Rules for Second Chances

Maggie North released her debut novel, Rules for Second Chances, just over a year ago, and I’m glad I’ve finally read it. Liz is a socially anxious introvert who is just so tired of blending into the background. She wants to be seen, not stay in her husband Tobin’s shadow. She asks for a divorce, starts going after a promotion at the wilderness exhibitions business where they both work, and is looking to find her own magic. Putting herself way out of her comfort zone, she begins taking improv comedy classes. But the art of improv could also be what gets her and Tobin onto the same page. Can they rekindle their relationship amidst Liz’s journey of self-discovery?

What I Liked:

• Liz is a socially anxious introvert. I can totally relate to her on so many levels! I’ve never fully gotten over my shyness, and maybe Liz has the right idea when she starts taking improv classes. It sounds pretty scary… but I love the concept of “yes, and” and of learning to be more vulnerable. Liz no longer wants to be overlooked and dismissed; she wants to be seen the way her sunshine husband is. I really enjoyed her journey to getting her own magic, as she calls it.
• Improv scenarios to fix their relationship! Those improv classes are for Liz to get a promotion at work, but she and Tobin also start following along with the book written by the improv instructor. The book is designed to help couples (or polyamorous partnerships) in crisis. Tobin and Liz come up with scenarios inspired by what’s outlined in the book, acting as different characters to get closer to each other. What a fun yet boundary-pushing technique! I enjoyed this aspect of the novel so much.
• A different spin on the second chance romance. Though I’m not usually the biggest fan of second chance romances, I do like seeing a married couple get through a crisis together and find their way back to why they got married in the first place. That’s done so perfectly here. Liz and Tobin haven’t ever been cruel to each other at all; they just don’t understand each other. They have put up barriers and never let anyone in, not even each other. I loved seeing this broken couple mend their relationship while also finding their own self-confidence.

Final Thoughts

Rules for Second Chances is such a beautifully done book! It’s on the line between romance and women’s fiction, and it’s filled with so much heart as Liz finds herself, learns about her husband, and forges a way forward in their relationship. I’m excited to read more from Maggie North, and luckily, her new novel The Ripple Effect just came out last month!

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Rules for Second Chances here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North
Audience	Adult
Genre	Romance
Setting	Canada
Number of Pages	352
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	June 25, 2024
Publisher	St. Martin’s Griffin

Official Summary

Brimming with heart and heat, Rules for Second Chances explores the hardest relationship question of all: can true love happen twice…with the same person?

Liz Lewis has tried everything to be what people want. But she’s always been labeled different from everyone else in the boisterous world of wilderness expeditions—that is, if anyone notices her at all. Her marriage to popular adventure guide Tobin Renner-Lewis is a sinkhole of toxic positivity where she’s the only one saying no. In a mountain resort town built around excitement, introverted Liz gets…spreadsheets.

When she gets mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party and her last line of communication with Tobin finally snaps, Liz vows to stop playing a minor character in her own life. The (incredibly well-researched and scientific) plan? A crash course in confidence…via improv comedy class.

The catch? She’s terrible at it, and the only person willing to practice with her is a certain extroverted wilderness guide who seems dead set on saving their marriage one bonkers improv scenario at a time. But as Liz and Tobin get closer (…again), she’s forced to confront all the reasons they didn’t work the first time, along with her growing suspicion that there might be more to her social awkwardness than anyone realized. Liz has just eight weeks to learn improv’s most important lesson—”yes, and”—or she’ll have to choose between the love she always wanted and the dreams that got away.