This is such a great story about second chances and following your gut feeling. Love the way the author paced and worded this story.

I didn't think this book would make me feel so much when I started it. The slow build-up kept me hooked. I loved both characters together and separate. It did feel slow at times but honestly was such a sweet heartwarming read.

Thank you for this arc.

Every Chance After took me quite a while to get through, and I think it was because I just couldn’t connect with the plot….I think it was a little too much at the beginning for me to enjoy the rest, while I do like the found family aspect I couldn’t resonate with the characters that much…

In this book, we follow Grady, a solitary and slightly grumpy veterinarian who avoids human interaction as much as possible. He prefers the company of his dogs and the animals he cares for.
His encounter with Marnie happens under dramatic circumstances… Consumed by guilt, he decides to do everything he can to help her rebuild her life.
Marnie, for her part, thought she had everything: a job she loved, a future husband, a found family… Until an accident turned everything upside down.

I really enjoyed this read, especially the life lesson it conveys: everything can change in an instant.
I really liked Marnie—she’s incredibly brave. Since her teenage years, she’s fought on her own, taking care of her sick mother. It’s admirable but also deeply sad.
Thankfully, a grumpy (but big-hearted) vet is about to walk into her life…

I liked Grady too, even though I kind of wanted to shake him a little 😅. His emotional back-and-forth was a bit frustrating, although I understand his wounds make things difficult.
And be warned… this is an extreme slow burn. If you like romances that take their time, go for it! If not, be prepared for a very gentle pace.

✨3.5/5✨

This story could have so easily gone the route of soap opera with a near deadly chance encounter somehow reaching love story. What kept it relatable was how real the characters were. Grady is the stern oldest child who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, Marnie is the sunshine practical orphan who doesn’t ever let herself get down. It’s grumpy/sunshine initially but then not. Marnie learns that it’s ok to allow herself to feel, even if the emotions are messy and Grady learns how to smile and relax. Where their opposites do attract (along with some trauma bonding), they both meet in the middle for a balanced approach to life. Definitely far more character driven over plot, you get some sense of time passing but really only in the gaps. Very satisfying wrap up, join the newsletter for bonus content highlighting the next love story to come. I will happily read more by her.

Random notes:
I had no idea the fictional small town was nearby Wilmington. Hometown love to see it!
Always love a removal of the miscommunication trope and I know others do too so I try to mention it where I see it.
I knew the Sullivans were going to be how they were but damn. I wanted to punch them through the pages.

Thank you Jessica Sherry for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

1.5⭐️
I truly did not connect with this book. As a reader I had a hard time getting through it and I don’t know if it was the characters or the story line but nothing about it resonated with me unfortunately. The pacing felt off to me. There were moments that were cringey and I didn’t feel like Marnie and Grady had good chemistry, they were just trauma bonded. I appreciated the side characters and the found family aspect but other than that this book just was not for me.

Tropes:
Found Family
Grumpy X Sunshine
Small Town

Thank you NetGalley and Jessica Sherry for this ARC!

This was a beautiful, tender and just overall great read. You really felt for Marnie and Grady and was rooting for them the whole time. It was handled with such care and lovingly touch that just made you instantly love them and their story. I would definitely recommend!

4.5 ⭐️

WOW. This book really came out of nowhere for me. This one is heavy but also so well done. In my opinion, all of the heavier topics were handled with such well done care.

I truly loved both of our MCs. Occasionally, our FMCs sunshiney personality rubbed me wrong because I just wanted to shake her and be like GIRLLLL WAKE UP. But i truly believe thats Kudos to Jessica’s writing because i truly loved the characters so much I was rooting for them in every aspect.

I adored the chemistry build and the slow burn of the romance between our MCs. It felt authentic and natural and it was so special when they finally were just it for each other.

I loved the side characters just as much as I loved the MCs truly though. I think the found family aspects of this book are done SO WELL.

The vibes:
-age gap
-grumpy/sunshine
-disastrous meet
-found family
-mental health rep
-infertility rep
-slow burn
-he takes care of her

I won’t lie, I truly love this author. Marnie and Grady’s adventure was beautiful. I love the thought of every chance after, and how poignant a second chance can truly be.
Grumpy-meets sunshine romance, found family, truths, and second chances.

This book was a soft punch to the heart—in the best way. Emotional, tender, and beautifully written, Every Chance After explores love, loss, and healing with so much care. I felt everything. Quietly powerful and completely worth the read.

Started off strong and very different than any other romance novel I have read! A car crash with a knife wound?? Who would have guessed it? I love the chemistry between Marina and Grady and how they are there for each other even though their meet-cute was a car accident. I can say this is the first time a romance novel has given me nightmares but I would gladly read it again!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!!

🌟: 4/5
🌶️: 2/5

Marnie and Grady - what a story. Your unfortunate event of meeting, turned into her protector, turned perfectly imperfect match.
Marnie’s chance at a happily ever after was ruined, until Grady himself came to the rescue and saved the day (and her life). Grady did what every woman wants a man to do - stay and always be the shoulder to lean on. He’s hard working, dedicated, an occasional grouch, but loyal as ever to Marnie.
Small town worlds collide and show Marnie how a family can be and watching her unfold her new way of life was bittersweet. You break at hearing about her past, but are mended back together throughout the journey.

This review is honest and all my own opinion. This will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram (bookswithcarley) and NetGalley.

This book was sweet, heartwarming, and a fun read that kept me engaged throughout. I appreciated that the story didn’t end in a way that required the main characters to have a baby to be “complete.”

Marina was a sweet, relatable character and Grady won me over too. Overall, I enjoyed this as a fun, summer read!

I wanted to like this book so badly. It started good and with a bang (no pun intended) and just fell flat as it continued on. I felt it was missing tension and spark and chemistry between the main characters. It was a lot of complaining or the complete opposite. Just not for me sadly.

2.5

Pre thoughts
- Good ole grumpy X sunshine read

Overall
- This is an immaculate slow burn grumpy x sunshine read.
- Very well written characters, that dealt with heavy topics over the course of this book.
- Beautiful book, it sheds light into the complexities faced by women.
- Also check the TW prior to reading this book.

If you loved Chloe Liese's books this may be your cup of tea!

stars 4.5 rounded to 5
spice 1

tropes
- small town
- slow burn
- grumpy x sunshine
- second chance
- found family
- age gap
- meet cute


thank you t0 netgalley and Jessica sherry for the opportunity to review this eARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own, (This review may be posted on Instagram)

4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every Chance After by Jessica Sherry is a beautifully written and emotionally layered story that grabbed me from the first page. It blends heartfelt romance with a touch of mystery and second-chance love in a way that feels both fresh and deeply satisfying.

The characters are complex and relatable, especially the protagonists whose shared past adds a rich, emotional tension to their every interaction. Sherry does a great job of showing growth and vulnerability, and I found myself really rooting for them to find their way back to each other.

The pacing is steady, with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep things interesting without overshadowing the emotional core of the story. The writing is evocative and immersive, pulling you into the characters’ world without trying too hard.

My only small critique (hence the 4.5 stars instead of 5) is that a few moments felt a little drawn out, but overall it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed the journey.

If you’re into second-chance romance with heart, depth, and a touch of suspense, this one’s definitely worth a read!



❤️shaye.readss

A romance for those who love a grumpy hero who protects his sunshine woman at all costs

Marine was driving to her wedding when an accident almost ended her life. The responsible is Grady, a vet who fell asleep after too many hours of work, even though the cake knife she was carrying on her lap made the majority of the damage and his quick thinking was the only reason she’s still alive.

After the accident, she loses everything. Except for Grady, who is there to pick up her pieces and take care of her, out of guilt for what happened. Only that Marine wants him to start seeing her as something more than a punishment.

Every Chance After is a hurt-comfort book, slow paced and full of secondary characters that will become Marine’s found family. I don’t think I was the audience for this, because I don’t quite like the dynamic of the sunshine princess who is always kind and the grumpy hero who protects her from everything. I want my heroines to save themselves, and I want them to be a bit mad and unkind sometimes.

For example, when her fiancee went to their honeymoon with his best friend while she was at the hospital recovering from an accident that almost killed her, the heroine was just sad. Like, come on! You were supposed to be in love with the asshole! She told him it was okay, that she understood!

description

Leaving the fact that Marine was too nice for me, I was very disappointed about the lack of progression on the hero’s part. You see at the beginning that he has a problem. He felt asleep because he had too much on his plate. He was taking care of everyone, so he should work less and focus on quality time with their family, instead of doing their chores but never staying to enjoy their presence. There wasn’t really a discussion on this. Like, he could feel asleep and bump into someone else at any point?

I also didn’t see a lot of progression on his guilt towards the accident. He went from letting it be an obstacle for their love, to accepting that they could be good together. I missed really seeing a change in how he felt. Feelings aren’t linear. I also missed this on the heroine: she accepted everything so easily, she wasn’t mad or surprised, barely felt any sadness. Taking into account the trauma they were dealing with, I wanted a rollercoaster of emotions that would have made me believe they were real people.

Grady’s character was in general very flat. He started being the protector trying to save everyone (and almost killing someone because of his lack of sleep) and ended the book being the same person, only adding one more person to take care of.


On top of that, the pacing of the novel was off. One day Grady was playing matchmaker between Marine and his brother, the next day (literally) he was telling her they were in forever. I felt the book was too repetitive towards the middle, only to rush the ending for no reason.

That being said, I liked certain aspects of the book, especially the whole game night with all the family and the fact that Marine made her own board games and was the best at making the supermarkets she worked at the best in the region. She was very cool in that aspect.

Overall, this wasn’t the book for me. The ‘bad characters’ were a bit flat and unrealistic, and the pacing wasn’t always the best. That being said, this has an average rating of 4.30 (07/17/25) because I’m aware a lot of readers actually enjoy hurt-comfort books and sunshine heroines protected by grumpy heroes. If you are one of those, you may like this.

*Rating: 1.5/5

I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

after reading the trigger warnings at the beginning i was apprehensive about this book as i can relate with a few of the issues mentioned so it took me a while to actually go with and read it i did have to stop because it was getting a bit too difficult for me but from what i did read the sensitive topics were handled really well.

Marnie Strange is finally stepping into her fairytale. With a wedding on the horizon and a career she loves at Sunny’s Beach Market, she’s on the brink of the life she’s always dreamed of, one filled with love, stability, and a true sense of belonging. But everything shatters in an instant when Grady Tripp makes a reckless mistake that upends her future. Grady never believed in happy endings and has done everything possible to avoid entanglements since returning to Seagrove. Now, driven by guilt and a pull he can’t ignore, he refuses to walk away from the woman whose life he’s turned upside down. As grief turns into reluctant companionship and tension gives way to something deeper, Marnie and Grady must navigate the fragile space between guilt and grace, learning that love can sometimes grow in the most unexpected places.

I read this as an ARC and really enjoyed it. its low on the spice level, though well done, and heavy on the healing and relatability. Marnie's positivity is inspiring. Grady and Marnie both carry fixer traits and that's just so so real. I appreciate the authenticity in characters, approach to neurodivergence and acceptance of others' interests, along with the genuine experience for both parties post-tragic car accident.

I would definitely recommend, with advice to read the trigger warnings.