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Second Chances: from the Irish bestseller comes a brand-new uplifting and escapist novel to make you laugh and cry
It's never too late for second chances...
For the first time in her life, Lydia is taking a great big leap of faith. She's moving to a small town on the West Coast of Ireland to overhaul a large, long-abandoned residence named Chance House with her new husband.
Then tragedy strikes, and Lydia is reminded why she doesn't take chances. Suddenly she's facing a very different a half-finished ramshackle estate, an overgrown garden, dwindling funds, no-one to turn to - and everywhere she looks, reminders of the love she's lost.
Starting over feels impossible. Staying put feels harder still. But when the local community rallies around her and Lydia is unexpectedly reminded of the power of new beginnings, she realises she might just owe it to herself and them to take a second chance on Chance House...
From the Irish bestseller comes a brand-new, heart-breaking yet hopeful read about the importance of community and the power of starting over - perfect for fans of Lucy Diamond, Cathy Bramley and Jill Mansell.
Real readers loved Second Chances:
'Amazing. A lovely, cosy read for those winter nights' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I adored this book, the village life, everybody mucking in to help (oh Greta!)...one of [Roisin Meaney's] best books yet' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I absolutely loved Second Chances. I read it in a single day and couldn't put it down. Lydia is such a warm, relatable main character, and the story is comforting and engaging throughout. I'm a huge fan of this author and will definitely be recommending this book to others' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This book gave me all the feels, I just wanted to hug Lydia ... I really enjoyed this book' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I absolutely love Roisin Meaney's books and Second Chances is no exception...The way the author writes pulls at the heartstrings and brought me to tears on several occasions without being overly sentimental. A lovely read I'm happy to recommend' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I wanted to both hug this book and cry with it...I loved this read' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Such a beautiful novel...It was such a great book of community, heart, and finding oneself. I loved it' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'What a gorgeous story. I love this author anyway, but this is one of her best...It kept me totally engrossed, and thinking about it when I wasn't reading it' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For the first time in her life, Lydia is taking a great big leap of faith. She's moving to a small town on the West Coast of Ireland to overhaul a large, long-abandoned residence named Chance House with her new husband.
Then tragedy strikes, and Lydia is reminded why she doesn't take chances. Suddenly she's facing a very different a half-finished ramshackle estate, an overgrown garden, dwindling funds, no-one to turn to - and everywhere she looks, reminders of the love she's lost.
Starting over feels impossible. Staying put feels harder still. But when the local community rallies around her and Lydia is unexpectedly reminded of the power of new beginnings, she realises she might just owe it to herself and them to take a second chance on Chance House...
From the Irish bestseller comes a brand-new, heart-breaking yet hopeful read about the importance of community and the power of starting over - perfect for fans of Lucy Diamond, Cathy Bramley and Jill Mansell.
Real readers loved Second Chances:
'Amazing. A lovely, cosy read for those winter nights' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I adored this book, the village life, everybody mucking in to help (oh Greta!)...one of [Roisin Meaney's] best books yet' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I absolutely loved Second Chances. I read it in a single day and couldn't put it down. Lydia is such a warm, relatable main character, and the story is comforting and engaging throughout. I'm a huge fan of this author and will definitely be recommending this book to others' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This book gave me all the feels, I just wanted to hug Lydia ... I really enjoyed this book' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I absolutely love Roisin Meaney's books and Second Chances is no exception...The way the author writes pulls at the heartstrings and brought me to tears on several occasions without being overly sentimental. A lovely read I'm happy to recommend' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I wanted to both hug this book and cry with it...I loved this read' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Such a beautiful novel...It was such a great book of community, heart, and finding oneself. I loved it' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'What a gorgeous story. I love this author anyway, but this is one of her best...It kept me totally engrossed, and thinking about it when I wasn't reading it' Real Reader Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 5, 2026
11 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Roisin Meaney
47 books396 followersBorn on 3rd September.
A published author of twenty books for adults and three for children, Roisin worked as an advertising copywriter for a number of years, and brings a vast amount of experience to the editing team. Her first novel, The Daisy Picker, won a Write a Bestseller competition. Her third novel, The Last Week of May reached number one on the Irish bestseller list and her fourth, The People Next Door reached number two. Her books have been translated into several languages, and two, Semi-Sweet and Life Drawing for Beginners, have been published in the US. She is currently working on her next book, which is scheduled for publication in autumn 2023. She is also plotting another children's book - shhhhh.
A published author of twenty books for adults and three for children, Roisin worked as an advertising copywriter for a number of years, and brings a vast amount of experience to the editing team. Her first novel, The Daisy Picker, won a Write a Bestseller competition. Her third novel, The Last Week of May reached number one on the Irish bestseller list and her fourth, The People Next Door reached number two. Her books have been translated into several languages, and two, Semi-Sweet and Life Drawing for Beginners, have been published in the US. She is currently working on her next book, which is scheduled for publication in autumn 2023. She is also plotting another children's book - shhhhh.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 21, 2026
No-one does community like Roisin Meaney!
This book undid me and then put me back together again - it's a story filled with love and kindness, but more than that, in days when a little light goes a long way, here is a book to restore hope in humanity! It's second chances, yes, but so, so much more than that!
This book undid me and then put me back together again - it's a story filled with love and kindness, but more than that, in days when a little light goes a long way, here is a book to restore hope in humanity! It's second chances, yes, but so, so much more than that!
February 19, 2026
This maybe my favourite of Roisin Meaney’s books so far. I loved this story, it made me cry and it made me laugh. I loved the character of Lydia. A beautiful story. I didn’t want it to end.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews