Contains an audiobook review.

This is the third book in the Adelaide Springs Love Stories series. It has some interconnected characters, but it could be read as a standalone story. It is a kisses only contemporary. The author calls it a romcom, but I wouldn't exactly describe it as such.

I'm going to give complete transparency here. I listened to this book in 1 day. I really liked it and definitely felt that it was my favorite in this series. But I didn't write my review right away. A couple of weeks later a friend started to listen to it and made a comment. I went back to see about that reference and couldn't remember a thing about the book, even after reading the blurb again! So, I decided I would listen again but at double speed. By the time I was halfway through chapter 2, the story started coming back. But I liked it so much, I continued and finished it a second time.

There's something about the dynamic of Wes and Addie that just fascinated me. I appreciated the life that Addie lived and didn't have regrets about it. I don't think I will forget the plot again. And I really enjoyed the author's note!

The only thing that bothers me, and I have noticed that other author's do it too, is that Addie's point of view is in first person while Wes' is in third. I find that a bit distracting and am not sure why authors do it.

Having said that, the audio has both a female and male narrator. I enjoyed both of them and think that they both captured the characters' personalities well. My friend that I mentioned earlier asked me why the male narrator whispered. She had to turn up her volume. I didn't notice that the first time, or at least I didn't remember it, maybe because I had earbuds in rather than listening in the car or with another speaker. The second time through I would think about it while listening. Probably because she had mentioned it.

I was given the opportunity to listen to a copy of the book by Netgalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Rating: 4.1/5
Addie Atwater and Wes Hobbes were childhood sweethearts that were always together... well, up until their wedding day. On the day of their wedding, Wes did not show up, leaving Addie alone at the altar. He ran away to go to school, found a bride, and got a career in politics.
Flash forward 30 years, Wes is running for President and Addie absolutely could not stand one more political ad. Her ex is running for President and she is back living at home after her husband tragically passed away and she lost her job with the CIA. Addie feels like she is at rock bottom being a taxi driver in their small town of Adelaide Springs, CO. But she really hits rock bottom when she goes to pick up her client from the tiny airport and it is none other than the beloved Presidential candidate, Wes Hobbes.

This was a really emotional audiobook that touched on a lot of difficult topics. My only critique is that I think Addie forgave Wes WAY too quickly. It would've taken a lot for me to forgive someone who left me at the altar and completely ghosted me after that. Now that I'm doing the review, I notice that this is book 3 of the series. I wonder if I would have appreciated the characters more had I read all 3 books in order. That does explain why they kept referring to one couple that was never truly in the story. Overall, I did enjoy the book and I would like to go back to listen to the first two in the series.

Thank you NetGalley for the Audiobook ARC!

I've already reviewed the book itself separately (I adored it and it became an instant 5 star for me for its excellent characters, fascinating plot and just generally fantastic romance) but the audio book really brought it up a notch. I really enjoyed the narration and feel like it really added to the book, especially with the pacing and emotion when it came to their previous relationships.

Sweet and nostalgic, Wes and Addie Had Their Chance plays like a cozy rom-com with a second-chance twist. It had a cute premise and some lovely reflective moments about love, timing, and the messiness of real life. I enjoyed the banter and the throwback moments, but the pacing dragged a bit, and some of the emotional beats didn’t quite land. Wes and Addie had chemistry, sure—but I wasn’t always convinced it was enough to root for. Still, it’s the kind of story that makes you think about your own “what if” person.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars — Rated PG-13 for language and emotional drama.

I received an advanced copy from netgalley in rewritten for an honest review, the following is my honest review.

I own book 1 and 2 and have bit read yet, so I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more having read those books first. Though, I feel like they are just interconnected and it wasn't necessary. I felt like the flow and story was a little disjointed. I still enjoyed the book and it was an easy light read. As I received an audio book I must point out my opinion of the narrators. I enjoyed the female sections just fine. The male reader, however was awful. the way he got quiter and inflicted is voice was difficult to hear and I kept having to adjust the volume. his rasp and tone was just not for me. The S's just hit the wrong way. I may have given it more stars if I had not done audio version. I still plan to go back and read books 1 and 2 eventually

Oh my goodness if you love Second chance romances, you are going to love this sweet story! A fun ending to the Adelaide Springs Love stories series. I love how there are two narrators to fit the dual POV!

I received an audio ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

this was a fun story. To be honest, at first I thought the premise was a bit far-fetched, but the author won me over with her excellent characters, storytelling, and charm. It kept me listening, and I enjoyed it very much. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the opportunity to listen and offer my review.

Bethany Turner is fantastic! This was incredible from start to finish. The book is full of themes of second chances, redemption, healing, and the power of love. The plot was well-paced and the characters were well-developed. This is definitely one I'll listen to again! Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Content Warnings: Alcohol Addiction, Spouse Death, Parent Death
"Wes and Addie Had Their Chance" is a second-chance romance that, for me, was both a beautiful read and a challenging journey. Despite some struggles with the characters' emotional arcs, I still found myself really enjoying the book and appreciating the growth they ultimately achieve.
The story follows Addie, a widow and former CIA operative with PTSD, and Wes, the politician who broke her heart years ago. This premise sets the stage for a deeply emotional romance, and Bethany Turner doesn't shy away from the heavy themes. I liked the last two books in the series, but I found myself struggling to connect with Addie, who is the focus of much of the book's emotional weight. I understood that her trauma was a core part of her character, but the constant "trauma dump" throughout the story felt at times like it was preventing her from growing and truly connecting with others. She felt very resistant to help, even from those who cared about her most.

However, this resistance made her eventual triumphs all the more powerful. I was incredibly proud of her journey toward sobriety and the significant growth she shows by the end of the book. While I didn't love her relationship with her father, her overall character arc was a testament to her resilience. Wes, on the other hand, was charming and remorseful, and his efforts to right his past wrongs and show Addie that he still cares for her were genuinely compelling.

The narration was a highlight of the audiobook experience. Talon David, Patrick Zeller, and Bethany Turner did a fantastic job of bringing the book to life. Their performances were seamless and never took away from the story. My struggles were with the plot and character development itself, and had nothing to do with the narration, which was excellent throughout.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy second-chance romances and are prepared for a deeply emotional character journey. The payoff is worth the difficult, but ultimately rewarding, road these characters travel.

I received this ALC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved diving back into the beautiful Colorado Mountains! This was such a beautiful story of 2nd chances! Wes had to win my heart, and he did! Addie was rough - but all that she goes through, makes it worth the angst. Such a lovely story of two people coming together and growing through the journey! I would love to listen to them all again! Such a fun group of friends who really needed each other! I enjoyed the whole thing! I would have only changed one thing. So this is more of a 4.5. I loved the narrators and the way they finessed the hard things they had to overcome! It was really well done!

Thanks to NetGalley for this book, all thoughts and opinions are mine!

I loved the narration. This has been a fun series for me but this is definitely my least favorite of the series I also feel like thisbook really can’t be read as a standalone. I feel like it falls on you knowing the secondary characters well (from their books) so having that knowledge makes more sense. Knowing the characters is what made the story work. It was slow moving though

This is a second chance romance. This was entertaining, but the story was a little far-fetched

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

"I have loved you since before I any idea what love was."

This is a heartwarming second chance romance, but it's also so much more.

The complicated history between Wes and Addie provided an opportunity for character growth and an emotional journey, which the author beautifully portrayed. Their story is full of heart, humor, witty banter, genuine moments, and truly relatable characters you will be rooting for.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook after I finished reading this book and it was well worth the listen. The narrators did a fantastic job of breathing life into these characters. I highly recommend this book in either format!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This third installment in Bethany Turner’s contemporary romance series marks a significant tonal shift from the earlier books. While the first two leaned into fun and flirty storytelling, 'Wes and Addie Had Their Chance' dives headfirst into themes of grief and regret. The result is a heavier story—but one that remains engaging, with a giddy romance that arrives in time.

The circumstances surrounding Wes and Addie's relationship had been lightly referenced in earlier books, creating a sense of mystery that finally comes into focus here. Watching it unfold—both in the present and through glimpses of the past—was equally fascinating and heartbreaking. For a similar reason, I recommend this book to fans of Becky Wade’s 'Uneasy Street'.

Talon David and Patrick Zeller are stellar narrators. Talon brings a fresh tone to Addie, distinct from Brynn and Laila, and Patrick captures Wes’s emotional exhaustion and vulnerability with striking realism. Their performances added meaningful depth to an already layered story.

That said, I was surprised by one of the author’s narrative choices. While it intensified the romantic arc and made Wes and Addie’s reconnection feel more emotional, I struggled with the moral implications of the surrounding circumstances. The book doesn’t market itself as Christian fiction (despite being from a traditionally Christian publisher), so I wasn’t expecting full alignment with Christian values—but some of the decisions were difficult to accept. I briefly debated whether to continue but ultimately did because I was invested in the Adelaide Springs crew.

Special thanks to Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley for access to this audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

2 ⭐️

Going into this book, I did not know it was the third in a series. Usually with these types of series, all of the books can be read as standalones, but there are so many secondary characters that I think I would have been able to keep better track if I had read the other books.

Reading this book, I half expected it to end with every remaining character dying. There were so many dead characters that you had to keep track of, it was ridiculous.

Honestly, I should have allowed myself to DNF this book. At no point was I enjoying myself.

**Thank you, NetGalley, Thomas Nelson, and Zondervan Fiction Audio, for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.**

This was the third book of this series that I’ve ARC read! I loved the first two and was excited to return to this town and these characters. Addie is newly widowed and has recently quit her job with the CIA to move back to her hometown. Wes is the front runner for the next presidential candidate, but he’s got a secret he has to get ahead of. His plan is to return to his hometown to talk to one of the most influential journalists. What he doesn’t anticipate is that when he returns home he’ll run into Addie: his ex fiancé that he left at the altar before he became a politician.
This was definitely my least favorite of the series. Second chance romance can just go wrong so easily for me and this one just didn’t hit the mark. I felt like both of these characters really moved on from their dead spouses super fast?? Like just being real, if my husband started falling for someone less than a year after he put me in the ground he’s getting haunted. Like hello??? There was a lot of different traumas that the main characters endured and I just kept feeling like their relationship was a product of that and not true love. Once again, this wasn’t BAD, I just didn’t love it. 3⭐️

I got both the audio and e-book of this.
Re-read with the audio, I appreciated the narrators, found the tone and pacing to be well done.

I really enjoyed this small town cozy vibes.
I liked the banter between the two characters and I liked how vulnerable they were. As the reader, I found myself rooting for them to make it through and I felt like I could see the changes the two made in themselves/lives to be together.

Big fan of both the main characters and the town as a whole.

An absolute gem of a book populated with fantastic characters and helmed by a plot that supports each one of them fantastically.

Let me begin this review by making it perfectly clear...I adored the first two books in this series and I love Bethany Turner. I have been anticipating and looking forward to this book for ages. It unfortunately just didn't land like I imagined and wanted it to. I respect Bethany so much and I appreciate what she was trying to do here. Her author's note was wonderful.

As always I enjoyed all the wonderful pop culture and nostalgia Bethany weaves into her stories. It really is a gift. I enjoyed revisiting Brynn, Seb, Cole, and Laila so very much. They are old and dear friends at this point. And the town of Adelaide Springs has my heart. I think that's part of my beef. One of my absolute favorite side characters was painted in a not-so-great light and it just made me sad. This whole situation is repaired somewhat by the end of the book, but the damage had already been done with the portrayal of this character not being justified in his feelings/actions and straight-up overreacting.

There was also a particular theme that I was a little disappointed to see coming from a Christian author. I know the MMC is a politician so politics are quite literally part of the plot, but the politics brought about with the inclusion of this theme just weren't necessary or appreciated in my personal opinion.

All that being said, I still think Bethany Turner is awesome and I can't wait to see where she takes us next!

The narrators for the audiobook were wonderful. I really enjoy Patrick Zeller and Talon David always does a great job too!

⭐⭐⭐.5 rounded down
🚪

l listened to the audiobook of this story. The way they did the narration was odd. There was a female narrator and a male narrator. When the chapter was about Addie, the female narrator did her voice as well as Wes' voice. When the chapter was about Wes, the male narrator did both voices. So there were two different voices for each character that came up. Both narrators were great when they were doing their same sex character but the voices for the opposite sex character were not as good. It was weird.

The other issues for me dealt with believability in both the circumstances of Wes' first marriage and how quickly Addie and Wes moved past their past together.

I did enjoy seeing all the characters from the prior books again. I always like that. I admired Addie's hard work on some of her own issues. Wes was an interesting person. I didn't care much for his campaign manager. Despite the problems I had with it, I did enjoy listening to the book.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing me with a free audiobook. All opinions are my own.