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The Second Time We Met
Adored and nurtured by his adoptive parents in California, Asher Stone has moved effortlessly through a nearly perfect life. He is on the verge of a professional soccer career-when a car accident throws his future into doubt. Suddenly, Asher begins to wonder about his past, and about the girl who gave him up for adoption in Colombia two decades ago. And so begins his search for a woman named Rita Ortiz.
From the teeming streets of Bogata to a tiny orphanage tucked into a hillside, Asher untangles the mystery of Rita's identity, her abrupt disappearance from her home, and the winding journey that followed. But as Asher comes closer to finding Rita, his own parents are faced with fears and doubts. And Rita must soon make her own momentous stay hidden in her hard-earned new life, or meet the secret son who will bring painful memories-or the promise of a new beginning . . .
From the teeming streets of Bogata to a tiny orphanage tucked into a hillside, Asher untangles the mystery of Rita's identity, her abrupt disappearance from her home, and the winding journey that followed. But as Asher comes closer to finding Rita, his own parents are faced with fears and doubts. And Rita must soon make her own momentous stay hidden in her hard-earned new life, or meet the secret son who will bring painful memories-or the promise of a new beginning . . .
- GenresFiction
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 10, 2012
THE SECOND TIME WE MET by Leila Cobo
Does our search for answers ever stop?
When you are adopted I am sure the question of "who am I really" is always in the back of your mind. Asher Stone gave this some thought over the 21 years of his life, but not seriously, until the day he almost died. Everything came too close to being taken away and even though his adopted parents are a source of unconditional love, Asher has to know "who am I really.”
After he made the decision to find out why his mother and father decided another life was better than what they could offer the hunt becomes an obsession. The adventure that Asher goes on to Bogotá, Columbia with his girlfriend is one fraught with as many barriers as answers to his search. His birth mother was the master of guarding secrets and has literally disappeared into thin air. No one seems to know where she is or what happened which is a problem that slows down the hunt but does not stop it. There are people that remember bits and pieces that can be built into a whole story revealing a life that was led and the possible location of where she has gone.
One must always be careful of what you will find at the end of a quest. Will the answers be full of promise or is there despair behind that closed door. Asher cannot help but wonder if the answer he seeks is not one that should be sought, perhaps when someone is hiding there is a reason for it and you should let it go.
The book that Leila Cobo has written is absolute brilliance. She takes the reader through every step of the emotional journey that Asher goes through and makes you feel as if you are there holding his hand through it all. Ms. Cobo elaborates with clarity what could have been as much as much as what is making sure readers never lose the important point of view, elaborating the story from all sides, and reminding us how much we take for granted. We are all curious about our DNA regardless of who raised us because there is something that makes us unique as much as it makes us a part of something.
Does our search for answers ever stop?
When you are adopted I am sure the question of "who am I really" is always in the back of your mind. Asher Stone gave this some thought over the 21 years of his life, but not seriously, until the day he almost died. Everything came too close to being taken away and even though his adopted parents are a source of unconditional love, Asher has to know "who am I really.”
After he made the decision to find out why his mother and father decided another life was better than what they could offer the hunt becomes an obsession. The adventure that Asher goes on to Bogotá, Columbia with his girlfriend is one fraught with as many barriers as answers to his search. His birth mother was the master of guarding secrets and has literally disappeared into thin air. No one seems to know where she is or what happened which is a problem that slows down the hunt but does not stop it. There are people that remember bits and pieces that can be built into a whole story revealing a life that was led and the possible location of where she has gone.
One must always be careful of what you will find at the end of a quest. Will the answers be full of promise or is there despair behind that closed door. Asher cannot help but wonder if the answer he seeks is not one that should be sought, perhaps when someone is hiding there is a reason for it and you should let it go.
The book that Leila Cobo has written is absolute brilliance. She takes the reader through every step of the emotional journey that Asher goes through and makes you feel as if you are there holding his hand through it all. Ms. Cobo elaborates with clarity what could have been as much as much as what is making sure readers never lose the important point of view, elaborating the story from all sides, and reminding us how much we take for granted. We are all curious about our DNA regardless of who raised us because there is something that makes us unique as much as it makes us a part of something.
November 18, 2025
So I’ll start with , I have never read anything by this author. That being said I really enjoyed this book and the story from Rita’s eyes . I could feel the determination from Asher with wanting to know from the near death accident and the way his life had spiraled the opposite way of what he always thought. I love the fact that his parents were so loving and understanding with his choices , but I to as a mother would have the insecurities that she felt . A fear of losing your child in anyway is unbearable. But as I got to the last few chapters I felt a bit of disappointment for they really give no view on where their relationship went. I’m hoping since she came clean with her husband he is understanding because he always could see deep into her soul. that life would just bring them together in a way that Joanna (Rita) & Asher will have a relationship on a good level , that Johanna and Jazmin will reconnect and somehow he is able to find out something more about his father
March 18, 2012
There was one line in this book that stopped me warm. No, I don't mean cold, I mean warm, it made me feel warm and a bit stunned. Rita was in confession and was stuck over the words she had to tell the priest. I had expected that he was going to say something tough to her, her already knew from Rita's mother that she was pregnant, instead he told her "We don't judge in the house of God." Wow. I had to stop reading at that point. For me this was a new view of the Catholic church. This was the compassion that I wish I had expected. From that point forward, something shifted in my regard to this book. I was already totally involved with young Rita and her plight, but now, it was something more. (I'm tearing up now trying to put in words how this impacted me, but I can't seem to).
It is 1989 and Rita lives in a remote mountain town in Colombia. Guerrilla forces have recently taken control of the 'safety' of the town and it's citizens, as long as they volunteer to pay the guerrillas. Rita has done the un-forgivable and become involved with one of the guerrillas. Father Pablo is the priest who uttered those words that so affected me. He finds help for Rita and the baby.
Asher Sebastian Stone is that baby, and he has grown to a young man living with his Jewish family in California. After a devastating accident, he is left adrift and looking for a new path for his life. That is when he decides that he is going to make one more attempt to find his birth mother.
One of the things that struck me again and again in this book, was how the main characters perceived others opinions of them. Rita thought that others would look down on her, knowing what she had done, yet time and again they surprised her and treated her very well. Asher was concerned how his team mates would respond to him after his accident, yet when he attended his first game during his recovery they showed him and the entire stadium that they were 100 percent in support of him.
This whole story seemed so plausible to me. Yes, I know it would be hard to track down a birth mother in a foreign country, but not impossible. Would strangers go out of their way to help, I would and I expect that at least of few of the people who read this review will answer that they would help a stranger.
This is a story that is going to stay with me a long time. There is something about Asher that had me rooting in his corner. Not that he was injured, but that he was accepting. This accident happened, but not on purpose to destroy him. It just happened. Time to get on with his life and answer this outstanding question. There are no whistles and bells in this story, no magic, just an assortment of true to life people that I would want to find in my life.
It is 1989 and Rita lives in a remote mountain town in Colombia. Guerrilla forces have recently taken control of the 'safety' of the town and it's citizens, as long as they volunteer to pay the guerrillas. Rita has done the un-forgivable and become involved with one of the guerrillas. Father Pablo is the priest who uttered those words that so affected me. He finds help for Rita and the baby.
Asher Sebastian Stone is that baby, and he has grown to a young man living with his Jewish family in California. After a devastating accident, he is left adrift and looking for a new path for his life. That is when he decides that he is going to make one more attempt to find his birth mother.
One of the things that struck me again and again in this book, was how the main characters perceived others opinions of them. Rita thought that others would look down on her, knowing what she had done, yet time and again they surprised her and treated her very well. Asher was concerned how his team mates would respond to him after his accident, yet when he attended his first game during his recovery they showed him and the entire stadium that they were 100 percent in support of him.
This whole story seemed so plausible to me. Yes, I know it would be hard to track down a birth mother in a foreign country, but not impossible. Would strangers go out of their way to help, I would and I expect that at least of few of the people who read this review will answer that they would help a stranger.
This is a story that is going to stay with me a long time. There is something about Asher that had me rooting in his corner. Not that he was injured, but that he was accepting. This accident happened, but not on purpose to destroy him. It just happened. Time to get on with his life and answer this outstanding question. There are no whistles and bells in this story, no magic, just an assortment of true to life people that I would want to find in my life.
February 29, 2012
I really loved this book. Rita's story is so compelling--sometimes i want to strangle her, sometimes I want to hug her. But we always root for her, even when she doesn't seem to do the right thing. the author was able to really make us identify with all the characters: The adopted son, the mother, the adoptive mother. It's such a beautiful story and one that makes us really think of how people can find second chances. I cried.
November 16, 2017
In the beginning, the book kind of dragged because it focused on Rita’s life and her falling in love with a guerilla fighter. It wasn’t till Asher Sebastian, Rita’s son, was introduced to the reader. It was so climactic reading about the life Asher made after his mother gave him up due to fear and something that was looked down upon in Colombia. She thought of herself and thought she made the right choice of escaping her past. Throughout the book, it becomes interesting because Asher goes to great lengths to find his mother and she is hesitant on letting her past be exposed. I didn’t really like the ending and felt that Rita continues to live in a lie and continues to not be the person she truly wants to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2019
Raised by extremely strict parents near Bogota, Columbia in the 1980's, Rita grew up in world where violence could be around every corner. Her son, given up at birth, grew up in California with doting parents. After a car accident that leaves Asher lucky to be alive, he decides to try to find his biological mother. All three parts--Rita's, Connor's, and the intertwining of their lives as he searches for her was very well written and a page turner.
August 5, 2017
I really liked this book. I enjoyed the back and forth through time, getting to know Asher and Rita. I loved that Rita wasn't perfect, wasn't waiting and pining for Asher. I liked that their meeting wasn't happily ever after, it was real.
December 12, 2020
Excellent writing! I was so drawn in to the characters and their story, that I spent several hours one morning just reading to finish. Loved it, and will be looking for more by the same author.
May 29, 2018
I loved this author's first book and I wanted to love this one too, but it moved too slowly and I couldn't get excited about the characters.
March 8, 2012
The Second Time We Met combines the stories of Rita and her son Asher Sebastian Stone. The book opens with Rita living a protected middle class life in 1989 in a small hillside town in Colombia. Rita's father is a disciplinarian and has grown distant towards Rita ever since she started to blossom into a beauty. He's afraid of the attention that she is starting to attract. He responds to the changes in his daughter by drawing away, becoming cold, and ignoring her. Their small town is occupied by guerrillas, young rebels with guns. Rita attracts the attention of their leader. Months later, when Rita discovers she is pregnant, she is sent away from her family.
Rita leaves with little more than the clothes she's wearing. There is little support system but she manages to give up her child, hoping that he'll have a better chances with another family. Then Rita finds work as a maid, works hard, and somehow finds a way to turn her life around. We learn the cost of leaving her family and losing her son later in the book.
Rita's son, Asher Stone, grows up in an upper middle class Jewish family in Southern California. We get to know his parents well. His mother is a successful television producer and his father is a tax lawyer. Asher's athleticism and love of sports is novel for them and makes him even more of a wonder to them. I didn't know much about adoption and reading about it from the point of view of Asher's father made it real to me:
So many places seen and so many beautiful, useless things, he thought, all at the service of two people who had the luxury to be hedonistic and indulge in pleasure for the sake of pleasure. Inside this house he'd never needed anything beyond her company; even at her most annoying, she steadied him, compensated for his little quirks, was happy to voice everything, be their mutual front while he kept to the background, the happy concave to her convex.
A baby? He never felt like a baby was missing from their lives. Although that was quite different from not wanting one. He went back to the first question: Why do you want to adopt?
He didn't That was the truth. But he would, for her.
"I want to adopt to support my wife and to make a difference in a child's life," he wrote, in his typically succinct prose....
Joseph Stone stood in the corner of the examination room, making every effort to look nonchalant as Dr. Stein carefully examined the pins drilled into Asher's skull for any sign of infection.
He still hadn't gotten used to this immobilized Asher, probably never would, he figured with a twinge of guilt, because he was so insanely proud of everything his son had accomplished and because he was everything Joseph wasn't: athletic, popular, gregarious.
Joseph had so often wondered if he'd seen all those qualities in the brown little baby that had been thrust into his arms so long ago. He couldn't have, and yet what were the chances of finding his alter ego, in the best sense of the word? He knew Linda still yearned to make an intellectual out of Asher, but there was no bigger thrill for Joseph than watching his son play soccer -- soccer! Who'd have ever heard of a Jewish soccer player? But there was Asher, unstoppable, relentless, focused, and Joseph's heart would fill and overflow with a warm burst of pride, like a tree, suddenly expelling all its leaves, that left him weak with sheer joy.
While The Second Time We Met tells much more than the story of Rita and her son Asher. We learn about Colombia in the 1980s and 1990s, the culture, the restrictions, and what life was like during these turbulent years. We get to know Asher and his real family, his adoptive parents, his teammates, and the woman that he loves. Leila Cobo makes all these different characters real and complex, then puts them in impossible situations and as they navigate these difficult waters, their stories draw us in, break our hearts, and stay with us. I found The Second Time We Met a wonderful, engrossing read.
ISBN-10: 0446519383 - Paperback $13.99
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Original edition (February 29, 2012), 384 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher.
Rita leaves with little more than the clothes she's wearing. There is little support system but she manages to give up her child, hoping that he'll have a better chances with another family. Then Rita finds work as a maid, works hard, and somehow finds a way to turn her life around. We learn the cost of leaving her family and losing her son later in the book.
Rita's son, Asher Stone, grows up in an upper middle class Jewish family in Southern California. We get to know his parents well. His mother is a successful television producer and his father is a tax lawyer. Asher's athleticism and love of sports is novel for them and makes him even more of a wonder to them. I didn't know much about adoption and reading about it from the point of view of Asher's father made it real to me:
So many places seen and so many beautiful, useless things, he thought, all at the service of two people who had the luxury to be hedonistic and indulge in pleasure for the sake of pleasure. Inside this house he'd never needed anything beyond her company; even at her most annoying, she steadied him, compensated for his little quirks, was happy to voice everything, be their mutual front while he kept to the background, the happy concave to her convex.
A baby? He never felt like a baby was missing from their lives. Although that was quite different from not wanting one. He went back to the first question: Why do you want to adopt?
He didn't That was the truth. But he would, for her.
"I want to adopt to support my wife and to make a difference in a child's life," he wrote, in his typically succinct prose....
Joseph Stone stood in the corner of the examination room, making every effort to look nonchalant as Dr. Stein carefully examined the pins drilled into Asher's skull for any sign of infection.
He still hadn't gotten used to this immobilized Asher, probably never would, he figured with a twinge of guilt, because he was so insanely proud of everything his son had accomplished and because he was everything Joseph wasn't: athletic, popular, gregarious.
Joseph had so often wondered if he'd seen all those qualities in the brown little baby that had been thrust into his arms so long ago. He couldn't have, and yet what were the chances of finding his alter ego, in the best sense of the word? He knew Linda still yearned to make an intellectual out of Asher, but there was no bigger thrill for Joseph than watching his son play soccer -- soccer! Who'd have ever heard of a Jewish soccer player? But there was Asher, unstoppable, relentless, focused, and Joseph's heart would fill and overflow with a warm burst of pride, like a tree, suddenly expelling all its leaves, that left him weak with sheer joy.
While The Second Time We Met tells much more than the story of Rita and her son Asher. We learn about Colombia in the 1980s and 1990s, the culture, the restrictions, and what life was like during these turbulent years. We get to know Asher and his real family, his adoptive parents, his teammates, and the woman that he loves. Leila Cobo makes all these different characters real and complex, then puts them in impossible situations and as they navigate these difficult waters, their stories draw us in, break our hearts, and stay with us. I found The Second Time We Met a wonderful, engrossing read.
ISBN-10: 0446519383 - Paperback $13.99
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; Original edition (February 29, 2012), 384 pages.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher.
February 27, 2012
THE SECOND TIME WE MET by Leila Cobo
Published by Grand Central Publishing
Division of The Hachette Book Group
ISBN-13: 9780446519380
At the request of The Hachette Book Group, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from publisher): Asher Stone grew up in an idyllic California family. His mother Linda made sure of that. She never wanted her son to feel different from other kids, just because he was adopted. She was a loving, devoted mother, and Asher a happy, healthy boy. So when a life-changin accident causes Asher to question his identity, he suddenly announces that he needs to learn about his roots, Linda is caught off guard. Asher doesn't want to hurt his mother, but something inside him is driving him to find out exactly where he came from. And so he takes off on a journey to Colombia in search of his birth mother.
Interspersed throughout Asher's story is that of his mother's, Rita. Moving back in time we watch as a young Rita begins a clandestine affair with a revolutionary soldier--a guerilla warrior who loved her deeply but couldn't leave the cause to care for her, not if he wanted to keep her safe. Rita is left alone and pregnant, with no support from her family. And though it breaks her heart, she makes the agonizing decision to give up her baby.
How can Asher, a young man who has never known hardship understand her decision? Can they have any kind of relationship--and where does that leave Linda if they do?
My Thoughts and Opinion: Musing, a word that this debut author penned many times in this story. Ironically, when the last word was read and the book placed in my finished pile, I was left with several thought provoking musings of my own.
As I mentioned, this was Ms. Cobo's debut novel, which surprised me in the manner of her writing style. Especially since it alternated between the times of 1989 to present and then in between but it all flowed smoothly. She had a flair to bring the characters to life, to feel their emotions, to root for some, to not like others. To feel their frustrations, expectations, fears, anxiety, guilt and so much more. Even though the story line was predictable, the lives of the characters, their actions, and decisions kept me turning the pages. An impressive and poignant read.
My Rating: 4
Published by Grand Central Publishing
Division of The Hachette Book Group
ISBN-13: 9780446519380
At the request of The Hachette Book Group, a TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from publisher): Asher Stone grew up in an idyllic California family. His mother Linda made sure of that. She never wanted her son to feel different from other kids, just because he was adopted. She was a loving, devoted mother, and Asher a happy, healthy boy. So when a life-changin accident causes Asher to question his identity, he suddenly announces that he needs to learn about his roots, Linda is caught off guard. Asher doesn't want to hurt his mother, but something inside him is driving him to find out exactly where he came from. And so he takes off on a journey to Colombia in search of his birth mother.
Interspersed throughout Asher's story is that of his mother's, Rita. Moving back in time we watch as a young Rita begins a clandestine affair with a revolutionary soldier--a guerilla warrior who loved her deeply but couldn't leave the cause to care for her, not if he wanted to keep her safe. Rita is left alone and pregnant, with no support from her family. And though it breaks her heart, she makes the agonizing decision to give up her baby.
How can Asher, a young man who has never known hardship understand her decision? Can they have any kind of relationship--and where does that leave Linda if they do?
My Thoughts and Opinion: Musing, a word that this debut author penned many times in this story. Ironically, when the last word was read and the book placed in my finished pile, I was left with several thought provoking musings of my own.
As I mentioned, this was Ms. Cobo's debut novel, which surprised me in the manner of her writing style. Especially since it alternated between the times of 1989 to present and then in between but it all flowed smoothly. She had a flair to bring the characters to life, to feel their emotions, to root for some, to not like others. To feel their frustrations, expectations, fears, anxiety, guilt and so much more. Even though the story line was predictable, the lives of the characters, their actions, and decisions kept me turning the pages. An impressive and poignant read.
My Rating: 4
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March 5, 2012In Leila Cobo’s The Second Time We Met (Grand Central Publishing), teenager Rita Ortiz lives in a small town called Edén, but her life is hell.
Her parents are overly strict, and her small town in Colombia is run by guerillas. She falls in love with one of those guerillas, Lucas, and then her life becomes even more complicated: she finds out she’s pregnant. Her parents force her to move into a convert, and she gives birth and puts the baby up for adoption.
The book then goes from 1989 South America to present day California, where that baby – named Asher Stone – is now a college student living with his tight-knit family and dreaming of a professional soccer career. An almost-fatal car accident forces him to rethink his life – and search for his birth mother. But Asher has very little to go on – just her name, a birth date and a letter she wrote to him. Now Asher – and the reader – wants to know what happened to Rita Ortiz.
The book’s plot isn’t original and Asher isn’t as compelling a character as his mother. But the story runs at a good pace, and Cobo writes some killer lines. Take this passage when Rita and Lucas fall in love: “What neither of them reckoned with is that love and lust are transformative, that they peel back layers of your self, surreptitiously, life the softest caress. Before you know it, fragments of you are exposed for all to see, little pieces of you didn’t know carried with you until they found their reason to exist.”
And readers will have good reason to keep turning the pages.
Notes: This review appeared on my blog, The Hispanic Reader. http://hispanicreader.com.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher.
Her parents are overly strict, and her small town in Colombia is run by guerillas. She falls in love with one of those guerillas, Lucas, and then her life becomes even more complicated: she finds out she’s pregnant. Her parents force her to move into a convert, and she gives birth and puts the baby up for adoption.
The book then goes from 1989 South America to present day California, where that baby – named Asher Stone – is now a college student living with his tight-knit family and dreaming of a professional soccer career. An almost-fatal car accident forces him to rethink his life – and search for his birth mother. But Asher has very little to go on – just her name, a birth date and a letter she wrote to him. Now Asher – and the reader – wants to know what happened to Rita Ortiz.
The book’s plot isn’t original and Asher isn’t as compelling a character as his mother. But the story runs at a good pace, and Cobo writes some killer lines. Take this passage when Rita and Lucas fall in love: “What neither of them reckoned with is that love and lust are transformative, that they peel back layers of your self, surreptitiously, life the softest caress. Before you know it, fragments of you are exposed for all to see, little pieces of you didn’t know carried with you until they found their reason to exist.”
And readers will have good reason to keep turning the pages.
Notes: This review appeared on my blog, The Hispanic Reader. http://hispanicreader.com.
I received an advanced copy from the publisher.
April 22, 2012
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
"As long as she was Rita Ortiz, she would be a maid, a single mother who'd had to give her child up for adoption, the lover of a dangerous man, a failed daughter, a sister who had left her brother behind." -pg. 282
"...even when you cross to the other side, someone or something can still bring you back, no matter how far you travel beyond that invisible line that divides what was from what is." -pg. 320
Rita Ortiz lives in Colombia with her strict parents and her younger brother. Guerrilla warriors have invaded Colombia and she is told to stay away from them because they are dangerous. Then along comes Lucas.
Lucas, the boy with eyes like a cat. The boy that was forced to run away from home. The boy she begins to rendezvous with in the little room inside the church. The boy who will be her downfall...
This is a heart-wrenching story. I was mesmerized since the beginning. The characters all have flaws and are neither wholly good or wholly bad. They were well fleshed-out and their story is a tragic one.
This story is told in multiple pov's. Most of them I liked. Asher's I didn't. It's probably because I'm not into sports... and I hated his girlfriend... a lot. And for no good reason, I might add.
My only problem with this book would be that it ended abruptly. As I turned the last page I was sad because now I won't know what will happen next with Asher or the woman formerly known as Rita Ortiz.
I would recommend this for people who like stories about adoption and people struggling to find themselves in a cruel world that forgives and forgets nothing.
"As long as she was Rita Ortiz, she would be a maid, a single mother who'd had to give her child up for adoption, the lover of a dangerous man, a failed daughter, a sister who had left her brother behind." -pg. 282
"...even when you cross to the other side, someone or something can still bring you back, no matter how far you travel beyond that invisible line that divides what was from what is." -pg. 320
Rita Ortiz lives in Colombia with her strict parents and her younger brother. Guerrilla warriors have invaded Colombia and she is told to stay away from them because they are dangerous. Then along comes Lucas.
Lucas, the boy with eyes like a cat. The boy that was forced to run away from home. The boy she begins to rendezvous with in the little room inside the church. The boy who will be her downfall...
This is a heart-wrenching story. I was mesmerized since the beginning. The characters all have flaws and are neither wholly good or wholly bad. They were well fleshed-out and their story is a tragic one.
This story is told in multiple pov's. Most of them I liked. Asher's I didn't. It's probably because I'm not into sports... and I hated his girlfriend... a lot. And for no good reason, I might add.
My only problem with this book would be that it ended abruptly. As I turned the last page I was sad because now I won't know what will happen next with Asher or the woman formerly known as Rita Ortiz.
I would recommend this for people who like stories about adoption and people struggling to find themselves in a cruel world that forgives and forgets nothing.
July 5, 2013
If you read one book this summer, you'll want to make it The Second Time We Met. Cobo's writing draws the reader into the lives of Rita and Asher and doesn't let go until the very end. In fact, I'm still thinking about the story after I've finished it. The mark of a great storyteller. Rita is young and beautiful growing up in Colombia when her town is filled with guerrillas. Months later, she's pregnant and her father casts her out. Owning nothing but the clothes on her back, she is determined her child will have a better life so she puts him up for adoption.
Asher grows up in a middle class home in America and although he knows he is adopted, really doesn't think about it too much. His parents love him unconditionally and he really hasn't wanted for anything. But when an accident almost takes his life, he sees the truth within himself. He wants to meet his parents and know why they gave him up. What embarks is a heart-rending journey that only Asher can take. With his girlfriend in tow, he travels to Colombia to find his mother, Rita. But Rita has been very careful rebuilding her life and may not want to be found.
The intensity of characterization and tight plotting will enchant readers and leave them with a deeper understanding of motherhood, adoption and the questions everyone usually asks at least one time in their lives... who am I?
Asher grows up in a middle class home in America and although he knows he is adopted, really doesn't think about it too much. His parents love him unconditionally and he really hasn't wanted for anything. But when an accident almost takes his life, he sees the truth within himself. He wants to meet his parents and know why they gave him up. What embarks is a heart-rending journey that only Asher can take. With his girlfriend in tow, he travels to Colombia to find his mother, Rita. But Rita has been very careful rebuilding her life and may not want to be found.
The intensity of characterization and tight plotting will enchant readers and leave them with a deeper understanding of motherhood, adoption and the questions everyone usually asks at least one time in their lives... who am I?
