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Finding Our Forever #1
Second Time Around
From the moment I first saw him shirtless, with those rippled abs on full display and his grey sweatpants barely hanging off his muscular hips, my insides melted.
But this desire I’m filled with is one I know can never be satisfied.
Single dad Jaxson Brentwood doesn’t talk about the hard times. He’s lived them. Four years prior, he lost his wife in a tragic accident. Since then, he's been left to raise his daughters alone.
His world is everything mine can never be.
It doesn’t matter that our chemistry is off the charts. It doesn’t matter that Jaxson’s arms are the only ones I feel safe in.
He and I are like oil and water – and while opposites clearly attract, I can’t believe there’d ever be a place for a girl like me in Jaxson’s world of foam dart battles and bedtime stories.
Or, at least, that’s what I thought until we both dared open our hearts – and began wondering if, just maybe, we deserved a shot at love the second time around.
Second Time Around is the first in Alandra Knight's Finding Our Forever series - emotionally intense tales of true love, featuring beautifully crafted characters overcoming the darkest odds to earn their happily-ever-after.
But this desire I’m filled with is one I know can never be satisfied.
Single dad Jaxson Brentwood doesn’t talk about the hard times. He’s lived them. Four years prior, he lost his wife in a tragic accident. Since then, he's been left to raise his daughters alone.
His world is everything mine can never be.
It doesn’t matter that our chemistry is off the charts. It doesn’t matter that Jaxson’s arms are the only ones I feel safe in.
He and I are like oil and water – and while opposites clearly attract, I can’t believe there’d ever be a place for a girl like me in Jaxson’s world of foam dart battles and bedtime stories.
Or, at least, that’s what I thought until we both dared open our hearts – and began wondering if, just maybe, we deserved a shot at love the second time around.
Second Time Around is the first in Alandra Knight's Finding Our Forever series - emotionally intense tales of true love, featuring beautifully crafted characters overcoming the darkest odds to earn their happily-ever-after.
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2019
76 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
April 18, 2022
I was provided a copy of this book through Net Galley.
One of my favorite tropes in romance is second chance love, and I recently have been enjoying romances that highlight fathers, so I was very excited to dive into this story. However, I was massively disappointed. This story follows Jaxson Brentworth, a young, hot dad who last his wife, and high school sweetheart, in a fiery car accident when his twin daughters were only 6 months old. Also in the car with his wife were the wives of two of his brothers, who both also have sets of twins. All of the babies were born at almost the same time, and all of the wives were best friends in high school. A few years after the accident, Jaxson meets Kellie, a wild child free spirit who breaths life back into him.
I have a lot of issues with this book, and looking through other reviews, it makes me wonder if I got a bad copy? There is a lot wrong structurally with this story. There were too many times that a character would say a cliche to themselves in their mind or to another character, and then a paragraph later a different character would say the exact same line. I love cliches but having this happen so frequently made it feel like a forced writing choice, and it really harbored my enjoyment. Additionally, I continued to find plot holes especially with character knowledge and the general timeline of the story. There were a few times when a character would say something during a dialogue, and I was unsure how they actually knew it. The timeline is erratic; this 300-page book spans over almost 20 years. I just think it was too ambitious, and highly unnecessary. It was cool to see the babies grow up and graduate high school, but it really dragged out the romance unnecessarily. The characters obviously do not get their happy ever after until the end!
I think my biggest gripe with this story overall is that there felt like there was no character development, and characters continually made decisions that did not align with who they were. For example, Jaxson lost the love of his life, a girl who has been his best friend since kindergarten, and the first night he goes out on his own, he has a one-night stand and decides to invite her over to meet the girls the next morning. This seemed so rushed and out of character, and not in a believable way. He then proceeds to tell Kellie, after only a few months of hooking up (because they never officially said they were dating) that he loves her so much more than his deceased wife. Then, after 11 years of not-dating-but-living-together nonsense, Kellie gets a job opportunity and moves to Alaska and someone sends the whole Brentworth clan a doctored video that makes it look like Kellie is now engaged to another man. Without talking to Kellie or hearing her side Jaxson ghosts her...AFTER 11 YEARS TOGETHER.
ALL of the characters seem to go 0-60 and get angry during every discussion and I would be halfway through a monologue before I realized the character was angry. Towards the end of the book there continues to be more and more characters' perspectives thrown in, but only for one short chapter. I felt like all of these chapters were unnecessary and did not help in moving the plot along in a productive way.
I also really felt like the book was trying way to hard to emulate "50 Shades of Grey".
I wish this story was solely Jaxson's perspective, and the story only spanned maybe 5 years at most. This book was too much, and not enough.
One of my favorite tropes in romance is second chance love, and I recently have been enjoying romances that highlight fathers, so I was very excited to dive into this story. However, I was massively disappointed. This story follows Jaxson Brentworth, a young, hot dad who last his wife, and high school sweetheart, in a fiery car accident when his twin daughters were only 6 months old. Also in the car with his wife were the wives of two of his brothers, who both also have sets of twins. All of the babies were born at almost the same time, and all of the wives were best friends in high school. A few years after the accident, Jaxson meets Kellie, a wild child free spirit who breaths life back into him.
I have a lot of issues with this book, and looking through other reviews, it makes me wonder if I got a bad copy? There is a lot wrong structurally with this story. There were too many times that a character would say a cliche to themselves in their mind or to another character, and then a paragraph later a different character would say the exact same line. I love cliches but having this happen so frequently made it feel like a forced writing choice, and it really harbored my enjoyment. Additionally, I continued to find plot holes especially with character knowledge and the general timeline of the story. There were a few times when a character would say something during a dialogue, and I was unsure how they actually knew it. The timeline is erratic; this 300-page book spans over almost 20 years. I just think it was too ambitious, and highly unnecessary. It was cool to see the babies grow up and graduate high school, but it really dragged out the romance unnecessarily. The characters obviously do not get their happy ever after until the end!
I think my biggest gripe with this story overall is that there felt like there was no character development, and characters continually made decisions that did not align with who they were. For example, Jaxson lost the love of his life, a girl who has been his best friend since kindergarten, and the first night he goes out on his own, he has a one-night stand and decides to invite her over to meet the girls the next morning. This seemed so rushed and out of character, and not in a believable way. He then proceeds to tell Kellie, after only a few months of hooking up (because they never officially said they were dating) that he loves her so much more than his deceased wife. Then, after 11 years of not-dating-but-living-together nonsense, Kellie gets a job opportunity and moves to Alaska and someone sends the whole Brentworth clan a doctored video that makes it look like Kellie is now engaged to another man. Without talking to Kellie or hearing her side Jaxson ghosts her...AFTER 11 YEARS TOGETHER.
ALL of the characters seem to go 0-60 and get angry during every discussion and I would be halfway through a monologue before I realized the character was angry. Towards the end of the book there continues to be more and more characters' perspectives thrown in, but only for one short chapter. I felt like all of these chapters were unnecessary and did not help in moving the plot along in a productive way.
I also really felt like the book was trying way to hard to emulate "50 Shades of Grey".
I wish this story was solely Jaxson's perspective, and the story only spanned maybe 5 years at most. This book was too much, and not enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2022
Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. Not sure if it was because I received an ARC, but I felt this entire story needed a thorough edit. There were simple grammar issues to continuity issues.
- Not sure if the character was gender fluid, but Nonna’s pronoun kept changing between she/he.
- Kellie’s character gets into an altercation with a drunk guy. He sneers at her attempt to challenge him. “ … how cute that you think that you can go all bitch mode and get in my face. You are what, all of five foot nine?” Five foot nine and “with meat on her bones” doesn’t sound like a light weight to me!
- Kellie had ridden to the fair and, by chance, meets Jaxson. They ride off together on her motorbike, both wearing helmets. What? Where did the second helmet come from? No biker I know carries a second helmet with them just because.
- Fairly early into their relationship, Kellie sees Jaxson interacting with his daughters. She has an “ovaries exploding” moment then her next thought was “what ovaries?” Huh? It was only until later, when she meets the older family members, that she tells Nonna her infertility story. Yet it is only 4 years into her relationship with Jaxson, that she explains to him.
- Names of other secondary characters kept popping up with no reference as to who they were.
The sexy times were hot but I would have liked more emotional development.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
- Not sure if the character was gender fluid, but Nonna’s pronoun kept changing between she/he.
- Kellie’s character gets into an altercation with a drunk guy. He sneers at her attempt to challenge him. “ … how cute that you think that you can go all bitch mode and get in my face. You are what, all of five foot nine?” Five foot nine and “with meat on her bones” doesn’t sound like a light weight to me!
- Kellie had ridden to the fair and, by chance, meets Jaxson. They ride off together on her motorbike, both wearing helmets. What? Where did the second helmet come from? No biker I know carries a second helmet with them just because.
- Fairly early into their relationship, Kellie sees Jaxson interacting with his daughters. She has an “ovaries exploding” moment then her next thought was “what ovaries?” Huh? It was only until later, when she meets the older family members, that she tells Nonna her infertility story. Yet it is only 4 years into her relationship with Jaxson, that she explains to him.
- Names of other secondary characters kept popping up with no reference as to who they were.
The sexy times were hot but I would have liked more emotional development.
I received a free copy from Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.
January 31, 2020
I think that the paperback edition must be different then the kindle edition with all the 5 star reviews. This book was worse then book 1 - there was so many grammar mistakes that I had to put the book down numerous times. But what was really disappointing is I read book 1 so I knew what was going to happen to Jaxson & Kellie, there was no surprise. Also a lot of things in this book was in book 1 but some things were new. Again this story has to much written about other characters so it doesn't flow and gets confusing while reading. Also without giving any spoilers away the thing with Mateo and Kellie that happens and then when proof is found and it isn't settled then is just unbelievable. Also Jaxson and Aliana is to unbelievable. I hoping book 3 will be better.
July 2, 2019
This is the second book in the "Finding Our Forever Series" and it didn't disappoint. It was a great read that kept you on your toes and gave you ALL THE FEELS! I adore the entire Brentwood family, they are a great bunch and you get bits and pieces of each member of the family and how they will all sacrifice for the others as well as give so much unconditional love, yet the focus doesn't stray from our main characters, Jaxson and Kellie (Peaches). I cried, I laughed, I even wanted to hurl my kindle a few times, but this story stole my heart. I love the twins Zinnia and Lily their personalities are the best. You will definitely swoon, especially during the steamy love scenes. There's heartache due to misunderstandings. My heart just broke for them. But through it all your heart will melt and expand with the true, undeniable love they share. It shines trough these two and you get a great HEA. I love all the brothers, but from book one Jaxson has held a special place in my heart and it still holds true. An amazing 5 star story you won't want to miss. I can't wait to see what Alandra gives us next!
June 24, 2019
Received a ARC copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Second time around by alandra knight.
This book was a sweet read that i devoured in one sitting.
This is jaxson story and alandra didnt disappoint.
You will need tissues while reading this book.
I cried in some parts and laughed in other parts.
Jaxson was only 18 when he suffered from a terrible loss as did his brothers also.
He ends up being a single dad to two twin daughters. Lily and zinnia they are sweet little girls.
Jaxson ends up meeting kellie (peaches) and she is a force to be reckoned with.
Kellie didn't have a great upbringing but never let that stopped her.
I liked her and jaxson together but at times Jaxson did irritate me but in the end he grew on me.
I highly recommend this book. You wont be disappointed.
Second time around by alandra knight.
This book was a sweet read that i devoured in one sitting.
This is jaxson story and alandra didnt disappoint.
You will need tissues while reading this book.
I cried in some parts and laughed in other parts.
Jaxson was only 18 when he suffered from a terrible loss as did his brothers also.
He ends up being a single dad to two twin daughters. Lily and zinnia they are sweet little girls.
Jaxson ends up meeting kellie (peaches) and she is a force to be reckoned with.
Kellie didn't have a great upbringing but never let that stopped her.
I liked her and jaxson together but at times Jaxson did irritate me but in the end he grew on me.
I highly recommend this book. You wont be disappointed.
October 3, 2022
What a whirlwind of a book! But holy crap!! This book stole my heart from the very beginning. I feel like not only were Kellie and Jaxson the main character/couple of the book, but that everyone had their own part even if they were just secondary characters. I love this crazy family and these crazy people and I can’t wait for more!!
June 26, 2019
Hot and steamy love story.
Another romantic love story within the Brentwood family with unexpected twists and turns. I loved reading and watching all the children growing up together. Definitely one to read if you like hot, steamy scenes!
Another romantic love story within the Brentwood family with unexpected twists and turns. I loved reading and watching all the children growing up together. Definitely one to read if you like hot, steamy scenes!
June 24, 2019
You’ll fall in love with the Brentwood family. With traditions as old as time, open arms and hearts. It would be hard pressed to find a family who are so kind and generous. Grief is a bitter pill to swallow and there are many emotional stages. While some seem to cope easier others do not and this family were hit with a triple whammy. With six young babies life had to go on and they put their own life on hold. I laughed and cried as I read this beautiful story.
Circumstances bought about a Chance meeting in Mainstreet for Jaxson and Kellie. They were drawn into a clouded moment of lust, that turned into regret. Kellie chipped away at the walls Jaxson built around his heart and tugged on his heartstrings. Although it felt like her role was never defined, even as time past she was an expectation. If you love someone, set them free, if they return they were meant to be yours, if not....
Circumstances bought about a Chance meeting in Mainstreet for Jaxson and Kellie. They were drawn into a clouded moment of lust, that turned into regret. Kellie chipped away at the walls Jaxson built around his heart and tugged on his heartstrings. Although it felt like her role was never defined, even as time past she was an expectation. If you love someone, set them free, if they return they were meant to be yours, if not....
July 2, 2019
Loved this story. It is nice to get the other perspectives from the first book in this series. Sometimes I had to think really hard about what happened as it was a long time in between books. I think they should be read consecutively to get the whole picture. I will reread when I have a chance to make sure I did not miss anything. I totally love this series and this story!!
June 27, 2019
From the very first page my heart was thumping and ready for what was to come! This book will have you feeling all the emotions. It was heartbreaking, funny at times, and you get a front row seat to love and loss! I enjoyed this read and would recommend.
April 16, 2022
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the opportunity to review this book!
I loved the first half of Second Time Around. The steamy romance and chemistry between the two main characters, Jaxson and Kellie, was really fun and intriguing. I didn't care for the way time passed so quickly though and felt that it made the chemistry between the characters really start to lag. Around half way through, some new characters were introduced with a new storyline and I was left confused as I really just wanted to read about the relationship between Kellie and Jaxson.
Additionally, parts of the book were pretty unrealistic...four brothers all having sets of twins after marrying high school sweethearts at young ages. The way the children talked throughout the book was pretty unrealistic as well since they seemed a lot older than they were!
That said, if you're looking for a contemporary romance with lots of steam, you may still enjoy this. Just go into it knowing that a lot of time passes quickly and that the story veers away from the two main characters sometimes. I think it would have been helpful if the book description explained that part of the story so the reader knows what they're getting into.
I loved the first half of Second Time Around. The steamy romance and chemistry between the two main characters, Jaxson and Kellie, was really fun and intriguing. I didn't care for the way time passed so quickly though and felt that it made the chemistry between the characters really start to lag. Around half way through, some new characters were introduced with a new storyline and I was left confused as I really just wanted to read about the relationship between Kellie and Jaxson.
Additionally, parts of the book were pretty unrealistic...four brothers all having sets of twins after marrying high school sweethearts at young ages. The way the children talked throughout the book was pretty unrealistic as well since they seemed a lot older than they were!
That said, if you're looking for a contemporary romance with lots of steam, you may still enjoy this. Just go into it knowing that a lot of time passes quickly and that the story veers away from the two main characters sometimes. I think it would have been helpful if the book description explained that part of the story so the reader knows what they're getting into.
July 17, 2019
This book has left an impression on my heart I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh, cry, or shout while reading it. There's so many characters you'll get to meet in Jaxson and Kellie's ( Peaches ) story that play such a huge part that you'll be tripping over your heart from the way it swells in your chest. I have to admit I got choked up several times reading this spectacular book. I don't want to give away to much of this story and ruin it for you however I will say the Alandra Knight has definitely earned a five star rating and my stamp of approval 💖.
May 31, 2021
DNF 50%
This started out super good - devastatingly tragic beginning and a second chance at love that can heal a broken soul. But as I continued to read, the story was just too jumpy and unfulfilled. I would have wanted Jaxson and Kellie’s story to be about grief and depression and learning to love again with all the obstacles of mistrust and fear of falling in love again. While it had great steps leading up to that sort of story, all of a sudden that HEA just appears without all of that struggle you would want. I didn’t get to enjoy seeing Jaxson’s recovery from his wife’s death, his adaptability to becoming a single dad overnight, his fear of letting Kellie in. Instead, the story skips too fast - 4 years later, 3 years later. And there was just no depth to it like the beginning chapters had. Disappointed with how this story progressed.
This started out super good - devastatingly tragic beginning and a second chance at love that can heal a broken soul. But as I continued to read, the story was just too jumpy and unfulfilled. I would have wanted Jaxson and Kellie’s story to be about grief and depression and learning to love again with all the obstacles of mistrust and fear of falling in love again. While it had great steps leading up to that sort of story, all of a sudden that HEA just appears without all of that struggle you would want. I didn’t get to enjoy seeing Jaxson’s recovery from his wife’s death, his adaptability to becoming a single dad overnight, his fear of letting Kellie in. Instead, the story skips too fast - 4 years later, 3 years later. And there was just no depth to it like the beginning chapters had. Disappointed with how this story progressed.
April 7, 2022
** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**
Stuffed full of "that would never happen" coincidences, silly clichés, overused sayings, and trite phrases, this book is every book trope in one.
I don’t know if I have the words to say how much I disliked the writing style of this book. It really read like a rough draft. There were many times I thought "wait, what?" and had to go back and re-read sentences. Time skips forward in this book without the mention of time going forward (you only realize it by the context later in the paragraph or chapter). It happens in the middle of chapters, which is quite jarring. All of a sudden we are whisked away to the future. It feels like we are just granted a glimpse in time from the Ghost of Christmas Present, and then pulled away to the next scene.
