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New Beginnings #2
Second Look
Adam Jackson is not proud of his string of bad decisions. Cheating on his girlfriend, irrevocably hurting the woman he loved since high school and dumping his fiancée on their wedding day are just the tip of the iceberg. When an unspeakable tragedy pushes him to take a hard look at his life, Adam says goodbye to the no-strings hookups and begins to make amends with the women he hurt in the past. The only problem is the woman he wants to find the most has disappeared off the face of the earth. Jennifer Sylvester has only loved one man in her life, but she’s made one mistake after another with him. She hasn’t seen him in four years and she’s determined to make sure their paths never cross again. When Jennifer is offered her dream job back home in Minnesota, she’s unable to turn it down. She packs up her daughter and moves back home, hoping she’s able to stay hidden from the man who still holds her heart. When Adam and Jennifer finally reunite, old sparks begin to fly. But can Adam break down the walls Jennifer has spent so long building up? And more importantly, is Jennifer brave enough to ask Adam for something that could once again tear them apart?
- GenresRomance
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2016
4 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Connie Stephany
6 books25 followersConnie Stephany is a newly published author of a romance novel called Second Chances, which is the first book in The New Beginnings Series. It is a feel-good getaway book, which involves two hot men and the need to choose between the two.
Connie's sister-in-law designed the fabulously pink book cover and her sister helped her edit it. It was very fun making her first book a family affair!
She has been reading novels since a very early age and reads as many novels as time permits.
Connie decided one day to try writing a novel and although the first one took a long time, the second in the series will be much faster coming out!
Connie is a wife of 15 years, mother of 3 children and a mommy to a Chihuahua-minpin mix.
Connie is currently in the technology field but dreams one day of becoming a writer of books people just cannot put down.
Connie's sister-in-law designed the fabulously pink book cover and her sister helped her edit it. It was very fun making her first book a family affair!
She has been reading novels since a very early age and reads as many novels as time permits.
Connie decided one day to try writing a novel and although the first one took a long time, the second in the series will be much faster coming out!
Connie is a wife of 15 years, mother of 3 children and a mommy to a Chihuahua-minpin mix.
Connie is currently in the technology field but dreams one day of becoming a writer of books people just cannot put down.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 29, 2016
3.5 STARS
This is the second book in the series and gives us Jennifer's and Adam's story. If you've read the first book, Second Chances, then you know that Adam and Jennifer have mega history, and consequences of that led to Adam walking away from his fiancée, Abby.
While the first book concerned Abby and her eventual moving on from Adam, this book puts us in Adam's head and at least tries to explain why he did what he did.
One of Adam's biggest regrets was hurting Jennifer and Abby, and after making amends with Abby and finally getting closure, his main emphasis was tracking down 'the one that got away'...Jennifer. And after receiving some traumatic news, he knows now's the time to change his womanizing ways.
I though this book was much better than the first one. The first three quarters were really good, minus some issues I had which I'll get into, but engrossing nonetheless. The last quarter didn't wow me as much, however. It almost went too quickly and plot devices meant to create angst and conflict never really reached their potential.
But, no big deal since the majority of the story was great. Did Adam redeem himself here? Yes and no. I don't think Adam will ever redeem his particular behavior in book one. His response to . His explanations were still weak to me in this book. The list of what he could have done as apposed to what he did, is immense.
However, what he did to seek closure and mend his fences was commendable. His behavior with Jennifer also cleaned up his overall characterization and emphasized that we all make mistakes but wisdom comes from seeking to fix them. Adam passed with flying colors in that aspect.
Jennifer was a good character. She was strong, kind and a great mom, putting all her efforts in raising her daughter right. I thought she handled Adam perfectly. She was cautious, yes, but also didn't let her stubbornness get in the way. Their relationship moved well for the majority of the book. It was like they were never apart. The pacing was great for the most part, and some conflict concerning Amber, Jennifer's daughter, and Adam's past made the first three quarters move nicely.
So, my issues. With a little polish and some minor editing, the book could be even better. My biggest issue however, revolved around variation in word usage. I think if a range of words and expressions were utilized, this book would be, again, even better. For me, seeing the same words used over and over took away from the flow.
My last issue is how one of the conflicts in the book was resolved. . I'm not saying give me endless drama, but I felt that this character's purpose was just that, but it never really became anything more than a minor blip. It felt underwhelming.
As for the last quarter, I think it was okay but not as engrossing as the majority. My issue with plays into that because it coincided with the ending. Aside from all that, the epilogue was sweet. We get introduced to other characters who'll get their own books as well, so I'm sure there'll be more of Jennifer and Adam.
This was great for the most part. The issues are not a huge deal and with some tweaks are easily resolved, so 3.5 STARS rounded up.
*Arc kindly provided by the author for review*
This is the second book in the series and gives us Jennifer's and Adam's story. If you've read the first book, Second Chances, then you know that Adam and Jennifer have mega history, and consequences of that led to Adam walking away from his fiancée, Abby.
While the first book concerned Abby and her eventual moving on from Adam, this book puts us in Adam's head and at least tries to explain why he did what he did.
One of Adam's biggest regrets was hurting Jennifer and Abby, and after making amends with Abby and finally getting closure, his main emphasis was tracking down 'the one that got away'...Jennifer. And after receiving some traumatic news, he knows now's the time to change his womanizing ways.
I though this book was much better than the first one. The first three quarters were really good, minus some issues I had which I'll get into, but engrossing nonetheless. The last quarter didn't wow me as much, however. It almost went too quickly and plot devices meant to create angst and conflict never really reached their potential.
But, no big deal since the majority of the story was great. Did Adam redeem himself here? Yes and no. I don't think Adam will ever redeem his particular behavior in book one. His response to . His explanations were still weak to me in this book. The list of what he could have done as apposed to what he did, is immense.
However, what he did to seek closure and mend his fences was commendable. His behavior with Jennifer also cleaned up his overall characterization and emphasized that we all make mistakes but wisdom comes from seeking to fix them. Adam passed with flying colors in that aspect.
Jennifer was a good character. She was strong, kind and a great mom, putting all her efforts in raising her daughter right. I thought she handled Adam perfectly. She was cautious, yes, but also didn't let her stubbornness get in the way. Their relationship moved well for the majority of the book. It was like they were never apart. The pacing was great for the most part, and some conflict concerning Amber, Jennifer's daughter, and Adam's past made the first three quarters move nicely.
So, my issues. With a little polish and some minor editing, the book could be even better. My biggest issue however, revolved around variation in word usage. I think if a range of words and expressions were utilized, this book would be, again, even better. For me, seeing the same words used over and over took away from the flow.
My last issue is how one of the conflicts in the book was resolved. . I'm not saying give me endless drama, but I felt that this character's purpose was just that, but it never really became anything more than a minor blip. It felt underwhelming.
As for the last quarter, I think it was okay but not as engrossing as the majority. My issue with plays into that because it coincided with the ending. Aside from all that, the epilogue was sweet. We get introduced to other characters who'll get their own books as well, so I'm sure there'll be more of Jennifer and Adam.
This was great for the most part. The issues are not a huge deal and with some tweaks are easily resolved, so 3.5 STARS rounded up.
*Arc kindly provided by the author for review*
November 14, 2016
Time taken to read - 2 days
Pages - 248
Blurb from Goodreads
Adam Jackson is not proud of his string of bad decisions. Cheating on his girlfriend, irrevocably hurting the woman he loved since high school and dumping his fiancée on their wedding day are just the tip of the iceberg. When an unspeakable tragedy pushes him to take a hard look at his life, Adam says goodbye to the no-strings hookups and begins to make amends with the women he hurt in the past. The only problem is the woman he wants to find the most has disappeared off the face of the earth.
Jennifer Sylvester has only loved one man in her life, but she’s made one mistake after another with him. She hasn’t seen him in four years and she’s determined to make sure their paths never cross again. When Jennifer is offered her dream job back home in Minnesota, she’s unable to turn it down. She packs up her daughter and moves back home, hoping she’s able to stay hidden from the man who still holds her heart.
When Adam and Jennifer finally reunite, old sparks begin to fly. But can Adam break down the walls Jennifer has spent so long building up? And more importantly, is Jennifer brave enough to ask Adam for something that could once again tear them apart?
My Review
Second Look revisits some of the characters from the first book Second Chances, Adam had left his bride to be and the book concentrated on that. Now in book two, we get to really meet Adam, his life now and some throwback to what happened to make him leave his bride to be in the first book. Jennifer is back, the woman who turned his world upside down in book one, his old flame and bringing with her her daughter. When tragedy strikes, Adam reevaluates his life, his casual love them and leave them attitude and how things ended with Jennifer. For Jennifer, she has never quite got over Adam and being this close to him isn't easy, she cannot allow herself to get caught up with him again and risk having her heart broken again. Her daughter is her main concern not what her heart is telling her, will Jennifer listen to her head or follow her heart?
I would absolutely recommend reading book one guys, you get a better feel for the character and it is always good to know the background history. The timeline splits between current events and every now and again flips back to the past to give some more insight into the Adam & Jennifer dating period. The chapters are well marked so you can follow the time sequence easily and differentiate between the duo timeline.
There are a lot of emotional aspects within the tale, grief, loss, personal growth, family, cause and effect. It was interesting to learn more about the characters of Adam and Jennifer which gives a bit more insight into what happened in the first story. I wasn't as captivated by the tale as I was the first book, I think because being jilted at the alter is on a very different scale to the in depth story examination of relationships & personal growth. There was a bit of the story with a spikey character that I thought was going to go in a very different direction and create havoc and lots of drama, however it petered out leaving me feeling it was a tad unfinished, for that character. The author creates a scope of characters that holds your interest and leaves you wanting to read more about them and see where their future heads. 3/5 for me this time, I would read this author again and I believe there may be more to come in the New Beginnings series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book, all views as always are my own.
Pages - 248
Blurb from Goodreads
Adam Jackson is not proud of his string of bad decisions. Cheating on his girlfriend, irrevocably hurting the woman he loved since high school and dumping his fiancée on their wedding day are just the tip of the iceberg. When an unspeakable tragedy pushes him to take a hard look at his life, Adam says goodbye to the no-strings hookups and begins to make amends with the women he hurt in the past. The only problem is the woman he wants to find the most has disappeared off the face of the earth.
Jennifer Sylvester has only loved one man in her life, but she’s made one mistake after another with him. She hasn’t seen him in four years and she’s determined to make sure their paths never cross again. When Jennifer is offered her dream job back home in Minnesota, she’s unable to turn it down. She packs up her daughter and moves back home, hoping she’s able to stay hidden from the man who still holds her heart.
When Adam and Jennifer finally reunite, old sparks begin to fly. But can Adam break down the walls Jennifer has spent so long building up? And more importantly, is Jennifer brave enough to ask Adam for something that could once again tear them apart?
My Review
Second Look revisits some of the characters from the first book Second Chances, Adam had left his bride to be and the book concentrated on that. Now in book two, we get to really meet Adam, his life now and some throwback to what happened to make him leave his bride to be in the first book. Jennifer is back, the woman who turned his world upside down in book one, his old flame and bringing with her her daughter. When tragedy strikes, Adam reevaluates his life, his casual love them and leave them attitude and how things ended with Jennifer. For Jennifer, she has never quite got over Adam and being this close to him isn't easy, she cannot allow herself to get caught up with him again and risk having her heart broken again. Her daughter is her main concern not what her heart is telling her, will Jennifer listen to her head or follow her heart?
I would absolutely recommend reading book one guys, you get a better feel for the character and it is always good to know the background history. The timeline splits between current events and every now and again flips back to the past to give some more insight into the Adam & Jennifer dating period. The chapters are well marked so you can follow the time sequence easily and differentiate between the duo timeline.
There are a lot of emotional aspects within the tale, grief, loss, personal growth, family, cause and effect. It was interesting to learn more about the characters of Adam and Jennifer which gives a bit more insight into what happened in the first story. I wasn't as captivated by the tale as I was the first book, I think because being jilted at the alter is on a very different scale to the in depth story examination of relationships & personal growth. There was a bit of the story with a spikey character that I thought was going to go in a very different direction and create havoc and lots of drama, however it petered out leaving me feeling it was a tad unfinished, for that character. The author creates a scope of characters that holds your interest and leaves you wanting to read more about them and see where their future heads. 3/5 for me this time, I would read this author again and I believe there may be more to come in the New Beginnings series. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book, all views as always are my own.
July 2, 2016
Second Look is the follow up to Second Chances, a book by Connie that I just really adored.
This book, was no different; I just couldn't put it down.
Connie has a talent for creating characters with spark, determination and realism that has you feeling for them from page one.
Her main character Jennifer is a resilient, hardworking mother whose just had a bit of bad luck that I felt we could all relate to. Adam, though it took a while for him to grow on me, proved to be the perfect 'hero' in this type of story. A man of incredible flaw, trying to make up for mistakes of a misguided youth.
This is a wonderful, emotionally driven story that will have you saying 'just one more chapter, just one more chapter...'
This book, was no different; I just couldn't put it down.
Connie has a talent for creating characters with spark, determination and realism that has you feeling for them from page one.
Her main character Jennifer is a resilient, hardworking mother whose just had a bit of bad luck that I felt we could all relate to. Adam, though it took a while for him to grow on me, proved to be the perfect 'hero' in this type of story. A man of incredible flaw, trying to make up for mistakes of a misguided youth.
This is a wonderful, emotionally driven story that will have you saying 'just one more chapter, just one more chapter...'
September 12, 2016
This was a great continuation of a couple characters stories from the first book "Second Chances". It was a great afternoon read that I just couldn't put down! I've read very few books cover-to-cover but this one is added to my list. I loved it as much as the first book and can't wait for the next one!
September 11, 2016
This book was an easy and light read. Perfect for a relaxing evening with a glass of wine. Adam and Jennifer trying to get back together but with their history could it work? Sweetly written and the characters stay with you when the story ends.
September 7, 2016
Boring as the first book and the main lady is not very likeable. ...just blah
August 24, 2016
This is a fun series., read book one Second Chances & this book tells the story of one of the other characters. It was a nice quick read.
I look forward to the next
I look forward to the next
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews