-love. Though the history was there for this couple, it was then used mostly as horny triggers for Liz. She would be angry at Tobin, but still have drenched panties and it took away from the ache you’re supposed to feel. The couple has some really touching moments, but a lot of Liz’s inner dialogue is along the lines of, ‘ I can’t take Tobin back even though his smell makes me want to jump him’ and it just is frustrating to read. The yearning is supposed to be there, but I didn’t quite feel it.
Liz as a main character is hard to root for, which maybe was the author’s intention. She gets in her own way at every turn and makes decisions that are so frustrating.
I enjoyed the second half of the book, where it felt like Liz was making progress and putting in real work in her marriage. The friendships that developed are so fun and quirky.
To have a book centered around improv as couples therapy is very funny to me and I think it almost worked.

Second chance romance? Count me in! Can’t say this was above average though…not bad but not great. Hope that helps!

Cute story that was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

The perfect slow burn story with a nice amount of spice. I loved the emotions from the male main character!

I have not read anything by this author before, but I will definitely be looking out for their work in the future. I loved seeing the story unfold and seeing the characters grow.

This story was beautiful. Seeing Liz and Tobin both grow emotionally throughout this story was so amazing to see. A story filled with hope, love, and heavy topics that aren’t addressed often. I loved this book!

What I loved about this one was that it was the story of Tobin and Liz finding their way back to each other. But more than that, it was the story of Liz figuring out who she was and what she wanted/needed. I also really dug how improv was uniquely woven into the story as a way for Tobin and Liz to connect. I love a romance that (literally) adds something different to the story, and this was that. Thanks to NetGalley for the look at this June 2024 release!

What a delight of a book! I love how honestly Canadian it is (as a fellow Canadian, I love to see this) and I absolutely loved the second chance romance sort of element that comes with Tobin and Liz's story. Watching Liz's growth throughout the course of the book had me rooting from her from page one, and I loved watching the evolution of her relationships, not just with Tobin but also with everyone else in her life.

Rules for Second Chances was a revelation! I never thought I enjoyed the marriage-in-trouble trope in romances, but I, in fact, love them. Particularly this one! Liz and Tobin were such likeable and warm characters. I found myself highlighting passages left and right. There was beautiful development with both characters, and the improv-as-therapy element was fantastically drawn. Romances with self-acceptance themes are like a warm hug, and this one went beyond my expectations. I would recommend this to any romance reader, it's simply the best.

This book blurb really caught my eye because the FMC is an introvert who felt walked on her whole life, but sadly it fell short of my expectations. I felt like there was a little too much going on all at the same time - all of the things that happen with Liz and Tobins relationship - both with them separately, but also together.

My main thing that I felt was the break in the make or break of the book was the improv story line - I got Liz’s reasoning behind but didn’t think the outcome of it made sense.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book!
All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book because it didn't seem to fit the mold of so many books in this genre. It felt like a fresh take on it.

I think my original review for this was for the wrong netgalley book - I just finished reading this book and went back to write my review and saw it had already been written!? So I'm rectifying my mistake:

I LOVED this book. Tobin and Liz felt so real to me, as did their relationships and their pain. My heart ached for both of them as I watched them try to become who they each thought the other person needed them to be. The story was beautifully written and I'm dying for more from this author. If there isn't a sequel for Stellan and McHuge I'm rioting.