July 25, 2016
I wanted to like this book but it just fell short for me somehow. First of all, I am a stickler for details and a few things in the book bothered me. After Rita gets in so much trouble when she is caught with her first boyfriend her parents won't let her out of their sight. The author never explains how Rita manges to sneak around and see Lucas for several months without anyone knowing. It seemed really unrealistic given how her parents watched her every minute. The second thing that really bothered me has to do with basic math. If Rita meets Lucas and gets pregnant in 1989 how can her son be almost 22 in 2009! I mean wouldn't he be 20?? I know it's picky but it bugged me.
I really liked Rita when she was young but when she changed her name and her entire personality she wasn't a very likeable person. I also found the whole storyline that revolved around Asher really boring and I skimmed through a lot of it. I guess as a middle aged woman it is hard for me to be interested in reading about a college aged boy.
The reunion between Rita/Joanna and Asher was a bit of a let down too. She was pretty cold and closed off to him and he just seemed uncomfortable. All in all a disappointing read.
I really liked Rita when she was young but when she changed her name and her entire personality she wasn't a very likeable person. I also found the whole storyline that revolved around Asher really boring and I skimmed through a lot of it. I guess as a middle aged woman it is hard for me to be interested in reading about a college aged boy.
The reunion between Rita/Joanna and Asher was a bit of a let down too. She was pretty cold and closed off to him and he just seemed uncomfortable. All in all a disappointing read.
July 29, 2016
The plot of this book is actually divided into three parts.
The first is the story of Rita Ortiz, a 16 year old girl who lives in Columbia. Her parents are very strict and she leads a sheltered life in a small town. Military guerillas invade her small town and the villagers are told to stay away from them. Rita has an affair with one of them with most of their trists taking place in the local church. When her parents find out she is pregnant they talk to the local priest and he makes arrangements for Rita to "go away." Being an unwed mother in her town (and time) was awful, but to have the father be a guerilla was unthinkable.
Next part of the book, is about a young man, Asher Stone, who is critically injured in an auto accident. While recovering, he decides he wants to find his birthmother. Unable to make any progess on the internet, Asher and his girlfriend make a trip to Columbia to serch in person.
The reader is filled in on the life Rita had after she gave up Asher for adoption. One quote from this time period I liked is, "Only cowards live in the past."
July 20, 2016
This is one of the few books I have ever read that I feel the book flap description does not do it justice. I picked the book up thinking it would be kind of a sweet adoption story about discovering your roots, and it was so much more.
I absolutely loved the first third of the book that described the relationship between Rita and Lucas. The author did a wonderful job of painting their emotions and making them scared teenagers who thought they were so much more adult than they were. I just can't find the words to describe how much this touched me.
All of the characters in the novel were fully developed. They weren't perfect but they were human and their actions and reactions really drew me into the book and made me want to keep reading and find out what happened next. I just simply couldn't put this book down until I reached the last page.
I absolutely loved the first third of the book that described the relationship between Rita and Lucas. The author did a wonderful job of painting their emotions and making them scared teenagers who thought they were so much more adult than they were. I just can't find the words to describe how much this touched me.
All of the characters in the novel were fully developed. They weren't perfect but they were human and their actions and reactions really drew me into the book and made me want to keep reading and find out what happened next. I just simply couldn't put this book down until I reached the last page.
April 30, 2012
A Touching story about a young man's search for his birth mother leads him to another country and the people who once knew his mother. With the help of his parents, girlfriend and people from the orphanage, he eventually finds her and along the way learns of the story of her parents... Rita gets pregnant at sixteen by a member of guerrillas, is shipped to a convent by her parents and basically disowned. After the birth of her baby, she tries to make something of her life, eventually getting married. I can't say I particularly liked Rita, but did enjoy reading about how she picked herself up and tried to do better. Asher was a nice guy that you will root for, hoping he finds what he is looking for.
I was provided a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I was provided a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 9, 2016
At times, the dialog got on my nerves because it didn't seem true to the characters. Forgive me, but I will roll my eyes a bit when you have a 21 year old college student athlete who grew up in California say something along the lines of, "Ornery? Who uses such a pedantic word like ornery?" Seriously, who complains about someone using a vocabulary word like ornery with the word pedantic? It just seemed off. The plot was interesting enough for me to want to finish the book, though. I liked learning about Rita's life as it unfolded the most. I'm glad the ending wasn't saccharine because it could have easily gone down that road.
