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Hosted by Good Choice Reading Promotions :)
Publication Date: January 11, 2013
Format: ebook* 225 pages
Rating: 4/5
Get it: Amazon | B&N
Sam wakes up in the hospital expecting to find his girlfriend by his bedside. Instead, he finds a bleached-blond diva, claiming to be his fiancée, hovering over him. When he learns that he's just woken up from a coma and has lost the last three years of his life, any semblance of stability he thought he had falls down around him. All he wants – all he needs – is Lil.
After countless visits with her shrink and too many sleepless nights waiting for the one man she loves to walk back through the door, Lil wants nothing more than to separate herself from the life she used to have. But the moment Sam smiles at her, Lil knows it's going to take more than self-restraint to stay away.
Second-Rate Chances is about a young man fighting to regain his memory, and the one thing in his life that felt real. A modern-day Samson and Delilah, it's a look at what it means to love and be loved, and to fight though it seems hopeless.
My Review
Second Rate Chances was a sensational book! It was definitely the type of book to give you all kinds of heart-warming feelings. It was the perfect book about true love, fixing past mistakes, and never giving up.
Sam was a successful corporate business man, rich and engaged to a gorgeous woman. In a blink of any eye, his whole life changes when he loses three years of his life. We don’t get to see much of the new Sam, but we get an idea of what he came to be and how much he changed for the worst. I really sympathized for Sam and the situation he was in. It wasn’t something he could have fixed easily and while I felt bad for him, seeing him so vulnerable and lost was endearing and completely cute because it was so different from the smug and confident man I got a glimpse of right before the accident. It really broke me how Sam woke up to find that all those people he loved and cared about were no longer standing by his side. It was sad to see how broken he was because of something he couldn’t control. I could say that this Sam, without the memories, was charming, witty and funny. His old self was fun to be around. He was a great guy who loved simple things and I could see why Lil and all their friends loved Sam. Smart and driven, Sam lost his way but found himself again. And even after everything, Sam chose to do the right thing, the best thing for him.
I was in awe at Lil’s kind-hearted nature and her ability to push aside her feelings in order to help Sam. I really liked that Lil was the better person, deciding to help Sam even though she was left hurting and in pain from the end of their relationship. Lil had great qualities as a character. She was warm, sweet and friendly. Lil was just the type of person to be down to earth, chill; a normal girl who loved photography. She helped Sam for him and for herself. I thought Lil was strong, brave and the most caring and thoughtful person. I loved the relationship between her and Sam. Even though so much time has passed and even in the undesirable circumstances, these two were just so good together. The love was still there after how many years and the chemistry between them was amazing. When Sam and Lil were together, I couldn’t help but sigh with contentment because they were just so right, so perfect for one another.
I have to admit that the writing took awhile for me to get used to, but it got easier and flowed better and better as I went along. Holly Stephens does a great job of dancing around what really happened between Sam and Lil. She would give tiny hints that propelled me to read more and more to find out the truth. When the truth was revealed, I wasn’t shocked, but I was definitely feeling all kinds of emotions from sadness to regret in a span of a few moments. I loved that Stephens developed Sam and Lil’s relationship, really drawing out the intensity and tension of their feelings at just the right parts. She really had me invested in the story and with Sam and Lil’s character. I definitely commend Stephens for writing a story about redemption, finding lost love and starting over in the most simple and realistic way.
Second Rate Chances was a lovely story about true love and commitment, and a devourable read I would recommend to all!
*Thanks to GCR Promotions and Holly Stephens for sending a copy for review
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About the Author
People have often told me that I live in a fantasy world. Little did they know, I was building an empire of stories in my head to one day share.
I'm a mother first, a wife second, and a writer third. I'm so thankful to have been given this chance to get my stories out of my head and onto paper.
When I'm not writing, I sell plumbing (no I'm not kidding) and read romances that leave my heart a flutter. I know a ridiculous amount of pop culture information and can quote certain movies word for word. Music drives me to write and to also sing off key.
Connect with Holly:
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The Giveaway
Oh this sounds so like my kind of book!! I'm glad to hear that you eventually did get into the writing style. Sometimes that can be hard with new authors. Adding this one to my TBR list! Lovely review!! :D
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