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Surprise Baby, Second Chance
Reunited for one night...
Bound forever by the consequence!
Determined never to become a burden on the person she's loves most, Rosa walked away from her husband, Aaron. Now she's back on his island home for a family party, and they end up stranded together during a storm! Forced to confront the past and their infinite attraction, a kiss leads to one more night... And when she discovers she's pregnant, Rosa knows it's time to fight for their future.
Bound forever by the consequence!
Determined never to become a burden on the person she's loves most, Rosa walked away from her husband, Aaron. Now she's back on his island home for a family party, and they end up stranded together during a storm! Forced to confront the past and their infinite attraction, a kiss leads to one more night... And when she discovers she's pregnant, Rosa knows it's time to fight for their future.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 23, 2018
5 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Therese Beharrie
109 books360 followersTherese Beharrie is a South African romance author of several acclaimed novels, including her One Day to Forever series. She takes pride in writing diverse characters and settings, and her books are often recommended for their heart and banter. She lives in Cape Town with her husband, her inspiration for every hero, and two adorable baby boys. You can find her on Twitter and Facebook or visit her at theresebeharrie.com.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 4, 2021
I picked up this story without knowing anything about it except it was a second chance story.
Unfortunately, it contained two subjects I don’t like to see in romances. Cancer and mental illness.
The H/h’s mothers were chemo buddies and cooked up some matchmaking while they were in treatment. After the h’s mother dies (and the H’s mother recovers), the H/h marry.
All is well. Hero is a lawyer. Heroine is plus-size dress designer.
Heroine leaves the hero after she discovers a lump in her breast. She’s staying away from him so he won’t have to stand by her during cancer treatments. Even when she discovers she doesn’t have cancer, she stays away because she thinks her anxiety is a harbinger of the “severe mental illness” her mother suffered from.
The ‘severe mental illness’ her mother had was untreated hypochondria (emphasis on untreated), which is a form of anxiety. Public service announcement: therapy, behavior modification and medication will allow someone with severe anxiety to cope with life and even thrive. This was such a cop-out, imo.
Before you feel sorry for the hero, he’s just as immature. He blames all of his hang-ups on *his * mother.
Interfering mother-in-law arranges for the H/h to be stranded on a holiday island during a winter storm. The good news: They talk it out and understand each other better.
The bad news is that these two pouty whiners are going to have a child. Let’s see how everyone’s anxiety levels peak during the teenage years.
To add insult to reader injury, the entire story is dialogue with very little world building. Only my irritation kept me from sinking into boredom.
Unfortunately, it contained two subjects I don’t like to see in romances. Cancer and mental illness.
The H/h’s mothers were chemo buddies and cooked up some matchmaking while they were in treatment. After the h’s mother dies (and the H’s mother recovers), the H/h marry.
All is well. Hero is a lawyer. Heroine is plus-size dress designer.
Heroine leaves the hero after she discovers a lump in her breast. She’s staying away from him so he won’t have to stand by her during cancer treatments. Even when she discovers she doesn’t have cancer, she stays away because she thinks her anxiety is a harbinger of the “severe mental illness” her mother suffered from.
The ‘severe mental illness’ her mother had was untreated hypochondria (emphasis on untreated), which is a form of anxiety. Public service announcement: therapy, behavior modification and medication will allow someone with severe anxiety to cope with life and even thrive. This was such a cop-out, imo.
Before you feel sorry for the hero, he’s just as immature. He blames all of his hang-ups on *his * mother.
Interfering mother-in-law arranges for the H/h to be stranded on a holiday island during a winter storm. The good news: They talk it out and understand each other better.
The bad news is that these two pouty whiners are going to have a child. Let’s see how everyone’s anxiety levels peak during the teenage years.
To add insult to reader injury, the entire story is dialogue with very little world building. Only my irritation kept me from sinking into boredom.
August 7, 2018
I love to read marriage in trouble tropes. To explore a couple already committed to one another, yet having emotional issues always sucks me in. But this one was a little too slow for me. Rosa left her husband four months before the book starts, without a single explanation. She has her reason (I don’t want to spoil it since it doesn’t mention specifics in the blurb) but she doesn’t tell him. She just packs up her clothes one day while he isn’t there, and doesn’t speak to him for the next four months.
But now it’s her mother in-law’s birthday, and she made a promise to her own late mother, that she would show up for events like this – so she gets dressed up in one of her own designer gowns, and heads to the small island in South Africa, to attend the party, knowing she will see her husband, Aaron. When she arrives, Aaron is the first person she sees – he is actually the only person there. Set-up to be forced alone together, a bad storm comes forcing them to spend alone time together in an open-floor plan house. Nowhere to hide from one another, Rosa is forced to communicate with Aaron. She still loves him and cares for him, but she is stubborn in holding on to her reasons for leaving. Aaron is angry and hurt that she left and blames himself for a lack of communication.
I understood why Rosa left – I didn’t have a problem with her reasoning. And I think Aaron’s hurt is portrayed well. My main complaint is that it was just too slow. I always say that this author writes well done conversations but it works against the reader a bit in this one. Too much talking and not enough whatever else a book possess to keep me engaged. I think the characters fall a bit flat because of that.
Grade: C
But now it’s her mother in-law’s birthday, and she made a promise to her own late mother, that she would show up for events like this – so she gets dressed up in one of her own designer gowns, and heads to the small island in South Africa, to attend the party, knowing she will see her husband, Aaron. When she arrives, Aaron is the first person she sees – he is actually the only person there. Set-up to be forced alone together, a bad storm comes forcing them to spend alone time together in an open-floor plan house. Nowhere to hide from one another, Rosa is forced to communicate with Aaron. She still loves him and cares for him, but she is stubborn in holding on to her reasons for leaving. Aaron is angry and hurt that she left and blames himself for a lack of communication.
I understood why Rosa left – I didn’t have a problem with her reasoning. And I think Aaron’s hurt is portrayed well. My main complaint is that it was just too slow. I always say that this author writes well done conversations but it works against the reader a bit in this one. Too much talking and not enough whatever else a book possess to keep me engaged. I think the characters fall a bit flat because of that.
Grade: C
August 16, 2018
More second-chance at love stories about adults who love each other deeply but make mistakes and learn to communicate (even when forced by circumstances), please! This one was an intense, emotional read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 30, 2018
3.5 stars
So intense, I needed a break before finishing it. I love marriage in trouble trope and this was powerfully done.
Anxiety rep, mental illness, on page panic attack
CW: cancer, death of a loved one (in the past), emotional trauma from abandonment (in childhood)
This is a marriage in trouble romance, closed door sex scenes, my first by this author. I love seeing established couples overcoming issues and making things between them work in the long run. This was a very emotionally intense read, very character focused. I had to take a break before finishing it and it was all worth it. It's own voices anxiety rep, there is panic attack happening on page as well two grown up people dealing with the problems in their relationship, facing past trauma head-on. There is a lot of honest and difficult talk in this romance and could very much relate to the idea that you can love someone with all your heart and still find it difficult to share your deepest fears. Well worth a read! Reminds me a lot of Snow-kissed by Laura Florand which is the most heart-breaking romance I've ever read.
So intense, I needed a break before finishing it. I love marriage in trouble trope and this was powerfully done.
Anxiety rep, mental illness, on page panic attack
CW: cancer, death of a loved one (in the past), emotional trauma from abandonment (in childhood)
This is a marriage in trouble romance, closed door sex scenes, my first by this author. I love seeing established couples overcoming issues and making things between them work in the long run. This was a very emotionally intense read, very character focused. I had to take a break before finishing it and it was all worth it. It's own voices anxiety rep, there is panic attack happening on page as well two grown up people dealing with the problems in their relationship, facing past trauma head-on. There is a lot of honest and difficult talk in this romance and could very much relate to the idea that you can love someone with all your heart and still find it difficult to share your deepest fears. Well worth a read! Reminds me a lot of Snow-kissed by Laura Florand which is the most heart-breaking romance I've ever read.
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March 9, 2021A second chance romance with a separated couple fooled into a weekend together by his mother's manipulation. Despite the tropetastic premise this is quite angsty, as both characters have issues relating to abandonment, anxiety, and cancer (heads up for parental death also). Very emotional, dealing with unpicking a lot of gnarly feelings, and with a hero who's every bit as hurt and vulnerable as the heroine and who isn't a jerk about it.
August 1, 2018
Marriage in trouble tropes are my favourite and this was powerful. Intense but so good. Therese writes like a dream.
June 20, 2018
Surprise Baby, Second Chance was my first experience reading a Therese Beharrie book and I'm so pleased I had the opportunity to read it. In many ways, this book is like a bite of one's favorite comfort food and I can see it appealing to any romance reader who appreciates the assurance of a happy ending. If you're looking for a book that is low on angst, this one will fit the bill. Now, that is not to say it isn't emotional. However, there are no evil villains or dreadful external conflicts threatening characters Rosa and Aaron. In this case, the conflict is all internal and it strikes deeply for both the hero and heroine. Rosa and Aaron are actually married but Rosa walked away from their marriage some time ago, without an explanation. They met when their mothers were going through chemo treatment. In addition, Rosa has had some health scares of her own and is terrified of making Aaron worried for her well being. When they run into each other again, at a meeting orchestrated by Aaron's meddling mother, all the old pains and attractions return. At its heart, this is a story of two people who are damaged and who must learn to trust each other with their wounds. I think many readers will identify with the sense of anxiety that runs through each of them. This romance is very much like a heartfelt conversation between Rosa and Aaron, and I believe anyone who has ever had a sick loved one will recognize the emotions here. I'm so glad they got their happy ending.
August 1, 2018
3 1/2 STARS!
Reunited! Fast paced and intriguing story about a couple who were drawn together because of a common bond, but who didn't share their inner most thoughts and feelings well enough before marrying. The characters are both interesting and you find yourself liking them both and pulling for them to get over the hurdle to a reconciliation. The story line has good bones, but it almost feels like you're coming in mid-scene with the way it begins and carries forward. A tad flat in the presentation, but enjoyable none-the-less!
When Rosa Spencer says she'll attend a family party at the behest of her mother-in-law, she doesn't know that its a set-up to get she and her estranged husband in the same room again. She left him a few months ago with no explanation, but not because of anything he had done wrong. She's trying to protect him from the day she becomes a burden.
Aaron Spencer would have fixed anything she had a problem with if Rosa had only told him why she was unhappy enough to leave. When coming face to face with her again, all of the same love and desire flares to the surface. Stranded together in a storm, they agree to enjoy one more night before she walks away again, but when it leads to consequences, she finally figures out it's time to fight for her marriage and the life that she wants to be leading!
Reunited! Fast paced and intriguing story about a couple who were drawn together because of a common bond, but who didn't share their inner most thoughts and feelings well enough before marrying. The characters are both interesting and you find yourself liking them both and pulling for them to get over the hurdle to a reconciliation. The story line has good bones, but it almost feels like you're coming in mid-scene with the way it begins and carries forward. A tad flat in the presentation, but enjoyable none-the-less!
When Rosa Spencer says she'll attend a family party at the behest of her mother-in-law, she doesn't know that its a set-up to get she and her estranged husband in the same room again. She left him a few months ago with no explanation, but not because of anything he had done wrong. She's trying to protect him from the day she becomes a burden.
Aaron Spencer would have fixed anything she had a problem with if Rosa had only told him why she was unhappy enough to leave. When coming face to face with her again, all of the same love and desire flares to the surface. Stranded together in a storm, they agree to enjoy one more night before she walks away again, but when it leads to consequences, she finally figures out it's time to fight for her marriage and the life that she wants to be leading!
August 3, 2018
A married couple who don't act married--except in how they seem not to be communicating. Each seems to talk past the other while keeping secrets they are unwilling to share and thus deal with. When Rosa is invited to visit her mother-in-law and instead encounters the husband she walked out on five months earlier, she's not sure what is up. What she does know is she can't stay with him, but the door appears to be locked, so they are stuck together. At least until a member of the local constabulary lets them out.
Aaron wants Rosa back but doesn't know why and can't quite understand why Rosa left. He comes to the conclusion that it's his fault when she finally breaks down and tells him it's her fault. What brings them back together after they split again is her discovery that she's pregnant.
But what remains to be seen is if even that momentous connection will result in a true coming back together of this past-plagued couple.
Aaron wants Rosa back but doesn't know why and can't quite understand why Rosa left. He comes to the conclusion that it's his fault when she finally breaks down and tells him it's her fault. What brings them back together after they split again is her discovery that she's pregnant.
But what remains to be seen is if even that momentous connection will result in a true coming back together of this past-plagued couple.
December 29, 2018
Reunited for one night…Bound forever by the consequence! Determined never to become a burden on the person she’s loves most, Rosa walked away from her husband, Aaron. Now she’s back on his island home for a family party, and they end up stranded together during a storm! Forced to confront the past and their infinite attraction, a kiss leads to one more night… And when she discovers she’s pregnant, Rosa knows it is time to fight for their future. Their parents met during cancer treatments. He feels unloved, because he never met his dad, his mom never stepped up and only manipulates him, and now his wife has left him, so he must be unworthy. Rosa’s mother was a hypochondriac with anxiety issues, and she was her sole supports despite have a father and brothers that could have helped. She finds a lump and runs without telling him anything. So his mom manipulates the situation to get them to talk.
Too much drama on a loop...
Too much drama on a loop...
July 29, 2018
This is a real heart-wrencher about a marriage in trouble, but an incredibly sexy one too! The hero and heroine both have emotional issues related to their parents. Neither of them wants to repeat the mistakes of their pasts, but their mutual attraction when they get stranded together in a storm leads to a night with consequences that forces them to re-evaluate everything about themselves and their decisions. I've read all this author's books and the sparkly dialogue and emotional depth are as good as always. An emotional page-turner.
August 3, 2018
Naughtiness 2 *
Wow doesn't do justice to this book but I will find a better word before the end of this review,
A lot of the story hit very close to home with me in regards to both of our troubled yet wonderful hero and heroines struggles, I was very much connected strongly to them both, the twist and turns as well as roller coaster of emotions is heart breaking to joy and heart warming and for this I adore it.
Captivating is the word I would use for this lovely book intense in some places abd beautiful in others make this captivating story wonderful.
Thank you for writing it xxxxx
Wow doesn't do justice to this book but I will find a better word before the end of this review,
A lot of the story hit very close to home with me in regards to both of our troubled yet wonderful hero and heroines struggles, I was very much connected strongly to them both, the twist and turns as well as roller coaster of emotions is heart breaking to joy and heart warming and for this I adore it.
Captivating is the word I would use for this lovely book intense in some places abd beautiful in others make this captivating story wonderful.
Thank you for writing it xxxxx
December 28, 2020
Usually Beharrie manages to balance the Harlequin tropes and her tendency towards book-length character study, but this was close-POV to the point of claustrophobia and just too tropetastic for me. Interesting to see some of her earlier work, though!
(Also, way to thin-wash the cover, Harlequin. Gross.)
(Also, way to thin-wash the cover, Harlequin. Gross.)
January 23, 2022
Rosa Spencer walked away from her husband Aaron because she thought she had a serious health issue. Her mother-in-law set up a meeting between them. She said there was a party but there was not. Her and Aaron where the on the guest. Eventually they worked things out. The added bonus was Rosa got pregnant.
August 10, 2018
I like that the h/H grow into the relationship together. There is no suspicions/jealousy and other emotions that could take away the plot. Just when you think, the HEA is around the corner, the plot thickens. Like how it all comes about together.
September 13, 2018
A closed door second chance romance, this is a lovely book with good internal conflict. It has a lot of flashbacks to describe motivation.
December 4, 2018
This is heartbreaking and raw, the character's flawed inner monologues are well-written and explain why two people who love each stay apart. A couple to champion...
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December 11, 2019 Дай волю чувствам
November 23, 2020
A beautiful read about love illness of a family member affects the a couple relationship. This so much closer to my situation of worrying about my health and family.
August 13, 2022
The characters are profound and there have lots of anxieties because of their pasts and upbringing.
August 5, 2020
I struggled through the first half and then gave up and skimmed to the end. I didn’t much like the female MC but I was okay with her husband. I found the wife’s justifications and actions ridiculous and annoying. I had looked forward to trying this author but this particular book was not for me
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews