The gang just isn’t the same anymore. Life has hit too hard, and there are too many hurts from the past, but can they start again?
Addie has carried deep pain for way too long, and it has tainted who she’s become. Some in a good way, but also in a sad way.
Wes was a BIG part of those pains, yet he’s realizing he needs to make amends, if only everyone in the small town of Adelaide Springs can forgive him.
This is the third book set in the town of Adelaide Springs, and we get to see all the past characters from Bethany Turner’s other two books. It’s like coming home and seeing what’s happening to everyone. All the struggles and all the joys in their lives. It’s a community that would be fun to be a part of.
Bethany Turner has done it again! This book is filled with snarky, fun dialogue, quirky characters, and moments of delightful relationships.
I love how the author includes SO many familiar movies, actors, and songs. It brings the story to life in a fun and charming way.
Bethany Turner has a very fascinating way of writing! It's fresh and delightful, even when it delves into some complicated issues from these characters’ past. She gave her characters spunk, and yet they also had depth and the willingness to learn from their mistakes.
This book is full of humor, drama, small-town community living (where “everybody knows your name”), and big-city fun, as well as a sweet romance.
I loved this story and highly recommend it.
I received this book from the publisher, which did not influence my review in any way; all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own

📚 Plot Snapshot
Twenty years after being left at the altar by her high school sweetheart, Addie Atwater-Elwyn—now a former CIA analyst reeling from personal and professional losses—returns to her small Colorado hometown to rebuild her life. But when Wes, now a rising political star and presidential hopeful, reappears in town, secrets unravel and old flames flicker, forcing them both to confront what truly ended their relationship… and whether second chances are ever worth the risk.

🖋️ Writing Style Vibe
Smart, conversational, and introspective with flashes of sass.
The tone feels like sitting down with your wittiest, most emotionally-aware friend who just happens to be unpacking a whirlwind of drama, romance, and unresolved heartbreak—with some pop culture flair and spy-level tension thrown in.

❤️ My Highlights

✨Hook-Worthy Premise: High-profile heartbreak meets small-town secrets—this setup instantly intrigued me.
✨Slow Reveal of the Past: I had so many questions at the start—why did Wes leave Addie? What happened during those missing years? Thankfully, the book answers them all, layer by layer.
✨Series Tie-Ins: Seeing familiar faces from previous books added warmth and a lovely sense of continuity.
✨Stylish Covers: Can we take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous this series looks? I hope more books I enjoy come with covers this charming.
✨Big Reveals: Just when you think things are settling, another emotional twist hits—kept me flipping pages to the very end.
✨Bittersweet Yet Hopeful: I appreciated that the story didn’t shy away from regret, aging, or grief, but still ended on a redemptive, hopeful note.

🤔 What Fell Flat (if anything)
Some introspective sections dragged a little for me—especially when Addie was caught in internal spirals. It sometimes slowed down the otherwise snappy pacing.

⭐ Final Rating + Shelf Status
★★★★☆ (4/5) — A satisfying second-chance romance with a side of secrets. Worth keeping on the shelf, especially if you’ve read others in the series.

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

It's hard to say goodbye to the Adelaide Springs gang! I enjoyed all three books in this series probably because the characters are all around my age and I can relate to them more than books where the MCs are in their early twenties. This book I felt was more somber than the other two books. It's much more melancholy than the second book by far. There were a lot of emotional scars each of the characters had to deal with. I loved seeing the other characters from the first two books but this one fell a little flat for me.

In a small town, it is hard to outrun your reputation. Especially when they have known you your whole life. Addie and Wes were childhood sweethearts who were headed down the aisle at after high school, things were fine until the groom didn't show up. Now it is several decade later. Both Addie and Wes have become widows and are about to find themselves back home in the same town again. It's like back when they were kids, except now Addie is ex-CIA and Wes has the possibility of becoming President.

