I loved this book!
Refreshing, told from the POV of two sister’s who haven’t always been close, we share their heartbreak, accomplishments, and life.
Higgins change from romance to contemporary women’s fictions hasn’t disappointed me at all. hHer characters continue being unique, three-dimensional and her prose is as always strong.

There’s a reason why Kristan Higgins is a New York Times bestselling author. Actually there’s about a million of them. But here are a few that are abundantly clear to me after reading On Second Thought:

1. Not every author is good at dialog. It’s tricky. It can have a ring of untruth to it if the author isn’t skilled. Kristan Higgins is skilled. Dialog flows, and it’s snappy and fun.
2. The characters are relatable. Ainsley and Kate are completely different as characters with their own sets of quirks and strengths and faults—but as a reader, I can relate to both of them, and I root for them wholeheartedly. I want them to be happy. I feel their anguish right along with them. That only happens when characters were crafted by an extremely talented author.
3. True love at first sight doesn’t happen. Love takes time. Many romance authors don’t allow their characters to fall in love at a realistic, reasonable pace. Kristan Higgins makes no such mistakes. When Kate and Ainsley fall in love with their respective matches, it makes sense. It feels real.
4. Despite some pretty intense emotional situations, the characters maintain their fantastic senses of humor. I laughed out loud when Kate and Ainsley broke into Eric’s house. And what Kate did to get them out of hot water when they would’ve been discovered? Ha! I won’t spoil it. You’ll just have to read it. Trust me, though, that was some funny stuff.

Long-story-short, if you’re a Kristan Higgins fan, you’ve probably already pre-ordered this book. Like always, you won’t be disappointed. If you’re not a fan, pick this one up. Give the author a chance. You won’t be disappointed, either. I won’t say anything else, lest I lapse into childish fangirling and squealing. Can’t have that happen. I have a reputation to uphold.

Full disclosure: the publisher generously provided a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

On Second Thought is an absorbing look at love, loss, and grief for what might have been.

This book is the story of half-sisters whose love lives are exact opposites. Kate is a newlywed, only a few short months into a marriage that followed a whirlwind romance; she loves her husband Nathan but isn’t yet quite settled into her role as wife. In contrast, Ainsley has been with her college boyfriend Eric for over a decade, and he has yet to commit to marriage. Now that Eric has been given the all clear following a cancer diagnosis, Ainsley is hopeful that he will finally propose. Horribly, though, at the party to celebrate Eric being cancer free, Nathan dies in a freak accident. Eric, rattled by Nathan’s sudden death, decides to leave Ainsley in order to be free to live life to the fullest. The sisters then turn to each other for support in navigating the sudden changes in their lives.

Higgins does a terrific job in this book in making the reader both laugh and cry. Kate’s story is certainly more affecting. Her struggle to deal with her very real grief while at the same time feeling like she’s a bit of a fraud, having only known her husband for a short time—that’s pretty painful to read, even if it’s leavened with comic moments. Ainsley’s story is played more for laughs, with Eric behaving like a complete putz. But the death of a long-term relationship is also painful, and Ainsley also does her share of grieving for the life she expected to live.

The other great thing about this book is the way Higgins handles the deepening relationship between the sisters. Kate is Ainsley’s much older half-sister, and she’s never felt particularly close to Ainsley. Ainsley has always felt like a cuckoo in the nest of her family, given that she is the product of a marriage that occurred between their shared father’s divorcing and then remarrying his first wife (Kate’s mom) after the death of Ainsley’s mother. (Whew, that’s complicated.) When their lives are upended at the same time, Kate and Ainsley finally get the chance to really get to know each other in a way that seemed completely believable to me as a reader.

There are of course the requisite handsome new love interests for both sisters. I liked Ainsley’s new man and their developing romance. In contrast, the resolution to Kate’s story is perhaps too happily ever after, but the author writes contemporary romances, so that wasn’t a surprise to me. Other readers’ tolerance for that type of ending may vary.

For me, the only thing in this entire book that struck a somewhat discordant note was the happy ending given to Ainsley’s relationship with her stepmother (Kate’s mom). The change in their relationship from one of distance to acceptance and forgiveness happened too quickly and didn’t feel earned to me.

Really, though, there’s not much to criticize about this book. If you like women’s fiction that can make you both tear up and giggle and you love happy endings, this is the book for you.

An eARC of this novel was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve always been drawn to stories about sisters, probably because I wished so badly I had one. Whether it was watching Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen sing Sisters on White Christmas or watching my mom and aunt interact, there was something so magical about that particular relationship.

And yet it can be a complicated relationship as well and that’s what we find in Kristan Higgins’s latest novel.

It started out a little slow- it takes about 10 chapters to move us through the synopsis- but once both Ainsley and Kate have experienced their respective losses, they find themselves looking at each other in a new light, in part because they need each other in ways they never have before.

I was mesmerized by Kate’s experience as a widow. She and Nathan hadn’t been married long before he died and I haven’t encountered this particular kind of grief in a novel before. There’s no one right way to grieve but it’s even murkier with a new marriage and a layer of fertility issues. (Kate is older when they marry so they start trying to get pregnant from the start.)

I didn’t know what to make of Ainsley at first, mostly because her boyfriend is so awful. Like douchecanoe awful. You cannot put lipstick on that particular pig and she couldn't see his very obvious true colors and that made me think much less of her. But once Eric breaks up with her, she has to figure out what to do with her life, both literally and figuratively, and this is when her character came alive. I loved watching her grow and take more ownership of her life decisions.

At the center of the story is how Ainsley and Kate relate to each other. And how they don’t relate to each other. They never had a smooth relationship as sisters and it certainly isn’t smooth sailing at first. But I loved seeing them both try. Try to be vulnerable and take a risk on a closer relationship. It is hard won but this was the best part of the book for me. It was so true to life! Their efforts spilled over to their relationship with their parents as well and this made for some touching moments.

I also really enjoyed watching the sisters have a second chance at love, even if I was a little irked at first that Ainsley got a second chance when she’d picked such an awful person the first time around. In any case, Jonathan and Daniel were absolutely lovely to read about and I liked how well they took care of their women. Neither are perfect and there are obstacles to dating. I liked how the new relationship wasn't a magic cure-all for either woman.

This was different from what I expected. I’ve read Kristan Higgins’ contemporary romance Blue Heron series and this was firmly in the Women’s Fiction camp. I thoroughly appreciated her exploration of the ups and downs of being sisters, as well as how to move on after loss or the end of a relationship. I hope she’ll write more in this vein.

On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins
Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction
Harlequin HQN
January 31, 2017

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “This is so good. Thanks for making me shower.”

Grade: B+

On the heels of Higgins’ entertaining and thought-provoking If You Only Knew, Higgins revisits her sleepy little town of Cambry-on-Hudson, New York in On Second Thought. Using the dysfunctional O’Leary family and the timeless topics of love, loss, family, and second chances, Higgins builds a story on the relationship between two half sisters who, despite their murky history, find themselves growing closer as they bond over their mutual losses and unknown future.

Kate O’Leary wasn’t looking for love when she met her husband. At 39 years old, Kate played the dating game for years only to discover as she got older being single wasn’t a death sentence. She meets her husband Nathan while photographing a wedding and after a brief courtship, they marry. Four months later, Nathan dies in a tragic accident. Kate is utterly shocked by how fast she found and lost at love and now is unsure where to go from here.

Ainsley O’Leary has been with her boyfriend, Eric Fisher, for eleven years. She has loved and cared for him through the good and bad times and fully expects him to finally pop the question at a party they are throwing to celebrate his being cancer free for 18 months. After her brother in law’s accident, she is stunned when Eric uses Nathan’s death as an excuse to move on. Without her.

Lost and homeless, Ainsley moves in with Kate and attempts to help her cope with losing Nathan while trying to understand herself how the man she loved for so long could toss her away like trash. As Ainsley and Kate both stagger through the stages of grief in their own way, they learn more about themselves, each other, and the people around them.

I have been a fan of Kristan Higgins’ writing for years. Her entertainingly flawed characters, small town eccentricity, complicated romances, and underlying base of realism provides a wonderful sense of escapism for those who enjoy a hearty laugh as they watch these characters navigate the pitfalls of love as they struggle to find their footing in the world. I like this new direction that Higgins’ is taking in her writing though I can’t place it firmly in one genre or the other. Higgins’ focus on Kate and Ainsley’s life learning journey together into the next period of their lives harkens to women’s fiction while the various romances that decorate the story are a nod to the contemporary. Either way you choose to view this story, it is a must read for all fans.

Alternating the narrative between Kate and Ainsley, we flash between the past and the present, gaining insight not only into their personal lives but also the relationships they have cultivated along the way. It’s interesting to see certain scenes from both perspectives and the different ways they chose to respond. Both have adopted certain coping mechanisms as adults in response to their chaotic childhood; Kate is somewhat reserved, using her camera as a shield while Ainsley is a people person who chooses to be as indispensable as she can in order to prove her worth.

Higgins layers Kate and Ainsley’s feelings with plenty of laughter, sorrow, pain, and honesty. You can feel the range of emotions these women are experiencing and share with them every step of the way. Kate is furious at Nathan for dying so suddenly and feels guilty for that anger. She’s not only mourning the loss of his life but also the loss of her own. She gave up almost everything tangible in order to be with him and now he’s left her alone in a life she only felt a part of because of him. She struggles to stay connected with his family only to realize that grief is the only thing they have left in common.

Ainsley’s is not only mourning the loss of her lover but also her relationship with his parents. Her own mother died young and she was raised by Kate’s mom and her dad. Her father was not around much due to his job, her siblings were much older, and she always felt like a burden to her stepmother so Eric’s parents became the family she always wanted. She is angry at all the time she invested into the relationship, the things she took for granted, but mostly with Eric’s careless treatment of her. He broke it off with no warning and then blogged about it for the whole world to see. She was humiliated and hurt by his actions.

Kate and Ainsley’s journey is bolstered by a strong and vibrant cast of secondary characters contributes their own stories, adding the necessary pieces to the puzzle until the full picture evolves. We meet friends, bosses, exes, and family members in casual, seeming innocuous settings only to be shown later their impact and how much the past can affect our futures. I loved meeting the people who had a hand in creating the women Kate and Ainsley are today and I enjoyed seeing some familiar faces from If You Only Knew.

Once again Higgins’ thoroughly entertains and delights while tugging at your heartstrings as she invites readers to share in her latest release, On Second Thought.

4.5 stars

Another wonderful and brilliant book by Kristan Higgins! I've been a fan of her books ever since and was glad to hear she had a new one. Her books have certain charm to them with real people, romance and comedy that all blend together. The family dynamic explored here is complex but done with a touch of humor and lightness, along with interesting cast of characters!

The circumstances that brought these two sisters together even closer maybe unfortunate and unexpected. Quite blindsided really for them. But it gave them that push. Newly widowed Kate with her sadness and grief. Ainsley whose long time boyfriend dumped her. The first few parts are full of backstory and somber in tone. But you have some humor in perspective. The topic being serious still.

Kate went through the motions as expected did the best she could. It was hard to cope, she pushed through. I get it death of a loved one is never simple, no one would wish to be widowed like that. All her life she waited tor that someone and when she got it poof along with the everything. They had their share of issues after the fact which makes it more complicated. Her in laws make it even worse I'd say, having her sister there helped and it brought them together. It's a long road ahead for her and maybe she has a second chance at love.

I really liked Jonathan for some reason. The shy, reserved guy who was also scorned. He and Ainsley have a great dynamic. I find it kind of cute how they developed and the affection that slowly formed. He's actually a kind and good dad he has his reasons why he seemed cold and distant, quite alid ones too. Very Mr. Darcy-esque so yeah instant like for me. Aisnley is a hoot such a good positive attitude and energy always even despite her stepmother and unconventional family. Huge heart and lot of convictions which I think are qualities to admire. So they might be polar opposites but they balance out, quite sweet.

Their stories of losing their someone and maybe hoping to find that again just warms my heart. It's really sad what happened, it makes you hope that everyone will find that light again after something terrible. On Second Thought is a charming, honest, heartwarming story about the ups and downs of life with small doses of life lessons. It days a lot about being kind to yourself without being preachy. The good old Higgins style of writing that's welcoming and feel good. Another winner and favorite!

Kristan Higgins is one of my favorite authors. I'm always super excited when she releases a new book. On Second Thought had everything I have come to love about her books.

On Second Thought is about two sisters, step-sisters as it is.

Kate O' Leary is the older sister. She has recently married a man after knowing him for just four months. She and her husband Nathan are anxious for her to become pregnant since she's almost forty. She loves her husband and she's very happy with her life and her job as a photographer.

Ainsley O' Leary is the younger sister. She's not crazy about her job and she dislikes her boss Jonathan. She has been in a long-term relationship with Eric Fisher. She's sure he's ready to propose to her and this is something she has been waiting for a while now. They have been dating for eleven years. When Eric was diagnosed with testicular cancer she was the one who stayed by his side and helps him through his journey. Now, she's ready for their relationship to move into matrimony.

In a blink of an eye, Kate's husband Nathan dies and she becomes a widow. Not too long after, Ainsley's dreams die too. Eric breaks up with her and asks her to move out. This will force Ainsley to find a place to live. She moves in with Kate and the sisters will have a chance at learning to communicate with each other despite never being close before.

This book had it all. Strong emotions, devastating loss, humor, and romance all made an appearance. I just love how these two sisters were able to find a common ground and were able to make their bond ten times stronger than it was, to begin with. I laughed and cried throughout it. It was easy to feel what the characters were going through and sympathize with their loss. The men they both fall for were both great. I won't spoil it. Just trust me, they were both worth it.

If You Only Knew and On Second Thought are different than Mrs. Higgins's prior work. These two have a feel more towards women's fiction than Contemporary Romance. However, we still get the signature pets. In this case a fish and a dog.

Don't hesitate to buy this one. It's worth it.

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am addicted to Kristan Higgins! Had to stay up and read this book all in one sitting. It was even better than her previous book If You Only Knew. If you love family drama and secrets and happily ever after this book is for you! One of those books that you immediately want to re-read after finishing. I really enjoyed the sister relationship dynamic between Kate and Ainsley.

This story pulled all the emotions from me to the front and center and it mesmerized my mind. I was so connected to the characters I couldn't put the book down, reading it until the wee hours of the morning, and not being ready to let them go as 'the end' was in front of me. I know it is only the end of January but I believe this will be one of 'the' books for me this year because this story made me think, it made me evaluate, it made me feel, and it made me want to change some things. It lured its way to my heart and made itself comfortable there, and I know I will carry it with me for a long time.
The story is told in the first person (I know, not my favorite, but it really works here) from both of the sister's point of view. It also is written in a little retrospect at the beginning, giving away the tragedy about to hit the characters, yet it still comes as a sort of a surprise, that just telling you how well the story was crafted.
The constant flow of subconscious thoughts, the awkward thoughts, the forbidden thoughts, those thoughts that we are never going to act upon or say out loud, as the sisters fumble with life and try to survive, those are the once to carry the tale forward and made it so easy to relate to them, to understand them, to love them like they are your own sisters. The thoughts are morbid, sad, hysterical, humorous, loving, horny, and angry and everything else you can imagine and feel. They take the reader into the journey the ladies are on, the journey to learn about love, life, themselves, their family, their relationships, their destiny in life, their career goals, their friendships, everything that is important to grow to be you in the fullest sense of the word.
Kate's struggle to understand that the man of her dreams, whom she married only four months ago and has known less than a year, is dead, it is heartbreaking yet liberating in an odd way. Her relationship with her in-laws, the struggle to accept that most everyone in town knew more about her dead husband than she did, and would naturally, most likely, mourn for him much longer than she would, was an uphill battle filled with guilt, worry, and fear. The way the author paints the mind of a person in mourning was eye opening and intense, from the mismatched shoes to crying in the closet, the hysterical laugh at the most inappropriate times, to the moment when you finally are ready to let go and accept your grief, it is a raw and emotional road, but it is drizzled with such delicate and tender humor, the angst level doesn't eat you up but you end up smiling when life finally wins.
Ainsley has sought acceptance since she was a little girl. She never fit in with the family, so she made sure she would be unreplaceable part of her boyfriend's life. Or so she thought until the very public breakup after eleven years. She is lost, with herself, her career, her life, her direction, her family, life, in general, is a mess. Yet from that absolute zero moment in her life, she builds something solid, something beautiful, something that works for herself. She grows, she flourishes, she matures, she learns to accept herself and stand up for herself, and embrace the person she is.
The new chances with life, love, and family the sister get are beautifully twined into the tale, into their lives, from the ashes of their old life they thrive and gain something different, lasting, beautiful, and unexpected.
I am still in awe, and feeling a bit raw, with this story and from the life and love filled transformation it has on the characters, and on myself as I read it. From the effortless flow of the tale to every single feeling, the step forward and then three back, to the change and revelation of life, the story made a lasting impact. Definitely a book I wish every woman had a chance to experience!
~ Five Spoons!

FINAL DECISION: A book that focuses on two sisters experiencing the ending of the relationships and the birth of new ones, this book was interesting but the romance was definitely secondary.

THE STORY: Kate finally has everything she has ever wanted except a child. She and her new husband have been trying since their marriage and have hopes of having a child soon -- then he husband dies in a freak accident on the night her stepsister expects to get engaged. Ainsley has been with her boyfriend for eleven years and expected to be with him forever -- until the death of Kate's husband convinces him to dump her. Now Kate and Ainsley are living together and their mutual grief and anger bring them together in a way they didn't expect. Both also have other men in their lives step up and begin to develop a different romantic relationship.

OPINION: I'll be honest with you, I'm not a fan of so-called "women's fiction" because I prefer books where the romance is central to the story. While this book has romance (two of them) in it, I was left unsatisfied because I wanted to know more about the romance between the characters than either Kate or Ainsley's personal journey.

That doesn't mean the book wasn't good. It was well written and I really did enjoy it, but I wouldn't read it again. The central story in this book is Kate's loss of her husband. Because the book begins before her husband's death and takes her through her grieving process, her husband is a central part of the book. This is Kate's journey and I greatly appreciated that her journey was complex and multifaceted and addressed head on how one lives again after a loss. The book was especially refreshing in that it doesn't judge Kate for moving on -- even if other do. It is all here..the grief, the anger, the denial, the desire to be normal and live again. The emotions are messy and much remains unresolved.

For me, however, the complexity of these emotions meant that they overshadowed any romance between her and Daniel. Things between them felt like default. I liked him and liked his character, but I didn't feel any intensity between them. Instead, it felt like any guy who had been there for her would have garnered the same response from her. I walked away from the book wondering if the two would even be together in a couple of years.

I really liked the story of Ainsley more and I wish there had been more resolution to her story. Ainsley is suffering when her boyfriend of eleven years dumps her, but that event opens her up to the possibility of a different guy. I thought that her feelings for her ex were resolved before she got involved so the romance felt less conflicted and I really got some connection between these characters. Her romance was funny and sweet and my only wish is that I had gotten more.

This book is billed as two sisters who resolve their relationship. But there really isn't much to resolve between these two. Yes, there was distance and the two were not particularly close, but there were no serious disagreements or problems between them. Rather than being their story, I felt that Kate's personal journey was the heart of this story and Ainsley had a supporting role (even though the book is told in alternating first persons).

Ultimately, the book is a serious look at grief and loss and living again, but not my favorite kind of book. (I do want to note that I read Higgins previous book in this vein, IF YOU ONLY KNEW, and liked it much better).

WORTH MENTIONING: This book is really women's fiction rather than romance although romance does play a part.

CONNECTED BOOKS: This book is loosely connected to IF YOU ONLY KNEW as the two take place in the same town, Cambry-on-Hudson.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

I loved this story. The sisters' relationship was realistic and nuanced, and it felt like I was reading about real people.

Grab your tissues, faithful readers, because Kristan Higgins is going to make you tear up as she tears you up.

Kate is one of those calmly self-assured women I've always strived to be, even as I knew it was a hopeless dream. She's a photographer, primarily of weddings, and at age 39, she found herself in a whirlwind romance with an architect. Kate had given up any thoughts of marriage and had made peace with her lot as a singleton. When she and Nathan got married, though, she jumped all in. The two also want a child and actively are working toward making one happen. Theirs is a happy union for their four months of marriage out of nine total months together. Long enough to gestate both a love and a child, but only one of those happens for Kate: Nathan suffers an accidental death, leaving Kate a widow.

Kate's younger (step)sister Ainsley thinks she's found her happily-ever-after with her boyfriend of eleven years, Eric. You get the sense that she could do better, and perhaps Eric does, too, because he not only does not propose as she thinks he will, through his blog he tells the world about dumping her. She's devastated and broke, so she moves in with Kate.

As the title indicates, this is the story of seconds. There is Kate and Ainsley's father, who, during his second marriage, has Ainsley with a woman who perhaps is the true love of his life. There is Ainsley herself, the second sister and daughter, the child whose presence in her family was always accepted if not embraced. And there are the second acts that Kate and Ainsley must pursue when their plans fall apart.

Higgins writes with her knack for humor and affection. She also fills the book with a sense of sadness, a sense of loss. Kate and Ainsley each suffer the deaths of love, whether in true physical form as Kate did or in the emotional sense inflicted on Ainsley. While Nathan will never return, though, Ainsley is left with a sort of hope that Eric might, even as you - and everyone around Ainsley - hope he does not. There is the loss of a parent, again both physically and emotionally. Another duality, another "second" of sorts. There are losses of extended families - what role does Kate now play in Nathan's family, and what about Ainsley's relationship with Eric's parents? There is even the loss of a treasured friendship.

But there are also things found. Unexpected romances, unexpected connections. As Kate and Ainsley discover these new things, they also rediscover hope and their relationship with each other. They discover how to connect as sisters, how to love each other within their new worlds. Just as importantly, they begin to realize that when life gives you a second chance at something, you take it.

I think of Kristan Higgins books friends. They bring me succor when I need it through their humor and their love stories. I know, when I open up one of her books, that I am going to laugh and cry in equal measure, and I know I will find a Hot Hero (or two). I love the way she writes, and this book might be a new favorite.

It’s been a really long time since I have read a Higgins book, but when this was brought to my attention, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

On Second Thought was a book that not only surprised me, but blew my expectations out of the water. To date, I think this is the best book Higgins has ever written.

The story is told from the POV of two sisters, Kate and Ainsley. Kate is the older half sister from their father’s first and current marriage, and she is also a 39-year old widow. For twenty years Kate never thought she would have a chance to marry with her bad luck and a string of bad relationships, she gave up hope – until Nathan came over into her life.

I became Nathan’s wife. One hundred and two days later, I became his widow.

Nathan was sweet, talented, came from a wealthy family and wanted to have children. They dated for a few months before quickly getting married and not too soon after their marriage, Nathan dies, leaving Kate to pick up the pieces.

Ainsley is the younger half sister, who comes from a woman that the girl’s father was actually in love with. Kate’s mother took her in, and for the longest time Ainsley felt a little alienated. She was in a relationship with Eric for 11-years, up until after he recovered from his cancer, watched Nathan die at their life party and decided to cut ties with Ainsley with a very ugly public blog post to top of the hurt.

This book was everything, it had everything. I had my reservations at first, Nathan dies getting a glass of wine for Kate and it is mentioned several times as the guilt sits heavy on her chest. At first I was a little worried that this was going to be a very to shame anyone who drinks wine, but as the story went on, it was proven otherwise and I relaxed a little.
The story pulled on my heartstrings, squeezed my heart, broke my heart and cemented it back together with love and warmth.

It was frustrating, shocking, sad, heartbreaking, but at the same time it was wonderful, full of love and just downright realistic. There were moments that made me really feel for the two women, but Higgins hands the entire situation not only with wit and charm, but with humor cleverly woven in.

The story was about death, grief, moving on after, love, heartbreak, and family all the good, the bad and the ugly. I loved how the heartbreak and the events in both of the sister’s lives bought them together and formed a stronger bond. I liked learning about their family, and how Candy (Kate’s mother, Ainsley’s step-mother) felt about having another woman’s child trusted upon her. For a long time, I didn’t know how to feel about her, but Candy redeemed herself tenfold by the end of the book.

Kate’s story was rough. I couldn’t even begin to understand how she felt being widowed so fast, but I also had to take into the account that Kate didn’t even know her husband for a year, so the experience must have felt different to other widows who knew them for years.

I loved the romance, especially between Ainsley and her boss Jonathan. When Jonathan appeared more and more in the story, he won me over quickly. He isn’t your typical love interest, which was so refreshing. He is awkward, he doesn’t wear his feelings on his sleeve, his interaction with Ainsley is amusing. She calls him Captain Flatline for a reason, he is hard to read and she often compares him to an alien. But I loved that, I loved that Jonathan wasn’t like the rest of the alpha males in the books, it made him so much more endearing and memorable.

Daniel the hot Fire Fighter was also an awesome addition to the book, and I loved the way he treated Kate and pulled her out of her funk.

The entire story was just great, but I think I already mentioned it. It was well over 400 pages and I was sad that it was over, I will definitely miss Jonathan. I liked both of the sister’s voice and their sarcastic witty humor, I never found a dull moment.

If you want to give Higgin’s a try, I strongly recommend this book.

First Look: Kristan Higgins’s On Second Thought (January 31, 2017)
Scarlettleigh

On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins
Kristan Higgins
On Second Thought 
HQN Books / January 31, 2017 / $15.99 print, $7.99 digital
It has been a little over ten years since Kristan Higgins released her first book, Fools Rush In. Readers were charmed with its keen and humorous insights about the complexities of finding true love.
Higgins is still writing about love’s travails—lucky for us. In addition, over the years her books have become even more perceptive, and On Second Thought is one of most thoughtful, touching books about the process of finding love that I’ve read in a long time. It made me cry—in good way. The characterization is perfect. The scenarios are both genuine and realistic. And the humor is spot-on.
In romance, there is this whole mythology or truth depending on your view and experience, about people finding the perfect one—that when we meet that person we’ll just know that it’s right. For some, that might happen, but for others, it is not so simple and that is the concept that Higgins explores in On Second Thought. It’s a story of two sisters, one who found “the one” her senior year of college, and one who had resigned herself to singlehood.
Kate had been single for twenty years. And she went through all the stages. She dated through high school and college but never really found someone that seemed important. After college, she did have three serious relationships—that didn’t work out. During her thirties, having to treat dating like a second job and a bad case of baby-itis caused desperation to set in, sending Kate on a five-year odyssey of online dating. As the years passed and the closer Kate got to forty, the more anxious she felt to find the “one.” But magically at thirty-nine these feeling disappeared. Finally, Kate can appreciate what she does have—a great apartment; a successful career as a photographer; supportive friends, and a loving if slightly dysfunctional family. So, when she does meet someone she’s caught off-guard:
Imagine my shock, then, when the garter-catcher left the niece at the end of the song and came right over to me. Asked about my camera. Listened as I described it, then admitted he only took pictures with his phone. Further admitted he was only talking about cameras to see if I was single and might want to have a drink with him.
“If that’s code for ‘I have a room here, want to hook up?’” I said, “then sadly, the answer is no.”
“There’s a code?” he asked grinning.
“There is.”
“Well, what code for ‘Will you have a drink with me after the wedding? Or sometime this week?’”
It’s ‘Hi I’m an alien, I thought. Because good-looking age-appropriate men didn’t date thirty-nine-year-olds
But Nathan Vance Coburn III does want to date her. And thus, begins a lovely old-fashioned courtship. Their relationship is so easy. No drama. No ups and downs. They agree on all the major issues—both want the same thing. So, approximately five months after their first meeting Nathan proposes and Kate says yes, although she sometimes has doubts:
If I’d been even a few years younger, I would’ve waited. There was a small, annoying voice—my mother’s—telling me that a reason not to marry him didn’t mean a good reason to marry him. That you can’t really love someone you’ve known for five months.
But as suddenly as Kate found Nathan, she loses him. He dies in a freak accident four months after their wedding.
Ainsley, Kate’s half-sister has had a completely different experience. She knew the minute she saw Eric Fisher that this was the man she was going to marry. Only the third boy she kissed, and the first she slept with, she and Eric have been together for eleven years. And even though she has been waiting for a ring and a proposal for ten, she can’t imagine loving anyone else. She loves Eric’s attributes, and even his little foibles— like his over-exaggeration of his supposedly brush with death:
But Eric’s cancer journey had been...well, it had been easy.
Easy as cancer journeys go, that is. No hair loss (although he did shave his head). Only two days of puking and diarrhea that might’ve been caused by some iffy sushi. He lost fifteen pounds, but then again, he needed to, and it was more through our new macrobiotic diet than because of chemo. There was one week where he took a nap every day.
So what Rob’s wife had said was true. If there was a cancer you had to have, testicular was the way to go. And Eric had sailed through it like a champ.
I knew he exaggerated on his blog, but I didn’t bring it up. He had cancer, for the love of God. And he won. Maybe his battle wasn’t as tough as other people’s but he won.
So, when she finds a diamond engagement ring, the day of Eric’s celebratory “To Life” party, his official cancer free celebration—eighteen months after his diagnosis of testicular cancer, life couldn’t be more perfect. But it’s at their party, that Nathan has his accident and dies. Three weeks later Eric informs her that this was a sign:
“Ains, look. You’re right. I did want to marry. There I was at the party, about to propose, you’re right.  And then the universe literally stops me by killing a guy.”
Now Kate and Ainsley are single...both struggling to find their way through their grief, heartache, and yes, anger at life for dealing them this hand.
If you’ve read any of Higgins’ books, then you know that she has this wonderful ability to mix heartbreak with humor. She writes scenarios that are so poignant that your heart wants to break  and then in the next paragraph she has you laughing. Plus, her stories, especially this one, reinforce that joy does follow sorrow. That even though bad things happen, just around the corner something wonderful is waiting too.
In addition, the yin and yang is flawless. Kate, a professional career woman spent years being single, and her younger sister spent years in a relationship, becoming more and more like a moon orbiting around the wants and needs of a man. So while Kate’s and Ainsley’s journey is similar it’s is uniquely different too, as both struggle to move forward.
On Second Thought is a wonderful addition to the already fabulous collection of books that Higgins has written. It is one that you won’t want to miss.
***
Learn more about or pre-order a copy of On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins, available January 31, 2017:

