This book was such a nice light easy read. I really enjoyed it.

Loved all the characters but cannot help but think the one part of the story left unanswered.

Makes me want to go back to new York again and discover all the new places i might have missed last time

The story was sort of cute. I had a hard time connecting with Evie, however i really liked how she fit with Daniel and we got to learn and understand him.

A beautiful story by one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed reading the emotions in the story.
My second book by this author, I found myself completely immersed in the story of the main characters and found myself rooting for them.

New York at Christmas, yes please. The city of second chances is a lovely, beautifully written heartwarming story. We go on a journey with Evie, a forty something widow and mother, stuck in a rut in life, so when an opportunity for a girlie trip to New York comes up, that's where the story really begins.

Let me start with saying that I very much enjoyed reading a book with a character close to my age. Not a person in her early twenties, no a person in her mid-forties with a life behind her, but still a live to life ahead.

Evie and her friend Rachel plan a visit to New York, they visited this city a mere twenty years ago as well. That trip did not bring back fond memories so this trip will hopefully bring a close to that so that their lives can go on. They can stay with Evie her sister Kate who lives in New York.

They arrive in New York and crack a bottle with Evie’s sister. This makes Evie to explore the city the next morning on her own. She literally bumps into an old college friend from when she was seventeen. But he is not a nobody, he is a well renowned actor nowadays, of course Evie knows that she sometimes flips the gossip magazines to read about her old friend. But to meet him again after so many years is something totally different. They have a little chat and somebody snaps a picture of Daniel kissing Evie on the cheek. This picture is on social media before they know it and before long Evie is in the middle of something, she least expected.

The last three chapters take place one year later, when I started in the third last chapter I thought is this still the same book? But within a few pages the past year was told and you knew Evie was living a different life. But was this sufficient for her. This I found out in these last chapters.

The book was overall a very fun and enjoy full read, lots of love, a bit of sex but nothing into detail so you can leave that up to your own mind, just the way I like it. I can only say I will keep an eye out for other books of this author as this book was very pleasant. I would recommend this book to readers who like Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella their books.

Characters = 9 | Atmosphere = 9 | Writing Style = 9 | Plot = 9 | Intrigue = 9 | Logic = 9 | Enjoyment 9 | Score 9.00 = 5 stars

This was an endearing and entertaining read. Started out sad but developed into a great chick lit romance. The characters were all likeable and the book was the sort that you get right back into when you've had to put it down for awhile. Evie is a 45 year old widow with two children who are off at college. Her job is not working for her & she and her best friend decide to go to NYC to visit Evie's sister & get away from it all. While in NYC Evie meets up with an old boyfriend, who happens to be a vehttps://www.netgalley.com/member/dashboardry popular actor now and the rest is just a great read! Definitely recommend this one.

Evie is at a crossroads in her life, her children are at uni and she is widowed and doing a job that she hates, so on the spur of the moment she quits her job and goes to New York with her best friend Rachel to stay with her sister Kate. While there she bumps into an old flame Daniel but he is now a big movie star, can she rekindle the old relationship or will the spotlight and fame that goes with him be too much for her?

A lovely warm book with the great backdrop of New York's snowy Christmassy feel

I love the story of Evie -- a 45-year-old widowed, single mom of two young adults. Tired of her unappreciative boss and a job she hates, she quits and heads to New York City with her friend Rachel for a girls weekend-away. Evie is haunted by an event that happened 20 years ago, when she and Rachel visited NYC as young adults with their friend Olivia. Olivia walked out of the nightclub they were at and disappeared, never to be heard from again. Evie hopes that by heading back to NY, she will be able to put the mystery to rest. While in NYC, she bumps into a famous actor named Daniel Roberts. But he's not just a Hollywood heart-throb; he was once her boyfriend, years before she met her husband Tom. The attraction is still there, but Evie fights with doubts on whether a relationship with Daniel could work, since they live not only on different continents (he in the U.S., she in the U.K.), but also completely different lifestyles. She doesn't want the fame and notoriety that comes with being a celebrity.

I especially liked the setting of the book -- a snow covered NYC at Christmas time. I loved the heroine -- a mature woman who is at a crossroads in her life and know she wants to make changes, but isn't sure how to do it. I didn't care much for the subplot involving Olivia; it didn't seem to get resolved in the book. But I loved the re-kindled romance with an old boyfriend--especially exciting since the old boyfriend is a famous actor.

This is a great read for someone who wants to read a romance that's a bit different from the usual love story. It delves deeper into the doubts and misconceptions an older (40 plus) woman would have about her life and her ability to find love and romance again.

I really fell in love with this book, it had a perfect mix of romance, intrigue and interesting characters. Reading it around Christmas was particularly great, but I think it's a pretty timeless story.

This is the perfect time of year for this kind of book. It is just the most wonderful, warm and magical book with that extra special Christmas feel. It was incredibly easy to get wrapped up into Evie’s world and I absolutely loved the descriptions of New York throughout. While this book does dive into some deep, darker topics such as adultery and affairs, it still has the light airy-ness of Christmas reads that I truly love. It is a fantastic read that you may just be able to get through in one sitting or to draw it out over a few because you simply do not want it to end. Jane Lacey-Crane has created a romantic novel that you simply cannot help but fall in love with – as far as I’m concerned anyhow!

While there are many things about this book to love, I have to admit that one of my absolute favourite things about this book is Judy – the waitress in the diner that Evie finds herself in on her first day in New York. It is this diner that Evie returns to each day and this setting that I truly loved about this book. I love that this diner has such a welcoming, friendly and home-coming feel to it. Of course, as well as Judy and the diner, I also absolutely admired Daniel. He was hard not to love with his ultimate shyness over the media and just how charming and lovely he was. I could understand Evie’s reluctance with him as she felt that she had already had her one true love in life but it was so special being able to witness the two characters rekindle their relationship with each other.

I also really loved the side characters Rachel and Kate. These two each had their own problems going on and it was great to see how these impacted Evie’s life and the story as a whole too. This is just another example of how Jane Lacey-Crane managed to write such a fulfilling novel whereby even the side characters had their own little arcs going on too. Which, as a character-led book lover, I thought was absolutely brilliant. I definitely think both of these characters could have their own books written about them at some point and I would be more than happy to read them.

So all in all, I very much enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. Especially if you’re looking for both a deep book that delves into darker topics and one that is also light, fluffy and romantic. This is definitely a best of both worlds kind of read that you don’t want to miss!

Evie is forty-five, working in a job she hates for a woman she can’t stand, her two children are away at university and she’s still talking (in her head) with her husband, Tom. Some days are better than others, and some days she’d rather hide under her covers and let the world go by without her. But, thanks to her best friend Rachel, her younger sister Kate and the courage to work with a therapist, while the dark days come, she understands that they can be overcome, and most of her life is spent overcoming one thing or another (most simply just embarrassing or momentarily agonizing) and with her sharp wit and increasingly vocal honesty she takes steps to answer some two decade-old questions and discover things about herself long-forgotten.

A last minute trip to New York after seeing an article that mentions Rachel and Evie’s best friend from sixth-form college, Olivia, who disappeared in New York without a trace after leaving their little group at the bar for their hotel. Newspapers and worry, not to mention her odious boyfriend throwing mud, the two left the city years ago, and neither had been back. Now with free time due to her rather ‘messy’ resignation and Rachel pushing for them to ‘run away’ for a week to get answers’, she’s off to New York planning to stay in her sister’s apartment. With Rachel’s marriage issues, Evie running into an old boyfriend from school, her befriending a diner waitress, and extending her stay in New York – Evie is discovering her old self, learning to not always run away from emotions or conflict, and with both of her children settled she’s returning to England and into London to find something that sparks her joy.

With a reunited pair of childhood sweethearts, some marvelously romantic moments, a solid character in Evie with her matter-of-fact approach to managing each day with depression, and her truly clever sense of humor, her supportive relationships with friends and family and her determination to make a life that can be happy, the story was entertaining, laugh out loud funny, and even swoony as Evie navigates her life and allows us all to follow along.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-ajv/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

What a lovely, lovely story this was!

Reading this was like drinking a cup of hot cocoa, while snuggling under your favorite cozy, fluffy blanket in front of a romantic fireplace.

It sounds cheesy, but it totally works. And that's what made this read such a joy for me.

The writer is an excellent storyteller and weaves between the fun, easy breezy parts and the heavy and heartbreaking parts like a master.

I really liked the main character, Evie. She felt 'real' and fully fleshed out. I was worried that it might be too sad or depressing, but that wasn't the case. Evie, or any other character for that matter, never came across as cartoonish or un-realistic, which I can only applaud to the writer to understand the balance.

There were a few parts I thought could used a bit more attention to detail, like her friend Rachel, which I found a bit too frustrating, but that was just my personal preference.

The writing is very engrossing and really pulls you in, so I didn't dwell on the little things too much.

Overall a feel good story that is perfect for the season. I would highly recommend.

Evie Grant has been widowed for a decade, her two kids are now both in college, and she’s still working a dead-end job with an intolerable boss. She is going through the motions, staying afloat. She and her best friend, Rachel, have the memory of what was both an amazing and tragic visit to New York City as young adults to reflect on, and the idea of being able to go back to that magic city is tantalizing but generally not something they consider. But when a development occurs related to that tragic part of their visit, they decide rather impulsively to return to the Big Apple. It’s a way to give some closure to that tough time and to enjoy the famous sights once again, this time during the Christmas season: Rockefeller Center with its ice rink, Christmas lights and displays everywhere. And since Evie’s sister, Kate, lives there now, they have a place to stay and an extra incentive for a visit.

Evie hasn’t been interested in any men she’s met since her husband, Tom, died. He was a good husband and father, and they were in love and very happy. She does have one “what if” former boyfriend, however, from her college days, and that’s Daniel Roberts, whom she met in theater classes and who is now, just as he’d hoped, a big Hollywood star. And, amazingly and completely improbably, she bumps into him in a bookstore (one of her favorite places, of course) in New York. And he expresses interest in her. She does feel some interest, but it also feels very much like she’s betraying her husband, even after all the years it’s been. Can she allow herself to love again? That’s the big question of the book.

City of Second Chances is a love letter from a Brit to New York City and one of those very unlikely stories you have to suspend belief to appreciate. I don’t have a problem with suspending belief when I want to just dive in and enjoy a good romance. But this story didn’t click for me at all. The author doesn’t make me feel Evie’s feelings that she had for her husband; the story is written in first person, and Evie just keeps saying how much she loved her husband. But the book doesn’t show sufficiently anything about their past and their connection that makes the reader feel how much they shared as a couple. Same goes for Evie’s story with Daniel, the new/old love. Too much is told rather than shown. I didn’t get swept away, I didn’t get to fall in love again along with Evie; I just read what she had to say. It didn’t move me at all. Too bad.

A fun read that is uproarious, uplifting and wonderfully romantic, The City of Second Chances is a terrific New York winter escape from the fabulous Jane Lacey-Crane.

Life for Evie has not exactly been a bed of roses. She is only forty-five years of age, but single mum Evie has already experienced the loss of her partner and has been bringing her two kids up by herself. Evie has dedicated her life to her kids, however, her children are getting close to leaving the nest and have left her wondering whether there might be more to life than simply being a mum. With her job a total nightmare, her love life non-existent and her social life a distant memory, Evie realises that the time might have come for her to stop hiding in the shadows and to grab life with both hands – and it just so happens that Lady Luck is smiling down upon her when she gets the opportunity to go to a girls’ trip to New York! With her sister putting her up in the Upper East Side, Evie is about to have the best Christmas ever, but she is also going to come face to face with a figure from her past who is going to turn her entire world upside down.

When she was casually walking through the city, the last thing Evie had expected was to bump into Daniel Roberts! A Hollywood heartthrob who has millions of women all around the world swooning over him, he also happens to be Evie’s ex boyfriend! Although their lives couldn’t be more different, that old spark has never really been extinguished and when never forgotten feelings resurface with a vengeance, will Evie and Daniel give their relationship another try?

Is Evie ready to open up her heart and embrace this unexpected chance to be happy again? Will she take this leap of fate? Or will she end up going back home and spending the rest of her life wondering what might have been with Daniel?

A lovely read that is perfect for curling up with and indulging in on a cold winter day, The City of Second Chances is a fantastic story that is sure to lift your spirits and make you laugh and cry! Jane Lacey-Crane certainly knows how to draw her readers in and keep them hooked from start to finish and with The City of Second Chances she has penned a terrific tale with a wonderful heroine at its heart whom you will absolutely adore.

Warm, witty and delightful, The City of Second Chances is a Yuletide treat you simply cannot do without this Christmas!

This is the perfect Christmas read - set in New York City in December. I just loved the storylines and character of Evie (there are some laugh out loud moments throughout the book as well as sad times).

Evie is 45, has two kids at University and is a widow. She makes out she's happy in life but she hates her job and sometimes feels lonely. She feels if she even looks at another man she's betraying her dead husband Tom.

Her long-time pal, Rachel suggests a trip to NYC to see if they can get closure as to what happened to their friend Olivia when she disappeared all those years ago when they first visited the city (as well as to have a bit of fun!) They stay with Evie's sister in her beautiful apartment.

Evie bumps into one time boyfriend, Daniel Roberts a Hollywood heart throb. Will she let her feelings for Tom stop her finding love again? A gorgeous story which I loved. Would recommend.

The City of Second Chances is a lighthearted just as the title states. After many years 2 friends travel back to NYC to find out if there is any news on an old friends disappearance. This part of the story really didn't have any relevance to it, but overall I enjoyed the novel.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Blurb :
Evie Grant is forty-five years old, a widow, and single mum of two children about to leave the nest. Suddenly alone in the family home, Evie realizes she hates her job, hardly goes out and hasn't had a date since who knows when...
So it feels like fate when the opportunity arises for a girls trip to New York City. Staying with her sister on the Upper East Side, Evie is enchanted by a snow-covered city consumed by preparing for Christmas.
Bobble hat firmly on, Evie is walking through the city one day when she bumps into Daniel Roberts, Hollywood heartthrob and one-time boyfriend of hers.
It's now or never for Evie – but she open her heart to the possibility of a new beginnings and true happiness once again...?

My Thoughts :
The cover alone draws you to this book and after reading the blurb I knew it was one I wanted to read.
Evie Grant is a widow and when her children leave home, Evie jacks her job in after taking all the rubbish from her boss and goes to stay with her sister Kate in NYC for the Christmas period. Taking along with her, her best friend Rachel. The trip is bitter sweet as 20 years ago whille Evie, Rachel and other best friend Olivia were in New York, Olivia went missing from a club one night and was never found. Never getting over the dissapearance of Olivia, both girls are back to see if the remains recently discovered in a cabin were those of Olivia. Although the trip is not all pleasant. This story runs along side the main plot of this book and its not all gloom and doom as we are treated to some wonderful sights and surroundings of NYC, we even indulge in a cocktail or two and some yummy pancakes and maple syrup. Whille Rachel returns home early on revealing she is having problems with her husband and needs to get them sorted, Eve stays on in New York. On dumping into ex Daniel Roberts who is now a famous actor the couple once again begin to get to know each other but with the prying eyes of the paparazzi things are not easy. Will Evie finally get her happy ending or will Daniel slip thepugh her hands once again!?.
I really related to Evie as a charator and it was refreshing to read about charactors in my age group, she instantly felt like a friend. All the charactors were likeable and they were very down to earth as a group of friends and family. I really hope there will be more books to follow as I would love to see where the story of Olivia was going to go as we didnt really get any answers.
Once again great writing and a throughly thought out story from Jane Lacey - Crane.

5☆ A Unique, Engrossing and Irresistible story. Highly recommend!

Wow what a Fantastic Book!!
A compelling page-turner I couldn't put down!
It's one of those reads that really does have a little of everything, friendship, mystery, drama, Romance and A lil Christmas Sparkle.

The first few chapters throw the reader into a story, where a young girl disappeared only to be found twenty years later amongst several bodies. But is it really Olivia?

Three best friends, on a girls holiday, one very controlling boyfriend not on holiday, but when Olivia gets upset after arguing with Evie, she walks out the club doors never to be seen again! Leaving behind Evie and Rachel.

Evie has never forgiven herself for not chasing after her, even though she tells her to wait.
Evie is now a widow with two grown up children Sam and Grace. Evie's husband Tom tragically dies in a car accident. But she has never been able to let go.

So now this recent discovery of Olivia has been bought to light, it's bringing back all the memories and heartache.

It's Christmas and Evie is going to be spending it alone for the first time, as her kids are spending it elsewhere.
So when Rachel suggests they take a trip to New York to trace back their steps from their girls holiday, it doesn't take much persuading. She happily quits her job, and the two head off to New York to spend Christmas with Evie's sister Kate.

But what Evie is also about to discover, her old flame Daniel, who is also an Actor/ celeb, is going to be in New York too....
So when she bumps into him their spark is reunited.
But can Evie learn to let go and love again?

I can't begin to explain how unique this engrossing and irresistible story is.
Just when I thought I was getting a suspenseful mystery thriller, Jane Lacey-Crane shook the plot up and it became a heartfelt, warm and touching romance, about finding love, learning to let go, forgive, new beginnings, a story of Friendship, family, secrets, grief, depression and anxiety.

The City of Second Chances is a totally unique and absorbing read that's beautifully written.
It's a riveting tale filled with colorful characters that are warm, endearing, strong and unique you can't help routing for them to suceed.

The City of Second Chances is a beautifully romantic and heartwarming novel, with a twist of mystery and intrigue, a gorgeous location with a dash of Christmas Sparkle.
If you enjoy Contemporary Romances with a lil difference then you will adore this one.

Would I recommend reading this Gorgeous Book....with out a doubt....100%.....Yes!!

This is my first book by Jane Lacey-Crane and I'm definitely going to be adding her to my Author to watch out for list.

Thank you to Aria Fiction for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This book took me on a wonderful journey. Whisking me off to New York at Christmas time, tantalising my taste buds with pancakes and cosmopolitans and illicit liaisons with a movie star, what more could a girl want?

In the opening chapters I initially thought this plot was leading me down a dark road with the disappearance of Olivia but then the story mellowed into a Christmas romance on the level I was expecting from the cosy cover. The setting was spectacular, New York at Christmas is a stunning backdrop for any festive read. I thought each character played their parts extremely well and I fell in love with the dreamy Daniel and his smouldering movie star looks. I loved Evie and Dan's relationship, and the will they, won't they set up which had me speed reading in frustration to see if they would get their much needed happy ever after.

The City of Second Chances is a stunning heartwarming story of love, friendship and staying true to who you are. A beautiful Christmas tale that is not to be missed.

Evie Grant is 45, widowed and with children who have their own plans for the Christmas season, is not looking forward to a lonely Christmas.

There's nothing that a bit of traveling can't fix and she and her best friend Rachel jet off to see her sister in The Big Apple. Daniel Roberts, her former college boyfriend who has found acting fame has made the city his home. What will happen when they meet again?

The City of Second Chances has an explosive opening. Don't be fooled by the beautiful Christmassy cover. When bodies are found in an isolated cabin in New York, Evie does not want to make the connection that one of the victims may be her friend, Olivia, who vanished during a holiday she and her friend Rachel took with Olivia precisely to New York twenty years earlier during their Sixth-Form College days.

I actually gasped at the beginning. It’s so realistic one minute then shocking the next. Evie has the ongoing challenge of feeling bad about Olivia's disappearance and this, compounded by the fact she lost her husband Tom and the father of her two teenagers, Grace and Sam.

All this pushes the plot forward and the effect on every member of the family is so vivid.

The tragedies are ever-present, as are Evie's attempts to deal with them while living a life she tries to make as normal as possible for herself and her family are very realistically shown by the author.

There are many themes, life, coping with death depression as well as happy times family friendship and a quest to heal past wounds.

Through all this, there is fun and laughter too. Evie's friend Rachel loves a Cosmopolitan and a bit of shopping (just my kind of friend exactly).

Daniel is passionate driven and there are conflicts.

Jane Lacey-Crane has a style of writing that is utterly engrossing.

Thanks to Jane Lacey-Crane and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I'm pleased to be on the blog tour for this title.

5 stars.

The City of Second Chances is the second book by Jane Lacey-Crane I've reviewed after her previous title. Secrets and Tea at Rosie Lee's. I enjoyed both books immensely and hope that it won't be too long before I have the chance to review another one of her future releases.