Some stories remind you that finding your way back to yourself can be just as powerful as finding love, and this one does exactly that.

When Anabel is forced to step away from the career she has built for herself, she returns to the Italian seaside town that once held the happiest and most painful memories of her life. She expects a quiet escape, but familiar streets have a way of bringing forgotten dreams, unfinished conversations and well known faces back into focus. Seeing Luca again is the last thing she expects, especially when neither of them seems ready to face the past they left behind.

What makes this story so engaging is that the romance unfolds alongside Anabel's personal journey. The charming coastal setting, the welcoming hostel, the delicious food and the colourful locals create an atmosphere that feels warm and alive. Every chapter adds another layer to the characters while raising new questions about the choices they have made and the lives they truly want.

This is a heartfelt romance filled with nostalgia, emotional growth and the comforting sense that sometimes a different path can lead to the place where you were always meant to be.

A grumpy romance (the other half is burnout). I thought the burnout side of what the FMC was working through was really well done and made for a much more interesting set of issues to work through than most romances! Still, a very enjoyable journey and delightful setting and characters!

This was such an entertaining second-chance romance with a thoughtful exploration of burnout and self-discovery. I loved the Italian seaside setting, the hostel renovation, and the emotional history between Ana and Luca. The atmosphere was one of my favorite parts. The delicious food, charming coastal town and all the summer vibes made the story feel real and enjoyable.

The beginning was a little slow for me because I had a hard time connecting with the characters. But once I got past the halfway point, I found myself much more invested in both the story and the romance. The emotional journey and the setting really carried the book for me.

My favorite part was how the story wasn't just about a second chance at love, but also a second chance at life. Watching Anabel step away from work, confront her burnout, and rediscover herself made her personal growth feel just as important as the romance.

That said, some of the characters choices frustrated me because they felt more like teenage reactions than those of adults. I kept wishing they would communicate instead of letting misunderstandings drag things out. Even so, I still had a lot of fun with the journey and thought the mix of romance, healing, and finding your way back to yourself made for a satisfying read.

Overall, I would recommend this if you enjoy second chance romance, emotional journeys, and stories that are just as much about finding yourself as they are about finding love.

Thank you to the author, Rose Graceling-Moore, publisher Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for the eARC this book.

This was a quick read and I really liked how the author would describe the settings like how the sun felt on Annabelle‘s face. I could see the setting in my mind as they were being described. The first 35% of the book was sort of slow, but then it picked up and I really liked the chemistry between Luca and Annabelle. It felt like they had picked up where they left off. The second half of the book lost me a little bit because I found that the decisions they were making were not very mature.

Overall cute book with just the right amount of romance and spice.

This one was definitely a wild ride with plenty of drama, tension, and honestly pretty fun to sink into. The beginning had me hooked, but once I hit the midpoint, their choices started to lose me a little. I kept wishing they’d lean into a more grown‑up version of themselves instead of slipping back into teenage reactions. Still, it was an entertaining read overall!

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher and author for this arc!

This is a novel about self reflection and growth and a second chance romance after finally deciding to seek the truth and stop letting others make decisions for you. A decade ago, Anabel and Luca had a summer of love, adventure, and heartbreak due to miscommunication. Now, they are working together to resurrect the hostile that had once brought them together and help Sofia, the owner and their friend save her home.

Ana is taking a break from work burnout, and she goes back to the coastal town she once loved. It is also the home of Luca, the boy she once loved. As they work together, feelings creep back up and so do unresolved issues that broke them apart.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC of The Second Chance Summer in exchange for an honest review. This is a quick read that takes you along on a journey that is perfect for a summer escape.

It was a fun book with a lot of drama and tension. I gotta say, I liked the way it was starting but after the middle I felt a bit bored with their actions. I felt they had to act more like adults instead of teenagers.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It was a great read with everything you would expect from this genre!

Sun-drenched Italy, second chances, and a romance that proves sometimes you have to lose your way to find yourself—The Second Chance Summer is an emotional escape filled with heart, healing, and plenty of summer charm.
After a single email destroys the career she's spent a decade building, Anabel Newsome reluctantly returns to the Italian coast for what is supposed to be a three-month break from work. Instead, she finds the beloved hostel from her twenties falling apart... and comes face-to-face with Luca, the grumpy painter who broke her heart ten years earlier. As they work together to restore the hostel, old feelings resurface, forcing them both to confront the past they've never truly left behind.
Ana was a relatable heroine whose identity had become completely wrapped up in her career. I appreciated that her journey wasn't just about romance—it was about learning to slow down, rediscover herself, and realise that success means more than climbing the corporate ladder. Her burnout felt authentic, making her emotional growth one of the strongest parts of the story.
Luca was exactly the kind of grumpy hero I love. Quiet, artistic, and carrying years of regret beneath his guarded exterior, he wasn't always easy to understand, but that only made peeling back his layers more rewarding. Watching him and Ana rebuild trust alongside the crumbling hostel made their second chance feel earned.
The Italian setting was absolutely gorgeous. Between seaside villages, warm sunshine, delicious food, and the relaxed coastal atmosphere, the setting became a character in its own right. It made me want to book a one-way ticket to Italy immediately.
The renovation storyline added a lovely metaphor for the romance itself. As the hostel slowly came back to life, so did Ana and Luca's relationship, reminding us that some things just need time, patience, and a little faith to become beautiful again.
While the love triangle and emotional complications created plenty of drama, the story ultimately remained grounded in themes of healing, forgiveness, and choosing the life that truly makes you happy.
Read if you love:
🇮🇹 Italian summer setting
❤️ Second-chance romance
🎨 Grumpy artist hero
🏡 Renovation romance
☀️ Vacation vibes
🌊 Coastal small town
✨ Self-discovery journey
🥹 Emotional healing

The Second Chance Summer is a heartfelt romance about burnout, forgiveness, and finding your way back to the people—and the places—that feel like home. With beautiful scenery, emotional depth, and a satisfying second-chance love story, it's the perfect summer escape.

The Second Chance Summer is a warm, nostalgic, and heartfelt romance that beautifully blends second chances, self discovery, and the magic of travel.
Set against the backdrop of a charming Italian seaside town, this story captures the feeling of returning to a place that once changed your life and finding yourself along the way.

After experiencing severe burnout, Ana returns to the hostel where she spent a life changing summer ten years earlier. What begins as a chance to recharge quickly becomes a journey of reflection as she helps revive the struggling hostel alongside Luca, the man who once broke her heart. As old memories resurface, so do unresolved feelings and long buried truths.

I loved how much this story focused on personal growth as well as romance. Watching her reconnect with the adventurous, hopeful person she used to be was just as rewarding as the romantic storyline.

The dual timeline worked particularly well, gradually revealing what happened during Ana and Luca's unforgettable summer together.

While the pacing felt a little slow at the beginning, I became increasingly invested as the story progressed, especially in the second half. Some character decisions frustrated me at times, but overall the emotional journey was heartfelt and satisfying.

A charming and uplifting summer romance about second chances, finding your way back to yourself, and having the courage to seek the truth instead of letting others define your path. Perfect for readers who enjoy second chance romances, travel inspired settings, and stories of personal growth.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a gorgeous summer read that had me dreaming of backpacking adventures, hostel life, and those unforgettable holiday friendships that stay with you long after you’ve returned home.

I was hooked from the very beginning. Anabel/Ana is an incredibly relatable main character, and I immediately connected with her. After a disastrous email to her boss results in some HR-mandated leave to recover from burnout, she returns to the Italian hostel where she spent a life-changing summer ten years earlier. As she throws herself into helping revive the hostel and restore its charm in the face of modern competition, old memories, and old feelings, begin to resurface.

Ana’s journey really resonated with me. Her struggles with career burnout, feeling stuck in the grey routine of life, and trying to rediscover the colour and joy she’d lost felt authentic and heartfelt. Watching her slowly reconnect with herself was one of my favourite parts of the story.

The romance kept me completely invested. Running into Luca, the man who broke her heart a decade ago, was filled with tension, especially when he doesn’t even recognise her. At the same time, Ana’s flirty encounters with a charming American she meets in a bakery queue add another layer to the story. His charisma had me smiling, but there were enough red flags to keep me questioning where things were heading. I loved that this wasn’t a straightforward second-chance romance, but instead explored both the possibility of rekindling an old love and the excitement of something new.

The dual timeline worked beautifully, gradually revealing what happened during that unforgettable summer ten years ago while moving Ana’s present-day story forward. It added depth without slowing the pace and made the emotional moments even more impactful.

Overall, this is a warm, nostalgic, and heartfelt romance that perfectly captures the magic of travel, the people we meet along the way, and the idea that sometimes finding yourself means revisiting where you lost your way.

If you’re looking for an escapist summer romance full of Italian sunshine, nostalgia, humour, and heart, this is definitely worth picking up.

This made me want to book a flight to Italy more than anything else.

The setting was easily my favorite part. The little beach town, the hostel, the food, the nostalgia of going back to a place that changed your life... all of that really worked for me. I also liked that the story wasn't just about romance. Ana's burnout and trying to figure out who she was outside of work felt very relatable.

The romance, though, didn't completely convince me. I understood why Ana still had unresolved feelings for Luca, but I never felt that emotional pull between them in the present timeline. By the time everything was finally out in the open, it wrapped up a little too quickly for me.

I did enjoy the dual timeline, although I found myself more invested in the flashbacks than what was happening in the present.

It's still a nice summer read if you're looking for vacation vibes and a story about starting over. I just wish the relationship had been given a little more room to breathe.

🚨 SPOILER ALERT: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
​I am giving The Second Chance Summer by Rose-Graceling Moore a honest, sunny 3-star review! ⭐⭐⭐
​A lovely, sweet summer read that brings Hallmark movie energy straight to your Kindle screen, even if the pacing of the romance felt a little too fast to fully sink my teeth into!
​ARC Disclosure: Thank you so much to NetGalley and the author for providing an early digital review copy (eARC) of this book! All thoughts, feelings, and honest reflections shared in this review are entirely my own.
​The Review
​The Second Chance Summer is a lovely, cozy story that I totally recommend to fans of classic Hallmark romance movies! Rose-Graceling Moore crafts a sun-drenched, feel-good atmosphere that makes for a very pleasant, breezy escape. While I still enjoyed my time reading it, something about the overall story just wasn't quite enough for me to fully connect on a deeper level.
​My main issue came down to the execution of the central relationship between Luca and Ana. They shared a brief summer fling ten years ago, but when they meet again in the present day, they seem to instantly fall right back into deep love. It felt like a case of "too much, too soon" without enough on-page development to bridge that decade-long gap and make their sudden intense connection feel completely grounded. That said, it remains a sweet, lighthearted summer read that serves up plenty of comforting vacation vibes!
​The Good
​I really loved Luca! He is such a charming hero, and in stark contrast, I absolutely hated Seth (which only made rooting against him even more fun!). The overall Hallmark-esque charm is undeniably sweet, making it an easy, low-stress book to flip through on a sunny afternoon.
​The Not So Good
​The emotional pacing of the romance felt a bit rushed. Jumping straight from a ten-year-old summer fling into full-blown love made it tough for me to truly feel the spark between Luca and Ana, leaving me wanting more depth to their reunion

After a disastrous work email, Ana is forced to take a leave of absence to recover from burnout and reconnect with herself. She decides to spend her time off returning to the Italian beach town where she spent a memorable summer a decade earlier.

Once there, she reconnects with Sofia, the owner of the hostel where she stayed during her first visit. After an inspiring conversation, Ana offers to help Sofia breathe new life into the rundown hostel—a place filled with both cherished memories and lingering heartbreak. On her way back to the hostel, she unexpectedly runs into Luca, the Italian man she once fell in love with. At the same time, she has a series of flirtatious encounters with a charming American she first meets while waiting in line at a bakery, raising the possibility of an entirely new romance.

Rather than being a straightforward second-chance love story, the novel explores both the pull of a past relationship and the excitement of opening your heart to someone new. Told through dual timelines—following Ana's first summer in Italy ten years ago alongside her present-day return—the story gradually reveals how her past continues to shape her future.

Overall, this is a warm, nostalgic romance that beautifully captures the magic of travel, the people who leave lasting impressions on our lives, and the idea that sometimes the only way to move forward is to revisit the place where you lost your way.

nabel is forced to take a leave from work after accidentally sending an email that included everything she really wanted to say to a coworker(relatable). She decided to go to Italy during this time, where she reconnects with Luca, the ex who broke her heart ten years ago. As the story jumps between past and present, we slowly learn what happened while they work together to save a rundown hostel.

This is a cute, breezy romance that's perfect if you're looking for Italian summer vibes. I loved the setting, but I never fully connected with the romance as it felt a little surface level for me. I also found the timeline a little hard to follow at times. Overall, it's an easy beach read with a beautiful setting, even if I wanted a bit more depth from the characters and their relationship.

When Ana finds herself and a mandatory leave of absence from her hotel job, she goes to Italy in hopes of recovering from her career burnout and finding relaxation. Instead, she finds herself face-to-face with a man that broke her heart 10 years ago as she works on restoring a local hostel. Ana must choose between her career, new love, and a love that left her younger self devastated.

The strength of this book is the story. I enjoyed following Ana to Italy and experiencing her growth as she retakes her steps from 10 years before. Ana had great character depth and it was a relatable experience for her to carefully evaluate her past decisions and determine where she went wrong. I also liked Luca. I felt I understood his motives and actions despite not reading from his perspective. The happy ending in this book was definitely earned!

Where I struggled with this book was the dialogue and the pacing. There were no contractions in this book. It didn’t bother me when the Italian characters were speaking, but Americans just don’t talk that way. It was especially disconcerting coming from Seth. The lack of conversational English broke up the flow of the book and took me out of the story.

The pacing also presented an issue. Though the story was great, there were times when I felt things were rushed. One example is the intimate scene between Ana and Seth. I understand that we were meant to see red flags before Ana; however, the scene came off almost as assault and was definitely not “passionate” the way Ana describes it.

Overall this book has potential. With a great plot and characters, I rate this book 3 stars. It was fairly easy to get through this book, but would be improved with changes to the dialogue and a relationship between Ana and Seth that is developed in more detail.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book.

This is an okay second chance romance that deals with relatable themes like burnout and finding yourself.

​However, Ana and Luca were hard to connect with, and the story’s pacing felt off some parts felt rushed, while others felt super slow.

It’s a decent story with a beautiful setting and a good message, but the slow spots and distant characters made it hard to fully get into their journey.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*CAUTION: Spoilers Ahead!*

There were parts of this story that I really enjoyed but overall as a whole it didn’t quite come together for me. I really loved the setting and feel that the author did a great job making the hostel and the town come alive on the page. I want to go and stay with Sofia, especially after those renovations! The themes in this story of burnout, healing, and second chances for both rediscovering yourself as well as romance were relatable and made the story feel that much more endearing and warm! I also really liked reading through the flashbacks and felt like the balance between those and the present story was done well.

I did struggle to connect with the characters fully. I think Luca was presented as a bit too grumpy (given that we didn’t really get his side of context until the end) that it came off more as him being a jerk/rude and Ana came off as surface level at times which made her seem a bit childish and hard to root for.

I think the biggest thing I was disappointed about is that we really didn’t get a whole lot of time with Ana and Luca together! Even if they weren’t a couple for most the book there really wasn’t much room for yearning or tension because they were seemingly so offset by each other. I feel like Ana spent most of the book with Seth and avoiding Luca and thinking poorly of him. It really wasn’t until the last 85-90% of the book that they even talk and we get to clear their past conflict up. Because of this and because I really didn’t get to see a good side to their relationship or Luca in the present timeline until the end, I wasn’t necessarily rooting for them. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly wasn’t rooting for Seth! But, it was a bit of a head scratcher and as I continued to read I was more invested in figuring out what the catch was rather than be pulled in by the characters and their connection.

Overall this was a fun beach read with many funny and sweet moments, I just think the execution could’ve come together cleaner and the character/relationship development could’ve used some more depth!

I was excited to read this book, and it didn't disappoint. Ana and Luca's chemistry was still there, even 10 years later. I loved the dual timeline aspect of it too, so we got to see the initial heartbreak. I was really cheering for these two!

Breezy. The action takes off right away but this book about giving love a second chance is breezy. I enjoined it just fine enough.

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC.

It is definitly the it summer book. second chance everything.
tbh ı wanna talk about what i felt while reading i saw that i came first whatever is the situation i need to be the one who is happy to make the decision so i wanna thank the Rose Graceling-Moore to made this book happen in the first place.
İ cried in so many chapters the emotion cought me off guard but i am so happy to able the read this book.

I really enjoyed this book it is perfect for the summer it will give summer vibes throughout the story I also enjoyed he romance between the mmc and fmc as well

I really wanted to love this book. The Italy vibes are absolutely immaculate—the sights, the pastries, and the overall charm of the setting were lovely. I also really appreciated the core theme of rediscovering your passion after experiencing severe burnout and making choices for yourself. Ana had some genuinely funny moments, and the book employs a dual timeline, jumping between the present day and a storyline from 10 years ago.

Unfortunately, the execution fell short for me with the pacing, repetitive monologues, lack of relationship development, awkward dialogue and immature characters.

The Love Triangle & Ending (Spoilers Ahead!)
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The "love triangle" dynamic lasted all the way up until the 95% mark, but it lacked any real depth. We are simply told that Ana and Seth built a connection while he was away, rather than actually seeing it. Seth’s arc felt totally unrealistic; he goes from weeks of texting and calls everyday to suddenly acting hostile and accusatory.

Ana’s behavior in this triangle was incredibly frustrating and immature. At the 91% mark, I was ready to throw my Kindle across the room. Sleeping with Luca after a fight with Seth—without communicating with either man—and then still wanting to give Seth a chance the next day was a massive "UGH" moment.

To top it off, the romance felt deeply unfinished. Ana and Luca have one conversation, they sleep together, he leaves for a few days, and the story just ends. While they reappear in the epilogue, the actual resolution of their relationship felt rushed and unearned.


Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a book set in Italy and this one did not disappoint. Annabella’s story is one about finding yourself and what or who you truly love. A little bit of spice and beautiful Italian imagery bring this story to life. It’s a great romance read.

My favourite quote: “If there is no sun, no colour in your life, of course there is none in your soul.” ☀️

Hooked from the very first chapter! Annabelle’s work stress and the normality of coffee for breakfast was so relatable 😂

I loved the message that self-care isn’t one-size-fits-all. For Annabelle, it wasn’t just escaping to Italy, it was learning to set boundaries, stop taking every opinion to heart, and work out what really mattered to her.

I also loved that we didn’t get the full story of Annabelle’s past heartbreak until later in the book, added just enough mystery to keep me hooked.

This was definitely a “just one more chapter” kind of book. A fast-paced, easy summer romance ☀️☀️

There were parts of this that I really enjoyed, especially the “bringing color back to your life” theme ✨ That idea of figuring out what you actually want versus what you think you should be doing really worked for me.

I really loved the Italian setting 🇮🇹 The hostel scenes and flashbacks to her 20s had such a real, nostalgic travel vibe that felt authentic and immersive.

That said, I struggled to fully connect with the characters. Anabella felt a bit surface-level at times, and I wanted more depth overall, especially in the relationships. I also found the writing a little uneven, with some awkward phrasing and dialogue that pulled me out of the story.

Overall, there’s a nice heart to this, and the setting really shines, but it didn’t quite come together in the way I was hoping.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ARC REVIEW
First off I want to thank net galley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was so excited for this ARC because I love a second chance romance! I honestly loved how the topic of burnout was addressed and the importance of finding yourself. There were a few grammatical and formatting errors, but those did not take away from the book itself. The ending did feel a bit rushed, but that may just be personal preference.
This book is perfect for anyone who loves a second chance romance or a book about finding yourself! If you’re a fan of books like People We Meet On Vacation by Emily Henry, this book is for you!

It was a cute story about finding your joy and doing what makes you happy. Anabel is on a three-month leave from her job because she’s experiencing work burn-out. She goes to the last place she was truly happy, an Italian beach town. A place she hasn’t been back to in ten years. There she runs into people from her past. She helps the owner of an old hostel where she used to work all those years ago. There’s also history and tension with the handyman that helps there as well, Luca. The tension and the lead up to what really happened between Luca and Anabel was good. The flashback chapters worked great building up the tension and the mystery to what happened between Luca and Anabel.

However, the relationship between Luca and Anabel was something I wasn’t really sold on. There definitely was a physical attraction between them, but it didn’t feel that deep for me. Their relationship felt more like a summer fling than forever. Also, the communication between the two hadn’t really changed much over ten years. They seemed to be the same people they were ten years ago. It was still a good read though. I loved Anabel’s journey of finding her passion, in terms of work.

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

There was a lot I liked about this book. I liked the descriptions of the hostel, the city, her friendship with Sofia, and the work/burnout exploration, and the flashbacks to ten years ago. I actually think this would work better as women’s fiction versus a romance because I think those were the stronger parts of the book.

The romance part I didn’t really buy their love story and their behavior was very immature and illogical both ten years ago and currently. I didn’t really get to know her and Luca very well as a couple besides physical chemistry. I could not understand why they were emotionally interested in each other. I was not really rooting for them but I did want them to have a conversation. Misunderstandings are the bread and butter of romances but it doesn’t make sense they way neither of them would let the other one talk seemed like teenagers and wasn’t realistic even with the suspend belief thing. .

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.