August 15, 2014
My mom gave me this book before I returned home to France after visiting in April. It turned out my luggage was actually too heavy and I had to give her back some books, but I held on to this one and I’m glad I did. After reading a few dud books this year, it felt great to dive into this novel. It is a rather predictable novel where a woman gets pregnant at a young age, gives up the baby, and then of course he searches for her years later. It was made interesting by the setting in Colombia. It was well written, but not the most exciting plot. Overall, it made for a great summer read in the metro on my way to work.
April 5, 2024
Surviving, finding, keeping, and creating family. A novel of a mother and her son presenting young love in two very different lights. It’s a journey not only of romantic love, but how the support of family and friends (or not) can vastly change relationships and ultimately lives. Not tied up super neatly, The Second Time We Met is one of those books you wish there were a few more chapters to or maybe a whole sequel. Maybe that’s why I forgot I already read it. 😆
[Time to pass this book along as I’ve now unknowingly read it twice, first read in Feb 2017 I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. So instead of checking here, I read it again — and raised it by a star.]
[Time to pass this book along as I’ve now unknowingly read it twice, first read in Feb 2017 I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️. So instead of checking here, I read it again — and raised it by a star.]
June 18, 2012
Took me a little bit to get into this one (mostly because I didn't have time), but once I did, I was hooked. Loved learning a little about a time/place I hadn't given much thought to and was really starting to become engaged with the characters when bam! it was over. Whattt??? There's about 50 questions I have and I wanted more (which I guess is the sign of a good book). I don't think I'd want to see this as a series, but I wish the first book took the story further. I'd recommend because the story was intriguing and the writing was solid, but beware that you're going to want more at the end!
June 29, 2012
This book is kind of divided into three parts and each part got better. I found it interesting to think of this in terms of being the same age as Rita. What would my life have been like had I been pregnant at 16? I didn't love the author's writing, but the story was okay. Pretty much you knew the end from the beginning with a few surprises thrown in. Asher's girlfriend was a bit of a conundrum in the story. Why was she so invested in his search for his mother? This was a fine read and certainly a big relief from my other book of late.
September 20, 2013
Rich setting, beautiful writing, emotional premise.
Cobo paints rural Colombia so well, with such honest detail. Without preaching or giving explicit history lessons, she also shows us the tensions of the time, the life of the guerillas, and the mindset of the ordinary people.
The middle slowed down a little for me. I wanted to be back with Rita, the main character from the beginning.
The end hit just the right note. Not everything got tied up in neat bows, but there was still growth and satisfaction.
Cobo paints rural Colombia so well, with such honest detail. Without preaching or giving explicit history lessons, she also shows us the tensions of the time, the life of the guerillas, and the mindset of the ordinary people.
The middle slowed down a little for me. I wanted to be back with Rita, the main character from the beginning.
The end hit just the right note. Not everything got tied up in neat bows, but there was still growth and satisfaction.
April 20, 2012
I won this book in the Goodreads Giveaway and I have to say it was a good get. I really enjoyed the journey Ms. Cobo takes the reader. It shows the life of the lead character and the son she gave up. The entire book is about the characters realizing their true identities despite what they show the people in their lives. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reality mixed-in with a happy ending.
July 30, 2013
(I won this book in a good reads giveaway.)
This book was fantastic. The author not only created a beautiful and vivid image of Columbia, but also characters that I cared about. That would actually be my one complaint about this book. I feel as if there were too many loose ends at the end. Otherwise, I loved it amd would recommend it to a friend.
This book was fantastic. The author not only created a beautiful and vivid image of Columbia, but also characters that I cared about. That would actually be my one complaint about this book. I feel as if there were too many loose ends at the end. Otherwise, I loved it amd would recommend it to a friend.
November 26, 2014
I loved this book. I couldn't put it down. It is well written and I'm glad he found his birth mother in the end and learned a little bit about her. And at least learned his biological father's first name. He had a good home and good adoptive parents who loved him as his own, but he was just curious about his roots.
July 12, 2016
I enjoyed the story of all of the different lives and different times involved in this book. I found myself wanting more as I read the last page. The author did a great job tuning into the individuals and the time frames in their lives. I would look for other books by this author based on this story.
April 16, 2014
I'm often skeptical about purchasing a bargain book, but this one was definitely more than worth the risk. The intertwining of the two character paths made for an interesting and surprisingly not confusing storyline.
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October 20, 2014Good book, not great, but sweet and easy. I disliked the protagonist, Rita, which affected my impression of the book as a whole. I think the reader is not supposed to like Rita but feel sorry for her instead and then in the end maybe come to an understanding about her.
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