Third Chances

Men of Manhattan #2

by Ivy Smoak

This is the original cover edition of ISBN: 9781535166034. The alternate cover edition is here.

Rob lives a life of no-strings-attached encounters, traveling from one city to the next, with nothing to hold him in place. But there's something missing from his life, eating away at his happiness. When a girl from his past shows up during his brother's bachelor party, he's not going to let her slide through his fingers again.

The only problem is that this girl is more than just a pretty face and a way to keep his bed warm at night. She's playing for keeps, and that's one game he's not sure he can win.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, New Adult, Audiobook, Fiction, Billionaire Romance

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Ivy Smoak is the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon #1 bestselling author of The Hunted Series. Her books have sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

When she's not writing, you can find Ivy binge watching too many TV shows, taking long walks, playing outside, and generally refusing to act like an adult. She lives with her husband in Delaware.

Learn more about Ivy on:
Amazon ➜ http://bit.ly/IvySmoakAMZ
Facebook ➜ http://bit.ly/IvySmoakFacebook
Instagram ➜ http://bit.ly/IvySmoakInsta
TikTok ➜ https://bit.ly/3F6QML7
BookBub ➜ https://bit.ly/2VOZycg
Website ➜ bit.ly/IvySmoakWebsite
Reader Group ➜ bit.ly/IvySmoakGroup
Join Ivy Smoak's newsletter for a sexy FREE story and exclusive material: https://www.ivysmoak.com/newsletter

Empire High


The Hunted & Light to My Darkness



Made of Steel

Reviews

[Aria · Rating 1 out of 5]

HORRIBLE!

I very rarely have to stop reading a book but as much as I tried I just couldn't get over how HORRIBLE her friends are in this book. Not one girl stood up for Daphne, I only finished 16% and most of that was her friends making fun of who she waz as a person. If at least one friend was nice I would've kept reading but this is not how a good friendship is portrayed.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (1/15/2020)! 🎁

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was written well but my God is it boring & weird! A manwhore hero that talk sleazy and acts it & also fantasize about his brother’s fiancé, a heroine who is about as exciting as watching paint dry. She was so dull! A stalker female best friend who doesn’t know when to quit or have some dignity and a male best friend that drug his friend who is a recovering addict so he would lighten up & stop thinking of his fiancé and possibly cheat on her! Everything was just so wrong and forceful all being delivered with a major slice of boredom. I completed the book & there was meaningful insight somewhere in there but I wouldn’t recommend or read this again.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this one. UGH!!

The first 30% of this book was boring. If I was supposed to fall in love with Daphne, it didn't work. I found her to be way to over the top ridiculous. She's so risk adverse with everything in life. And quite honestly her friends weren't great. Especially Kristin.

Rob was ok, but am I the only one that thinks it's weird that he's always talking about masterbating to his brothers fiance. Like he talks to her and then he masterbates thinking about her. There were a couple of times I thought he was joking, but yeah, he wasn't. That's weird. And again, I'm supposed to fall in love with him?

Then you have Kristin stalking Rob's brother, James. And openly thinks it's funny. Matt is an absolute horrible friend giving his addict friend acid. And nobody seemed upset by it?!?!? this book did a horrible disservice to this. Everyone acted like it's no big deal that we just gave drugs to a recovering drug addict. Whatever.

Then you have judgmental Daphne who freaks out and draws judgments that aren't correct. The ending was a joke honestly. I mean, let's put this in perspective. This book takes place in two days. TWO DAYS!! And they are declaring their love and they are NEVER leaving each other, even though they basically broke up twice in one day, lol

Seriously, super disappointing. I'm only giving this two stars because there were a couple of times I laughed at something Rob said, but that's the only reason.

[Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

The characters actual characteristics, in no way, matched up, especially given the timeline, it wasn’t even believable to have “made a change”, in one day! If the scenario had taken place over a longer period of time then I feel, in a romance book sort of way, you could see Rob and Daphne taking a turn. His bad boy, player ways and her reserved, rule follower ways.
Kristen is annoying and completely out of line with her stalker flirtations with James. I think it’s meant to be funny but after several characters in the book tell her to back off, including James, it’s just gone too far and no longer quirky cute. Had it resolved the first day at the pool when James was clearly uncomfortable and it was becoming concerning, then it could be laughed off. I think it was just taken too far.
Matt isn’t the character you love to hate. You just hate him. Who allows a “buddy” a pass after drugging their friend, who’s a KNOWN recovering addict!?!?!? I felt this was dismissed in extremely poor taste (and I am not even associated with anyone in my life who’s a recovering addict, it was just a common sense feeling). That dismissal has turned me off from the rest of the books.

[Thu · Rating 2 out of 5]

No one was really likeable in this book, except James. Bleh.

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read that I found to be long at times. This was also my first time reading this author. Daphne has always regretted not talking to her college crush Rob. While at a friend's bachelorette party they meet again. I did realize that the characters in this book are from another series. I really liked Rob. This book was well written no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the other series.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one and wow it pulled on the heart strings

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

See I knew there was more depth to Rob then what got portrayed in James and Penny's books. He still has his humor though not as much of it came out as in the other books. In this book we got to see the side of him that he didn't have in the other books. Daphne is a bit different than I would have thought. She seemed so mellow in the other books. She laughed at everything that came out of Rob's mouth. In this book we don't see as much of that. I kind of wish this book was a bit longer. I would've liked to see how they handled Rob going into the hospital especially since they were so new into the relationship. I had to dock a star just because I think that should've been brought into this book. Theirs by far was the shortest length of time for their story. We all knew what would happen to Rob in the other stories so it would have added more depth to the characters to see them take on a struggle of that magnitude so early on. Other then that it was a good read.

[vicki zimmerman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it halfway through chapter 5

That may not be very far into it, but it sure felt like a long way!
The further it went, the worse it got. The throwing a bag over her head, and tying her hands in order to ‘surprise her’ with a vacation, almost done me in. The friends were terrible. Then, the vacation spot, and I got as far as ‘the bracelet game’ before I threw in the metaphorical towel.
If it keeps going the way it has so far, by the very end, it will be in gibberish.
I can’t say it’s the worst book I’ve ever read. I can’t even say it’s the most stupid book I’ve ever read. But that’s only because I didn’t finish the stupid thing. Good grief. Where are all the romance writers?

[Sweet Spot Sisterhood Book Lover's Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding book by the delectable Ivy! I absolutely love the Hunted series, and while this is a side story to James and Penny's epic tale, we learn so much more about Rob and James's family dynamics, the relationship between the two, and just how much they have been through together. In the past, it had been pretty rough. As much as James has protected Rob, Rob has also been there for James in some pretty major ways himself. They both process these aspects of their relationship differently and some unspoken feelings are unleashed. But don't worry ladies, they still have brotherly love. It was very enlightening to read and learn more about them, and I sense some possible foreshadowing as to how James may react and spiral to certain future events.... Now, let's talk about ROB!

Rob is a creature unlike any hero I've met yet. He's carefree, up-front, and fairly crude to be honest. He has always had a thing for James's fiance, Penny -- specifically how hot she is -- though, you know he would never act on anything he jokes about concerning her because he would never cross that line or hurt his brother. It doesn't stop him from shamelessly flirting and making comments to embarrass her. He is, though, a bit jealous of the type of relationship his brother and Penny share. When will he find that? How?

During a trip away, for James's bachelor party, he happens upon a girl he's had his eyes on for a long time from way back home. What are the odds? He has to decide whether to pursue her here or miss another chance, a chance he already hadn't taken back home before he lost track of her. But she has some real issues of her own going on that makes this trip less than pleasant. How will this pan out? Can Rob really calm down his bravado and learn how to develop a relationship? How can she possibly trust him anyway? It gets interesting!

This book was yet another of Ivy's that I could not put down. She really knows how to reel you in and hold you to it right to the end. I had to know how everything would pan out, and what some of the other characters (their friends) would say or do. I liked the time overlap with Eruption, with the phone calls to Penny. I really enjoyed getting to know Rob much more intimately and how he feels about his life and about things that need to change. This book was just enough to keep the fire stoked and ready for Ivy's next book Devotion!
BRING IT SISTER!!
**Reviewed for Sweet Spot Sisterhood**

[K.J. Simmill · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, just like my review for City of Sin, this is another one of those kicking myself reviews. I last read this book in December, and that was the second time I had picked it up. The problem with books by Ivy Smoak is they're addictive, you can't just stop at one. I said on my last one, that I think I forgot to review because I went through all her books so quickly, but that is really no excuse, because every book I have ever read by this lady has been brilliant and deserves recognition, even if that's in the form of a quick review I write months after reading it.

I would like to say Third Chances centres around one of my favourite characters, Rob, but anyone who has picked up any of Ivy's books knows it's pretty much impossible to have a favourite. Her characters are so alive and vibrant that it becomes impossible to just pick one, but there is a special place in my heart for the free spirited, prankster with a heart of gold, and seeing him find Daphne was truly amazing. I love how the two of them fit. They have difficulties, couldn't be more different, and yet with effort they come together amazingly. Whilst Rob often seems free, in this book we get a glimpse into the things he hides beneath his confidence, and discover parts of him we didn't know existed from the times we encounter him in the other books. Daphne, however, has a trouble past herself, and the more she uncovers about Rob, the more those red flag in her mind begin to spring. Sometimes the only things getting in the way of happiness, is yourself.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it

I loved seeing how Rob and Daphne got together. I liked seeing what happened at the resort. I did remove a star because the author kept using the word boner. Might sound dumb, but it drove me nuts.

[Judy Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s 1:00 AM and I’ve read way too late. I couldn’t leave Rob and Daphne mid romance. Saw lots of old friends in these pages.

[B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly Recommended For Fans Of The Hunted Series! Rob & Daphne’s Opposites Attract Romance Pairs Fun-Loving Rob With Mama Bear Daphne. Together, They Find A Happy Middle.


ABOUT THE SERIES:

This is book two of three in the Men of Manhattan series of related standalones. Fans of The Hunted series will especially love this series, which is a spinoff of sorts. It includes:
1. City of Sin (Mason Caldwell and Bridget Cowan’s story)
2. Third Chances (Rob Hunter and Daphne Hughes’s story)
3. Missing Pieces (Tyler Stevens and Hailey Shaw’s story)

This series intersects with The Hunted series. While these books and each series can be enjoyed on their own, each book is even more enjoyable when read collectively because little glimpses of the characters from one book to another add to the depth of their individual stories. Approximating the chronological order, the two series combined should be read as follows (according to the author).
1. Temptation (James Hunter and Penny Taylor’s story, part 1)
2. Addicted (James Hunter and Penny Taylor’s story, part 2)
3. City of Sin (Mason Caldwell and Bridget Cowen’s story)
4. Eruption (James Hunter and Penny Taylor’s story, part 3)
5. Third Chances (Rob Hunter and Daphne Hughes’s story)
6. Devotion (James Hunter and Penny Taylor’s story, part 4)
7. Missing Pieces (Tyler Stevens and Hailey Shaw’s story)

IN THIS BOOK:

For those that have read Eruption in The Hunted series, this book gives a look at the bachelor party that James was kidnapped and taken to. Readers finally get to learn more about James and Rob’s relationship as well. Unlike The Hunted series, the male gets his POV, so the reader gets to know Rob’s inner thoughts. Finally, the epilogue cuts to the following Friday, so be forewarned if you have not yet read Devotion that it does give away a few parts. This book adds a lot to The Hunted series, even though it does work perfectly as a standalone.

This story opens the weekend before James and Penny’s wedding, during his bachelor party at the Blue Parrot in Costa Rica. The Blue Parrot is a secret and exclusive resort tucked away in the jungle. The Resort encourages some kinky behavior amongst its patrons with their card and bracelet system.

Daphne Hughes, twenty-three, is affectionately called Mama Bear by her friends. She likes to be organized. She likes to be in control. She is protective and nurturing. And she is afraid of taking risks. She left her family and home in Delaware behind after graduation to go to New York and begin her career as a high school math teacher; her friends all tease her about her students having crushes on their hot teacher. Daphne is focused on her career now, but as her friends are all coupling up around her, she is beginning to wonder if she might be ready for change. Her last year at the University of New Castle was tough, but fortunately she had Kristen and Alina to lean on. Even if Kristen was a little too obsessed with Professor Hunter, she had been a good friend, pushing Daphne out of her comfort zone. She and Alina had been best friends dating back to elementary school, and she understood the pain and loss, if not the guilt. As she heads off to Costa Rica with Alina, Kristen, and Layla for a one week bachelorette getaway in honor of Alina upcoming wedding, Daphne begins to reflect on where she is in her life.

Robert Hunter, twenty-seven, is the carefree and adventurous Hunter brother. Unlike his broody brother James, Rob is mostly happy and fun loving. He is flirty and used to getting what he wants from women handed to him on a silver platter. He went to Harvard as was expected of a Hunter, but he has not worked since. He spends his time travelling on whims, going where the wind blows him. He is waiting for inspiration to hit him and give him a purpose in life. He had taken over James’s condo near the University of New Castle back when James and Penny moved to New York two and a half years ago. When he isn’t travelling, he enjoys living amongst the beautiful coeds on campus. But the one night stands are getting boring. If he is honest with himself he is a little jealous of James. Rob loves Penny like a sister, but seeing how happy she and James are together makes him recognize that he wants to be in love with someone, too. Their love is a little inspiring, and seeing James happy means the world to Rob. James had sacrificed his own happiness to protect Rob from their parents’ controlling ways while growing up, and even if it sometimes made Rob feel second best, Rob would always have James’s back in return. Rob stuck with James through his addictions, but since he began teaching and found Penny, James has been clean. Penny makes James whole.

Rob wonders if he will ever find what he is looking for. There had been a girl back in Delaware that captured his attention a while back. He had watched her study on the lawn each day, and he really wanted to know her. This girl had been different than the others. He sensed she needed some space and planned to approach her at the end of the semester, but she left before he got the chance. A year later and he is getting bored with his life. So when that same girl shows up at the Blue Parrot Resort, Rob isn’t going to let his second chance go to waste. She seems a little skittish, but he has her attention thanks to the bracelets on her wrist. She needs help removing them, and he has all the cards.

Rob and Daphne’s story is a whirlwind romance – most of the story takes place over the course of just two days. But in reality their attraction for one another had been percolating for almost two years. The absence had done nothing to change the natural pull they shared, and when they finally meet one another they feel the connection. But Rob has never been in a relationship before, and doing things the slow way is a foreign concept to him. Daphne values patience and getting to know someone before getting more intimate. And unlike Rob, she is afraid of trying new things. She likes things done just so. Rob inspires her to want to live her life more freely, but putting that idea into action is more difficult than she would like. She is bogged down by regrets about her past that prevent her from fully enjoying the present. Rob feels content around Daphne, a feeling that is new to him. And though he doesn’t understand what love is, he wants to give things a try and find out. Despite how happy they feel when they are together, fear threatens to get in the way. The couple eventually earns a happy for now ending.

Fans of The Hunted series will recognize Tyler Stevens, Penny’s good friend from school. He comes up in the epilogue here as this series segues into Tyler’s HEA. He hasn’t always been painted as the good guy, but it is mostly just that he is human and makes some dumb mistakes (and judging his actions while he is under the influence is probably not entirely fair). After years of not getting over Penny, his story has become very sympathetic. His story follows in Missing Pieces, book three of this series..

Fans of the Empire High series, which is Matt’s story, will finally get to see a little more of Matt here. Thus far in both the Men of Manhattan series and The Hunted series, there has been little from Matt. This book doesn’t exactly paint him in the best of light. He does a few very mean things, and there is a hint of loneliness. This may ruin the story for some, but those that have read Empire High and are aware of the past wild behavior and indulgences of James and his friends growing up together may understand where Matt is coming from even if they don’t forgive him. And that explains why the friends get past it with so little fanfare. And guys just react to things differently than women, so female readers should keep that in mind, too. As awful as it is, at this point in the Empire High series (book three), it is maybe serving a purpose. Matt is unhappy because his HEA was stolen from him. His love story is tragic. Those that haven’t read Empire High don’t have the backstory and thus cannot fathom Matt’s actions. I have my own ideas about what Empire High Matchmaker holds in store (which is not yet released as of this writing), but this book sort of puts my theory into question (though it does not rule it out). Fans will know that book three of that series had a devastating ending that really left things unsettled and the direction of the series unclear.

Rob and Daphne’s story is mostly light and fun – watching Daphne loosen up when with Rob is sweet, and seeing him settle down around her is very satisfying. They make a series of deals revolving around the game of bracelets and cards which keeps things from getting too serious. They both have some issues to deal with, however, before they are ready to move forward and begin a relationship. At that point the story is a little more serious. Rob, however, is such a character that his story cannot possibly take a serious turn for long. Rob may be a bit lost, but he has been a protective little brother. It is great to see him find love, too.

Rob and Daphne’s opposites attract romance pairs fun-loving Rob with Mama Bear Daphne. Together, they find a happy middle. This story is well-written. The plot is somewhat complex; it weaves together many characters from other stories by the author. Most significantly, this story offers a lot to fans of The Hunted – and it is thus highly recommended. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Rob and Daphne. I rate this book four stars – or 4.5 stars for fans of The Hunted series and other related books by the author.

[KrisT A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does anyone have a filter?

Hilarious!!! Matt rob Kristen. They need filters. rob needs one regarding penny!!! Who says that stuff about their brothers girl? Kristen!!! Cheers to lists!!!! Haha a bit creepy though. Love it

[Tamara Eastlick · Rating 5 out of 5]

After James and Penny, Rob has been a favorite character of mine. I loved reading his and Daphne's story and seeing him finally settling down. Please continue writing about their story and the other Men Of Manhattan!!

[litljen · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review**

Third Chances is part of The Hunted Series but focuses on secondary characters within the series. It's Rob's story (Professor James Hunter's brother) and it's fabulous! He's always been a character that I've been more curious about and I was pretty giddy to find out this book is about him. The majority of the story takes place in Costa Rica where the men take James for his bachelor party. Rob loves adventure and never settles in one place. He's a player and enjoys every moment of life despite a dark past. Daphne is the girl he used to secretly watch back in Delaware when she was in college. He always wanted to talk to her but never did. When she shows up for a bachelorette party (Alina from Going For Gold!) at the same resort in Costa Rica, he finally has the chance to make his move with her. Daphne has always been the responsible one and never lets go. She is structured and thrives on routine and won't let any man get close to her for fear of losing him. When Rob and Daphne finally officially meet, the sparks fly. Theirs is more of a slow burn romance since Daphne doesn't want to get involved with him. What I love about these characters is that they bring out the best in each other. Their story is funny, super sexy and I was able to really connect to them. At the very heart of this story is the idea of letting go of your past and finding what your heart truly desires.

Ivy Smoak does a great job of developing her characters and fans of her other books will enjoy all of the recurring characters who are present in this story. Because of this, it's a good idea to read the other books in The Hunted series prior to reading Third Chances. It's not 100% necessary but in order to understand more about Rob and his relationship with James and his family, it certainly is helpful.

[Watch Jamie Read · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Give me your hand. I promise I won't let go."

I thought this would be a cute romance, but it just missed all the marks. I liked Daphne. But that’s about it. She desperately needs new friends. That’s all.

I really wanted to like Rob because he was charming and funny… but I just couldn’t get there. He was perverted and SO clearly hung up on Penny. Just when I would start to like him, he would mention lusting after his future sister-in-law and I just couldn’t get past that. It was gross and it made me hate him.

I also REALLY didn’t like how Daphne’s friends treated her. They were downright rude and abusive. Kristen was just a horrible person for stalking James and then continuing to do so when he politely declined her advances many times! And he was engaged and SHE had a boyfriend! She gives women a bad name. Gross.

And what kind of “friend” slips acid into the drink of a recovering drug addict because the “friend” was annoyed with him?! Matt was despicable, and not just to James. James and Rob need new friends too.

There was obviously info about all of the side/secondary characters that must have been in other books, but they were WAY over mentioned for them being side/secondary characters. It made the story confusing and made me hate on everyone more for giving me only snippets of the story.

And the hotel? WTF? Those bracelets were horrible! What a terrible thing to do! Force women to “perform” for the men and they didn’t seem allowed to say no. It was just dumb and manipulative and felt like rape.

All in all, I felt more about this book than I ever dreamed and I would not recommend it.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rob is absolutely one of my favorite characters, so I was very excited to read his story and it did not disappoint! He's so funny, loyal, loving, charming, and anyone would be lucky to have a brother like him! Ivy did it again with her amazing writing, she makes you feel like your there with the characters!! I don't want to give any Spoilers but if you love The Hunted series and Rob then you'll definitely love this book!!

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF.. couldn't do it.. One thing I can't stand is a girl like Daphne, judgemental, uncertain, unreasonable and I didn't read far enough to find out why, it was torture. Rob, I liked and will give him all the credit in this because he deserves it. Might be wrong but I'm sticking to it..

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and Rob is absolutely hilarious!! He always makes me laugh and I'm so glad he has his own book!! Highly recommend Third Chances! Another amazing book by Ivy Smoak!

[Ella's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rob & Daphne

This might be my favorite Ivy Smoak book yet! I am reading/re-reading most of her books in chronological order in preparation for Empire High Matchmaker.

This book has a lot of characters from other series so I don't recommend trying to read it as a stand-alone book. You can find Ivy's chronological order list here: https://www.ivysmoak.com/chronologica...

Back in high school (in the early Empire High books) Rob was Matt's best friend and he became good friends with Brooklyn. Rob is also James' younger brother so we see him throughout The Hunted: The Complete Series #1-4 too. Rob is the funny guy. The prankster with no verbal filter. He's always flirting and being inappropriate with Brooklyn and Penny. He travels a lot and he doesn't have (or need) a job so he hasn't put down any roots. He doesn't seem to take life too seriously... but things aren't always what they seem.

Daphne is a high school math teacher. She is the "mama bear" of her friend group - the serious and responsible one. She is at the Blue Parrot Resort for her friend Alina's bachelorette party.

Rob and Daphne balance each other out. His is all about sexual innuendos and having fun and she is reserved and reliable. But they have more in common than either of them realize.

Series crossovers: The timeline of this book is the same as Eruption from The Hunted series. We get to see what James is up to on his bachelor weekend while Penny is dealing with all of the drama back in New York. It is nice to hear from James how he feels about Penny in his conversations with his friends, instead of just seeing things from Penny's perspective. We also hear a little about Mason and Bee. The highlight for me was seeing more of Matt though (since I'm counting down the days for the release of his next book). My heart broke a little during the poolside game of "Never Have I Ever" but I won't spoil it for you. Other than that, Matt just seemed to be stirring up trouble for his friends.

Alina and her friend Kristen are from Going for Gold and there are lots of references to events in that book. Layla from Layla's Forecast is also part of the bridal party. The guys from these books (Bryce, Tim, and Ethan) also make cameos.

Blue Parrot Resort is a short story that comes before Third Chances and gives an intro to the kinds of things that can happen at the resort.

Rob was one of my favorites supporting characters in the Empire High series and The Hunted series and I loved his book! We get to see more of him and Daphne in Penny and James' 4th book: Devotion.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d ideally like to give this book 3.3 stars, which shocks me for an Ivy Smoak book. I’ve read the all of the hunted series, and then the city of sin and have loved all of them. I couldn’t put city of sin down when I started it….but, this one was a different story. In short, I almost DNF’d it. The first 30-50 pages were SO HARD to get through. Daphne was annoying. Kristen SUCKS…like what kind of psychopath friend is she??? It was funny to see her again after the New Castle stalking situation but that plot line was so overused and it needed to stop after the first time it was mentioned, it was annoying and frankly super creepy. I understand why Daphne is the way she is after the loss of her brother, but did we have to make up so uptight and anal? I have loved her in all the other books so I was shocked to be so easily annoyed by her. I told myself I would finish this book and it started getting better once Rob was introduced, he’s a favorite character of mine. It was kind of weird to be reading this book after reading the entire hunted series because we have heard a lot of this before, and we obviously know that Daph and Rob get married and have kids. Overall, once it got going I enjoyed the sexual tension between the two and Daph caring for James. The back and forth, was overplayed as well. If there was one less time of her running away and him not chasing after her, I would of been fine. Also to note, I thought it was so weird for the boyfriends to show up and just be like yeah we’re kicking you out of the room? Obviously at the end we know why, but generally I feel like they’re shitty friends. I’m glad we don’t really hear about them in the later Hunted books. For all the build up, and somewhat character development the ending was so rushed. They hadn’t even gotten back together and there was only 20 pages left? The ending was also pretty predictable, obviously once they were back in the woods we knew they were going to the waterfall to kiss and make up. I did enjoy the surprise of Rob wanting to leave and travel somewhere (i vaguely remember this being mentioned in an earlier hunted book). Overall, I probably wouldn’t recommend this book unless you’re looking for a quick sex buildup read. If you haven’t read any of the other books, I definitely wouldn’t recommend. I’m interested to see how I feel about Matt’s stand alone books, considering he was kind of annoying and drugged James??? I still love Ivy, but this one wasn’t it.

[Gemma Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read all Ivy’s Hunted and Light in the Darkness Series, James’ little brother, Rob was one of my favourite characters (second only to James of course). He’s funny, sexy and has that wonderful cheekiness to him that makes him absolutely adorable.

I’m so glad he got his standalone story and I really enjoyed learning more about Daphne. She’s sweet, caring and homely... which is exactly what Rob needs to help him find his forever.

Can’t say I’d like to say at the Blue Parrot Resort... all sounds a bit sleazy and sordid if I’m honest! It’s like a high-end yuppie version of an 18-30’s holiday (UK readers will know what I mean) but I guess if you’re going to learn to live a little and let your inhibitions go, then this place would work.

I didn’t think I could possibly love Rob or James anymore than I already did... but I did. Their relationship is so solid because of what they have sacrificed for each other in their own way. It shows their sweet nature and how much they truly care for the people they give their heart to. It’s really quite endearing... especially when you see James’ pure dedication to his future wife by completely removing himself from the antics the resort offers... especially from the unwanted advances of Daphne’s friend Kristen (I really don’t like her!)

Rob and Daphne’s story is so intense... they are both trying to fall in love without realising that’s what they actually want. Neither thinks that love is what they want... but they soon learn that each other’s love is exactly what they need.

If I had one criticism... it felt a bit rushed at the end. I wanted more. I don’t want the story to end... even though I know how their story ends... I want to know how they got to where they end up in “This Is Love”.

What else did I learn? I don’t like Matt very much at the moment. I don’t know why... I just find him annoying and a bit of a jerk. Always getting in the way of people’s happiness. Maybe I need to read his story to understand him more.

I whole heartedly recommend all of Ivy’s books... but make sure you start at the beginning so that you understand the whole story... because the journey her characters take is so incredible.

[Agata i Karolina]

"Trzecia szansa na miłość" czyli drugi tom cyklu Men of Manhattan😎

Czy zatwardziały Casanova uważający, że związki są dla frajerów może się zmienić?😈😇

Czy powściągliwa nauczycielka z teoretycznie spokojną naturą, może okazać się kobietą frywolną, pragnącą przygód?🔥

I jaki efekt da nam połączenie się wyjazdu kawalerskiego z wyjazdem panieńskim?😎

Chcąc poznać odpowiedzi na powyższe pytania koniecznie powinniście sięgnąć po książkę "Trzecia szansa na miłość"❗My musimy przyznać, że jest to jedna z tych lektur, które zapewniły nam w niewymagający sposób, naprawdę dobrą rozrywkę. Ciekawie było śledzić poczynania grupki kobiet i mężczyzn, którzy zamiast spędzić standardowo jednego wieczoru panieńskiego/kawalerskiego zostają wręcz porwani i wywiezieni na cały weekend aby móc cieszyć się atrakcjami i nie tylko 😉 jakie zapewnią im osoby towarzyszące, nowe miejsce oraz... Nowo poznane osoby 😁

Naszym zdaniem powyższa powieść jest świetną, lekką historią z dynamicznie rozwijającą się akcją, która potrafi czytelnika wprowadzić w stan totalnego odprężenia, zabierając do miejsca o którym na samą myśl czułyśmy się błogo zrelaksowane a jednocześnie między wierszami przemycić pewne trudne tematy z którymi nierzadko każdy z nas musi sobie radzić. Utrata kogoś bliskiego momentami potrafi na człowieku odcisnąć piętno z którym nie będziemy sobie nigdy w stanie poradzić. Jedni sięgają po używki, inni obawiają się ponownie do siebie kogoś dopuścić aby kolejny raz nie przeżywać straty. Jak będzie tutaj? Zobaczycie sami jednakże trzeba koniecznie pamiętać, że nikt za nas życia nie przeżyje i jeżeli sami nie podejmiemy działań i nie pójdziemy do przodu do wiele wspaniałych chwil może nam umknąć niczym piasek przez palce.

Jeżeli więc pragniecie się rozgrzać w Kostarykańskim słońcu, poczuć odrobinę ekscytacji przed nieznanym i przeżyć przygodę jakich mało z bransoletkami niespodziankami to koniecznie zapraszamy Was do lektury ww. Książki! 😁 będzie ekscytująco 😈, gorąco 🥵 i... niegrzecznie 😈

[Kim Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been on a streak lately where I’ve ended up being excited for a book, only to be disappointed in some way or another. This briefly took me out of that streak but not enough to warrant a 5 rating. I give it a 4 for creativity, less unpredictability and a good story that was well written. I did want to keep reading it despite what I will say next. First things first, I didn’t like Daphne and Rob’s personality at all and this ruins a book for me. Rob was too obnoxious, cocky and angry for me. It seemed like lots of things triggered him and maybe that’s what the author was going for but I wasn’t having it. His friends weren’t any better except for James. I didn’t like the loud personalities and how open they were to discussing certain things publicly that probably shouldn’t have been talked about in such a way. It reminded me of the stereotypical bro and jock behavior. Then Daphne’s personality was frustrating, annoying and a definite buzzkill. At first I related to her, being more reserved and cautious myself, never wanting to really go out or do something out of my comfort zone. Also, I’m the type that agrees to do something fun for the sake of friendship and family but secretly wanting to stay in and avoid socializing like her. However, I get over it, and just go with it, eventually having fun. Daphne didn’t, she spent most of the book complaining about everything, avoiding everything and never letting loose. She was also too emotional for me and lots of things triggered her as well. This isn’t downplaying what happened to her because no one should have to go through that but maybe I just can’t relate and that’s why. Yet, despite all this I was rooting for her and Rob the whole time, I could see how they needed each other. Also despite what I said about Rob’s friends, I still want a Matt story. I will see how the next book goes.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third Chances: Men of Manhattan Book 3 is by Ivy Smoat. This book deals with James and Rob Hunter, Mason Caldwell, and Matt Caldwell.
Daphne, Kristen, Alina, and Layla were in Costa Rica at the Blue Parrot Resort for Alina’s bachelorette party. Alina and Daphne are along reluctantly, in fact, they kidnapped Alina with her fiancé’s help. Kristen and Layla, although in committed relationships, were very excited. On arrival, they were each given a gold bracelet and the instructions for the game. The women were to wear the bracelets every day and any man could come up and ask they to do what was on his card for the day. If they did, he would unlock the bracelet. Daphne wants to know more about the game; but is cut off. The girls head to their room, change, and head for the restaurant and pool. Kristen takes the card a man tries to use on Alina and uses it instead. Alina gets her bracelet off by dancing with another man. Daphne just wants to eat and get out of there. Finally, she heads to bed. Forget the others.
The next morning when she woke, she had four bracelets on her arm. The girls set her up!
Rob and the other guys were having a hard time keeping James from calling his fiancé. He needed to get with the fun; but he was determined not to cheat on Penny. Rob took pity on him and let him call her. They were sitting at the pool when the four girls came up to take the chairs next to them. They immediately started flirting with them. Rob found it too much fun not to tease Rachel; but she didn’t like him. So, he just kept it up. Would he wear her down? Or, was she wearing him down?

[Gemma Wray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved myself a little bit of Rob Hunter. But seriously, this book is fun, quirky, and has just the amount of James, Mason, Matt, and Rob to keep me satisfied.

The story follows Daphne and Rob; if you've read the Hunted Series, you will know they are a couple. Daphne is at a bachelorette party, while Rob is at James' bachelor party. Kristen is the girl who stalked James in Temptation and introduces herself to the group, and they spend a few days interacting; Rob and Daphne have an enemies-to-lovers trope with her, believing he's just out to sleep with girls and never committed. Deep down, he's a sweet guy looking out for his brother. We learn that Daphne is so up her ass that she doesn't see the bigger picture as she reflects her grief and insecurities onto Rob. That's the main idea, anyway.

Her friends...

God, they are awful, forcing the bracelets on her and then abandoning her, especially when she's still grieving the loss of her brother. Apart from Alina, they all annoyed me, and I felt terrible for Daphne.

James and Rob...

I really loved the interaction between James and Rob, especially what we learned about their relationship. They both carry guilt around, but Rob looks out for him, and it's cute. I thought it was a vital part of the book for me.

I know that Rob talking about Penny the way he does upsets a few readers, but his inner dialogue does argue that he would never act on it. As I said before, in another life, he and Penny would be amazing!

Matt isn't for me. I'm hoping when I read his story, I might feel differently, but...no...just...no.

Rob and Daphne have some scorching scenes together; the waterfall is...perfect (chef's kiss), and the little bits we get of them together are just amazing. I was rooting for them, and I couldn't put this book down.

Sooooo...yes, five solid gold stars, and I love a bit of Rob Hunter.

[Happy Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually write reviews, but reading the other reviews made me want to write one.

Daphne is not a perfect heroine. She is insecure and terrified of living, but she is representative of a group of girls who don't always make their way into romance novels as the main character. There are girls who are uncomfortable showing a lot of skin, scared of taking risks, and don't want to jump into a physical relationship, but that doesn't make them lacking or unworthy. It's usually the product of something that happened in their life that makes them more wary of the world (who can blame them, the world can be an awful place). I love Daphne because I saw so much of myself in her. She was warring with what she wanted and what she thought she needed for so much of the book, but Rob was the perfect guy to make her feel safe and secure enough to admit that.

I've always loved Rob because he is the sweetest and goofiest of the guys. I feel like other books only showcase him in a superficial way, as the comedic relief and absolute crazy person, but this book highlighted that he is a lot deeper than he lets on. His love for those he actually lets into his heart is so sweet, and I loved how patient (but still pushy) he was with Daphne. They were the perfect match because she helped him slow down and open up and grow up, and he helped her be more confident and secure and happy.

All to say that this was a beautiful book. Fast-paced relationship, maybe, but when you know, you know.