Ratings1
Average rating5
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.
Brimming with heart and heat, Rules for Second Chances explores the hardest relationship question of all: can true love happen twice . . . with the same person?
Reviews with the most likes.
Aspiring Autistic Author Accomplishes Astounding Act of Adoration. Ok, so that was a very painful and forced alliteration by an Autistic reviewer that actually gives an idea of what this book may be like for at least some non-Autistic readers.
Personally, I found that most of this book worked quite well - it does in fact have the far-too-common tacked on baby-in-epilogue that always leaves a sour "aftertaste" for me when the book never really mentioned even wanting kids in its overall story, but other than this quibble the book actually does work well as a story of both finding oneself and rediscovering the love one had for one's partner along the way. But part of what made it work so well - if perhaps a *touch* stereotypically - is that North worked in so many real-world examples of what life as an Autistic in the corporate world can truly be like at times, particularly as it relates to understanding others and working to be understood by them.
The emphasis on improv comedy and its "Yes, and" philosophy is a driving force in the overall narrative here and yes, perhaps is very nearly a crutch/ preachy at times about the philosophy and its purported benefits, but again, within the overall structure of the story as told... eh, *every* such story has some overarching narrative device, this one simply happens to be improv.
Overall this was a solid debut effort in the romance space, and absolutely leaves me wanting to see more from this author - which is the number one (or maybe two, after sales of this book itself) goal of any debut book. So in that regard, it did its job quite well indeed. And for those looking for "diverse reads", again, here's a neurodiverse author for you to give a shot!
Very much recommended.
Originally posted at bookanon.com.