We also meet many characters with no explanation of how they fit into the story. In some mystery novels, that is ok because it builds the suspense... But in this book we aren't given those little nuggets of information that make it feel like a mystery to connect the dots later. In this book, it really feels like dangling participles.
The progression of the stories and relationships are not well thought out or well explained. It is possible that many of the mysteries will be solved later in the series, but we as readers really aren't given enough hints or bread crumbs to want to continue to follow that trail. I can't see myself wanting to follow this disjointed path that may meander around before abandoning me in a desert of disjointed story lines and dry characters.
There is also the issue of the many, MANY grammar, spelling, and formatting mistakes. I hope that before it is published for the masses that someone will do another once over of this book and help even the most simple mistakes be corrected. In some places, even the complete wrong word is used. It is extremely hard to stay connected to the book when every few sentences there is some type of problem.
Summary: What happens when the only person you have ever loved is taken away in the blink of an eye? Jaxson Brentwood just lost the love of his life and the mother of his twins. Two of his brothers lost their spouses also. How will he move on when the ghost of Dahlia haunts every corner of his life? He lost one love to death, will he throw away his second chance?
Kellie's foster parents died in a horrific crash four years ago, leaving her orphaned again, and struggling to find her place in the world. When she meets Jaxson and his girls, she finally feels like her world is complete. Until she realizes he his holding onto a future that will never happen. Kellie is holding on to secrets of her own, will they be too much for Jaxson to overlook?
Review: This book was so over the top unbelievable that maybe this should be shelved in Fantasy? Three teenage brothers marry three teenage best friends who all have flower names. Then ALL THREE COUPLES conceive within a month of each other and all three couples make TWINS, who are all born within a week of each other. (This is not a spoiler, this is all in the first chapter). Then all of the twins are given flower names to go with their moms' flower names, and they become the kid flower garden. Barf. It is just not... believable. Then, the inconceivable happens, and all three brothers lose their wives on the same night, leaving them bachelors to take care of their twins, so they all move in together. Again, very, very unlikely!
A quick overview on twins, because someone somewhere missed the science lesson- Having Fraternal twins (meaning two eggs and two sperm) can be hereditary, but that gene comes from the mother's genetics. At the time of conception, the father's genetics do not come into play to create twins. If parents create identical twins (one egg, one sperm, and the egg splits into two), then genetics do not come into play because this occurrence happens spontaneously. Bringing this full circle: If the three wives were related with a history of fraternal twins in the family, this would be far more plausible. Because we are talking about three brothers though, the odds of this are too outrageous to calculate.
Ignoring all of the crazy coincidences, all of the errors in grammar, all of the timeline jumps, the lack of continuity, all of the unexplained characters, and all of the science that made this far fetched... This book was kind of cute. The relationship between Jaxson and Hollie was sort of nice, but could have been developed better. I hated how all of the information was shoved in our faces in chapter one. This author could benefit from reading Save The Cat's chapter on plotting problems. In the first scene we are given all the info that really should be in the first 10-20% of the book, not the first chapter. Overall this book is a hot mess and really needs a cleanup crew. But it does have a great premise, and could really be something great!!!!
PoV: First person, present, dual
ToN (Type of Narration): N/A
Audio book length: N/A
Genre and Sub genre: Romance
Location: Morgan Springs
Time(s): Current
Tropes:
TW/CW's:
Language Rating:
Sex Rating: 3/5
Representation:
Stuffed full of "that would never happen" coincidences, silly clichés, overused sayings, and trite phrases, this book is every book trope in one.
I don’t know if I have the words to say how much I disliked the writing style of this book. It really read like a rough draft. There were many times I thought "wait, what?" and had to go back and re-read sentences. Time skips forward in this book without the mention of time going forward (you only realize it by the context later in the paragraph or chapter). It happens in the middle of chapters, which is quite jarring. All of a sudden we are whisked away to the future. It feels like we are just granted a glimpse in time from the Ghost of Christmas Present, and then pulled away to the next scene.
We also meet many characters with no explanation of how they fit into the story. In some mystery novels, that is ok because it builds the suspense... But in this book we aren't given those little nuggets of information that make it feel like a mystery to connect the dots later. In this book, it really feels like dangling participles.
The progression of the stories and relationships are not well thought out or well explained. It is possible that many of the mysteries will be solved later in the series, but we as readers really aren't given enough hints or bread crumbs to want to continue to follow that trail. I can't see myself wanting to follow this disjointed path that may meander around before abandoning me in a desert of disjointed story lines and dry characters.
There is also the issue of the many, MANY grammar, spelling, and formatting mistakes. I hope that before it is published for the masses that someone will do another once over of this book and help even the most simple mistakes be corrected. In some places, even the complete wrong word is used. It is extremely hard to stay connected to the book when every few sentences there is some type of problem.
Summary: What happens when the only person you have ever loved is taken away in the blink of an eye? Jaxson Brentwood just lost the love of his life and the mother of his twins. Two of his brothers lost their spouses also. How will he move on when the ghost of Dahlia haunts every corner of his life? He lost one love to death, will he throw away his second chance?
Kellie's foster parents died in a horrific crash four years ago, leaving her orphaned again, and struggling to find her place in the world. When she meets Jaxson and his girls, she finally feels like her world is complete. Until she realizes he his holding onto a future that will never happen. Kellie is holding on to secrets of her own, will they be too much for Jaxson to overlook?
Review: This book was so over the top unbelievable that maybe this should be shelved in Fantasy? Three teenage brothers marry three teenage best friends who all have flower names. Then ALL THREE COUPLES conceive within a month of each other and all three couples make TWINS, who are all born within a week of each other. (This is not a spoiler, this is all in the first chapter). Then all of the twins are given flower names to go with their moms' flower names, and they become the kid flower garden. Barf. It is just not... believable. Then, the inconceivable happens, and all three brothers lose their wives on the same night, leaving them bachelors to take care of their twins, so they all move in together. Again, very, very unlikely!
A quick overview on twins, because someone somewhere missed the science lesson- Having Fraternal twins (meaning two eggs and two sperm) can be hereditary, but that gene comes from the mother's genetics. At the time of conception, the father's genetics do not come into play to create twins. If parents create identical twins (one egg, one sperm, and the egg splits into two), then genetics do not come into play because this occurrence happens spontaneously. Bringing this full circle: If the three wives were related with a history of fraternal twins in the family, this would be far more plausible. Because we are talking about three brothers though, the odds of this are too outrageous to calculate.
Ignoring all of the crazy coincidences, all of the errors in grammar, all of the timeline jumps, the lack of continuity, all of the unexplained characters, and all of the science that made this far fetched... This book was kind of cute. The relationship between Jaxson and Hollie was sort of nice, but could have been developed better. I hated how all of the information was shoved in our faces in chapter one. This author could benefit from reading Save The Cat's chapter on plotting problems. In the first scene we are given all the info that really should be in the first 10-20% of the book, not the first chapter. Overall this book is a hot mess and really needs a cleanup crew. But it does have a great premise, and could really be something great!!!!
PoV: First person, present, dual
ToN (Type of Narration): N/A
Audio book length: N/A
Genre and Sub genre: Romance
Location: Morgan Springs
Time(s): Current
Tropes:
TW/CW's:
Language Rating:
Sex Rating: 3/5
Representation:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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August 27, 2021
How this book has such a high rating amazes me! It was horrible. I could not even finish.
September 29, 2021
Very disjointed story line
The story was all over the place and went nowhere good. Jumping years in a single paragraph without a new chapter starting. Tough read
The story was all over the place and went nowhere good. Jumping years in a single paragraph without a new chapter starting. Tough read
May 10, 2022
I really struggled to finish this book, and that is so not me - I hate to give up on a book. The premise of this book intrigued me, but the actual reading experience was meh at best. I had multiple issues with the book and want to emphasize this is my personal opinion, and even though this was not a book I enjoyed, you may love it. Many other people have given this books glowing 5 star reviews.
The story is written in a narrative style which my least favorite writing styles which I think makes it hard to feel any connection to the characters. For most of the book the POV bounces between Jaxson and Kellie, but somewhere around the 75% mark random other characters are telling the story. For example, we get a chapter from the boyfriend of one of Jason’s daughters. To have characters who haven’t been around but in the background all of a sudden telling the story - was just weird and distracting.
The story takes place over 18 years. Initially my heart was broken for Jaxson, his brother’s and their children. The story skips ahead about 4 years and Jaxson meets Kellie at a main street fair. He goes from being a hermit and barely interacting with people outside of work, his family and children to a R rated event alongside the road with a woman he met just that night. When he gets home he then invites her to come over to his house for some adult playtime, before inviting her to spend the day with him and his 4 year old daughters. He goes from one extreme to the other with how he interacts with her when he slams the brakes on anything more than a platonic friendship for months. They have a best friends/lovers arrangement for years, and as the book skips ahead they eventually move in together around the 8 year mark. From here the story just loses me with the crazy events that take place with little explanation or storytelling and as the timeline keeps advancing ahead weeks and months and references events are brought up about past events that haven’t previously been mentioned or ‘discussed’ by the characters as if it was actually part of this story.
I’ve only read this book by the author, but from reading the blurbs for the other 3 brothers’ books and a guess, I believe the author has the 4 books focusing on each brother, but she the events happen in parallel timeframes so when you read the next brother’s book you get more details of what you’ve already read just from a different POV. So events and stories are referenced that seem out of the blue and have no connection to the story shared in this book. It gets ridiculously confusing and doesn’t improve the reading experience. If anything, it convinced me I don’t want to read the other books in the series because I have a pretty good idea what ends up happening but the why and how will be a convoluted mess that I just don’t want to take the time to read.
Lastly, I went from really feeling sympathy for Jaxson to almost despising him. Frankly how he treats Kellie for the last 1/3 of the book I kept hoping she’d end up with one of the other brothers!
I received a free ARC from the author and NetGalley; and I am leaving an unbiased review which is my own opinion. Just because this book wasn’t one I enjoyed, give it a chance because you may love
The story is written in a narrative style which my least favorite writing styles which I think makes it hard to feel any connection to the characters. For most of the book the POV bounces between Jaxson and Kellie, but somewhere around the 75% mark random other characters are telling the story. For example, we get a chapter from the boyfriend of one of Jason’s daughters. To have characters who haven’t been around but in the background all of a sudden telling the story - was just weird and distracting.
The story takes place over 18 years. Initially my heart was broken for Jaxson, his brother’s and their children. The story skips ahead about 4 years and Jaxson meets Kellie at a main street fair. He goes from being a hermit and barely interacting with people outside of work, his family and children to a R rated event alongside the road with a woman he met just that night. When he gets home he then invites her to come over to his house for some adult playtime, before inviting her to spend the day with him and his 4 year old daughters. He goes from one extreme to the other with how he interacts with her when he slams the brakes on anything more than a platonic friendship for months. They have a best friends/lovers arrangement for years, and as the book skips ahead they eventually move in together around the 8 year mark. From here the story just loses me with the crazy events that take place with little explanation or storytelling and as the timeline keeps advancing ahead weeks and months and references events are brought up about past events that haven’t previously been mentioned or ‘discussed’ by the characters as if it was actually part of this story.
I’ve only read this book by the author, but from reading the blurbs for the other 3 brothers’ books and a guess, I believe the author has the 4 books focusing on each brother, but she the events happen in parallel timeframes so when you read the next brother’s book you get more details of what you’ve already read just from a different POV. So events and stories are referenced that seem out of the blue and have no connection to the story shared in this book. It gets ridiculously confusing and doesn’t improve the reading experience. If anything, it convinced me I don’t want to read the other books in the series because I have a pretty good idea what ends up happening but the why and how will be a convoluted mess that I just don’t want to take the time to read.
Lastly, I went from really feeling sympathy for Jaxson to almost despising him. Frankly how he treats Kellie for the last 1/3 of the book I kept hoping she’d end up with one of the other brothers!
I received a free ARC from the author and NetGalley; and I am leaving an unbiased review which is my own opinion. Just because this book wasn’t one I enjoyed, give it a chance because you may love
September 4, 2021
Some parts good, but some parts completely unbelievable
There will be spoilers in this review so beware…
While the death of Jaxson’s wife was absolutely tragic, their entire situation with him, his brothers and their wives being friends and and everything else was so unbelievable it was ridiculous. They’re all in their late teens. The three brothers marry three friends and all three couples have twins while still being teenagers. And on top of that, Jaxson’s eighteen year old wife becomes some kind of designer for kids clothes and is making them rich and can take their twins to work with her etc. They have the perfect life. Just totally unbelievable to me for this all to be happening to teenagers.
Anyway, all three women die in a car accident leaving these three brothers teen widowers and single fathers. Four years later, Jaxson meets Kellie and they start an eleven year relationship. The bulk of this book is the ups and downs of this relationship. It takes years for Jaxson to really commit to her, but they don’t date anyone else. His twins adore Kellie and think of her as a second mother.
So after over a decade together, Kellie is offered her dream job in Alaska. It will take her away for two years. She reluctantly takes it and they have a long distance relationship. They miss each other desperately. However, Jaxson is tricked into thinking she got engaged to someone while she was over there. Instead of listening to her that it wasn’t true—he ends their relationship. She doesn’t try very hard at all to get him to listen to the truth. They break up for almost two years because of a stupid misunderstanding that could have been cleared up immediately. This just infuriated me. They finally get back together at the very end of the book but by then I was so irritated and frustrated at how stupid these two were, I just didn’t care anymore.
There will be spoilers in this review so beware…
While the death of Jaxson’s wife was absolutely tragic, their entire situation with him, his brothers and their wives being friends and and everything else was so unbelievable it was ridiculous. They’re all in their late teens. The three brothers marry three friends and all three couples have twins while still being teenagers. And on top of that, Jaxson’s eighteen year old wife becomes some kind of designer for kids clothes and is making them rich and can take their twins to work with her etc. They have the perfect life. Just totally unbelievable to me for this all to be happening to teenagers.
Anyway, all three women die in a car accident leaving these three brothers teen widowers and single fathers. Four years later, Jaxson meets Kellie and they start an eleven year relationship. The bulk of this book is the ups and downs of this relationship. It takes years for Jaxson to really commit to her, but they don’t date anyone else. His twins adore Kellie and think of her as a second mother.
So after over a decade together, Kellie is offered her dream job in Alaska. It will take her away for two years. She reluctantly takes it and they have a long distance relationship. They miss each other desperately. However, Jaxson is tricked into thinking she got engaged to someone while she was over there. Instead of listening to her that it wasn’t true—he ends their relationship. She doesn’t try very hard at all to get him to listen to the truth. They break up for almost two years because of a stupid misunderstanding that could have been cleared up immediately. This just infuriated me. They finally get back together at the very end of the book but by then I was so irritated and frustrated at how stupid these two were, I just didn’t care anymore.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2022
This book suffers from trying to include too much which resulted in me feeling like I didn't know the characters particularly well, as well as feeling like the story was chaotic and all over the place. It starts early with three brothers, all in relationships with women who are all killed in the one accident, leaving the brothers to raise their respective twins alone. Subsequently the men live together for a period and the book progresses through their varied grief processes to finding new relationships. (There's also a fourth brother who doesn't have twins, but .... wait).
This book is primarily about Jaxson and his meeting Kellie. Their meeting is steamy and it promises everything, but Jaxson backs off, feeling like he is betraying the memory of his late wife. That's pretty clear, and as the YEARS progress we see the 'relationship' limp along to the point where they decide to move in together. There's a whole lot of stuff that goes on within the family and the other children, and with new partners, that in the end, because of the lack of focus I've had to put this aside. I then started it again, as I'd deleted it from my kindle, thinking I hadn't read it, and then remembered as it went on, only to get no further the second time round.
I feel it needed a narrower focus, with some of the other issues possibly the groundwork for other books. I also felt the initial sex scene between Jaxson and his wife was fairly gratuitous and unnecessary. I felt she could have still been a significant presence without knowing they had spicey sex before she died. Given it's the first chapter or so of the book, it just felt weird to me.
Bummed that this one went the way it did, because the premise really could have worked.
I might be in the minority here and if that's the case, it's me and not the book! Twice!
This book is primarily about Jaxson and his meeting Kellie. Their meeting is steamy and it promises everything, but Jaxson backs off, feeling like he is betraying the memory of his late wife. That's pretty clear, and as the YEARS progress we see the 'relationship' limp along to the point where they decide to move in together. There's a whole lot of stuff that goes on within the family and the other children, and with new partners, that in the end, because of the lack of focus I've had to put this aside. I then started it again, as I'd deleted it from my kindle, thinking I hadn't read it, and then remembered as it went on, only to get no further the second time round.
I feel it needed a narrower focus, with some of the other issues possibly the groundwork for other books. I also felt the initial sex scene between Jaxson and his wife was fairly gratuitous and unnecessary. I felt she could have still been a significant presence without knowing they had spicey sex before she died. Given it's the first chapter or so of the book, it just felt weird to me.
Bummed that this one went the way it did, because the premise really could have worked.
I might be in the minority here and if that's the case, it's me and not the book! Twice!
April 6, 2022
**3.75 Stars**
Second Time Around is a second chance romance on a couple different levels. Jaxon's wife and the love of his life dies tragically, leaving him alone to raise his twin daughters, who are just babies at the time. He has the support of his brothers and family and they are all raising their kids together. He is not at all focused on dating, until Kellie enters his life when least expected and turns his world upside down. Jaxson has been merely surviving since his wife's passing and Kellie gets him to actually start enjoyng life and smiling again. She bonds with his daughters and adds something wonderful to their family. I loved that she didn't try to replace his wife, she just wanted to be there for them and create new memories. She was very patient and understanding while Jaxon struggled with commitment.
I do feel like there were some parts of the story that were not completely realistic, but for entertainment purposes it didn't bother me. I also felt like the timelines mentioned throughout the chapters were either confusing or didn't match up at times. I felt like Jaxson and Kellie had a wonderful connection and she fit seemlessly into the lives of Jax and his daughters that I had a definite issue with the major conflict of the story. It seemed entirely immature and unrealistic and not at all in line with the rest of the book. I think without this particular conflict, the book would have definitely rated higher for me. It wasn't the right conflict and it was handled poorly all around (just my two cents).
I loved how well Jaxson and his brothers got along and how close they all were and how close the kids were. I probably will pick up the other books in the series if I get a chance as I have read two now, but we will see.
Second Time Around is a second chance romance on a couple different levels. Jaxon's wife and the love of his life dies tragically, leaving him alone to raise his twin daughters, who are just babies at the time. He has the support of his brothers and family and they are all raising their kids together. He is not at all focused on dating, until Kellie enters his life when least expected and turns his world upside down. Jaxson has been merely surviving since his wife's passing and Kellie gets him to actually start enjoyng life and smiling again. She bonds with his daughters and adds something wonderful to their family. I loved that she didn't try to replace his wife, she just wanted to be there for them and create new memories. She was very patient and understanding while Jaxon struggled with commitment.
I do feel like there were some parts of the story that were not completely realistic, but for entertainment purposes it didn't bother me. I also felt like the timelines mentioned throughout the chapters were either confusing or didn't match up at times. I felt like Jaxson and Kellie had a wonderful connection and she fit seemlessly into the lives of Jax and his daughters that I had a definite issue with the major conflict of the story. It seemed entirely immature and unrealistic and not at all in line with the rest of the book. I think without this particular conflict, the book would have definitely rated higher for me. It wasn't the right conflict and it was handled poorly all around (just my two cents).
I loved how well Jaxson and his brothers got along and how close they all were and how close the kids were. I probably will pick up the other books in the series if I get a chance as I have read two now, but we will see.
July 2, 2019
This is the second book in the Finding Our Forever series. When Jaxon Brentwood Was 18, he and his brothers had it all. They were each married to the loves of their lives, and in one careless moment, the unthinkable happened. Their wives were all killed in a tragic accident. Jaxson was left to raise his adorable twin daughters, and now four years later, he's completely focused on raising his girls and helping to run his family's ski lodge. He’s not had the time or the desire to start another relationship or have to have meaningless hookup. His brother basically goads him into going out and cutting loose for once. He reluctantly goes out to a street fair, and while there, notices a " beautiful brown haired girl dancing. She was like no one he's ever met before. Her name is Kellie. She funny, outspoken, a little brash, and Jax is fascinated. The encounter ends surprisingly with Jax and Kellie unable to stop the flare of heat between them. This is the story of Jax and Kellie's journey. It is not all smooth sailing. You will see how Jax's daughters respond to Kellie, you will also be able to see how she fits in with Jax's family. There are some surprising revelations and some misunderstandings. This story will make you laugh, make you cry, and at times make you want to shake some sense into Jax.but you can't stop reading! Don't miss this book!
July 3, 2019
Kellie and Jaxson have such a complex story - but it's one that I enjoyed reading. The chemistry between the two of them is evident from the first time we meet them, and that chemistry continues throughout the book - even as their relationship goes through its own twists and turns. The two of them are steamy and so sexy together! There were some points in the book where I thought I knew what was going to happen - and then the complete opposite happened - which I liked. I always like a book to keep me guessing, and this one did just that.
The Brentwood family is one I'm quickly falling in love with, and I think Alandra did such a great job intertwining this huge family into Kellie and Jaxson's story. There are a lot of family members (and friends who are like family) throughout this story, but she took the time to explain their importance to the story in one way or another, which I appreciated. I also liked that this book was a journey through Kellie and Jaxson's relationship, not just a small snippet of their relationship that spanned a few months. I really felt like I got to "know" Jaxson and Kellie throughout the book.
I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series!
The Brentwood family is one I'm quickly falling in love with, and I think Alandra did such a great job intertwining this huge family into Kellie and Jaxson's story. There are a lot of family members (and friends who are like family) throughout this story, but she took the time to explain their importance to the story in one way or another, which I appreciated. I also liked that this book was a journey through Kellie and Jaxson's relationship, not just a small snippet of their relationship that spanned a few months. I really felt like I got to "know" Jaxson and Kellie throughout the book.
I'm looking forward to the next installment in this series!
April 6, 2020
This is my first book from Alandra Knight and it's such a sweet story. I always wondered if your wife/husband passed away tragically, would you be able to move on? Would you be able to love someone and give them your heart completely as you did the first time?
Years go by after being widowed and raising his kids, and Jax reluctantly agrees to go out for a night of fun and is mesmerized by Kellie, who she herself has a sad past. There's a fiery attraction they can't ignore but they have a hard time realizing they are meant to be.
It's interesting to see how his family and daughters take to Kellie and see their relationship go through hardships. You will laugh, get mad, gasp, possibly cry (I'm not a much of crier but you may be) and there's a HEA.
The only thing I will say is I was a bit confused as I was told this is book 1 and it's actually book 2 in the series. I have not read the first and while in a way this is a standalone, there are characters here that were in the first and I had a hard time connecting some of them but it did not interfere with the full story much as other books I have read. If you're looking for a second chance romance with a HEA, this is it.
Years go by after being widowed and raising his kids, and Jax reluctantly agrees to go out for a night of fun and is mesmerized by Kellie, who she herself has a sad past. There's a fiery attraction they can't ignore but they have a hard time realizing they are meant to be.
It's interesting to see how his family and daughters take to Kellie and see their relationship go through hardships. You will laugh, get mad, gasp, possibly cry (I'm not a much of crier but you may be) and there's a HEA.
The only thing I will say is I was a bit confused as I was told this is book 1 and it's actually book 2 in the series. I have not read the first and while in a way this is a standalone, there are characters here that were in the first and I had a hard time connecting some of them but it did not interfere with the full story much as other books I have read. If you're looking for a second chance romance with a HEA, this is it.
November 21, 2021
3.5 stars
This is my first book by this author and i will continue with the series. I enjoyed Jaxson and Kellie story because she had such fire and spunk. This was exactly what Jaxson needed in his life after such tragedy and loss. This couple chemistry was hot and steamy both inside and outside the bedrooom. The connection that Kellie has with Jaxson and his girls is amazing and I loved that it was a push and pull and not just they meet, they fall in love, the end.
I did have issues with the story but not to the point of putting me off. It was a bit strange that all of the brothers had twins and it was never mentioned that twins run in the family. The story jumped from weeks to years later in the middle of a chapter which was a bit jolting. The mystery and suspense of what was going on with Trent was confusing. I know it was too bring suspense to the story but it just confused me. Introducing characters into the story and not explaining who they are, unless I completely missed their introduction the last 75% of the book.
In the end I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to figure out what all the secrets and mysteries are all about!
This is my first book by this author and i will continue with the series. I enjoyed Jaxson and Kellie story because she had such fire and spunk. This was exactly what Jaxson needed in his life after such tragedy and loss. This couple chemistry was hot and steamy both inside and outside the bedrooom. The connection that Kellie has with Jaxson and his girls is amazing and I loved that it was a push and pull and not just they meet, they fall in love, the end.
I did have issues with the story but not to the point of putting me off. It was a bit strange that all of the brothers had twins and it was never mentioned that twins run in the family. The story jumped from weeks to years later in the middle of a chapter which was a bit jolting. The mystery and suspense of what was going on with Trent was confusing. I know it was too bring suspense to the story but it just confused me. Introducing characters into the story and not explaining who they are, unless I completely missed their introduction the last 75% of the book.
In the end I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait to figure out what all the secrets and mysteries are all about!
March 10, 2022
This book had me on one heck of a roller coaster of emotions. I mean, just the first few chapters had me competing with Kim K for the “Ugly Cry of The Year” award. No lie. The feelings you will go through… MAN, what a ride. I laughed. I cried. I got MAD AS H3LL, and then rinse, repeat.
It’s a sweet hometown love story that will have you hanging off of every word. I was so hung up that it was almost like I was transported into the story and was living it myself. It was a really good story.
There are a few areas that did catch my eye. While the story was amazing, don’t get me wrong, there were some times where it was a bit confusing. For example, there were some chapters where the kids would be significantly older without any warning. There were headings on some of the chapters, but not all. Also, while I loved reading about all the family it was quite a lot to keep up with at times. Especially towards the end when two of Mia’s friends showed up out of nowhere that hadn’t been mentioned earlier on.
All in all it was a great read. Now it’s time for me to put my emotions back together and find out what happens in book two.
April 21, 2022
WOW!! What can I say. From the first page of this phenomenal read I was hooked from Alandra’s exquisite style of writing. Alandra takes us on a journey from complete devastation to frustration, vulnerability, anger and a forever LOVE.
Second Time Around takes us on a journey of the Brentwood family, who face adversity, tragedy, death, betrayal and what it means to be a part of a close knit family.
There’s always one or two rotten apples in every barrel that try to throw a spanner in the works to cause chaos. This story is no exception. Almost succeeding in causing all sorts of disasters for this family. The rotten apples mentioned are foiled by loving members of the Brentwood family.
Second Time Around also sends a message that a family is stronger together than it is apart, and when the chips are down they’re there to help pick up the pieces.
Well done Alandra, I loved this story and can’t wait to read the rest of this series. If I could give it more stars I would. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
Cheers Libby. J Author.
Second Time Around takes us on a journey of the Brentwood family, who face adversity, tragedy, death, betrayal and what it means to be a part of a close knit family.
There’s always one or two rotten apples in every barrel that try to throw a spanner in the works to cause chaos. This story is no exception. Almost succeeding in causing all sorts of disasters for this family. The rotten apples mentioned are foiled by loving members of the Brentwood family.
Second Time Around also sends a message that a family is stronger together than it is apart, and when the chips are down they’re there to help pick up the pieces.
Well done Alandra, I loved this story and can’t wait to read the rest of this series. If I could give it more stars I would. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.
Cheers Libby. J Author.
June 24, 2019
Alandra has done it again! Second Time Around digs deeper into the back story of Jaxson and Kellie. It was easy to fall in love with them and their story. Jaxson and his brothers enduring such heartbreak early in the story. For him to let his heart open again and Kellie to be so fun and free. You could not help but cheer for them. I loved how his daughters came to love and accept Kellie as part of the family, even though they weren't married. In fact, the entire family loved her. Then when she got her dream job, I kept thinking, No, Don't leave him and the girls! But Jaxson, so loving and unselfish, tells her to take it. My heart broke as time seemed to drift them apart and then when miscommunication occurs and they break it off. Luckily, true loves finally comes back when they realize they were meant for each other! Just loved this beautiful story and can't wait to see what Alandra has for book #3 as the story continues. It's a must read!
March 25, 2022
This is a story about four brothers who progress through their lives from teenagers to fathers with graduating kids. Jaxson had the world. His wife who loved him and their perfect twin daughters. All of that changes when his wife and his brother’s wives are all killed in a car wreck. They are now all single dads raising twins. The three of them decide to move into their childhood home and raise the six twins together. As the years go by they start to find new relationships and they move on from the tragedy that marked their young lives. Kellie is determined to move on and try to enjoy her life to the fullest. She runs into Jaxson one night and they have an instant connection. You get to see relationships come and go and all of the twins grow up. There is heartbreak and so much love in the family. Will Jaxson and Kellie be able to make it through some very hard times to see that their love is the forever kind?
May 25, 2021
A solid 3.5 stars.
I almost didn’t get past the first few chapters but I’m glad I persisted, the story really takes off once Jaxson meets Kellie. Theirs’s is a love story that is involved, has it’s ups and downs, spans many years and almost doesn’t make it due to his commitment and trust issues.
There are some unexplained time jumps which are a bit disconcerting and a relationship one of the brothers has that is just weird; it’s part of the story but whatever is funky about it is not discussed. I am sure it is covered in a subsequent book but as part of this story (which is the first in the series) it just left me wondering.
Overall, it is an enjoyable read with some really sweet moments in it that will keep you reading to the end (and possibly picking up the next book in the series to fill in some gaps).
I almost didn’t get past the first few chapters but I’m glad I persisted, the story really takes off once Jaxson meets Kellie. Theirs’s is a love story that is involved, has it’s ups and downs, spans many years and almost doesn’t make it due to his commitment and trust issues.
There are some unexplained time jumps which are a bit disconcerting and a relationship one of the brothers has that is just weird; it’s part of the story but whatever is funky about it is not discussed. I am sure it is covered in a subsequent book but as part of this story (which is the first in the series) it just left me wondering.
Overall, it is an enjoyable read with some really sweet moments in it that will keep you reading to the end (and possibly picking up the next book in the series to fill in some gaps).
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