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Second Chance
After an attack on her convoy, Marine Corps Staff Sergeant, Darien Hollister, must learn to live without her sight. When an experimental procedure allows her to see again, opening up the possibility for her to go back to the career that is deeply ingrained in her, Darien is torn, knowing someone had to die in order for this to happen. She embarks on a journey to personally thank the donor’s family, but is too stunned to tell them the truth. Mixed emotions stir inside of her as she slowly gets to the know the people that feel like so much more than strangers to her. When the truth finally comes out, Darien walks away, taking the second chance that she’s been given to go back to the only life she’s ever known, but she’s not the only one with a second chance at life.
197 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 20, 2015
4 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Sydney Canyon
11 books7 followersSydney Canyon enjoys reading everything from magazines to historical books and boasts about her massive collection of paperbacks and hardbacks in her personal library. She's also a huge fan of multiple TV shows, which she says take up too much of her time.
You can email her at sydneycanyon@gmail.com and like her fan page at facebook.com/sydneycanyon
You can email her at sydneycanyon@gmail.com and like her fan page at facebook.com/sydneycanyon
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 15, 2015
Second Chance was a moving novel covering a range of topics - war, injury, death, despair, love, happiness and the list goes on...
I was drawn into Darien's story of survival and Courtney's heartache; I was grateful to witness their chance at happiness together.
Having said that, I felt the story was a little rushed, especially the ending. I would've liked to see a little more of Darien and Courtney's relationship building and how it all played out.
All in all, a great first 'novel' by Sydney Canyon (upgrading from her usual novellas) ☺
I was torn rating this book. 4 stars? 5 stars? I really wish there were half stars!
Therefore, I'm going with 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars)
I was drawn into Darien's story of survival and Courtney's heartache; I was grateful to witness their chance at happiness together.
Having said that, I felt the story was a little rushed, especially the ending. I would've liked to see a little more of Darien and Courtney's relationship building and how it all played out.
All in all, a great first 'novel' by Sydney Canyon (upgrading from her usual novellas) ☺
I was torn rating this book. 4 stars? 5 stars? I really wish there were half stars!
Therefore, I'm going with 4.5 stars (rounded up to 5 stars)
October 13, 2019
Light, loose and lovely. A hard subject made easy - not cross, crass nor judgemental, just, well, Aaaaahhhhhhhhh...
June 10, 2016
In my ever evolving quest to read at least one book by everyone who writes LGBT (specifically the L part), at least those who have written something that was 'really liked' by one or more friends on here, I decided to try this book here.
It's been almost a week since I read the book, so this will be slightly difficult. Especially since everything that needs to be learned could probably be best dealt with by having me say something like *read the book description, then come back here; here's a few words on what I thought* but that's boring. So. ..
The book opens on an interesting scene in a war zone. A convoy is driving through dangerous territory, and it's under attack. During the attack, the vehicle that the main character is in is hit by at least two, maybe more, explosive devices. Fire, smoke, debris flies everywhere. The main character, though, one Staff Sergeant Darien Hollister, isn't exactly in the best position to help the situation. What with her being blinded in the explosions. So she calls out to her team, trying to get a sense if anyone else is still alive. Everything might explode at any moment, and she's not getting any responses so it's up to her to try to find the outside. Preferably gathering as many of her troops as she can on the way out.
She did, in fact, make her way out. Otherwise this would be a really short story involving someone who died in combat. And I've actually read a few of those - they are the kind of books where at the end you realize that everything that had occurred had been a flash back type of a 'this is my life' flashing through the mind of someone who refuses to die. Then does. Die that is. That isn't this type of book though.
So, book then turns to a beach. Darien Hollister is sitting on that beach starring at the setting sun. Which is hard to do since she can't see. Her best friend Val is there to help. Actually she's Darien's cousin. Though still a friend. See, it's been a week or more since I read the book, was she called 'best friend'? I can't recall.
Darien had dedicated her life to joining the US Marines. And advancing from recruit, all the way up to Staff Sergeant. She's still relatively young, but she doesn't know what to do with herself. Now that she's been honorably discharged from the Marines. And is blind.
After a longish period of time, chronologically at least, if not in pages in the book, Darien learns of a medical procedure that might help her. There's been like three surgeries. At the moment, only one has been successful - would Darien be interested? Well, considering who and what Darien is in the grand scheme of things, the possibility of making things worse with a statistically small chance she could see? She decides to have the surgery.
More time passes chronologically. She's sad that someone had to die for her to have her new eyes. And she is still unsure what to do with herself, since she's still out of the Marines. And while she still has savings, it won't last forever. So, she puts herself onto a mission - after a lot of work she learns where her eyes came from, and learns who belongs in that individuals family.
She hasn't really thought things through, despite all the time needed to learn the information she has learned, nor does she think things through before popping into a plane and flying out to where she expects to find some family members of the donor.
Takes her some time to actually drive onto the farm, drove past a couple of times. And when asked if she's there for the advertised work, she takes the easy out. And so, she gets a job on a farm. While there she meets the mother of the person who had to die so Darien could see, Beverly, Beverly's daughter-in-law and son. Plus Ernie, who works on the farm.
Darien works hard and interacts with the people there. She feels vague feelings for the daughter-in-law, which she finds vaguely wrong, and develops something of a friendship with Beverly. They have some nice moments telling stories to each other (mostly Darien discussing her joining the Marines, then her rise through the ranks).
The book was a rather nice interesting read. Enjoyable. It had both a vaguely light and heavy feeling to it - light because some events seemed to get more of a passing reference than a deep reflection, and heavy from the emotions explored and revealed through certain other events.
March 9 2016
It's been almost a week since I read the book, so this will be slightly difficult. Especially since everything that needs to be learned could probably be best dealt with by having me say something like *read the book description, then come back here; here's a few words on what I thought* but that's boring. So. ..
The book opens on an interesting scene in a war zone. A convoy is driving through dangerous territory, and it's under attack. During the attack, the vehicle that the main character is in is hit by at least two, maybe more, explosive devices. Fire, smoke, debris flies everywhere. The main character, though, one Staff Sergeant Darien Hollister, isn't exactly in the best position to help the situation. What with her being blinded in the explosions. So she calls out to her team, trying to get a sense if anyone else is still alive. Everything might explode at any moment, and she's not getting any responses so it's up to her to try to find the outside. Preferably gathering as many of her troops as she can on the way out.
She did, in fact, make her way out. Otherwise this would be a really short story involving someone who died in combat. And I've actually read a few of those - they are the kind of books where at the end you realize that everything that had occurred had been a flash back type of a 'this is my life' flashing through the mind of someone who refuses to die. Then does. Die that is. That isn't this type of book though.
So, book then turns to a beach. Darien Hollister is sitting on that beach starring at the setting sun. Which is hard to do since she can't see. Her best friend Val is there to help. Actually she's Darien's cousin. Though still a friend. See, it's been a week or more since I read the book, was she called 'best friend'? I can't recall.
Darien had dedicated her life to joining the US Marines. And advancing from recruit, all the way up to Staff Sergeant. She's still relatively young, but she doesn't know what to do with herself. Now that she's been honorably discharged from the Marines. And is blind.
After a longish period of time, chronologically at least, if not in pages in the book, Darien learns of a medical procedure that might help her. There's been like three surgeries. At the moment, only one has been successful - would Darien be interested? Well, considering who and what Darien is in the grand scheme of things, the possibility of making things worse with a statistically small chance she could see? She decides to have the surgery.
More time passes chronologically. She's sad that someone had to die for her to have her new eyes. And she is still unsure what to do with herself, since she's still out of the Marines. And while she still has savings, it won't last forever. So, she puts herself onto a mission - after a lot of work she learns where her eyes came from, and learns who belongs in that individuals family.
She hasn't really thought things through, despite all the time needed to learn the information she has learned, nor does she think things through before popping into a plane and flying out to where she expects to find some family members of the donor.
Takes her some time to actually drive onto the farm, drove past a couple of times. And when asked if she's there for the advertised work, she takes the easy out. And so, she gets a job on a farm. While there she meets the mother of the person who had to die so Darien could see, Beverly, Beverly's daughter-in-law and son. Plus Ernie, who works on the farm.
Darien works hard and interacts with the people there. She feels vague feelings for the daughter-in-law, which she finds vaguely wrong, and develops something of a friendship with Beverly. They have some nice moments telling stories to each other (mostly Darien discussing her joining the Marines, then her rise through the ranks).
The book was a rather nice interesting read. Enjoyable. It had both a vaguely light and heavy feeling to it - light because some events seemed to get more of a passing reference than a deep reflection, and heavy from the emotions explored and revealed through certain other events.
March 9 2016
February 26, 2024
a beautiful story
A wonderfully written story with very engaging characters. As a Veteran I appreciate the care with which the author has represented a wounded warrior and the beautiful romance that rises from tragedy. At least in fiction we can have a happily ever after.
A wonderfully written story with very engaging characters. As a Veteran I appreciate the care with which the author has represented a wounded warrior and the beautiful romance that rises from tragedy. At least in fiction we can have a happily ever after.
January 7, 2018
Excellent read
I love this book so much, that I couldn't stop reading it and made me laugh and cry, but it was the best book I've read in 2118.😘
I love this book so much, that I couldn't stop reading it and made me laugh and cry, but it was the best book I've read in 2118.😘
July 28, 2016
I was a little nervous with how this book might end given the strong start and fantastic character building. The blurb (which, honestly, reveals A LOT of the story) mentions how Darien keeps a secret and usually these are either blown up and overdone when revealed or a complete anti-climax. Canyon does a great job in finding the middle ground here. There is drama, but it is realistic.
Also - huge thumbs up from me for not using insta-love. I always enjoy a story more without that particular trope that seems to plague les-fic. Yes, the main characters admit physical attraction early on, but the romance is developed very nicely.
This is a short read - I finished in one evening - however, it is complete and thoroughly enjoyable.
4.5 rounded to 5 stars
Also - huge thumbs up from me for not using insta-love. I always enjoy a story more without that particular trope that seems to plague les-fic. Yes, the main characters admit physical attraction early on, but the romance is developed very nicely.
This is a short read - I finished in one evening - however, it is complete and thoroughly enjoyable.
4.5 rounded to 5 stars
May 12, 2015
This story brought me to tears when I read it. Darien's life is turned upside by a tragic accident as fights in the war. She has to pick up the pieces and learn to how to live all over again, on completely terrain. The events that follow, give her life back to her one step at a time.
Sydney did a great job with her first full length story. I look forward to reading many more.
Sydney did a great job with her first full length story. I look forward to reading many more.
May 23, 2015
Oh wow...I loved this book! Sydney Canyon is an amazing author who captures the human experience well. The plot of Second Chance begins in tragedy and ends in hope, with a brilliantly gripping journey along the way. I fell in love with the characters and quickly became utterly absorbed by the story line until it get to the point where I couldn't put it down! 5 stars easily earned.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews