Second Chances

New England Inspirations #5

by Valerie Howard

Plagued by self-doubt perpetuated by an overbearing father, and locked into a marriage where every conversation leads to a dispute about money, Kate Wilson struggles to keep up appearances with her friends and family so no one suspects her perfect life is a lie. But when her estranged father asks Kate's family to participate in a magazine interview with him, she can't pass up her last opportunity to try to make him proud of what she's made of her life since dropping out of law school. Can Kate get her husband and children ready before Daddy comes to town? Or will her unruly family ruin the only chance she'll ever have to prove she's worthy of her father's love?

Claire Wilson feels like a freak. Fifteen years old and over six feet tall, she towers over most of the boys in her class. Desperate to find acceptance as a brand-new freshman, Claire jumps at the unique chance to make fast friends with the school's most powerful and popular student. But when she gets in over her head at a college party, Claire needs to escape before she regrets her poor choices for the rest of her life.

Genres: Christian Fiction

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2020

About the author

Valerie Howard
Contemporary Women's Christian Fiction
"Real women. Tough issues. Powerful God."

Valerie's goal in writing is to bring people closer to Jesus one chapter at a time.

Valerie has been writing stories since she was in second grade when she wrote "The Mystery of the Missing Crayon." She gave up writing mysteries soon after and now concentrates on real-life stories that tackle tough issues such as homelessness, unplanned pregnancy, family tragedy, childhood trauma, foster care, poverty, and terminal cancer. All of her books are filled with the hope and love of Christ and are uplifting and feel-good with happy, though sometimes tearful, endings as her characters overcome their obstacles with God at their side. She also writes biblical non-fiction, indie author non-fiction, children's books, allegorical fiction, and small church Christmas plays. (She's a little obsessed with writing.)

Valerie is a fan of summer, warmth, and flip-flips, so she often wonders why she lives in Maine where she is frozen for the better half of the year. But her amazing husband and adorable sons live there with her, so it's not all bad. She graduated from Bible College with a degree in Bible and Missions a long, long time ago in a state far, far away.

Reviews

[Staci · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed Last Wish in this series. Second Chances was a miss for me. I did like secondary characters Ruby and Brett.

[The Film Director's Wife · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of several titles that I have read by Valerie Howard and every single one has been so good!

She has such a God given talent for writing stories that touch on real life subjects and reach to the heart of a person.

Second Chances was another great example of that gift on display as she wove a tale of forgiveness and moving forward even without the apologies that we sometimes so deeply desire from those we think owe them to us.

It was a beautiful story of taking hold of the second chances the Lord gives us and making the most of them.

I throughly enjoyed this read and highly recommend it!

[Lavyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved this entire series! Valerie Howard does such a great job of bringing real-life experiences into the story and brings the characters to life!

This story is an authentic look into the mind of a mother trying to do everything "right" and a daughter trying to find her own way. It truly brings to life the challenges of motherhood, the wisdom we can find in unexpected places when God puts them there, and the power of love and forgiveness in a family. Highly recommend this entire series!

[Amy Hagerup · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Valerie Howard's books and writing style tremendously. This series has been amazing. However, this #5 in the series was hard for me to get through. The characters flaws and the storyline was so harsh and didn't seem plausible. I finished the book, though, because I wanted to know the ending. The minor characters of Ruby, Brett, and Dizzy were well-done - even Charlotte. I have enjoyed all the others in this series and gave five star reviews for them. Keep up the good work, Valerie.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her stories are of real characters, with real issues. In this story the seeking of her father’s approval, that she is worthy. With restriction, she has made a good life for herself. With love and forgiveness, there can be second chances.A good heartwarming story to enjoy.
Given audio for my voluntary review

[Clara Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rampant Codependency

Kate is the daughter of an angry man. Claire, her daughter who is an exceptionally tall freshman, has been singalled out for preferential treatment by the high school bully. Can anything good come from this family? I enjoyed how Valerie Howard unravelled the mess her characters were in.

[Christine Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't find these books easy to read because they are about people trying to run their own lives and making a total mess of it. For the first half of the book, I want to shake them as they get deeper and deeper in a hole. But the final 1/4 of the book was so worthwhile.
Keep writing.
My favourite character was Ruby and how God used her in Katie's life and other's lives too.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect chaos

For awhile, the book really convicted me. When I go to church, I need to really pray for the ones around me because I don’t know if they are really OK. And then, I got hooked on this book to see what would happen next with Claire. Valerie Howard can write in a variety of styles, and that quality makes a good author. Very well done!

[Lauri Gentry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family drama. A mother trying to be perfect to earn love finds her family out of control. A daughter trying to fit in joins up with the wrong crowd when she enters High School Story deals with an emotionally abusive father so Katie must learn that she may not have love from her father but be comforted that she is loved by her Father.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This emotional read drew me in from the beginning. It was very realistic and true to life. I was frustrated at the characters, sad for them, angry, and excited for them! It would be a great book to discuss with a book club!

[Rachael Aupperlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Always kept me on my toes to see what was going to happen. Definitely worth it.

[R. Jetleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book with a great message

Valerie Howard has done it again! I loved the story and the characters are so real, and down to earth. Again, her message resonates.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several of her books and they have a sweetness about them. She always has a good gospel message with real to life characters.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked the concept of the book but it's not really my minds of book. I enjoyed the fact that God does give us second chances though. Just personal preferences of genres I guess.

[Deon]

free on kindle
may 23, 2023
https://amzn.to/3WuSrn2
#da

[Kelsey Gietl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chances continues Valerie Howard's inspirational style of immersive characters and relatable family situations. Even though I read a beta reader version (aka: not completely polished), I still loved this story from beginning to end. The story follows Kate Wilson, a mom who according to her blog, has a picture perfect life when in reality she is barely managing to tread waters. Even though she's lost her kids' respect and her husband's love, she continues to believe that she can somehow blog her way to a happy ending. It's a familiar story in today's world when many people choose to share a fake internet life with their 500 "friends" than risk vulnerability with a few loyal ones. As Second Chances demonstrates though, vulnerability is the only true way to develop real relationships, ones that depend on face-to-face communications and no technology to succeed. As a mother and wife, I think this story would be relatable to any parent who has ever felt less than,  wondered if they could ever measure up to the world's expectations, and perhaps most importantly doubted if their past could ever make them worthy of God's love. It's a powerful story of redemption, faith, and family and one that I highly recommend.

Second Chances is the fifth book in Valerie Howard's New England Inspirations series, but only the second of hers that I have read, with the first being Saving Faith. Although these books are part of a series, each contains unique characters and can be read on its own.