Review: Overall Rating: 4 stars- Kept telling myself “just one more chapter.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 8, 2014
**Originally posted w/o censorship at Bedroom Bookworms blog. See my complete profile for more information.***After having enjoyed the heck out of Starting Over, I was chomping at the bit to read Second Chances. I try not to read back-to-back books by the same author because it tends to accentuate some negative things (much like spending too much time with your husband on vacation) that would otherwise be overlooked. So I gave myself a one-book-break and then dove right in. I liked it. I didn’t LOVE it, but I liked it. I was sucked in right away because the first twist was straight out of my past. Without going into great detail, I seriously wanted to ask Evan Grace is she dated a man named Larry from Indiana because I think he appears in the novel under the name Mark Jefferson. Both of them are lying sacks.My one complaint remains that some of the dialogue just feels a little clunky. There are some mundane details in the story that aren’t necessary and are a little distracting, but they’re not a big deal. But some of the conversations between the characters just feels a little forced to me.However, outside of that, it was still a great book. Evan does an amazing job of conveying very real emotions that the characters would go through. It feels very authentic. Having experienced some of the same hardships that our characters have (pregnancy loss, being lied to by a married man, for example. Heavy, emotional stuff.) I was perhaps a little more emotionally raw about the topics than everyone would be. But I also didn’t feel angry about how the topics were handled, and that’s a huge compliment.I often feel like grief and betrayal are handled poorly in novels but Evan Grace is not an example of that. Her emotional portrayal of these topics is what lead me to re-read Before Jamaica Lane. In my world, that’s a big thing. I love that book (even more the 2nd time, I think!) and to feel like Evan’s 2nd novel is reminiscent of Samantha Young’s is a big deal.There’s also quite a lot of action in the book. Even bloodshed, which should make Megan happy. One particular scene actually creeped me out and then actually made me angry (at the character, not the author) which is another nod to Evan’s ability to connect with the reader’s emotions.And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the smut. If you read my postings or know me, you know that my threshold for shock is somewhat high. But I literally made a note “That’s some kinky...” at one point during the book. Trust me that I mean it in only the best ways. Evan could (should!?) write a book of just erotic scenes and I’d be first in line to buy it.All in all, if you liked Starting Over, you’ll like Second Chances. It wasn’t quite as steamy for me (admittedly because book 1 featured major dirty talk and I am ALL about that) but still had me squirming while I was reading. Good stuff.“N-no, I don’t need anything; just you.”Smut Factor: 5 stars- Had to wake my husband at 2am to quench my “need.”Character likability: 4 stars- I wish we were friends.Storytelling: 4 stars- Totally bought it.Writing and editing quality: 3 stars- A few errors, but nothing that took away from the story.