After the FMC inexplicably was eating a sandwich with a fork, I lost interest. I know that sounds petty, but combined with the poor development of characters where the MMC was your typical angry and grumpy guy but they didn't explain why until 3/4 of the way through the book, FMC was an angry divorced lady who didn't trust anyone (no nuance at all), it made the last half of the book really hard to read. The characters were really hard to connect with.

There were certain odd scenes that were incredibly detailed, and then an entire week passes by and they don't address anything that happened during that time with more than a sentence. The sex scenes were SO LONG and a lot of the background details weren't necessary. The side characters weren't really fleshed out and were more props than anything. The description of the gym for the reunion starts too late in the scene and doesn't feel like a natural part of the story. Why did the MMC's bestie and his wife have to leave? How did that move the plot along?

I really had to work to get through this one, and I feel terrible about it. I almost DNF'd about 40% of the way through. I'm sure there's a market for this book, and the writing itself is good. It's just not for me.

A lighthearted romance to take you away! The characters develop from teens into becoming adults and then finding their love reciprocated. Nice story with careers, relationships and emotions of regular seeming characters. Recommend.

Another winner for Olivia Dade. I really enjoyed the complex and nuanced characters in this continuation of the Harlot's Bay books. Also the man as baker element was so fun.

While I rarely am swept away by Olivia Dade’s books, I will always read them due to their representation of characters living in larger bodies. It is incredibly important to me to read about characters who look like me and who are treated as heroines of their own story. It’s rarer than many would think. They are always fun, though quirky in ways that I’m never totally on board with, like all the weird monster stuff again. Enough already. lol.

Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade was everything I wanted it to be! Second chance romance happens to be one of my favorite romance tropes and this did not disappoint. This story was sweet and swoony and I loved the characters.

This is the kind of second chance romance I can get behind. Olivia Dade is an author whose work I consistently love. Her characters are fully-formed and flawed humans who are also consistent across her books. While the miscommunication, or more accurately, under-communication in this book could be frustrating it read as completely believable for two people who had such strong defenses built up to protect them from pain.
Revisiting Harlot's Bay was a joy, and I hope to read about more residents of the town in the future!

I swear Olivia Dade just gets better with every book. This was so heartwarming and delightful! Karl and Molly shine as characters. They both have so many issues to work through--I simultaneously wanted to shake them and fully understood where they were coming from. Can't wait for the next Harlot's Bay novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

This is a missed connection romance that had all the elements to be a very sweet read. However, this was a pretty mediocre read with adult characters that felt like they were preteens with all of the lack of communication. Just speak up and use your words like a grownup!

I’ll be honest (I mean, I was given an eARC so duh haha) but I DNF’d at 60% . Will I finish at one point? Perhaps.. but not right now.
I think you’ll either love this book or feel kinda meh about it. It’s good, just didn’t capture me. For some reason I quite couldn’t buy the relationship

Thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of Second Chance Romance by Olivia Dade.

I adored this book! Olivia Dade delivers a hilarious, emotionally resonant second-chance romance that’s both heartwarming and refreshingly real. Second Chance Romance follows Karl, a gruff but lovable baker, and Molly, a confident, independent audiobook narrator, as they reconnect after two decades apart. What follows is a delicious mix of banter, sexual tension, emotional growth, and community support.

Karl completely stole my heart—he’s grumpy, foul-mouthed, and fiercely loyal, with a soft side that slowly comes to the surface. I loved watching him try to win Molly back with patience, baked goods, and genuine vulnerability. The fact that he listened to all of Molly’s erotic audiobooks just to hear her voice? Amazing! Molly is equally wonderful—she’s a plus-size woman who is completely secure in her body and her choices. She’s bold, smart, and refreshingly honest.

The chemistry between Karl and Molly was fantastic, and the sexual tension was built up beautifully. I loved their banter and how much respect they had for one another, even when emotions were high. Their romance felt both mature and playful—perfect for characters in their late 30s with fully lived lives. The spice was hot and didn't shy away from descriptions of larger bodies.

One part that frustrated me was Molly’s lingering tie to her manipulative ex-husband. I was so happy when she finally shut that door for good—especially after Karl stood up for her and refused to let anyone treat her poorly.

The themes of body positivity, emotional healing, and found family were all handled beautifully. And the supporting cast brought a lot of warmth and humor to the story, giving it a vibrant sense of community.

This book was a joy from beginning to end. Second Chance Romance is a funny, sexy, and deeply satisfying love story that celebrates self-worth, second chances, and the power of being seen—and loved—for who you really are. I’ve added Olivia Dade to my auto-buy list!

First, thank you for the opportunity to read this early. Second, Olivia Dade is so good! This book is a delight! I was so excited to read more in this wonderfully chaotic town. thank you!! love this series.

