Second Chance Season

Lake in the Clouds #3

by Emily March

Return to "a brilliant writer you'll love" (Susan Mallery) in this romantic women's fiction novel, where an unexpected wedding reveals family secrets, rocking the lives of the Prentice family! When young bride-to-be Zoey Hillcrest chooses the newly refurbished Inn at Mirror Lake for her destination wedding, life in the small Rocky Mountain town will never be the same for Genevieve Prentice and her sister Helen McDaniel. A chance run-in after Zoey’s arrival turns the sisters' worlds upside down as they discover a family secret and a niece they never existed.  

What follows is nothing short of a broken engagements, family betrayal, a secret baby, and second chances at love. Blindsided by revelations that no one had anticipated, Zoey, Helen, and Genevieve must make peace with the past—and one another—in order to reach for the dream the future has to offer.  

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Family, Chick Lit

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2024

About the author

Pseudonym(s): Geralyn Dawson

Emily March is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Eternity Springs series. Publishers Weekly calls March a "master of delightful banter," and her heartwarming, emotionally charged stories have been named to Best of the Year lists by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Romance Writers of America.

Reviews

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chance Season by Emily March
Lake in the Cloud series #3. Contemporary romance. Closed door. Multiple POV. Best read in series order.
Business is thriving at the renovated vacation property resort in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado. In particular, the wedding event planner Willow Eldridge’s reputation is growing and they just got a referral from Angel’s Rest. When Zoey Hillcrest first walks into the resort, owners Helen McDaniel and Genevieve Prentice are shocked at how closely she resembles Willow. Doppelganger or long lost relative, Zoey is impressed with the resort and plans are set in motion to have the wedding there in August, just eight months away.
Zoey and her fiancé Connor are a busy couple. Both doctors with Zoey working on a specialty. When her mother shows up in hospice with a request to see her, Zoey hopes to learn more about her mother’s past but she still not willing to share anything. Zoey ends up taking a DNA kit and is eventually contacted with a close relative. It’s a happy surprise for Zoey but quite a shock for the family back at the resort. The fact that Zoey looks so much like Willow can be explained by DNA and now they have to figure out the connection.

It’s a sentimental family reunion as the women work through the connection and help Zoey find her family.
Zoey’s mother sends her into a spiral of questions and doubt. Both Angel’s Rest and now Reflections Inn at Mirror Lake are just the place to recover, relax, and renew.
Lovely and heartwarming.

[Jenna (readinginjennaland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are back in Lake in the Clouds, Colorado with Helen and Genevieve. A new bride named Zoey has come to the inn for a tour for her wedding in August. She looks a lot like Willow, the resemblance is uncanny. When Zoey's mom is on her death bed. Zoey has questions she decides to do a DNA test and she finds out she is somehow related to Willow. This opens some buried secrets.

I really loved this book. I love when the writing is so good. You are hooked and become part of the story. I laughed with the family and shed many tears with the family. I really enjoyed this series.

[Tammy Genest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read great series!!!

[Cindy P Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

worth taking chances

3rd in series hits it out of the park! Loved the entire series & strongly recommend reading each book. This last one brings all the emotions.

[Maria Amezquita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated up to a 4 stars. I really wanted to love this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t even finish it. I liked the plots and the big discovery, but I just couldn’t get myself invested in Helen and Zoey.

[Meg Huntington · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sweetest ending to this three book series! Loved everything about the storyline and getting to dive into Helen’s past instead of only Genevieve. All three are worth the read. A++ Emily March

[Traci Hoffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly enjoyable read! I loved Second Chance Season by Emily March! This is the third book in this series but can easily stand on its own.
Second Chance Season follows the life and romantic journey of three characters- sisters Helen and Genevieve, who co-own a beautiful resort in the Colorado mountains; and Zoey, a bride-to-be who visits the resort with her fiance as they sought out a wedding venue. Through a series of events, the three characters discover unexpected family connections in a beautiful story of redemption, forgiveness and true love! The magical mountain setting in Colorado was a favorite “character” as well. I can’t wait to visit this series again in the future! Highly recommend!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What an emotional roller coaster, all in a good way! I love these characters and am delighted in how the family continues to grow. There are secrets, heartaches, wonderful surprises, and a miracle or two. This is a magical and touching visit to Lake in the Clouds!

[Kaye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I happily returned for the third installment in the Lake in the Clouds series. Each book has been better than the last. The series began with Genevieve taking a break from parenting. She was widowed at 39 and gave everything to raising her kids. When none of her kids returned for Thanksgiving she sold the family home and purchased a rustic waterfront lodge with her sister with the idea to renovate and flip. The first two books included romances for two of her children and a potential romance for her.

I was pleasantly surprised the focus in this book was more on her sister, Helen McDaniel. She is the town mayor and has had a long and successful career as a lawyer. She had three marriages and after many miscarriages accepted being the doting aunt to her sister's children. Enter Dr. Zoey Hillcrest, who comes to Lake in the Clouds with her fiance, seeing it as a potential wedding venue. All of them are startled at the resemblance of Zoey to Genevieve’s daughter Willow who is the wedding planner. The story follows Zoey as she makes discoveries no one is expecting.

I love the clear love and understanding between Genevieve and Helen. Their sisterhood is rocked by past secrets but they are each other's staunchest supporters. Genevieve’s storyline and romance progresses in this book as well. I was especially moved by some of the ending scenes. All of the characters are likable and the story easily readable. It can be read on its own but it enhances my enjoyment by already knowing the sisters from the previous book. This was a wonderful way to finish up the series, but there is still a single son so there may be one more book to come. Either way I will gladly read whatever the author writes next.

Thank you Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the digital copy and I am leaving an honest review.

[Jennifer Ritter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chance Season is the third book in Emily March’s Lake in the Clouds trilogy. In this edition Genevieve Prentice and Helen McDaniel, sisters and co-owners of the Rainbow Lodge on Mirror Lake, are embarking upon some changes. Having been made a generous offer to sell the resort, the sisters decide they still have things they want to do at the lodge. That same day, Willow, Genevieve’s daughter, makes a proposal to begin a wedding destination business within the lodge. Willow has already planned many events at the lodge but now wants to become a partner.

Dr. Zoey Hillcrest and Dr. Connor MacDougal meet with Willow to plan their special day, intertwining the two families stories with surprising results. And the more that is revealed, the better the story becomes. I have enjoyed this series and am hoping that the trilogy will blossom into a series to answer all the questions I still have. I do recommend this series and this book.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful read from Emily March. I love her books because they are clean romance with relatable characters and situations. Tropes: second chances (my favorite), small town romance.

Celeste Blessing sends a couple looking for a wedding venue to Raindrop Lodge and Cabins Resort, as she is overbooked. Or did she have ulterior reasons, when she got a look at the bride to be? Because the bride, Zoey Hillcrest, looks eerily like Willow Eldridge, event planner and daughter and niece of the two owners of the Resort. Many secrets from the past, reveal the pain caused by utter cruelty by family members. Heart ache and joy. Hard to put down.

I read a gifted Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley.com. This is my honest, unbiased and voluntary review.

[Becky Tatar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third book in the series, but it seems as if storylines have been skipped with Genevieve's family. She and her sister Helen have been having a great life, running Rainbow Inn, traveling. But things are about to change, when a prospective bride and groom, Zoey and Cooper, come to look at what Rainbow Inn can provide as a wedding venue. And the shock is that Zoey is a dead ringer for Genevieve's daughter, Willow. At first accepting this as a weird coincidence, Zoey's life turns upside down when her absent mother shows up with a rare form of cancer, and dies. Zoey's desperate for answers, about her mom, and her life, so at Cooper's suggestion, does a DNA test. And the ensuing results are not what anyone expected.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A complicated family story begins when bride-to-be Zoey meets sisters Helen and Genevieve, and Willow, Genevieve’s daughter, who own the “Inn at Mirror Lake” where Zoey plans to be married. The uncanny resemblance between Zoey and Willow cannot be denied. As the story unfolds, family secrets are revealed. This large close knit family deals with death, adoption issues, betrayals, lost loves, broken engagements, and a new baby. Fun to tag along as this family welcomes their own and celebrates one another. The best part of this family drama was the unbreakable loving bond between Helen and Genevieve.



favorite quotes:
“The relationship you have with your sister is the longest lasting one of your life…”

“there’s always room fo more love”

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Chance Season is the third book in the series Lake in the Clouds by Emily March. It was an excellent book, and I am now going to read the first two in this series.
The story was so perfectly written that the characters come to life for me as I was reading.
I like books about sisters that are older. This has ever imaginable life event that sisters can go through in their lives.
I now have a new author that I will be looking for books from.
Thank you NetGalley, Emily March and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the copy of Second Chance Season. This is my personal review.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book in the series and a fitting end. While I would have loved another of the Prentice kids to star, the addition of Zoey and seeing Helen get her own HEA of sorts is a nice bookend. You can definitely read this without reading the previous two, but it is worth going back to the beginning.
4 stars

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am living this series and this one did not disappoint. A young couple end up at a resort to plan their wedding . Turns out the bride is a burned out med student with unresolved issues due to being abandoned by her mother. As she works through this she finds out more about her family and how it intertwines with the owners of the venue.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I adored this novel! The characters and setting were richly written and captivating. The storyline was perfect, from the family secrets to how things unravel in an unexpected way. I think this is my first book by this author, but will definitely be looking for more of her work.

[Doris Lankford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I want to go to Lake in the Clouds and stay at the Inn. The story was full of surprises and twists and turns. Everything came together in the end with a happy ever after for everyone.

[Anne Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I snagged this book from a book box. I wanted something light to read. This fit the bill.
Good character development; easy to follow; some twists and turns to keep you interested. First time I’ve read anything written by this author. I may read another one.

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

[Cecelia Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved it

I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. This is one I will read again. I can’t wait to read more about this family!

[Karen DeCarlo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book by Emily March. I've read many many of her stories, but I have to put this one close to the top. I loved that this story wasn't just about young love, but also a love story of those of an older generation. Great read.

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

#3 in series, recommend to read series in order.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me forever to read, but I did enjoy this book. A great ending!

[Valerie J. Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good story and series.

[kelly 🤖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.1 — i love the beginning, but it momentum started to die towards the middle. it is an easy book to read :’) i enjoyed it overall

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8 beach type read..you know the type ! Good story, sad at times. Love, family, forgiveness and acceptance

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wonderful! This return to Lake in the Clouds, Co. was such a beautiful experience. I laughed and cried!

[Jodie (That Happy Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returning to the Lake in the Clouds setting for Second Chance Season by Emily March felt like revisiting an old friend. March’s description of this small Rocky Mountain town is so majestic and tranquil that it almost feels like a character in its own right. Who wouldn’t want to spend time there? This book is the third in the series, and while it can certainly be enjoyed as a standalone, having read the previous books adds an extra layer of depth to the story.

In Second Chance Season, we’re introduced to Zoey Hillcrest, a young bride-to-be who is still completing the last few months of her medical education. Newly engaged, she dreams of getting married at the Inn at Mirror Lake, but what she uncovers there is more than just a wedding venue—it’s the key to her lifelong quest of discovering who she truly is. What she finds will not only change her life but also deeply affect those around her, including the series’ main characters.

I particularly loved how the story alternates between Zoey, Genevieve Prentice, and Helen McDaniel. Through these intertwined storylines, we gain insight into Genevieve and Helen’s pasts, uncovering family secrets that deepen the already strong bond between these women. Without giving too much away, there’s a powerful message of hope and forgiveness woven throughout the narrative that leaves a lasting impression.

Final Thoughts:

This is, without a doubt, my favorite book in the series. While I can’t help but hope for a fourth instalment, Second Chance Season feels like the perfect conclusion to a beautiful series.

4.5 stars (rounded up to 5)

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chance Season by Emily March, book three in her Lake in the Clouds series, was a heartwarming emotional roller coaster, filled with secrets, heartaches, wonderful surprises, and a miracle or two. Zoey Hillcrest is a young bride-to-be who is still completing the last few months of her medical education. Newly engaged, she dreams of getting married at the Inn at Mirror Lake, but what she uncovers there is more than just a wedding venue; it’s the key to her lifelong quest of discovering who she really is. What she finds will not only change her life but also deeply affect those around her, including the series’ main characters.

The story alternates between Zoey, Genevieve Prentice, and Helen McDaniel. Through these intertwined storylines, we gain insight into Genevieve and Helen’s pasts, uncovering family secrets that deepen the already strong bond between these women. Without away giving too much, there’s a powerful message of hope and forgiveness woven throughout the narrative that leaves a lasting impression.

Ms. March wrote another amazing story with interesting characters that creates the feeling that we are revisiting old friends. Her description of this small Rocky Mountain town is so visual that it feels as if the reader is there with the characters. Although this is a standalone story, reading the previous books will add an extra layer of depth to the story. I highly recommend Second Chance Season to other readers and hope there is another book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#SecondChanceSeason #NetGalley #Forever