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Second Chance Christmas
Old flames are reunited with the burden of their past and a love that still lingers in this heartfelt holiday romance by Jahquel J. Being known as the daughter of the Sageport’s town drunk always left Faith Stone defending her mother and herself. Her only solace was her boyfriend, Rome. Even as a teenager, Faith knew she wanted forever with Rome Atkins. Their small town, her mother’s struggles, and everyone’s opinions of their relationship couldn’t hold them back forever. After graduation, they would put Sageport behind them and start life anew together, but prom night will change everything. Fifteen years later, Faith, now a divorced single parent, finds herself back in Sageport for the holidays. The memories and pain are still fresh, as if everything happened yesterday, especially when she runs into Rome, who never left Sageport. Also fresh are the unexpected lingering feelings they still harbor for each other. Do old wounds run too deep, or can the joy of Christmas provide enough healing power for a second chance love reunion?
272 pages, Paperback
Published September 24, 2024
1060 people are currently reading
2204 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews
December 27, 2024
4/5 ⭐️
- Wow wow wow! This is definitely a Christmas read I will continue to recommend each year. It include so much depth! If you’re wanting a story that isn’t your typical cutesy holiday read, but still gives Christmas vibes you definitely need to pick this one up.
- This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really loved her writing style. It was funny, relatable, and emotional! Definitely will pick up more of her books in the future.
- Definitely will be adding this book into my top 3 Christmas holiday recommendations because it was just that good! Will recommend to anyone whether it’s Christmas or not!
- Wow wow wow! This is definitely a Christmas read I will continue to recommend each year. It include so much depth! If you’re wanting a story that isn’t your typical cutesy holiday read, but still gives Christmas vibes you definitely need to pick this one up.
- This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I really loved her writing style. It was funny, relatable, and emotional! Definitely will pick up more of her books in the future.
- Definitely will be adding this book into my top 3 Christmas holiday recommendations because it was just that good! Will recommend to anyone whether it’s Christmas or not!
December 18, 2024
Was Christmas in the room …
December 7, 2024
this read more like women’s fiction than it did a romance book simply because the romance doesn’t start until 35% in (which is way too late) and not only is it dual pov but you’re getting pov’s from random ass characters like why did the ex husband have MULTIPLE pov chapters? yeah dpmo and this didn’t even feel like a christmas book! i really don’t like how he broke up with her originally like it was really messed up and when they see each other again they kinda just pretend like nothing happened? man luckily it was short.
December 25, 2025
This warmed my heart right up. 🥹
It was heavy story so if you’re looking for a light and fluffy Christmas read this isn’t the one, but I got completely wrapped up in the journey Faith went on after dealing with so much in her childhood and how that affected her later in life.
It was beautiful to see her reconnect with herself again and the small town she escaped and get the love that she deserved.
The second chance romance element elevated this story even more for me since I love that trope, and the Christmas vibes were just right. The ending more than made up for the heaviness that was sprinkled throughout.
*CW: loss of a parent/brother due to drunk driving, alcohol addiction, parent with dementia and miscarriage (side character)*
4.5 ⭐
It was heavy story so if you’re looking for a light and fluffy Christmas read this isn’t the one, but I got completely wrapped up in the journey Faith went on after dealing with so much in her childhood and how that affected her later in life.
It was beautiful to see her reconnect with herself again and the small town she escaped and get the love that she deserved.
The second chance romance element elevated this story even more for me since I love that trope, and the Christmas vibes were just right. The ending more than made up for the heaviness that was sprinkled throughout.
*CW: loss of a parent/brother due to drunk driving, alcohol addiction, parent with dementia and miscarriage (side character)*
4.5 ⭐
November 24, 2025
DNF @ 150 pages.
This started off strong and went downhill. The dual POVs didn’t work. Each chapter was basically a rehash of the previous one. But once the book abruptly switched the dad’s name from Carl to Clyde, it was a wrap for me.
This was a sad book that didn’t really give me the Christmas vibes I was looking for. Slow paced and very repetitive. This would work much better as a novella with additional editing.
This started off strong and went downhill. The dual POVs didn’t work. Each chapter was basically a rehash of the previous one. But once the book abruptly switched the dad’s name from Carl to Clyde, it was a wrap for me.
This was a sad book that didn’t really give me the Christmas vibes I was looking for. Slow paced and very repetitive. This would work much better as a novella with additional editing.
October 15, 2024
One thing I’ve come to appreciate about Jahquel is the range of her pen. One minute she’s giving us a cute down home holiday story and the next we are getting gun toting gangsta’s engaged in shootouts on a highway.
I’m a sucker for a good Hallmark holiday story and those are the vibes I got from the cover alone! It was cute and gave me those warm fuzzy cozy feelings. 🩷🎄🎁
Faith and Rome had a teenage romance that abruptly ended in tragedy on prom night. Emotions were high and words were said that ultimately left hearts shattered to pieces amongst the grief experienced by both families.
Years later, an unexpected phone call led to Faith return to a hometown she vowed to never cross paths with again. During this return home, everything she ran away from came flooding back full force and now Faith and Rome are faced with working through how things left off and whether or not they can rekindle their romance.
This story had potential but one thing that I’m sure we can agree on was that this was not a holiday story. Christmas was mentioned and yes the timeline was over the corse of the holiday however it did not feel like a holiday story. The book also read a bit boring for me. It was very predictable and didn’t not provide any excitement. The second chance aspect was a success but not the holiday part. Simply mentioning the word Christmas does not qualify a book as a holiday story. I don’t know if the “plot twist” was necessary. More focus could have been placed on creating new holiday memories with a he twins, Rome, her father and his fiancé.
Because I listened to the audio, I didn’t experience any editing issues that some other readers noted. I’m glad to see authors pushing the envelope and getting their work in places like target and Barnes and Noble but I do feel like it can stifle the full creative autonomy of the author. I’m still a Jahquel fan but I’m not sure if I’d read a traditionally published book by her again.
I’m a sucker for a good Hallmark holiday story and those are the vibes I got from the cover alone! It was cute and gave me those warm fuzzy cozy feelings. 🩷🎄🎁
Faith and Rome had a teenage romance that abruptly ended in tragedy on prom night. Emotions were high and words were said that ultimately left hearts shattered to pieces amongst the grief experienced by both families.
Years later, an unexpected phone call led to Faith return to a hometown she vowed to never cross paths with again. During this return home, everything she ran away from came flooding back full force and now Faith and Rome are faced with working through how things left off and whether or not they can rekindle their romance.
This story had potential but one thing that I’m sure we can agree on was that this was not a holiday story. Christmas was mentioned and yes the timeline was over the corse of the holiday however it did not feel like a holiday story. The book also read a bit boring for me. It was very predictable and didn’t not provide any excitement. The second chance aspect was a success but not the holiday part. Simply mentioning the word Christmas does not qualify a book as a holiday story. I don’t know if the “plot twist” was necessary. More focus could have been placed on creating new holiday memories with a he twins, Rome, her father and his fiancé.
Because I listened to the audio, I didn’t experience any editing issues that some other readers noted. I’m glad to see authors pushing the envelope and getting their work in places like target and Barnes and Noble but I do feel like it can stifle the full creative autonomy of the author. I’m still a Jahquel fan but I’m not sure if I’d read a traditionally published book by her again.
December 29, 2024
I didn’t love this but I also didn’t hate. I just have questions: 1) what was the point of Ashton’s pov?(made absolutely no difference to the story) 2) where was Christmas in all of this?
Story: 3 🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 3 🌟🌟🌟
Story: 3 🌟🌟🌟
Narration: 3 🌟🌟🌟
December 8, 2024
Faith x Rome
Rome and Faith’s story was sweet. Though a bit predictable, I still enjoyed the romance. Rome and Faith were high school sweethearts until tragedy tore them apart. Years later, they found their way back in the same proximity. Once Rome saw her, his only mission was to get what was once his. I love the pursuit, I love the courting. I love dialogue. I love the pressure Rome applied to get his woman.
I was a little confused as to why I was given Ashton's pov especially since….spoiler….there was no conflict. There were a couple of times I thought I was gonna get conflicts either with Rome's mom, Faith's father, or Ashton, but in the end, everything worked itself out.
But I enjoyed this read. The Christmas part was almost nonexistent, but I've come to expect that with these Christmas reads.
4.5⭐️
Rome and Faith’s story was sweet. Though a bit predictable, I still enjoyed the romance. Rome and Faith were high school sweethearts until tragedy tore them apart. Years later, they found their way back in the same proximity. Once Rome saw her, his only mission was to get what was once his. I love the pursuit, I love the courting. I love dialogue. I love the pressure Rome applied to get his woman.
