A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss

Title: A Season for Second Chances

Author: Jenny Bayliss

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 448

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Annie Sharpe’s spark for life has fizzled out. Her kids are grown up, her restaurant is doing just fine on its own, and her twenty-six-year marriage has come to an unceremonious end. Untethered for the first time in her adult life, she finds a winter guardian position in a historic seaside home and decides to leave her city life behind for a brand-new beginning.

When she arrives in Willow Bay, Annie is enamored by the charming house, the invigorating sea breeze, and the town’s rich seasonal traditions. Not to mention, her neighbors receive her with open arms—that is, all except the surly nephew of the homeowner, whose grand plans for the property are at odds with her residency. As Christmas approaches, tensions and tides rise in Willow Bay, and Annie’s future seems less and less certain. But with a little can-do spirit and holiday magic, the most difficult time of her life will become…a season for second chances.

I enjoyed Bayliss’s previous book, but this one was a miss for me. I was expecting another Christmas romantic comedy. This is not that. Instead we get a very slow moving look at a woman starting again in a new-to-her village. Not enough happened to keep me really interested. I wanted more and something a little lighter. Oh well. Not every book I read is a winner.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

Title: The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Author: Jenny Bayliss

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons 2020

Genre: Romance

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

When it comes to relationships, thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner is ready to say "Bah, humbug." The sleepy town of Blexford, England, isn't exactly brimming with prospects, and anyway, Kate's found fulfillment in her career as a designer, and in her delicious side job baking for her old friend Matt's neighborhood café. But then her best friend signs her up for a dating agency that promises to help singles find love before the holidays. Twenty-three days until Christmas. Twelve dates with twelve different men. The odds must finally be in her favor . . . right?

Yet with each new date more disastrous than the one before--and the whole town keeping tabs on her misadventures--Kate must remind herself that sometimes love, like mistletoe, shows up where it's least expected. And maybe, just maybe, it's been right under her nose all along. . . .

A very cute holiday romance. We meet Olive and slowly learn about her and Matt’s past relationship. Over the course of the dozen dates, we get to see Olive slowly come to the realization that her partner was right next to her all along. While many of the dates were enjoyable to read about, the few truly terrible ones were hard to stomach. And I definitely had my suspicions about Richard right from their first meeting. While heartwarming and fun at most parts, I want da bit more to really make this a favorite.

Next up on the TBR pile: