Frances Mensah Williams’ The Second Time We Met is an absolute gem—witty, heartfelt, and brimming with charm from beginning to end. With its delightful blend of humor, heart, and cultural insight, this is a romantic comedy that not only entertains but also thoughtfully explores what it means to fall in love across class, culture, and a little bit of chaos.

At the center of the story is Cara, an event manager nursing a bruised heart and absolutely swearing off love—until fate introduces her to Henry, a kind and grounded man who seems refreshingly different from her usual disasters. Their meet-cute is charming and organic, but when Cara misses her coach home, it seems like the universe is playing cruel tricks. That is, until fate steps in a second time and gives them another shot—hence the title, and the perfect spark for a love story that feels both modern and timeless.

What makes this book sing is the way Williams creates authentic, lovable characters with relatable flaws. Cara is the kind of heroine you want to root for—funny, self-aware, occasionally messy, but always striving. Henry, on the other hand, is refreshingly sincere and dependable without being dull. Their chemistry is undeniable, but what really makes their relationship stand out is the way they navigate real-world complexities, especially around family, identity, and class.

The novel’s exploration of cultural clash and connection adds richness to the love story. Cara’s Afro-Caribbean background, filled with lively family members and high drama, plays beautifully against Henry’s upper-crust English upbringing. These differences are never glossed over—instead, they’re thoughtfully unpacked, leading to plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as well as tender, awkward, and sometimes eye-opening ones. Williams handles these dynamics with both humor and grace, never reducing them to clichés.

Despite its romantic core, the book also celebrates second chances and self-worth, making it more than just a boy-meets-girl narrative. Cara’s journey—emotionally and professionally—is just as satisfying as the romance, and the side characters (including meddling relatives and one unforgettable ex-boyfriend) only add to the fun.

In short, The Second Time We Met is everything a feel-good romance should be: clever, romantic, culturally rich, and full of joy. Frances Mensah Williams strikes just the right balance between comedy and emotional depth. If you love books that make you smile, laugh, and swoon all at once, don’t miss this one. It’s a warm hug of a novel and a perfect reminder that sometimes, love deserves a second chance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK | Lake Union Publishing for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought they had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

"Utterly Disappointing"
I had high hopes for "The Second Time We Met," but it fell drastically short of expectations. From the very beginning, I struggled to connect with the characters, who felt one-dimensional and lacked any real depth. The dialogue was often stilted and unnatural, making it difficult to immerse myself in the story.
The plot itself was predictable and clichéd, relying on tired tropes that offered nothing new or exciting. The pacing was uneven, with long stretches of tedious exposition followed by rushed and unsatisfying resolutions. I found myself constantly checking how much longer I had to endure before reaching the end.
The writing style was simplistic and lacked any sense of sophistication. I found many of the descriptions to be very basic, and the emotional depth of the characters was not well conveyed.
To summarize, "The Second Time We Met" was a tedious and uninspired read. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a compelling or engaging romance. One star.

Meh. The side characters were the worst, her not communicating her feelings and creating secrets was immature and made me not care about her story

Great book. I was able to connect with characters and the plot. I recommend this book……………………………..,,,,.

"The Second Time We Met" by France Mensah William offers a narrative that leans more towards fiction than a traditional romance. The story explores a nuanced portrayal of relationships, delving into the complexities of life and personal growth.

The novel follows characters through various phases of their lives, interweaving their experiences and relationships. While romance is a component, the narrative is enriched with elements of broader fiction, capturing the intricacies of human connections and individual journeys.

William's writing style is evocative and descriptive, creating a vivid backdrop for the characters' lives. Exploring themes such as personal development, self-discovery, and the impact of choices adds depth to the storytelling. The characters are portrayed authentically, each carrying their burdens and triumphs.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Really wonderful book, I enjoyed it.

I loved the conflicts and misunderstanding between cultures, genders, generations, social standings, as well as just plain interpersonal. I even got verklempt in a few moments. I love having a narrator who can do accents, or at least tries. I think this one did well with so many!

This book was not for me. I dnfed at about 15%. I just wasn't vibing with the book and was bored and I have so many other things to read that I decided to just move on. I read other reviews and a lot weren't great which confirmed my decision to move on.

Predictable, lost in the plot, and wishing I had spent time on something else. The plot had me hoping for something so much more than this.

Super cute second chance romance, I just expected more romance I guess. IT was really just a bunch of awkward encounters. I just found it find of lacking for me and couldn't really connect to the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this eArc in exchange for my honest review.

A page turning read that keeps the reader engaged through until the final chapter, thoroughly recommend this book to add to your library If you like light hearted novels

Not sure this was for me. I wanted to like it very much but in the end I did not connect well with the characters and the romance just did not sit will with me

I loved this second chance meeting romance. Although from different backgrounds, their love prevailed and I really enjoyed the story.

First I am gonna say I loved Cara and Henry. This story is about two people that didn't get a chance to know each other the first time, but casually got a second chance to meet and fall in love. If only being in love was so easy and perfect. This story is mostly about Cara figuring out how her life will click. with Henry's. It's really cute and a fun read.

3.5 stars.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I really enjoyed it, the characters were well drawn and it had a good story.

did not like it as much. it felt like the story was lost in the huge plot points. there are sweet moments but that is it. I had expected a bit more from the book but it did not do it for me. it lacked depth in the characters as well as the story. it was a bad example of cliche, where it was there but not in a way to be loved.

I really enjoyed the ups and downs that we got to experience with Cara - the story of Henry and her was just so meet-cute! Such an enjoyable read with a memorable MMC and FMC along with the friends and family to help support this cute book! Thank you so much for this eARC!!

Thank you for the ARC! I really wanted to like this as that blurb is right up my alley. Second chance romances are my weakness but idk I’m just not feeling it with this book?

they meet for the first time -> meet again and become infatuated-> after three weeks, meet her parents/ week after, no contact -> meet his parents -> ruin his parent’s prized possession -> brother gives sister number -> break up -> alcoholism and then reunite

is it bad that i was more interested in the side characters than the main romance? henry and cara are great and all but what really charmed me was the description about cara’s culture and upbringing and I would love a book focusing on that.

i think there is potential for more books explore side characters briefly mentioned as the focus really was henry and cara’s romance and the others were just thrown in for flavour.

i felt that henry and cara’s romance was quite cute but i wasn’t personally invested in it. perhaps it was because we had no reason to invest in it due to the frequent time skips and the fact that we didn’t really see the relationship grow. after meeting for the second time, they were basically obsessed with each other and moved very very fast. after a month, they had already met each other’s parents? that seems awfully quick. plus the fact that they had awful communication, there wasn’t a lot of reason to root for each other. i don’t even think that henry knew that ryan, cara’s on and off ex of twelve years, kissed her while they were still together.

my favourite character of them all was uncle julio. his wild antics really made the book a delightful read. i would love a short story or collection of his wild antics. and exactly why does paula insist on hiring him even though he constantly messes things up? and why is paula like dave so much?

the mother-daughter relationship dynamics between cara & bev and fleur & isobel was explored quite well. through interaction and interaction, i was really rooting for them all.