Friends from high school, Karl and Molly get a second chance to right the wrongs that kept them apart for 2 decades. On the positive side, I love that Olivia Dade hits all different notes when she writes plus size/fat lead characters. While a lot of romances rightly spend time exploring the complexities of body positivity both within the MC and those who come in contact with them, it was refreshing reading a romance where this body type just....was. Now, to the rest of the book, I found the writing style really odd. It read like a Classic Lit novel in language and structure. And while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it felt really disparate to me. I'm sure some readers will really love this aspect of the writing style, but I failed to connect with it. And on top of that, the chemistry between characters was more told than felt. But the spicy scenes were fantastic! Can't end a book review without discussing the spice. Overall I kind of liked it, kind of bored me. But mostly it was a good and cute book. I guess it is a good book that just didn't resonate with me, but I am certain a ton of other readers will love it.

Second Chance Romance is a novel between two high school friends who almost became more but didn't quite get there before the FMC, Molly, abruptly moves across the country for college. Fast forward 20 years when Molly, hears that the MMC, Karl, has died so she flies back to her hometown to pay her respects for the friend she once had. To her surprise, it was all a misunderstanding and Karl is actually alive. With Molly back in his life, Karl feels like this is the opportune time to finally shoot his shot and make Molly his.

We don't get much background of their high school years so I didn't feel convinced about their 'almost romance' or even their friendship for that matter. So marketing this so boldly as a 'second chance romance' fell flat for me. Especially because when they reunite in their mid-to-late thirties, it seems like they are still in high school.

Aside from the abundance of cursing and hom!c!dal comments (which I didn't like) and the body and sex positivity (which I did like), this read quite juvenile. I understand and appreciate that it was hard for the two characters to communicate from both their past traumas but when they finally do air everything out, I didn't feel satisfied. Except for maybe one true conversation they had, I didn't feel any growth within their relationship. I enjoyed their personal growth with the side characters the most and wished that their romantic relationship was as fleshed out instead of random forced activities to push the plot along.

This entire novel felt more like the embodiment of the miscommunication trope rather than the second-chance, friends to lovers trope that they were clearly going for. There were many instances where their friends clearly tell them to just SAY HOW THEY FEEL and both MC's acknowledge, yes, that would solve a lot of problems, then proceed to not do it.... it was very frustrating.

I think Olivia Dade always hits it out of the park with the character personalities but it's hit or miss with the romance for me. If you want a hot romance with a super grumpy dude and a bada*s lady, with deeper themes this is a great choice. Unfortunately it was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Note: Though Second Chance Romance is a standalone novel, it is the second installment in the Harlot's Bay series. If you want the full story of Matthew and Athena (who are secondary characters here), read At First Spite prior to this one.

Molly and Karl are high school friends that secretly have a crush on each other. 20 year later, Molly returns to their hometown after a very big misunderstanding. She goes on to stay in town for a month while her home is having some work done on it. During this time, Karl goes above and beyond to earn the trust and love of Molly.

This book is a romance delight that covers so many topics. There is depth to the characters as they discover more about themselves and each other. Quirky friends and other characters tie into the story nicely.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read the ARC for this book.

Oh how I loved coming back to Harlot's Bay for Second Chance Romance, the second installment of this standalone interconnected series.

I knew when I read At First Spite, that there was more to Karl and his reason for listening to monster smut every day. We get that reason in Second Chance Romance when we are introduced to Molly, the narrator of said monster smut and the one that got away from Karl's past. while Molly is the one that got away from Karl, Molly comes to us with some baggage as well. With both characters being so emotionally constipated, you know this is going to be a match made in heaven.
This book is full of Dade's signature wit and nuances she absolutely pulled from her experience in Williamsburg. We also have wonderful plus size representation for both the FMC AND the MMC; so refreshing. Added bonus, they characters are about 40, and as someone is hanging out in that decade, it was nice to read a story where the characters not only look like me but are also in the same age bracket. With loveable characters, familiar and new, I devoured this book and couldn't love it more.


Thank you NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager, and o author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Olivia Dade and Avon Press for giving me the opportunity to review an ARC for this second installment in the Harlot’s Bay series.

Karl is the most lovable misanthrope I’ve ever encountered in a book, but it was hard not to fall in love with him from the start. Molly is a woman after my heart. Like her, I do not take being called a pedant as an insult. And Karl doesn’t call her that as an insult. Together, Karl and Molly are so hopelessly in love with one another, but because they’d both been burned by love and other circumstances, they put up barriers. And those barriers nearly keep them apart.

The story is both second chance and somewhat slow burn. There’s a great deal of angst, for sure. It’s told in third person omniscient point of view with a fairly simple plot. There’s are cultural references in the flowing plot, as well as the trope standard third act “break up.” One thing Dade is really good at is taking the reader on the emotional roller coaster. Just as the lovers are cresting the hill and everything is sunshine and roses, she throws an unexpected kicker in. This leaves the reader feeling as betrayed as her couple are.

One aspect I always enjoy in Dade’s novels is the way she resolves the 3rd act heartbreak, without resorting to cheap plot twists. Her characters, mostly plus size women, are believable and she doesn’t resort to stereotypes. Her inclusion of not only plus size people, but mental health, diversity, safe sex, and even consent issues is organic. She never preaches or makes those aspects her characters sole focus.

I loved this and was happy to run into characters from the first Harlot’s Bay novel, including the infamous Spite House. This was a fun, easy read with a lovely HEA, and a sweet as spun sugar epilogue. I strongly recommend this book when it is released.

Thank you NetGalley and Olivia Dade for this eARC.

When Molly thinks her high school friend has suddenly died, she back to Harlot Bay after living a whole life in LA. This second change romance (nicely named) follows Molly and Karl (btw I love the name choice, Olivia) through a body positive love story.

I have really enjoyed the Olivia Dade books I have read in the past, but this one was just ok in my opinion. I am not a fan of the miscommunication troupe, and this book had some of that throughout. I also didn't connect to the characters the way I have in other Olivia Dade books.
3/5 stars

This is just a fun, second-chance romance, grumpy vs. smart-ass, small town kinda book.

The small town is like Stars Hollow but quirkier. The town folks all grew up together and yet have this unspoken affection for each other. Molly and Karl has this weird connection, but in high school being weird teens, they never got together, but she has always been on his mind. When one day, someone listening to an audiobook and Karl heard her voice, he was certain it's her.

For Molly, her friend back in Harlot Bay sent an obituary about their mutual friend, Molly was devastated. Poor guy, he was grumpy but not a bad guy, and he died of some mysterious camping incident?!?!

This book did have some laugh out loud moments. As Karl navigate and put into action his feelings. Molly needs to navigate and find herself, the version of her self that is true - and so happens the one Karl loves.

The book is cute, and the banter is quippy and fun. I really enjoyed this. The plot was good, there were bit that they went too in-depth of the background, but doesn't feel like tee-ing up for the next book in the series. So it was kinda left field. Overall, it's a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Thank you Avon and HarperCollins for this ARC via NetGalley.

Karl is a 10/10 charming, kind man.

Molly could listen to her own advice.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Perfect light read.

ARC Review

This is a solid 3.75 for me. While Molly is pedantic and funny, she could have used therapy. She mentions how no one wants a reluctant lover which is totally true, however she is reluctant to share herself with anyone. Karl is truly a sweetheart with a tough outer shell and he is trying to protect himself the best way he can; by taking things slow. I wish we got more backstory to why he had to work so hard as a kid.

While I understand you gotta have conflict, this was low stakes to me. The writing was good and I definitely got sucked into the plot and world building.

You’d like this if you are a fan of second chance romcoms where the characters have quick wit and snappy comebacks.

Thank you Avon and HarperCollins for this ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I hope this helps readers find great works.

I was soooo happy to return to Harlot's Bay! I really loved Love at First Spite and think about it on the regular. I grabbed this before even reading the description, only to be completely delighted that this is Karl the baker/monster romance reader's book. Karl is a big grumpy guy who has made his life in Harlot's Bay running his family's bakery. He is more of a softie than even he realizes - serving as a surrogate father to his young single mom employee, begrudgingly attending a monster-themed romance book club, grouchily continuing his friendships with Matthew and Athena (from the first book). His one big regret is that he messed things up 20 years ago with Molly, his close friend/love interest who abruptly moved from Harlot's Bay to California just before high school graduation and has been gone ever since. I loved finding out that the reason Karl listens to wildly spicy monster romances during his morning baking is because Molly is the narrator for romance author Sadie Brazen's audiobooks (and I loved that he gets them on CD, like I didn't even know you could do that now). Due to a grumpiness-related misunderstanding, the local paper runs an obituary for Karl that makes its way to Molly, who flies back to attend his funeral. Molly is completely burned out, desperately in need of a vacation, and constantly dodging calls from her dirtbag of an ex-husband who wants to buy the house they lived in, which she inherited from her grandparents. When Molly finds out that Karl is actually alive, he convinces her to stay in Harlot's Bay for a month. He wants to prove that he can be trusted with her heart, she wants to hook up with her old crush, and things just generally get complicated for them. I really just loved this - probably not a perfect book, but perfect for me at the moment, and I laughed out loud many times (mostly at the plots of romances with titles like My Kangaroo, My Kidnapper).

Olivia Dade is a go-to author. Everything she writes hits deep, especially fat representation of real bodies. Second Chance Romance is no exception. While this will release in the fall, this scorching romance sent heat waves as I read. I couldn't even imagine the hero working in the bakery because the chemistry would burn all the buns in the oven. There was a great mixture of grump to grump then grump to sunshine in this story. Both characters had their own issues to resolve, but mostly, they had to overlook the obstacles and find a way to each other. I loved the fact that the heroine was a voice actress who narrated Romance audiobooks. The character building is top notch and the secondary storylines left me wanting more of the community members and their potential romance. This is a first read of the series but I will definitely read the others.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for this ARC!

I really enjoy Olivia Dade’s books and this was no exception, though it’s not my favorite of hers. I enjoyed getting to know Molly and Karl and particularly that Karl was plus sized as well. Karl’s grumbly nature was endearing initially but I would have liked that to change through the book as they communicated more. It changed some, but it began to feel repetitive. Similarly, Molly’s pedantry but was funny initially but it got old for me quickly.

Rating: 3.5 rounded up

The title shares the trope, but these two characters are so lovable and quirky. She is a strong, bold, out spoken woman, and he is a steady, determined, man who speaks mostly in swear words and grunts. They are laugh out loud hilarious, but you also want to hit them over the head sometimes too. However, the way they learn is so tender and beautiful, especially for Karl as he tries so hard to learn to do more than grunt. This is a cute, very quick and easy rom com to enjoy.

Thank you #netgalley for the advanced copy for my honest review!

This second chance romance novel was charming and heartfelt! This book was emotionally satisfying, as it made me laugh many times throughout the book! I really enjoyed the main characters! The banter between the main characters was hilarious. The dual point of views were great, because I can really get to know what they are thinking. I love the plus size representations and how it came with both of the main characters. I found this book to have a very intriguing plot and I also found it to be well executed. I love the scenery of a small town, it gives off cozy atmospheric vibes. I really felt the chemistry between these two! This was more of a mature romance, with a dash of spice to it!

These characters were strongly developed in the story. Furthermore, the characters were all lovable, except for Molly’s Ex. It is easy to read, well structured and the setting fit the story. The only critique I have is the miscommunication trope, I feel like these two could have spoken to each other a lot sooner. Overall, I loved this grumpy and grumpy trope romance! It was addictive and I was fully immersed while reading it!

“Second Chance Romance” is a small town romantic comedy. It centers around the characters of Molly and Karl. These two used to be friends back in high school. Molly thought that Karl had passed away, but he is very much alive! They end up seeing each other again at a reunion. As the story unfolds, these two friends turn into lovers. I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars!

Content warnings include strong profanity and sexual content. I think fans of romantic comedies would really enjoy reading this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Olivia Dade and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for this electronic ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This book is expected to be published on November 25, 2025!

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the advanced reader copy.

2.5 stars

Karl has been in love with Molly since the day she transferred to his high school in Harlot's Bay, Maryland. The two remained good friends until Karl started dating someone else, thinking that he didn't want to jeopardize his friendship with Molly by telling her how he felt. But when Molly moves to California for college, Karl loses out on a chance for anything romantic with her. Until, twenty years later, Molly (who's now divorced and living a small life in L.A. as an audiobook narrator) hears that Karl has died and she flies back to Harlot's Bay to pay her respects. When she finds out that it was all a mix-up, Karl convinces her to stay until their twenty year reunion, to prove that she can trust him with her heart.

Did I get the level of spicy romance that an Olivia Dade novel always suggests? Yes, I did. Did I get interesting main characters and a continuation of the quirky secondary characters that we first met in AT FIRST SPITE? Mostly. But what I didn't get was a storyline that held up for me. This has less to do with Dade's writing and more to do with a realization that I don't think most second chance romances work. Molly and Karl are sufficiently gun-shy about delving into a romance they've both been thinking about for twenty years and the set up of the false obituary was a good "romance reasons" way of getting the characters into proximity. But I didn't find that either character had actually changed much from being teenagers to being adults, in terms of their ability to walk into this second chance at a relationship. Not every book can be a banger; I'll still look forward to the next Olivia Dade book.

Second Chance Romance is out November 25, 2025.

4.5 stars - The friends to lovers trope is one of my favorites and Second Chance Romance is that and more. It’s witty, inclusive and fun to read. The characters are also so relatable and genuine. It’s a great, steamy read.

title: Second Chance Romance

author: Olivia Dade

publisher: Avon

publication date: November 25, 2026

pages: 400

peppers: 3 (on this scale)

warnings: fake news

summary: Two years after her ugly divorce and twenty years after leaving Harlot's Bay just before her high school graduation, audiobook narrator Molly learns of the murder of her high school best friend and secret crush Karl. She returns to town for his funeral and ends up being surprised by what she finds.

tropes:

grumpy-sunshine
second-chance romance
been burned before
horrible ex
I'm unlovable/not good enough
overworked
caretaker
learn to trust

what I liked:

plus-size representation
great dialogue and humor
grumpy-sunshine romance is my favorite (reasons obvious)
so much food

what I didn’t like:

though there are reasons they don't talk things out, they probably could have talked things out earlier

overall rating: 5 (of 5 stars)

As always, you can click on the photo above if you want to buy the book.

Very intriguing plot, believable romance, little off putting that we are now naming books after a trope

3.5/5 stars…The FMC’s ex-husband is a dick head and I’m glad he got told off but I wish it didn’t take so long for that particular scene to play out. The MMC gave “big teddy bear 🧸 but I’ll rip your throat out if you even look at her wrong😡” energy and I love that for the FMC. Bonus points for him having the biggest heart ❤️and being a kick ass baker👨‍🍳. This was a really cute story that touched on hard topics but gracefully. I wanted a bit more though.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I thought this was a cute romance story set in a quaint town with some fun quirky side characters.