I absolutely loved this story! Marriage in crisis is one of my fav tropes, and this story was written so well! Liz's perspective here was written so well, as you see how she feels so isolated and lonely while surrounded by so many people who claim (and I believe do) love her. And as the story progresses and Liz finds ways to become more happy within herself, she's able to see and accept that love from her husband and family, while also explaining to them how they haven't been showing their love to her in the best way. I absolutely adored Tobin. It is clear right from the beginning how much he loves his wife, and will do anything and everything he can to save their relationship. Moreover, I love the way he's able to also speak up for his hurts and wants and that this whole "saving of the marriage" is put on both Liz and Tobin (not just one of them) because I believe that's how it actually has to work. It's clear Liz and Tobin love each other so much, and I loved reading them reconnect in their relationship so that they are both happy and fulfilled. One of my fav books! thank you for the ARC!!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for a free ARC of Rules for Second Chances. This was a book about a couple learning to fall in love with each other again after a rough patch.

Rules for Second Chances delved into the complexities of familial and romantic relationships. In this way, it was more of a women’s fiction book rather than a romance. We also don’t get much of the male main character’s perspective. At times, he seemed flat and almost too perfect.

There were things I liked about this book, particularly the way the author wrote two neurodivergent characters in a truthful and sensitive way, but it lacked the magic that makes a good book into an amazing one.

Each reader’s experience is unique and so I’m sure this will hit all the right notes for the right audience, but whereas I enjoyed this book I didn’t love it.

I recently read "Rules for Second Chances" by Maggie North and I absolutely loved it! The story follows Liz Lewis, an introverted woman who has always felt like a minor character in her own life, especially in comparison to her adventurous and outgoing husband Tobin Renner-Lewis. After getting mistaken for a server at her own birthday party and realizing the toxicity of her marriage, Liz decides to take a crash course in confidence through improv comedy classes.

Despite being terrible at improv, Liz continues to practice with a certain extroverted wilderness guide who just happens to be her husband. As they spend more time together, Liz is forced to confront the reasons why their marriage didn't work the first time and the possibility that there is more to her social awkwardness than she realized. The book is incredibly well-researched and scientific, which makes the story all the more compelling.

Overall, I highly recommend "Rules for Second Chances" to anyone looking for a heartwarming and thought-provoking read about self-discovery, second chances, and the importance of saying "yes, and" to life's opportunities.

"Rules for Second Chances" by Maggie North invites readers into the world of Liz Lewis, a woman determined to break free from the confines of a toxic marriage and discover her own voice. The novel promises a journey of self-discovery, humor, and the transformative power of improv comedy.

The synopsis introduces Liz as a character who has struggled to fit into the vibrant world of wilderness expeditions, perpetually labeled as different. The toxic dynamics of her marriage to adventure guide Tobin Renner-Lewis become a central conflict, and readers can anticipate the exploration of themes related to identity and self-acceptance.

The unique approach of using improv comedy as a vehicle for Liz's personal growth adds an intriguing and fresh dimension to the narrative. Liz's decision to enroll in an improv class, despite her initial struggle, sets the stage for both humor and personal development. The involvement of an extroverted wilderness guide in Liz's journey creates an interesting dynamic, hinting at potential sparks and the possibility of healing.

The eight-week timeline introduces a sense of urgency and frames the story with a clear goal for Liz's transformation. The tension between choosing love and pursuing one's dreams adds an emotional layer to the narrative, creating anticipation for Liz's ultimate decision.

The novel seems poised to offer a blend of romance, self-discovery, and humor. The exploration of Liz's social awkwardness as more than meets the eye suggests a deeper, more nuanced portrayal of the character. The backdrop of a mountain resort town and the world of wilderness expeditions adds an element of adventure and excitement to the narrative.

"Rules for Second Chances" appears to be a promising read for those who enjoy stories of personal growth, second chances in love, and the transformative power of stepping outside one's comfort zone. The combination of relatable themes, humor, and a unique premise makes this novel an intriguing addition to the contemporary romance genre.

Liz is tired of being pigeonholed. Despite starting her career as a guide, she’s been relegated to numbers and spreadsheets at the wilderness excursion company she works at with her husband. She’s also tired of being barely seen by that husband, Tobin. When she gets mistaken for a cater waiter at her own birthday party, she decides it’s time to change. Change her career path. Change her personality. And change her relationship.

