(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Kate Ashton.)
This is the second book in the ‘Second Chances’ series, but can be read as a standalone novel.
Carly believes that she is unlovable, all thanks to her dad who is still mad that Carly’s mom left him. She’s with Chad, because she knows that he loves her, and proves that her dad is wrong, but Chad just doesn’t light her fire the way he used to.
Noah is hiding a secret that is stopping him from getting on with his life, a secret that even caused him to drop out of college.
When Noah rescues Carly from nearly drowning because she was drunk and decided to go for a late night swim in the ocean, he knows there’s something special about her, and eventually they become secret friends.
Should Carly still be with Chad though? Does she want more than friendship with Noah? And what secrets are they both hiding?
This was a really good NA contemporary romance, and I really enjoyed it.
Both Carly and Noah had issues in this book, and both were hiding their secrets close to their chests. I would have liked for both of them to have stood up for themselves a little more, but it was easy to see why they didn’t once their problems were revealed.
I liked the storyline in this book, and I liked how it took a while for us to really learn the secrets that this pair were hiding. I liked how Carly and Noah both managed to find a way to each other, and both managed to eventually overcome the obstacles between them.
I liked the romance, even though there weren’t many purely romantic scenes, but I was surprised that there weren’t any sex scenes. The book flowed well though, and I love this author’s writing style! The romance was instead the kind of slow-building romance that you know will last forever.
The ending was good and happy, although I would have liked to have seen the couple happy together a bit more maybe.
Overall; a good NA/YA contemporary romance, recommended!
8.5 out of 10.