Finding Lily

Second Chances #1

by Rachel Del

Lily Gardner thought she'd found her soul mate when she met and married the handsome and well-off Thomas Gardner. But six years later, with a two-year-old in tow, she finds herself wading through the messy waters of divorce, and crying herself to sleep at night wondering if she's lost her chance at love... and herself in the process. When she's assigned the task of working with Nathan Trainor to reel in a popular author who is seeking new representation, she must put her troubles aside and do whatever it takes to get the job done.

At once touching and hopeful, FINDING LILY captures what it feels like to be given a second chance at life... and love. Don't miss the first book in the SECOND CHANCES SERIES by Rachel Del

Genres: Romance, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 22, 2015

About the author

Rachel Del is a head-in-the-clouds introvert, homebody and thirty-something writer currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada with her husband and son. Originally from Ontario, Canada she works in publishing and spends her free time reading, writing and drinking far too much black coffee.

Reviews

[Asheley T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

I was fortunate enough to read an early copy of Someone In The Way by Rachel Del, and it couldn’t have been better because it was exactly the story I needed at at that time. At the time I was craving stories about women that were having to make big, hard life decisions. Lily’s story definitely fit that description.

Lily Gardner is fresh out of a bad separation and going thru a divorce. She has a sweet four-year-old son and she loves her job at a local publishing house. Lily works hard to keep things as normal as possible for her son and to keep herself from going crazy, wondering what she could have done to fix her marriage. She would love to date again and even possibly find love, but she isn’t even sure that is something that is possible for her.

Enter Nate Trainor, her coworker. He’s so much fun at work – and he likes Lily. When Nate finds out that she is available, he desperately wants to ask her out on a date. He knows that she has some baggage and that she needs to take things slowly, but he also knows that life is short and that if he doesn’t take this chance with Lily, it might slip away.

So what’s the problem? Well, Lily and Nate work together, and working at the same place has its own sets of issues. More pressing is the fact that Lily and Nate have been assigned to work together to sign the most popular author out there: Tanner. Do whatever it takes, they’ve basically been told. And what it takes is becoming BFF with Tanner after work hours and spending a weekend away at Tanner’s beachfront home, just the three of them. Tanner isn’t the nicest guy around, and Lily is a lovely, newly-single woman, and WAIT his latest project is WHAT?

Things get interesting. And a little stressed with Lily and Nate.

I wondered how on earth Lily and Nate could handle Tanner’s man-child drama with their fledgling feelings for one another. I wanted only good things for them! I couldn’t read fast enough.

Listen, I loved this story. I finished it and since then, I’ve read my favorite parts over again. I love that Lily is a real woman with real-woman issues, trying to live a real-woman life. She doesn’t just jump at Nate at the first opportunity because he is available and has a cute face; she thinks so hard about everything and weighs every consequence. She also thinks about what she wants vs. what she thinks is right. I love the way she thinks. I love, love, love her story and I would love to read more stories about women like her.

And Nate seems very real to me. I found that so charming. He isn’t perfect, and he knows it. I like how he approached the situation with Lily; how he considered exactly where she was in her journey to divorce and whether he should wait longer to ask her out or not. I love that Nate pursued her and I love the way that he pursued her. I also love Nate’s family’s presence in the story. His relationship with his parents and siblings made me smile.

Then there is Tanner. My instinct is to — not like him — and when you read, you can decide if you feel the same or not. But at the end of the book, in her acknowledgements, Rachel gives a hint that there may be more to Tanner’s story (YES, PLEASE AND THANK YOU, RACHEL!). So now I’m dying to have more from him as soon as possible because if it was as good as this one, I’m sure I’ll end up caring about Tanner quite a bit.


I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thanks, Rachel Del!

Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!

[A.BookNerd.Bookseller&Bibliophile.Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s rare that I fall in love with a character just as soon as I’m introduced to them in the book. But that’s what happened with Nate. I loved him! I think it’s because I can relate a little to him. I really enjoyed this book. It had enough drama and excitement to keep me interested. Nate and Lily are great characters who have seen their fair share of heartbreak and some of that background gets slowly revealed throughout the book. I highly recommend picking this one up!

Reviewed by: Alexis B.