I was a little confused as to why I was given Ashton's pov especially since….spoiler….there was no conflict. There were a couple of times I thought I was gonna get conflicts either with Rome's mom, Faith's father, or Ashton, but in the end, everything worked itself out.
But I enjoyed this read. The Christmas part was almost nonexistent, but I've come to expect that with these Christmas reads.
4.5⭐️
May 14, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I want to preface that I wanted to love this book. I mean I was excited for this book. Two black characters, a sea of pink, Christmas and SECOND CHANCES???
Sign me up!
But even after thirty pages of reading and finishing the book I realize, I can't love it.
And it's no shade to Faith and Rome. I like their story idea. I like that they grew up apart and found their way back to each other. I like that Faith got what she'd always wanted and my gosh, sorry to Faith's mom but get out of here.
And while those are good things to like, I hated some things more: the writing style.
Most of the thought process, the chapters felt like a reharsh of previous chapters. For Faith, she kept reminding us about how much she didn't like her mom, how she'd failed her dad by not being there and how she was simultaneously to blame and not to blame for her failed marriage.
And I get, these are important conflicts, we need them to care for Faith. to be happy when she finally gets her happily ever after, but I got so annoyed and had to skim through the chapters because of that.
Then we have Rome's POV and his is just as bad if not worse. We get it, you can't put your mom in a senior center kind place, your brother is dead, you regret what you did to Faith, and you're stuck and stuff. We've already heard this before, why do you keep repeating it???
At a point, I got so tired, I kept skipping and skipping and skipping.
I wanted to love this story, I wanted to rave about it, I wanted to say I'm going to read more by this author, but I can't.
Thanks again for this opportunity. I remember that what I have is an ARC and things might be different down the line.
I want to preface that I wanted to love this book. I mean I was excited for this book. Two black characters, a sea of pink, Christmas and SECOND CHANCES???
Sign me up!
But even after thirty pages of reading and finishing the book I realize, I can't love it.
And it's no shade to Faith and Rome. I like their story idea. I like that they grew up apart and found their way back to each other. I like that Faith got what she'd always wanted and my gosh, sorry to Faith's mom but get out of here.
And while those are good things to like, I hated some things more: the writing style.
Most of the thought process, the chapters felt like a reharsh of previous chapters. For Faith, she kept reminding us about how much she didn't like her mom, how she'd failed her dad by not being there and how she was simultaneously to blame and not to blame for her failed marriage.
And I get, these are important conflicts, we need them to care for Faith. to be happy when she finally gets her happily ever after, but I got so annoyed and had to skim through the chapters because of that.
Then we have Rome's POV and his is just as bad if not worse. We get it, you can't put your mom in a senior center kind place, your brother is dead, you regret what you did to Faith, and you're stuck and stuff. We've already heard this before, why do you keep repeating it???
At a point, I got so tired, I kept skipping and skipping and skipping.
I wanted to love this story, I wanted to rave about it, I wanted to say I'm going to read more by this author, but I can't.
Thanks again for this opportunity. I remember that what I have is an ARC and things might be different down the line.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2024
No…just no….would not recommend.
My biggest issue is this is NOT a Christmas novel. So if you’re looking for warm and fuzzy holiday cheer. NOPE not this one.
But also, the FMC and her love interest experience something TRAUMATIC that splits them apart, and there is absolutely NOOOOOO struggle when they reconnect. It’s unrealistic. I’m not saying it needed to be a slow burn, but we meet these characters in this tense and emotional scene but it’s almost like when they meet again none of that happened. They just go right I love you. Ehh 👎🏾
I stuck out cuz they said the ending happy but the last chapter is her ex husbands POV with his annoying new gf!? Wtf 😆 I can’t.
My biggest issue is this is NOT a Christmas novel. So if you’re looking for warm and fuzzy holiday cheer. NOPE not this one.
But also, the FMC and her love interest experience something TRAUMATIC that splits them apart, and there is absolutely NOOOOOO struggle when they reconnect. It’s unrealistic. I’m not saying it needed to be a slow burn, but we meet these characters in this tense and emotional scene but it’s almost like when they meet again none of that happened. They just go right I love you. Ehh 👎🏾
I stuck out cuz they said the ending happy but the last chapter is her ex husbands POV with his annoying new gf!? Wtf 😆 I can’t.
March 22, 2025
This was good!!
Cute story with great emotional depth. Characters with chemistry, and personality. Community building, sacrifice for the sake of love, and starting your life over even when it seems like it should already be set. Love that!
There were definitely parts where the ex-husband frustrated me and this may be the authors part, OR the author just did a good job portray someone who says/thinks one thing but does another. Basically a hypocrite. It’s like he was written TOO well.
Second chance romance where the couple didn’t break up due to cheating will win for me every time.
I also love the idea of soulmates, that’s the one thing I wish was as real as it is in fantasy novels 😩 a fated mate.
Cute story with great emotional depth. Characters with chemistry, and personality. Community building, sacrifice for the sake of love, and starting your life over even when it seems like it should already be set. Love that!
There were definitely parts where the ex-husband frustrated me and this may be the authors part, OR the author just did a good job portray someone who says/thinks one thing but does another. Basically a hypocrite. It’s like he was written TOO well.
Second chance romance where the couple didn’t break up due to cheating will win for me every time.
I also love the idea of soulmates, that’s the one thing I wish was as real as it is in fantasy novels 😩 a fated mate.
December 2, 2024
It was cute but a little lacking when it came to the Christmas aspect. This started out a bit darker than I was expecting and if I’m being honest it was kinda sad until maybe halfway through. I do appreciate how Jahquel approached the second chance aspect. I didn’t need to hear from Ashton at all and I wish those chapters could have been dedicated to Faith/Rome. It almost read like a Hallmark movie at times and I wanted more of that. I did love Faith building a relationship with Marie and the way she and Rome just fell back into things with each other. It was a quick reunion but it felt right. I’d say check it out, Jahquel hasn’t written a book I haven’t enjoyed.
December 16, 2024
I thought this was going to be a nice cozy Christmas romance. The word “Christmas” should actually be removed from the title. It was ok.
November 11, 2024
Nostalgia
This was a really good read. It has a great storyline. It gives you a back in the day feel. Like that small town Mayberry feel. Just read the damn book, y'all.
This was a really good read. It has a great storyline. It gives you a back in the day feel. Like that small town Mayberry feel. Just read the damn book, y'all.
December 22, 2024
I enjoyed every second of this book! So well written I was definitely getting tired of the typical Christmas books. Second chance Christmas brought tears to my eyes. Spectacular writing!
Read
December 10, 2025DNF @ 45%
There are far too many CHRISTMAS books/stories to read and listen to than to continue wasting my time on this.
It started off very interesting but after the prologue it was pretty much down hill from there. Really wished it kept the momentum from the beginning.
There are far too many CHRISTMAS books/stories to read and listen to than to continue wasting my time on this.
It started off very interesting but after the prologue it was pretty much down hill from there. Really wished it kept the momentum from the beginning.
December 12, 2025
Edit: I took a nap, woke up refreshed, remembered some things, and more reasons why this book messed up my reading vibe. Today, I had a really great day, this just wasn't one of the highlights.
Christmas and this book were like distant cousin-in-laws. They met once at a wedding and it was forced. And the spice scenes were so fast like quickies. It would've been better if those scenes were glossed over or closed door/innuendo. There was no real burning, yearning, or romance. There was no tension either. It was like "we go together", problem solved. Very matter-of-fact. I couldn't even be happy for the characters bc sadly I just did not care. Maybe if the book was shorter. 🤷🏾♀️
I only liked the side characters (the FMC's dad, daughters, dad's fiance, and her "best" friend who suddenly disappeared and was never to be heard from ever again after page 100- they could've texted each other or something). The MMC needed therapy bc him snapping at the FMC was unattractive.
I'm glad the FMC got answers about her relationship with her parents but that became a B story that also drew away from this being a "heartfelt holiday romance", like the synopsis said. I didn't read the rest of the synopsis before picking this up, but even so, I wasn't given a "heartfelt holiday romance". This was a dramatic urban fiction that should've been titled "A Second Chance", "You Can Always Come Back Home", or "My Mom's Hatred For Me Cost Me My First Love". Christmas had nothing to do with anything.
As for the poor dumbass ex-husband, he moved on...and is now in a bad relationship that's going nowhere. He and his girlfriend were in a toxic bubble. I failed to see why he had POV chapters, what was the point if the chapters never led to anything like trying to win the FMC back, forcing her to choose between two men? The FMC kept saying sometimes she wanted her ex-husband back, but we as readers weren't given a reason to sympathize with him bc he was just awful for her and neglectful to their kids. The FMC also stated that she thinks all people regret divorce and I could not get on board with that train of thought. Missed the mark for me.
I heard many great things about this author, so I still want to read more of her books. I'm not deterred, this just wasn't the one for me.
Christmas and this book were like distant cousin-in-laws. They met once at a wedding and it was forced. And the spice scenes were so fast like quickies. It would've been better if those scenes were glossed over or closed door/innuendo. There was no real burning, yearning, or romance. There was no tension either. It was like "we go together", problem solved. Very matter-of-fact. I couldn't even be happy for the characters bc sadly I just did not care. Maybe if the book was shorter. 🤷🏾♀️
I only liked the side characters (the FMC's dad, daughters, dad's fiance, and her "best" friend who suddenly disappeared and was never to be heard from ever again after page 100- they could've texted each other or something). The MMC needed therapy bc him snapping at the FMC was unattractive.
I'm glad the FMC got answers about her relationship with her parents but that became a B story that also drew away from this being a "heartfelt holiday romance", like the synopsis said. I didn't read the rest of the synopsis before picking this up, but even so, I wasn't given a "heartfelt holiday romance". This was a dramatic urban fiction that should've been titled "A Second Chance", "You Can Always Come Back Home", or "My Mom's Hatred For Me Cost Me My First Love". Christmas had nothing to do with anything.
As for the poor dumbass ex-husband, he moved on...and is now in a bad relationship that's going nowhere. He and his girlfriend were in a toxic bubble. I failed to see why he had POV chapters, what was the point if the chapters never led to anything like trying to win the FMC back, forcing her to choose between two men? The FMC kept saying sometimes she wanted her ex-husband back, but we as readers weren't given a reason to sympathize with him bc he was just awful for her and neglectful to their kids. The FMC also stated that she thinks all people regret divorce and I could not get on board with that train of thought. Missed the mark for me.
I heard many great things about this author, so I still want to read more of her books. I'm not deterred, this just wasn't the one for me.
December 20, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ Such a sweet second chance love story! Although it’s called second chance Christmas - this book does not give Christmas vibes. The story line just so happens around Christmas time. From the first chapter, I was hooked. It was a story line I was not expecting at all, especially from the cover. It was easy to read but it did have grammar errors. No quotations for text messages which was weird to read. It was typed like a regular sentence. Besides that, great love story!
December 15, 2024
2.5 ⭐️ Damn, what a way to put a damper on my holiday reads. The only thing Christmas about this book is the cover.
There were no Christmas vibes in the story. It starts off sad and tragic and ends up rushed and scattered.
Second chance romance is usually a favorite genre, but I absolutely hated the 2nd chance here. I liked the MCs individually, but I wasn’t a fan of their supposed love.
The things I enjoyed was Faith returning home to help out her dad’s restaurant, co-parenting with her ex-husband, and Rome being a caregiver for his mother. I also enjoyed some of the new revelations Faith learned about her family.
Everything else was sadly disappointing. I never like when a character seems to let their life pass them by waiting around on one person. To me that’s not love, moreso pathetic. Why did Faith get the perfect, doting man, while her ex ends up with the spoiled, selfish woman? Why did her ex get a POV to begin with? Initially this made me think there would be some type of love triangle.
The secret shares in the end was so absurd! Definitely not what I’d consider a holiday read, it could’ve easily been read at any time of the year because Christmas was not a big theme in the story. Cute cover though!!
There were no Christmas vibes in the story. It starts off sad and tragic and ends up rushed and scattered.
Second chance romance is usually a favorite genre, but I absolutely hated the 2nd chance here. I liked the MCs individually, but I wasn’t a fan of their supposed love.
The things I enjoyed was Faith returning home to help out her dad’s restaurant, co-parenting with her ex-husband, and Rome being a caregiver for his mother. I also enjoyed some of the new revelations Faith learned about her family.
Everything else was sadly disappointing. I never like when a character seems to let their life pass them by waiting around on one person. To me that’s not love, moreso pathetic. Why did Faith get the perfect, doting man, while her ex ends up with the spoiled, selfish woman? Why did her ex get a POV to begin with? Initially this made me think there would be some type of love triangle.
The secret shares in the end was so absurd! Definitely not what I’d consider a holiday read, it could’ve easily been read at any time of the year because Christmas was not a big theme in the story. Cute cover though!!
December 22, 2024
2.5/5 ⭐️
I’m sorry Rome was not doing it for me. Between him and his momma I don’t even know where to start. Faith already went through SO much and the Atkins family went and made it infinitely worse. I didn’t feel like this was a story we were able to just pick up with 15 years later. Rome needed to BEG for Faiths forgiveness and I needed my girl to stand up. Idk I was never really able to shake why they broke up in the first place and it kind of dampened the rest of the book for me.
I’m sorry Rome was not doing it for me. Between him and his momma I don’t even know where to start. Faith already went through SO much and the Atkins family went and made it infinitely worse. I didn’t feel like this was a story we were able to just pick up with 15 years later. Rome needed to BEG for Faiths forgiveness and I needed my girl to stand up. Idk I was never really able to shake why they broke up in the first place and it kind of dampened the rest of the book for me.
December 6, 2024
*rolls eyes* so much wrong with this. But everybody needs therapy.
November 17, 2024
DNF. Started out good. It really grabbed me with tragedy in the beginning. I was rooting for faith and her having her second chance at loving Rome and being happy. About 60% in the writing got weird. The way things were described made me feel like a middle aged man wrote this and described things the way he thinks women want to read them. Idk it fell flat and gave me the ick. No thankyou
November 8, 2024
I loved this second chance romance!!! And it was a little emotional too.
December 10, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but there were a few things that held me back from fully embracing it. As a fan of holiday-themed romance novels, I was hoping for more of those cozy, festive Christmas vibes that you can almost feel through the pages. Sure, there are mentions of Christmas and a few typical holiday scenes, but they didn’t have the same level of charm or magic that I was expecting from a book set around Christmas time.
Now, onto the second chance trope. If you’re like me and get a little (okay, maybe a lot) petty when it comes to romance novels, you might find yourself struggling with this one. There’s a particular moment where she is blamed for something that, in my opinion, wasn’t really her fault. The idea of forgiving someone (so easily) who has held a grudge for so long over something so unjust made it hard for me to fully get behind the romance. My petty side was definitely throwing up red flags.
Lastly, the ex-husband’s point of view towards the end of the book really threw me off. I understand the need for closure, but it felt like an odd choice for wrapping up the story.
Now, onto the second chance trope. If you’re like me and get a little (okay, maybe a lot) petty when it comes to romance novels, you might find yourself struggling with this one. There’s a particular moment where she is blamed for something that, in my opinion, wasn’t really her fault. The idea of forgiving someone (so easily) who has held a grudge for so long over something so unjust made it hard for me to fully get behind the romance. My petty side was definitely throwing up red flags.
Lastly, the ex-husband’s point of view towards the end of the book really threw me off. I understand the need for closure, but it felt like an odd choice for wrapping up the story.
December 7, 2025
The beginning had me locked in. But once Faith made it back to her hometown, the story took a left turn for me. The strongest parts were actually the side relationships: the dad and Marie, learning the mom’s background, and even the twins impact on Mrs. Atkins. Those moments added depth.
The romance though, wasn’t giving what I hoped. When Faith touched down in her old stomping grounds, I didn’t feel much remorse or yearning from Rome. Instead, he came on too strong, complimenting her body, calling her “baby”, smacking her butt… it felt rushed instead of reflective, no build-up or fight to win her back.
It wasn’t a bad read. It just lacked the longing I was looking for, and things moved a little too fast.
The romance though, wasn’t giving what I hoped. When Faith touched down in her old stomping grounds, I didn’t feel much remorse or yearning from Rome. Instead, he came on too strong, complimenting her body, calling her “baby”, smacking her butt… it felt rushed instead of reflective, no build-up or fight to win her back.
It wasn’t a bad read. It just lacked the longing I was looking for, and things moved a little too fast.
November 21, 2024
Very simply written and could’ve benefited from another round or two of editing and refining. For example, is Faith’s dad’s name Carl or Clyde because the way it started to go back and forth toward the end gave me whiplash from confusion. Also, I’m confused on timeline because a lot happened in what originally seemed like only 3-4 week span based on how Faith was talking when she decided to go visit Sageport. Like how the hell she know she’s pregnant that fast?! Again, more editing and refining because my brain couldn’t just pretend it all made sense… With all of that said, it was still a simple, cute story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2025
Sadly, I wasn’t a fan of the book; however, I pushed through since I committed to a buddy read.
