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, Adult, Cozy Fantasy, Cozy, Magic

568 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2026

Reviews

[Val ୨୧ (SORRY FOR BEING SO INACTIVE I'M BACK) · 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~winter vibes🧸 · 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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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!!!💐🐔

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Kamryn &#x1f984; · 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!

[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!

[❥ farrah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so so happy that I was able to get an ARC of Taylor’s debut! This whimsical fantasy rom-com was literally such a highlight during this winter weather! Reece was such a passionate main character and I loved her inner monologue while trying to process how hot Laken is! I loved the animals SO MUCH and the small town felt amazing.
This was a great second chance trope with Laken not even ALLOWING miscommunication and fixing it immediately when Reeces walls are back up. I thoroughly THOROUGHLY enjoyed this amazing book and cannot wait for everyone to read it come April!!!

[Norees · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was swooning, laughing out loud, and tearing up. This book is absolute perfection. Come for the romance, stay for the fire breathing chickens!

[yueting ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my Bookstagram friends, Nat, said recently that she loves second chance romance because of the angst. And if any book leans into that, it is Second Time's a Charm. This books really takes the title seriously and puts a lot of the spotlight on the romance between Reece and Laken—their history, what happened to cause them to split the first time, and how they can reconcile that with their current feelings of attraction. I found myself really getting drawn into their relationship and even tearing up at portions over their palpable regret, frustration, and anger.

However, for a very cozy and light read about a magical creature sanctuary set in a small busy-body town, I do feel like the book was longer than it needed to be. There was quite a bit of time spent in the middle going back and forth with Reece and Laken where they would argue and feel that spark of tension between them, and then they would get distracted by a magical creature or someone from the town, and this would repeat about three or four times. And it felt like their relationship was sort of at a standstill until we saw some more progress and actual communication between them around the last quarter of the book.

I grew fond of and attached to Reece quite quickly from the start, which is always a promising sign for me. But I did not feel that same warmth towards Laken until much later. Whether intentional or not, I felt Laken's actions at the beginning to be confusing, contradictory, and not as conciliatory as I would have hoped considering his role in ending their relationship in the past. I distinctly remember writing down in my notes during a scene where he was really acting out: "He better do some real groveling to make up for this." And he does, sort of. He gets about 80% of the way there—enough for me to still root for them to end up together, enough for the ending to be a happy one for me. However, despite the angst that tugged on my heartstrings, his character never felt as attractive or appealing as Reece.

A highlight of this book for me was definitely the magical creatures. Taylor Epperson does a great job of introducing them at the start and making each of them have such distinct magical features and personalities. My personal favorite are the blood-thirsty, fire-breathing chickens. And my second favorite is a shy, disappearing porcupine whose quills could take down 20 grown men. Their antics were so funny, but I also grew to really care about them alongside Reece, and that made the plot of Reece and Laken working together to save the sanctuary really work for me—despite the danger never really feeling very serious.

I would recommend Second Time's a Charm for those who love second chance romances. The story really lingers on the feelings dredged up by their past and also does a great job of making you root for them in the present timeline. The addition of a cute, magical town as well as lovable and hilarious magical creatures is also a bonus. This isn't very fast-paced or plot-reliant to push the story forward, so is definitely one for my cozy readers.

﹙ three stars ﹚

— thank you grand central publishing for the e-arc via netgalley to review!

[Virginia Easthome · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of good material in this book - the premise (girl leaves home at 18, heartbroken to the bigger city to strike out on her own and find herself, and three years later returns home to run her family's magical animal sanctuary - and has to do it with her ex, the man who broke her heart).

The best relationship in the book - with the best character development, dialogue, and heart - is with the fmc (Reece) and her best friend, Maggie. I felt like Maggie had more depth than Laken (the mmc) did, and I'm not sure why?

It could have been a cozy fantasy, second-chance romance with the magical creatures, quirky small-town magical village, and maybe even the sanctuary in debt storyline - and if those had all been followed through on a clear plot arc, with two solid characters whose arcs showed growth (essential for a second-chance romance). The character growth is a bit circular, and the fmc and mmc are quite mean to each other at times (and I recognize that I might just not be the audience for that style of dialogue) - but you want to see some growth and reflection on their own characters, as well as together.

My main concern is that Reece was only gone from the sanctuary for three years - meaning that she grew up there, right? Why does the smell of the animals and caretaking for them bother her so much - yet, she wants to take over the sanctuary so badly? She eventually gets there in terms of developing a routine taking care of the animals, but it didn't make sense to me that she hated or wasn't used to being around the sanctuary animals (even if she wasn't good at it).

It was nice to see an fmc who really isn't good at anything, and stumbles through, and generally lives life as a mess with a sense of humor about the whole thing. It tips the story into cozy fantasy territory. I would have liked more consistency in the world-building though (why are we having a fancy under-the-table auction for mystical creatures where everyone is wearing ball gowns, but also she spends most the time in tunics and corsets, but her grandest wish is for a pair of overalls?). Also, if you grew up at a magical sanctuary with fire-spitting chickens (one of may favorite animals in the sanctuary!)...why don't they have fireproof aprons or something to wear over the dresses? She mentions the town witch a bunch of times who does protective spells. I just feel like there is room for charmed fabric here. The library has floating books that find the people who need their stories, you can have some fireproof clothing!

I feel like we were set up to have a whole series about this magical town, but the inconsistencies made it tough to follow and stay engaged in the story at hand. The author seemed to have too many good ideas, and put them all in! I would love to see some of these teased out in other books.

*Opinions are my own, but I am grateful to Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Second Time's a Charm

Author: Taylor Epperson

Publication date: 4/21/26 | Read: 4/9/26

Format: e-Book 400 pgs.

Genre:
*Fantasy/Sci Fi
*Romance
*Adult Fic

Tropes:
 *small town
*2nd chance romance
*childhood sweethearts
*magical creatures/pet friendly
*cozy
*enemies to lovers
*shared room, 1 bed

POV: 1st person single

TW: parental neglect/abandonment, death of a parent, gossip, arson-past, poaching
 
Setting: Honey Brooke

Summary: Three years after leaving town, Reece returns to run the magical sanctuary her father Chester left to her. He disappeared with a mountain of debt and vulnerable creatures at the mercy of poachers. Laken was Reece's childhood sweetheart but left town with no explanation. He's back in town running the animal refuge since Chester left, but Reece doesn't want him around. Unfortunately, he's the only one who knows how to run the animal shelter, so Reece reluctantly agrees to work with him until she can take over. 

 Heroine: Reece McCarthen- works w. BFF Maggie in Old Ashton at her flower shop until she inherits father's animal preserve. 

 Hero: Laken "Ghost" Augustus-was trained by Reece's father and is a secret assassin part of the Wraiths

Other Characters: 
*Ruth-owns a bakery in town Reece works for
*Chester McCarthen-Reece's father
*Maggie-Reece's BFF
*Faye Augustus-Laken's mother
*Declan-leader of the Wraiths
*Magical Creatures
-Hellblazers-chickens saved from fighting pits, caused town fire when they escaped from Reece
-Indomitus-an ash dragon who cannot fly nor breathe fire and has scars from poachers
-Finneas and Finnigan-goats w/ healing milk sold as cream
-Archie-a bird w/ head injury able to transport themselves
-Phoebe-porcupine w. poisonous spikes removed by poachers, goes invisible when nervous
-Butters-a bear w. skin that cannot be pierced and produces fluid w. shield-like properties. Only eats fruits and veggies, starved as a cub
-Benedict- a raccoon who can make things disappear, a good thief. He was stabbed in a robbery, and the wounds stunted his magic and ability to climb
-Blaze-a dragon who never grew past infancy
-Gordon-goldfish who jumps from his bowl occasionally

 My Thoughts: This was filled with humor and a little adventure with exes Reece and Laken. They reunited to care for rescued animals while still attracted to each other. Reece had unresolved father issues, but Laken, Maggie, and the community pitched in to help save the sanctuary.

Rating: 4/5  
Spice level:3/5   open door

Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Taylor Epperson for this ARC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

[East of Reality · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really do get tired of generic fantasy worlds with the ubiquitous and impractical “fight leathers”, crowds of people with trench coats, carriages and modern slang and the main city is filled with criminals, assassins, bounty hunters and so forth … because the city is next to the palace, so of course you need your motley, villainous crew to be right there to admire the towers. Or something. In a way it reminds me more of the old MYTH books than a fantasy book, with the taxi driver — I mean carriage driver — telling his life’s story while ferrying our erstwhile heroine home. The horses gallop all the time because they’re nothing but cars in costumes. It’s all just a contemporary with a lacquer of cheap fantasy paint.

The writing is adequate, but then the author decides to try adding some style and suddenly it’s a … well, let’s just say I really didn’t like the attempts at fancy, cursive and lavender prose. Some people can make it work, others … can’t. There are clumsy paragraphs trying to set a scene, but having to go back in time and then forward again to try to make the point, and it doesn’t always work, leading to me having to reread back to try to figure out what the book thinks it’s trying to say.

So many small things stood out, like a woman wearing a skit with a white tunic tucked into it. But if the “tunic” is tucked in, how would you know it’ a tunic and not just a shirt? And why would you tuck a tunic into a dress? Two goats are introduced and we’re told they’re girls, and yet in the next paragraph Reese thinks of them as boys. Why? No clue. From the way she treats the animals, the way she handles the simple act of feeding them I had to wonder why someone who didn’t like animals was the main character of a book about … caring for animals. She complains about how hard it is to feed the seven or so sets of animals, how her feet hurt and her arms can barely lift things but … what did she do exactly in the flower shop? Did she never spend a full day on her feet? Did she never lift a box?

Despite having poachers and assassins, this book is something that I can see fitting in with the slew of so-called “cozy fantasy” books. It has slapdash worldbuilding, plot holes larger than a castle, a heroine who effortlessly manages to get people to support her and save the day for her, and a love interest who has a limited and static “I love you and only you” personality. It’s a very by the numbers book, but it has decent pacing and the plot is solid.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.