A Second Shot

by Renee Monroe

Briar Burke has spent years behind the camera, capturing love stories as a full-time wedding photographer. With an eye for all of the moments that matter, she's seen it all–runaway brides, cheating scandals, objections, etc. When a couple inquires with a photography emergency and asks Briar to shoot their destination wedding in Switzerland, it's a turning point in her career. With a camera bag filled to the brim and a stomach full of jittery nerves, she accepts and jumps on a plane.

Enter Heath Hayes. A selfless firefighter, the groom's best man… and Briar's first love.
With his best friend's wedding looming, he's determined to make sure it's the perfect weekend. Not only for the groom, but also for the maid of honor–his girlfriend. Their failing relationship is his top priority and he will do whatever it takes to save it.

Forced to spend hours on end together, the photographer and best man take drastically different approaches to the series of unfortunate events unfolding. During the weekend they couldn't plan for with the person they never expected to see again, all of the feelings they tried to bury for years make their reappearance.

There is little more romantic than knowing something might blow up in your face, because it has before, and having the faith to go after it anyway. Find out if Briar and Heath are picture-perfect or if they will miss their shot.

Genres: Second Chance, Romance

402 pages, Paperback

Published August 24, 2026

About the author

Hi! I’m Renee—a hopelessly romantic twenty-something that writes romance with imperfect characters and lots of love!

IG: @authorreneemonroe
TikTok: @authorreneemonroe
Threads: @authorreneemonroe

https://linktr.ee/authorreneemonroe

Reviews

[madi · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆˙⟡ — 4.25 stars
⌗ ┆started: sept 3rd ● finished: sept 3rd
⤿ mini review with no spoilers

৻ꪆ thank you so much nikki hutchings and house of hearts for the arc!!

thoughts ⋆˚࿔
u guys i was obsessed with this book from the first page. we hadn’t even met the mmc yet and i already knew that this book was going to have a high rating 🤭 briar and heath were literally everything to me and i honestly regret not reading this sooner 😩 this is literally why i love second chance romance sm

characters ⋆˚࿔

⋆˚࿔ ― briar + heath

literally my babies omg 🥹 having to go back and forth between the now and then genuinely broke my heart bc i would be obsessed with them and their relationship in the then, and then i would be tearing up bc of the things that were happening in the now 😭 briar was such a good fmc in my opinion, and reading abt the struggles that she had made me cry so much. and heath not being able to be there for her when she needed him most 💔 when we were getting closer to finding out what caused them to break up, let me tell u, i was SCARED. but listen, seeing them be able to come back to each other warmed my heart so much, and i was just so glad that briar made him work for it and didn’t just immediately take him back. all of the moments leading up to when they were gonna be dating again were so freaking cute 😩 and omg the epilogue made me cry?! like it took me five minutes just to finish reading his speech because i couldn’t stop crying 😭 i’m seriously gonna miss these two so much, and after reading this i need to see if nikki has any more amazing books 🤭

⊹ ﹒ ♡ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ♡ ﹒ ⊹﹒ ♡ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ♡ ﹒ ⊹

˒˒ ⊹⌇ pre-read ᝰ
i started this last night and i’m already 35% into this 🤭 this book is so good that i couldn’t sleep bc all i wanted to do was pick this back up 😩

৻ꪆ thank you so much nikki hutchings and house of hearts for the arc!!

[Sim-fully Ever After · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25🌟 | 3🌶️

When the past and present collide, things get complicated fast, and I was completely along for the ride.

The dual timeline worked so well here, letting me experience Briar and Heath’s first love while slowly uncovering what went wrong and watching those old feelings resurface years later.

Briar was incredibly easy to connect with, especially her anxiety and insecurities, and I appreciated how much she grew throughout the story. Heath definitely had some things to make up for, but his accountability and willingness to do the work made it easy to root for him again. Their slow rebuild from old friends to something more was sweet, and the little romantic moments absolutely got me.

I also loved the Switzerland wedding setting and the photography woven into Briar’s story, plus the fun side characters. I would have happily spent even more time watching Briar and Heath find their way back to each other, but the emotional payoff still landed.

A sweet, easy second chance romance with plenty of yearning and a couple I was very happy to see get their second shot.

~~~~

A sincere thank you to Nikki Hutchings and House Of Hearts Lit for the ARC! 🥰📚

I’m so grateful for the early read. As always, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own. ✨

[Katie G]

I have the unique honor and privilege of being this author's editor. Nikki is a talented writer with a ton of heart, a lot of ambition, and a thirst to grow as a writer with every word she writes. I can't wait for you to meet these characters!

[Chloé · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

🩷📸A Second Shot by: Nikki Hutchings📸🩷

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First off…a special thank you to Nikki Hutchings and for trusting me with this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review! 🥰

This was such a cute and wholesome second chance romance that I really enjoyed reading!🥹

One of my favorite parts of this book was definitely the dual timeline. We get to see Briar and Heath when they were younger AND eight years later as adults…and let me tell you…I had a love-hate relationship with it😭 I'm torn becasue I loved getting to see their history and how they first fell for each other...but at the same time it was SO hard knowing what they could’ve had back.🤚
Also...this was actually my first ever closed-door romance! I’m usually reading something with a liiiittle more 🌶️👀…so I honestly wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about it…but I was pleasantly surprised. It was kind of a nice break from what I normally read and it was just refreshing getting to sit down and enjoy a cute and wholesome love story. Basically a little romance detox LMAO😭

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this book🥰

Tropes:
🩷 Second Chance Romance
📸 Dual Timeline
🩷 First Love
📸 Childhood Friends to Lovers
🩷 Forced Proximity
📸 Destination Wedding

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wrote it so of course I’m giving it 5 stars. I hope you love it as much as I do! 💘

[Kayli Hutchings · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BEST second chance romance I have ever read! Had me on my toes the whole time I couldn’t put it down. Heath is the man every girl dreams of! The yearning from page one to the end of the book is GOLDEN!!😏

Briar is so relatable the book fully covers what it’s like to be a girl and have her own insecurities but how true love can make those insecurities vanish. I love reading the book from both Heath and Briars perspective it truly makes you feel like you are living through their story! The photo booth scene and first date are my new dream date scenarios.

Not to mention the old lady besties had me cackling in my bed heheh🤭 Also I can relate to Haven on a personal level i had my moments of being the annoying little sister💀

I will be dreaming about finding my own Heath and Briar love story. Such a genuine love story from start to finish!!! 10/10

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I 10/10 recommend it.

Tropes:

Dual Timeline Second Chance Romance
💘 Yearning MMC
🕊️ Wedding Setting
📸 Forced Proximity (Wedding Photographer x Best Man)
💌 Slow Burn (Like Really Slow ;)
🌸 Anxiety Rep (FMC)
🍒 Closed Door Spice

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Jennah Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Nikki Hutchings and House of Hearts Lit for the opportunity to read and review A Second Shot eARC

We all know the sayings “right person, wrong time”, “if you love something, set it free”, “everything will work out in the end.” All of these define A Second Shot.

Getting to see present day and 8 years ago into Heath and Briar’s life was a perfect switch to fully understand their history and the tension.

Briar gets an SOS from a bride needing a new wedding photographer after her’s cancelled 3 days before the wedding. Briar hopes on a flight to Switzerland, shooting this wedding is her big break into the photography world. What she doesn’t realize is that the grooms best man is non other than Heath, her first love that completely shattered her heart 8 years ago.

Heath was dealing with relationship issues but he wanted to push them aside to focus on his best friend Dave’s wedding. Until he collides with the wedding photographer and realizes it’s her, his first love, the woman he walked away from. Briar.

We get to see their story from start to finish. When they first got together, their relationship over the period of time, the fall. We get to see their story aftermath of their reunion, the unanswered questions that finally get answered, the hesitation of trusting your heart despite the history. There’s ownership in their faults and understanding of the situation. There’s growth and truth in trusting your heart with the right person.

You’ll love every character you come across like Hattie, Maude, Emerson and Haven, and you’ll fall in love with Briar and Heath.

A Second Shot is heart wrenching and complicated, the tension of will Heath get a second shot, the healing and the found family with Heath, Briar.

[Kristine M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and to House of Hearts Lit for a digital ARC!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

When Briar accepts a last minute wedding photography gig halfway across the world, she has no idea she’s walking eight years into her past. Heath is trying to save his relationship, and he thinks a scenic weekend celebrating their best friends’ wedding could be just what they need. Nothing goes according to plan, and no one expects the photographer to have history the best man… especially his girlfriend, who is the maid of honor.

I really enjoyed parts of this book! If you’re looking for peak ✨man written by a woman✨ this is definitely for you. I also really loved the friendship between Briar and Emerson! I think the story is so great, and I really appreciated all the beautiful wedding chapters. I found it a little repetitive, and it was too slowly paced for me in the second half of the book. Overall, a cozy love story, which is always enjoyable!

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a sweet second chance romance. Briar was an absolute doll. A beautiful curvy woman that’s an amazing photographer. I loved that she was so giddy and ready to go for that destination wedding in Switzerland when the couples photographer had dropped out. Enter Heath, the best man and firefighter. I thought it was really sweet when he was determined to make things better between him and his girlfriend. What a great guy. Glad they didn’t work out lol.
But when Briar and Heath saw one another, that spark had never died out. Seeing these two reconnect was so much fun, so sweet. I adored seeing their moments and their cute banter. This was such a fun read. And in glad that I was given the opportunity to arc read this one.

[bookedwkaitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

rating: 5 ⭐️
spice: steamy fade to black, mild foreplay, mildly descriptive (pgs. 199-201; 363-364; 374-378)
tropes and TWs: second chance, high-school sweethearts, anxiety + panic attack rep, parental loss, grief

This was such a cute debut! Heath and Briar were so easy to root for! Heath was so sweet and never failed to make Briar know she was beautiful. As a plus size girlie, I loved the body positivity themes. As an anxious girlie, loved Briar's inner thoughts and it made me feel so seen.

This book was so hard to put down! It was fast paced and so easy and fun to get through. I loved how intimacy was celebrated but wasn't ever described explicitly, showing the sacredness of the act, as something private between the two of them.

Thank you Nikki, for letting me read Briar and Heath's story pre-release. Their story was so special and I am glad they got their "second shot".

[Andréa Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫, 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐦𝐞, 𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮.””𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨?”

Oh my gosh!! This book was 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆!!! I absolutely loved Briar & Heath. As well as all their family and friends. This story had me feeling all the things. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I screamed, etc. 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. It was so amazing to see the growth between them and them finding their way back to each other without even trying. I absolutely loved that we got their young love story so we can see what they went through and see that growth. It was truly heart breaking and absolutely beautiful. 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱. The way he always encouraged her and made sure she knew she was beautiful, hit me right in the feels. He is perfection! I love them so much! Ahhhh I haven’t 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 thinking about this book since I read it. 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞. 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.

“𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐞𝐭. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫.”

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀:
⏳ Second Chance
🔁 Forced Proximity
🫠 He Falls First
🔥 Slow Burn
💖Anxiety Rep
🫶🏽 Dual Timeline/POV
📷 Wedding Photographer
💋 Steamy Fade to Black

“𝙷𝚞𝚐𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙽𝚒𝚔𝚔𝚒 𝙷𝚞𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚒𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢 — 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗.”

[Génesis Idaris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this beautifully written story. A delicious slow burn, emotional, heartfelt book that had my heart in a chokehold. I got to be a wedding photographer for a few years and destination wedding photography was always a goal of mine, so I'm ecstatic the author took me all the way to Switzerland 🤭 If this is her debut, she definitely made it onto my auto-buy author list. I highly recommend this one for my second chance and slow burn girlies. 🥹❤️

[Sawyer coffey · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s extremely rare for me to stay up late reading a book with my eyeballs, like the last time I think was during my Twilight era 😆, but this debut novel had me giddy into the wee hours of the morning. I absolutely loved the pace and cadence of how this love story unfolded and I especially loved that it was wedding photographer coded because alas, I am a wedding photographer myself and it is, in fact, a dream to receive a destination wedding inquiry!!! The little things sent me over the edge, like the first class ticket, who was consoling Briar in the plane and the thoughtfulness of Heath. And Fork?! Come on, that was presh. Loved this book and feel honored to have met the author 😉 this is your calling, Nikki! Also, can we get a love story for Emerson?! I’m invested

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the Best Reads of 2026

8 years.
8 years of what-ifs and whys.
8 long years

This book made me feel angry, sad, happy, excited, all of the things, and I loved every minute of it!

This was the messy, second-chance romance that I didn't know I needed. Briar, a wedding photographer, runs into her ex, Heath, halfway across the world in Switzerland, while photographing his best friends wedding. Cue the emotions.

Set with dual timelines, present day and 8 years prior, you are taken on a journey of their relationship, the initial ending, and future. I loved the setup of this story, and while I initially was really frustrated with Heath, I grew to really like him, especially after seeing how his past turned out and what causes their relationship to end. They both were able to grow into who they were meant to be prior to reconnecting. While this story is about Briar and Heath, at its heart, it's heart its a story of first love and overcoming pain.

Amazing, must-read!

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

•ARC Review•
The yearning had me locked in from the start. I am a sucker for second chance romance and this was so well done. The wedding photographer who runs into her ex bf, and he’s the best man🤩 this was a lovely story, the slow-burn and emotions we so real. Thank you for the opportunity

[Kevyn Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect winter romance book! The destination wedding photographer who runs into her ex who happens to be the best man 🤭

Such a fun and easy read! 💗

[Le Cy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I am so grateful for the privilege of ARC-reading this beautifully written romance, and I'm still blown away by the fact that this was a DEBUT novel. Nikki Hutchings might've written my favourite contemporary second-chance romance ever. (Which I guess doesn't sound very impressive, seeing as I've barely read any second-chance romance. But TRUST ME, THIS WAS INCREDIBLE & ABSOLUTELY WILL BE SETTING THE STANDARD FOR ALL FUTURE SECOND-CHANCE ROMANCES I READ.)

"I think you have the prettiest soul of anyone I've ever met."

This was basically everything I've ever wanted in a second-chance romance. The amount of yearning and longing displayed by both characters was off the freaking charts. Briar is genuinely such a beautiful soul and someone I would absolutely love to have as a friend in real life. She's bubbly and carries such kindness in her heart, and it really breaks my heart that she has all these insecurities about herself even though she's literally an amazing person just the way she is. I love that she loves love, is such a hopeless romantic, and sees the beauty in everything and learns to capture it through photography. Seriously, need I add more? It's no wonder 17-year-old Heath fell so hard for her in the first place.

She found art in everyone and everything. But to me, she was the art.

Heath, too, was a green freaking forest. He definitely made some pretty egregious mistakes throughout the course of this book, but he more than made up for them tenfold. I love that he UNDERSTOOD what a massive fuck-up he made and decided to actually go to therapy to work through it. We love a when the mmc actually knows how to be accountable for his actions.

For a past version of me, there wasn't a Heath without a Briar.

And although their first time seeing each other in 8 years ended up being super overwhelming and probably stress-inducing on both ends (Like, seriously, imagine meeting your first love who you didn't realise you hadn't moved on from on your FIRST overseas job as a wedding photographer/as a best man at your best buddy's wedding. Genuinely, I would've crashed out way more than the both of them combined), I genuinely don't think they would've ended up back together if they hadn't met again AFTER all their self-growth. So while it may not have seemed like it at the time, they probably met each other again at the perfect time.

"You fell into my life, and you fit so perfectly... It was impossible to imagine it without you. Trust me, I tried. For eight long years, I tried, but the happiest version of me doesn't exist without you. "

Again, the yearning on BOTH ends (though most especially Heath's) was absolutely scrumptious, and the book also included some of my favourite microtropes: emotional/dramatic fights in the rain, he washes her hair, he counts her freckles, bookworm FMC... It felt like A Second Shot was literally written for me HAHA. I also LOVE LOVE LOVEE all the details on Briar's job. Her passion and love for her work is so infectious, and all the beautiful descriptions of the weddings made ME want to get into wedding photography hahaha. (Found out that the author is also a wedding photographer, which makes it even better???)

Briar is the kind of beautiful that makes me want to become a poet. Nothing in my small vocabulary can encapsulate the way I feel when I look at her.

I'll have to be completely honest, though: I was a bit tentative going into this after I realised that BOTH Briar and Heath had their own partners when they met each other again for the first time after 8 years. But I really liked the way Hutchings handled the situation, especially with Heath and Aubrey.

I loved that Aubrey wasn't villainised, and I seriously hope she gets her own happily ever after as well. It was clear how much Heath and Aubrey cared for each other, but she was right that they were probably much better off as friends. They tried to salvage the relationship, and when they realised it wasn't working, they loved each other enough to let one another go. (Which also created an interesting contrast to Briar and Heath's initial breakup, which I'll definitely go more in-depth on in a bit!)

Briar and Cooper, I hadn't liked as much. While I can definitely understand how overwhelmed Briar must've been feeling, I really hated how she kept Cooper in the dark until literally everything started unraveling in front of him. It was unfair to Cooper, and I hated that. But I guess that goes to show how people CAN have a beautiful soul and STILL make mistakes and hurt others. I liked that at least Briar showed remorse about it. (And Cooper went about everything so graciously btw omg, would love to see a book with him as an MMC HEHEHE.)

"I was always going to be yours, even if you weren't mine."

OH, also loved loved loved the dual timeline, probably the best balance of present day/flashbacks I've read in a while. The flashbacks did such a great job of adding weight to Briar and Heath's interactions. Every single callback and parallel to things that happened in the past just felt like KNIVES stabbing into Briar and Heath's (and by extension, my) hearts!! And on top of that, the memories from 8 years ago were literally so cuteeee. Aghhhhh, there's just something so nostalgic and beautiful about teenage love that just makes me all giddy inside.

While I definitely HATED the way Heath went about the initial breakup in this book (like genuinely, with a passion. It genuinely felt like he wouldn't even TRY to let Briar in to help, and I get that he's scared he'd hurt her, but he doesn't have the right to MAKE that decision FOR her. It's SO unfair, and I completely get why Briar was so angry at him), like I said earlier, I did think he deserved a second chance after everything he did and said. And I respect Briar so much for being willing to open her heart up again to him after everything that happened.

I guess what ultimately made the second-chance aspect work so well for me was that their reunion didn't feel like "we still love each other, therefore all is forgiven." Briar was VERY keen on NOT forgiving Heath (understandably so). There was genuine work that had to be done before they could have a healthy relationship again, and I really appreciated that.

I ask her once why she never tried dating again. She told me that his love was enough to last her an entire lifetime.

The only reservation I had about this book was that it felt like the wedding took up way too large a proportion of the story compared to the rest of the book. I would've loved to see a larger portion dedicated to Heath and Briar's progression from friends back to lovers. Their emotional development was one of my favourite parts of the book, so I would've loved to spend even more time watching that unfold.

"My best friend is about to be discovered! Watch out for this boss-ass bitch, world!"

(P.S. Also loved the side characters: Dave and Serena, Haven and Emerson, the old ladies... OH MY GOD I sure hope Emerson gets her own book!!)

(P.P.S. I will never get over loverboy Heath deciding to pick up Briar's favourite books because "everything that's important to you is also important to me" like dudddeeeeeee ughhhh you're gonna give me diabetes pls keep them coming ALSO can I just take a moment to APPRECIATE the BEAUTIFUL COVER ART omggg there are some reallyyy cute easter eggs I love it so much)

Thank you House of Hearts Lit and Nikki Hutchings for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Nikki Hutchings and House of Hearts Lit. for the ARC!
Congratulations to Nikki on your debut book!

"I think you have the prettiest soul of anyone I've ever met."

❤️‍🩹 Second Chance / They were each other’s first love
✈️ Destination wedding in Switzerland
❤️‍🔥 Forced Proximity
📖 Dual Timeline: past & present

"I miss you, Briar. I've missed you for years. Even when I shouldn't have."

A Second Shot really captured my attention with the blurb and tropes so I was very excited to read this book and dive into all the emotions that Briar & Heath would awaken in me. This is Nikki’s first book, I definitely see her creating more cool stories and characters in her future books.

I was eager to see the past & present timelines coming up so I could understand what their storyline would be like, specifically the past which tells us how their love story started and ended. I truly liked reading the ‘past’ chapters and seeing younger Briar & Heath falling in love, being so adorable and hopeful. And then, to understand what happened and what made then break up and make Briar so upset to see him again. The dual timeline worked out very nicely. I really enjoyed it.

I adored the destination wedding in Switzerland! What a dream. And come on, the pairing being the wedding photographer and the groom’s best man? Yes, please, and thank you! And of course life plays its own role into brining these two characters, that were each other’s first love, to the same place and event.

I was a bit hesitant with how it would all work out considering both Briar and Heath were in a relationship. We see how Heath’s relationship is already rocky, so I wasn’t upset at all over that hahahaha but I did feel bad for Briar’s boyfriend as he just ended up being stuck in an uncomfortable situation. Also, the way Briar dealt with everything that happened and her lack of communication with her boyfriend was disappointing to see. I understand she was going through a very hard time emotionally, trying to figure out how she feels about Heath and her boyfriend, but she delayed talking to him and setting him free and that sucked.

Now, the part of second chance romances that I love the most is when we see both POVs and how their old feelings resurface. They’re trying to navigate past memories, present feelings, and future expectations. Is it hard to try again? To forgive and understand they wear too young to have made better decisions? Would they still be together if they had not broken up all those years ago? So many thoughts, emotions and uncertainty. But also so much hope and yearning for the love they had, the one that’s still there inside them despite trying to move on.

Finally, Heath & Briar get back into each others lives by being present and spending time together, talking about what happened, and making up for the lost time. As they slowly build a friendship to rebuild their trust, all of those old feelings rise back up and become undeniably stronger. As the years went by, even in the back of their mind, a piece of the other was there.

I did lose my focus sometimes, but I kept on being interested on getting to know what happens next and how they’d work everything out in the end. There were lots of emotions displayed and I felt all of them for these two, specially for young Briar & Heath and all the bad things that happened. In the end, I believe they were just so young and did the best they knew at the time. Thankfully the universe (and a wedding in Switzerland) brought them back together.

“Somehow, Briar, my first love, my girl… she found me again. Suddenly and unexpectedly, and right on time. I intend to spend the rest of my existence making her my last.”

Also, the side characters were pretty likable and I enjoyed the moments we got to see them, specially Haven (Heath’s sister) and Emerson (Briar’s best friend). As two people that were present in both timelines, their interactions and opinions were just as relevant.

That’s all from me! I hope this books finds more readers. I’ll be here if Emmy gets her own book ;)

[Belinda Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one started off really well for me. I was genuinely excited to see where Briar and Heath’s story would go. The setup had so much potential: a destination wedding in beautiful Switzerland, a wedding photographer and the groom’s best man, and—of course—the fact that they happened to be each other’s first love. 👀💒

Briar had spent years behind the camera, capturing everyone else’s happily-ever-afters. When she got the opportunity to photograph a wedding in Switzerland, it felt like the career moment she had been waiting for. What she hadn’t expected was to find Heath there. The one person from her past she definitely wasn’t prepared to face again. 🥹📸

Heath had his own relationship to worry about. He was determined to save his failing relationship with the maid of honor, while simultaneously being thrown into close quarters with Briar. As wedding-weekend disasters piled up around them, the feelings they had buried for years slowly started making their way back to the surface. ❤️‍🩹

I really liked the idea of two people getting a second chance at something they thought they had lost forever. There were some genuinely sweet and emotional moments between Briar and Heath, and I enjoyed getting glimpses into their past and seeing pieces of their history unfold. 🥺

The story was told from both Briar’s and Heath’s perspectives, with snippets of their past woven throughout the present-day storyline. Sometimes that worked really well for me, but other times the back-and-forth left me a little confused. I found myself struggling to stay fully grounded in the timeline. 🔄

And unfortunately, somewhere along the way, I lost my connection with the story. 😔

I kept waiting for that moment where everything would pull me back in, but it never quite happened. The pacing started to feel longer than it needed to be, and I found my interest slowly fading. I wanted to become completely immersed in Briar and Heath’s journey, but instead, I occasionally felt like I was watching the story from a distance. 📖💭

Tropes & vibes
💔 Second-chance romance
🥹 First loves reunited
✈️ Destination wedding
🔥 Forced proximity
❤️‍🩹 Old feelings resurfacing
💭 Dual POV
⏳ Past & present timelines
💒 Wedding chaos
🌍 Switzerland setting

I could see the heart behind Briar and Heath’s story, and there were definitely moments that worked for me. I just wish I had felt more emotionally invested throughout the entire journey.

Thank you to Nikki Hutchings and House of Hearts Lit. for the ARC opportunity. 💕📚

[Rachel B.Ocean · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Sweet and Emotional Second-Chance Romance!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
🌶️/5

A Second Shot was such a heartwarming romance that completely pulled me into Briar and Heath’s story. I’m a big fan of second-chance romances, and the combination of the dual timeline, dual POV, wedding setting, and all that unresolved history made this one such an easy book to get invested in.

Eight years is a long time to carry around unanswered questions and lingering feelings, and I really enjoyed watching Briar and Heath navigate everything that happened between them. There was hurt, hesitation, longing, and ultimately a lot of growth as they worked through their past. Getting to see their relationship develop while also knowing that something eventually went wrong created this constant feeling of anticipation. I wanted to know what happened just as much as I wanted to see what would happen when they found their way back to each other.

The dual timeline was one of my favorite elements. I really enjoyed getting both Briar and Heath’s perspectives because it added so much more emotional depth to their story. Briar was such a relatable heroine, especially in the way her anxiety and insecurities were portrayed. I appreciated seeing her grow into herself and learn to trust both herself and her feelings. Heath definitely had moments where I wanted to shake him, but his character development and redemption arc had me ultimately rooting for him and Briar to get their second shot. The supporting characters were another highlight for me, especially the older ladies!

And the wedding photographer setting was such a fun touch. I loved getting that glimpse into Briar’s career as a photographer myself, especially with the destination wedding in Switzerland providing such a beautiful backdrop for everything to unfold. It was the perfect setting for a story about first love, second chances, and all the emotions that come with unexpectedly seeing someone who once meant everything to you.

The romance is definitely more focused on yearning, emotional connection, and the slow rebuilding of trust than on explicit spice. There is plenty of chemistry, but the intimate scenes are closed-door.

Overall, this was a heartfelt second-chance romance with lovable characters, plenty of emotion, great chemistry, and a satisfying journey back to love. I really enjoyed A Second Shot.

Thank you to Nikki Hutchings and House of Hearts for the gifted copy!! 💕

[yue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Second Shot was one of those books that makes you want to wish that you are also with them while it was happening. The premise alone is enough to get you hooked. Briar is a wedding photographer who has seen every possible way a wedding can go sideways, and she still says yes to a last-minute destination wedding in Switzerland. That's brave. What she doesn't know is that the groom's best man is her first love, Heath, who is very much still in a relationship and very much determined to make things work with his girlfriend. So you've got a confined setting, a high-stakes weekend, two people with history, and a ticking clock. It's basically a perfect setup.

What makes it work is that neither character is just waiting around to fall back into old feelings. Briar is focused on her career, genuinely trying to do her job well under pressure. Heath is genuinely trying to save something that matters to him. They're both pulling in other directions, and are both in a relationship with another person. I had to admit that I was a bit hesitant the first time I read that both main characters are in a relationship with another person but towards the end this concern was settled in a nice way.

The Switzerland setting is a nice touch too. A destination wedding already carries that sense of being out of your normal life, away from your routines and your defenses, which is exactly the kind of atmosphere this story needs. There's something about being somewhere beautiful and unfamiliar that makes old feelings harder to keep at arm's length. The author wrote with a lot of warmth and a good sense of pacing. The series of unfortunate events that happened in the wedding is both unfortunate and unbelievable but how they worked to make it work was really amazing.

Is the book perfect? For me, absolutely not. to be completely honest, it took me a while to fully commit in liking both of them as a couple and the flashback or their back story is not as impactful as what I would wish but when the story clicked, it worked really well for me.

The reason I gave this book full marks is because overall, I really enjoyed reading it. It was fun, chill and something that I was able to read and breeze through the pages.

A huge thank you to Nikki Hutchings and House of Hearts for trusting me with an advance review copy of A Second Shot. Congratulations in its official release. As always, everything I've shared here is my honest opinion, nothing more.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I went into this one a little hesitant because… well…
Two exes meet at a wedding. hHe has a girlfriend, and she has a boyfriend. 
Yeah, not exactly my favorite setup.

And honestly, Heath made me so mad. He’s been back in town for who knows how long, supposedly happy in his relationship, yet suddenly he’s chasing after the woman he walked away from years ago.

Uh… please explain yourself!

"You already took this weekend from me, Heath. Please, just walk away." She looks down to the floor, but not before I watch a tear slip down her cheek. She subtly tries to swipe at it and murmurs, "That's what you're good at anyway."

There was SO much rage while I was reading this. And heartbreak. And frustration. And honestly, a fair amount of GTFO with that BS thinking…

“He left you. He doesn’t want you. You deserve someone that stays even when it's hard–especially when it's hard. You have Cooper! Just pretend Heath isn’t here.”
At times, I wish she held that line..

But despite all that… I really liked this story.

The dual timeline worked really well and gave us the insight into their past that I desperately needed. The writing pulled me in, and I felt ALL the emotions. Briar’s heartbreak was palpable, and Emerson? Loved her. Those truth bombs were everything.

Heath may not have been very likeable to me, but maybe that’s part of what made the story work. I was invested enough to be furious with him, desperate to understand him, and completely hooked on finding out what happened between them.

“Sometimes your first love is a parasite. It infects every pore, every part of you and your memories and your life. That's how Heath feels for me. For the last eight years, I was convinced I didn't matter to him. He's saying differently now, and suddenly I'm more conflicted than ever. If he really is lying, it's the longest con I've ever heard of.”

A messy second-chance romance that had me angry, emotional, and turning the pages because I needed to know how it would all play out. 

[Sam Walicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Briar & Heath my babies 🥹🥹 wedding photographer x best man second chance romance !!!!

Not going to lie starting this book I was a little skeptical bc they were both in relationships BUT it worked and was perfect. Briar is truly such a relatable FMC, works in the wedding industry, midsized girl, never fully felt confident in her body, reader, first love forever kind of girl, & *SPOILER* losing someone you love to a horrendous loss / grief.

Heath, I will take absolutely NO SLANDER on. Did he fuck up? Yes. Did he spend the rest of his life pining after the girl? Yes. Did he fix it all in the end? Absolutely!!! From the beginning I sympathized with Heath, you could tell he LOVED briar with every fiber of his being and their breakup made no sense at first. When given the backstory, OF COURSE you understand where he came from. He was a 18 year old who lost everything and had to put all his feelings aside to raise a child. While he was practically still a child!!! 😭😭

The dual timeline is perfect for this story and Nikki does an amazing job tugging at your heartstrings from an angsty wedding scene to a sweet hs scene to a can they even work this out this time around scene. Aside from their love story, we are given the best supporting characters (Deb & Haven being my personal favs)

Without giving TOOO much more away than I already did this book is for anyone who loves a second chance romance with a man who YEARNS!!! Briar and Heath tug at my heartstrings a little extra since their story & journey remind me of my husband & I. I had been dying to get my hands on this book since I stumbled on Nikki’s TikTok a few months ago. I am so so proud of Nikki for taking a chance on herself and delivering one of my favorite debut novels. Can’t wait to see whatever else you put out in the world! Forever one of your biggest fans! 🤍🤍

Thank you to Nikki & the House of Hearts Lit team for gifting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Marisol · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Second Shot by Nikki Hutchings is a sweet and emotional second-chance romance about first love, sacrifice, and finding your way back to the person you never stopped loving.

Briar and Heath first fall for each other in high school after Heath walks into Briar’s grandmother’s bookstore looking for a job. Their relationship starts with sweet glances and a cute teenage romance, but tragedy soon changes the direction of their lives.

Heath never expected to lose his parents and become responsible for raising his little sister at just 18 years old. Rather than asking Briar to give up her dreams or feel tied down by his responsibilities, he makes the heartbreaking decision to let her go. He wants her to have the chance to succeed, even if it means sacrificing their relationship.

Eight years later, Briar has built a life she loves as an up-and-coming destination wedding photographer. She lands her dream job photographing a wedding in Switzerland, only to discover that Heath is there as the best man, and he has a gorgeous girlfriend by his side.

As the wedding weekend unfolds, Briar and Heath are forced to revisit the events that ended their relationship. Despite trying to remain professional, their old chemistry and feelings are impossible to ignore. Slowly, they begin to realize that the love they had for each other never completely disappeared.

One of my favorite parts of this story was seeing how much Briar and Heath genuinely loved each other and were willing to sacrifice for one another. Their choices weren’t always easy, but their love came from wanting the other person to succeed and be happy.

I really enjoyed watching them reconnect and discover whether they could finally have the second chance they deserved. 🥹💕 If you enjoy second-chance romance, childhood/first loves, emotional reunions, and wedding settings, A Second Shot is definitely worth adding to your TBR.

[Maxime Janssens · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ // 1🌶

A second shot, a second chance romance that follows a dual timeline of then and now. Briar and Heath were young when their story started, and now 8y later, they meet again. A slowburn, giddy romance that has you swooning.

When Briar gets a last-minute call to do a wedding in Switserland, she takes it in stride. This wedding shoot could be her "big break" to make it as a destination wedding photographer. Excited and ready, the last thing she could expect was running into him. Her first love, the one that shattered her heart into a million pieces. And even after 8y of telling herself she is over him, reality turns out differently, leaving her shaken up and vulnerable.

His best friend is getting hitched this weekend, and he is the best man. Cliché as it is, he and the maid of honor started dating about a year ago, but it ain't going well. They are planning to do everything to save them in this romantic weekend. But when he sees Briar, those 'old' feelings hit him hard and his attention is elsewhere.

Both Briar and Heath struggle with everything that was, and how strong that hurt is present even after all this time. Will they go their own way, or is this faith giving them a second shot?

This debut is a wonderful second chance romance about a love between 2 souls that were meant for each other. I was a bit afraid that there was going to be cheating involved, but that was not the case at all. Both were stunned running into each other again, their heart chosing a different path, but their characters tried to handle it in a careful and kind manner. The writing was flowing nicely, the humor was wit and the side characters were written supporting and sweet. I hope we meet all of them again in a new romance of Emmy or Haven.

"𝑨𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚" 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒚.

[Michaela Wrenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️ — rounding up to 4!
Thank you to Nikki Hutchings and House of Heart Lit for the ARC! All opinions are my own!

Okay, this was definitely NOT what I was expecting! I went into A Second Shot fully convinced the entire story was going to unfold over the wedding weekend, and instead we got so much more of Heath and Briar’s story—and I really appreciated that.

Getting to actually watch them grow, both as individuals and as a couple, was probably my favorite part. The ebb and flow of their love story felt like watching the ocean tides come and go—sometimes pulling apart, sometimes finding their way back to each other, and full of little moments you’d want to remember forever. 🥹

And HEATH. What I really loved was that we weren’t just told he was earning Briar’s love back. We got to WATCH HIM DO IT. Every little effort, every choice, every step toward her. There’s something about a man actually putting in the WORK in a second-chance romance that just gets me. 😂 It made their relationship feel earned, and honestly, it was just really sweet.

I also found Briar incredibly relatable. There were so many little pieces of her that reminded me of myself, which naturally made me feel more connected to her and want to root for her.

My only real complaint is that I wanted MORE. There were so many details that felt like they were missing or could have been explored further, and I think having those pieces would have added so much more depth to the story—and especially to Heath and Briar as characters. I enjoyed them and their relationship, but I wanted to KNOW them more.

So while this wasn’t quite a full four-star read for me, it was a very solid 3.5–3.75. It was sweet, heartfelt, and gave me a second-chance love story that actually let me witness the second chance happening instead of just telling me about it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one.

[Morgan Crump · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Nikki Hutchings and her team for allowing me to have an ARC copy of A Second Shot.

Tropes:
Second Chance
Best Man x Photographer
Dual POV
Slow Burn

Briar is a wedding photographer hoping to break into the destination photographer category. She receives a last minute call, with a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Switzerland for a wedding.

Little did Briar know, the best man would be her high school boyfriend who left her heartbroken. Briar does her best to avoid Heath and not ruin her career breakout opportunity, but Heath cannot stay away even though he has a girlfriend. His relationship was already on the rocks, and ends up coming to an end prior to departure from the destination.

The wedding contained a lot of ups and downs, but in the end turned out fantastic. The trip home took me by surprise where Heath and Briar ended up being seated next to one another. Insert the panic attack Briar has, and Heaths ex-girlfriend has to be the one to calm her down.

The story then provides several chapters back and forth from present day to past time aka the high school relationship. This allowed the characters to build with showing how the relationship became, ended and then again rekindled.

Upon return, the two so happened to run into each other a few times and sets the scene for the relationship to be rekindled. In the end, the two get their happily ever after and I couldn’t be happier!

The yearning between the two was something serious! Also, the old ladies were a very big highlight of the story!

I cannot wait to see what is to come!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Nikki Hutchings and House of Hearts for the gifted copy — all opinions are my own

A second chance messy romance between a wedding photographer and the best man at a destination wedding?? I was immediately hooked.
Body positivity representation✔️
A YEARNING AND PATHETIC MAN✔️
Acts of service✔️
Side characters and a beautiful found family✔️

I just wanted more past timeline when the conflict happened but everything else was absolutely perfect. I love a man who is so pathetic for the FMC and that was heath to a T.
“I don’t mention that reading these will give me a window into her soul. Learning what she loves, why she loves it-feels like a cheat code that I’m more than willing to take advantage of”
“”No one else has ever picked you up before?” Her eyes widen a little, teary but flaring with annoyance. “No? Why would they?” “Let me. Please.”…”what if I’m to heavy?” “You’re not” I promise. “What if I am?” “Then I’ll get stronger. But you’re not.”
“”So can I be your boyfriend?” If she says yes I will consider it the greatest provenance of my life to be hers”
“I would do anything to touch her right now, I would happily beg on my knees if she wanted me to.”
“I listen obediently”
“I do as I’m told and settle between her legs”

If these quotes don’t convince you to pick this up, I don’t know what will..

ALSO I really hope that the end of the book was foreshadowing a story for briars best friend🥰

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Second Shot is the debut novel written by Nikki Hutchings. Thank you to House of Hearts for this gifted ARC. This review is my honest opinion. This book surprised me. It was emotional and layered. The second chance trope was handled with care and was beautifully written.

Briar and Heath’s story gave me a feeling of nostalgia. A teenage love story that reminded me of all the ups and downs of a high school relationship. These two had the deck stacked against them. Heath was given a life altering situation. Grief changes you as a person and their love could not withstand it. Heath was already a great book boyfriend but watching him come out of the ashes was up lifting.

They grew up and became the people they wanted to be. Briar is a photographer and Heath is a fire fighter. When the second chance came around I was completely rooting for Briar and Heath to get it right this time. The timeline transitions between the past and present felt effortlessly written. The author makes you feel like you are right there living all the love, heartbreak, vulnerability, triumph, and redemption right along with them.

I laughed, swooned, cried, and kicked my feet all in one story. The photo booth date is a new favorite of mine. It is very clear that Nikki Hutchings puts her heart on the page. I am excited to see what else she creates. I could see a story between Haven and Dylan starting to develop. If Nikki continues this storyline I would come back.