Love and Other Chances

Love and #2

by Tracy Baack

“It feels like Brooks is uniquely designed to make or break my heart.”

Teegan Jones is the epitome of an extrovert—so why is she suddenly avoiding people?

For the past three years, she’s thrived in her full-time ministry position as a mentor to college students, but now burnout is looming. Teegan takes her long-distance best friends’ advice: find local peers who can fill her cup. The last thing she expects is for one of those peers to be the man she spent years intentionally forgetting.

Brooks Murphy shredded Teegan’s soul in high school. But it’s evident he’s not the same guy he was eight years ago. This Brooks is all the things she once loved about him, paired with the growth and maturity brought about by his own faith journey.

He’s here. He’s changed. And he’s oh-so-appealing.

But is a second chance at love worth the risk of repeat heartbreak?

Love and Other Chances is a contemporary second chance romance. Readers who appreciate sweet romances, relatable characters with depth and growth, and light faith themes will love this story. You'll find plenty of swoon with no spice in this closed-door, kisses-only romance.

This is the second book in the interconnected Love and Other. . . series, following Love and Other Goals. While written as a standalone, reading the books in order will provide the best reader experience.

Content Considerations for Sensitive Divorced parents; present grief over past death of parent

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Clean Romance, Christian Fiction, Faith, Christian, Contemporary Romance

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2025

Reviews

[Samantha | samanthakreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet second-chance romance! It’s cute and fun, has great friendships, and intertwined are beautiful faith themes, including grace and forgiveness.

I loved Teagan and Brooks; I thought their relationship was adorable and swoony! There are fun moments that will make you smile like the silent disco, snow day, and of course, the awesome girl group… Tracy writes some of the best friendships!

There was a great balance of lighthearted and fun elements with deeper themes and emotional depth. I loved the topics Tracy included in this book, it was well done, and I think many readers will be able to relate to and connect with this story❤️

If you love second-chance romance, heartfelt stories, great characters, and a book that will leave you smiling, I highly recommend Love and Other Chances!

✨This book can be read as a standalone, but there are characters from book 1, Love and Other Goals, in this book. I recommend reading LAOG first✨

Thank you to Tracy for a complimentary ARC, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content discretions: kisses only, divorced parents, 1 swear word (Jack**), grief over a parent who passed away, anxiety, grief, mentions of a promiscuous past

[Alicia (aliciasalwaysreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars, rounded up!)

GENRE
-Christian romance

CONTENT
-🤬: one instance of mild language (jacka**)
-❤️: just kisses
-⚠️: mentions of a promiscuous past, brief discussion of waiting until marriage, grief over prior death of a parent

I think this is my favorite of Tracy’s books so far! Teegan and Brooks dated in high school and it did not end well. Teegan has done her best to completely avoid even thinking of Brooks for the past 8ish years so imagine her complete shock when he appears at her small group Bible study. She is so wary of trusting him again, after the immense pain of their earlier breakup.

I really enjoyed how the moved so slowly in their relationship— becoming friends again before it their dormant feelings for each other resurfaced. The partnership they built was really beautiful— them against the pain that the world and its circumstances bring.

It was also fun to see Lana, Mateo and Amaya again!

Favorite Quotes:

🔥"But until then, you need to know that I'm bringing the full-court press. Because I know what I want. And it's you. It's us."

‼️"Each day holds the threat of something terrible changing life as we know it forever. But every day also holds the potential for beauty you didn't see coming. You never know what kind of day it's going to be. Sure, you can calculate risk, but you can never fully avoid pain."

🫶 “Live bravely, even when you feel afraid."

❤️ “It's us against the pain, together. Forever."

[Paris (parismaereads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Quick Takes:
- 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Genre 📚 romance
- Language 🤐 none
- Spice ❤️‍🔥 kisses only
- Content 🤔 divorce, past death of parent

I feel like this book was written specifically for me.

The way I personally relate to Teegan and her relationship journey. I’ve cried those tears, I’ve had that heartache. While my story is different and my rough break up was with someone else, I can’t help but see myself in her circumstances.

Mr. Reads and I are a second chance romance and Baack fully and faithfully captures what it feels like going through the hurdles of a second chance romance.

[Charissa James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the perfect balance of fun, humor, and deep, meaningful narrative. I mean, what else would you expect from Tracy Baack and two golden retriever MCs? Tracy has a way of writing that makes the characters come off the page and into my living room. Teegan and Brooks were so real that I found myself thinking of friends with similar personalities! And the setting was amazing. I feel like SO MANY books gravitate toward small towns or big cities but completely leave out everything in the middle. This book is set in a town that seems more realistic because people are actually driving to friends' houses, church, and restaurants. Now, I have to take a minute to appreciate that the Beefs are still going strong in this story despite the fact that they're living in different cities. Lana and Amaya (and even Mateo) were a big part of this story, and I absolutely loved getting to see them again. I also loved the relationship between Teegan and Brooks. It was interesting reading about two people who knew each other really well but still had to figure out how to be with each other. I really liked how they eventually learned to work through the different painful parts of their lives together. It was so beautiful. I HIGHLY recommend this to readers of contemporary Christian romance!

So many thanks to Tracy for having me on her ARC team! All opinions are my own.

[Tori Conkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good! The best part was getting to know the characters. I felt like I was there and felt all the emotions they went through. This book definitely offers all the feels. Also shows that once you have been shown forgiveness to forgive yourself. The friendships in this book is fantastic too! I appreciate how God’s grace was throughout the whole book. Gods love was very present as well. I definitely would recommend Love and other chances.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars

“Brooks did everything wrong in highschool, but now he’s doing everything right.”

💕 The vibes:
- second chance
- Christian themes
- Forgiveness
- Friend group
- Closed door

👟 My thoughts:
What’s a social butterfly extrovert to do when the burnout is closing in? As Teegan finds herself at a career crossroads, the chaos is doubled when she runs into her ex boyfriend from high school. Brooks was once everything Teegan wanted and everything she’s wanted to move on from. Will Teegan see that Brooks has changed since he walked away 8 years ago? Will she want to fight for forgiveness or let him go a second time?

👟 Ok- Teegan’s personality is quite the opposite of mine. Her never-stop-moving personality made me FEEL tired. But something I love about her is that she’s well rounded. Yes- she’s an absolute social butterfly extrovert, but she also has her lows. She’s reflective, thoughtful, and very in tune with her feelings. She’s not just a bubbly, silly character that can sometimes be the case with a “golden retriever” personality type. I felt like I could really understand a whole other world outlook by reading Teegan’s POV, which I really appreciated.

👟 The same could be said for Brooks. He’s the life of the party, but he had such a steady and humble soul that made him a character easy to root for. He’s not without flaws and has made mistakes (which I loved to see because this is REAL), but he’s laser-focused on the days ahead and getting his girl back, and I freaking love his character arc.

👟 There’s some cheesy moments throughout, but I think it fits with both Brooks’ and Teegan’s personalities. They’re fun and goofy so it made sense for them to be cheesy as well.

👟 There’s so many little moments that I loved. The fall vibes, the pumpkin patch, the Thanksgiving dinner, the winter scenes, and the biblical references - all these elements sprinkled in added so much fun to this story.

👟 I wish I had this book a decade ago. There’s so many themes in here that resonated with me personally, and I think there’s a lot in here that will resonate with a lot of readers.

👟 I beta read this one, and Tracy can confirm that I poked this story, plot, and characters from all angles holding nothing back. The final copy is so polished and such a touching story of forgiveness, grace, and second chances.

Note- closed door; Christian themes
Release date: March 12, 2025.

[Cherilyn (Cherwhatyouread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness. Teagan and Brooks were so good with each other and got a beautiful second chance. The BEEFS friendship was so so amazing (I may have teared up a couple times at how much I love them). I loved Brooks development as a character. The pull between them was so strong and my heart just felt Teagan’s anguish over letting Brooks back in or not. Which ultimately she chose Brooks and they wear just meant to be!

Favorite Quotes:
Brooks’ head falls back in a laugh. The same laugh that was once my favorite sound in the world. It’s deepened a bit with age, but the cadence is the same. My heart both expands and aches a little.

“This isn’t just a second chance to me, Sneaks.” His voice is tender, little more than a murmur. “This is the only chance I ever want. Before you say yes to this, you should know that I’m not just trying. It’s not going to be a half-hearted ‘it works or it doesn’t’ shot to me. We’re talking next-level full-court press, Teeg. Is that still what you want?”

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

•𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰•

{𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑶𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔}

“𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕'𝚖 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕-𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜. 𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚞𝚜."

🌸 Release Date: March 12, 2025 🌸
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Y’all…this book was so swoony and absolutely perfect! There were so many aspects to this story that I loved so much, but probably my favorite part was the faith-based plot. I love it when a story points its readers to a better relationship with God and helps them to better evaluate their lives, and that’s exactly what this book did!

Teegan’s super loveable persona and her social skills made her perfect for her job at Arrow working with the students there! I found myself bonding with Teegan through some similar experiences, but also just because of how real she was in her life. She struggled with knowing what God’s plans for her future were, but even through all of her self doubts, she stayed strong and trusted in God. When her high school ex, Brooks, showed up, Teegan’s life was really thrown for a loop, mostly because she still had feelings for him. What he had done in the past was NOT okay, but now that he was a born again Christian, I was hardcore rooting for him to win her back!

Brooks was literally such a sweetheart! I love how he was constantly there for Teegan, providing her with her favorite candy, protecting her from a creeper, and taking care of her when she was sick ♥️ He was an upstanding gentleman through and through, that’s for sure! His patience and perseverance in winning her back made for the best plot 😄

The friendships and relationships portrayed in this book were amazing! I loved Teegan’s Beefs, Amaya and Lana. They were there for her through thick and thin, proving themselves to truly be the best of friends ♥️ I loved all of the interactions with Teegan’s small group as well. Tracy Baack wrote such lovely characters and I highly recommend that everyone go read this incredibly sweet story!
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Thank you, Tracy, for allowing me to read an arc of your new book 💗

[Menallie Slusher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book.
I read Tracy’s first book, Love and Other Goals, and while I enjoyed it, I felt like it was a bit young.
Having a few years gap between that book and this book felt much more grown up.
I loved the story. Tracy writes about Christianity so it feels real and not cheesy.
This is the perfect balance of sweet and heart warming while also tackling some heavy topics.

I’m really looking forward to the next book in this series.

I’m apart of Tracy’s ARC team. I was given this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Randi Sampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and Other Chances is the second book in the Love and Other series. I had not personally read the first book in the series and found that I was still able to enjoy this one just fine as a standalone--- though the glimpses that we get of the couple from book one certainly had me curious to go back and read their story too!

Oh, what a sweet read this was! Second chance romance sometimes get a bit of hate, but personally, I absolutely adore them. Stories like Brooks and Teegan's is the perfect example as to why- sometimes, it's not the wrong person, it's just the right person at the wrong time... and characters have to grow first to be where they need to be to make it work. Brooks and Teegan definitely had a rough history, but seeing how far Brooks had come in his faith journey since his teenage years? That was absolutely beautiful. I loved their chemistry, of course, and how determined her was to win her back but more than that I loved how they supported each other throughout. It was a really sweet and tender relationship that I couldn't help but enjoy. If you love books with beautiful faith-filled romance and strong female friendships, this is certainly one you'll want to check out.

Love and Other Chances is a closed-door Christian romance with kisses only. There is one minor swear.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Natalie Crane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I genuinely enjoyed this book. Laughed out loud a couple times. Smiled at cute moments more than a couple times. I would recommend this as a good fun, ‘everything goes the way you want it to’ book. I was actually so surprised with how much I related to the main character and also how she coped with hard situations (which usually is not coping and throwing yourself into social situations to avoid your thoughts hahah), me to a T in college. Also with the working for a ministry during and post graduation. Anyways, good clean Christian romance with lots of encouragement on God’s plans for us and what really forgiveness is.

[Lynsey McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back for a review:

This is Teegan’s story in which she discovers that we can’t outrun pain, or sadness, or loneliness, or burnout, or even family drama. Everyone eventually has to face the hard parts of living. No one has to face them alone.

Gah Lee. How do I give you the vibes without spoiling all this story has to offer? When I started the book I kept thinking “now what could Brooks have done that was so bad way back when?” And then I was like… oh, yeah, that’ll do it, sir. That’ll do it. I LOVE that his mistakes were not small, and they weren’t treated with flippancy. The reader is going to go on a JOURNEY.

I don’t know about any of you, but I am out here living with parts of high school self that I DEEPLY regret. I related so much to Brooks as a result of that. His story is one of how the Gospel changes lives. His conversion, his history, it’s just Kingdom work and I was pumping my fist for him!

Teegan and Brooks together? Come on, get out of here! Right person, wrong time? I personally cannot relate, but they are it. This is how this trope should be done! He completely left the ball in her court (👀), all while he made himself totally clear on his intentions. If I could tell young men everywhere one thing very loudly it would be this: MAKE YOUR INTENTIONS CLEAR AND SERVE. He literally acts of service-ed himself into a second chance romance. That is my personal love language, so I mean I was cheering for him. If Biceps McDaniel wants my full attention, he usually cleans something really well and as a result I am dialed in. I guess I’m saying I LOVED how love was portrayed here— it is sacrifice, and care, and intentionality, and holding someone’s hair while they weep, and throwing confetti for them on their birthday.

JOY is who I wish every woman in every church was. That lady… you come get your flowers, Joy! You EARNED THEM! 😭 The way she lives so closely to the Lord, and is at the church houses LOOKING for other young women to invest in. I loved the theme of true Discipleship in this book.

Okay… now, finally. Grief. We absolutely can hold our tears with one hand, and throw confetti with the other. This book explores what it means to face hard hurts, and heartbreak without losing our vulnerability and bravery. It does this so beautifully.

Several people have asked if they will cry. You will if you have a heartbeat. You’re gonna be okay.

I’m always so blown away by how finely tuned Tracy’s stories are. She maintains physical boundaries, but writes characters who experience a litany of emotions, desires, sorrows, and complexities. They feel very much like actual people. I for one will be waiting anxiously for the last Beef to get her story. I know it has to be already in that brilliant head of hers.


**********
My initial thoughts are that I loved this so much I might throw up.

There’s this concept of holding confetti in one hand and bottling your tears with the other. This book reminded me of that. Dang, grief just sits as a passenger through all of life’s journeys, doesn’t it?

[Tatum - nuggetybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Brooks Murphy & Teegan Jones
- golden retriever MCs
- Single POV
- Second chance
- Found family
- Faith themes
- Modeling true forgiveness and grace
- He takes care of her

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Book 2 in the Love And Series - this book is a beautiful example of God’s grace and how He can use anyone and any situation for good. Both MCs have major struggles (both in the past and present) that, as a reader, we can see God actively molding them and using them. Sometimes that’s really hard to see or understand in our own lives when we are in the thick of it. But this book reminded me again of how God’s plans are always better than our own and He can use all things for His glory.

The second thing/theme I loved about this book is how God uses the people in our lives. Sometimes we can’t see what another person is going through but we can still be a blessing to those around us. Also the book highlights the importance of having community. We weren’t meant to do life alone and the book is a beautiful example of how we can face the hard things in life with a little more peace when you have your people 💕

Brooks and Teegan are the most fun, goofy, loveable golden retrievers ever. They match each others’ energy and enthusiasm for life. They have some hard battles they have to fight, but they don’t let each other do it alone 🥹. The adventures they go on will bring a smile to your face and their fierce commitment to Christ and others is inspiring. 💕

This is a clean, closed door Christian romance with one curse word and some nondescript kissing.

**Thank you so much to Tracy for letting me read this ARC. I received a complimentary copy. No positive review was required. All thoughts are my own.**

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting for Teegan’s story since the moment she was introduced in Lana's story. I absolutely loved the Beefs, and the energy Teegan shows is absolutely the kind of person I always want to be but was too shy. Watching her after they all finished college and where adults with jobs and responsibilities, it's was greats seeing as Teegan was still the same outgoing person.

Now let's talk about Brooks, I mean, Mateo is still #1, but Brooks is definitely #2. I absolutely loved him since the moment he came into the picture, and I never wanted him to go. He definitely grew to become an amazing man dedicated to his career, God but most importantly, ready to go for his girl. I loved the journey, the process, and the final. 100% recommended for sure ♡

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I expected nothing less of Tracy when she announced book 2 was coming. She is an absolutely amazing author at writing wholesome & faith filled romance stories for the young and the old alike. I love that her book is kisses only and very respectful of the boundary of marriage. I love how God redeemed Brooks and his past and led him down a new path to find Teegan again. I adored how both Teegan and Brooks are “golden retriever” like characters and how they really pulled strength from one another in difficult times.

This book meshes grief, career challenges, and family changes so perfectly.

I can’t wait to see what Tracy is going to do with Amaya from their BEEF friend group. 🤩

If you haven’t read Love & Other Goals, I would highly recommend you do that before you read this one. Although this book is perfect as a standalone, the story will shine so much brighter when connected with the first book. My review for that book is on goodreads too!

Main Tropes:
🥤second chance
🩷3 girl friends
🥤he saves her
🩷God’s redemption
🥤he takes care of her
🩷forgiveness & healing

CW: death of parent (off page) & divorced parents



Follow me on bookstagram for more bookish content @brisbooksandbackpacks 💛

[Brittney (booksta.britt) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and Other Chances by @authortracybaack
Release date 3.12.25

Brooks + Teegan
I LOVE a second chance romance! This one was so great. My favorite thing with Tracy’s books is getting to see the relationship start & then grow. I loved getting to watch their relationship develop and them tackle hard things together. It was so fun getting to read more about Lana & Mateo also! The friendships in this book are really sweet with the beefs and I totally loved the silent disco! So thankful to be on the team for this ARC. Thank you Tracy for another amazing book!

Favorite quotes -
•But once I saw you again, my heart could finally release the breath it had been holding for all those years.”
•”Us. Everything. Always.”
•“I told you our relationship was over, but you’ve never been over for me.
•Unless you shut me down, I’m coming for you, Teegan Jones.”

Content -
1 instance of mild language
Talks of parent passing (off page)
Grief
Anxiety
Kissing only

[Heather Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Christian contemporary romance and there were so many things I loved about it!
- the communication; it was amazing!
- the faith journeys of the MCs and the spiritual truths shared throughout the book
- the FMC’s job; I haven’t read a book showcasing this kind of job and if you were ever involved in a campus ministry in college, this book will feel familiar!
- how he pursues her and seeing the MCs show up for each other over and over
- Teegan’s feelings about her birthday! I can totally relate and am now going to own how much I love to celebrate it!
- sharing insights from Scripture is sexy :)
- supportive friend group

The only reason I didn’t give it a full five stars is because the writing style wasn’t always totally for me.

If you like a Christian romance that’s not “tropey”, this is a great one to read!

[Jordan Schmitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

"Full-court press—I'm warning you. Unless you shut me down, I'm coming for you, Teegan Jones."👏🏼

read if you like:
+ second chance romance
+ Christian faith themes
+ no spice (kisses only)
+ golden retriever x 2

this book is the absolute SWEETEST. I really enjoyed Tracy’s first book in this standalone series, but the fact that a few years have passed so the MCs are a bit more mature really sold this one for me! This story felt SO realistic, which I really appreciated.

quick plot ➡️ Teegan Jones works in full-time college ministry, but needs some balance and some friends outside of work. Her new weekly small group aims to do just that, until in walks Brooks Murphy—the man who broke her heart in high school… Can these two coexist in the group, and can she ever trust him with her heart again?

things I loved in this book:
+ “forgiveness. grace. moving forward.”
+ Brooks’ #fullcourtpress strategy (the definition of “if he wanted to, he would” 😍)
+ Teegan’s girl gang (Lana + Amaya are back from book one!)
+ two extroverts having the most fun dates 👏🏼
+ references to so many wonderful places in KC!

If you love spice-free romance with swoon-worthy characters, definitely add this new one to your TBR!

thank you, Tracy, for the free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! 🤗

[Shayla Riley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love and OTHER CHANCES
by: Tracy Baack
@authortracybaack

-I give 5 stars!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"THERE'S RISK EVERYWHERE. LIVE BRAVELY. EVEN WHEN YOU FEEL AFRAID."

~The last thing she expects is for one of those peers to be the man she spent years intentionally forgetting. Brooks Murphy shredded Teegan’s soul in high school…

“We all have our different strengths.”

-Simply put, Love and Other Chances is a wonderful contemporary second chance romance. I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet romance, the relatable dear characters with depth and growth along the way, and the light faith themes weaved throughout. There is plenty of swoon with no spice in this closed-door, kisses-only romance. I really enjoyed how the story was built piece by piece. From flashbacks of the past to friends again, with feelings for each other resurfacing. The dear relationship they built was heartwarming and tender. I loved seeing Brooks and Teagan choose them against the pain that the world and its circumstances ahead, would bring. Definitely a great story worth the dear read!🙌🏻📚❤️

“I know what I want. And it’s you. It’s us. It’s everything.”

•Content: one instance of mild language (jacka**), mentions of a promiscuous past, brief discussion of waiting until marriage, grief over prior death of a parent, kisses only.

“Each day holds the threat of something terrible changing life as we know it forever. But every day also holds the potential for beauty you didn’t see coming. You never know what kind of day it’s going to be. Sure, you can calculate risk, but you can never fully avoid pain.”

#authortracybaack
#allaboutthebestreads

It’s you. It’s still you. Always you. Was never not you.

-I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

“It’s us against everything, together.
Always.

[Trinity Row · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Rating: 4.5⭐️
Spice: None
Language: None
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Reader Age: 16+
Content Considerations: Grief

I have never read a Tracy Baack book that I didn’t love and this one is definitely not an exception. I absolutely devoured this book, reading it all in one day. This second chance romance is just so sweet and made me so emotional.

For the last three years, Teegan has thrived in a full-time ministry position as a mentor to college students but in an attempt to ward off burnout, she begins hanging out with a small group outside of the college world. Their first hang out is going well until her the guy who broke her heart eight years ago walks through the door.

This book is just the perfect mixture of fun and emotional! Tracy’s writing is so approachable but so beautiful and she writes the most amazing love stories💗

[Maisie Vine · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️
This was so incredibly sweet! I loved every minuet, I loved getting to know all the characters and seeing Teegan live her life, Brooks was so caring and always trying to make up for the past. I also loved how there was no unnecessary breakup but instead they didn't alow anything to come between them! This was so Taylor swift filled so if your also a swiftie you'll love this.
If you love second chance, strong friendships and relationships, characters you can connect to, oh and so many good song references, you will LOVE this. Clean Romance, no spice, no swearing. Also if you haven't read Love And Other Goals you definitely should, I'm so glad I did because it made it so much more enjoyable!
Beefs for life!!
This was an ARC copy and I ate it up! Thank you

[Kendal Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a great story of forgiveness and second chances. To be honest I was a little unsure about Brooks at first but then I really enjoyed “full court press” Brooks. IYKYK 🫠 And then he quickly became one of my favorite characters. I loved seeing Lana and Amaya again from the “beefs” crew and Mateo. This girl group is such a close bond, it is fun to watch their friendship as they move through life. Teegan and Brooks are perfect for each other and their energy is contagious. They both have to deal with some hard topics but they do it together. 🥰 Definitely add this book to your list! I really enjoyed it. I hope there is more coming in this series. ❤️

FMC: Teegan - Christian campus ministry staff
MMC: Brooks - Social studies teacher

What you’ll find:
🔸 Single POV (Teegan)
🔸 Second chance love
🔸 Silent disco
🔸 He rescues her
🔸 He takes care of her
🔸 He pursues her
🔸 Girl group
🔸 Faith themes
🔸 Snowball fight
🔸 Splatter painting
🔸 Forgiveness
🔸 Bonus epilogue 🩷

“𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭-𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘶𝘴.”

INFO:
📚: Book 2 of 2 - “Love and other…” series
🔹: Interconnected standalone.
📖: 276 pages

CONTENT:
🌶️: sweet kissing only
🤬: jacka**(1x)
⚠️: Divorced parents; present grief over past death of parent, promiscuous past

I received an advanced copy of the ebook from the author in exchange for my honest review.

[Abby C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love and Other Chances was a fun and super cute read! There were some deeper aspects to the characters’ stories, which I loved, but I especially enjoyed when they were having fun and seeing friends from the first book! If you live in or near the KC area, you’ll love how this series brings KC into the books. Brooks was especially lovable, he made some past mistakes but he’s changed and wants nothing more than to have Teegan back in his life. I think that was my favorite part of the book, the forgiveness and the unending love even after heartbreak.

One instance of mild language
Sweet kissing only
Warnings: past death of parent, grief, mention of sleeping around in the past

[Courtney Bellingar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me all the feels!! I absolutely loved Teegan and Brook’s story ❤️ Love and Other Chances can technically be a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading Love and Other Goals first! I feel like you would enjoy this story so much more if you know the history of certain things first!!

I love how Tracy used Teegan and Brook’s to resemble how one can feel contradicting feelings at the same time. You can have joy and grief. Happiness and sorrow. Hope and doubt! What a beautiful message! Thank you Tracy for sharing Teegan’s story with us!!

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teegan and Brooks are golden retriever couple goals. They are both happy and spontaneous and full of life and joy, but throughout the story, we also get to see their other sides. I loved every moment of this book and possibly even cried a few times. 

This story has so much going for it and it was the perfect continuation of the series. Getting to see the Beefs again and all of the side characters that I fell in love with in Love and Other Goals was all that I could ask for and more. Also, reading a whole grown adult using Gen Alpha slang is something I didn't know I needed!

I can't wait to read more in this series and I can't wait for you to love Teegan and Brooks as much as I do!

[Clari Almeida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh, cry, kick my feet like a little girl and scream in my pillow!
I can’t even begin to describe how happy I am for being able to read this book and to relate to some of the characters. Now I have to reread it so I can annotate before annotating in the paperback 🩷

[Destiny Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Themes/Personal Thoughts

Love and Other Chances is the sequel of Tracy’s “Love and Other Goals”, that follows the story of Teegan, one of Lana’s best friends or “beefs” as they all like to call each other. Although connected, LAOC can be read as a stand alone! I personally hadn’t fulled started Love and Other Goals prior to reading LAOC, and was fully able to follow the story, but you may appreciate this book more if you read LOAG first.

Love and Other Chances is a clean, light hearted, and swoony romance without harsh language, explicit scenes or any sexual content. I really appreciate Tracy and other clean romance authors for this because “spicy” isn’t really my cup of tea and can still uphold my personal convictions, without the need to skip chapters or portions of the book. I love that I am able to recommend this book and author to non/minimal spice readers, and younger audiences. The book leans more towards the best case scenario, with a lot of cheesy and cotton candy banter. It is definitely a quick and simple read, which is great for those like me that don’t have a lot of time on their hands to binge read or aren’t super speed readers but want to get in a book. The only thing I personally feel would have been nice was a bit more conflict to work through to bring in more relational development or a dual POV.

Along with being a clean romance, I appreciate the Faith themes spread throughout the book, intertwined in the life and decisions of the characters and the accountability and support of a healthy community (even if long distance). I love that Tracy does a beautiful job of speaking to the concept of burn out from a position of leadership in ministry, where the FMC learns about having a healthy balance of life and ministry. The FMC also experiences working through ruminating thoughts, people-pleasing, forgiveness & grace, taking a risk to do the next best thing and taking a second chance at dating and love.

The book includes the following tropes/triggers in summary:

-Golden Retriever x 2
-Second Chance
-He Takes Care of Her
-Girl Group
-Faith Themes
-Kisses Only
-Dealing with Burn Out
-Mention of Loss of Family Member
-Mention of Divorce
-1 Mention of Language

Note: Thank you to the author for the Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Releases 03.12.2025


Short Summary:

Teegan is a kind-hearted extrovert who is the epitome of someone who has a heart for people and the next generation. As a heavily involved and full-time college ministry leader, she finds herself avoiding people and giving so much at the expense of forgetting to fill her own cup. At the advice of her inner circle, Teagan makes her way to a group of peers where she finds herself running into a blast from her past, a man named Brooks.

Brooks is a former basketball player who had a rough running with Teegan when they were in high school. Years have gone by and Brooks Murphy was determined to be a different guy than he was in the past after starting his own faith journey. Brooks has a run in with Teegan through mutual peers and wonders if things could end differently between the two of them.

Will Sparks Fly? Is there hope for a Second Chance?

[Ann | This Quiet Heart Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Tracy Baack for the gifted copy of this book!

Teegan Jones is a upbeat extrovert who loves her job and her friends. She loves supporting students through her job at a campus ministry and helping them grow spiritually just like when she is in college. She starts to feel burn out and her friends suggest she find friends who are for herself and not through her ministry. What happens when her ex walks into her new small group and changes everything?

Brooks Murphy is a middle school history teacher getting his master’s so that one day he can be a principal. He is in a new town with new people and is looking to make friends. When he sees his ex in small group for the first time in 8 years, he realizes that he doesn’t really want her to be his ex anymore. What happens when he pursues her and tries to get her forgiveness for his past mistakes?

This was such a fun rom-com to read! I loved how funny and lively both Teegan and Brooks were! One thing that I love about Tracy’s writing is her ability to both put learning opportunities and funny moments in the same story. There was so much heart and joy in this book as well as character growth and heart. It made it the best kind of read to me! There were a couple of scenes in the beginning that I wish had been a little more fleshed out/less rushed, however, I still so enjoyed the story! I related to Teegan in the way that she had to learn both to care for herself, but also to not always try to escape negative emotions, but to truly feel and work through them, especially when attached to hard conversations. There were many wisdom moments through that journey that I enjoyed!

Another of my favorite parts were the peeks into Mateo & Lana’s HEA! How fun! This book is a sequel to Tracy’s first book Love & Other Goals. It can be read as a standalone, but is best experienced in order! I hope we get Amaya’s story soon, because I am loving the BEEFS! This book is for you, if you enjoy second chance romance, double golden retriever, strong female friendships, and lots of dancing, slushies, and romance!

I received this eARC from the author, but this honest review is voluntary.

Content Guide:
Language: Mild - one use of jack***
Spice: Level 2: More descriptive kissing
TW: Divorce, intimacy before marriage (past), grief
Content Considerations: Dating after divorce is mentioned in a side character’s story.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5)
Steam Level: 🔥 (kissing only)

Quick Notes:
*Christian Themes
*College Setting
*Forgiveness
*Second Chance Romance
*Women's Fiction

My Thoughts:
I have a few friends who adore Tracy's books, so I've been wanting to give one a try for awhile now. This was such a sweet story of forgiveness and trusting God's guidance in the next chapter of life. While it's not YA, the book is set at a college and brought back some fun memories of sorority life and becoming more independent in my own faith during that time. I really liked how Tracy didn't shy away from the Christian aspects of her story. The conflict that tore Brooks and Teegan apart the first time was very relatable, and it made it understandable why Teegan was hesitant to jump back in despite her lingering feelings for Brooks. Since I'm a teacher I obviously loved how both characters had an interest in this career and wanted to make a difference in the lives of students. The only reason this didn't end up being 4 stars for me was because Teegan and Brooks got together fairly early which made the second half just start to drag on and not have any real tension or conflict. There WERE some issues that popped up for Teegan, but they were solved so easily that it didn't really hook me. I would definitely still recommend this, especially if you prefer low drama and are looking for strong faith elements. And I'd for sure read more from Tracy in the future!

[Katie Betts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burnout looms as extroverted Teegan Jones suddenly finds herself avoiding people—until she takes her best friends’ advice and seeks out local peers to pour into her. She never expects one of them to be Brooks Murphy, the man who once shattered her heart. He’s changed, but is trusting him again worth the risk of heartbreak?

Tracey has created the most heartwarming, butterflies-upon-butterflies swoon-worthy Christian romance world. I just love, love, love the atmosphere this series offers—genuine characters who have a true desire to lean on the Lord in their decisions and lifestyle, all while existing in a secular setting with normal, everyday 20-something girly things.

There’s an equal balance of conflict between Teegan’s relationship with Brooks and her journey of deciphering her future plans, and I love how her overall life plays into the story. These characters are so pure and role model-worthy; I can’t think of a better series to recommend to college gals.

Thank you to the author for the privilege of receiving an eARC- I hope there are many more books to come form this world 👏🏻👏🏻🥰

This is available now on Kindle Unlimited! #ku #kindleunlimited

Perfect for you if you like:
Second chances
Teachers/college ministry- jobs with meaning
MMC redemption
Faith filled 20-somethings self-discovery

Similar to:
Christy & Todd: The College Years by Robin Jones Gunn
The Bailey Flanagan series by Karen Kingsbury
Uneasy Street by Becky Wade

⛔️closed door romance (kisses only)
⚠️one use of mild language, divorced parents, grief of previous death of parent