[Flavs is Mrs David Gandy♥~♥’ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book

Lily was in the process of getting a divorce from her husband. She is an editor and has a four year old son. And she is still getting over her awful marriage. And then to hear that marrying her was all a part of a plan and she didn't act the way he thought she would, that is the most humiliating of all.
Now her sister is telling her to go out and meet someone and get on with her life. Not as easy as you think.

Nate is fed up with his family. He has had enough of the blind dates and them not thinking he can get his own women. After his last relationship it seems that his family is out to make him also move on with his life. Nate and Lily work together and up until recently they had the perfect friendship, but Nate has a secret, he has been in love with Lily since he met her. But because she was married he didn't go there with her, but now all bets are off and he knows that this is his moment to take his women.

But can Nate convince Lily that he is the perfect guy for her and will she be able to put her past behind her and take something that could end being the best thing that ever happened to her or will she let her insecurities get the better of her.

I enjoyed this story, it as a second chance for love for Lily and after what she has been through it was hard for her to trust someone else with her heart and her life. But the moment that she stopped overthinking everything it was an awesome, sweet romantic story.

[Tera · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-2.5 stars...

I had a hard time reviewing this book as the writing is good enough that I flew through it. I read it in basically 2 sittings. I guess my biggest issue is character development which is always a hard limit for me.

Someone in the Way is a story about Lily who is going through a divorce and trying to navigate being a single parent and maintaining a very demanding job. Her ex-husband, Thomas, does not help the situation. Then we have Nathan, her co-worker who has been watching Lily from afar, but is finally going for what he wants... her.

"...just because it's complicated doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong. Everything is wrong until it's right- especially when it comes to love."

There are definitely some good passages, but some of the situations gave me whiplash as I felt they came out of nowhere. There was a lack in character building, as I mentioned before, and depicting the dynamic between relationships. There seemed to be a big build up of animosity between Lily and her ex-father-in-law, and competitor, with very little in the way of explanation. Or an explanation that just fell flat for me.

This book definitely had potential, and I really did want to love it, but I did not connect well with Lily and Nate had very few if any swoon-worthy moments.

[Alyssa | Swept Away By Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a tough one for me because I love Rachel, but I just didn’t click with Someone In The Way. The story felt very disjointed, the characters didn’t have much depth, I was disappointed in the face that secondary characters weren’t very developed, including Lily’s son, who barely had two lines of dialogue. It just didn’t feel fleshed out enough for me. Everything moved too quickly, and the characters didn’t have consistent tones throughout the book.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for second-chance romance, and this story hit all the marks for me! It had such great heart and Nate and Lily had amazing chemistry! Nate is totally swoon worthy (definitely adding to my book boyfriend list). And Lily is relatable and you can’t help but root for her. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this gem, and can’t wait to read more from Rachel!

[A Book Lover's Emporium Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just want to say.... ahhh! This story was addictive, I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what would happen and who would be the first to admit their feelings.

I felt for Lily; all the turmoil and stress of divorce, a four year old son, a soon-to-be ex-husband, who is being nasty, angry and a job that the lovely Lily loves, is all hard work. Keeping your problems at home is draining and lonely. I felt for her. You can't bottle all those feelings up; this is what Lily thinks is best.

Nate is just perfect, he swoops in and I couldn’t help falling in love with him. He tries hard to hide his feelings for Lily, he's not fooling anyone. Both are hurting and insecure from previous relationships but life has to go on right? You have to move on and have a life filled with trust and passion. I really hope that is what they will both get from each other if they relax and stop over thinking.

I liked the character of Tanner, the author that Nate and Lily are trying to sign as his editor; he is carefree and causes a bit of friction. I love friction.

This book is well written and flows along beautifully, I really enjoyed the story. I can't wait for Tanner's story; I think he is going to fall hard.

[I Dont Get Sundays · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I begin I only have one question from this book, Rachel, girl, were you musing The Grinch when writing the ex husband, his heart is 3 times to small and he needs an attitude adjustment real quick.

Now to the lovely and incredible story of Lily and Nathan. Lily is my new best friend. She is strong but tears apart, she is a great mom that loves wine, and she portrays that all together but crumpling inside lifestyle. Real. This is real life. It doesn't happen the way you plan. There is always something that makes that fork in the road face you and make you decide. Lily decided a better life for herself and her son. Although she has questioned it for months, she is sticking to it.

Nathan has sat on the sidelines. He has watched Lily, became her work friend and began a routine of loving coffee together. He got my heart, he is so sweet and I think that Rachel showed a man that was raised by a great mom and older sisters. I think little boys are always protected more by having older sisters. They are also more in touch with what females go through because they are around them from birth.

When these two are given a task to complete, that puts them in each other's faces, that makes them see each other at face value, it gets real. It puts all the emotions up front. It shows that because you fail once doesn't mean you will fail again. It shows you to that your past makes you stronger. It gives us hope if we are or have been in this situation that you will be good. Rachel guides us through a journey of loneliness, a journey of passion, and life tries us over and over.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read and reviewed Rachel's other book, How To Be Someone Else, and really enjoyed it. I went into this one expecting a similar, sweet contemporary, but instead found a book that had a lot more hard-hitting issues than HTBSE.

I was completely captivated by the story from the first page, and found myself inhaling almost half of the book in one day, scarcely able to put it down. I loved the imperfect, battered characters who had each suffered greatly, and found myself rooting for them to rise above their pasts. There was an element of mystery pervading that story influenced my need to keep flipping pages, anxious to find out what these deep dark secrets were, tormenting these characters.

My only complaint with this book is that I felt we could have dug deeper into the characters as, although some characters had a past, the story didn't dig deep into the characters as much as it could have. The potential was there for truly exceptional and memorable characters, but the book didn't quite get there for me.

BUT, with that being said, at the end of the book, in the acknowledgments, Rachel alludes to the fact that one character's story isn't over yet -- and I hope this means that there's more coming for this character's story. In that case, I may get my wish to delve deeper into what makes these characters tick!

If you're looking for a contemporary book that is completely unputdownable, with an excellent, captivating story, look no further than Someone in the Way. With each book, Rachel surpasses her previous work, and I'm already looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

Note: An advanced copy of this book was provided by the author, but all thoughts in this review are my own.

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lily Gardner thought she had found the person that she would spend the rest of her life with, but now she's going through a very messy divorce while trying to pick up the pieces of her life on top of being a good mother to her 4 year old son. She no longer knows who she is anymore, and the chaos juggling being a single mother has her job is suffering as well. Nathan Trainor has a past record of falling for the wrong woman, so his mother & sisters are bound & determined to find him the perfect woman to settle down with. But Nathan has had a thing for Lily for a while, and now that she's single, he's convinced that this is his chance. And when they are assigned a task together, he's even more convinced that it's now or never, but will he convince Lily to give him a chance? Someone In The Way is a sweet second chance story that I enjoyed quite a bit. Lily has had a rough go of it, and she's drowning, so I really felt for her, although at times, I wanted to shake her. While Nathan was great in his own right, and I fell in love with him instantly. And the colorful cast of secondaries were great, and gave comedic relief from the high angst levels. I really enjoyed Rachel Del's talented writing style, and cannot wait to read her again. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Angie Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Rachel's writing, she has such a smooth way of writing to make me forget that I'm even reading. It feels like I'm just living this story with the characters.

Lily and Nate were so great to read about. I loved how real the characters were. Lily is just like any other soon to be divorced woman. She's scared to move on, she's scared to live her life and doesn't know where to turn next. This was the perfect time for Nate to be bold and finally ask out Lily. They seem to have this great chemistry as friends, it was the perfect transition!

There were so many great parts to this story. I loved Nate's crazy family, and I loved Lily's sister, Leah. Everyone seem to fit so perfectly. They made great supporting characters because of their charm and persistence. Rachel also had a few great plot twists. I loved how she uses people like Tanner and Jason to throw little wrenches in the work. It was so well done!

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author to me, and I was unsure on what to expect, however, I need not have worried, this author certainly did not disappoint. Lily always thought that she had her life all planned out, and now that she finds herself going through a messy divorce, and being a single mum, the last thing she wants is another relationship. Nathan has also been burnt by his past, and has always had feelings for Lily. Now that they are assigned to work together, can they take a chance on a second chance at love? No spoilers; in my opinion, this is a must read, you will not be disappointed! I highly recommend this authors’ work for all lovers of humour and second chance stories, and I will definitely be adding this author to my favourites and 1-click lists.

[Nikki Costello ***Crazy Cajun Book Addicts Blog*** · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Crazy Cajun Book Addicts for an honest review.

This author is new to me and Someone in the Way was a pretty enjoyable read. The storyline read at a steady pace and the characters were relatable. I can't put my finger on what it was but I guess I was expecting a little bit more to the story after reading the blurb.

Lily is going through a bad divorce and has found herself a single mum to her four year old son. When an opportunity arises at work she finds herself getting closer to her work college Nate. Could there be more between them than purely a work relationship?

[Sandra Loves Reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story.
Lily's in the process of divorce and has a young child to bring up on her own.
Nate, works with Lily, and has always loved her from afar as she was married.
Lily and Nate are told to sign an author who is rumoured to want to change houses. Now, this becomes very convoluted with in-laws, ex's, and an author who really is pulling the strings!
The story comes together well and the budding romance is lovely. And Nate, well, he's an absolute gem!

[Michelle Heron｡･:*˚:✧｡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absoultely beautiful.

Lily and Nathan's story jump right off the page as if your living in their reality.

The ups and downs these characters were faced with, were everyday obstacles.

I loved how real the story was written and how smooth the writing flowed.

[Claudia Pinillos · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Jessica Oxford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Del managed to create characters that I both fell in love with as well as hated at times. I grew frustrated with our main characters Lily & Nathan numerous times. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though. The real-life struggles & emotions of these characters were a welcomed breath of fresh air. It was nice to get away from the all too common 'insta-love' factor. I mean, I'm a sucker for insta-love but realistic is good too.

It may have taken me a couple tries to get into this book but once I did, I was hooked. I have to be honest though, the ups & downs that I experienced while reading it though... a full-blown rollercoaster of a ride. Haha. My anxiety was on high alert at times wondering what was going to happen with each new scenario. Some may not enjoy that feeling but for me personally, it seems to be a driving force sometimes. I mean- I literally couldn't put the book down until I found out what was going to happen next.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone look for a real-life read that shares a realistic look into life after divorce & what it's like to get a second chance at love.

[Kristyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered the author, Rachel De, on Instagram, and when I found out she was writing a book, I knew I needed to snag it and give it a read. The book is a short read, at barely 200 pages, but it's a good one! I read it rather quickly, and couldn't put it down. It was very easy to relate to Lilly, as she is just like any other indecisive girl out there - and like Lilly, as the years pass, we sometimes lose ourselves in other people or certain roles, and sometimes we have to find ourself again. Lilly, wife of Thomas and mother of Ben, has heard it all from her family and friends, that she's changed since she met Thomas, but it doesn't hit her until her marriage falls apart, and she's left to pick up the pieces of her life. She digs deeper into work, and doesn't just discover herself again in the process, but might've just found a love that allows her to be herself.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a short, sweet, and relatable read. I will definitely be picking up Del's second book, Fixing Tanner, in the second chances series!

[Brandy Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone In The Way is a good read everything about it drew me in it would be my first read by Rachel Del . This has alot of ups and downs the relationship doesn't happen over night but these two share chemistry that can't be denied for long . Lily and Nathan have both been burned in the past so the last thing they are looking for is a relationship but that's what they find . I was rooting for them from the start well since I read the blurb I just knew they were meant to be .
copy provided for honest review 
****************************************
hero= 8 heroine=8 secondary characters=8 Chemistry=9
romance= 5 humor=3 darkness level=4 action=3 mystery=3
enjoyment= 8 angst= 4 story line= 9 Story ending=9
character development= 9 pacing= 9
cover=10 stars= 4 author= 8
would I recommend this book=yes
would I re read this book= yes
would I read future books by this author= yes

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot of real life situations in this book. It seems Lily Gardner's life is no different than the rest of us. When things go wrong, they go wrong all at once or at least it feels that way!

Lily is separated and about to sign off on her final divorce papers. The marriage wasn't the best but the divorce is really difficult. Being a newly divorced woman with a young child is bad enough but having job problems, just compounds how rough life can be. Enter Nathan Trainor who's a nice guy and yet strong enough to help Lily deal with all life throws at her.

This is such a charming book with situations that feel so real and yet it's a sweet enough book to take you away to another place while reading and enjoying it.

[Britt Chaotic Creatives · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sweet, deeply emotional story of love and growth was fantastic! Not usually a fan of a slow burn Romance I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Someone In The Way. I hardly noticed the slow build up to the beautifully sweet love Lily and Nate had. Their story was just so riveting I couldn’t put it down and flew through the pages.

Both Nate and Lily were such real and relatable characters. I loved each of them for how perfectly flawed they were. Both a bit insecure from their pasts, yet still so kindhearted and genuinely good you can’t help but cheer for them to get the happiness they deserve. This book is just as much a story of healing and growing as it is a romance and I loved it!

[Cikita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This arc gave to me in exchange an honest review, thankyou for the advance Rachel! So far enjoyed this book, this book was kind of easy read for me, so didn't need much time to read it, of course after reading lily (the main character) had been through, i always know after "so much messes up life you have been through you would find out the beautiful ones at last" yup that was happened with her, if you read the summary above, you would know, that's the story would lead you in this book, this is why i always love reading contemporary, so many lessons you could take from the book.
And guys!!! If you are Taylor Jenkins Reid, RS Grey, Renee Carlino's books, this book is for you undoubtedly ❤️.

[Emily Stanton Wolfpack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rachel Del has written a thoughtful, fun to read story in Finding Lily, a great starter to her Second Chances series. I really enjoyed the tenacity of the compelling main character Lily, as she tries to piece together her life after a messy divorce. When she meets powerful editor Nathan, however, everything changes...I couldn't put this book down, from the well developed and interesting characters to Lily's constant internal struggle as she looks for a second chance at love. Finding Lily is a book you can cheer on from beginning to end.

[Susan Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book and I was hooked from the start. Lily and Nate will always be a favorite couple of mine.

The story goes through these two coming together despite all the things that stand in their way. And I have to say... I’m happy I was able to lose myself in their story and enjoy it.

Trust me you guys will love this quirky duo and Nate’s charming personality. He’s just such a sweet guy, but has these perfect hidden flaws that make him even more human.

Would recommend to anyone who loves a layered romance with twists and turns and a unique couple.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone in The Way is the the story of Lily and Nate. Lily is in the process of getting divorced from a jerk of a husband, all the while trying to keep it on the down low at work. Which is where Nate comes in at. I found myself getting frustrated with both Lily and Nate for talking to each other when they should. I also would have liked to have seen Lily stand up to Thomas a bit more than she did. I liked throwing Tanner into the mix, his character is fun. Overall it was a pretty good story and an easy read.

[Sarah Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

BookSmacked review.

Honestly, this took me a little to get into. Not because it's written poorly, I just was feeling it on a personal preference. The blurb sold it to me and when I came back to it, I got into it. It just wasn't an epic read. The connection the Nate and Lilly had was a slow burn for me, I didn't find it to be the all consuming love and desire. Not an overly long story to read, and, maybe you'll see it in a different light to me, I certainly wouldn't discredit it.

[Katy Birch]

Lily Nathan.

Lily is going through a rough patch. Motivation is at an all time low, a bad breakup/divorce. Nathan works along side Lily and has harboured feelings for a while. Since he heard of her divorce its all systems go.

The Chemistry between them is electric but by no means easy.

Its a lovely, touching read. The ups and downs leave you turning the pages religiously. Good read.

[Lisa Rangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story between the two was loving. It comes to show that things happen in life and things get in the way. Nathan finally has his chance to finally be with Lily.

It has a good chemistry and you get into the book a little more past Chapter 1. It has his ups and downs but you will follow with them at every step hey take.

[Kory Woodard Nobes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. It's certainly a quick read, but even if it wasn't I wouldn't have been able to put it down regardless.

Definitely falling asleep with hearts in my eyes and all sorts of sweet, romantic thoughts on my mind.

[Elizabeth deWolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this story a lot. Parts of it felt rushed though, like everything was happening too fast (which is probably a large part because it's a novella). But will definitely look forward to Rachel's next books!