Second Time's a Charm

by Taylor Epperson

Returning home after years away, Reece is going to have to avoid her assassin ex-boyfriend as she learns to care for the magical creatures now under her protection.

Three years ago, Reece McCarthen solved her problems the best way she could think running as far as possible. Abandoned by her childhood sweetheart, she left her gossiping small town, heartbreak, and emotionally distant father in the past. Now, she's happy if not just a bit bored running a magical flower shop with her best friend. Until she receives notice that she’s inherited her father's sanctuary for magical creatures.

Reece heads back to her cozy, magical town of Honey Brooke that unfortunately still hasn’t gotten over that one teeny, tiny fire incident when she was a teenager. What should've been a calm, quiet homecoming turns into chaos incarnate when Reece comes face-to-face with the reason she left in the first Laken Augustus. Her ex-boyfriend who seems to have grown up to also be a part-time assassin.

It's one tragedy after another, from dodging fire-spitting chickens and a poisonous porcupine to bolting after a runaway raccoon and realizing Laken is the only person who knows how to run a magical sanctuary. Not only did her father leave her with a whole slew of problems, but poachers are lurking in the shadows. Now Reece finds herself knee-deep in feathers, mud, and an inconceivable amount of debt. To save the sanctuary, she will have to work side-by-side with Laken.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Cozy Fantasy, Adult, Cozy, Magic

400 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2026

Reviews

[Val ୨୧ (semi exam hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second Time’s a Charm is a soft, emotional second-chance romance about love, growth, and learning from the past. It shows that people don’t always get things right the first time but that’s okay. Sometimes, time apart is what helps love make sense. It’s such a whimsical read, and if you liked Assistant to the villain, you’ll love this too !
However, the FMC was a bit of a miss for me. Can we please stop using missing parental figures as an excuse for EVERYTHING ? It’s starting to annoy me.


𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚ Preread 𝜗𝜚⋆₊˚

Thank you to Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book ! I love the cover omg it's so cute, and it gives me valentines vibes (i think i'm a little early...)

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Time's a Charm is a cozy romantasy full of whimsy and heartfelt magic that unfolds into a sweet and steamy story. Set in a small village, the story follows Reece, a young woman who moves back home after her father goes off on a journey and leaves a magical creature sanctuary to her. When she arrives, Reece is shocked to find her ex, Laken, has taken over the care of the animals and is more than willing to teach her how to run the farm. I really enjoyed this sweet and simple romance and the way Laken and Reece came back to one another. The story is very romance-driven, and while it’s not an epic fantasy filled with quests and heavy magic, it was such a warm and inviting read. I loved getting to explore the village and its nosy but kind residents, who gave the story a perfect dash of charm. The animals were such a fun addition too, each with their own little personalities, and it was lovely to watch Reece learn how to care for them. If you're looking for a cozy and tender spring romance, this is the one for you!

~All the thanks to Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

[sofi🎀🧸 billie eilish’s version~hiatus🧸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

first, before i get into ANYTHING, i would love to give a ginormous thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for allowing me an early copy of this book. i enjoyed it so much. it was the perfect cozy fantasy, with the perfect second chance romance (do i like second chance? no. did this book write it well? hell yes.) this took me about a month to read, but that is not the book’s fault. i have been so unbelievably busy bec no one warned me doing sports 10+ hours a week and school everyday would take so much of my time 😭
now, without further adeu? adeuiu? adue? adieu? dammit that sounded really cool in my head and i’ve always wanted to say it but idk how to spell it.
adieu? that seems right.
now, without further adieu, my actual review!
🫶🏼💝🌺💐
𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰:
𝓯𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓻𝓴𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰, 𝓰𝓵𝓲𝓶𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼!
(4.25 but goodreads doesn’t allow that so whatever)

𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓹𝓵𝓪𝔂𝓲𝓷𝓰: i shot cupid by stella cole!

AWWWW THIS BOOK WAS SO CUTE AND FUNNY AND I MISS ITTTT

tl;dr😼
is it the next classic that they will pore over in future history classes? possibly not. was it extremely fun, cute, heart warming, laugh out loud worthy, funny, hilarious, and cozy?
Y. E. S.
if i could bottle this book up and drink it on bad days, i would.
our fmc was extremely real i fear and i loved her🙂‍↕️ she was funny and literally so me core.
our mmc in one word: golden retriever. ok that was two words but it’s one name so close enough. literally he was so cute and nice but also had a hot assassin side. the plot was actually good and i had fun. it was like jumanji; it seems high stakes and dangerous but lowk we’re just here for the laughs and the fun adventure. and that cover holy frick 😍‼️
𝓶𝔂 𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓾𝓪𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓶💗❄️
lowk wish we got more info on the dad but it’s fine; this is a cozy fantasy.
if this was advertised as an epic fantasy, this would not be okay. this would be like 2 stars. i think for being a cozy fantasy the author did a VERY good job of incorporating magic, magical animals, and world building. was it very fleshed out? no, but again, this is not a epic fantasy. ts isn’t lord of the rings, and that’s okay bc it makes up for it in laughs. i rate based on the genre, and this is the epitome of what i think of when i hear the words “cozy fantasy”. i am used to high fantasy so this was a bit of a shock, but i lowk like the cozy low stakes. a few quills in the ass was the biggest danger, and that scene was very funny. i had fun bro icl.

𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼💝🥹

reece. i love her. so much. this was a character driven book, and the characters delivered.
pros:
•funny
•relatable
•very fleshed out
•likable
•funny
•funny
cons:
•

alr, now laken. i loved him. he’s such a sweet kind funny adorable golden boy but secretly a hot assassin?? sign me up.
the romance was very cute and cozy and my heart got all warm and fuzzy at the end (that was one of the best endings i’ve ever read)
but, i feel like i wanted a teensy bit more angst. sorry, this isn’t on the author. literally js me being picky bc i only read epic fantasy with enemies to lovers that try to kill eachother.
that’s the only con.
i loved the writing style it felt so approachable, like you could have a beer with it (hamilton ref sorry sorry)

𝓭𝓸 𝓲 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽?

yes. if you want smth
•cozy
•easy to get through
•funny
•romcom
•low stakes
100% recommend.
again, tysm for letting me access this arc!!!
byeee! <3

[James]

I’m confused. To begin with, I’m confused on what time period this book is supposed to be set. I was all the way to Chapter 3 when the FMC, Reece, says she has to take a carriage back to her small town. Wait, what? Up until then I thought it was modern time, with her running a magical flower shop with her best friend. But, no this is more a fantasy/medieval time period? Worldbuilding - D+

When Reece gets back to her small town, where she really doesn’t want to be, she immediately rejects the help of the one guy, the MMC Laken, who’s been running the place because, history. Broken heart and all that I suppose. Romance setup - C-

And then, in the absence of help, Reese struggles mightily in handling the magical creatures on the rescue/sanctuary/farm where she doesn’t want to be, but insists she does. Then, of course, Laken offers—again—to help Reese who turns him down—again—because, history. Why am I supposed to like Reese? Character set-up - D.

So I’m DNF’ing this at 20 percent because I’m confused on the setting, confused on the magic, confused on the worldbuilding, and confused on why the hell I’m supposed to care about the leading lady, her self-imposed struggles, and repeated rejection of the one person in the whole damn town who is still trying to help her.

I’m just completely confused.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley, and my harsh review is my honest opinion.

[Kat]

Dnf @ 5%. An immediate, strong no.

I don’t strictly object to the mixing of modern romcom sensibilities with high fantasy settings, but from the very first sentence - which revealed the MC’s flower shop is named “Dirty Hoes” - I knew the humor in this book was not going to be up my alley. The first chapter so grating, and the characters so annoying, that I truly can’t bring myself to read the second one.

I’m genuinely bummed, because I was intrigued by this premise of a second chance romcom in a fantasy world, with an assassin ex-boyfriend and menagerie of magical creatures.

Recommended to fans of Kimberly Lemming; I think this is doing something similar to the Mead Mishaps series, but I just can’t stomach this style of comedy anymore.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Aamna Qureshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so so fun!!! reece my bestie and laken loml

here’s my official blurb:

“Equal parts delightful and riotous, SECOND TIME'S A CHARM is a ridiculously fun ride. Like a wizard concocting the perfect potion, Epperson melds together a charming small town, magical chaos, hilarious banter, and an irresistible romance to create the perfect cozy escape with this utterly original debut.”

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love quirky love affairs and magical creatures, then Second Time's a Charm should be on your TBR.

Reece McCarthen is running her magical flower shop and minding her own business until she is notified that she has inherited her father's magical creature sanctuary.
The biggest dilema is that this will bring her back to the town she abandoned after a not to pretty breakup with her childhood sweetheart Laken.
Now back in Honey Brooke, she is dodging exes and dirty looks (along with poisonous porcupines) and trying try stay afloat. When she comes face to face with Laken, well- the romance flies.

I've decided I want to LIVE in this magical world of fire breathing chickens and magically chilled beer mugs, and I do hope this will be part of a series of at least give us another book in this wonderfully magical world!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a chance to read this delightful little book!

[Selene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the cozy charm of an enchanted flower shop and animal sanctuary. I thought fmc was hilarious and self deprecating which made it enjoyable, I plan to re read this when it is published because I’m not quite sure I was in the right mood for this one (I’m in a bit of a gothic dark monster Yule mood) but fire breathing chickens and a tiny adorable dragon are 10/10. This is a second chance romance and I personally wouldn’t have forgiven mmc but you do you honey boo boo . Thanks so much to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc!

[Joanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so hard to read. This was supposed to be a fluffy, end of year pick me up and it definitely wasn’t that. The premise should have made the book more compelling. Reece was an annoying FMC, who was self deprecating and insecure with no redeeming qualities. You can tell by how she compares herself to her best friend (my best friend is so put together and girly while my hair is a mess and I like weird socks). Plus, this whole entire book was a contradiction. It’s set in medieval times where there’s carriages and royals, but some of the language was very 21st-century with sex jokes. Reece is such an outcast in town but everybody likes her. She doesn’t want to take over the sanctuary cause her dad was mean but she hates the idea of anyone else running it. She hates Laken because he left three years ago without telling her; but she’s missed him this whole entire time and hasn’t had another relationship. There was so much this book could’ve gone into in a deep yet lighthearted way like her relationship with her father and more good memories of the sanctuary. And there were plots like the poachers and Laken knowing her father was leaving that kind of just fell off. This book just completely missed the mark and nothing about this book was likable to be honest besides the animals.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

[Joshua Covington · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this publication for the purpose of review.

Reece McCarthen hasn't had an easy life. Her mother died when she was young, and her father has been detached and absent ever since. Her one saving grace was her best friend turned lover, Laken. That is until he leaves as well with only a note left behind to tell her things are over. She's filled her time in the three years since Laken left away from home with her new best friend running a flower shop, but when word comes back that her father has left town for good she either has to return to take care of the family's magical animal sanctuary or see it be closed for good.

I was really excited about the premise of this book and was immediately sold on the idea of a magical sanctuary for animals. The animals were far and away my favorite part of the whole story. They have great little personalities and I also really liked that the author had compelling reasons for why each of the animals needed to be at the sanctuary. Blaze was a particular favorite of mine and he'll likely be other's favorite too.

There are also some really funny parts to this book. I'd say this leans more humorous than cozy most of the time and leans into absolute batshit more often than not. The opening scene does a lot to give readers and idea of what to expect, witch Reece and her best friend stumbling around their flower shop screaming while they try to deal with a critter that snuck its way in. It's way over the top, but a lot of people are going to get a kick out of all the antics.

I personally struggled with just how much of a catastrophe Reece is. I found myself wondering more than once throughout the book how she made it through childhood because she can't seem to do much of anything. The only thing she seems to do well is snark and that's her default response to everything. Her mother died young and she says her dad was largely absent so my gut would say she'd need to be self reliant, but she seems the type to burn toast then start a house fire.

I also didn't personally buy into the romance. Reece's internal dialogue tries to sound conflicted from the start, but there's little to no conflict that seems to come from her and Laken's breakup. She ruminates on the fact that his leaving ruined her life, but then she's flirting and playing darts with him on her first day back in town. There's also a lot of miscommunication and jealousy which isn't my cup of tea at all.

The world building is such a mixed bag, and mostly negative for me. The animals are awesome, but so much of the world feels like a really bizarre mix of modern and typical medieval fantasy. There's a drinking age of 21, but the barkeep frosts her mugs with magic. Reece takes care of fire breathing chickens and stunted dragons, but she talks like a teenager in 2025. It made it really hard to immerse in the magic for me personally. There's also tons of anachronisms scattered throughout. You'd be hard-pressed to go more than a few pages without a pop culture reference played for a gag or an "oh I know that reference!" There's a lot of Princess Bride references and Laken made a lot more sense when I started thinking of him as Wesley from Princess Bride, though still not nearly as charming as Reece finds him.

Along with the world building, the plot is fairly scattered. There are a few of what I considered to be major plot points that are either glossed over or dropped before the end of the book. If there were a planned sequel then one, maybe two, of them would have been fine being explored in a followup but as it stands they just feel left out to dry by the end of the book. I had more questions than answers by the time I finished.

I think there's an audience for this book, but I don't think it's me. I was drawn in by the animal sanctuary aspect, but the magic just wasn't there for me. Honestly, if it wasn't for the pervasive cursing and the scattered explicit sex scenes I'd say this would be a good middle grade read. That really seems like it should be the intended audience as I feel like a middle grade audience would be more willing to overlook some shallower world building, casual modern tone, and pop culture references. I very much appreciate the opportunity to read an advanced copy for review.

[Grace Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had the honor of reading an early copy and this is by far one of my favorite reads of all time!!! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be avoiding the fire-breathing chickens! Enjoy your stay at McCarthen's Sanctuary for Magical Creatures, you're in for a wild ride!!!💐🐔

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this cozy second chance romance that revolves around Reece returning home when she inherits her family's magical creature haven. Whilst there she has to come to terms with unresolved feelings for her ex, flame breathing chickens and a sick dragon. Full of delightfully bizarre creatures, great female friendship and a swoony, spicy romance. It was also good on audio and a standout debut for me this year. I look forward to reading more by Taylor Epperson! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Cortni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Time’s a Charm by Taylor Epperson is a sweet and quirky take on second-chance romance. The storyline felt unique, with just the right mix of heart and humor that kept me smiling. The characters were easy to root for, and their journey of forgiveness and growth was both charming and fun. It’s the kind of book that makes you believe in do-overs and happily-ever-afters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for letting me read this delightful story early!
#secondtimesacharm

[Katie May]

2.5 rounded down. Unfortunately this was a miss for me mostly because of the romance but a little bit because of the FMC.

As adults, we can no longer blame our lack of knowledge on an absent parent or poor parenting (she still has her mom though?) it’s sad but there’s nothing stopping her from learning how to do things on her own now that she’s grown. It got really old finding out yet another thing Reece was not good at because she wasn’t taught something.

The romance did not hit for me at all. She completely idealized the MMC because they were together as kids and then he ghosted her (he gives a reason later but ehhh) she even mentions after running into him for the first time in years that he’s the same old Laken unable to say anything real. So why have we been pining after him for 3 years? They barely discuss how him leaving affected her and he doesn’t have enough redeeming qualities to get a second chance.

Between the boring characters and the bland romance I couldn’t really recommend this. However, I really did enjoy reading about the magical plant shop and caring for the magical creatures but there’s so much cozy fantasy out now with those elements that you could probably skip this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exhange for an honest review.

[Callie Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cottagecore fantasy of my dreams! Perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. The romance gives STRONG Tangled vibes—if you like Flynn Rider, you’ll be obsessed with Laken Augustus. Do yourself a favor and add this gorgeous novel to your shelf…because don’t you want to stare at the fire-breathing chickens on the cover all day?

[Lia Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so so much. Perfectly cozy. Perfectly fantasy. Taylor has the gift of writing such believable characters with quick wit and a romance you want to root so hard for.✨🫶

Don’t get me started on the chickens. The true star of the show.🐓🔥

[Julia Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Rounded down to 4. I recieved the ARC of Second Time's a Charm by Taylor Epperson from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

This book has lots of interesting elements straight away. We have elements of magic spread through-out and although it doesnt scream paranormal it most definitely is. This book is definitely giving cozy vibes and is perfect for fall reading.

We first meet or main character Reece, as she is dealing with a magical creature, a raxxen. Which sounds terrible as it's described as having six legs and a nasty set of razor teeth. Chaos ensures and much hilarity and this is just the first few pages. It definitely sucks you in and makes you wonder what will happen next. Reece works with her friend Maggie, who owns a floral shop called Dirty Hoes. Love the name obvi.

Even though Reece is happy working with her best friend, she feels like something is missing and when opportunity comes knocking in the form of her getting her fathers sanctaury for magical creatures, she knows she has to go back home to Honey Brooke to take care of the animals.

Of course, we have a love interest, or more accurately an ex love interest, Laken broke Reece's heart 3 years ago after just vanishing from her life. And of course, said love interest happens to pop back into Reece's life. The chemistry is still there, even if Reece wishes it wasn't. As Laken and Reece spend more time together sparks fly like flaming chickens.

The story continues, and of course there's a problem to solve but I don't want to give too much of the story away. But I will say that I really enjoyed this book. It's fast paced enough to keep you engaged without feeling like your missing things. The characters are likeable and funny. There's magical aspects that add to the story and just add to the small town cozy feel . It's a feel good story about finding yourself and how sometimes you can go home.
I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy romance, magical creatures, magical elements and just good stories in general.

[Kimberly Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story that shows second chances can be better than the first. The concept of the mythical creatures started out strong, and I enjoyed their names. The start of this book and the introduction was great.
However, the follow-through was nonexistent. This continued for the rest of the plot. Certain characters either were only mentioned once and disappeared, or they were mentioned several times over in a repetitive way.
The romance felt unnecessary as neither of the characters grew or learned from previous miscommunication. As the characters are young adults, I can see how they would want to banter. Though it just came off as bickering that made no sense.
Similar to the plot, there was no true explanation of why they forgave each other. I'm still confused of why the MMC was mad or frustrated at her in the first place when the entire miscommunication was due to him. The FMC was disorganized in a way that became frustrating early on within the book. Sentence structure and grammar were hard to follow as the sentences were either fragments or run-on. The constant use of commas, em dashes and ellipses made some sentences a paragraph long.
I'm still confused of the motivating factor behind this book. It's not the sanctuary or even the town as she constantly forgets about them or ignores them. I still don't know what Eliza wanted to talk to Reece about at the anniversary party or if her dad is gone forever. The fact that the catalyst of the problem, her powers, were thrown at the very end still has me confused. This book has something, but a cozy romance, it is not.

[Quilted.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just knew I was going to love this book. It follows Reece who basically ran away from her small town (and a broken heart) a few years ago and has been living a quieter life working in a magical flower shop. But of course peace doesn’t last she gets pulled back to Honey Brooke after inheriting her estranged dad’s magical creature sanctuary. it’s a mess. We’re talking debt, poachers, and creatures like fire breathing chickens and a literal baby dragon running around.The real problem though is Laken. Her ex. The same one who broke her heart and is now somehow an assassin And unfortunately also the only person who knows how to keep the sanctuary from completely falling apart. So they’re forced to work together, which leads to a lot of the best banter and very obvious unresolved feelings.The vibe is very cozy fantasy meets small town rom com like cottagecore chaos. You’ve got magical creatures, a slightly unhinged but lovable main character and that classic second chance romance where you know they’re not over each other. It definitely leans into tropes (grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, golden retriever love interest), but in a fun, easy to read way I will say, the plot can feel a little all over the place at times there’s a lot happening between the sanctuary drama, the romance, and the magical elements but if you’re here for vibes, characters, and cute moments, it works.Overall, it’s just a really fun slightly chaotic cozy fantasy. This book is for my fantasy lovers.

[Arianna ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

∞ stars / 5 stars

To say I'm OBSESSED with this book is an understatement. I knew it would be a 5 star read from the very first chapter but I fell so head over heels in love with Reece, Laken, Maggie, and all the chaotic magical creatures at the sanctuary. This is the kind of book I'm talking about when I say I want a rom com. I was literally laughing out loud on PAGE 1. And I kept giggling and kicking my feet throughout the rest of the book. If you love the girliepop humor of early 2000's romcoms and fantasy books, then THIS is the book for you.

Reece and Laken's second chance romance was so swoon worthy with a touch of angst. I resonated with Reece and her desire to protect herself and her heart at all costs, despite just wanting to find the missing piece in her life. And the way that Laken was so confident in everything he knew about Reece, even after 3 years apart was absolute perfection!

I loved this book with my whole heart and I seriously cannot wait to read more from Taylor Epperson in the future!

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing for sending me an early copy!

[Katie (Katieeatsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

04/20/2026-04/21/2026

Thank you Hachette Grand Central for the gifted physical proof copy of “Second Times a Charm” by Taylor Epperson 💗

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Out today!)

This was such a cute Romantasy about Reece and Laken and their little magical creatures they were basically forced to take care of together 🔥🐓

When I saw all of the 2-3 ⭐️ reviews I was scared 🫣 however digging through this I felt like it could be a five ⭐️ until I had one of the most subpar “what was the point?” endings of my life??

Things fell very quickly in the last few chapters 😞

I still want to give this one that 4 ⭐️ because 95% of this book had me smiling, kicking my feet and getting that perfect enemies to lovers x childhood lovers x second chance romance x forced proximity x one bed giant perfection ✨

But those last few chapters? PMOOOOOO seriously?! We worked toward a bunch of stuff for 300+ pages we never even got to see completed? Bad guys we never even got to meet? Please 😩 wtf

[Kelsey Chapman]

DNF at 50%

First, thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an eARC of Second Time’s a Charm!

Okay so I know there was a plot to save her family’s mythical creature sanctuary or something… but it felt like the plot needed a plot. Like halfway through it wasn’t bad per se, but there was literally nothing keeping me hooked to the story.

The description for this one sounded so good, but personally it just fell flat. I wanted more detail about what I assume was a medieval style world? But really I couldn’t be sure because there just wasn’t enough world building or details beyond there was a library and a tavern and a bakery…

Bummer because this really had potential to be more magical.

[Nandini Arakoni · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down. honestly so entertained by the themes of this book. exes to lovers and the idea that you cant run away from home. i continue to feel despair about reece and maggie being separated forever now. bring back my best friends!!! laken annoyed me at the start but damn the man is a yearner!!! im so invested in them. i will always love a getting back together moment.

[Ragan Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGally for a copy of this eARC!

First off I want to say how incredibly sweet, cute, & cozy this book is! It has second chance love, magical mayhem, great small town charm, & yearning! I was hooked from the very beginning of the book & the banter between Reece & Laken was so good. This book over all was just such a good cozy read.

[Kimberly Rosas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4! Second Time’s A Charm is a fun and incredibly witty read! I was intrigued by the synopsis, to say the least. Assassin ex-boyfriend? I honestly did not know what to expect when I first started reading this book, but it definitely exceeded my expectations.

The best way to describe this book is charming. I was charmed by the characters, setting, and writing. When it came to the magical aspect of this book, it felt so effortless. It was easy to follow and it felt so real, like their everyday life could be ours, especially with a fire chicken. When it came to Laken and Reece, I was so invested. I wanted to understand what went wrong between them and how they could work it out. It is my favorite aspect of a second-chance romance. I love how Laken was always there for Reece and was continuously proving himself to Reece and slowly gaining her trust. It was also great seeing Reece allowing someone back into her life. As someone who also likes to keep her circle tight, allowing someone in takes a lot of work. By the end, in my opinion, we see both of their growth and ultimately prove to one another that second time’s a charm.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kamryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whimsical and magical!!! I loved Second Times A Charm so much!! A cozy fantasy second, chance romance, and fire breathing chickens. What more could you want?? It was absolutely hilarious! So thankful for the opportunity to read this book early!

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This FMC has the communication skills of a goat..I am shocked the MMC wanted anything to do with her and her woe is me attitude when the worst thing that happened to her is returning to her hometown. When Maggie said, "do you want advice or do you just want to complain?" I cackled.

[Savanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a funny, cute and cozy fantasy book! I loved it so much and it was so fun to read!

[Gracie Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars!!! ✨ so adorable.

[Emily Henning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cozy fantasy second chance romance full of charm and quirks that is sure to please!