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Second Chance Summer
Restoring Hearts
When Rachel Shaw and Jack Fletcher meet on a sunny Georgia beach, it seems like the perfect start to a romance. There's just one problem—neither one is the least bit interested in falling in love. They're just looking for peace, and time to work through their losses. But Rachel's aunt Eleanor and Fletch's Gram have other plans. Their meddling matchmaking would drive Rachel and Fletch nuts if they weren't busy restoring a house for one of Gram's charities. Yet as they repair the house, it's their hearts that begin to mend. Soon Rachel and Fletch realize they might be able to build a second chance at a great love.
When Rachel Shaw and Jack Fletcher meet on a sunny Georgia beach, it seems like the perfect start to a romance. There's just one problem—neither one is the least bit interested in falling in love. They're just looking for peace, and time to work through their losses. But Rachel's aunt Eleanor and Fletch's Gram have other plans. Their meddling matchmaking would drive Rachel and Fletch nuts if they weren't busy restoring a house for one of Gram's charities. Yet as they repair the house, it's their hearts that begin to mend. Soon Rachel and Fletch realize they might be able to build a second chance at a great love.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
207 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Irene Hannon
135 books3,049 followersIrene Hannon, who writes both contemporary romance and romantic suspense, is the author of more than 65 novels. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA awards from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romance fiction) and she is a member of that organization's elite Hall of Fame. She has also received a Career Achievement award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Other awards for individual books include National Readers' Choice, HOLT Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers Choice, Booksellers' Best, and Reviewers' Choice from RT Book Reviews. She is also a two-time Christy award finalist.
Millions of her books have been sold worldwide, and her novels have been translated into multiple languages.
A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full time. To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com.
Millions of her books have been sold worldwide, and her novels have been translated into multiple languages.
A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full time. To learn more about Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
September 1, 2017
Meeting on a sunny Georgia beach seems like the perfect place for a romance to start between former Navy SEAL, Jack Fletcher aka Fletch to his friends and Rachel Shaw. Not so fast though as neither of them is looking for the start of a romance and they are both there trying to get over and work through their losses. Despite getting off to a rocky start after being thrown together by their own family members more than once they start to talk and realize they have more in common than they thought. Jack has a prosthetic leg and the author treats it with the utmost respect and caring . We are not made to feel sorry for the character, like oh poor him! I think Jack has adjusted so well that he can do more than most of us can even with his prosthetic leg. It definitely does not hold him back in this book! I enjoyed the plot and it's great to see such character development. As the characters talk about what's on their heart with each other we see Rachel blaming herself for her husbands death and something else that happened a few days afterwards as a result of her grief. Rachel really wants to have her own biological child but Jack is unable to because of an injury he received as a SEAL. Again, the author deals with the issue of adoption with tenderness and compassion. There are some tough issues but the author handles them with class and understanding. This may be a short book but it's packed full of goodness that I know you'll enjoy reading!
March 23, 2025
A quick, easy read with a sweet story and likable characters. Irene writes books I almost always enjoy and this was no exception.
August 24, 2014
I admit I bought this for the shallowest of reasons: the cover is lovely.
Also, I should mention upfront that I'm not really the target market for "inspirational" romances. They seemed designed for a particular flavour of Christian, and I can tell it isn't me. That said, I often enjoy them if I sort of rush past the worst of the too-glib God-talk, and the "regular churchgoing is the benchmark of faith" worldview you find in a lot of these.
But this book had a deeper, richer, more open-to-uncertainty sense of faith, and it added so much to the already-charming story of two people taking a second chance on life. It was a fantastic read, romantic and sweet but also willing to deal with the difficult issues of death, guilt, and the fear of childlessness. (In fact, broadly speaking I'd say that's a strength of the inspirational category: they deal head-on with some pretty serious issues, and offer happy endings within that context.)
Also, I should mention upfront that I'm not really the target market for "inspirational" romances. They seemed designed for a particular flavour of Christian, and I can tell it isn't me. That said, I often enjoy them if I sort of rush past the worst of the too-glib God-talk, and the "regular churchgoing is the benchmark of faith" worldview you find in a lot of these.
But this book had a deeper, richer, more open-to-uncertainty sense of faith, and it added so much to the already-charming story of two people taking a second chance on life. It was a fantastic read, romantic and sweet but also willing to deal with the difficult issues of death, guilt, and the fear of childlessness. (In fact, broadly speaking I'd say that's a strength of the inspirational category: they deal head-on with some pretty serious issues, and offer happy endings within that context.)
May 22, 2015
I liked it well enough to finish it. If you or someone you know is in charge of selecting books for the church book club, you'll be in no danger of being run out of the group in shame if you suggest this one. It's a squeaky-clean romance that speaks well to the topics of personal redemption and new beginnings and the resilience of the human heart to heal.
Jack (Fletch) Fletcher served in Afghanistan. That would explain the prosthetic leg and the extreme damage done to his heart and spirit--but you don't see that until later. It's that leg that Rachel Shaw notices when her aunt's exuberant dog collides with Fletch on a beach. Rachel, too, is broken inside. Outwardly, she's a lover of life and children; she's a 30-year-old woman of real grace and kindness to which any reader will gravitate. But she is a widow, and she lost a baby as a result of a car crash before coming to the island where her beloved spinster aunt lives. Both Rachel and Fletch have come to find peace and to heal. Instead, his grandmother and her aunt put them to work constructing a vacation house run by the local church. Thrust together repeatedly under those conditions, it's impossible that the two won't notice one another and go from there.
So why the two-star rating? It's my impatience mostly. If you insist on writing religious fiction, think more carefully about how you can show God in your book rather than constantly beat readers over the head with him. This book would have benefited much from circumstances in which God's tender mercies and grace are shone as part of the action of the book rather than commented on repeatedly. That kind of writing takes careful forethought and skill. Tristi Pinkston achieves it seemingly effortlessly in her cozy mystery series. She manages to skillfully show the reader how ,god influences the lives of her characters, and they credit Him for that influence, but she manages to do it such that you don't feel like you've been screamed at or like your intelligence has somehow been insulted.
This was a fun pre-Memorial Day get-me-in-the-mood-for-summer-books kind of read. It was super-quick; in fact, I breezed through most of it while walking to my local library to snag more audiobooks that had come in.
The bottom line here is if you want a nice clean romance whose main characters are polite and who believe that it's perfectly acceptable to take their time, build a relationship carefully and well, and hold off on anything more involved than a bit of kiss-and-cuddle until after the wedding, this is that kind of book. It was a bit preachy for my taste, but I have an inappropriately low tolerance for that kind of thing, so you can ignore me without negative consequences, unless you, too, have a low tolerance for being preached at.
Jack (Fletch) Fletcher served in Afghanistan. That would explain the prosthetic leg and the extreme damage done to his heart and spirit--but you don't see that until later. It's that leg that Rachel Shaw notices when her aunt's exuberant dog collides with Fletch on a beach. Rachel, too, is broken inside. Outwardly, she's a lover of life and children; she's a 30-year-old woman of real grace and kindness to which any reader will gravitate. But she is a widow, and she lost a baby as a result of a car crash before coming to the island where her beloved spinster aunt lives. Both Rachel and Fletch have come to find peace and to heal. Instead, his grandmother and her aunt put them to work constructing a vacation house run by the local church. Thrust together repeatedly under those conditions, it's impossible that the two won't notice one another and go from there.
So why the two-star rating? It's my impatience mostly. If you insist on writing religious fiction, think more carefully about how you can show God in your book rather than constantly beat readers over the head with him. This book would have benefited much from circumstances in which God's tender mercies and grace are shone as part of the action of the book rather than commented on repeatedly. That kind of writing takes careful forethought and skill. Tristi Pinkston achieves it seemingly effortlessly in her cozy mystery series. She manages to skillfully show the reader how ,god influences the lives of her characters, and they credit Him for that influence, but she manages to do it such that you don't feel like you've been screamed at or like your intelligence has somehow been insulted.
This was a fun pre-Memorial Day get-me-in-the-mood-for-summer-books kind of read. It was super-quick; in fact, I breezed through most of it while walking to my local library to snag more audiobooks that had come in.
The bottom line here is if you want a nice clean romance whose main characters are polite and who believe that it's perfectly acceptable to take their time, build a relationship carefully and well, and hold off on anything more involved than a bit of kiss-and-cuddle until after the wedding, this is that kind of book. It was a bit preachy for my taste, but I have an inappropriately low tolerance for that kind of thing, so you can ignore me without negative consequences, unless you, too, have a low tolerance for being preached at.
