Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Second Chances #3

Together Again

Rate this book
Deputy DA Margo Keyes is looking forward to this trip with as much enthusiasm as she’d have for a root canal. There’s the Philly summer heat, the high school reunion she’d rather avoid, and the speech she’d be giving as a last-minute stand-in for her boss. Mostly there’s facing high school crush Tony Alessandro. When she’d last seen the Philly cop, he’d danced her out of his sister’s wedding reception to a dark room where he’d kissed her senseless. If his nephew hadn’t interrupted they’d have…well, who knows?

Tony had disappeared on some family errand. She went home to Portland, Oregon the next day. She hadn’t heard from him since.

However, her homecoming turns out better than expected. The reunion and the speech work out. Even better, when she and Tony pick up where they left off in that dark room, the only heat that’s unbearable is what they generate in bed.

Margo returns to Portland wondering if she and Tony have started something she might not be ready for, relieved she’s put a whole continent between them to give her breathing room to sort it. Then his work with a federal task force investigating industrial espionage brings him to Portland. And an accidental swap of messenger bags on her flight home puts her in the middle of the investigation.

Tony wants her out of the way of the bad guys and focused on him. She wants to use a secret from her past to wrap up the case. And maybe avoid having to think about what’s happening between them.

They can’t both win. Or can they?

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 2013

2 people are currently reading
296 people want to read

About the author

Peggy Bird

40 books105 followers
Born in Philly, raised in the suburbs, I moved to the Northwest as an adult and, other than a year in England and a couple years in Montana, have happily lived here ever since.

My work life has been more complicated. I was a nurse, political staffer, lobbyist, association executive and community affairs consultant before I followed my passions to writing and art glass. Not as much money but a whole lot more fun.

In 2012 my life changed dramatically when several of the books I'd started out writing as mysteries were contracted for publication by Crimson Romance. Since June of that year I've had six books in the Second Chances series released as ebooks and trade paperbacks and a second series, A Holiday for Romance, begun.

Some of the characters in my books share my love of glass art--there's a gallery owner and a kiln-formed glass artist, a glass jewelry artist who has better luck making perfect beads than I do and, in the first Holiday for Romance book, a glass blower. It's an enjoyable way to share my love for glass art through my other love, writing.

All of the books take place primarily in the Pacific Northwest where I live but sometimes Philly, where I grew up. slips in. It's easy writing romances in such a beautiful setting!

I love to hear from readers so feel free to contact me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peggybirdauthor
or Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggybirdwrites

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
17 (28%)
4 stars
20 (33%)
3 stars
18 (30%)
2 stars
4 (6%)
1 star
1 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Lina.
508 reviews138 followers
January 27, 2013
3.5 stars
Margo Keyes, a Portland D.A., double purposes a trip back to her native Philadelphia for a school reunion and work presentation. She's not looking forward to being back there for a whole week, until she bumps into her old high-school buddy, Detective Tony Alessandro. They had some past chemistry she was keen to rekindle...

Together Again was my first read by Ms Bird, and I came into the story with no previous knowledge or expectations of Margo and Tony’s characters. I enjoyed the pacing immensely, Ms Bird manages to pack quite a story in a seemingly short eBook length (170 pages estimated on Amazon) and at no point does the story lag. The writing is succinct, which may take a little while to get used to, but ultimately helps to move the story along well.

Right from the first we are introduced to a suspense subplot that runs concurrently to the romance and manages to weave through until it all comes together at the end. This was done very cleverly, the reader is left wondering not only who did it, but how and when it will all tie in.

I found Tony so likeable! He was sweet and sexy and charming, oh my! He likes to takes things as they come and has eyes only for Margo. Margo is the over-thinker, which is very much in keeping with her job and her independent streak. I had two gripes with this story and they both involve Margo. First, I felt like the conflict created between Margo and Tony had no purpose and went against both their characters... everything was going along swimmingly and then all of a sudden, BAM!, there are issues and they’re not even willing to talk about it. Huh? She negotiates for a living and yet seems unable to confront and all too willing to let go of, Tony. That made no sense for me. Also, not a big fan of a character who was supposed to be intelligent, putting herself in danger.

All in all, this was a fantastic book to while away a few rainy hours. I'll definitely be reading more of this author’s work!
Profile Image for Musing.
492 reviews
March 21, 2013
Together Again by accomplished author Peggy Bird was a funny, thrilling and delicious story of a long-term friendship between heart-throb Philadelphia Detective Tony Alessandro and Portland Deputy DA Margo Keyes. The age-old question as to whether a future relationship could be sustained when sex was added to the mix was the core storyline.

