Second Chance Duet

For a couple of years, I’ve been anticipating Ana Holguin‘s novel, Second Chance Duet. So much so that, while I was waiting for it, I read her first book, Up Close & Personal! At long last it is here, and what a treat it is. Celia García is a composer whose goal is to score for films, not just the commercial jingles she’s done up until now. But then she gets her first real opportunity to do the film scoring for a new series… but only if she works with her Oliver Barlowe, her sort-of enemy from college. Living and working together for career success is one thing, but what if they stumble into something more while making music together?

What I Liked:

• Music! I always love when music plays a central role in a book. Here, I especially enjoyed that Second Chance Duet shows a different style of music than normally feature in the novels I’ve read. Celia and Oliver are film scorers who went to Juilliard together. Between their college years timeline and the current one, the book gives a good sense of their musical skill and how they compose for different assignments.
• Dual timeline. While this can be hit or miss for me, I liked the dual timeline in Second Chance Duet. This may be because the two timelines didn’t mirror each other too much: In college, Celia and Oliver didn’t know each other well, but her opinion of him was mostly negative. It improved with time, but they never became that close. In the modern timeline, both characters are much more mature and able to communicate well, and this opens up the floor for potential friendship and romance.
• Slow burn! I really loved seeing these two former rivals become colleagues and roommates all at once. They don’t act like enemies, though. Rather, they’re polite and professional, and it’s not long before they start to get more comfortable with each other. It was cute seeing their relationship slowly evolve, especially knowing that Oliver’s feelings for Celia go way back!
• Family differences. Oliver is so shy and awkward at first, and his distant family life has a lot to do with that. In contrast, Celia’s family is extremely close and warm. Her family is lovable, but my heart went out to Oliver.
• Extra media. Each chapter ends with some bonus content, including emails, text messages, news articles, and more. This adds to the narrative so well, without being redundant or irrelevant.

Audiobook:

Jacqueline Sol narrates Second Chance Duet, all from Celia’s perspective. While her narration felt a little flat at first, it did improve with time, and I grew to like the voice acting she gave certain parts. I appreciated her pronunciation of Spanish names and words, as well, since Celia’s family is Puerto Rican and Cuban.

Final Thoughts

Second Chance Duet was exactly the kind of romance I love: lots of music, forced proximity, and seeing characters learn to be vulnerable with each other. This was a quick but memorable read, and I can’t wait for the next book from Ana Holguin.

Special thanks to Forever, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Second Chance Duet here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Second Chance Duet by Ana Holguin
Audiobook Narrator	Jacqueline Sol
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Maine; New York
Number of Pages	384
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	March 10, 2026
Publisher	Forever

Official Summary

A swoony, slow burn romance about a struggling composer whose big break comes at a cost—working side-by-side with her college nemesis.

Celia García has always had one goal: to compose film scores. But after a decade of advertising jingles, that dream couldn’t be further out of reach—until an old college friend presents her with a life-changing opportunity. A big-name director so desperately needs a composer for his TV debut that he’ll take a chance on someone new. There’s only one catch. Celia has to work—and live—with her college nemesis, Oliver Barlowe.

Celia remembers Oliver as arrogant, rude, and entitled—the picture-perfect scion of Hollywood royalty. Soon, though, late nights and long days together reveal how much Oliver’s changed, sparking new feelings and the discovery that their rivalry wasn’t quite as mutual as she thought. But in an industry where she needs to work twice as hard to be seen as half as good, a romance with Oliver could end Celia’s career just as it’s starting.