June 9, 2020
This was another good read that restored my emotional being. I loved how Irene discussed the difficulty of trauma, guilt over loss, giving up a dream, overcoming an obstacle, and accepting a second chance at love. All of these were such important themes and she weaved them beautifully together when she explored the characters of Fletch and Rachel. She also revealed the solace one can find through God and faith. It was a beautiful story.
April 4, 2015
Irene Hannon wrote Rachel and Fletch's story so well! When picking up this book, I was afraid it was going to be boring, but inside is a powerful story of two broken hearts learning to live again, of dreams being shattered and renewed in a different way - of two hearts trying to learn how to love each other when life throws them curb balls.
And I enjoyed how the author handled the last curve ball thrown. I hate the sappy romances where the person takes the news and says "it doesn't matter because I love you." This issue was approached in a very human, imperfect way. That is more true to our walk in real life than in a fairy tale. I loved how Fletcher explained the problem - very well put and I had to read his explanation a few times because it was so creatively said...
This is definitely another keeper!
And I enjoyed how the author handled the last curve ball thrown. I hate the sappy romances where the person takes the news and says "it doesn't matter because I love you." This issue was approached in a very human, imperfect way. That is more true to our walk in real life than in a fairy tale. I loved how Fletcher explained the problem - very well put and I had to read his explanation a few times because it was so creatively said...
This is definitely another keeper!
September 16, 2015
Irene Hannon is one of my must read authors. Second Chance Summer was a sweet read that made me fall in love with the characters. There are great issues tackled in this read. Ms. Hannon explores adoption, death and grief, as well as loss of a limb. I loved how she handled the issues and I look forward to her future books.
May 14, 2020
Great story, easy read. Thank you Irene Hannon.
May 14, 2020
Great faith filled journey
Wonderful characters, great setting, and problems to be solved make this a fascinating read. I will miss all of them.
Wonderful characters, great setting, and problems to be solved make this a fascinating read. I will miss all of them.
August 14, 2024
When Rachel and Jack meet on the beach, they think nothing of their meeting. Little do they know that their respective female relatives are hell bent on playing match makers and solving Rachel and Jack's latest problems by making them a couple. Despite their best efforts Rachel and Jack dont feel a spark and are not interested in entering a relationship.
But circumstances mysteriously keep bring them together. Will this bring them together or have them more and more frustrated with their meddling relatives?
I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed this as a holiday read.
But circumstances mysteriously keep bring them together. Will this bring them together or have them more and more frustrated with their meddling relatives?
I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed this as a holiday read.
December 30, 2017
Well done entry by Hannon. Fletch and Rachel are brought together by her aunt and his grandmother and the contriving continues. It comes off sweet as opposed to meddling, however.
There are a lot of secrets in the small community of Jekyll Island, and Fletch and Rachel find the courage to be honest with each other. As a Navy SEAL, Fletch has more than his share, but he uses his military courage to be honest with Rachel.
That she is able to return the favor tells the reader that these two really are a good match.
There are a lot of secrets in the small community of Jekyll Island, and Fletch and Rachel find the courage to be honest with each other. As a Navy SEAL, Fletch has more than his share, but he uses his military courage to be honest with Rachel.
That she is able to return the favor tells the reader that these two really are a good match.
November 4, 2020
Summer romance
Jack Fletcher--Fletch to his friends--has come to Jekyl Island to help his temporarily disabled grandmother, NOT for a summer romance! Rachel Shaw is spending the summer with her aunt while teaching art classes to tourist children. She definitely does NOT have time or inclination for a summer romance, especially not with the rude stranger on her beach. So guess what happens?! Irene Hannon spins a sweet story of forgiveness, grace, and love. Very good book.
Jack Fletcher--Fletch to his friends--has come to Jekyl Island to help his temporarily disabled grandmother, NOT for a summer romance! Rachel Shaw is spending the summer with her aunt while teaching art classes to tourist children. She definitely does NOT have time or inclination for a summer romance, especially not with the rude stranger on her beach. So guess what happens?! Irene Hannon spins a sweet story of forgiveness, grace, and love. Very good book.
