I’m cleaning up my bookshelf and trying to give reviews for past books I’ve read. I know I read this when it came out - I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads back in 2017. I RARELY give out 5 stars, so it must have been a great story. Thanks for the advanced reader copy!

I really loved On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins! The book goes back and forth between two sisters, Kate and Ainsley. I liked both of them, and enjoyed reading narrations from both of them. The story itself was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I found it to be sad and hard to read at times, which also lighthearted and fun at other times. The second half of the book was much better for me than the first, and I came away really liking the story. The sisters are both so real and down-to-earth, and I liked watching them strengthen their relationships as they grapple with their individual losses.

This book got a little wordy in the beginning. Like I did not need to know Kate's entire dating history, but the rest of the book was so good. And I know the book was mainly about Kate, but I was more invested in Ainsley's story. She grew so much during the course of the book and she got what she deserved in the end. their dad is a complete and total ass though, lol.

This was an okay story but I don't feel like Kristan Higgins did a good job of pulling in the reader. I didn't really connect with any of the characters. I guess Women's Fiction just isn't for me.

It’s official… I am a Kristin Higgins fan. She is now a must read author for me. I loved everything about this book. I started it in the early afternoon and stayed up half the night having to read it. Even when I woke up I was still thinking about the story and the characters. Her first book, If You Only Knew, blew me away. Now she follows it up with another amazing standalone of On Second Thought.

The family dynamics and the friendships stick out to me. The relationships, the friendships are so real. They are not easy, fun, and no worry relationships. They are tough, flawed, and need work to make them be successful. There are families, friends, lovers, husbands, and in-laws to be dealt with. Even the characters that you didn’t really like you understood and appreciate the impact that they made on the others in this story.

If you are looking for a emotional, sometimes humorous story I recommend getting your own copy of On Second Thought. It has everything I love. Romance, friendships, and family.

This was my favorite Kristan Higgins book yet! Engaging and relatable characters and such a charming setting.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO ON SECOND THOUGHT BY KRISTAN HIGGINS?
On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins is one of those books that I instantly wanted to read, but you know, I am terrible at reading things on time. Initially, I was kind of nervous about listening to this book because I’ve just physically read all of Higgins’s books instead. Well, most of her books. There’s still a few on my TBR. Anyways, I got over it. You see, I actually completely gel now with adult contemporary fiction via audio. I don’t know why but I cannot get enough of it. When it came to picking the next book to listen to, On Second Thought was a bit of a no brainer.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
Kristan Higgins’ On Second Thought follows two sisters – Kate and Ainsley. Kate is the older sister. She’s a photographer who lives with her architect husband Nathan, in a beautiful house in Hudson on Cambria. Kate’s 39 and she never really expected to get married after spending so many years single. Now she’s trying super hard to have a baby. Only, well, her husband Nathan dies suddenly and Kate is a widow. Granted, her entire time with Nathan was nine months from beginning to end. That does not diminish her grief. So, Kate has to figure out a way forward and find a new normal.

Meanwhile, there’s her younger sister, Ainsley. She lives with her boyfriend of eleven years, Eric, who she has been with since college. Eric works on Wall Street, if I remember correctly. Ainsley writes articles for a lifestyle magazine in Hudson. Anyways, Eric is having a celebration of life party and well, Ainsley is pretty sure he’s going to propose. He doesn’t. In fact, Eric ends up breaking it off with Ainsley after the party and goes to Alaska to find himself.

Sooo, Ainsley moves in with Kate and well, it all is up from there. The two form this new bond — that they didn’t entirely have growing up. And Ainsley tries to figure out what will make her happy in life. There’s new romances. There’s an adorable, sassy elderly person. AND A DOG.

HOW DID I LIKE ON SECOND THOUGHT?
OF COURSE I LOVED IT. I mean, it was exactly the kind of audiobook I wanted to listen to. I was really invested in the relationship between Ainsley and Kate. These are two characters that I wanted ultimate happiness for after each experienced awful things. Plus, Ainsley was not how I expected. It seemed like she would be spoiled or stuck up, but she was such a great support for Kate and just a genuinely sweet person. Ainsley ended up being my favorite of the two. That isn’t to say I did not like Kate, she’s pretty wonderful. Both stories are compelling. I am so glad I listened to this book, on the whole.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
On Second Thought is narrated by both Amy Rubinate and Xe Sands. Amy Rubinate narrates the chapters with Ainsley’s perspective. Xe Sands narrates the chapters with Kate’s perspective. This was exactly the kind of audiobook I needed right at the time I listened to it. It was easy to follow. The story was SUPERB. Also, I liked Amy Rubinate’s narrator much better than Xe Sands. So maybe that was why I liked Ainsley so much. Well, I would have liked Sands’s narration better if it was LOUDER. It was so quiet, I had to like turn my car radio all the way up during her parts. Anyways, this audiobook was SO GOOD.

RATING: 4 STARS
​​(I received an ARC from the EDELWEISS)
(Review Not on Blog)
Listened to on Audio

I have not read Kristan Higgins in a long while and was happy when this audio hold came in. This book is about two sisters who find themselves going through upheaval at the exact same moment. I loved that the audio had two narrators so it was easy to tell which sister was speaking. The two narrators were very different. I liked the one that narrated Ainsley's part as it was just like her upbeat and easy to listen to. The narrator for Kate was a bit too dramatic, which is unlike Kate. The story was realistic with a contemporary-romance flair (ie: HEA) and that is why I read them :)

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of the this book.

I adore Kristan Higgins, and her stories always seem to draw me in and tug at my heartstrings. On Second Thought had some more serious storylines that some of her other books, but it was still filled with her signature laugh out loud moments that kept me coming back for more.

Kristin Higgins never disappoints! Sweet, funny, Higgins fans will want to read her latest.

From the first page to the last I was immediately pulled into the story and instantly cared about all the characters. Although I felt like the beginning was a tad slow I still was so interested in the plot I didn't dare put the book down. Then around the 1/3 mark, the pace changed for me. I couldn't read fast enough. I loved the book and the characters stayed with me for quite a long time afterward

I love this book. I loved the sister relationship. Higgins' does family very well.

One of my favorite books so far this year - it will definitely top my list of books for 2017.

I love books by Kristan Higgins, and while this was not her norm, I thought it was great! This story of two sisters, Ainsley and Kate, bonding together during a time of heartache for both, was very touching. It is a story of grief and healing, and it was a winner for me!

This one was kind of all the things. Sweet, at times funny, and definitely had me rooting for the mains in this story.

As one of several sisters myself, I really enjoyed the sisterhood theme of the relationships. I also really like how everything that happens to both Ainsley and Kate feels so authentic - misreading relationship signals? Getting dumped? Unexpectedly losing a loved one? Being forced by circumstances to turn to a family member you're not close to? This stuff happens all the time.

4 stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

I received On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins from Net Galley for my honest reveiw. Being a long time fan of the author, when I saw that one of her books was available for review, I jumped on it right away!

First of all, Kristan's books always seem to have the best covers!! I admit that I am a total cover snob, and that is one of the first things that make me want to pick up a book - even before I see if it is one of my favorite authors or not! And, I also can count on a well-written story filled with endearing characters whenever I pick up one of her books, and On Second Thought is no exception.

This book not only tugged at my heart, it also made me smile once in awhile too. I don't really see why this book is listed as a romance though, because to me it is more centered around the character's lives and about their struggle to get past the things that life has dealt to them. I felt like the romance part was actually more secondary in this book.

Overall, I thought this was another good book from Kristan HIggins. Like I said, I have been a fan for a long time and will continue as such. For anyone who is not familiar with her books, you really need to go check her out, as her books are definitely worth it!

Thanks for the opportunity to read this novel...enjoyed it very much. Have recommended it to my reading friends & library.