I love this series so much, this being the third being the third book about a group of friends who grew up in a small town. For this book I loved the second chance trope and how it played out for Addie and Wes. All these characters are well built and even though this may not be one of the other friend's books, you still get to see how they are doing for more than just a cameo.

I love how with Bethany Turner you know that while you are going into what can be considered Christian fiction, it is not just a girl wearing a bonnet on the cover typical Christian fiction book. Bethany Turner is funny and puts in pop culture references that I feel a variety of ages are able to get.

In this book the Addie and Wes work together to get through their relationship problems. They talk out things they were unable to before and then forgave each other after taking accountability for their actions. It was nice to see a healthier way of handling relationship issues portrayed.

Addie and Wes definitely had physical chemistry and tension without it just being some all-out sexual thing. I rooted for them to get back together the entire time.

This book is perfect for someone who wants a small-town romance, but also for someone who wants to watch two adults heal from past relationships and come out of it stronger together. I highly recommend reading the other two in this series as well. They are all so very good!!

I don’t usually love the second chance romance trope, but this book was done so beautifully and the characters were written with such love; it made it easy to read and consume this book.

I loved seeing the differences between both Wes and Addie. Their personalities may have been different but the bond and unmistakably connection was there through it all.

After being separated for so long and finally seeing them together again, it felt wholesome and safe. Wes left Addie on their wedding day, and now, he is running for the most important position in the country. They have both had things they’ve been through that have brought them both highs and lows in their lives, and now an encounter brings them together.

There is A LOT of emotion and feeling in this book and it’s great. Quite confrontational but also really healing. I love their friends group, too.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

An interesting, sweet second-chance romance. Many years and lots of changes in their lives make the possibility of a second chance possible, but not necessarily so. My first experience with this author. Politics and romance don't make a good combo for the main characters. Good story and characters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

This is a small town, second change Romance starring Wes, who is running for President, and Addie, who he left at the altar when they were teens. It took Addie a long time to get over Wes, but then she became a CIA Analyst, and was happily married for over a decade. Addie has returned to her hometown after her husband died tragically. She has almost reached a year of sobriety when Wes returns to their hometown as well. His wife died of cancer, and he and Addie have a lot to talk through. I enjoyed the small town feel, and the friendships in the book. Wes and Addie are cute together, but she forgave him pretty quickly considering she was so upset for so long. I'm not sure I bought that, but it is a Romance.

Thank you NetGalley for the free digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully written second chance romance ❤️ lovable characters, Wes and Addie both have their own personalities and differences, but the bond they shared was deep. After many years of staying apart from each other, it was uplifting to see them together. Wes left Addie on their wedding day, and now, he is running for the most important position in the country. They both had ups and downs in their lives, and now a chance encounter brings them together.. I was rooting for their reunion from the start. It's an enjoyable read with lots of emotions. I love their friends group, too. Hopeful and relaxing story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This was the first in this “series” that I read and was happy jump in and still understand it all. This was a great second chance romance. I loved the pining.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is a beauty love story. Bethany Turner returns her readers to Adelaide Springs, and yes, there are multiple appearances from previous characters. You can still fully enjoy if you haven’t read the others in the series, but they provide great backstories (plus, they’re just great stories).
Wes and Addie have both lived a lot of life and lost a lot since leaving Adelaide Springs as naïve youth. Each of their stories and experiences are heavy and impactful. Their own love story, up until the Wes left Addie at the altar, is emotional and powerful. Their story is told through the lens of today, using flashbacks, and it is an effective way to weave their current situation into their past journeys. There are multiple laugh out loud moments since their most vivid memories capture their growing up and maturing together. While they may be older, there is a part of each of them preserved in time from that failed wedding day. There are also multiple serious, deep moments. My emotions were all over the map in this story. I didn’t love all the directions some of the plot twists took, but I loved Wes and Addie more and found myself committed to their happily ever after.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley, and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

If I had a nickel for every time I read a book in 2025 that has HP references, I'd have way too many damn nickels. What a disappointment of a book.

It's so good to spend time in Adelaide Springs! I've joyfully engaged with the stories of the rest of the crew, and couldn't wait to give Wes and Addie, well, a chance!

I appreciate how Turner goes deeper than the average rom-com in terms of character development. Once you've gotten to know characters from other books, you really want to dig deep and learn something new, see some other side or dimension of them. She delivers in that regard, and offers a couple of surprises that I didn't see coming. At the same time, I had a little trouble believing some of Wes's situation (trying to avoid spoilers here!). Certain elements of his circumstances seemed to have been simplified for the sake of the story--to the point that I wasn't sure I was on board. As the story continued to develop, most explanations went deeper and these circumstances were accounted for. Ultimately, I don't know that it really could have been handled better in the scope of what the novel is, and I would still highly recommend this book.

It would be best to read all the Adelaide Springs novels in order, but this one does hold its own.

I couldn't connect with the writing style on this one. The rambling internal monologues, first and third POV, and disjointed info dumps had me choosing to DNF.

Oh how I love a romance and even a second chance romance. This one was written with so much life lived between the first time they fell in love and the second. Brought more foundation with them. I did really enjoy this!

Back to Adelaide Springs! I really enjoyed Brynn and Sebastien Hate Each Other so I was happy to pick this one up. Similar vibes. Read it in a day!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for this review.

I really, really love second chance romances. Especially when they’re childhood sweethearts. Wes and Addie have crept their way into the top ten of my favorite book couples, and my heart. I empathized with Addie and her struggles a lot. Wes was brilliantly written. I also resonated with the themes of reconciliation and reconnection within the story.

I have loved getting to know everyone in Adelaide Springs, especially when it came to the childhood friendship between Brynn, Laila, Addie, Cole and Wes, but found this book, as the final instalment in the series, not to wrap up the way I anticipated.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance is a second chance romance between high school sweethearts, and while you know it is going to end happily ever after, it is all the in between that marks this book different from the rest. The main characters are in their 40s, have previously experienced love, but also heartbreak all wrapped up in the secrets swirling in and out of the story: grief over early deaths, identity, alcoholism, guilt and politics. It is these secrets, the switching between first and third person as well as the uncertainty over why sections were labeled GH (and who exactly that was) that made it challenging as a reader to keep track of things, fully believe and buy into the story.

Even so, Turner stayed true to her usual self as this book was brimming with tons of pop culture references and banter, evoking a sense of shared nostalgia throughout. At the same time, Turner included a side character who identifies as homosexual, and this element felt more like a publishing move to fit our current society than anything else.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance wrapped up unrealistically and too quickly, with Wes stepping off the campaign trail with little to no repercussions. While living happily ever after with Addie in Adelaide Springs is lovely, there was no wrap up for the friends, talk of their future or what all five of them being back would look like for the town.

It's a lovely love story. I really liked that the two main characters are older than average in this type of book.

Loved it! What a fun romantic comedy, full of laughs, honesty, heartbreak, and second chances.

I thoroughly enjoy the stories set in this tiny mountain town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado, and it's wonderful characters. From "Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other", "Cole and Laila Are Just Friends", and now "Wes and Addie Had Their Chance", you don't want to miss any of them! All of them were childhood friends finding love in their forties.

Lovers of romantic comedies don't want to miss this story or this series!

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. All opinions are my own.

This one started a bit slow for me, but once it got going, I couldn't put it down. I loved how much life they lived in between their romances, but also how easy it was to fall back into old ways. Closeness from your youth stays with you, and this friend group really exemplifies that. I did read Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other before this, but I didn't feel like they played a large enough role in this book that you needed to do so.

I received this one in advance from NetGalley, and it was still pretty early in the editing stage, which made it a little hard to read. So if that will bother you, I'd wait for the publish date, but either way I would recommend this book :)