Second Chance

Sleeping Dogs #1

by Chantal Roome

After breaking her favourite umbrella over her ex’s cheating ass, the last thing Alex needs is to get involved with a rock star. Even if he does happen to be the one that got away so long ago.

Connor was sixteen when the love of his life disappeared without a trace. Ok, so she ghosted him with good reason. But still, rejection hurts.

Can a chance meeting backstage at his band’s show be the thing that finally brings them back together? Or will Alex get another chance to practice her batting skills?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance, Ebooks, Amazon, Contemporary Romance

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2021

About the author

I’m a Canadian spicy rom-com author, lifelong book lover, coffee addict, and nap aficionado who’s lived in four provinces (BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and my current home, Alberta). My writing journey started just five years ago, and my debut novel, Second Chance, was the first book I had the courage to publish. You can grab it for free at your favourite digital retailer!

My passion lies in writing spicy, feel-good romantic comedies filled with swoon-worthy cinnamon roll heroes and strong, relatable female heroines, with the odd cameo from other characters in the same world. I want my books to make you swoon, sigh, and laugh until you cry (and maybe pee your pants a little).

Reviews

[Nikole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall 2/5
humor 1/5
Spice 1/5
Emotional 1/5


This was the second book I had read this weekend with awesome chapter titles. I loved the titles in this one!
There are a few chapter mixups. It says Alex P.O.V. but it's read from Connor POV. You figure it out pretty quick once you start reading though.

It got boring for a bit between leaving Derek ( that umbrella !!! :D ) and meeting Connor in the room
I ended up skim reading a bit because it was a lot of mumbo jumbo to me
Then it got okay wasn't great.
I felt the writing to be a bit immature
They got separated as kids which we find out is due to Conner's p.o.s. mom which never gets resolved. We learn she's the reason she couldn't call him and Conner says he wanted to find out why from his mom but then that's all - we never find out why she did it.
He's really happy to have Alex back in his life after 20 years of constantly thinking about her (and so many REALLY close encounters the last 18 years) but its all too .... IDK how to explain it ... like forced ?? IDK. He's freaking out to his band about losing her while she's in the kitchen claiming to love her even though he just talked to her again not even a full day of being with one another in 20 years. Like he couldn't just take time to know her and learn her again.
Then 2 of his friends all automatically just pick up with her like they had been friends forever ? I get wanting to get to know the girl your best friend was in love with years ago but idk the friend thing was a bit overboard? Idk it all felt a bit extra to me

I really liked the role twist in the almost rape scene. We always hear / read about the women in that situation. When we do hear stuff about men it's usually grown men with minor boys, hardly ever a woman raping a guy. I think she did a decent job at expressing how one feels about how easily it happens and how they never thought it would ever happen to them and stuff.

Other than that though, I don't think this was really for me.

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alex is having a bad day. Her private clients are horrible. She walks in on her cheating boyfriend and breaks her favorite umbrella. Her outspoken best friend saves the day and hires her as an assistant for a photography job that night. But, the universe has other plans as she crosses paths with her first love Conner, later that night.

Conner and Alex have a deep attraction; will they get a second chance? Or, will she stay away from men forever?

I love the secondary characters, her best friend, grandfather, and others. They make the story fun.

A good book to start a series happens to be a debut; I am looking forward to the next book.

[Baleigh Thiessen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate giving bad reviews, but it was a true struggle for me to finish this book.

First of all, the way the characters talked. Excess amounts of cursing to...make them seem cool? I'm not really sure. I don't even mind cursing but it was too much, it made the sentences sound strange.

Alex says she never blames the girls that she catches her boyfriends cheating on her with but then proceeds to call them demeaning names to everyone the entire book.

Then, we have the insta-love trope. Which, I'm sorry, I hate. I cannot root for a couple who hasn't even gotten to know each other. Even though they dated when they were kids, we didn't actually get any of that. We just got the mention of it. He is telling his friends he's in love with her immediately and somehow they all just get on board with that.

Alex was a completely unlikeable character; she was consistently whining and playing the victim. First, she's just as obsessed with Connor as he is with her, then she freaks out as him moving so fast, then she's sleeping with him, then she freaks out and says she needs space, and then she jumps to the conclusion that he is cheating on her because someone said he went outside the bar with another girl? I don't care if she was cheated on 8 times, you shouldn't be dating anyone if that is your immediate thought. But whatever.

Every guy character in this book was completely unrealistic. You could tell it was a woman trying to write male characters with little insight into how they actually act or speak.

Also, side note; who the hell goes commando in JEANS. A psychopath.

Then, at the end, they get engaged and have twins in the span of like five pages?? WTF. I am just at a loss.

The idea of the 'one who got away' becoming a rockstar and running into his lost love by way of fate isn't a bad idea, it was just too campy for my tastes. I prefer a more realistic dialogue if you are going to come up with that 'one in a million' plotline.

[Amelia Marx · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I was wanting for a fun summer read. Witty, sexy, great characters and an interesting storyline. I couldn’t put this book down. A great page turner. I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Chance ? . . .

Alex Wilson lost her parents when she was 16. They had died in a car accident. Connor Ferguson held her in his arms, wanting to fix it for her but knowing all he could do was hold her and cry with her. Then her grandfather came to take her away.

Twenty years later …
Coming home early from her Personal Chef Clients session since the dirty old pervert couldn’t keep his hands off her and his supposed trophy wife (though not young enough to be one) blamed her for his behavior! Her apartment door is unlocked, but she knew she locked it that morning. She heard a loud noise and sneaked inside to find out if someone was robbing her. Grabbing an umbrella as a weapon when she hears another loud noise, she sneaks down the hall and stops when someone giggles! She should be used to this by now since every one of her past boyfriends have cheated on her. But Derek’s dirty talk to some woman means he’s also cheating. She quietly walks in, lines up the umbrella, and breaks it over his “posterior”.

So now Alex has sworn off men indefinitely. No more dating. Men are cheaters. And shortly after that epic scene, her first love walks back into her life. Connor Ashley now, lead singer of the “Sleeping Dogs” band who doesn’t use “Ferguson” anymore. That was why she could never find him online. It might have worked between them. But when they went to dinner one evening, he disappeared. Someone told her when she was in the ladies room, he went outside with a woman. When she went to his place, she found that woman on top of him! She pulled her off of him and tossed her on the floor to punch her, then she left. His friends found him in and out of consciousness, and being sick in between. Apparently the woman had been stalking him and gave him something – too much of something – and there was no way he was cheating. But Alex didn’t know that, and now no one can reach her. Connor is still in the hospital and she won’t answer the phone. Is it too late to fix their relationship? How can he get to her and convince her he would never cheat? Will she give him another chance?

[Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it !!! a great start for a new series !!! love Alex !!! OMG !!! the umbrella !!! sorry not sorry...done with cheaters when Connor walks back into her life... love Connor !!! but...he leaves her at the restaurant...he leaves with another woman... she finds her on top of him at his place... what would you think ? find out...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Minnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐|2🌶|8%🌶frequency

After I read "Santa's Baby" last Christmas, I knew I needed to read this series. It's connected to it (the FMC was Sleeping Dogs' media manager). A little spoiler, she unfortunately never appears in this series 😔. So yeah, here I am finally 🤩
And obviously, I loved it, otherwise, I wouldn't write a review 😁

Connor isn't what most would expect from a lead singer of a rock band. Yes sure he has his $ex, drug$, and rock n roll phase, but it's just not him. He is a wonderful man. And HOT as heII 🥵 I mean he is full of tattoos 🥵 Not my problem if you don't like it, I love it 😁

It really is fate that Connor and Alex meet again. I mean 20 years is a very long time. It's so crazy they didn't meet earlier. I mean, I could have... It's really sp crazy 🙈 Maybe it just needed another cheating boyfriend to lead the way, then that really was it. So many coincidences, that's not possible.

I laughed so much, even with all the sad things that happened.
The scene with the umbrella 🤣🤣🤣 absolutely perfect. Not just the umbrella, but Becca's (Alex's best friend) reaction. This girl is just hilarious 😁 I love her and I can't wait to read her book soon. Yes, the Christmas book spoiled a bit, but also it's obvious that she will be a FMC soon 😎 But I don't know who will come in what order, so it will still be a little surprise.

And then there is Alex's grandpa. I loved him so much. He is 75 years old, but he can knock out guys half his age. May be due to him being a trainer for fighters for a long time 😉 He is very cool and yeah, he is an important factor for a lot of things...

I also loved that the book had a scene about SA against men. Don't get me wrong here, I loved it because it's still a taboo and that's not OK. It happens against men and they don't need to be ashamed.


Follow me on IG for more
https://www.instagram.com/minnie.love...

[Maddy Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Connor is the one that got away but he was the only boyfriend who never cheated on her. Alex got home from work and found her current boyfriend having sex with a stranger in their bed. Alex had this rule about not giving any boyfriend a second chance. She’s so upset she’s decided to give up on men, for now. Unfortunately for her, fate has other plans for her. Her best friend Becca takes her to see a rock band she’s taking photographs of. They’re on the last day of their sold tour. Becca won’t let her wallow over the cheater boyfriend. This is when fate steps in and I thought it was really good. I’m half way through this book and these two keep missing each other, normally I would hate this situation. But this is really well done and I can’t wait for the run in, because every piece of these people’s life seems connected. They’re so cute together and romantic. Connor is possessive and protective of Alex. I especially loved when he met Derek. I loved the ending, I’m giving it four stars and highly recommend it.

[ReadonReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Alex comes home to find her boyfriend cheating on her she is beyond done and she handles it hilariously. She has this streak of exes that have always cheated on her and it’s really taking its toll on her self-esteem, so she decides to be done with men for a while. Connor is a musician in a famous band that is tired of the rockstar lifestyle looking for something more and when Alex comes back into his life, he is all in for reconnecting with the one that got away. Alex is hesitant where Connor is ready to jump in full force. They spend time together reconnecting and finding out that after all these years they’ve been so close to each other yet so far away. I love the banter between all the characters, the closeness the bandmates have, and how adoring Connor was. I wish we got some closure with the issues going on with his mother, but overall, it was a great read with amazing characters.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. The first book in the Sleeping Dogs series is about a second chance for Alex and Connor. They meet back up when she has committed herself to having no men in her life. It is very hard to resist him with the attraction they have between them. A misconception and misunderstandings put a hold on things. Once Connor gets his chance finally, he knows he has to win her over because they need each other. I thought that the book had a good storyline. The characters were perfect for each other.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dana · Rating 1 out of 5]

PopSugar Reading Challenge 2025: “Un libro que obtuviste gratis.”

No sé cómo se aprueban y se publican libros en los que el autor escribe tan demasiadas cosas pero aún así tiene la habilidad de no contar absolutamente nada.
Los diálogos son tan banales, los chistes no tienen nada de divertido, ni siquiera las escenas picantes tienen sentido. Realmente la única emoción que obtuve del libro fue asco.

No se puede abordar un tema tan delicado como una casi violación y poner al siguiente capítulo que Connor agarró un condón preparándose y con la esperanza de estar con Alex, como si todo fuera normal.

[Madison · Rating 2 out of 5]

What would you do if you met your “what could’ve been” almost over a decade after it ended ? Would you go for it? Hopefully if you did attempt a relationship with your second chance flame, I would hope it would include more depth and emotion than this story
I love the concept of this story, but it all seem so superficial and not very well written.
But I did love Rhyder and I hope everyone starts being nice to him because he is a bit softie at heart !

[Karol Southerland · Rating 5 out of 5]

second chances

Alex and Conner were together when they teenagers. When Alex’s parents die she is sent away to live with her grandpa. Even though they planned on staying in touch it didn’t happen because Conner’s mother changed their phone number. Conner turns out to be a rockstar and they unexpectedly meet twenty years later. The fun starts now. A very enjoyable read.

[Crystal Grey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more, but while it was a quick read and had some enjoyable parts, I noticed I skimmed quite a bit of it. It felt beyond rushed and I felt my eyes actually rolling in my head when coincidence after coincidence kept happening. It was a little too convenient that everything fell into place. I liked the idea and the characters were fine, but not enough to continue.

[Kara Foss · Rating 2 out of 5]

First half of the book for me was a 5 star. Moved quick, I fell in love with the characters. Second half was 0. I don’t even know why I finished instead of DNFing. There were so many loose ends and it got really repetitive and cringy. It feels like two different authors wrote each half.. disappointing.

[Nicole Martinez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the combo or the one who got away mixed with rockstar romance mixed with he falls first. However, I had such a hard time believing that these characters are in their 30's. They definitely act closer to early/mid 20s. Also, the last 25% was very rushed and a bit chaotic. and considering the subject matter I felt it was just glossed over a bit much and not really given the attention it needed to be convincing.
Overall, the vibes were decent and I read the whole thing in like a day. I wouldn't read it again and I doubt I'll read the rest of the series.

[Cat Ciolko-Sutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love that after 20 years Alex and Connor still loved each other and during their separation, things did not go well with each other. Too bad that Alex's previous boyfriends cheated on her and made her wary of loving again. Overall, loved it.

[Justina Lassen · Rating 4 out of 5]

OH MY GOD.

This is a very cute and spicy book that had me hooked after the first couple pages! 🥹🥹I relate so much to the main character!
Also the friends in this book amazing! I loved everything about it !

[Emily P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did really enjoy the set up and the journey until she gets a new job and the reveal to that....but the rest of the book...I didn't like the conflict at all and I feel like some parts were just swept under the rug at the end

[Brittany Cornelius · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you are looking for jokes that don’t hit, smut that is trying to be spicy but failing, writing at a seventh grade level, this book it is for you! It is the book equivalent of a lifetime movie. Luckily I only wasted a few hours on this.

[Sietske · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute they found each other again, but it went so fast, and to me that felt a bit strange.
Also, Pops is amazing.
And it was a fun moment when they realised they we're orbiting around each other for 18 years.

[Thalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this story, cringe as it was lol. I thought it was cute how intertwined their lives were. The invisible string theory is definitely a theme in this book, even though it was super predictable. Idk if I will continue reading the series, maybe one day but for now, no.

[Michelle Cutaiar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

Second chance is a cute story about a couple finally finding their way back to one another! It was a fun read.

[BriAnna Monahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

Cute and easy read. Probably could blow through it in 3 days if you got the tome. Rock star romance.

[Tyra McAmis-Nichols · Rating 1 out of 5]

1. Pace ⭐️⭐️
2. Engagement ⭐️
3. Dialog⭐️
4. Characters⭐️⭐️
5. Ending⭐️


Total Rating: 1.4 stars

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the timing is right. A solid 3.5 ⭐️

Sometimes you fall in love but the timing is just not right. Connor and Alex were always in each other’s orbit, even if they didn’t know it. When fate stepped in again, they were older and ready for where the relationship would take them.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/6/2022)! 🎁