Second Shot

by Rebecca Gulley

Blurb to come.

Genres: Romance

385 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2026

Reviews

[The Book Ssirren]

Jenna. We need to have to have a talk…you waited all those years to be with a man who kept letting you down? Never made you a priority? You kept that kitty on lockdown all that time? Why? I need to know why? There is no man in this planet worth that. Especially Mitch. Girl, do you have self esteem issues? Cuz Mitch was scraping the bottom of the barrel.
And Mitch. What in the hell is wine with you? Sir, you passed up a wonderful woman multiple times and kept landing yourself less than kind of women. Is your brain functioning okay? You’re not worth that woman’s time. You don’t deserve her. You’re lack luster.
Second chance my lily white rear end. Two people that acted like they couldn’t do any better. Well, Jenna anyway. Mitch already had the couldn’t do any better.
This story got on my every last nerve. I’m only giving this a four because it seriously brought out the love/hate. That’s talent. I read this and wanted to scream at Mitch, yell at Jenna. But I guess the two of them finally got what they wanted. I’m truly sorry for that.

When an author can bring out all kinds of emotions in the readers like this. Whether intended or not. I consider that job well done.

[Brittany Harville]

Well this girl had me hooked on this series since book 1 and here we are book 3 and still absolutely love these characters, the outdoorsy atmosphere that they all take place in! I always say if you love to hunt these books are FOR YOU! I don’t! And guess what I absolutely love these! This is the saddest but cutest second chance romance. So much time apart and what our MMC goes through, omg you can’t help but love this burly teddy bear! This book definitely makes you believe in soul mates!

If you need a fun, deep, outdoorsy romance, look no further than this series! Soooo good!!

[Kris]

River Valley: Mitch and Jenna

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was a RAGE read. 😤

And honestly, my problem was Mitch.
The writing itself was good. It flowed well, I had no issues getting through the book, and I could see what the author was trying to do with the whole second-chance/true-love storyline.

But Mitch?

Nope.

He made a decision sixteen years ago that broke Jenna’s heart, and then spent years moaning because she didn't come back and chase after him.

Sir… YOU made the decision.
Now he’s engaged to another woman. She's horrible, and he just… stays.
Eventually, he finally kicks her to the curb and I thought ‘Finally…!’
But, nope… Only for him to then be prepared to let Jenna go. Again.

At this point I was screaming ’WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE LETTING HER GO?!’

I spent most of the book wondering where the evidence was that Mitch actually loved Jenna. Because, while I believed Jenna loved him. I just never believed Mitch loved her enough to actually FIGHT for her.

I did get a little satisfaction when he finally mouthed off to Lacy.
Very much a case of ‘Finally, he found his balls.’
But even then, I was frustrated by how much responsibility their friends put on Jenna to get through to him. They kept throwing the two of them together and pressuring her to give him another chance, when he was the one who needed to prove himself.
And then Jenna's feelings seemed to change so quickly. One minute she's holding him at arm's length, and suddenly they're on a date and she's happy.
I needed more.
More explanation. More accountability. More apology. More why.

He eventually apologises, but it felt dragged out of him and then glossed over.
And, unfortunately, I contains a trope that I absolutely loathe… You know, the one where the MFC has remained celibate for the entire sixteen years they've been apart.

I also wouldn't call Jenna a particularly strong MFC. I wanted more from her, especially when everyone around her seemed determined to push her back towards Mitch.

That said, I did enjoy the writing. It flowed really well, and I never struggled to keep reading. I can absolutely see why the second-chance romance would work for other readers.
That trope just didn't work for me, because I never bought Mitch's feelings or felt he'd done enough to deserve Jenna.

I was with Brody. Not a chance. 😂

So ultimately, this wasn't a bad book.. I just had a massive Mitch problem.

[Marci Crawford]

This was such a cute second-chance, later-in-life story! It’s not often that you get to experience a heartbreaking abuse story from the MMC’s perspective, but I could really feel the trauma he was going through. His confidence and mental health had been shredded down to almost nothing, and I really felt for him.

I didn’t love the way things played out between him and Jenna at the beginning. But seeing him work through everything and slowly find his way back to himself made his journey that much more meaningful.

I’m a sucker for childhood friends-to-lovers, and the fact that he was Jenna’s “only” was just… it for me. ❤️

This is definitely a slow burn as they get reacquainted and learn to trust each other again. Their meddling friends also help move things along, and I enjoyed watching everything slowly fall into place.

Overall, this was a sweet, emotional second-chance romance with plenty of heart. Thank you to the author for sharing this advance copy!

[Heather Greer]

Well, I have been a fan of Rebecca Gulley from the very beginning and she just gets better and better with her stories. I read her books and I’m like that was soooo good and think it is my favorite one and then she tops it again.
This story had my heart for many reasons. I love these characters and the dynamics that this friend group has with each other is the BEST!
It has banter, some laugh out loud moments, some moments that I actually yelled at the book( I won’t spoil it for you), real life situations, angst, second chances, past regrets and a love that has lasted for years.
Take a chance and fall in love with her stories, you will not be sorry. I’m just sorry that I finished the book so quickly because I want more!

[Barbara Mann]

4.25/5...I really enjoyed this second-chance romance, especially the emotional history between Jenna and the hero. The idea of finding your way back to the person you never truly stopped loving gave the story plenty of heart, and I appreciated the focus on the years of pain, regret, and longing between them. That said, some parts felt a little overdramatic, and I didn’t connect with the romance quite as deeply as I expected. The pacing felt uneven in places, and I wanted a bit more emotional depth as they worked through everything that had happened between them.I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jessika Ross]

4.5
Rebecca, I don’t think I have ever hated a character as much as I hated LACY! How could one even try to love someone like her? Mitch made the best decision by leaving her and walking away for good. But really Mitch why did you let Jenna go from the beginning!? (smack on the back of the head) 😂
But I am so glad Mitch was able to find his HEA again, it may have taken Jenna awhile to come back to town, but I am glad they were able to work things out and reconnect their emotions.

🦆Hunting Romance
🦆Second Chance
🦆Curvy FMC
🦆Friends to Lovers
🦆Slow Burn

[Hallie Raine]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

this is the 3rd book in the river valley book series and i’ve been with this author since the beginning.

i absolutely loved this book and have been WAITING FOREVER FOR MITCH TO LEAVE HER

round of applause please for mitch finding his worth and booting that girl to curb and finding peace and happiness. thank you! 👏👏👏

i’ve waited so long for mitch’s story and i honestly love how it played out.

✨RELEASES 9/1✨

[Victoria Lawson]

ARC review of Second Shot by Rebecca Gulley.

I have loved every book in this series. I was really happy to finally get Mitchell’s story. The first several chapters were a little tough to get through with Lacy and all her crap but it was necessary to get through to make the rest of the story so much better.

I can’t wait for the next book in this series to release next year.

I received this as an advanced reader copy and am truly grateful to have been giving this opportunity.

[Amber]

Jenna and Mitch's story was full of love and yearning. Mitch thought he was doing the right thing by letting her go, not wanting to hold her back. That action destroyed both of them. Jenna couldn't stand the thought of returning home and it took over a decade for her to do so. Unfortunately, Mitch was in a relationship at the time and spent the next five years unhappy in it. They both longed still for each other and Jenna hoped Mitch would realize he's too good for his cheating fiance.

[Tori]

I read this book as an ARC, no money was involved for me to read & wrote this review.
Rebecca knows how to write a country, hunting, love story. Second Shot was one of my favorites because of what the main male Character had to overcome. and how the FMC also felt. The friendships all the characters hold are special and feel so real. I love that she incorporated reading and audiobooks into this story. This is the spiciest one yet!

[Ashli Grady]

I’ve loved every book but this one was beautiful. Struggling with mental manipulation is so hard but you can overcome it and sometimes you get to find your person/past person in the process. This was beautifully written and the perfect level of spice 🌶️ I love how she mentioned her novella hunted in this book also. The perfect tie in.

[Courtney Henning]

I loved this one! Getting that second chance with your first love again when the time wasn’t right the first time because you wanted what you thought was best for them, but what was best for them was you all along!! They go 16 years without seeing each other and fighting feeling to being pushed together and finally having their time again!! Everything after the creek scene 😍♥️ AMAZING!!

[kaylyn]

I have read both books Cutie In Camo and A Long Time Strutting and I loved both books! When I got an email to read this book I was so excited! I read this book in three days and I loved Mitch and Jenna’s story!

[Misty Wilson]

❤️Friends to lovers
❤️ Second Chance
❤️ Redemption
❤️ Close Proximity


Love the dynamics and all the characters…love seeing everyone even after their books. Mitchel and Jenna’s story is one of my favorites. While I still think Mitch did Jenna dirty, he does redeem himself. Highly recommend.

[Ashley Miller]

I really enjoyed the second-chance romance and small-town vibe, especially having all the familiar characters and friends back. The extremely slow burn worked really well for this story, and I loved seeing both the male and female characters hunting it was such a great change of pace!

Lacy is a dreadfully awful character, but honestly, we loved to hate her. Overall, this was a really good story, and I enjoyed the way they discussed the possibility of not having kids and instead being the great aunts and uncles. It was a refreshing and meaningful perspective that I appreciated seeing included in the story.

[Becca]

*ARC REVIEW*
THIS IS EVERYTHING I NEEDED!
I have never picked up a book that made me want to jump into a book and fight a character quite like the first 10 chapters of this one did!
This slow burn, second chance love story will have you feeling all the emotions! This story is a true fight for love, fight for each other, and find for themselves.

Great Job Rebecca!

[Michele]

I like the community that is River Valley. This story is a slow burn, second chance romance for Mitch and Jenna. I could sense their emotions as they worked their way back to each other and reconnected. A very heart warming story.

[Jenna]

When you don’t think things will ever get better after the worse thing happened life has a funny way of making a happy ending! I absolutely loved this book. Heartbreak to happy ending!

[Shannon Parker]

This is the 3rd book in this series. It has some great banter. This is the book about Mitch and his huge mistake. I was so happy for the way this book turned out.

Thanks you so much for the ARC!

[Evelina Addison]

Another great story and loved the couple for this one. If you need a "villian" to hate in a story this one has it!!!!! Ordered my trophy for my shelf.

[Courtney Artmeier]

I absolutely ate this book up and I have loved every in this series No notes needed

[Rhonda Carter]

This is the story of Jenna and Mitch who were childhood sweethearts. Mitch makes a tough decision when dropping Jenna off at the airport. Jenna finishes college and moves back to town where she sees a Mitch and his fiancée Lacy and is sad as he had moved on and she has not . Now Lacy I so wanted to slap her she belittles Mitch every chance she can . Mitch leaves Lacy at the alter after Jenna tells him that Lacy doesn’t deserve him.
This is a small town second change romance by Rebecca Gulley and so recommend you read it.

[Dana Osborne]

Rebecca has done it again!!! This is the third book in her series. I love how the characters Mitch and Jenna face their own sets of problems but come together stronger to be each others anchor. This is a slow burn but it is worth the wait! I really liked that they worked on having a sort of friendship again before diving into a romantic relationship.

Also, I adore the fact that all of the guys in these books are willing to support their guy friends and talk about emotions and not tear each other down. Top tier masculinity 😚🤌

[Meredith Richardson]

🦆Hunting Romance
🦆Second Chance
🦆Curvy FMC
🦆Friends to Lovers
🦆Slow Burn

Throughout the series we've seen Mitch miserably living his life with his fiancee, Lacy. But when the love of his life comes back into his orbit, he finally grows the backbone we've all been waiting for.

This book is a journey, and it's one worth every moment. The longing between Jenna and Mitch is portrayed perfectly. I especially love how Rebecca Gulley shows the reality that even though we know something feels right, we second guess ourselves and are at times tentative to embrace our own happiness.

Jenna and Mitch finally get their happily ever after, and its one you'll be happy you read.

[Ruthella]

What happens when your first love is your last love? When you think you’re making the right decisions, but you really didn’t? Can you risk your heart?

I’ve been waiting for Mitch to pull his head out of his a$$ since I was introduced to him in A Long Time Strutting… and he finally does.

But is it too late?