Book Review | Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North

Title: Rules for Second Chances
Author: Maggie North
Genre: Adult Contemporary / Romance
Publication Date: June 25th, 2024
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Rating: ⭐⭐

Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary earc to review!

“Liz Lewis has tried everything to be what people want, but she’s always
been labeled different in the boisterous world of wilderness expeditions.
Her marriage to popular adventure guide Tobin Renner-Lewis is
a sinkhole of toxic positivity where she’s the only one saying no.

When she gets mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party,
Liz vows to stop playing a minor character in her own life. The (incredibly
well-researched and scientific) plan? A crash course in confidence . . .
via an improv comedy class. The catch? She’s terrible at it, and the only
person willing to practice with her is a certain extroverted wilderness
guide who seems dead set on saving their marriage.

But as Liz and Tobin get closer again, she’s forced to confront all the reasons
they didn’t work the first time, along with her growing suspicion that her
social awkwardness might mean something deeper. Liz must learn improv’s
most important lesson—“Yes, and”—or she’ll have to choose between the love she always wanted and the dreams that got away.” (Goodreads)

Second chances don’t always work for me, but I did want to give this one a try because I loved the cover and the sound of it.

I don’t think the reason I didn’t get into this was because of the trope but the way that it was written. It was hard to feel the emotion that should have been present through the words. The book could have also used a second point-of-view that came from Liz’s husband, Tobin. The plot of the book surrounded her relationship but I didn’t feel like it was the main focus. It was more about her journey navigating work and wanting to stand out and not be pushed on the backburner, although that was to some of her own doing.

Overall, this was okay but I was just expecting more when it came to the romantic relationship.