Kristan Higgins is one of my fav authors, so this is why I wanted to read this one. I didn't even read the synopsis, the author's name was enough for me. I loved the story, I loved the characters. I love how she writes. Kate and Ainsley's relationship was sad and sweet. I hated Eric but everything turned up good. I was happy to see Ainsley's and Kate's bonding. I just couldn't put it down, I keep wondering what will happen next, will they find happiness, is this story could be more sweeter... And I must say, the epilogue was awesome. I recommend everyone who likes this genre. I believe Mrs. Higgins is one of the masters in women fiction. Please keep writing like this.

I have a little bit of a girl crush in Kristen Higgins.
In On Second Thought, she tackles some pretty tough emotional territory - on several fronts and still had me walking away from the book feeling like I'd spent the day with good friends that I would miss after turning the last page.
We meet Kate (a successful photographer who had embraced the idea of being single when she meets Mr. Right at 38) and Ainsley (hopelessly devoted to her long term boyfriend), two half sisters who had their worlds turned upside down by the same senseless accident. Ms. Higgins takes us on the sister's journeys as they begin to put their lives back together.
A well written and emotional work, On Second Thought shows us grief, self discovery, and second chances. We also see the sisters begin to build a relationship that hadn't been there. It's easy to like both women and to relate to their experiences. Add in dashes of humor via a quirky grandmother and this is another solid, enjoyable work from a great author.

This is a novel about 2 sisters, second chances and LOVE. Yes, I can find weaknesses, but I must admit to loving this absolutely charming book. The sisters, co-narrating the book as their tales unfold., have the reader rooting for them. Perhaps a little predictable at first, but so well done, I found myself wanting a happy ending for them.

Higgins doesn't disappoint as she unfurls the story of the widowed Kate and the publicly humiliated and dumped Ainsley. They go through the heartbreak, but come out closer and stronger. Sure, I knew who both were going to wind up with, yes I was right, but so what, this was a delicious read.

I loved the ancillary characters, maybe a little too stereotypical, but ultimately part of a very enjoyable novel. Yes, great chick-lit to sink into on a cold,wintry day!

This is a lovely story about second chances. Not just second chances at love, but also second chances at family, friendship and career fulfillment. And especially a second chance at being sisters.

The story is told from the alternating points of view of Kate and Ainsley, half-sisters who have a lifetime of almost-but-not-quite closeness between them. And a really weird family dynamic. Their father, a Major League Baseball umpire, left Kate’s mother to marry Ainsley’s mother. Three years later, with the love of his life dead and a very young daughter to raise, their father begged his first wife to take him back. And she did, but she never completely lost her resentment of the whole situation. It’s hard to blame her.

But that left Kate and Ainsley in a bit of a bind, sister-wise. Kate was ten years older than Ainsley, and Ainsley was so obviously Daddy’s favorite, that they weren’t close growing up. Mutual tragedy brings them together, and they discover in each other the sister and best friend they never had, but always wanted.

Kate’s husband dies after four months of pretty blissful marriage. Unfortunately for Ainsley, Nathan’s death sends her long-term boyfriend Eric into a complete spin into assholishness, not that he was a prince to begin with. Eric doesn’t just break up with Ainsley, he does it publicly, on the blog he posts at her magazine, and in the worst terms imaginable. While Eric was never as good as Ainsley thought he was, his behavior dives to a whole new level of low.

Ainsley arrives on Kate’s doorstep with her adorable dog and her worldly goods, which aren’t all that much. Kate, still in the seemingly endless depths of her grief, is grateful to have the upbeat and perky Ainsley move into her echoing house. Ainsley is equally happy to have a place to stay while she regroups and recovers. Ollie is always happy. Period.

They help each other. And they find each other. And eventually, when the time is mostly right, they find a way to move past their respective grief. But even though they both finally move on, what they don’t do is move past each other.

Escape Rating B+: I read this in a single evening. I fell into the story and didn’t fall out until I turned the last page. Kate and Ainsley are women that I would love to know in real life, and I was happy to spend an evening with them.

