REVIEW: The Summer of Second Chances by Miranda Liasson

The Summer of Second Chances by Miranda Liasson is the third book in the Seashell Harbor series but it can be read as a standalone. Darla Manning has a house in Seaside Harbor, but for the past year she had been living in California teaching at a college. Now she’s returned in the hopes of putting her house up for sale, and to help her best friend plan her wedding. The only problem is that she’ll have to do so with her ex-husband of ten years, Nick Cammareri.

The pair married and divorced young, but Nick never got over Darla. When she went through cancer treatments, he had watched from afar and provided anonymous support. Now that she’s back in town, Nick plans to show her that while they needed the time apart to grow up, she’s still the only woman for him. Darla has no plans to stick around after the wedding, but will Nick be able to convince her to stay?

The pacing of the story felt off. There were areas, especially towards the middle, where it felt like it was dragging on. I also had a hard time with Darla. She’s hell-bent on staying alone because she fears her cancer could return. When she should be relying on the people around her for support, she pushes them away. She feels lonely but chooses not to let anyone in. She even keeps her best friend at arm’s length. While I could understand her fear of the cancer returning, I couldn’t understand why she was pushing everyone away. It was like she couldn’t understand that even if she pushed people away, if the cancer did come back, they’d most likely still be upset about it because they care about her. She used the potential cancer excuse in this book so often, it felt like a broken record, which made it difficult to like her.

Nick isn’t without his faults, especially when they were married, but he’s taken the past ten years to grow and learn from his mistakes. He refuses to let Darla push him away and I liked his determination to prove that he is a changed man.

The Summer of Second Chances is just that—a book about second chances in life and love. If you enjoy books about small town romances and second chances, this may be a book for you.

Book Info:

Publication: July 11, 2023 | Forever | Seashell Harbor #3

Darla Manning has survived cancer so she can survive anything–including having to work closely with her ex-husband to help their best friends have an amazing summer wedding in their quaint Victorian beach town. Her cancer is cured, but what remains is a lifetime of tests and follow-ups. While Darla has survived, she’s not truly living. Nick Cammareri knows he failed Darla in their marriage, but now he wants to show Darla that he’ll be there for her no matter what. And the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes that he wants Darla in his life for keeps. As they enjoy another couple’s wedding festivities, he decides to remind her of their own love story and show her that, this time, he’s here to stay. But when Darla has a test scare and other secrets come out, will she only push Nick away again, or can she leave all her fears behind and live life to the fullest?