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Second Last Chance

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Three years ago,
a poet and a musician were in love.

Three years ago,
the poet broke the musician’s heart.

Three years ago,
the poet spent her last chance.


Sasha Brown had two goals in To become a famous poet, and to escape her poor and neglectful childhood. But when tragedy struck in her small Minnesota hometown, she left her dreams, and the only boy she ever loved, behind. Seemingly for good.

Now, three years later, Sasha is trying to rebuild, and to move on from a past that still haunts her. But when an unexpected encounter with the boy she thought she would never see again reawakens old dreams, and old feelings, she may find there is such a thing as a second last chance.

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2024

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About the author

Benét Stoen

7 books47 followers
Benét Stoen is a born and bred Minnesotan, a full-time bookworm, candle enthusiast, and spinner of emotional tales. When not writing she'll be found driving, but only because she hasn't yet figured out how to do both at the same time.
Follow her on Instagram: @benetstoen

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5 stars
11 (47%)
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8 (34%)
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3 (13%)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Jordanna.
14 reviews
March 28, 2024
4.5 stars. I adored this book. I had a feeling I was going to love it, and I'm glad I was right. This book made my heart go pitter patter and have a cheesy shit eating grin on my face so often. I felt like I could relate in some aspects to parts of this book which just added to the impact it had on me. The only thing I would change would be the ending. I would have liked it to have had more to it and not seem like it was rushed through. Aside from that I recommend this book to anyone who wants a feel good romance with a strong sibling bond tossed in.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to ARC read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for nandini.
95 reviews4 followers
October 10, 2024
3.5⭐️

Second-chance romances have always been my favorite trope, and few resonate with me the way they do. When Benét Stone offered me the opportunity to read this book, I was thrilled—and I ended up finishing it in just two days.

The story centers around Sasha, a university student passionate about poetry. Three years ago, her life was on track with a promising poetry career and a new relationship with her boyfriend, Sam. However, everything changed one night when her younger sister, Lizzy, was in a tragic accident. Lizzy suffered a concussion, leaving her prone to debilitating migraines and at risk of permanent blindness if she sustained another head injury. Sasha, feeling the weight of responsibility, dropped out of school and sacrificed her aspirations—including her relationship with Sam—to become her sister’s full-time caregiver. With an absent father and a barely present mother, the burden fell solely on her shoulders.

Now, three years later, Sasha has reluctantly accepted that this is her life. She feels disconnected from the person she once was, unable to recall who she used to be. But a chance encounter with Sam suddenly brings those memories and questions about her past self flooding back.

As an older sister, this story resonated with me on a deeply emotional level. Sasha never harbored resentment toward Lizzy; she was steadfast in her love and care for her sister. Yet Sam’s reappearance in her life rekindled something within Sasha—he helped her remember who she once was and offered a sense of grounding she had lost. His bond with Lizzy was equally heartwarming, and I found the dynamic between all three of them beautifully written. There’s something profound about having someone who knows you well enough to remind you of your former self, whether that person is a friend or a romantic partner.

Although I found the story touching, my main critique is that the ending felt rushed. The final 10% seemed abrupt, leaving me wishing for a more developed conclusion. Nevertheless, it was a poignant, fast-paced read that left an emotional impact.
Profile Image for Jana.
194 reviews6 followers
March 27, 2024
Okay hello?? I was not expecting this book to be THATTT good!!!

I think this is the first book that mainly focuses on a sister-sister relationship and I loved that so much. Also, this was the first book I’ve ever read that has a migraine representation.. I feel like authors don’t really write about things like that anymore.. or I haven’t come across anything like that in my life

I struggle with migraines so much. I’m currently going through what Lizzie’s going through and I’m trying to get appointments with neurologists and stuff because it literally blinds me sometimes - thank God it hasn’t been from an accident though

I love that Sam was so understanding about everything. The undying love between these two was palpable and I loved it so much. How he was always a shoulder to cry on and a back to lean on.. just amazing

I related so much to this book. With the chemistry between two best friends, the migraines, the supporting the family.. it was just a book that hit home and just opened my eyes on so many things

Can we talk about all the creativity in this book? The plots, the quotes, the poems, the songs, the situations, the responsibilities… girl you ate and left no crumbs 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

The writing? IMPECCABLE! I believe I was meant to read this book. This is definitely a book I would want to have on my shelf. Ms. Stoen, you did NOT disappoint. You served🙅‍♀️
Profile Image for Breonna Clark.
21 reviews2 followers
April 12, 2024
What if you had a second chance at being with the love of your life?

When Benet reached out to me offering a ARC for second last chance I jumped at the opportunity and you guys it was the BEST decision. Second Last Chance is a romance book that will hit you in all the feels in the best way possible. If you’re looking for a romance book based in MN, a cinnamon roll of a MMC and a MFC who’s growth and journey remind you of what it means to care for yourself and love someone unconditionally you need to pick up this book when it comes out on 3.28. Seriously all I cannot recommend this book enough. While I wanted a bit more from the ending (I WANNA HEAR SAMS SONG BENET! 😂) I don’t have any other complaints.

Go order this book (and probably some chocolate wine and tissues because oofff I was a mess, in a good way though
Profile Image for Anais (atrailofpages).
1,010 reviews27 followers
March 19, 2024
Gosh I read this so fast!

Three years ago, Sasha’s life was going very well with her possible career as a poet and her good friend(maybe something more) Sam. Until the accident. Sasha’s sister Lizzy was in an accident that gave her a concussion she was to recover from. She didn’t. Instead, she became susceptible to horrible migraines and if she had another head injury, she could go blind permanently. Sasha dropped out of college and forgot everything and everyone except for her sister Lizzy to take care of her.
Three years later, Lizzy is doing better to the point that Sasha feels she can breathe, but now Sasha doesn’t know who she is anymore or what she wants anymore, and still wonders about Sam who she left without a word about what happened and where she went and why, but she never forgot Sam. Until she bumps into him in town.

Ohhhh this book is such an emotional read! And deals with some heavy subjects such as trauma, grief, eating disorder, and self worth. It was a tough read especially since, if I’m honest, I relate to Sasha so much.

You read this and wonder why can’t Sasha just let her sister deal with her problems. But she’s been soooo invested for three years, I get how it’s hard to come back from that. Plus, her mom is just wow, no words. And then when Sasha gets angry or frustrated with something Sam may point out, I get it too because I would feel the same way. When I get embarrassed or maybe it’s something I don’t want to talk about, I can get angry or standoffish. It’s hard to talk about things that may be bothering you or if you’re going through a tough time, or it is for me. I don’t like being center of attention, and I also don’t like people watching me eat. I totally got Sasha. We are like the same person, expect she has Sam. This wonderful boy who just loves her and wants to take care of her and make sure she’s okay.

I love emotional reads, and this one just hurts your heart. I am not always a fan of second chance romances. There has to be a good reason for why it didn’t work out the first time and this is one of those exceptions for me. I loved the journey the two go through. They each have issues, and are trying to help take care of the other and it’s just so sweet and tender and I just loved every moment of it. I really need a Sam 😭 I have my cats 😂

Sam is just this golden hearted cinnamon roll. His belief and confidence in Sasha is so endearing, he just knows she’s worth it and can do anything and she does. Even when he’s going through a hard time, he seemed to still think of her and make sure she’s okay.

The relationship between Lizzy and Sasha is so sweet too. I have a younger sister and that’s another reason why I relate because I would do anything for my sister too, and sometimes, your sister needs to give you a wake up call that hey she’s older now and is capable of taking care of herself.

This is such a beautiful story! Sad, emotional, heart-wrenching and yet so beautiful and relatable. I love Benét’s books, she has a way with romances and emotional reads and I love them every time.

Thank you Benét for the gifted e-copy! I look forward to whatever you write next! 🥰
Profile Image for Jennifer Leigh (jenjenbookfan).
1,503 reviews31 followers
March 24, 2024
𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 is an emotional second chance love story by Bénet Stoen that will tug on your heartstrings from beginning to end! Three years ago, Sasha was a young poet with big dreams, ready to take the world by storm with her boyfriend, Sam, a talented songwriter in his own right. But life is what happens when you’re busy making plans. Instead of finding a way out of her difficult life, tragedy struck in a way that sent Sasha reeling into a life of overwhelming sacrifice, responsibility, and loneliness. She threw away everything she wanted to do what she thought was right. When a chance encounter with Sam happens in the present, old feelings resurface, but so much has changed. Is it safe for Sasha to hope for second last chance?

Since I had never read anything from this author before, I had no idea what to expect, but I couldn’t put the book down! The characters were so compelling because the emotions and pain were raw and real. This is not your typical romance with spicy scenes or whatever. This story is about soul deep connections, emotional and physical pain, family disfunction and responsibility, as well as the beauty of a sibling bond. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the sweet romance between Sam and Sasha!! He was the ultimate cinnamon roll hero, as he was the stability that Sasha and Lizzy needed, which led to a great found family vibe for me!🥰 But, I also loved the bond between Sasha and Lizzy, despite the stress of their circumstances. The book does cover some sensitive topics in a beautiful way. Sasha is a truly inspirational character. Yes, she has flaws, but the fact that she’s still standing is a testament to her fortitude and love for her sister. I loved the way the story ended, but it felt a bit abrupt. I’m just an epilogue girl at heart!😂🤷🏼‍♀️

I received an ARC for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#SecondLastChance #BenetStoen #SecondChance #CloseProximity #CinnamonRollHero #smalltownromance #FoundFamily #emotionalreads
Profile Image for Jackie OneMoreChapterJp.
272 reviews1 follower
June 15, 2024
3.5 ⭐️

Thank you to the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Three years ago,
a poet and a musician were in love.

Three years ago,
the poet broke the musician’s heart.

Three years ago,
the poet spent her last chance.

Sasha Brown had two goals in life: To become a famous poet, and to escape her poor and neglectful childhood. But when tragedy struck in her small Minnesota hometown, she left her dreams, and the only boy she ever loved, behind. Seemingly for good.

Now, three years later, Sasha is trying to rebuild, and to move on from a past that still haunts her. But when an unexpected encounter with the boy she thought she would never see again reawakens old dreams, and old feelings, she may find there is such a thing as a second last chance.


Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It is a very emotionally heavy book that deals with parental neglect, self loathing, and self destructive behavior. I would say if you are sensitive to eating disorders to just be wary as it is part of this book. This is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sasha works so hard to be there for her younger sister Lizzie and the inner struggle she has with feeling she deserves nothing broke my heart. I thought Sam was a very good MMC and I’m glad that he was there for Sasha and helped her. There is no spicey scenes in this book which didn’t bother me, just wanted to note in case people were looking for the spice rating. Overall I enjoyed the book and wouldn’t be opposed to reading another one in the future.
Profile Image for Janine Vuong.
128 reviews29 followers
March 21, 2024
4.5 ✨

wow I absolutely adored this ARC!! I was SO invested!! it was so character-driven and i could genuinely feel the emotions emanating from the words. i absolutely adored the characters and their complexity. sasha and sam have such a wholesome relationship and it was so easy to love them the same way they selflessly love each other. i also love lizzy so much and the sisterly bond between her and sasha. the difficult family dynamic represents the imperfection of all relationships and i found that highlighted aspect to be very important.

this book has somewhat of a slice of life feeling where you truly understand how scary and fragile life is, which changes us as individuals. i respect benet stoen so much for bringing awareness to these vulnerable topics. it was incredibly easy to relate to sasha’s fears, which helped me understand the decisions she made. this book is a perfect example of how we might change based on different experiences, yet there’s still that essence in each person that the world can never take away. beyond the things we can control, there are so many aspects we can’t which we need to accept. instead, all we can do is love each other in the time we have and lean on others at the same time to share the burden 🩷

i did wish we saw a little more towards the end, but i still think the ending was a perfect way to tie up the book! the writing was very artistic and lyrical just like sam and sasha’s personalities and i really enjoyed the flow. thank you so much Benet for this ARC!!
Profile Image for Emily.
330 reviews1 follower
April 2, 2024
A second chance romance will always win in my books, and reading this one was an absolute pleasure! Sam was our cinnamon roll hero, and really let our MC Sasha shine in her journey of grief, struggle, and growth.

I loved seeing the migraine and disordered eating rep! As a chronic migraine sufferer myself, I always love seeing it become a part of any story, and seeing so much of my own struggle between the pages. Overall I appreciate when authors can intertwine hard subjects to humanize our characters, and really display the hardships of real life.

I really felt pulled in by the sister-sister relationship we got to experience, and connected a lot to the responsibility you feel for your younger siblings. I loved the love that
Sasha had for Lizzy, and how they grew apart and together amist their struggles.

I would have loved to have seen more in the ending, but I still think that Benét finished this one on such a beautiful note.

Thank you so much to Benét for an ARC of this one, so honoured to be an early reader of this one!!
Profile Image for Piper Bee.
Author 4 books33 followers
May 29, 2024
Second Last Chance is simultaneously a comfort read and a book that claws at your heart, all with a romance to die for! Sasha, a wounded soul fiercely guarding her heart, pairs perfectly with eager optimist, Sam, an adorable musician who is just right to help her heal. The characters jump off the page, the emotion is raw and real, and the gut-wrenching backstory makes the hopeful moments superbly satisfying to read. Stoen’s beautifully told love story proves that, even when darkness overtakes everything you know, some people bring light that will never let you go.
Profile Image for Zahira⚡️.
449 reviews52 followers
April 4, 2024
rating : 4 stars.

Thank you to the author for sending me an e-arc of this book!


I absolutely enjoyed my time reading this book. It hooked me right at the beginning and made me want to know more about Sasha, Lizzy & Sam. The emotional love story between Sasha & Sam was beautiful & heartwarming to read that it instantly made me love them. This story was completely character driven so if you love those, please pick it up! I honestly loved seeing the complexity between our characters and especially the family dynamics that Sasha had with her sister Lizzy & her mom. It was heartbreaking to see the mommy issues but realistic. I really loved how protective Sasha was of her little sister. The sisterly bond was one of my favorite things in this story. I truly related to the main character as the eldest daughter who often takes the parenting role. It gets exhausting over years and quite overwhelming. I think the author did a great job portraying that aspect. She also did a good job on tackling some vulnerable topics and she made it easyfor us to understand Sasha’s thoughts and decisions. The writing was beautiful and lyrical which represents Sasha & Sam’s passions really well. I really wish we had more in the ending but I can understand why it ended that way. ✨🖤
Profile Image for cianna .
77 reviews8 followers
November 20, 2024
if you're looking for an emotional second chance romance that centers healing, the bond between sisters, and a softer story of everyday life & struggles, this one is for you.

three years ago, sasha & sam were artists in love, chasing their dreams together. but then something happens to sasha's little sister that causes her to drop everything to support her — including sam. now, three years later, the two reconnect & maybe, just maybe, have a chance at finding their way back to each other & their dreams.

this was such a touching book. seeing everything sasha worked through, & how she would do anything for her sister made me root so hard for her. as a writer, i always connect to stories of writers trying to find their voice again, & the way stoen depicted it here felt so real.

the way sam so wholeheartedly cared for & supported sasha throughout the story had me WEAK. he's such a sweetheart. i think if you love abby jimenez's love interests or were a dave rygalski girl, you'll love this man. he's an acts of service KING.

the ending felt a bit rushed to me, and there were some pieces of the story that felt a bit off, but as a whole, i enjoyed my reading experience.

trigger warning: this book contains depictions of an eating disorder
Profile Image for Ted and her books.
68 reviews
March 28, 2024
I read it in one sitting, I couldn’t stop reading Sasha’s story, it was beautiful, sad and infuriating.

I loved every single character, I felt like I was living amongst them, seeing Sasha’s pain, seeing Lizzy’s happiness and innocence, Sam’s goodness and how he’s filled with love, and unfortunately also Sasha’s and Lizzy’s mom, who I hated with a burning passion.

This was very cute, to be honest, I’m not a second chance gal, and I wasn’t really sure how to feel about it, but I really enjoyed Second Last Chance !
Profile Image for Deanna Magee.
42 reviews1 follower
May 1, 2024
This was a great romance book, the conflict and inner turmoil of the characters were believable/relatable. Addresses some hard emotional/life issues and balances it well with the elements of the romantic relationship.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews