From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold romances Susan Mallery, comes the second standalone title in the Happily, Inc. Series—YOU SAY IT FIRST! You’re invited to visit Happily, Inc., a wedding destination founded on a fairy tale. Where people live… wait for it… happily ever after.
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SECOND CHANCE GIRL Synopsis:
From the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Susan Mallery, read the second irresistible installment in the Happily Inc series!
Mathias Mitchell’s easy smile hides a world of hurt. After the worst kind of family betrayal, he moves to Happily Inc., California—the wedding destination town supplies a steady stream of bridesmaids, perfect for his “no promises, no pain” lifestyle. Yet he can’t stop watching for his beautiful, elusive neighbor on the animal preserve behind their homes.
Gamekeeper Carol Lund knows she’s not special enough to attract an alpha male like Mathias, so his offer to help her adopt a herd for her lonely giraffe is surprising—and his determined seduction, even more so. But just as she finally welcomes him into her bed, his careless actions crush her heart. Will she give him a second chance to prove she’ll always come first in his heart?
Don’t miss You Say It First, the first book in the Happily Inc series.
SASCHA DARLINGTON’S REVIEW
I loved Second Chance Girl! Having just read and reviewed You Say It First (you can read that review here), Susan Mallery’s first offering in the Happily Inc. series I already knew a little about Carol and Mathias coming into Second Chance Girl. I was intrigued by the stoic Carol and the charming Mathias. Susan Mallery didn’t let me down in telling their story.
Mathias is a laid back charmer who typically beds bridesmaids because they’ll be leaving town with little risk of emotional investment, which is important because the people in his life have a history of tromping on his heart and trust. Carol is his friend and neighbor, someone he feels comfortable with. Although he’s attracted, he doesn’t want to change their relationship.
As children, Carol and her sister Violet were always told how special they were by their parents. At school, Carol is the first to learn that maybe they aren’t that special; it’s something that Carol’s taken to heart especially when a few relationships seem to reiterate the point. How could the marvelously talented and handsome Mathias ever view her as something more than a pal?
It would have been very easy for Mallery to write Carol as self-pitying, but she doesn’t. Carol seems like a real-life woman with depth and a self-deprecating kind of humor. She’s the type of woman who loves animals and loves to be outdoors and hasn’t pictured her wedding since she was five, which I appreciated. Mathias is her perfect other. He accepts her as she is. They are swoon-worthy and sweet. This is one of the few couples that I’ve read about in romances lately where I could imagine them having a long happily-ever-after because it’s not just based on lust but on love, affection, and companionship as well.
As a companion story, Carol’s younger sister, the quirky Violet meets up with a man she had a crush on when she was fourteen, an English Duke, Ulrich. Their story is charming and fun and makes a great side story to Carol and Mathias’.
And, as if that isn’t enough, we have Millie, the giraffe, and Sophie, the mischievous beagle. I loved these two characters. Millie’s story of being a lone Somali giraffe tweaks the heartstrings. Sophie, as a perfect foil, brings the laughs.
There is just so much going on in Second Chance Girl that I almost want to read it all over again and tell you more about it, but then I think you’d be happier reading it for yourself. It is so well written and the characters have depth and…well, just read it! If you love romances that are more on the chick lit side with characters who seem like real people and events that don’t always work out, give it a go. You might want to read You Say It First first though. While I can imagine that Second Chance Girl could be read as a standalone, I think you’ll have more background if you read You Say It First. As I mentioned in my review of You Say It First, there are a lot of characters to keep track of.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rating: 
5 out of 5 butterflies
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-EXCERPT-
Getting kicked in the stomach by a gazelle was never pleasant, but at one-thirty in the morning, it was especially hard to take. Carol Lund glared at Bronwen and the gazelle glared right back.
“You don’t get to have attitude, young lady,” Carol told her. “I’m not the one who insisted on going out by the rocks. I’m not the one who got scraped up, yet here I am, in the middle of the night, checking on your leg to make sure you don’t have an infection.”
Bronwen was notably unimpressed by Carol’s presence and dedication. She stomped her front hooves and turned away.
“You say that now,” Carol grumbled. “But just wait until feeding time. Suddenly I’m your best friend. You’re incredibly fickle.”
Carol packed up her supplies. Bronwen’s leg seemed to be healing nicely. With luck she wouldn’t require a second night’s visit tomorrow and Carol could catch up on the sleep she was missing.
She left the gazelle barn and started for her Jeep. The night was clear and cool and there were a million stars in the sky. While Carol would have preferred that Bronwen hadn’t been injured and that they’d both been able to sleep through the night, she had to admit that staring at the perfect sky was a very cool compensation. If she didn’t look at the horizon, or try to pick out individual constellations, she could be anywhere in the world—literally. Because the night sky was a constant.
Oh, sure, there were differences between the hemispheres and at certain times of the year, but still…stars!
She climbed in her Jeep and drove toward her small bungalow, then pulled onto the shoulder before she got there and cut the engine and lights. She got out of the Jeep, sank down onto the ground and gave herself over to the nighttime view.
It was October in the desert which meant warm days and pleasant nights. Rain was an unlikely possibility—that was more a spring-summer thing. The closest town was Happily Inc and it wasn’t all that huge, so it wasn’t hard to get away from the streetlights and into true darkness. Here, on the road, she was flanked by the mountains and the golf course, with the rolling hills of the Happily Inc Animal Preserve just behind her. And the stars.
She draped her jacket on the ground so she could lie down and get the best view of the wonder overhead. She had no idea how long she’d been lying there when a pair of headlights cut through the darkness and briefly illuminated her.
Carol sat up as a swoopy midnight-blue Mercedes sedan pulled in behind her Jeep.
Of all the gin joints in all the world, she thought. She watched a tall, dark-haired man step out of his car and walk toward her. It had to be after two in the morning, yet Mathias Mitchell looked more alert than sleepy. No doubt the lingering effects of the hunt, takedown and getting laid.
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Susan Mallery’s SECOND CHANCE GIRL – Review & Excerpt Tour Schedule:
September 18th
A Southern Girls Bookshelf – Excerpt
Fire and Ice Book Reviews – Review
Little Bookworm Reviews – Review
The Butterfly Reads – Review & Excerpt
September 19th
Collector of book boyfriends – Excerpt
I Love Romance – Review & Excerpt
Mama She’s Crazy About Books – Review
Ramblings From This Chick – Excerpt
September 20th
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
It’s all About the Romance – Review & Excerpt
Rachel Loren’s Love of Reading – Review & Excerpt
Stephanie’s Book Reports – Review & Excerpt
September 21st
Adventures in Writing – Excerpt
Books and Things Blog – Review & Excerpt
Reading Reality – Review
Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance – Excerpt
September 22nd
Becky on Books – Review & Excerpt
Jen’s Reading Obsession – Review & Excerpt
KDRBCK – Review
Romancing the Readers – Review
September 23rd
Brittany’s Book Blog – Excerpt
OMGReads – Review & Excerpt
What Is That Book About – Excerpt
September 24th
E-Romance News – Excerpt
K.T. Castle – Excerpt
Melena’s Reviews – Review & Excerpt
Nicole’s Book Musings – Review & Excerpt
September 25th
For the love of romance – Review & Excerpt
Inside The Mind of an Avid Reader – Review & Excerpt
Smokin Hot Reads Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
September 26th
Always a happy ever after – Review & Excerpt
Bookishly Yours – Excerpt
Cesya MaRae Cuono, Author – Excerpt
Lattes & Paperbacks – Review & Excerpt
September 27th
Loves Great Reads Blog – Excerpt
Pervy Ladies Books – Review & Excerpt
Reads & Reviews – Review
Thoughts of a Blonde – Excerpt
September 28th
I’m A Book Shark – Review & Excerpt
Romantic Reads and Such – Excerpt
Tales From A Bookworm – Review & Excerpt
September 29th
Gataleitora – Review
Nose Stuck in a Book – Excerpt
Remarkablylisa – Review & Excerpt
TBR Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
September 30th
A geordielass honest blog on reviews – Review
Dog-Eared Daydreams – Review
Sofia Loves Books – Review & Excerpt
Two Book Pushers – Review
October 1st
Miss Riki – Review & Excerpt
Shannon’s Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
The Book Maven – Review
October 2nd
Crazii Bitches Book Blog – Review & Excerpt
From the TBR PIle – Review & Excerpt
Living In Our Own Story – Review & Excerpt
Booknerd1107 – Review & Excerpt
October 3rd
Katy and Zetti’s Book Ramblings – Excerpt
I love My Bookgasms blog – Review & Excerpt
Readaholic – Excerpt
Renee Entress’s Blog – Review & Excerpt
October 4th
Booked All Night – Review & Excerpt
JOJO THE BOOKAHOLIC – Review & Excerpt
My Nook, Books & More – Review
Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored – Review & Excerpt
October 5th
Book Reviews By Lexi – Review
Mean Girls Luv Books – Review & Excerpt
The bookworm chronicles – Excerpt
Sweet Red Reads – Review & Excerpt
October 6th
Book Lovers Hangout – Review & Excerpt
G & T’s Indie Café – Excerpt
Lover of Big Books Cannot Lie – Review & Excerpt
Shelf_Life – Review & Excerpt
AND don’t miss the first standalone title in the Happily, Inc. Series, YOU SAY IT FIRST! Grab your copy today!
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Nook | Book Depository | Powell’s
iBooks | BAM | Kobo | GooglePlay | IndieBound | Audible
About Susan Mallery:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women’s lives—family, friendship, romance. She’s best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her online at SusanMallery.com.
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Sounds like a sweet story.
It’s the comfort food of books. 🙂
Thank you so much! ~Jessica, InkSlinger PR