The Second Chance

by Charlotte Butterfield

After a psychic predicted Nell's death date twenty years ago, she has lived life accepting she would never see forty—embracing adventure and travelling the world, choosing fun over commitment and laying down roots. So when the fateful date comes, Nell feels ready. She posts five excruciatingly honest confessions to her sister, parents and past loves knowing she will not be around to face the consequences. With her heart laid bare, all that is left to do is check into a glamorous hotel and wait for the inevitable. And wait.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Chick Lit, Book Club, Adult Fiction, Magical Realism

384 pages, Paperback

Published May 20, 2025

Reviews

[Jess✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful ode to the one life you have. To the life you want to live. To the people you want in your life. To never being too old, too inexperienced, too scared or too anything to do what you want to do.

"Just promise me that you'll say hello to strangers."

A book can be good in many different forms. But one of them, and one that I like the most, is when a book is relatable and teaches you something about life. And oh, how was this perfect for it.

"It was the same reason she ever left anywhere she'd been for too long. She'd started to care about people and them about her."

Nell was told by a psychic at age eighteen that she was going to die in 20 years. She lived her life like she wanted to. To the fullest she was able to. But that also meant being scared of getting attached to people or them getting too attached to her. Because when the inevitable day comes, the hurt caused by her would be inevitable as well. So she travels alone. She does any reckless thing and anything without thinking it through.

"It was much harder to miss someone you never saw. For them and her."

And then... she does not die.

"She had got something.
She had a second chance."

This is the funny, emotional, and relatable story of Nell, her family, and the lovely people she left behind, met in the week of her long-expected death or while trying to live a life without an expiry date.

"Dou you want me to call you a cab?"
"That would be weird, my name is Nell."

This was the perfect 4.5 star book for me and an arc that caught me by surprise.

Second Chance was exactly the book that I needed in 2024. A book that called me out in some parts, taught me new things in others, and made me appreciate life on a new level.❤️

"So shall I book the two rooms then, or ..." He coughed. "The one?"

For anyone running away before it gets too serious.
For anyone ignoring problems instead of facing them.
For anyone being scared to love or being loved.
For anyone yearning to travel the world.
For anyone scared of taking the next step.
For anyone stuck somewhere.
For anyone who saw the title and went, I want that.
For anyone who is not perfect but is simply living their life the best they can.
For anyone needing a reminder that life is short but also long. Because it is never too late. And a decision from the past does not have to determine your whole life.

"Bye Tom."
"Ooo say it again."
"Bye Tom." (This is sooo cute in context 🥹)

Life can be short, but it can also be long. It can end tomorrow, next week, in 10 years, or in 80 years. But we only have one, however long it may be. This book is an entertaining reminder of such a devastating fact at times.

So here is to life and endless possibilities. ❤️🥂

Thank you, NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Charlotte Butterfield for the arc in exchange for an honest review. "The Second Chance" will be out in a couple of days on May 9th!

[Sally Hanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meet Nell, Tom, Greg, Polly, and Juno in this sweet, funny, thoughtful novel about second chances and how we face them.
Broken up into sections, the opening section is a funny one with Nell completely ready to die in a fancy hotel .... until she isn't. After that, things get a bit more serious, with frantic races to loved ones to get the letters she sent with her last words before they are opened. Naturally, that doesn't happen.
Nell is a loveable but avoidant type, eager to taste all the goodness in life but reluctant to taste it for too long, happy to get to know people but does a runner the second things look difficult. One great sentence in it is "I had made my peace with death but not with living," or something similar.
It drags a little in places, but overall, it's packed with sentiment and would make a fun TV movie.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hilarious and so clever. The kind of book where you have a smile on your face the whole time you're reading because it's all just kind of clicking- the premise, the characters, the dialogue, all of it just worked.

In her early twenties, Nell is told by a notorious psychic that she will die at the age of 38. When the prediction ends up coming true for one of her close friends, she lives the next 15 years fully believing the psychics prediction, and this knowledge completely changes the way she lives her life. When the day comes, she has tied up every last loose end, sold all of her belongings, and spends her last night in a fancy hotel, at peace with her fate. And then the next morning… she wakes up… finding herself with an unexpected second chance at life.

While I found this to be a mostly fun and light book, it was also very thought provoking. How would you live your life if you knew you only had a certain number of years left? Clearly, Nell let that influence every decision she made from there on out. I enjoyed watching her navigate her "new life" with a new perspective- and all of the fun that came with it.

I will say, I felt like this lost a little bit of steam at the halfway point. I mostly loved Nell as a character, but there were some decisions she made in the second half of the book that were frustrating and took away some of her likability. I really enjoyed the secondary characters- Greg, Tom, Juno, Polly, and felt they added a lot to the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this book!

Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for providing this advanced copy for my review!

[Nicki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book because the premise is interesting: how would you live your life if you knew the date of your death? I tried and I tried to like it but it was impossible because I really didn't like the main character.

Nell is portrayed as a free spirit, zany and untrammelled, doing things on a whim and never sticking around to face the consequences. She does do things on a whim and doesn't consider the consequences, but it's not cute or zany. She's a dick.

She frustrated me so much because she never thought about anyone but herself. About to die? Don't bother visiting the people who love you to say goodbye, just write them letters with a few home truths in them. Don't die? Forget all about the letters or trying to contact the people you've told you will be dead when they read them. No biggie.

I was grumbling at the page and telling both Greg and Tom to run for their lives throughout the book as she strings them both along. The double date that both men were on without knowing about it drove me insane. You've arranged to go out with someone, Nell, don't decide to ditch him because someone else turns up out of the blue and definitely don't decide you'll see them both on the same night, running between the two of them. Honestly, she's a dick.

The Juno storyline was clearly in there to make us think Nell was as free-spirited as Juno and for Juno's money to sweep in and save the day. The whole thing just annoyed me. Other people might love this, but its a big, hard no from me.

[Kasia Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mostly. I liked the premise but I felt it didn’t quite live up to how good it might have been. Also things were a bit to convenient throughout the book. I did enjoy though and would read another by this author 😊

[Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time finishing this book because I found the main character to be almost completely unlikeable. She abandoned her family and friends for the most ridiculous of reasons and proceeded to live her life incredibly selfishly, doing whatever made her feel good at the moment, then running off to the next thing, leaving people (and debts) behind everywhere. And she could be so condescending to people who lived what she thought of as boring lives - which seemed to be almost anyone not willing to give in to every whim of the moment.

There were some good moments, but unfortunately, they were few and far between.

[Nicola Hartley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book club choice. It was a little disappointing. It could have been so much more. Started out as very promiinising different read, but went downhill, everything just seemed to fall into place for the main character and was too easy. The book ended up just irritating me. Verged on fairy tale.

[Beccabeccabooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell Graham is about to die. Still, that's fine. She's totally on board with it. After all, the past nineteen years have been spent preparing for this moment. Nell's travelled the world, experiencing what it has on offer. Now, just a week until her demise, all of her possessions have been sold, bank accounts and social media have been shut down, and meaningful letters have been sent out to loved ones. Even a room in one of London's most extravagant hotels has been booked so that she can check out.

Imagine the shock when Nell wakes up the day after, totally alive. There's no plan for what's next. She's got nowhere to go and nothing to live on. What Nell does have is a second chance of life - she only has to grab it with both hands. Nell's been running away from what's important for so long - now it's time to reconnect, reevaluate, and just... live.

In this delightful novel, we are hit hard with one important question. What would you do with a second chance of life? It's not only Nell exploring and experiencing this gift, but also Tom, Greg, Jenny, Polly, and Juno. All of these side characters are dear to Nell and play a vital part in her journey.

The Second Chance was quite hilarious in parts. Some of the standouts for me were Nell's attempt to flee a certain hotel without paying, dressed only in a ballgown; also a very Mrs Doubtfire-esq scene that had me roaring. Oh, and Juno's non-stop energy was everything! You keep on promising to always talk to strangers, Queen Juno!

Are you #teamGreg or #teamTom? Both men can provide a suitable path for our unlikely and lovable heroine, but whom will she choose? Or. Will it be neither? Nell, do what's right for you!!

Such a great first impression of Charlotte Butterfield's writing, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her works.

4.5 🌟

[Yonit Benshaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the book. I didn't like the characters nor the plot. Everything was just to sweet and sticky. It was like eating cotton candy: sweet and fluffy with no essense or body . Everything falls magically into place all the time, no hardship, no sweat. The characters hold no grudges, no ill feelings, no anger. Feelings don't seem to ever go deeper than a puddle.

[Erin Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. Loved it! To me it was the perfect blend of humor, love stories, and a book that makes you stop and think about how you live your own life and how that would be different if you knew your specific date of death (or thought you knew it!)

[Cara McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

quite sweet, rather heartwarming, and a little thought provoking. A total comfort read. Just a few more characters than really felt necessary and one or two tangents too many.

[Linda Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nell is preparing to die.

The Second Chance is a super story of what is truly important in life and I enjoyed every moment of reading it.

The plot races along as Nell’s expected demise doesn’t occur and she has to come to terms with the consequences of her past life and her recent actions. There are relatively few truly dramatic moments and that is the absolute strength of the novel because it is in the ordinary and prosaic that Nell discovers the truth about life and herself. I loved the way Charlotte Butterfield mixed both humour and emotion in a pitch perfect balance. There’s a super thread of Nell’s relationships with Tom and Greg that adds a frisson of excitement and great romantic interest too.

Nell is fantastic. At times I loathed her for her selfish and unthinking attitude, at times I admired her vivacity and her ability to find the best in the most desperate of situations, and by the end of The Second Chance I loved and appreciated her unreservedly.

However, it was Juno who appealed to me most. She is the living embodiment of Jenny Joseph’s poem Warning. I loved her unconventional attire, her outrageous stories, her incisive intuition and her vulnerability as dementia affected her. She is so sensitively and authentically developed that I found her quite wonderful.

There’s a great balance too in the men in the story with Greg and Tom contrasting brilliantly with Tony and Ray so that The Second Chance feels populated with real people rather than mere characters in a story.

Add in thought provoking themes of family and friendship, the impact of the past on our present lives, the way fate has an ability to intervene in our lives and scupper our plans and Charlotte Butterfield shows us how life is for living, doing our best but not forgetting those we love. I thought her story was fabulous.

The Second Chance is a brilliant escapist read. It’s filled with warmth, human understanding and humour. Reading it I was completely absorbed and transported away from the trials of my own life. I have certainly been convinced that we need to be more Nell – and more Juno!

[Helen Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahh brilliant, heartwarming relatable in places and thoroughly entertaining read. I loved the concept of knowing exactly when you’re going to die and the way that everything would fixate around that fact. We’re all a bit obsessed by the concept of our own demise but there are also good things about that like remembering to live every moment to the full and not wasting opportunities. Our main character gives lots of food for thought, partially in her determination to have lots of experiences but also in her reticence to put down roots or become too grounded because of what she believes is to come. She’s a great reminder that you don’t always want to commit and that big life decisions aren’t always easy to make and you never quite know for sure if you’ve made the correct one but being nice to strangers is definitely a good option and feeling you’re doing the right thing is good for your conscience and karma. A really lovely read and some refreshing life lessons.

[Karen Gallaher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't wait to drink out of the crystal glasses!

[Hannah Nilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really a 1.5. Nothing special about the plot of this book. When it starts with the letters having been written, there’s an implication that the relationship between the sisters will be what takes centre stage, but nothing really comes of it - it’s brushed over and resolved without much fanfare to focus on the love triangle which is far less interesting.
The main character is thoroughly unlikeable. The author is desperately trying to portray her as a manic pixie dream girl type but she’s actually just… bland and selfish? I feel like the character is underdeveloped and the technique the author has used to make the character appear special is to just make everyone around her unrealistically boring or uptight. I will not be gaslit into thinking this is a charismatic, free spirited, captivating character just because she’s been to Thailand and Australia.
There was so much potential for this to be a good family drama, but the plot never goes anywhere, which might have been fine if the characters were interesting enough to compensate, but sadly not. Falls flat. Couldn’t wait to finish it.

[Is Jem · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah this is annoying.

[Esther Bultitude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell has always known her expiry date.
After a psychic predicted her death date twenty years ago, she has lived life accepting she would never see forty - embracing adventure and travelling the world, choosing fun over commitment and laying down roots.

So, when the fateful day comes, Nell feels ready. She posts five excruciatingly honest confessions to her sister, parents and past loves, knowing she won't be around to face the consequences. Then, with her heart laid bare, all that's left to do is check into a glamorous hotel and wait for the inevitable.

But Nell unexpectedly wakes up the next morning broke, single...and very much alive. Shocked but delighted, she must now consider how to seize this unexpected second chance at life. And then it also hits her:
What on earth happens now that everyone knows exactly how she really feels?

I loved this book and it was made all the more enjoyable by the eccentricity of the characters each with their own foibles. Who would’ve thought you’d make a best friend of an octogenarian you’d meet on a bus!

Nell was a pleasure to read; I could see so much of her in myself as I often do with this kind of female character. Her love, affection and kindness really shone through.

If I had been given the news she had,
I wish I would have had the balls to do what she did - nothing like going out with a bang!

Heartwarming from the word go, this book is surely going to give you the feels as it did with me 🥰

[lyza (bookish version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture this - you're 19 years old, spending time abroad in Australia with the boy that you love. You and your friends hear of a psychic who is able to predict the date of your deaths and, intrigued, you seek her out. Everything is fine until you realize that this might be more serious than you're bargaining for. 19 years. That's how old you are. And that's how much longer you have to live - 19 years.

Nell takes this news to heart and chooses to live her life to its absolute fullest - traveling from country to country to see all that there is, never settling down anywhere. Her death date is coming up and she's making all sorts of arrangements to relieve herself of all her worldly belongings - after all, she won't be needing them where she's headed. Except....her death date passes....and she's still alive.

This book is a wonderful story of "What would you do with your life if you knew when you were going to die?" mixed with "What would you do if you were given a second chance?" It was a great read and I look forward to more from Charlotte Butterfield!

[Carol Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely easy read, full of wit. Loved this book.

From the start it just just lovely easy read to get into. As a young adult Nel headed off travelling before settling down into.college & creating a life. While travelling she visited a fortune teller who was reccomend by other traveller's she met on her journey. Mandy supposedly was able to tell you the date you will die.

Having this date Nel decides to live her life doing what makes her happy & what she believes will leave less heartache on people in her life. She sells all her professions, cancels all social media, emails, bank accounts, etc any money she donates to.charity.

So when Nel wakes the morning after what she was told.be her final day on earth, she has nothing. No money to pay hotel she woke up in, no where to live, no clothes, phone etc.

38 yrs old and starting from scrath, reconnecting with family & ex lover as well as.meeting new people who help.her rebuild her life & create a new Nel.

I flew through this book couldn't put it down and reccomend to.everyone.to read it.

[Sarah Farmer-Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the premise for this book, it really hooked me in and made me wonder what I would do if I was in Nell’s shoes. Nell is a quirky, somewhat chaotic but likeable character, although at times a bit self centred and lacking in thought about the impact of her actions on family and friends. As she realises the ramifications of what she’s done and how it has affected her relationships she sets about making amends, building bridges and finding her own personal growth. There’s some humour in amongst the more profound messages about the importance of relationships and living our best life while we have it; and to top it all off there’s a generous sprinkling of romance too. It’s a lovely, light and thought provoking read!

[Emory McC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started with a bang, got a bit muddled later in the first half, and ended with me in a puddle of tears.

Our MC Nell will not be for everyone! She is wild, fun and a bit selfish. But, she is so full of heart and love! After she’s granted an unforeseen “second chance” at life she has to rebuild. That rebuilding comes with many hiccups, lovers, tiffs and tiaras.

There is romance here, but ultimately this is a coming of age story about a mid-thirties woman finding herself in a stage of life she did not plan to make it to. She is complex and she’s finding out that so is everyone else.

If there were ~50 less pages in the first half of this book it would be incredible. The last ~150 pages were some of the best stuff I’ve read all year.


Thank you to NetGalley & Avon for the eARC!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nell has a death date, or at least that's what she thinks after visiting a psychic on her travels with her boyfriend Greg. Fast forward 20 years later and Nell prepares to die...but doesn't. After living a strings-free life that she thinks will be short, Nell has to now try living for the future, which means making amends, trying to stay put for a while, and managing relationships.

It was a good vacation read.

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, what an absolute cup of joy!

Nell has been living her whole life preparing for the day a clairvoyant predicted her death. But, spoiler alert, despite selling all her things,donating all her worldly goods and cash to charity, Nell wakes up.

The characters are delightful, Nell's new outlook on life wonderful, and the little messages of live, kindness and purpose are inspiring.

So, what would you do/how would you live if you knew when you would die?

[Shellygriff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant just brilliant. Thank you so much to my good friend Rachel for my gifts of delightful books. They give me so much pleasure. And this one was exceptionally good. It's a real feel-good story. A must-read 📚

[Chloë Dowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this story about Nell who is living her life to the full, knowing she will die on a specific day. But then she wakes up the next morning and is given a second chance at life. Really well written, with highly likeable and engaging characters. Would have given it 5* but felt the ending was a little too twee..... definitely recommend others to read it though.

[Divya · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book spoke to me

also LOVE the cover

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

another lovely little book! found the main character annoying in parts but completely loved other characters

[El Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

liked the premise of the book, but the protagonist was infuriating and annoying at times. the audiobook narrator’s american accent was a bit painful too lol.

[Ciara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the romance of it and not knowing how to expect the ending to go!

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was wholesome and funny and all the characters were unrealistically generous haha