Feisty, intelligent and passionate Margo had escaped to Portland to restore control to her previously vulnerable and dominated life. She had felt crushed and powerless and very much at the mercy of her past. Control was imperative. Only one man could penetrate that barrier (excuse the pun!) of self-protection and order.

The ‘boy-next-door’ Tony, had grown into a sinfully gorgeous, tall, dark and sexy man, determined to undermine Margo’s defences, and explore their electrifying attraction to each other. Thus began the intense attraction that they had both been dancing around for years. Thus began the journey into unfamiliar and uncomfortable territory for Tony, a place he didn’t always handle well, a place he never expected to be in – especially with Margo.

Their honest and fast paced interaction was fun, their deep connection believable, yet sadly, their fears caused miscommunication and pain.

Not only was there sizzling chemistry between Tony and Margo, and trust me – SIZZLING… they also became inexplicably embroiled in a dangerous Homicide investigation, that was cleverly woven throughout the story. The author leaves intentional hints throughout, with fairly predictable plot, but the convincingly intense drama was still gripping and enthralling. As was the emotional voyage of the H & h.

Peggy Bird writes beautifully. Her provocative and eloquent prose permeates every scene, often leaving you breathless.

The witty repartee, and sparky humor throughout was brilliantly timed, creating many laugh out loud moments. I loved it when Margo couldn’t sleep -
“It was like having a head full of possessed hamsters running around on squeaky wheels, pestering her with questions.”
and laughed when no reading material would “divert the little devils.”

Having thoroughly enjoyed Together Again, I would not hesitate to read more of her work. This is book three in the Crimson Romance series. I certainly hope there will be a fourth!

No compensation was received for this review. An ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Shalini Ayre.
139 reviews2 followers
January 18, 2013
When Deputy District Attorney, Margo Keyes is conned into going back to Philadelphia for a school reunion, she thinks of all the reasons why she shouldn't go back. Going back to Philly means dealing with the awful summer heat, echoes of who she used to be and a high school crush - Tony Alessandro.

The journey doesn't start well - an obnoxious passenger in the airport followed by him sitting right behind her on the plane, leads to a final encounter at baggage claim but all is forgotten by the time she arrives at her mother's home. As she makes her way to the front door - there stands Tony. Still as handsome as ever and still able to do things to her heart that she'd tried to forget since their passionate kiss at his sisters wedding.

The week long stay in Philly is a mixture of business - she's filling in for her boss at a conference - and building pleasure. To her surprise, Tony is to be her co-host at the conference. But will working in close quarters be too much for them? The school reunion works out to be a good evening even more so when she's dancing so closely with her high school crush. But Tony has a reputation of being somewhat of a ladies man - does Margo want to be another notch on his bed post?

But the drama is only just beginning. Unbeknownst to Margo she has something that a criminal is after. Suddenly thrown into a dangerous situation, will the headstrong deputy DA allow Tony to look out for her? Will she stop running away from her past and finally accept love into her life?

As the third installment in the series, Bird's romantic drama unfolds in an easy going way with copious amounts of love and lust. Margo, briefly met before in previous stories, is given her own strong voice and coupled with the charismatic Tony, together they make a formidable couple. Filled with passion, longing and a healthy dose of romance, this series is turning out to be a delight in which to lose a couple of hours in the day to.

Another great outing with the Second Chances series. I love the romance that is so subtle in this story - Margo refusing to let Tony in, Tony wanting to give so much but doesn't want to be refused. A classic will they won't they (get together) with an exciting crime subplot that makes this an extremely easy to read romance. A recommended read for all those romantics out there.

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. The opinions expressed are my own and I am not required to give a positive critique.
Profile Image for Amy.
Author 26 books24 followers
February 2, 2013
Tony Alessandro is the most swoon-worthy hero - I want one of my own.

Once I started reading TOGETHER AGAIN by Peggy Bird, I couldn't put it down. This fabulous, spicy, suspenseful, contemporary features a hero that will make your knees weak, your heart flutter, and have you wishing you could smack Margo right upside the head for turning this loving, honest, sexy man away. From the moment this man first appears on the street outside her mother's house, you know he's a keeper. He goes the extra mile to make Margo feel special, safe, and supported in her career, her life choices, and emotional fears, right up to the make you smile ending. If only a man like Tony were real.

Margo is a thinker. She overthinks everything including how her past will affect Tony's career. She overthinks their relationship until she literally thinks him away. Sometimes, you just have to let go and this is something that Tony knows and so he waits her out. Yes, he gets angry. Yes, he gets frustrated. But in the end, he's there for Margo in every way. What a guy!

Peggy has created a series that carries characters from one to the next so you never really leave them behind. I read something she wrote about TOGETHER AGAIN - she said, "I got to thinking about stories I'd heard from women friends who'd gone to a reunion and seen an old boyfriend. I started making up stories about what could happen when you saw someone you'd once loved or had a crush on. When Tony and Margo appeared in those stories, I started to write about them. It didn't work. The first, second, third tries--I'm embarrassed to say how many drafts I went through, actually--were not good. I finally put it away and moved on to Sam and Amanda (LOVING AGAIN) and a novella--Liz and Collins story, (BEGINNING AGAIN)."

Well, Peggy - you finally got it right! You got it very right!

I highly recommend TOGETHER AGAIN, book 3 in the Second Chances series by Peggy Bird, if you love fabulous romance, a sexy man who could make any woman feel special, and an exciting plot that keeps you so engaged you don't want to put this book down for any reason. If you haven't read the rest of the series, I recommend them as well. Great characters, tension-filled suspense, spicy romance and wonderful happy second chance endings.

***eARC provided by author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.
Profile Image for Pam.
869 reviews
March 15, 2013
Margo Keyes is a thirty something deputy district attorney currently living in Portland, Oregon. She grew up in Philadelphia however she left the area as soon as she could, even changing the college she had planned to attend just to get out of the area and move to the Pacific coast. Her mother still lives there and she goes back a few times a year to visit.

This current trip is an extra one, a last minute trip for her boss as his stand-in at a conference. And since she is in town, her mother signed her up for her high school reunion, something she has not gone to in the fifteen years since she graduated.

During her travels she has several run-ins with a very rude man, once while he was talking very loudly in the coffee shop and they gave each other dirty looks, once while flying as he sat behind and was rude while getting his stuff from the overhead compartment and then while at the luggage carousels where she accidentally hit him with her suitcase. She last saw him getting in a taxi; she nicknamed him ABB, Asshole in the Blue Blazer.

When she was growing up, her next door neighbor’s were the Alessandro family, she was best friends with Teresa and Mary Ellen and Tony was their brother. Margo and Tony have always been great friends and even dated platonically a few times, that is until last year when Mary Ellen got married and they shared several dances and a quiet room where things might have gotten dangerous if Tony’s nephew had not interrupted them. They have not spoken since and she is not sure what to expect when she sees him walking out of his mother’s house. However things are just like normal when they start talking about the reunion coming up. He mentions he is nervous about going alone since his ex-fiancé will be there with her husband so Margo suggests they go together as she is also nervous. When Margo was a senior her father was arrested on federal racketeering charges along with others from the Philly mob, he was convicted and sent to Federal prison and her mother has not mentioned his name since. It was quite the scandal at the time and the main reason she left the area.

Complete review at: Ramblings from a Chaotic Mind
Profile Image for Stephanie Freeman.
33 reviews1 follower
January 6, 2013
A Review of Together Again
By
Stephanie Freeman

5 Stars for the Steamy Story about Second chances!

Together Again, by Peggy Bird is a wonderful story about how two people that have known each other for a lifetime discover that love has the capacity to cross the chasm of memory, healing the wounded while putting to rest the insecurities and “hamsters” that plague us all...
Margo Keyes is dead on as a straightforward no-nonsense attorney that seems to be dead set on relationships. She guards her heart better than anyone in law enforcement until she reunites with an old family friend. Detective Tony Alessandro was perfect as her counterpart, cool under pressure yet passionate about his career and Margo, the family friend that belongs in his heart and his bed.
A stolen kiss at a wedding spawns many nights where both are wondering if the old poem by John Greenleaf Whittier is true. ‘The saddest words of tongue and pen; “It might have been!” ‘ Toss in a murder and some deliciously wicked love scenes and you have the perfect recipe for this marvelous story of love across the miles of memory. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I was given a copy of this brilliant author’s ARC for an honest review.

Profile Image for Brandy Dorsch.
Author 16 books135 followers
April 6, 2013
I was given a copy of this book by the author in return for my honest review. I love sexy, hot Italian men and this author nailed it with Tony! Falling for the girl he grew up was easy but getting her to realize that what they have is special and forever, is not all it is cracked up to be!
Margo feels the attraction between her and Tony but as great as the passion is, she has trouble getting out of her own insecure head. When they realize that a series of chance meetings have put her right in the crosshairs of the Russians, they both realize the power of love. Margo turns into a rock star when she convinces the man behind the threats that she is more like her felon father by trying to up the selling price of piece of industrial intel. I was surprised at who else was behind this little conspiracy.
Profile Image for Cary Morgan.
Author 10 books17 followers
April 29, 2013
Wow. Ms. Bird has done it again. I love her characters, I love their strength, and once again she does not disappoint. Margo and Tony have known each other forever, and it’s entirely possible they’ve loved each other for nearly that long, but time, distance and life have kept them apart. Once again, murder and intrigue crash into the everyday lives of unsuspecting Oregonians, however this story has cross-country ties and implications – perfect for bringing Margo and Tony together, at least for a while. Their feelings for one another are clear from the outset, but how can they possibly overcome the 2000+ miles that usually separate them? And how can they solve the murder mystery that is drawing an ever-tightening noose around Margo?

I purchased this book online and have given this review freely and without monetary compensation.
Profile Image for Midnight Magic Reviews.
15 reviews3 followers
February 17, 2013
Together Again by Peggy Bird is a satisfying read. It’s a contemporary romance with a twist of suspense. And even though it’s officially the third book in a series, I found the story easy enough to read without having read the others. (A problem I will quickly resolve, by the way. Books 1 and 2 will now be on my to-be-read pile.)

Quite honestely, my favorite part of Together Again was the couple themselves. Childhood friends, the whole boy-next-door/girl-next-door scenario, to the Detective falling for the District Attorney… their connection had a solid backstory, fun family relationships, and a working interaction that brought everything together… dare I say it… brought everything Together Again. (What a perfect title!)

Anyway, this romance is worth staying up past your bedtime!
Profile Image for Carol Smith.
Author 10 books8 followers
February 25, 2013
Peggy Bird creates strong, believeable characters with snappy dialogue. The plot of Together Again was tight, and the writing ,well paced. Ms Bird's love scenes are sensual and tastefully written. Pair that with the criminal element, so adeptly interwoven, and you've got yourself a great read.

District Attorney, Margo Keyes, finds herself connected to a murder. The investigating detective, Tony Alessandro, is a childhood friend and highschool crush. They soon reconnect, but Margo is too stubborn for her own happiness ... and her own safety.

I definitely enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants a romantic and tension-packed book.

I received an ARC of Together Again in exchange for an honest review. No money was exchanged.
Profile Image for Tara.
Author 36 books120 followers
February 6, 2013
Peggy Bird has a gift for weaving internal and external tension into her stories. But it's her characters that keep drawing me back.

Together Again did not disappoint. I fell for her sexy detective, Tony. Her heroine, Margo, was likable but infuriating at times. I wanted to slap her upside the head for over-thinking everything and warn her not to muck things up with him. Only a character who feels so real could drive you that nuts.

There was danger, drama, and tasteful love scenes. I personally like stories that reunite people with a passion for each other. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing them, Together Again.
Profile Image for Robyn.
20 reviews1 follower
October 1, 2013
I received this book as a First Reads winner and had not previously read the other books in the series. I really enjoyed this book - I was both happy and sad at the end - happy with the ending, but sad that the it was over. The only complaints I have about this book is that I wanted more and that I feel the need to get the other books in the series - both MY problems and not the authors. She is a fantastic writer and will be added to my notebook of authors I follow. This is a good, quick and steamy read. Having been married for over 20 years, this was great for rekindling those feelings of appreciating what you have and never leaving how you feel unsaid.
Profile Image for WiLoveBooks.
865 reviews59 followers
February 1, 2013
Steam, romance and suspense. This was a great story about childhood friends who never really get together then end up on opposites sides of the country, although they still have a connection. They have to figure out how to make it work, while Margo inadvertently gets herself involved with some very bad people. Tony is one of those sweet, thoughtful guys that I adore. This is the third book in Peggy Bird's Second Chances series and I have loved them all. They stand alone, but the characters show up in other books. I recommend these for romance fans.
Profile Image for Becky Lower.
Author 43 books195 followers
March 18, 2013
Knowing a bit about this author, I was expecting a fun, spicy, and tight novel--and I got that. What I got that I wasn't expecting was a suspenseful tale including a Russian mob and intellectual espionage that had me gripping my seat in anxiety. It was a fast read, a romantic love story, complete with a to-die-for hero and a reluctant heroine. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Profile Image for Lisa Filipe.
Author 5 books250 followers
June 3, 2013
Well Well Well....Anthony Alessandro....YUMMO!! Reminded me of all the Italian boys from back home!

Another wonderful addition to the series, a great suspense, some STEAMY lovin, and I loved the relationship between Margo (straight-laced, a little tough) and Tony (um...yeah...just yeah), I highly recommend the complete series, qucik reads, but a whole lotta fun!!
Profile Image for Samantha.
33 reviews2 followers
July 29, 2016
This book was fairly predictable and the main character was not interesting. She consistently pushed people away and the reasons why weren't explained well. Some information but given but it was highly underdeveloped. The story also made attempts at suspense that fell short. This is worth reading for a happy ending story but I did not feel very attached to the plot or the characters.
Profile Image for Peggy Bird.
Author 40 books105 followers
Read
January 15, 2013
Read--and wrote--this one so I know what I think. Would like to know what other people think about it.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.