I just can’t express enough how much I love Olivia Dade. With this new book, Second Chance Romance, my love has only deepened! I gobbled this one up the second I got the approval from NetGalley. These characters are interesting, deep, swoony, and so fun to follow. It tops the list alongside Spoiler Alert for me. So good!

I am trying so hard and I mean SO hard to finish this book. I am having the most difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that this book is supposed to be based in Maryland. The way Karl speaks gives me Irish country boy vibes. The language used throughout the book does not seem US based or regionally based. Never in my life have I heard anyone from the US use cockamamie. Buck ass naked is also not something that is typically used in the NE or the west coast. If I were the editing team, I’d go back and work on the regional language use.

Neither Molly or Karl are very likable to me. They’re generic. Karl grunts and is grumpy. Molly’s kind of bland and cardboard like to me. They both suck at communication. Molly has trust issues (rightfully so). Does this get better? I don’t know.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC. I hope the feedback provides insightful revisions following proactive research so that Second Chance Romance is successful upon publishing.

I confess: I find myself somewhat conflicted about this book.

On the one hand, it's an Olivia Dade offering, so of course it has an emotionally resonant romance, colorful supporting characters, a great sense of place/atmosphere, solid diversity in the representation, body types you don't see enough in romance, and intelligent dialogue.

But on the other... For some reason, leading lady Molly never truly clicked for me. I've loved every one of Dade's heroines up to this point, but Molly I only tepidly liked. Perhaps because she's so pedantic and literal about things -- it made her unique and stand out, absolutely, and those aspects of her personality were consistent and written well. But for me, personally, it just grated. And while I went into this excited to get more about Karl the grumpy baker (an absolute standout in the previous Harlot's Bay romance, At First Spite), and he proved to be a pretty solid and sweet hero, I found the conflict between his and Molly's expectations/"love languages" (for lack of a better term) to be pretty frustrating. Molly kept expecting Karl to Use His Words, whereas Mr. Monosyllabic was so enthusiastic in *showing* his love through acts of service and thoughtful gifts, he couldn't understand why she needed verbal reassurance as well. And while that makes for a more mature, realistic conflict, I'm still sooo tired of romances where miscommunication causes all the problems.

ALL THAT BEING SAID, the last fifth or so of the story -- the Big Dramatic Climax, at a sorta Prom party -- was *really good*, and I enjoyed it so much/found myself grinning and flipping quickly to the next page, that I think it might've made up for the frustrations the rest of the book gave me?

This one probably won't be one I re-read again, unlike the rest of Dade's previous offerings, but I'm still ultimately glad I read it. Even a mediocre Olivia Dade is better than most of the mainstream romances on offer.

3.5 stars rounded
Olivia's books never fail to bring me joy, and I am always so appreciative of the plus-size rep she features in her books. I'll be honest, Molly was not my favorite FMC. She was really harsh and off-putting at times, and I know that stems from a very real place of previous hurt so I can't fault her character for that. This did make it a little difficult to be fully invested in the romance between her and Karl, but I did still find myself rooting for them!
I found plenty of humor and charm in SCR, and I will definitely continue to read anything Olivia puts out.

Harlot's Bay is such a fun town and I'm always glad when I get to come back. It was a delight to get to know Karl more and see the smushy inside of his Cadbury Egg heart. I loved Molly and her strength and her stubbornness. I did want to shake both of them and tell them just to talk to each other, but Olivia Dade gave really valid reasons why both were scared to go first. Having Lise be the voice of reason was really refreshing and I hope we get her book next. This book was just so much fun and I highly recommend for all romance readers.

Looking at how long it took me to finish this ARC should have been my clue to DNF. Now I have read a few friends to lovers book and have enjoyed them immensely! However for this read it was difficult to not only connect with the characters but see the chemistry build up between them. It felt forced and not a natural build up. At times I was getting a bit bored of where the plot was going. One thing for sure that was annoying to me is that I wished the two main characters would just speak to each other. It would have saved them so much time if they just communicated with one another. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I want to first say thank those involved for the ARC of this novel. I have loved Olivia Dade’s books, including the first installment in the Harlot’s Bay series, where I was first introduced to the grump baker, Karl. I could not wait to read his story.

However, the fmc in this text proved challenging to connect to, personally. While the romance was engaging, I found certain aspects of the characters' development difficult to understand. Molly's initial behaviors, stemming from past experiences, come across as overly insecure or harsh, which was off-putting for me. These traits, while understandable given her history, might not resonate positively with all readers.

Overall, not a bad storyline- the lead just wasn’t for me.

Olivia Dade writes the funniest most charming books. The characters are delightful and the plots always have funny twists. The side characters are always sweet and amazing. This story is no different. Hits a little more home, as I’m in the same age bracket as some of the characters. It’s nice to know that we all go through similar experiences, even if the characters are fictional! Sweet, fun read. Highly recommend.

Usually a second chance romance is right up my alley, but this one just left me wanting more. I will definitely give Dade another chance with whatever comes next,