I will say that the first chapter is very, very rough going. It is obvious from the first paragraph that Kate’s husband Nathan is about to die, because Kate is narrating their last evening together from the perspective of someone who knows what is about to happen. It was impossible not to feel for her. Kate’s profound grief made me keep looking over at my own snoring husband to make sure he was all right. But a big part of me wished that the story could have started after his death. Reading the “but I didn’t know” bits over and over was both sad and wearying. Also wearing.

Although there is a romantic element to this story, the romances don’t feel like point of the story, except as they symbolize both women finally able to move on. Which appropriately takes a while. The point of the story is the way that they reach towards each other in a way that will remind readers of the author’s previous book, If You Only Knew.

Kate feels both profound grief and a certain amount of anger. When Nathan died, they had known each other for less than a year, and had only been married for four months. As much as she misses him, she also misses the person she used to be before they met. She had been happy on her own, and if she hadn’t met Nathan she would have continued to be so. The difference that one year has made in her life is beyond heartbreaking.

Ainsley’s situation is a bit different. She met Eric in college, and they’ve been together for 11 years. Literally one-third of her life. She not only loves Eric, she loves his family, and she’s been dreaming of marrying him for almost a decade. He’s always been a bit of a selfish arsehole, but when he breaks up with her via his blog, he pulls out all the stops. Readers will want to shoot him. In the kneecaps, so he suffers longer.

In many ways, Ainsley has a lot more self-examination and reinventing to do, because she’s never been just her. She’s always been part of an “us”, and now that is blasted to smithereens. When she gets her own back, it is epic and awesome.

Both women do eventually find romance, and in the most unlikely places. And the way that they do, particularly the way they both approach that second chance, makes a marvelous conclusion to this story.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Being a fan of Kristan Higgins’s BLUE HERON series ( I may have come close to shedding a tear or 2 when that series ended), seeing Kristan enter the world of women’s fiction was so nice with her If You Only Knew and On Second Thought is another breath of fresh air.

When Kate married Nathan, she expected her life to be complete. He was the man she’d been waiting for. Nathan dying was an unexpected twist in her forever plans. However, it’s an interesting twist- because Nathan was so perfect- but if you only know someone for a short while- it’s easy to see the perfections.

Ainsley, on the other, hand knows her boyfriend’s faults, They’ve been together for 11 years and she is just waiting for the day that he says “Be my wife”. Alas, the death of Nathan shakes up both of the sister’s lives.

What I loved:

The cover. Tulips are my fave and I love the simplicity and elegance of the cover.

The relationship between the sisters. Sure, they’ve had rough times over the years. Sure, they’ve had some crappy fortune lately. But when the chips are down- these girls are there for each other and discover much about themselves and each other.

How Kristan made 1 character the ultimate d-bag: This character was mildly annoying in the first part of the book, but when he turned into the d-bag of 2017- well, he was still annoying, but gave me major reason to root AGAINST him (and I loved it!)



Bottom line: I really enjoyed this book! If you are a fan of Kristan Higgins from her Blue Heron series- you’ll enjoy On Second Thought. New to Kristan? Sit down a spell and enjoy a story of two sisters and the mess and greatness of their lives.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*



Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,

T @ Traveling With T

REVIEW:

Have you ever read a book that you just knew right from the very beginning you would be best of friends with these characters if they were only real? This is how I felt once I was about 25% done with this book.

This book was almost everything I love in a book - it was filled with realistic characters, realistic situations, some happiness (at the end) and a lot of sad...the one thing, and an important thing, it was lacking was humor. Not that there was totally none, but it just wasn't there in big enough doses to make this a 5-star rated book. But this was definitely a 4.5 star book.

I read to escape the realities and traumas of everyday life -this book just left me dazed through most of it. The love of the sisters for each other was plain to see (again, once you have read about 25 to 50% of the book) …but the heart-aches just took a bit too much out of me and out of this book.

I did love how things did take a turn with the sister’s and their feelings and actions towards each other developed.

Getting to the 'happily-ever-after’ was almost too painful to get to and didn't last long enough to satisfy me or to make up for all the other trauma. I am glad that each did find their HEA even if one was a little iffy and not very traditional in the romantic novel sense.

Seeing two such smart women mess up their lives for one worthless man and one that was less than forthcoming, was astounding to me.

What is even odder for me is even with all that said, I could not put this book down -even though it was a painful journey through the sister’s lives, it was fascinating and so well written that I can look beyond my own petty problems with this book and see that the author was trying to tell us - that we as women are so much more than just being a shadow to the men in our lives. We shouldn't forgive lying out of hand, we need to have a spine...and I'm happy to say that each of these women did learn this lesson. It was a difficult and rocky path, but they learned.

Most of Ms Higgins other novels may have the sadness, frustrations, and problems of everyday life that this one had, but they also usually include a good dose of humor. Yes, the humor is mostly the self-depreciating kind, but it is humor nonetheless. You need to really look closely to see the humor interspersed with the pain in this book.

It really was a satisfying read for me, even with the issues I had with it.

*ARC supplied by publisher