After reading the first two books in the Adelaide Springs series, it was wonderful to finally know the story behind Wes and Addie. It seemed that their absence in the earlier books always hinted at something grand, and in a way, getting to meet them both in this last book was both fitting and satisfying. I was grateful that both mysterious characters made their long-awaited appearance, so that readers could understand the motivations for their behaviour and disappearances. Even better than that was seeing how they were able to take responsibility for their past actions against each other. With Wes and Addie being in their 40s, it was refreshing to see how they worked to clear up any miscommunication between them instead of descending into assumptions. Of course, it wouldn't be a Bethany Turner book without the pop culture nods along the way to evoke that shared nostalgia as well.

This book is marketed as clean fiction, so there are few faith references, with the exception of one scene that briefly alludes to it. Otherwise, it's a continuation of a charming small-town series with plenty of appearances by and references to the previous couples we've met in Adelaide Springs. One of the things I've liked most about this series has been the intergenerational nature of it, with a focus on the older characters that have guided and mentored the younger ones. This book does address heavier and potentially controversial topics, so readers might want to explore some trigger warnings beforehand. Those who have followed along on this journey in the series will be interested in discovering the answers to what happened between Wes and Addie all those years ago, with a dose of the inner workings of an American political campaign.

This is contemporary romance against the political backdrop.

Wes is running for the top position in the country and is wanting and out from the election. Does a reunion with his childhood sweetheart, Addie help with the exit? Not so easy when Addie is an ex-CIA with her own secrets to tell.

My reservations on picking up this book start with the cover hinting at twins falling for same girl. I could only link the association to election posters after reading the first few chapters. Next, I love second chances but when they come after long marriages that Wes and Addie had with their respective partners, I wasn't so sure I wanted to finish it.

Now, was I wrong about the author's calibre to hit the right strokes to build the romance, the possibility of a HEA once again while dealing with loss of their life partners. The best part about the story is between 50-70% mark where the mystery unfurls and the jigsaw starts to take shape. I loved the characters, expecially Laila and Jo for the unwavering support and small town vibe they bring to this story.

This is a must read for those who read Laila and Brynn's books. It can also be a standalone that will tempt you to scour for the other 2 books to get the full story. You can also pick it up for the behind the scenes on what it takes to be in CIA or running a presidential election with a romance plot running in the foreground.

This one wasn't my favorite; I had a hard time following the story and finding it relatable. This book wasn't for me; probably others will enjoy it more than I did.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

“Wes and Addie Had Their Chance” by Bethany Turner was an enjoyable read. It was the first book I have read written by Turner but I can’t wait to read more now. The story of Addie and Wes was such a good story. I loved how Turner didn’t discount the time Addie spent with Joel and her love for him. I think it was sweet that she was able to find herself in love again.

I found this story enjoyable. I appreciated the exploration of the backstories involving politics and the CIA. The characters seemed authentic, and I found the love story to be engaging. I noticed that Wes's perspective was presented in the third person, while Addie's was in the first person. (Included LGBTQ, Cancer, death , & Alcoholism/sobriety)

I received a complimentary e-copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Another fantastic love story from Bethany Turner! Wes and Addie were childhood sweethearts-until Wes left Addie at the altar. Decades later, they are both widower/widow and reconnecting in their hometown in the midst of Wes’s overwhelming presidential race. I love a second-chance romance and as soon as these two characters were mentioned previously as having a history, I was SO ready for their story. Bethany Turner has a knack for unique storylines and quirky turns of phrase, and Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is no different. I loved the way they kept getting thrown together; we also get to catch up with Brynn, Sebastian, Cole, and Laila. Keep an eye out this summer for this conclusion to Turner’s Adelaide Springs trilogy!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley. All opinions expressed above are my own.

Do people deserve a second chance?

Wes had abandoned Addie at the altar several years ago, when both were very young. Today, they meet again; Addie has returned to their hometown, running away from the grief of losing her husband and the events that led to her losing her job after her loss. It's not an ideal life, but it helps her get back on her feet again.

Meeting Wes, who is also widowed and well on his way to a grand political career, isn't what Addie wants. But it probably is what she needs.

This book is honestly gorgeous. Set in a mountainous, snowy small town, it deals with much more than a second-chance romance. Yes, there is hope after loss, but the author treats the characters much more realistically. Instead of making them star-crossed lovers, there is the notion that the childhood sweethearts went on to find something better, especially in Addie's case. And the author also making it clear that the main characters had a lot of emotional baggage from the experiences they had during their years of being apart is very much appreciated. It was a good read, I enjoyed the penmanship and the whole premise. The characters were well thought out, as well.

My thanks to Netgalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Romcom with forty something characters. Refreshing and pretty funny. I gave this book four stars because both main characters had too much inner dialogue for me. Towards the end, I found myself skimming just looking for quotes to get back to what was actually happening in the story. This will be a great summer read and would make a great movie.

This was a nice wrap-up (I think) to the Adelaide Springs books, and I think it was definitely better than Cole and Laila's book. I liked the political intrigue and the way Wes ended up helping Addie with a very sensitive problem that neither of them had any idea he could help with until it became obvious.

The book kind of defies characterization. It's not as lighthearted and funny as I like Bethany Turner to be, but it has more depth than some of the ones I've read. I do think it's a good read, just not a knock-it-out-of-the-park home run that a lot of hers have been to me.

This book wasn't my favorite ever, but it was still OK. A solid 2.5, which I added in my review

(Goodreads review link is posted below)

I enjoyed this story. Having read BASHEO and CoLai, the previous two books in Adelaide Springs, I highly anticipated this book. I will say, the book moved kinda slowly for me with lots of inner rambling that disrupted conversations, but that didn't keep me from enjoying this second chance romance. I loved the tension between Wes and Addie at their re-meet-cute. And the way that they actually sat down and talked through their feelings (in between *expressing* their feelings... 👀❤️‍🔥) was so good. I also loved seeing the people of Adelaide Springs again. Cole and Laila were there, Seb showed up for a bit, and of course, Doc and Jo were the sweetest. I love when books have a nice full cast like this one. While there is an HEA as is required in any romcom, the tone of this story is actually more sad/depressed than funny. There are funny parts, but there's a lot more seriousness due to Wes and Addie's painful pasts. I didn't find this to be a hindrance to my reading, but others may want to know this before jumping in. Overall, this was a great end to the series! I look forward to reading whatever this author has coming up next!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this but it did take me quite some time to get into. I do appreciate that it’s part of a series and I haven’t read the other two books, but I do think I got enough from the novel about the other characters to appreciate it as a standalone effort.

I enjoyed that the book had older protagonists, and I enjoyed the way they took their time to come back together, which made sense considering their difficult history.

Both Wes and Addie were great characters, nuanced and complex, but understandable within the realms of a fluffy romcom style novel.

I don’t know if I just missed something, but I didn’t understand what happened to Addie’s husband fully - was she involved? Something just didn’t click in my head about that part.

Overall, a nice read, I will definitely consider reading the other novels in the series.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is the third book in the series, and while you'll see some familiar characters make appearances, this could absolutely be enjoyed as a standalone as well.

I've read several books where one of the characters had been left at the altar... but I'm not sure I'd read one where it was a second chance was with the same couple, so that was a really unique aspect to this story. Throw in the fact that the one who left is now running for president? Or that she was previously in the CIA? Yeah, there were definitely a lot of unique aspects that made this story intriguing. One of my favorite things about second chance romance is that idea of the right person, wrong time and that's certainly true here. Both Wes and Addie had grown up, gotten married, lost their spouses and now they're in their 40s and find themselves back in each other's lives. I appreciated seeing how they'd grown up and getting their second chance. While I think there were other books in the series that I enjoyed more, this one was still super cute. As with the previous books, this story is told in both first person (FMC) and third (MMC). Admittedly, this isn't my favorite, but having read the other books, it was both expected and easier to get used to this time around.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is a closed-door romance with kisses only. It does have some minor language.

**ARC received via Netgalley for consideration. All opinions are my own.

3.75 - cute second chance story. A little confusing at times and felt somewhat unbelievable how quickly the FMC let the MMC back in after she expressed her feelings about her husband she lost. Overall I liked the book but just some plot points that I didn’t enjoy.

I would give this 4.5 stars -- It was five until almost the last page, but as someone who lived and worked in politics...not sure... but no spoilers here! Bethany Turner has quickly become one of my favorites and I love this series about childhood friends who are now finding love as they enter their 40s. Wes and Addie's story has layers of heartbreak, but so much fun and joy too. It's not the romp the Cole and Laila's story is. And it's not the all-out war that Brynn and Sebastian's story is. But I loved it just as much. So good and worth the investment in these sweet characters. And the references to 90s rock bands toward the second half of the book added to the fun.

I couldn’t put this book down, and I’ll be looking for the first two books in this series!
“Wes and Addie had their Chance” is a wonderful second-chance-romance, with solid character development for both Wes and Addie. Turner displays a strong understanding of grief and trauma, without overly torturing her characters, and she gives the erstwhile lovers room to grow together. Their rekindled does occasionally feel rushed, but knowing their history helps alleviate that on some levels. I adore the setting, and I found the various secondary characters delightful.

I liked this one. Second chance romance isn’t always my favourite trope, but I do feel like Wes and Addie lived their lives, found each other again and worked to establish the trust in a mature way. The book was a little slow at times, and it was a little more serious than some other books, but I liked that the characters were a little older. Wes had to work to earn back the trust of the people he hurt, but he understood that and never expected it to come easily. Their surrounding friends and family were a good addition.
Three and half stars, rounded down.

This was another great story from Bethany Turner. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end and cared about the characters. This could be read as a standalone, but you will love all of the books in the series.

I think this might be the first book by this author that I actually liked. I think it's because FMC is a former CIA Analyst who's life falls apart. And me liking it shocked me because I tend to not like second chance romances. As I don't think they are realistic because the break's up always over something stupid. But with this one it was believable because two eighteen year old kids have no business getting married.