Title: Rules for Second Chances
Author: Maggie North
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: June 25, 2024

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Refershing • Introspective • Bittersweet

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Liz Lewis has tried everything to be what people want. But she’s always been labeled different from everyone else in the boisterous world of wilderness expeditions—that is, if anyone notices her at all. Her marriage to popular adventure guide Tobin Renner-Lewis is a sinkhole of toxic positivity where she’s the only one saying no. In a mountain resort town built around excitement, introverted Liz gets…spreadsheets.

When she gets mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party and her last line of communication with Tobin finally snaps, Liz vows to stop playing a minor character in her own life. The (incredibly well-researched and scientific) plan? A crash course in confidence…via improv comedy class.

The catch? She’s terrible at it, and the only person willing to practice with her is a certain extroverted wilderness guide who seems dead set on saving their marriage one bonkers improv scenario at a time. But as Liz and Tobin get closer (again), she’s forced to confront all the reasons they didn’t work the first time, along with her growing suspicion that there might be more to her social awkwardness than anyone realized. Liz has just eight weeks to learn improv’s most important lesson—"yes, and"—or she’ll have to choose between the love she always wanted and the dreams that got away.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I always love discovering new authors, and it's always a bonus when the happen to be Canadian. I requested this book on a whim based solely on the cover while browsing upcoming releases on NetGalley. I did expect the wilderness and the setting to play a bigger role based on the cover, yet that may have been an overlook on my part.

Rules for Second Chances is a creative and unique narrative of a marriage in trouble set amongst the Canadian wilderness. While the first half is centered around Liz's self-discovery, it is the romance which is the star of the second half. Liz's complexity and how she learns to find her own voice after so many years of falling into the shadows and being walked over was an absolute breath of fresh air. Her dialogue did get a bit repetitive at times, yet I found her highly relatable and I think the miscommunication trope is justified here.

The improv aspect was the ideal tool to utilize as a metaphor for telling this story. Honestly, it was pure genius! There are so many laugh out loud moments during some of the scenes and it just added another layer to the story and showcased how Liz came to understand herself, her boundaries, and Tobin's needs.

A couple of things I really wish would have been done differently include, the author giving the readers Tobin's POV in addition to Liz's. There isn't a real explanation of Tobin's insecurities until around the two thirds mark. His perspective would have helped get this explanation sooner. Additionally, I really wish the tourism would have played an even larger role. Maybe they could have went on some adventures together. Maybe there could have been more tours. I simply love travel and adventure, so there definitely could have been more.

Gail Shalan does a wonderful job narrating the audiobook. Her performance was engaging and I thought her voice was a good match for Liz's character. She was also able to transform into the other characters smoothly offering distinct voices for each. Highly recommend!

Overall, Rules for Second Chances is a solid own voices debut novel. I can safely say I have never read a romance that utilized such unique elements. Seeing introverted characters in books always makes my heart happy. I will be keeping my eye on Maggie North's future projects as I am sure her writing will continue to mature the more she writes.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• marriage in trouble trope
• neurodiverse MCs
• improv

⚠️ CW: sexism, misogyny, ableism, sexual content, toxic familial relationship, childhood neglect, abandonment

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"Love is about making your own rules, and so is life."

This book was absolutely adorable! I loved the plot, the setting, and the ride the characters took me on. The sweet love story, and the honest feels with this book were so fun to follow. I loved the ending and how it was beautifully put together. Great book! A fun read!

I really enjoyed this one! The campy, adventurous setting was a great backdrop for the story. The characters were believable and their struggles were so well written, but the book certainly didn't feel like it took things lightly. Still, the story moved at a great pace and the characters waded through difficulty without the story feeling heavy or like a slog. The romance was believable and the character growth was too!

I really enjoyed this one!

This was definitely a bit of a different formula for a second chance romance for me. I feel like the book could also be used by in real life couples to change this up? At least that’s how it sort of reads.

The narrator was great! I really enjoyed her voices and character imitations. I would always rather books to be dual pov, and REALLY wanted to know Tobin’s pov!! I was almost desperate for it!!! But I guess the miscommunication troupe was definitely a priority for this story!

And honestly, because it was so one sided, sometimes I did lose interest because Liz was too much in her head… and I got bored with her repetitive insecurities being repeated. - Get to the point already! 😅🥱

Regardless, I did finish listening to the book and it wrapped up well. The last 1/4 of the book was actually really hood and redeemed itself. Im glad I stuck to it until the end.

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸…
⛰️Second Chance Love
⛰️Miscommunication
⛰️Self Discovery
⛰️Dysfunctional Family
⛰️Rep for people on spectrum
⛰️Single POV - FMC

I received an advance listening copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

i really enjoyed this one! second chances can be a bit tricky to get right, because there's always that undercut of deep sadness that this couple couldn't make it work the first time. and then there the fact that there has to be a real valid issue to push them apart (that's often really sad) vs just a some lighter like miscommunication or something like that. basically, it's hard to get right. but i really liked the whole premise of this. and i felt like there were valid reasons for this couple to be pushed apart.

RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES is such a unique, heartfelt, and moving debut about a marriage in trouble and one woman’s experience of self-discovery.

I love the framework of the book — the fictional instructional manual at the beginning of each chapter and tying into the action on the page. It reminds me of Rosie Danan’s THE INTIMACY EXPERIMENT, which also employs an instructional intimacy course in its content and framework. Like that book, this one has some genuine nuggets of wisdom in its pages!

The line level writing and voice here are really lovely, easily switching from humor to lush and evocative description to tender admissions. This book achieves a lovely balance — that perfect sweet spot where rom-com meets women’s fiction. I want to laugh and cry and feel that I’ve learned something in a book like this, and RFSC one checks all those boxes for me.

I appreciate, too, that Liz and Tobin’s relationship occupies mostly a gray area — their problems are not so severe that they are bitter enemies but not so small or simple that they can easily fix them. Finding their way back together requires honesty and vulnerability, and when all seems lost near the end, I truly believed the complicated emotions both were feeling in that moment. It felt earned and real.

Gail Shalan does a fantastic job with the narration on this audiobook. Her voice was a great match for Liz, and her performance overall was nuanced and engaging.

I’m so excited to see what Maggie North writes next! Thanks to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC.

It honestly wasn't my cup of tea. I liked the plot but I couldn't get into it. I'm not sure if it was the audio or the story. When it releases I may try the book and see if reading it myself would make a difference.

RULES FOR SECOND CHANCES is unlike any other romance I've read recently. It's a romance but also so much more, and will be a completely inspiring read for anyone else feeling stuck in their life.

I commend this character Liz for doing the hard thing and taking steps to change what she was unhappy with in her life, instead of just going along with "fine" because it's easy. It's a joy to watch her change, grow, and find her happy again, both in her relationship and otherwise.

Liz's husband Tobin seems like such a sweetie, and I love that he would do anything to fix things with Liz. I would have loved to read his POV!

I'm excited to see what else Maggie North has up her sleeve. This debut was incredible, and I can't wait for more! Gail Shalan was a great fit for the narration, as well. Her performance made it so easy to connect with Liz.

This book felt very frenetic all around - the plot, the pacing, the characters. I did not really enjoy the writing style, and there was a lot going on between the second chance romance, the workplace dynamics, the family drama, and the mental health angle. The improv focus gave an interesting spin to the story, but ultimately I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the two main characters and never really felt invested in them. This was a single-POV story and the narrator did a nice job with it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for gifting me with an ALC to review! All opinions are my own.

DNF'd 50% in the chemistry wasn't there with the characters the banter stunk and it was a very poor knock off of Emily Henry which I don't even like lol

The title of this book really grabbed me, nothing I love better than a second chance romance, however, it fell short of my expectations. I started reading the book and kept putting it aside to read others but I wasn't going to give up, I had high hopes. I decided to give the audio book a try instead. The narrator was great! But I still wasn't into the book. It really dragged on and the writing style was hard to follow. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of the book and audio.

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North is a fabulous debut! As the title implies, it's a second chance romance between a husband and wife who have drifted apart. Nothing tragic or traumatic has happened, but Liz just feels lost. She feels like she's been stuck playing a supporting role in her own life, and she's been content to let her husband stand in the spotlight. But after her thirtieth birthday party, something snaps, and she moves out, needing time and space to figure things out.

The focus on improv comedy took me by surprise, but my cousin-in-law (who is a therapist) is a huge fan of improv as a way to process emotions and heal, so seeing that play out in Liz and Tobin's relationship was fun to watch. The couple uses a book called, you guessed it, Rules for Second Chances, to try to reopen communication and save their relationship. This book encourages them to engage in improv--"Yes and"--engaging in various scenarios that push and stretch them in different ways.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. At first I thought the reason she moved out was a little flimsy, and a bit dramatic and unnecessary, until I remembered that as someone who is not autistic, I couldn't impose my own ways of thinking and processing the world on Liz. She would experience life differently than me, and when I saw things through that lens, her actions made more sense to me. I also loved the cast of supportive side characters that she meets through her improv classes. And Tobin--I loved how he wasn't just a one-dimensional character. As Liz grew and changed, so did he, and I loved that ultimately they chose to continue to grow and change together.

I listened to the audiobook from Macmillan Audio, narrated by Gail Shalan, and she delivers a fabulous performance. I'd highly recommend the audiobook for any and all romance readers who enjoy listening to books (like me).

An emotional romance, introspective, honest, and peppered with humor, Rules for Second Chances comes out in late June, and it's one you definitely need to add it to your summer romance TBR!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced audio-copy of Rules for Second Chances, in exchange for an honest review.

Liz finds herself fading into the background, her vibrant spirit dulled by a sense of invisibility. At home with Tobin, her husband, an impromptu birthday celebration left her disheartened when a guest mistook her for hired help. Extroverted and successful, Tobin seemed oblivious to Liz's quiet yearning for recognition. Their shared workplace at West by North, a mountain and river guide service, mirrored the imbalance at home. Liz's aspirations to lead tours and develop innovative ideas were dismissed by her boss, who confined her to the mundane realm of spreadsheets. Desperation propelled her to seek change, both within the marriage and professionally. She separated from Tobin and sought solace with her sister and niece, longing for a life that truly reflected her worth.

Meanwhile, Tobin is determined to win Liz back. He buys her a relationship repair manual called Rules for Rebooting Your Relationship with Improv and asks her to try it with him. Liz is reluctant at first, but she eventually agrees. The improv class is a turning point for Liz and Tobin. They learn to communicate in a new way, and they start to rediscover the connection they once had. With the help of improv, they find happiness and their way back to each other.
If you love Second Chance Romance books, this is the one for you. I gave this one a solid 4 Star rating!

I loved this story. It was refreshing and original writing. How often do we read romances with the third act breakup? Well this contemporary fiction centers around our lead character Liz Lewis who has only ever wanted people to like her and want to engage with her and her excellent ideas, but for some reason, she just can't connect. Everything comes to a head when she decides to leave her husband before the big pitch competition at work. But Tobin, her sexy Norse-god of a husband who is equally sexy and gentle, refuses to give up. He asks he to work through his friend's new book "The Second Chance handbook," a guide to using improv to heal relationships. What ensues is hilarious, awkward, heartwarming, and sad. I love the realistic family dynamics, the ND and LGBTQIA+ representation, and of course my favorite character, the lovable tom cat.

I reviewed the audio version on this book and the voice actress was a phenomenal narrator who could easily transform into various characters all while making me feel like I was listening to my best friend.

I wanted to love this one. I liked the use of improv to help them with their marriage. I think I didn't quite understand the real conflict for them. And because we weren't getting Tobin's POV he just seems perfect. The audiobook narrator was great!

Liz decides that she needs to change her life. Unfortunately, change is one of the things she dreads. But with the help of an improv class and her husband--who she's on a break. from--she might learn who she can really be.

This book grew on me more and more as I read it! Here's what I loved:

The neurodiversity rep. I adored Liz. I honestly saw a lot of myself in her. Her journey to embrace herself while also realizing that it's okay to be different really resonated. The first person POV was a great choice with this, allowing the readers to get inside of her head, to hear her inner dialogue.

The improv. This was one of the best aspects of this book. Liz and her fellow classmates made me laugh and made me love them as they put themselves out there.

That warm feeling. I've never smiled so much while reading a book. Liz falling in love with her own life and stepping up to be the main character was so much fun to watch.

The narration. This was perfect. The narrator really embodied Liz.

All in all, this was a great, heart-warming romcom

Thank you to the publisher and author for the gifted copy!

This book wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. I sort of just felt indifference after finishing. The book was all over the place and the dialogue felt very stilted to me.

Marriage in conflict can be a great trope when done well. The conflict between Tobin and Liz felt very contrived and unrealistic to me. Plus all the references to Liz’s vagina were just odd. I did enjoy Tobin and thought he was a sweet MMC. Liz was a mess and I just couldn’t connect to her.

Overall, this just wasn’t the book for me. I couldn’t get behind this marriage and the FMC.

𝗥𝗨𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 offers a heartfelt and relatable journey of self-discovery and rekindled love. Liz Lewis, always labeled as different in her world of wilderness expeditions, hits a breaking point when she's mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party. Determined to stop playing a minor character in her own life, she enrolls in an improv comedy class to boost her confidence. The catch? She's terrible at it, and the only person willing to help her is her estranged husband, Tobin. As they practice together, Liz confronts the reasons their marriage failed and her growing suspicion that her social awkwardness might mean something deeper. The dynamic between Liz and Tobin is compelling, especially when they communicate honestly about their relationship. While the improv storyline felt a bit awkward, the book is a solid and engaging second-chance romance with depth and heart.

I love a journey of rekindling married love and I wanted so desperately to fall in love with these characters -- their self discoveries and how to better love one another -- but I couldn't quite get there. There was a lot that was covered but I was never invested in the characters or their relationship and it felt a little like an aimless, long trudge to the finish line. Their passion for one another didn't seem to be there and as a result, I spent the book almost as bored with them as I felt they were with one another. I would try another book by this narrator and appreciated some of the quieter moments that seem to be lacking in a lot of contemporary romance, I just hope to have more to cling onto, follow, and root for in future books.

I did really enjoy the narrator on this one -- so much so that I went to look up other books she's recorded in the past.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an opportunity to review this audio ARC.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to listen to an ARC of this book.

The things I found relatable in this book were Liz's feelings of discomfort in groups of people and having to make small talk. I've learned how to do that throughout the years but it's taken a long time and I still hate going into unfamiliar social situations. I also found it relatable that Liz's ideas get overshadowed by her male coworkers, who appear to be taken more seriously. This is certainly something that many women have experienced.

What stood out as...bizarre (the only word I can use for this) were the scenarios that Liz and Tobin were getting themselves into in order to try to rekindle their relationship. The merman scene alone was awkward as heck. If that's what it takes to get your marriage back on track, more power to you. Despite the weird activities the two found themselves, it was a pretty sweet love story, and definitely embodied the second chances aspect.