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Second Chance
Set in the Old West, Second Chance is a compelling, sexy historical romance that proves love is better the second time around. With a bad marriage behind her and the note on her horse ranch coming due, young widow Katherine Logan has neither the time nor the inclination to save a low-down bandit. But the sight of Jake changes her mind real quick.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1994
13 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Lori Handeland
128 books1,348 followersLori Handeland is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels spanning the genres of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, historical romance and historical fantasy.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
After a quarter-century of success and accolades, she began a new chapter in her career with her women’s fiction debut, Just Once (Severn House, January 2019), which received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.
Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 12, 2013
Audiobook format. Narrated by Donna Postel, it's a old time Western and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Narration is wonderful.
Finished. Another narrator I met at APAC, Donna Postel is rather new to audiobooks with around 25 titles on her backlist. I recently listened to her very first narration, Lori Handeland’s Second Chance, an old fashioned western. I immediately fell into Donna’s narration – it’s soothing yet true to the written word and very well performed. The content would garner a B from me in a review but the narration would receive an A.
Finished. Another narrator I met at APAC, Donna Postel is rather new to audiobooks with around 25 titles on her backlist. I recently listened to her very first narration, Lori Handeland’s Second Chance, an old fashioned western. I immediately fell into Donna’s narration – it’s soothing yet true to the written word and very well performed. The content would garner a B from me in a review but the narration would receive an A.
January 24, 2015
One way to get your man is shoot him down from the gallows. However Katherine had to keep saving hers even though he appeared to be a confederate outlaw in Yanky territory 5 years after the war.
Exciting with psycho forman, horse whisperer outlaw, mole in the bank helping the gang and a town who hates the southern belle even when she'd live in Boston till almost grown.
Good adventure.
Exciting with psycho forman, horse whisperer outlaw, mole in the bank helping the gang and a town who hates the southern belle even when she'd live in Boston till almost grown.
Good adventure.
December 21, 2014
So I have this thing for westerns, particularly romantic western and recently I discovered the works of Lori Handeland/Lori Austin. This book I believe is her first (or at least one of her very first) so it has been around for few decades, and I'd say it shows. The pot is kind of classic; Jake is a spy who falls in love while on an undercover job trying to nail the Coltrain gang from robbing trains passing through the small town of Second Chance. The story takes off after Jake has been captured by the town's sheriff and is about to get hanged for participating in the robbery (he's been infiltrating the Coltrain gang). Due to an old rule and the town's history criminals are offered a second chance in case someone in town is willing to give it to them. Out a of the spur of the moment Katie, sick of seeing men hang, offers to give Jake that second chance.
Of course they feel instantly attracted to one another and eventually fall in love. KAtie has problems of her own, with managing the mortgage for her ranch and to cooperate with her foreman Swade - the man is assured Katie belongs with him and accepts nothing standing in his way. Naturally he is not sitting silently at the side while watching the criminal and reb Jake move in on territory he counts as his.
Someone in town, probably at the bank itself, is feeding the Coltrain gang with information about the trains and the money deliveries. At one point I had pinned it down to three suspects and I liked how the author made me guess and second guess who the traitor is.
It was a decent read, although I prefer Reese and Beauty and the Bounty Hunter. With the first one having several similarities with Second Chance and the second one having a more modern feel to it than this book. I will keep an eye out for more westerns by Handeland/Austin because I definitely enjoy the genre.
Of course they feel instantly attracted to one another and eventually fall in love. KAtie has problems of her own, with managing the mortgage for her ranch and to cooperate with her foreman Swade - the man is assured Katie belongs with him and accepts nothing standing in his way. Naturally he is not sitting silently at the side while watching the criminal and reb Jake move in on territory he counts as his.
Someone in town, probably at the bank itself, is feeding the Coltrain gang with information about the trains and the money deliveries. At one point I had pinned it down to three suspects and I liked how the author made me guess and second guess who the traitor is.
It was a decent read, although I prefer Reese and Beauty and the Bounty Hunter. With the first one having several similarities with Second Chance and the second one having a more modern feel to it than this book. I will keep an eye out for more westerns by Handeland/Austin because I definitely enjoy the genre.
February 9, 2015
I hesitated between 2 and 3 stars because I love the later works of Lori Handeland in her Once Upon a Time in the West series. This has to be one of her earliest works, and when comparing it to her recent Westerns, it demonstrates that a writer, even when published, can grow and develop in amazing ways while practicing her art.
Considering the period when this was published, it would be midlist work with the usual clinch cover. The heroine makes foolish, sometimes stupid mistakes, and the hero is too good to be true. Good thing he's a Pinkerton agent working undercover as a bank robber because he's hard to believe as an outlaw. Handeland's later works get right down into the gritty dark places of the soul, and her characters ring emotionally true. The prose crackles in those books, where in this one it merely meanders. However rough this early book is, Handeland demonstrates her gift for plotting with some nice, unexpected twists.I'm glad I found it in a used bookstore.
Considering the period when this was published, it would be midlist work with the usual clinch cover. The heroine makes foolish, sometimes stupid mistakes, and the hero is too good to be true. Good thing he's a Pinkerton agent working undercover as a bank robber because he's hard to believe as an outlaw. Handeland's later works get right down into the gritty dark places of the soul, and her characters ring emotionally true. The prose crackles in those books, where in this one it merely meanders. However rough this early book is, Handeland demonstrates her gift for plotting with some nice, unexpected twists.I'm glad I found it in a used bookstore.
January 12, 2015
I love a good romance with hope, faith, salvation & undeniable, sizzling attraction. Fated at first sight even better. I love historical romance, but most are too sweet & clean. This book had the right amount. Not overkill, but electric. I loved the villains & heroes. The chase & mystery. I think the ending was great considering Katie was a last minute heroin at every instance. I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. However the description of Coltrain is very "Fabio" like. Angelic face, hair blowing in the wind, over the top white horse rearing & bowing. Made me gag & did not at all intice me to read his story. Now Jake I liked.
September 25, 2013
Do not like book or narrator.
October 12, 2014
enjoyed it immensely
May 11, 2015
Great story.
Goes to show you that everyone deserves a second chance. But sometimes people get a rumor about someone or something and prejudices can reek havoc on all .
Goes to show you that everyone deserves a second chance. But sometimes people get a rumor about someone or something and prejudices can reek havoc on all .
February 18, 2016
Western romance is not my usual genre preference, but this was a Kindle sale by an author I enjoy. It was entertaining.
November 29, 2015
Great book, fantastic author!! Great story about 2nd chances in the old west.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews