More than a Second Chance by Lisa Renee — Review

Hello ladies and gents! Today I’ve got something for you I haven’t had in quite a while … a review! This review is of Lisa Renee’s More than a Second Chance.

Like I said, I don’t often post reviews anymore (though I will hopefully start doing so again soon), but I really need to because these kinds of amazing books need spotlighted!

In particular, this book contains amazing Christian themes and a unique storyline.

About More than a Second Chance

Cassie Chambers, a dedicated youth worker, is determined to rescue the troubled youth in the city of Perth, Australia.

Cassie has made mistakes but hasn’t allowed tragedy or divorce to stop her. She devotes every working hour at Youth Connect. But her own needs are neglected.

Chef Chris Evanson offers work experience to young men from Youth Connect. Cassie and Chris’s encounters become more than sassy bantering with a hint of attraction. Chris is a sincere romantic.

How will Chris respond when he finds out her secret? She must tell him before he falls in love. Will he believe she deserves more than a second chance?

To complicate matters, one of Youth Connect’s troubled teens needs rescuing. She’s pregnant and moves in with Cassie, bringing absolute chaos. Chris gains insight into what life with Cassie involves. Does he still want the total package? Is he Cassie’s true soul mate?

AMAZON – GOODREADS – BOOK TRAILER

About Lisa Renee

Lisa Renee is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Omega Writers, Australia. With an Australian theme, she wrote the Single Again series featuring More Than a Second Chance and Acres of Promise, to encourage women to heal past wounds and to dare trust again. Lisa adores babies enough to have seven of her own. Recently, Lisa has taken up breeding Ragdoll cats instead of breeding humans. The tribe lives in Australia, where Lisa and her husband enjoy their writing projects, public speaking, and are on the pastoral team at their church

FIND LISA HERE:

FACEBOOK – AMAZON – WEBSITE

One person will win an eBook copy of More Than A Second Chance by Lisa Renee.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE

Follow the Tour …

Use this schedule to follow the tour from stop to stop!

Monday, October 21st

Kellyn Roth / Opening Post

Kelly Barr / Interview with Lisa Renee

Thursday, October 24th

Jane Mouttet / Interview with Lisa Renee

Saturday, October 26th

Abigail Harris / Book Review

Monday, October 28th

Michaela Bush / Spotlight

Thursday, October 31st

Paula Marie / Book Review

Friday, November 1st

Abigail McKenna / Book Review

Saturday, November 2nd

Amie / Book Review

Tuesday, November 5th

Emily Harris / Spotlight

Thursday, November 7th

Chelsea Pennington / Book Review

Saturday, November 9th

AbbyRose / Book Review

Monday, November 11th

Rose / Spotlight

Lori Parrish / Book Review

Wednesday, November 13th

Kellyn Roth / Book Review

Thursday, November 14th

Connie Porter Saunders / Book Review

Saturday, November 16th

Jo A. Ruth / Book Review

Monday, November 18th

Kellyn Roth / Wrapup Post

Isabel Olivetti / Book Review

[image error]

My Review

I really liked this book! I wasn’t at all sure if I was (for various reasons explained below, but mostly because I’m not a contemporary romance kinda girl), but soon after I started, I realized it was a unique one.

Some of the best parts were Chris (yes, he deserves his own part) and the themes, which ended up surprising me (even though I don’t 100% agree with all the author’s conclusions).

Characters

Cassie, the main character, took a while to grow on me. She just came across as a bit dramatic and whiny for a grown woman – she’s not a teen, so I expected more maturity which means less drama. Still, I came to respect her over the course of time. She was a hard worker with a good heart who was going through some tough stuff (which I of course didn’t know at the beginning, meaning my heart wasn’t as soft toward her as it could be – it just felt like she was whining a ton for no reason!).

Her life story was honestly super inspiring, even though it was like a BBC drama for a while then. (I was going, “Is she the Lady Edith of the modern world? Is Chris her better-suited-for-her Bertie?”) I was glad to see it unfold over the course of the story (and pssttt, glad it ended how it ended!).

Chris is a sweet guy. We all need a guy like him in our lives! At times he seemed a little too perfect, which would be my only complaint. Compared to Cassie, he just seemed like a saint sometimes. I was like, “Do you have any faults, Chris!?”

I’m not quite sure he did – and it felt like his past was a bit glossed over compared to Cassie’s. I would have liked to know more! It felt like there was just one conversation. I suppose that’s because he was so … over it. Which was FANTASTIC and a good example – just made him a little less interesting.

Setting

The Australian setting was unique. Could have used with a bit more description, but there was still of course a foreign atmosphere to it.

I almost wished the author had have spent more time digging into the uniqueness, but of course, that might have annoyed/confused some readers who are just looking for a good romance without worrying too much about the setting.

Themes

The themes were the place where I had hesitated when reading the blurb. I was like, “Oh, no … I’m going to disagree.” But divorce and remarriage after divorce is one of those things that, though I do have some strong opinions on, I have a little bit of wiggle room. I believe that God offers some grace in certain situations.

So I was hoping it wasn’t one of those things where the author is like, “Oh, yeah, she has a past. We’ll mention it twice and then be done because it’s not a big deal, God is love, He doesn’t care, blahblahblah.”

Thankfully … no. Cassie’s past relationships (of which there were two or three depending on what you call a relationship) were discussed in detail and dealt with. I think considering the subject, Lisa Renee did a good job handling some tough topics.

I didn’t necessarily agree with all the author’s conclusions, but I do believe it’s situational. Divorce is a horrible thing, but it’s not always avoidable (if the relationship is abusive, if the spouse cheats and refuses to repent, etc). I believe that it’s safe to assume that understanding God’s will for your life is the main thing in such cases.

Plot

The plot was a little slow-paced, and at times I found myself very tempted to skim as I wanted to get to the next “good part.”