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 :)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really struggled with this one. I liked the premise, but I just couldn’t adapt to the writing style. It just felt cumbersome and not necessarily overwritten, but clunky. The words didn’t flow and I often had to reread sentences just to make sense of it. I also felt that there was far more repetition than developing the plot as it moved from the past to the future.

"Wes and Addie Had Their Chance" was basically an extended deep dive into their inner thoughts, and if introspection were a sport, these two would be Olympic-level champions. Not a whole lot happened, but if you love watching characters wrestle with their emotions, this one’s for you. No spice, but we did get some sweet kissing moments that were enough to keep things moving. It’s the kind of book you curl up with when you’re in the mood for something low-key and comforting.

Now, plot twist, I thought this was a standalone, but turns out it casually name-drops characters from other books like they’re old friends at brunch. You don’t need to read those books to follow along, but if you have, you’ll catch those little references. Overall, it was fine, but I won’t be shouting about it from the rooftops. A solid three-star read with some cozy charm!

I wanted to love this one, but it was just okay—it felt pretty disconnected from reality in a way the current political moment makes difficult to believe, especially when one of the main characters is running for president. I enjoyed returning to the mountains, but I didn’t feel like the character development was there (unlike the other books in this series). I enjoyed reading it, but struggled with the characters and plot.

Such a good continuation of the Adelaide Springs crew. Love the second chance small town romance vibe. Slow paced but in the best way as we truly get to learn who Wes and Addie are as people, what broke them a part, and how they can be together. Romantic and enjoyable

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner is a second-chance romance between Addie Atwater-Elwyn, a former CIA analyst, and Wes Hobbes, senator and possible presidential candidate.

Sad to say, I just couldn't get into this book. I'm all for a second-chance romance, but this one left me feeling a little "meh". And honestly, I found the story depressing for more than one reason. Yes, there was an HEA, but at the reader's expense.

Addie has suffered three major heartbreaks in her life: the death of her mother, the death of her husband, and being left at the altar at age 18. It has been two years since she was widowed, and everyone walks around her on eggshells, looking at her with what she interprets as pity.

Enter, Wes, the former runaway groom, again running away, but this time from a political career he is not sure he wants to continue. He returns to his hometown to immediately run into his ex-fiancée and finds that he isn't welcome there anymore after everyone sided with Addie when he left.

What ensues is three days of them reconnecting and coming to terms with what has happened in their lives and what is still happening. I don't want to spoil some of the revelations in these interactions, but with two people who have lost both a loved parent and a significant partner, well, the conversations are heartfelt yet very sad.

I found Addie's character likeable as well as some of the side characters. I also enjoyed the fact that this was about a couple in their 40s (gasp, not old people!), but that was about all. Wes' character felt too over the top, with a presidential bid and his marriage of convenience as part of his background, I just couldn't like him. Their reunion felt rushed, especially after so many years of resentment that had built up between them and also between Wes and the town itself.

In the end, this wasn’t quite the emotional payoff I’d hoped for. If you're looking for a bittersweet story of love, loss, and second chances, you might still find something to connect with here, but be prepared for more sadness than swoon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. Many thanks to the publisher Thomas Nelson Fiction, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

I love a great small-town romance, and this one fit the bill. The author included a lot of twists and interest that really leveled up the story.

Second chance romance between high school sweethearts and a change of mind at the last second. Two times heartbreak, interesting jobs, and a swirl of mystery as to the secrets they are both holding.

This is the first time read of this author’s stories, and I love the atmosphere of the community and the friendships she built within.

There’s a little bit of oddness in the writing and the setup of the story. We do bounce back and forth between time and between characters. There are sections labeled GH, which I think is the father, but a little clarity would’ve been helpful.

The two main characters do work well together for the most part. I feel she’s a little too forgiving, but considering he’s good at convincing her she was the one and only, I can understand. I would probably do the same thing if he were my first love.

This is a clean romance that has some good energy and pretty low angst for the most part. I love the character’s connection towards the last half as she had a lot of healing to do! Plus, the ending is awesome.

Wes and Addie Had Their Chance 🍁 (arc) - @bethanyturner

5⭐️

Wholly and irretrievably perfect.

“Addie Atwater became the great love of his life, that was it.”

My very first Bethany Turner novel and most certainly not my last. This book was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions start to finish and it had me gasping, giggling, clutching my pearls and swooning all at the same time.

This story is the ultimate novel of human connection, sacrifice and second chances.

This book was not what I expected and I mean that in the best way possible. I thought it was going to be a light hearted romance, but really, this story was so much more than that. It was so complex on an emotional level and each chapter was revealing another layer to the plot and characters which added so much depth to everything - a truly wonderful reading experience.

The tension throughout the first third of the book between Wes and Addie was palpable. They were both so raw and real with each other with the confrontation and the hurt. I like that they didn’t ignore the elephant in the room and that their past was addressed early on in the book between them. Addie never cowered from the situation, addressing Wes on his bullshit immediately. She was such a fierce character. Both coming from difficult and stressful careers, they found solace in each other being the only ones who understood what it was like. The secrets, the formalities, the facade of everything. They were each others safe space - even a whole lifetime apart. (Also I pictured Wes as Nate Archibald the entire book and you cannot change my mind.)

Something about this story was so uniquely … precious and fragile. I think it was the vulnerability between the characters so early in the book (which I ADORED) or if it was the cozy, winter small town vibes. Either way, i fell in love with Wes, Addie and Adelaide Springs.

Reading this book, I didn’t want for it to end. I could have read a thousand more pages on Wes and Addie and never gotten tired of it. So painful, raw, hilarious and comforting all at once. Highly recommend!

Thankyou to @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!!

For some reason this was hard to read. I found myself being both bored and engaged at the same time. I couldn't get into the characters there was so much going on it was kind of confusing. The writing style didn't appeal to me found it kind of hard to read.

I really enjoyed this book. It was about a second-chance romace between 2 people who grew up together (Addie and Wes). The story follows the life of Addie Atwater-Elwyn, who returned to her small town home after the death of her husband and struggles in her life that cost her career to end. While returning to her hometown she must face her past, including the man who left her at the alter when she was 18. Wes, the man who left her is now a senator and is running to become president of the U.S. The story is about forgivness, rediscovery and navigating through unresolved feelings. I thought this was a great story about love and second chances. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgally and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the advanced copy. It was a great read.