A Second Chance Summer in Dublin: An irresistible, feel-good and completely addictive romantic read for summer!

by Caroline Grace-Cassidy

'Witty, heartwarming and uplifting! When you close this book you feel all the better for reading it." CECELIA AHERN


Escape to the Irish countryside in this heartwarming and uplifting story of love, life, hope and second chances. Perfect for fans of Phillipa Ashley, Sarah Morgan, Michelle Vernal and Kate Frost.

**Available to pre-order NOW!**

What early readers are saying:
'EXCEPTIONAL CHARACTERS PROVIDED AN UPLIFTING READING EXPERIENCE.'

'YOU HAVE WEDDING DRESSES, ACE SISTERS, A BIG HEADED MAN AND PURE ESCAPEMENT. I LOVE DIT!'

'FAKE DATING AT IT'S VERY BEST!'

338 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 7, 2026

About the author

Caroline Grace Cassidy is an author of twelve bestselling novels and a screenwriter.

Her debut novel When Love Takes Over was released by Poolbeg on February 7, 2012. She was cited by The Irish Times newspaper as one of their 'People to Watch' in 2012.

Since then she has been published with:
The Other Side Of Wonderful (2013)
I Always Knew (2014)
Already Taken (2015)
The Week I Ruined My Life was published in (2016) with UK Publishers Black & White Publishing,
The Importance Of Being Me (2017)
Bride Squad Runaway (2019)
The Unexpected Love Story Of Lexie Byrne aged 39 and 1/2 (2020)
It's A Wonderful Life For Lexie Byrne (2021)
Is it Actually Love for Lexie Byrne (2023)
A Merry Little Irish Christmas (2025)
A Second Chance Summer in Dublin (2026)

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review!

This was such a cute book! I loved Donal, he isn’t your traditional MMC but that’s what made him so likable imo. I do wish that Grace had come to her senses sooner with regards to her previous relationship, I think she knew she deserved better than she got but didn’t want to admit it (broke my heart honestly!) I loved all of the side characters, they really added to the story and made it interesting. The pace was fantastic and didn’t feel rushed or too slow.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I look forward to seeing more from this author! Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read and review this ARC. 🩷

[Dora | ThePedestalBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley, Embla Books, and Caroline Grace-Cassidy for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Available 7 July 2026.

Grace was going to get her happily ever after and get married to the man of her dreams - until the said man of her dreams left her at the altar... via text. Some year and a half later, he’s about to be back in Dublin for his sister’s—and Grace’s best friend’s—divorce party. Thing is, stupid as it might be, Grace wants him back – but she doesn’t want to go there alone. A chance encounter with a tall, lanky, and a-bit-scruffy ginger, Donal, gives her the perfect man to take to the divorce party.

Because of course, she won’t fall in love with him. Right?

This novel is made of the same essence that every good romcom is. There’s a bit of a will-they-won’t-they, and you’re watching everything unfold with a little bit of frustration. There’s Grace, seemingly unable to even think of Donal without comparing him to her ex, Logan; there’s Donal, who seems to exist purely to let Grace vent and be supportive of her; and there’s Logan, who’s essentially such a twat that I couldn’t even understand how Grace held onto their relationship for so long. Especially after he’d left her at the altar.

But then, the second half of the novel is fantastic. All the plot lines come together in the most romcom kind of way – the kind of HEA that makes you roll your eyes but be giddy at the same time. It’s perfect. On a narrative level, this is a fantastic story. Any lover of cheesy romcoms is going to love this as much as I did. Even the issues I had with the characters seemed not to matter by the point everything started coming to a head.

Is it perfect? No, but it’s fun. It’s cheesy. It’s romantic, and ridiculous, and funny, and I’d love to meet the Kearney sisters if I could. They were the most authentic part of the whole novel, and I absolutely adored every word that came out of their mouths. A SECOND CHANCE SUMMER IN DUBLIN feels like a romcom you’re watching for the second time, knowing what will happen, and enjoying it more for it.

[Ann-Maree · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Second Chance Summer in Dublin is such a cute, lighthearted rom-com! The Dublin backdrop was absolutely lovely and easily one of my favourite parts of the book—the setting felt so alive and charming.

The story kicks off with a wild premise: Grace gets left at the altar by the "man of her dreams" via a text message. While it follows a traditional romance path with a fairly predictable plot line, the author injects plenty of great humour that kept me entertained throughout.

I absolutely loved Donal. He isn’t your traditional romance male main character, and that is exactly what made him so incredibly likable and refreshing to read.

My only real frustration was with Grace. I wanted to shake her at times! I really wish she had come to her senses much sooner regarding her previous relationship, as it was obvious from the start that she deserved so much better. Because she took so long to see it, the pacing felt a bit dragged out for me
.
Overall, it is a predictable but sweet and funny read. If you love a great Irish setting and non-traditional heroes, it is definitely worth picking up for a cozy weekend!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[jamison o'sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fake dating! Ireland! A man named Donal! I was locked in from chapter one.
I loved Donal so much, He was so immediately likeable and I was obsessed. This book was so heartwarming and I loved Grace so much - it made my heart hurt a little that she was still so invested in this guy who broke her heart so badly. Great pacing, fun cast of characters, and my favorite setting on Earth. Counting down the days till my next trip (and spiritually drinking an Orchard Thieves on Camden)!
Can't wait to see more from this author.

[Hannah Symonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace has been left stranded. With no wedding on the horizon she goes into a big slump. But when her ex fiancé is returning she decides she needs to show him what is missing and her friend Mia finds her a date. He is not like anyone Grace would ever date but he is kind and funny but who will be the one to get hurt in this situation? I can understand why Grace did it but I thought she was going to hurt her dates feelings when he found out it was just to upset her ex. But what evolves is pure genius and I loved the way the story ended. A brilliant read.

[Kristina K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

Fantastic summer read about love and second chances. The main characters are extremely likeable and have great character development throughout the novel. There are many laugh out loud moments throughout the story that give the story a fun rom-com feel. I loved the side characters, especially the sisters. A truly heartwarming read from start to finish. Will definitely read more from this author.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was absolutely heartwarming! Having visited Dublin last summer, I was drawn to A Second Chance Summer in Dublin by Caroline Grace-Cassidy. A traditional romance with a predictable plot line even added some humor to the story. Exceptional character provided an uplifting reading experience.Many thanks to NetGalley and Emblazoned Books for this Advanced Reader’s Copy.

[Gales Tales70 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley, Embla books and the author. I totally loved everything about this.

A huge hearted romcom
about second chances,
starting over, and the importance of
choosing yourself first.

Fake dating in Ireland with a hunk of a man called Donal, oh my what a gent!! This was so heartwarming I fell right in from the first chapter.

I loved this book so much and the plot was amazing. All about finding yourself and putting yourself first is something that we all should do. It was an emotional read, yet so heartwarming. Everyone needs a Donal in their life. Double it up with a fab bride, her absolutely off the wall, crazy and hilarious sisters and you have yourself the most wonderful, funny fantastic summer read of love and second chances

Really looking forward to checking out the authors other reads

[Nicola “Shortbookthyme” · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dublin
Second Chances
Banter
No Spice
The above pretty much sums up A Second Chance Summer in Dublin…….throw some eye rolling/quirky moments and you get a fun summer read!
All in all, a cute rom-com that will keep you entertained this summer.

[Truth Amidon · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC from Netgalley.

It was cute I guess. Zero spice. My favorite part is that it’s set in Ireland and that the main girl sews. I sew and I like Ireland. Everything else was kinda boring.

[Karen Ruedisueli · Rating 4 out of 5]

At times I wanted to shake Grace but I understood (a little). Donal was wonderful. He was worth reading the book. Book boyfriend!!!! ❤️