Official Review: Second Chance by Merilee Briggs

ritah · Post by **ritah** » 24 Dec 2019, 13:28

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Second Chance" by Merilee Briggs.]

3 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

Needing a break from her job as a physician and an escape from her small town in Colorado, Emma takes up an exciting opportunity to work as a photographer for a famous rock and roll band known as Altered Reality. Her decision to tour with the group for a year adds tension to her already rocky long-term relationship with her fiancé, Scott. Not long after she leaves town, Scott’s self-destructive behavior escalates and threatens to ruin his friendships and everything he claims to love. On the other side of the plane, when a frustrated Emma first meets the band’s front man, Ryan, the chemistry between them is palpable. However, Ryan’s lifestyle is something she could never get used to. What’s more, his reputation with the ladies has her questioning her attraction to him. What will this new journey bring for Emma?

Second Chance by Merilee Briggs is a romance novel that takes readers on a whirlwind journey of love, pain, and betrayal. The novel also has elements of family drama, suspense, and thriller, which kept me engaged and turning pages.

Written in the third person, the author does a great job of vividly depicting the world of the characters and bringing the different characters to life. Thus, it was easy to picture unfolding events and relate to various aspects of the characters’ personalities. Even when I didn’t particularly like a character or disagreed with their actions/motives, most times, I understood the thought process behind their actions. This was important, as it made it easy not to box most of the characters as either completely good or bad, which made them seem more real (in my eyes). That being said, there were a few characters that I loved to hate and could not get over what they did regardless of the ways that they felt their actions were justified. I really liked Buck, Emma’s father, for his sensibilities and protectiveness over his daughter – though there were moments I wished he’d done more.

The pace moved along at a nice swift pace; there were no dull pages. The exciting twists and turns took on me a loop and kept the narrative from being predictable. Towards the end, the plot intensified, leading up to an explosive and unexpected ending. Besides, throughout the book, the characters’ dialogues flowed naturally, and their interactions with each other were believable.

What I found most disappointing was the lack of buildup of any of the romantic relationships in the book. The romances seemed to just happen; there was no tension, no butterfly-inducing moments, which made the romantic aspect fall a little flat. This is a big deal for me because this is a romance novel, and I desperately wanted to be sold on the romantic relationships. Another aspect that seemed odd was other characters quickly rooting for certain characters to be together (without actually spending enough time with the new character to know if they’re good or not for the character/friend that they care about). These aspects felt a little forced.

I did encounter numerous errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling mistakes, and missing words, even though the book is well written. It is for these reasons and the ones mentioned above that I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I wouldn’t rate it lower (despite the disappointing romance bit) because the writing and plot carried the story well enough to keep me reading with interest. Those who enjoy love stories with elements of family drama and suspense and don’t mind a little bit of a cliff hanger ending may want to give this one a chance. Lastly, the book is most suitable for a mature audience due to its strong language and mild adult content.

******
Second Chance
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Stephanie Elizabeth · Post by **Stephanie Elizabeth** » 26 Dec 2019, 19:58

This sounds like an exciting book, but upon reading your review, I was disappointed to learn that the romance aspect fell flat. I agree that a romance book needs to depict the emotional rollercoaster that is relationships. Thanks for the lovely review!

LauraLeeWasHere · Post by **LauraLeeWasHere** » 27 Dec 2019, 09:33

Thank you for a very thorough review, from the description of the plot to the analysis of the characters and even your own views. I don't think this book is for me but I'm glad to say I've found a reviewer who is.

Sincerely, Laura-Lee

Nisha Ward · Post by **Nisha Ward** » 02 Jan 2020, 18:09

It looks like the author chose to focus more on the thriller aspects of the novel than the romantic buildup, which is a shame. The premise is one well travelled and loved, so I would have liked to see this take on it had the buildup been there.

Stephanie Runyon · Post by **Stephanie Runyon** » 10 Jan 2020, 15:20

This sounds like maybe it shouldn't be a romance novel but perhaps suspense? Despite the lack of romantic tension, I would definitely try reading this book based on the colorful character descriptions.