To break out of the box, she turns to an improv group where she can learn to be less of an anxious introvert. When she needs a scene partner for practice, her soon to be ex-husband agrees to help and work through a series of relationship improv scenarios.

This is a single-POV romance, which isn’t always my favorite. However, in this case, only seeing Liz’s perspective works, because we don’t get to see how Tobin struggles through his own issues. When Liz uncovers those, or when the pair are finally honest with each other, the payoff is a lot greater.

There are some challenging family dynamics at play here and they are hard to get through, though they feel necessary to the story. I’d also argue that the book could be a little bit shorter (some of the third act could be cut).

All told, however, this is a thoughtful, second chance romance with neurodiverse representation and a strong debut by North.

* Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. *

I didn't like the main character. Liz was just not someone I could relate to. If she wanted the relationship she had the option of working on it without all the emotional baggage. Good ending but the rest of the book dragged.

All the stars. This was my first book by this author and won’t be my last. So good. Will definitely re read.

This a story of an introvert who is married to an adventurer. She bothers me so much because she gives up on being herself to conform for love

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Griffin for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maggie North’s debut is a delightful second chance romance with a perfect mix of love, lust, humor and angst. **Chef’s Kiss.**

If you’re looking for a story with an autistic heroine and a loving hero who’ve found themselves trapped in their own not so perfect life, with Liz trying to find herself and her way back to her love with Tobin with improv, pitch competitions, a not sex love improv manual and dates galore, this is for you.

I can’t wait to get my grabby hands on North’s next read.

Thanks Netgalley for this ARC but this was just not the book for me, try as I might, I just could not connect with the character. Liz was annoying and nothing she did made any sense; her reason for leaving her husband at the top of that list; which turned me off on the whole second chance of it all because I just.. didn't care. I wanted to feel the yearning, the want, the love but I honestly didn't feel anything. It was super lacking and Liz's voice just did not do it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me. Liz was a character I did not connect with. I didn't understand why she left Tobin, then seemingly changed her mind to get back together with him out of nowhere. I see what the author was going for, however, to me it didn't work.

This was SUCH A GOOD READ. It was exactly what I needed--I had a feeling I would fall in love with Maggie's characters, and I wasn't wrong. Please, please give it a read come June!

Liz and Tobin’s story isn’t a traditional second chances story, but moreso actively working on their marriage. Liz is struggling to find out who she is, especially outside of her husband. She takes improv classes, while doing a second chances handbook written by Tobins best friend / her improv teacher. It was cute enough but wordy - a lot could have been cut.

Let me start by thanking NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my review. Typically second chance romance is one of my favorite tropes so I was really excited for this book. But this just did not work for me. It felt like the only reason the FMC wanted to separate from her husband was because he was extremely likeable and the center of attention and she was jealous. She also felt incredibly immature at times and it was really hard to root for her when I just did not like her character at all. I hope others enjoy this story more than I did.

A friend recommended I pick this up ASAP and I'm so glad I did. It gives me the opportunity to spread the word about how good this debut is!

Now I need to convince you to read it without giving anything away. Liz Lewis turns 30 and realizes she feels like she's living on the sidelines of her own life; that nobody really sees her. So she makes a pact with herself to make some changes. She wants to be seen and she wants a promotion. One of those changes is joining an improv class (I have to admit after reading this I did google to see if my town has any improv classes) to help her improve her social skills to better handle social anxiety. She also takes some space for herself from her marriage.

Plans don't always go accordingly. Her husband wants to fight for their marriage and offers to be her out of class improv partner, forcing both of them outside their typical roles. And she makes new friends in her class as she explores different ways of being. It was a privilege to watch Liz gets to know who she is (and maybe who she's been all along). I loved Liz finding her voice and finding a way to communicate her boundaries, wants, and needs while also acknowledging others' perspectives. Her learning was so visceral- I was right there for it and loved it.

Best is, this takes place in a gorgeous mountain resort town in Canada. It's a setting and a community the I hope I get to visit again.

Thanks to the publisher for a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely adored RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES. From the very beginning I felt as if I lived in this world with Liz and Tobin and I was rooting for the two of them to work things out from the first chapter. I find that marriage in trouble can be a tricky trope for my personal tastes, but Maggie North has clearly put such delicate care into building out Liz and Tobin's characters not just in the present when we meet them, but also in the past when they first met and fell in love. I never doubted why the two of them were first attracted to each other or why they would each want to work on their relationship and find a way back to each other. The cast of supporting characters were spectacularly developed and fun to spend pages with (an especially big shoutout to Sharon, who I want to be best friends with!!) and the neurodivergent rep. As a person who also struggles with social anxiety and feeling seen/understood in large groups, this was a cathartic read.

i adored this!! so much!! i will always always have such a soft spot in my heart for “saving a marriage” type romances. i think there is something so special about two people being so in love, but maybe a little lost and confused or hurt, but still fighting like hell to protect that love. and this book, liz and tobin were the epitome of this. this was not only such a beautiful, heartbreaking, heartWARMING!! love story but also really different and genuinely FUN!! like sooo swoony and so entertaining!! and really interesting!

liz was a very painfully painfully relatable character for me (… def was having some interesting realizations by the end) and i really loved tobin’s dedication to fixing what had gone wrong. the whole improv storyline was so inspiring (i could never) and watching liz grow more confident and sure of herself was just so beautiful to see. and again! tobin!! showing how much he really truly knows liz, even if they had practically become strangers!!! heart was pounding!!!

the side characters in this story absolutely DEVOURED!!!! and added so much depth to the story!!! Stellar!! the absolute best friend of dreams!!!! everyone needs a Stellar!!! Sharon and Bèa!!! just so perfectly supportive improv buddies!! Sharon is like the most perfect mentor, older-woman, mega wise role model that every woman desperately needs in her life!!! I NEED A SHARON!!! McHuge! i pictured him as a giant gentle teddy bear!!! definitely one of, if not THE main reason liz and tobin were able to work through their struggles and he did it so gently!! while also being the perfect comedic relief!! and of course eleanor!!!!! god i loved that child!!!!

one thing i just didn’t love AS MUCH! was what felt like a lack of true communication especially about specific issues (the wedding!!! hello????? i feel like i needed one chapter to them just discussing that together and working through it because woah!) the improv scenarios were a really unique take and super eye opening and a great way for them to get through their issues but to me, it felt like they were always talking about their problem in terms of something else and i wish there was a little bit more real communication. that being said, i still adored their journey of working through everything and growing back together!! and also loved watching liz’s other relationships grow as a result of all the work she was putting in to herself and her relationship with tobin!!! Marijke’s recipe!!!!! literally sobbing for real!!!

all in all this was such a special, eye opening, emotion filled book that i’m going to be thinking about for a while!!!

More Maggie North, now please!! This is my top ten books of the year. If you love Ever After Always by Chloe Liese (one of my top books ever), you will devour this like I did. Did I stay up until 3am because I couldn’t get enough? Guilty; I was absorbed by the magic of Liz and Tobin. The setting feels immersive. I’ve treasured my time on guided rafting trips like those of West and North, and I found the description of the town and the complexities (and patriarchal nonsense) of the guide industry felt authentic. The improv exercises read like exposure therapy in the most creative and unique way. Tobin and Liz’s love seemed to transcend either of their knowledge or appreciation, and cherished the real intricacies of their struggles. I loved the Chloe Liese book mentioned above because it takes the angle of trying to save a marriage as well, this is less often written in romance and we marrieds love to read it! Plot wise, this is stellar. I was blindsided in the most entertaining way, several times. And the side characters?! Can I order myself a Sharon, corporate fairy godmother?! The spice does not disappoint either! Loved it, completely.

This was my first second chance romance with a married couple, and wow! Maggie's writing is so lush, the insight of her characters so deep, the moments between Liz and Tobin so tender. If this isn't a book club pick yet, it needs to be. I can't wait to read more of Maggie's work!

A spectacular debut that will make you wonder why you were reading regular love stories before. This is such a beautifully constructed, clever examination of self and marriage. I was fully invested in the characters--all of them!--and the setting. Easily one of my best reads of the year. I can't wait for everyone else to read when it publishes in June 2024.