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Begin Again
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Expected 16 Jun 26240 pages, Paperback
Expected publication June 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Sam comes home to settle her mother’s affairs. There, she runs into Alex, her first love and the woman she felt betrayed by. Alex’s mother was like a second mother to Sam, and her turning on Sam after finding out about the two of them was yet another reason for her to leave. The same day Alex’s mother threw Sam out of the house is the same day Alex didn’t talk to her again.
Novels like this always put me in a bit of a moral quandary. As a straight person, I’ve never had to deal with coming out (whether by choice or forced), so I’ve neveer had to look at the fallout from that point of view. I’ve dealt with it as the parent of queer children, but obviously not everyone has a parent as cool as me. Heh. So the thing that bothers me about this book might just be an experience that many LGBTQ+ people go through that they just see differently. It’s not like this is the first book I’ve seen this happen in, but the fact that it seems more on Sam to see things differently and accept other people, rather than the other way around bothers me. To be fair, the book is from Sam’s perspective, so we don’t get Alex’s POV, except through her words and auctions, but considering how things went down, I think Sam had more responsibility than she should have. Again, not something I am experienced in myself.
Otherwise, this is a fairly typical romance. Sam is an interesting character. I think I would have preferred to also get Alex’s POV, also, but I understand the reason. This was overall a pleasant reading experience and an admirable debut novel.
ARC provided by NetGalley.
Novels like this always put me in a bit of a moral quandary. As a straight person, I’ve never had to deal with coming out (whether by choice or forced), so I’ve neveer had to look at the fallout from that point of view. I’ve dealt with it as the parent of queer children, but obviously not everyone has a parent as cool as me. Heh. So the thing that bothers me about this book might just be an experience that many LGBTQ+ people go through that they just see differently. It’s not like this is the first book I’ve seen this happen in, but the fact that it seems more on Sam to see things differently and accept other people, rather than the other way around bothers me. To be fair, the book is from Sam’s perspective, so we don’t get Alex’s POV, except through her words and auctions, but considering how things went down, I think Sam had more responsibility than she should have. Again, not something I am experienced in myself.
Otherwise, this is a fairly typical romance. Sam is an interesting character. I think I would have preferred to also get Alex’s POV, also, but I understand the reason. This was overall a pleasant reading experience and an admirable debut novel.
ARC provided by NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rewriting the Past, One Risk at a Time
Sam and Alex share an undeniable chemistry, and that connection is the beating heart of this novel. The slow-burn rekindling of a love fractured fifteen years ago is handled with care — the emotional push-and-pull feels earned, and both women carry their scars in believable ways. The small-town setting of Hicksville adds a layer of quiet tension, and Jordan proves to be a steadfast companion whose presence brings warmth to the story. For readers who enjoy second-chance romances rooted in grief and self-discovery, there is much to appreciate here.
That said, the story left me wanting more depth beyond the central romance. Life is layered — friendships, careers, hobbies, personal passions — and these dimensions remained largely on the surface. Jordan, despite being a highlight, could have been fleshed out further, and Sam’s world outside of her grief and her feelings for Alex felt somewhat thin. A richer supporting cast and more texture around the characters’ daily lives would have made the emotional stakes feel even greater.
I voluntarily wrote this review after receiving a free copy of this book.
Sam and Alex share an undeniable chemistry, and that connection is the beating heart of this novel. The slow-burn rekindling of a love fractured fifteen years ago is handled with care — the emotional push-and-pull feels earned, and both women carry their scars in believable ways. The small-town setting of Hicksville adds a layer of quiet tension, and Jordan proves to be a steadfast companion whose presence brings warmth to the story. For readers who enjoy second-chance romances rooted in grief and self-discovery, there is much to appreciate here.
That said, the story left me wanting more depth beyond the central romance. Life is layered — friendships, careers, hobbies, personal passions — and these dimensions remained largely on the surface. Jordan, despite being a highlight, could have been fleshed out further, and Sam’s world outside of her grief and her feelings for Alex felt somewhat thin. A richer supporting cast and more texture around the characters’ daily lives would have made the emotional stakes feel even greater.
I voluntarily wrote this review after receiving a free copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A sweet story of first love, second chances, and love everlasting.
A great debut novel from Sara Radley. She writes characters who are easy to fall in love with and only want the best for!
The characters were easy to fall in love with and want to see them get their happily ever after. Life is complicated. They are so many things that can change the trajectory of our lives, where we thought we would be, and what we had hoped or dreamed of. Begin Again shows how events can push us away or pull us back, and that you can come home again.
I liked the depiction of small town life, probably more so because I live in a small town and I felt seen in reading this book. Yes, people know your business, but they also care, and show up when you need them. Thanks for highlighting that small towns can be supportive of all people and relationships.
Warm hearted and absolutely lovely.
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books for providing an advanced digital copy via NetGalley for me to be able to read and review.
A great debut novel from Sara Radley. She writes characters who are easy to fall in love with and only want the best for!
The characters were easy to fall in love with and want to see them get their happily ever after. Life is complicated. They are so many things that can change the trajectory of our lives, where we thought we would be, and what we had hoped or dreamed of. Begin Again shows how events can push us away or pull us back, and that you can come home again.
I liked the depiction of small town life, probably more so because I live in a small town and I felt seen in reading this book. Yes, people know your business, but they also care, and show up when you need them. Thanks for highlighting that small towns can be supportive of all people and relationships.
Warm hearted and absolutely lovely.
Thank you to Bold Strokes Books for providing an advanced digital copy via NetGalley for me to be able to read and review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First book by this author and it was a good one overall.
Sam and Alex are rekindling their romance after 15 years. I enjoy second chance books and the writing was done well and their story believable which was a nice surprise.
Only gripe is more depth would have been welcome with their characters and their surroundings. The main focus was their romance, as it should be, but a broader aspect of their lives with their friends and etc would have been a great addition.
Overall, a nice low angst read. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sam and Alex are rekindling their romance after 15 years. I enjoy second chance books and the writing was done well and their story believable which was a nice surprise.
Only gripe is more depth would have been welcome with their characters and their surroundings. The main focus was their romance, as it should be, but a broader aspect of their lives with their friends and etc would have been a great addition.
Overall, a nice low angst read. I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Begin Again is a small town, second chance romance. The last time Sam saw her first love Alex, Alex’s mom just caught them together. The religious woman threw Sam out of their house and outed her to the town. After avoiding the townspeople for over r a decade, Sam is back in town to settle her mother’s estate and soon runs into Alex.
The chemistry between the MCs is obvious. I wish that there was more depth to story and side characters though. It is still a cute, low angst romance if you are looking for an easy read.
The chemistry between the MCs is obvious. I wish that there was more depth to story and side characters though. It is still a cute, low angst romance if you are looking for an easy read.
May 30, 2026
I liked the romance of the story. The main characters felt authentic and I found myself rooting for them.
The major con if that the other characters are not given any real depth and I feel a story like this one needs the supporting characters to help drive the story. I found myself wishing we knew more of the side relationships and characters then what was provided.
Still a good story that I could see myself rereading.
Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The major con if that the other characters are not given any real depth and I feel a story like this one needs the supporting characters to help drive the story. I found myself wishing we knew more of the side relationships and characters then what was provided.
Still a good story that I could see myself rereading.
Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews