This is the second book in the Harlot’s Bay series. I recommend reading “At First Spite” first, as it introduces Karl, the grumpy baker and fantastic side character. I enjoyed this book quite a bit more than the first and rooted for both Karl and Molly. However, I must admit that the title is a bit misleading. Karl and Molly were high school friends who had crushes on each other but never acted on them. Karl finally shot his shot in an email after Molly moved across the country, but she believed him to still be with his on-again, off-again girlfriend. Fast forward 20 years, and Molly hears of Karl’s grisly death and returns to Harlot Bay to pay her respects. To her surprise, he is alive and still pining for her. Karl, a good but not particularly verbose man, is perhaps a bit emotionally stunted. He has a limited time to convince jaded Molly, who is also emotionally stunted, to trust him before he has to return to California. I appreciated the humor in the book. Kudos to the author for having plus-size main characters who are portrayed as desirable and sexual beings, rather than being defined solely by their weight (which is a common trope in books these days). This is definitely an open-door, spicy book that is worth checking out, especially for the third act reunion scene alone.

Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Second Chance Romance features Molly and Karl. High school besties that secretly harbor a crush on one another. After both fail to express their feelings, Molly moves away and Karl stays put in Historic Harlot’s Bay. A misunderstanding breaks their line of communication, and the two reconnect after 20 years when Molly discovers Karl’s accidental obituary. This book features many tropes like friends to lovers, grumpy sunshine, and second chances.

First off, I’d like to commend Olivia Dade for her representation of the plus size community for both men and women in this book. I found it extremely refreshing to read a book where both of the MC’s were plus size and desirable!

I found Molly to be such an intriguing FMC. Her nontraditional style and cynical personality played well with Karl’s gruff-yet-squishy demeanor. The chemistry between the two really worked for me. I enjoyed the fact that Molly was straightforward and confident in herself. I do feel like some of the language Karl used could be dialed back. He uses GD in nearly every other sentence and it started to feel redundant.

Karl’s relationship with Charlotte was very endearing, and I wish we had seen more interaction between her and Molly. However, I really liked how Karl’s position in his community was on full display throughout the book. This really gave the town a charming feel even though there were some silly parts with other townsfolk.

My favorite thing about this book was the ending. It really brought everything full circle and was extremely satisfying to read. Every base was covered and tied into a pretty bow!

Overall, I enjoyed this one! Even the silly parts balanced in well once you got a feel for Harlot’s Bay and how it operates. Thank you NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager, and o author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade is a friends-to-lovers, small-town romance and the second book in the Harlot’s Bay Series. Karl is the grumpy, reclusive, bakery owner in Harlot Bay who loves listening to erotic romance novels and being there for others, while not showing that he cares in the typical sense. Molly is a romance audiobook narrator, living in LA, just getting by after her divorce a few years ago. Karl and Molly went to high school together and were best friends, but had not been in touch for 20 years. When Molly hears that Karl's obituary has run in the local paper, she decides to return to Maryland, only to find it was one big misunderstanding. I was really excited for this follow-up book after loving At First Spite. While there were fun moments and I loved getting back to Harlot's Bay and connecting with the past characters we met, I did struggle to get into this novel. It felt like the chemistry between Karl and Molly was forced and I just really struggled with how they progressed the relationship. I typically adore the friends-to-lovers trope, but this was a struggle for me. However, I did still enjoy the book and hope we get more out of this series, I love Olivia Dade books!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon & Harper Voyager, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️

Second Chance Romance was an enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book where we’re learning about the shared past between our two leads Karl and Molly. It would have been nice to get a little more of Molly’s POV during that section, so we could better understand how she felt about Karl and why she still might care 20 years later. We did get that context with Karl though, and it was a solid enough opener for the reader to understand why Karl still might want the second chance to start something with Molly again.

Once Molly is back in Harlot’s Bay and agreed to Karl’s plan to make her trust him, I really enjoyed how devoted he was to the cause. He put in a lot of effort to woo her, even if it wasn’t what she was looking for. That’s where some of the issues in this book come in though. The lack of communication in this book makes it a bit of a frustrating read for the middle chunk. Molly doesn’t like the lack of communication from Karl. She wants him to tell her more about his troubles and wants him to just generally tell her how he feels, but she won’t just straight up tell him that. To me, it seems like she wants him to read her mind and magically know what she wants from him, which is a frustrating lack of communication on her end. His side of it is definitely frustrating too, as he seems to want a relationship where they don’t talk at all.

The concluding events of this book definitely do bring it back around after that frustrating middle part of the book. As the book itself says, the end of this book is very 90s teen movie. You finally get what you’ve been waiting for, there’s good confrontations and the book wraps up nicely.

Overall, I think this is a fun read and I like all the shenanigans going on in Harlot’s Bay. I’m assuming Lise is next up to get a book and I am definitely intrigued by where her story might be going!

This book hit me in all the right places. I absolutely loved that the main couple was a little older and plus-sized—it felt refreshingly real and grounded. The emotional journey both characters go on was beautifully done. I especially resonated with the female lead’s struggle with trust and vulnerability; her hesitation to let someone in felt so authentic and relatable. Watching both characters slowly open up and work through their baggage made their connection feel earned and deeply satisfying. Olivia Dade writes with so much heart and empathy, and this book was no exception. A warm, emotional second chance romance that’s both tender and empowering.

This was an absolute delight! I love Karl and Molly, I love seeing Matthew and Athena married and in love, I love Sadie Brazen's romance novels, and I cannot wait for the next one (which I so hope is following Lise!)

Oh my word, this was so good and cute. The banter and grumpy x Sunshine was perfect. This is an ABSOLUTE MUST READ.

2.5 stars — A Sweet Concept That Doesn’t Fully Rise

First, a warm thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade! I always appreciate the chance to revisit Harlot’s Bay, which continues to be delightfully quirky and packed with personality (and baked goods).

In theory, this book had my name written all over it: grumpy/grumpy romance? A mistaken obituary? Monster romance audiobooks and a hero who owns a bakery? Sign me up and pass the cinnamon rolls. But unfortunately, Second Chance Romance never quite delivered the emotional punch or narrative momentum I was hoping for.

Let’s start with the good: Olivia Dade’s signature body positivity shines here, as always. Molly and Karl are both complex, mature characters with scars—emotional and otherwise—and I truly appreciated seeing a second-chance romance featuring people over 40 navigating love with all the baggage that entails. There’s also some fantastic, heartfelt commentary on grief, regret, and choosing joy. Plus, the town of Harlot’s Bay continues to be just the right blend of small-town chaos and endearing weirdness.

But here’s where it faltered for me: pacing and chemistry. The central misunderstanding that kept Karl and Molly apart for decades felt… flimsy, especially considering the book hinges on it. I needed more than a shrug-worthy miscommunication to buy into all that lost time. And while their dynamic is built on mutual longing, the actual chemistry? More lukewarm than sizzling. Grumpy/grumpy should’ve been comedy gold, but it often translated to long, meandering conversations that dragged rather than delighted.

Also, while I appreciate a slow burn, this one simmered too slowly, with a back half that stalled out completely. By the time the heat kicked in, I was more invested in the side characters than the main romance.

Final verdict? Second Chance Romance is a cozy, occasionally spicy, emotionally rich ride that just didn’t fully stick the landing for me. Fans of Dade’s earlier work or lovers of gentle, introspective second-chance stories may find more here to love. As for me, I was left wishing the story had risen to its full potential.

Still, I’ll definitely be back for the next Harlot’s Bay novel—because I can’t resist a town with this much charm (or this many baked goods).

Where has Olivia Dade been all my life?! I was beyond thrilled to get an advanced copy of this book (thank you to the publisher and NetGalley!). The plot sounded like something I'd love (it was) and I've heard endlessly great things about this author, especially the way she writes characters in larger bodies. I clearly need to read all of her work now :) It was funnier than I expected, witty, the characters complex and charming. I don't always love flashbacks in books, even in the prologue, but I was hooked from page one.

Headstrong, insightful Molly and creatively grumpy Karl became friends in high school, then fell apart before becoming more.

Twenty years later she shows up at the small, quirky town she’d run from before they graduated because she had seen his untimely obituary, only to discover he was still as alive and loud as ever.

A hopeful, clever, charming and delightful love story about second chances and finding your people.

Wonderfully weird in all the best ways. Highly recommend.

I was impatient so read an ARC via NetGalley. Publishes 11/25/25.

I enjoyed this book. The romance was sweet and felt very realistic. I wish there was a little more plot, but overall, it was a nice, lighthearted story.

Fun read. I love that the plus size fmc was confident with her body. I loved his character as well. I didn’t realize this I’d the second of the series. I will definitely be going back to read the first book.

Thank you to Avon/Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade in exchange for an honest review.

Way back in high school, Karl and Molly were friends. Nothing romantic ever happened between them, despite both sides harboring secret crushes on the other. But then Molly suddenly moved cross country with her mother while Karl stayed behind in Harlot's Bay. One significant misunderstanding in their early college years put an end to their friendship and they both moved on with their lives.

Karl became a talented though curmudgeonly baker. Molly became an audiobook narrator, including the racy monster romances that Harlot's Bay residents are bizarrely obsessed with. He remained single, apart from casual relationships; Molly met, married, and ultimately divorced a guy that didn't treat her all that well.

Molly and Karl's friendship-with-potential-for-more might have stayed in the past except for two things. First, Karl discovers Molly's gig as audiobook reader and proceeds to listen to every last one of them, all while pining in a surly, secretive way. Second, a mix-up with the local newspaper results in Molly receiving the mistaken report of Karl's untimely, and entirely false death. Despite not having spoken to him in years, she immediately flies to Harlot's Bay.

Imagine her surprise when Karl is not only alive and well, but also determined to romance her into staying.

Second Chance Romance is a great blend of funny, emotional, and romantic. It feels like a modern take on a screwball comedy in the best of ways. It's two damaged people doing great emotional work, all against a backdrop of sheer zaniness.

The characters are great. Molly is challenging, but wholly relatable. Karl is adorable in a "hates everyone but his friends" kind of way, all while spewing the most inventive curses ever to grace a romance novel. These are two older adults (older than typical romance fare, anyway) who have been pushed around by life. They are both emotionally guarded, fearing vulnerability, so it's a long, careful road to reunion. Molly would be content to hook up and head out, but Karl is determined to not only woo her, but keep her forever.

There are some very silly moments, but in the setting of Harlot's Bay, they work. In some ways, this story actually improves the book that precedes it too, explaining and rounding out some of the more outlandish, unbelievable aspects of the tale. (WHAT IS THE LOCAL OBSESSION WITH MONSTER ROMANCE? Answer: Karl started it.)

Highly recommended for readers who like a good blend of romance and comedy, fans of second chance romances, and for anyone who's curious about what a kangaroo shifter romance might read like.

This story was really entertaining (and very spicy). I read it in like two days, I could barely put it down! I’m a mess for a man in a bakery, and a beard too? I thought the interactions between the two leads were cute. It was a good standalone- I haven’t read the first one, and I could tell who the previous couple was, but all in all very cute and an easy standalone read.

Unapologetically and unabashedly.

Two character traits this author possesses as she features fat characters on both the inside and outside of her books. Romance readers rejoice in seeing more diverse characters on their indie and online bookshelves. There's been an expansion of romance in the multicultural and gender identity but not so much is seen re: fat characters.

Here, the author takes the trope of second chance romance setting it in the fictional town of "Harlot's Bay". It's a sequel but can be read as a standalone. Matthew (Karl's bff) and Athena from the first book "At First Spite" are featured. Reading the first too will enhance the experience of understanding Karl's gruff character that shields a gooey center apparent to his friends and family but him. Molly's serene facade shields a snarky bite that not only delights Karl but he revels in.

He woos her. But not with a bit of stumbling (his misguided assumptions, her past history) along the way and the result is a satisfying read.


This ARC was provided by the publisher, Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#SecondChanceRomance #NetGalley

Second Chance Romance is the PERFECT title for his novel. Two friends, Molly and Karl, who lost touch after high school have been reunited by unusual circumstances in Harlot's Bay. Harlot's Bay is the perfect town for romance. I found myself wanting to visit, walk through the historic spots, and eat at Grounds and Grains while witnessing the outbursts of the cantankerous owner. What I loved the most about this book is that it focused on older adults--people in their mid-thirties who have already built lives and careers. They have a lot to figure out emotionally, and watching them grow was difficult at times. At times I wanted to yell at them through my screen. Ultimately, I enjoyed the side characters Matthew, Athena, and Lise and what they brought to the novel. The salacious book club was a fun addition as well.

Olivia Dade is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. Her latest book, Second Chance Romance, was a great read.

I love this! Im going to NEED the audio asap. Karl the grumpy man that you are!! Molly is sunshine and sass. I really loved this romance and getting to know the characters more. This was swoon-worthy and fun!

Olivia Dade continues to knock it out of the park. Karl and Molly may be two of my favorite characters from her and their story made me laugh and cry at times. I can't wait for more stories from Harlot's Bay.

Loved, loved, loved this book by Olivia Dade! Olivia Dade always always has amazing body positivity in her books and I loved this book so much. Karl is the best, grumpy mmc and the twist is the sunshine isnt all that sunshiney because or her previous trauma, but somehow it works.