I went into the story blind and just knew it was going to give me all the holiday vibes, but from the first few pages, the book went into another direction with a very traumatic event. That alone did not bother me, because I enjoy deep stories and a story that will make me feel. My problem with the story is that it felt unrealistic (and do not start with me about it being fiction- yes, I know that!) But, if our MMC was upset and cut ties with our FMC over this very traumatic and life-altering event, when they reconnect, I’d like to feel the discomfort between the two. I felt like it was just immediate butterflies and rainbows as if nothing happened, as if the disconnect didn’t happen, which didn’t work for me. I needed those raw and ugly feelings of heartbreak and grief to be addressed immediately, which would make for a stronger story and build up. The character development fell flat and so did the romance. It missed the mark, sadly.
Nothing against the author!
I’m specifically focusing on this book and this storyline. Not the author! I’ve read and enjoyed other work by this same author. Thank you!
I went into the story blind and just knew it was going to give me all the holiday vibes, but from the first few pages, the book went into another direction with a very traumatic event. That alone did not bother me, because I enjoy deep stories and a story that will make me feel. My problem with the story is that it felt unrealistic (and do not start with me about it being fiction- yes, I know that!) But, if our MMC was upset and cut ties with our FMC over this very traumatic and life-altering event, when they reconnect, I’d like to feel the discomfort between the two. I felt like it was just immediate butterflies and rainbows as if nothing happened, as if the disconnect didn’t happen, which didn’t work for me. I needed those raw and ugly feelings of heartbreak and grief to be addressed immediately, which would make for a stronger story and build up. The character development fell flat and so did the romance. It missed the mark, sadly.
Nothing against the author!
I’m specifically focusing on this book and this storyline. Not the author! I’ve read and enjoyed other work by this same author. Thank you!
December 4, 2024
Now, this is a unique, creative, and surprisingly realistic take on the family drama struggle during Christmas!
Here I am, a walking pukefest of Elf-level cheer in the middle of Christmas novellas, but Second Chance Christmas? Now that’s the Christmas miracle we all need to balance out the over-the-top jolly.
This slightly longer novella kicks off with a gut punch—Faith's mother is the town drunk, then bam, a dark twist hits you right in the holiday spirit. There’s a lot of world-building, but the Christmas vibes don’t really kick in until the end. The Second Chance romance trope felt a little rushed—I could’ve used a couple more build-up chapters to match the detailed start, but overall, it was a fresh, lovely holiday read that stands out from the million other overly festive ones.
And can we talk about that cover? Absolutely stunning! I didn’t even need to read the blurb—that cover sold me faster than a Christmas sale on sugar cookies.
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Audiobook: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) Leon Nixon, Gene Roberson, Sable Lyn
Here I am, a walking pukefest of Elf-level cheer in the middle of Christmas novellas, but Second Chance Christmas? Now that’s the Christmas miracle we all need to balance out the over-the-top jolly.
This slightly longer novella kicks off with a gut punch—Faith's mother is the town drunk, then bam, a dark twist hits you right in the holiday spirit. There’s a lot of world-building, but the Christmas vibes don’t really kick in until the end. The Second Chance romance trope felt a little rushed—I could’ve used a couple more build-up chapters to match the detailed start, but overall, it was a fresh, lovely holiday read that stands out from the million other overly festive ones.
And can we talk about that cover? Absolutely stunning! I didn’t even need to read the blurb—that cover sold me faster than a Christmas sale on sugar cookies.
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Audiobook: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) Leon Nixon, Gene Roberson, Sable Lyn
December 19, 2025
Faith is the daughter of the town drunk. After a few unfortunate events, Faith moves out of town after graduation.She leaves behind her beloved boyfriend, Rome.
Fifteen years later, she is divorced and a single parent. She decides to make a trip back to her hometown for the holidays. While back in her hometown, she runs into Rome and sparks fly.
This is a second chance romance that takes place around the Christmas holidays. The story is told through a few povs. The story jumped around a little. The story was definitely not relatable. It was far fetched at times. I wish it had been a little more realistic and flowed better. Overall it was an okay book.
Fifteen years later, she is divorced and a single parent. She decides to make a trip back to her hometown for the holidays. While back in her hometown, she runs into Rome and sparks fly.
This is a second chance romance that takes place around the Christmas holidays. The story is told through a few povs. The story jumped around a little. The story was definitely not relatable. It was far fetched at times. I wish it had been a little more realistic and flowed better. Overall it was an okay book.
December 4, 2025
This was so cute🥰
Emotional but still cute.
Emotional but still cute.
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