The tide of Puritanism may be rising, but Olivia Dade is saying no f*cking thanks to that. I did not count all the instances of swearing, but I enjoyed every single one. I love the way Dade writes, I love the way she creates characters, relationships, and worlds. When I read Second Chance Romance I noted that it was exactly what I needed in that moment and that I had scream laughed a few times. Little did I know that just a few days after I posted that update, I would get sucked into a nightmare of a work clussterfuck that would break my brain. So I don’t remember everything I loved about this book, but I definitely loved it.
Second Chance Romance is about trust and intimacy. For Karl, Molly is the one who got away, and when she shows up in Harlot’s Bay after 20 years away, he wants her to stay. Molly has no interest in staying, but she would be happy to have a fling with Karl. To convince Molly to stay, Karl knows he must convince her that he is worthy of her trust. The conflict between them centers around their ideas of trust and intimacy. Karl shows his love through feeding people, but Molly’s past experience with betrayal means she needs Karl to step outside his comfort zone.
I’m not interested in using characters to insert myself into the story, but I do love it when I see some aspect of myself, or piece of my experience in a book. In Second Chance Romance, I really felt for Karl because I am also most comfortable letting people know that I love them by baking for them. And like Karl, I have learned that baking isn’t enough. For a deep connection, you also have to use words and share feelings. Ugh. This is a romance so you know that Karl and Molly do find their way to each other. I also had the feeling that even if they had not managed to work out their relationship, they were both in a better place. Karl was letting more people in and Molly realized just how many people liked her for herself.
I received this as an advance reader copy from Avon and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.