Blog Tour: Second Rate Chances

Title: Second Rate Chances

Author: Holly Stephens

Stand Alone

Format- ebook

Publisher- Scripted Press

Published- January 9th, 2013

Pages- 249

Source- GCR Blog Tours

"Sam wakes up in the hospital expecting to find his girlfriend by his bedside. Instead, he finds a bleached-blond diva, claiming to be his fiancée, hovering over him. When he learns that he's just woken up from a coma and has lost the last three years of his life, any semblance of stability he thought he had falls down around him. All he wants – all he needs – is Lil.

After countless visits with her shrink and too many sleepless nights waiting for the one man she loves to walk back through the door, Lil wants nothing more than to separate herself from the life she used to have. But the moment Sam smiles at her, Lil knows it's going to take more than self-restraint to stay away.

Second-Rate Chances is about a young man fighting to regain his memory, and the one thing in his life that felt real. A modern-day Samson and Delilah, it's a look at what it means to love and be loved, and to fight though it seems hopeless."

Sam and Lil seemed to be always meant for each other. There's was a love that was going to last forever. Three years later that isn't anything but the case. Sam is a completely different person. He wears suits, drives a fancy car, and is engaged to someone other than Lil. Lil never dreamed that she would have to be hearing that her once love Sam would be marrying someone else. She's never stopped loving him but she knows ever since that day three years ago nothing would ever be the same. Then she's suddenly called up by Sam's fiancee. Chloe tells her that Sam needs her help and that he's at the hospital. When Lil gets to the hospital she isn't prepared to see the love in his eyes after all these years. Sam doesn't know a world without Lil now. It's three years later but Sam has lost his memory and needs Lil to help piece it back together. He is desperate to find out what he did to harm her so and ultimately how to win her back.

Oh goodness gracious. I loved this romance! It was the best kind of romance. It was filled with pain and hurt but there was a spark of love in there that anyone could plainly see that the characters had. This is so very The Vow-ish which I absolutely love about this book. With books about amnesia there is so much potential especially with the the unraveling of the story - trying to figure out who this person is or was before. Mainly it was trying to figure out what horrible thing happened to these two that made them go their separate ways when you knew deep down they clearly loved each other. Sam clearly loved her because he was stuck in the past but he did still miss her when he had all his memories. Lil never quite got over her first and only love. 

About half way through Lil let it almost slip out to Sam what happened and even if she didn't finish her sentence I kind of knew what happened. It didn't ruin anything for me. I did still think maybe it was something else. It's actually a very good "secret" that Lil is keeping away from Sam in the sense that it's something that you know is very worth the wait. There was a sense for me that it didn't feel as right towards the end. I'm not sure but there was something about it maybe because I knew what happened before it was revealed to me so it wasn't as dramatic if others didn't realize it until the end.

Lil and Sam are both good people. I liked getting to know them and seeing what's going on with their lives. I couldn't wrong Sam for being this completely different person even when I knew how he was really like three years ago - a very loving guy who took time for his friends and family. I also saw before his very great fall that he missed Lil and what they had. He wasn't happy with his life. It was like it was all dictated for him. I really didn't understand why his fiancee, Chloe, wanted to marry him. I guess she dreamed of the grand wedding but never dreamed of being actually in love with a man. She really dreamed only of the idea of the one. 

I really enjoyed all of Lil and Sam's friends. They all were protective of Lil because Sam had left her in her time of need. Some friends lost her because they went to be friends with Sam but since he sold out those friends were left without either of them. One friend stayed with Lil and was this very... signature type of best friend. You know the friend that is always there to console you and here you out while the same time calling you out when you need it. Of course there's always time for gossiping and relationship advice too. All the good people in Sam and Lil's life three years ago are all very good people and I really liked to see them taking an interest in how their friends were doing even if most people were on the side of Lil's. Sam's own father and brother were on her side which is understandable because of the way Sam has treated them. It is a bit irritating some of the things his father said. It's like I know he needed to hear it but he's your son so you should have his back.

I don't know why but I was surprised I liked this book so much. From the beginning it caught me. There were maybe one or two little things that were a bit eh for me especially with some moments between them. It was fine with me but then it got a little bit graphic and I always think that's unnecessary but that's me. I really just was happy at the end of their story. I was satisfied with where it led to and the decisions made. The romance was wonderful as well as the characters. The plot is one I would like to explore with again in other books. I have this content feeling after reading this book. It has a lot of things going for it and even the cover makes this book even better. It's seriously gorgeous and the cover might be one of my favorite cover loves for this year. I want to see more about Stephens. I'm so excited to see what else she has in store with her writing since she has produced such a remarkable read like this one. I just hope her future books will be even better than this one.

To purchase Second Rate Chances go to:

Amazon/Barnes & Noble

About the Author

"People have often told me that I live in a fantasy world. Little did they know, I was building an empire of stories in my head to one day share.

I'm a mother first, a wife second, and a writer third. I'm so thankful to have been given this chance to get my stories out of my head and onto paper.

When I'm not writing, I sell plumbing (no I'm not kidding) and read romances that leave my heart a flutter. I know a ridiculous amount of pop culture information and can quote certain movies word for word. Music drives me to write and to also sing off key."

For more info about Holly Stephens and her book go to:

Goodreads/Blog/Facebook/Twitter

Giveaway!

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Thanks to the author & Good Choice Reading Blog Tours for this giveaway!