Ainsley O’Leary is so ready to get married—she’s even found the engagement ring her boyfriend has stashed away. What she doesn’t anticipate is being blindsided by a breakup he chronicles in a blog…which (of course) goes viral. Devastated and humiliated, Ainsley turns to her older half sister, Kate, who’s struggling with a sudden loss of her own.



Kate’s always been the poised, self-assured sister, but becoming a newlywed—and a widow—in the space of four months overwhelms her. Though the sisters were never close, she starts to confide in Ainsley, especially when she learns her late husband was keeping a secret from her.



Despite the murky blended-family dynamic that’s always separated them, Ainsley's and Kate’s heartaches bind their summer together when they come to terms with the inevitable imperfection of relationships and family—and the possibility of one day finding love again.



* * * * *



ON SECOND THOUGHT really spoke to me because at its base it is about sisters and ones that aren't close. That sums me and my sister up to a tee. It caused me to question why I am not closer to my family and how alone I would be if I became a widow.


As you can tell, I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well fleshed out, the dialogue is fitting and at times funny and the plot flowed. This isn't a book that will take you away from your troubles but will instead cause you to question your life.


I highly recommend ON SECOND THOUGHT to any of my readers who enjoy women's fiction. It even has a hot firefighter to sweeten the pot.


*** I received this book at no charge from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed within are my own.

Life is never what we expect them to be. More often than not, we fight against change especially when it means leaving what’s comfortable and familiar to us.
All her life, Ainsley has only ever loved one man. Blindly supportive of Eric no matter what, she is just waiting to marry and start a family with him.
After 40 years of singlehood, Kate is finally in love and married to the perfect man. All they need now is to conceive the child both have always dreamed of.
After 4 short months of wedded bliss, Nathan dies in a freak accident and Kate, the always poised and together Kate, can’t get past her shock to grieve. Enter Ainsley who needs to stay with Kate as she had been kicked out of her conjugal home by her almost fiancé Eric who decided that he had to get rid of the “corpses of his old life”…… by that he means Ainsley, his job and everything else that mattered.
Kate and Ainsley have never been close. Their age difference and the fact that they are stepsisters with parents who obviously preferred one over the other damaged what could have been a close relationship. But now they are forced to be together and help each other heal and move on as they navigate a life they never expected, but would, if faced together, be even better than what they had.
I have always loved novels by Kristan Higgins. Ever since I read Just One of The Guys and the Blue Heron series, I knew I would keep coming back to read and reread all the books that she would put out.
This is heavier than most of her other books as it deals with grief in much of the chapters in quite a slow pace. So much so that I didn’t feel the pull to keep reading until about halfway through, but once I did though, it was hard to put down.
An interesting point is that Higgins used a two character narration so it’s so much clearer for the reader what exactly these two main characters are going through. Both Kate and Ainsley are grieving for different reasons that they are dealing with in such different ways, and we as readers go through this slow and painful journey with them.
Heartbreaks aside, the buildup of their sisterly relationship and their new appreciation for each other comes across clearly. And it is wonderful to see their realization that no matter what, it is family that ultimately helps you through everything that life throws your way.
Of course there is romance in this book. It is a Kristan Higgins novel after all. The romance that both sisters develop is an important part of why this book works so well, however, it is NOT the main point of their healing and moving forward. It does add so much humor and lightness to the book itself though. And I love the extra storyline that is Jonathan’s life.
This is not as funny nor as romantic as other Kristan Higgins’ books but it is as well written. And if you want to take a breather from heavy romance and instead read something about family, then pick up this book.

Kristan Higgins has an amazing ability to write a story that feels so real, the reader feels like a character in the story. This makes reading one her of her books more of an experience. The downfall of this is that she write such emotional stories, one is left completely drained by the end of the book. I can't deny that On Second Thought is an extremely well written story, but it's quite depressing and much more emotional than I like when reading a book.