June 3, 2020
Disappointed
This was a fun story. But I was sorry to see a Christian lady fall in love with and promise to marry when the fiancee has not made a commitment to follow Christ. Even though their love is strong, a person either is a believer or isn't. He is interested in church, so that's a start.
This was a fun story. But I was sorry to see a Christian lady fall in love with and promise to marry when the fiancee has not made a commitment to follow Christ. Even though their love is strong, a person either is a believer or isn't. He is interested in church, so that's a start.
August 7, 2022
This is the 1st book I read by Irene Hannon. I enjoyed this book's storyline. This book's storyline was sad 😔. Some parts of this story made me laugh 😂. I really liked the Christian ✝️ theme in this story. I really liked Rachel's character. My heart broke 💔 for Rachel. I really liked Fletcher's character. My heart broke 💔 for Fletcher. I really liked the ending.
September 11, 2022
Rachel and Fletcher found themselves on the shores of a Georgia beach, each there for different reasons. Rachel, a widow of three years and Flech a Navy Seal with an amputated leg were there to help Rachel's aunt and Flech's Grandmother, but these two had different ideas and with the help of God things were going to get interesting. Very good book.
October 13, 2024
This was a really good love story. It brings two people together who had basically lost hope of ever having a fulfilling relationship after life took them down a traveling road. However, the fact that they both suffered from circumstances beyond their control and, despite other obstacles, They realize that they don’t want to live without each other. A real feel good story.
July 16, 2022
Well deserving of the RITA award
There was a slight twist in the plot. In most cases, the woman is rendered barren. Both had obstacles to overcome; both trusted God to heal their situation. That's inspiring.
There was a slight twist in the plot. In most cases, the woman is rendered barren. Both had obstacles to overcome; both trusted God to heal their situation. That's inspiring.
April 27, 2022
A quick and fun read between 2 young people set on a Georgia Beach. Neither wants to fall in love but a grandmother and aunt are determined to get them together.
December 5, 2022
Rachel and Fletch were beautiful. both had lots of baggage but pulled through it together at the end.
March 5, 2023
This is a sweet, faith based romance that will not disappoint. It will break your heart and mend your hope for love.
December 31, 2023
Fun & quick romance series.
July 8, 2024
I liked it overall, just have different thought about something.
For the main characters, I felt heartbroken for both of them, I’m glad the story ended up good.
For the main characters, I felt heartbroken for both of them, I’m glad the story ended up good.
July 14, 2024
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
Listened on audiobook. Quick and cute but definitely not my usual romance pick.
Listened on audiobook. Quick and cute but definitely not my usual romance pick.
October 23, 2024
Sweet, clean, easy listening book to help me get through cleaning my house.
October 29, 2024
Such a cute book!! Throughly enjoyed it!
July 2, 2025
Two lives cross paths and rebuild love. Sweet feel good story with some funny family moments. A very sweet and tender discussion on adoption from a christian perspective.
January 2, 2026
very enjoyable
June 2, 2014
Rachel n Fletch's story covers being on an island where well meaning elderly family members live n pray for restoring in their younger family members lives. The ocean has got healing qualities about it and I am so happy I get to live near the ocean here in Busselton Australia. God's healing requires us to help others n think of others to get our minds of self. But bad decisions/choices send us to a place in ourselves to hide so others don't see our unloveliness. So it becomes hard to share n time is the only healer, plus a insightful person that God send our way maybe the chance of letting go n letting peace take that place. Lisa was that person in this story. The story also covers infertility verses a relationship. I'm so glad this is fiction n not something I have to face.
May 11, 2014
I enjoyed reading Second chance Summer by Irene Hannon. Rachael Shaw and Jack Fletcher both meet on a Georgia beach one summer. Rachael lost her husband three years ago and her unborn child. She is recovering from the lost. Jack Fletcher, Fletch, lost a leg in the service. He is there to help his gram recover from a broken wrist. Fletch and Rachael help remodel a home for a couple coming to the small town. Along the way they find love. Something else stand in the way of there romance. You need to read to find out what it is. A must read.
June 14, 2014
Widow Rachel Shaw and former SEAL Jack "Fletch" Fletcher are both at a point in their lives where they aren't interested in romance. However, Rachel's aunt and Fletch's grandmother are playing matchmaker and continue to bring them together. They share their "why I can't get involved" stories which backfire as they become friends and begin to fall in love. The characters' stories are believable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews