Begin Again

by Sara Radley

Some wounds never heal—until you’re brave enough to face them.

After a decade and a half away, Sam Martin's return to Hicksville wasn't in the cards, until an unexpected loss brings her back to her childhood home. Sam finds solace in her unwavering friend Jordan, who knows the struggle of being an outsider in their close-knit town.

Then a chance meeting thrusts Sam into a reunion with Alex Weaver, the woman who shattered her heart long ago. Attraction long dormant surges back to the surface, despite the scars they both carry and the obstacles presented by Alex's traditional family.

As Sam grapples with grief, buried emotions, and the claustrophobic grip of small-town life, she faces a critical choice: keep her heart safe, or rewrite her narrative and embrace the risks of rekindling love.

Genres: Contemporary

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 16, 2026

Reviews

[Misha · Rating 2 out of 5]

(rounded down from 2.25)

I dare anyone who has finished this book to tell me anything about Alex's character as an adult. You can't because there's nothing there except the colour of her hair and her ice blue eyes. That's the sort of thing I wish editors would help new authors with. A romance story is fine and fairly standard as far as the story beats go. There are the usual tropes we all love, generally two characters who are apart due to some kind of conflict and what an author needs to do is make us a) engaged with and care about the main characters so that we WANT them to be together forever, and B) have some kind of convincing conflict that has prevented them from being together thus far. This book, unfortunately, does not get there on either account.

The main characters are bare bones cut out of two gay women who were together in high school as well as being best friends, were discovered by a homophobic parent, separated geographically, and literally never spoke to each other again until a chance meeting in a small town they grew up in, where they both happened to be for various reasons.

For the entirety of this book, you will get neither a single frank conversation about the current status nor the future, which aggravated me a lot. Absolutely beyond frustrating to me that the main character will have a conversation with two friends in the city, her actual boss to turn down a promotion offer, and the realtor selling her mother's house in the small town instead of one single conversation first with the love of her life about how they feel and what they want their collective future to look like. Deeply annoying. Hopefully the author's next book(s) will address these and I'll have a good time with them.

[Leonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (3,5 stars, rounded up here)

Imagine you meet your first ever love, possibly the love of your life, again after the the two of you had a very heartbreaking breakup when you were just teenagers...and now, years later, this happens..

To start off, I loved the chemistry between Alex and Sam! Right from the start you know that there’s gonna be tension due to the two’s history, and let me tell you…the tension is literally soo feelable! Over the course of the book though, the tension slowly dissolves and changes into a more charged (and hotter) version but also one that feels almost wholesome towards the end. I also really liked the theme of grief (though I would’ve wished for it to be more present since Sam did lose her mom not that long ago).
But besides that, the themes of forgiving and falling back in love with your first ever love were so well done. Especially the scene between Sam and Nadine (the one who know know hehe). Storypace wise, I think it was somewhat fast at times, though given the already very apparent history betweent the main characters, I guess it was understandable. The side characters (esepcially Jordan and Dallis) get a special mention from me too because I adored them throughout the whole book!! I do think we all should have friends like that (yes, I NEED a pushy friend in my life).
Moreover, the writing is really nice! I loved the prose and general style so so much, specifcally the emotions were written very nicely (hence the note that the tension was soo feelable)
Overall though, I liked the book, the story, the characters and the feelings it conveyed. Nevertheless, there were still have a few little things that I didn’t like. But if you’re in the mood for an emotional, returning to one’s first love/second chance type of romance, then this might just be the right pick for you!

fav quote: “You know,” she mused, “I think I fell in love with you the first time you played with my hair.”

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntarily given review!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Begin again, is a story about two women that rekindle their first love again, even though a lot of stuff has happened and a lot of time has passed.

This book has a lot of positive factors that I liked. Alex and Sam had great chemistry, the writing was very fun and fast paced and I’m a big fan of second chance romance. Unfortunately the book features a bad received and forced coming out, which is a very triggering topic and ruined the story a bit for me. I really think this should have been stated in the book description. But I’m very happy that Alex’s mother decides to change her mind and call Sam a good fit for her daughter. Besides this very personal issue, this is a nice and cozy read.

Thanks netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the early Arc!

[☁️˚ʚ oriana ɞ˚☁️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

୨୧ book title: begin again
୨୧ author: sara radley
୨୧ my rating: 3.25 stars

୨୧ blurb:
begin again follows sam martin, who is forced to return to her small hometown after an unexpected loss brings her back for the first time in fifteen years. while navigating overwhelming grief and the memories she tried to leave behind, sam reconnects with her loyal best friend jordan, whose support helps her survive the difficult transition home. when she unexpectedly comes face to face with alex weaver, the woman who broke her heart years ago, old feelings quickly resurface. as sam confronts loss, unresolved emotions, and the realities of small town life, she must decide whether protecting herself is worth giving up the possibility of a second chance at love.

୨୧ my review:
begin again was an emotional read that had me invested from the very beginning. the strongest part of this novel for me was the emotional depth surrounding sam's grief. i truly felt her pain and sadness to my core, and there were several moments that left me teary eyed.

this is very much a true second-chance romance, and i found myself completely invested in sam and alex's story. i spent most of the book rooting for them to find their way back to one another. overall, i thought the romance was very sweet and heartfelt. i loved the banter and tension between sam and alex as well!

honorable mention to jordan, sam's best friend. every scene between sam and jordan brought warmth, humor, and comfort to the story. honestly, i wish i had a best friend like jordan in my own life. because i loved jordan so much, i found myself wishing we had gotten a lot more of their friendship throughout the story. and while i enjoyed the story overall, i think what held it back for me was the lack of character development in certain areas. i found myself wanting to know more about the side characters, their lives, and their feelings beyond what was shown on the page. alex, in particular, felt like a character i wanted to understand more deeply. i truly think this book could have really benefited from a dual POV. getting chapters from alex's perspective would have allowed readers to better understand her emotions, motivations, and experiences throughout the years they were apart. there were several moments where i felt like i needed a little more insight into what she was thinking and feeling. i think with a bit more development, the story could have had an even greater emotional impact. by the time i reached the ending, i was expecting an epilogue that would show readers what came next for sam and alex. unfortunately, that never came. after becoming invested in their story, i really wanted a glimpse into their future.

overall, begin again is a sweet and emotional second-chance romance that explores grief, healing, friendship, and love. if you enjoy cozy sapphic romances, this books might be for you. it's also a pretty quick read and a good palate cleanser in between longer, heavier books.

thank you to netgalley, sara radley and bold strokes books for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

୨୧ core tropes/themes:
- sapphic romance
- second chance
- small town setting
- grief and healing
- first love

[Jaime Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Begin Again left me grinning from start to finish. Sweet, heartfelt, and so full of emotions, it’s a beautiful reminder that some connections never truly fade, no matter how much time has passed.

Both main characters felt so authentic and easy to connect with. Sam was especially relatable in the way she struggled with boxing up all of her emotions and carrying them all on her own. The story explores how difficult it can be to ask for help, even when you know you need it, and the vulnerability required to trust the people who love you enough to help shoulder the weight.

Alex's empathetic nature made her a character I immediately connected with. She spent so much of her life prioritizing other people's expectations and happiness that she'd forgotten how to advocate for her own, making her struggle to choose what she truly wanted both heartbreaking and deeply relatable. Watching them both slowly confront those feelings and open themselves up again was just as rewarding as the rekindled-romance itself.

The relationship at the center of the story was impossible not to root for from Chapter One. Their chemistry felt immediately natural, their history added emotional depth, and every interaction carried the sense that these were two people who had always been pulled toward one another. The story beautifully captures the fear of choosing between the life others expect you to live and the life (and person) that truly makes you happy.

I also adored Sam's friendship with Jordan and her new-friendship in Dallis. Their banter brought so much warmth and humor to the story, and their friendship felt authentic and supportive in all the best ways.

Begin Again is absolutely about second chances — second chances at love, at happiness, and at becoming the person you're meant to be. It's a hopeful, comforting story that reminds us that moving forward doesn't mean leaving everything behind. That it can sometimes mean finding your way back to what mattered all along.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

Favorite Quotes:
"Seeing [her] stirred up more than old wounds. It stirred something else inside her in an entirely different way. And that was the part she was afraid of."

"Searching [her] face, seeing the hopefulness there, seeing the other emotions bubbling just beneath the surface, she decided that it didn’t matter. Whatever happened next, she was moving forward."

"You just move forward. As women, that is always what we do."

"Kissing her felt like warm rain on a summer day. It was hot, wet, and did nothing at all to cool her body down."

"She had no doubt now about her feelings for her. She knew she had never truly stopped loving her and was very close to falling in love with her all again."

"It’s like you two are magnets, drawn together no matter what comes in between."

"This is just the beginning. Not everyone gets to begin again. Let's make the most of it."

[Scott Cutlip · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Anisha Chatterjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC!! 3.5 stars, rounding off to 4. This was a very sweet small-town romance, reminiscent of all those cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies (but make it sapphic and not set in December). Sam and Alex are both very sweet characters, and their story was heartbreakingly sweet, from friends to lovers to exes to lovers again. Alex's mom apologising to Sam and telling her that she's good for his daughter were the highlights of the book to me, because we queer people seldom get to see parents deciding to put down their bigotry and choosing to change in media. I really liked the fact that, despite choosing to give up her very successful career for love, Sam eventually didn't do that and ended up getting them both. Onto the negatives, certain parts felt extremely cliched, and with the whole small town high school sweethearts storyline, I could guess pretty much everything that was going to happen, right down to the big get-together with old acquaintances at everyone's favourite bar. Additionally, I do think there could have been a bit more focus and buildup on Alex and Sophie's relationship, since she does pretty much decide to become her second mother. Overall, it's a very sweet small-town romance with well-written characters, but a few plot points could have been explored better to make the book more rounded.

[SusieQ · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a debut book and overall I liked the read. I would have liked way more of a story from when Sam and Alex dated in secret in high school, how that ended , how they both struggled to get back after that. Now the book just starts several years later when Sam goes back to her old hometown after her mom has passed to deal with the aftermath of that. Sam runs into Alex, really does not want to see her again, things still hurt. Alex is so genuine and so sorry about how things played out at the time and Sam forgives her, a bit too fast in my mind with not much angst. But as said a fun and fast, not too complex read.

It is a story we have read so many times before, girl meets girl, they fall in love, are real soulmates, but one of the MCs ends it since not accepted by her family/society and ends up with a man instead. In some books that is the end for them, but in other books, as in this one, they meet again a few years later and perhaps a chance at a second chance. I think so sad that this is a thing still happening, that not everyone can accept who someone close to you love.

I received a free ARC via NetGalley and voluntarily leave an honest review.

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.


Alex and Sam were dating secretly until getting caught by Alex mother who is very religious. Sam left town after being exposed and was never going return but when her mother passes away she has to settle her mother affairs. Sam didn’t plan on running into Alex but when do the feelings she pushed aside comes back to the surface. Alex struggles with putting herself first which is why she struggles with wanting what she really wants and focusing on others then herself but with Sam return she has realize there’s nothing selfish for being who you are and putting yourself first. I enjoy this second chance read I like that Alex mom apologize to Sam you never get to see a parent put prejudices aside and want their child to be happy I adore the friendship between Sam and Jordan their banter was good.

[Sue Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

its not a bad read for a debut the characters were well thought and and the angst between them was very real..... being outed like they were to the town they lived left scars for both of the main characters that stayed with them for years

my only moan really would be the build up to the spicy scenes they were actually really good and then nothing it was like a roll over finish done,,, so i think that would need more work and thought to it... you cant leave people hanging... ohhh i forget men do that all the time...lmao

anyway the actual storyline held my interest that i wanted to see how things ended with the two main characters

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Stephanie Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

You absolutely have to read Begin Again by Sara Radley! It's a beautiful story of Sam , who returns to her childhood home, Hicksville, after a long absence. She's grappling with loss and unexpectedly reconnects with Alex, the woman who once broke her heart. It's a poignant journey of healing, facing the past, and a powerful second chance at love, all set against the backdrop of a small town. Truly enjoyed it!