I have a love-hate relationship with second chance romance. I love to hurt, but at the same time it's not fun to do it when you know from the beginning that it will hurt. My heart and my mental health are too fragile to deliberately expose myself to the heartbreak that is second chance. However, there was something about this book that called to me and I couldn't help but apply for an ARC. I cried on and off throughout the book. Keppler really knows how to make you feel all the emotions. Although the book was quite short, the book was perfect. I loved it!

It's been a while since I read a second chance novel that makes me want to keep reading. It's not unique but it's well done. The choice of the single POV is really clever and is really immersive I really felt Peyton's frustration, confusion, heartbreak and behind all these emotions, love for Hanna. I wanted to know so much what was happening in Hanna's head. We can guess her reciprocal love behind her actions though. I liked the secondary characters that I understand some of thel comes from a first book. It didn’t prevent me from reading this one that can be read as a standalone. They create a warm and loving atmosphere. The dual timeline was well done and Keppler tortured me until almost the end to know what happen.

Overall it's a really sweet second chance novel, about first love, growth and forgiveness.

Worth Waiting For is a cute second chance romance following Peyton and Hanna, who dated in high school and reconnect almost ten years later when they both end up working at the same aquarium. The novel being told from Peyton’s point of view only worked, since she struggled to consider how other people’s experiences might be different than hers and almost always centred herself. One of my favourite aspects was the aquarium and marine biology setting—it made for a unique and enjoyable backdrop. However, I found it difficult to fully buy into the intensity of Peyton and Hanna’s feelings, both in high school and nearly a decade later. The idea that their emotions remained unchanged over so many years felt unrealistic. Personally, I’m not a fan of dual timelines, and I didn’t feel that the high school flashbacks were necessary or added much to the story. The first few chapters were also somewhat confusing in terms of establishing the current timeline between Peyton and Hanna. The book introduced a lot of secondary characters that didn’t seem essential to the plot, making it feel a bit overcrowded. All said, it was a sweet and enjoyable romance.

It's a quite nice lesbian romance novel. It's not out of the ordinary in my opinion, but it was perfectly enjoyable and nice to read.

This was a good story of growth from who we are in high school to who we are as adults. It was a good journey of rediscovering yourself and getting to know who you are and who you want to be.

The story moved slow in some places but it was still a fun read and I enjoyed the characters learning to be themselves again.

Thanks to NetGallery and the publisher for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

**ARC Review: *Worth Waiting For* by Kristin Keppler**

If you love a second-chance romance that’s packed with heart, tension, and undeniable chemistry, *Worth Waiting For* is *the* book to pick up!

Peyton Reilly has spent years avoiding commitment, content with her job, her friends, and her surfboard. But when her *first love*, Hanna Choi, suddenly reappears—at her workplace, no less—Peyton’s world is flipped upside down. The spark between them? Still there. The unresolved heartbreak? Definitely still there. And now, they have no choice but to confront the past… and maybe, just maybe, figure out if their love was always meant to be.

Kristin Keppler absolutely nails the emotional push-and-pull of a reunion romance, making you root for Peyton and Hanna even as they stumble through old wounds and new feelings. Their chemistry is *electric*, the longing is *real*, and the journey to their possible happily-ever-after is filled with swoon-worthy moments that will have you turning pages *way* past bedtime.

This is the kind of book that makes your heart race in anticipation, and you won’t be able to stop yourself from *feeling* every bit of the tension, hope, and love woven throughout the story.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity 💕**

What a cute second chance romance!! I usually don’t love second chance romances. But it felt like they actually talked about their issues in this one. I can’t explain why but I have such a crush on Peyton! The vibes were perfection and I was rooting for them the entire time.

This is a story that reinforces why I love second-chance romance novels so much! I'm a sucker for it!
It's a sweet romance that started in school and could actually last a lifetime if it weren't for family, friends and possible perfect competitors who your parents like better than the girl who turns your head from the first moment.
Hanna is a good girl who is under a lot of pressure from her parents and yet she falls in love with Peyton.
Peyton Reilly is messy, not perfect and not at all what Mrs. and Mr. Choi want for their daughter.
Peyton is aware that she is all of those things, but she is also one thing for sure. She‘s one hundret percent in love with Hannah and would do anything for her.
That's the past. Of course the present looks different.
The story begins in the present and the two meet after nine years of radio silence.
Everything is upside down and every suppressed feeling, which Peyton hides well and distracts herself with random women, comes full force and front center into her head and heart.
I like Peyton a lot and was very happy to read her story.
It's very emotionally charged and always exciting when these two are in the same room.
Wonderful new characters and of course well-known and lovedcharacters are there again and everything has a nice development and comes to a wonderful end!
Thanks to Bold Strokes Books and the Author for a beautul second-chance romance and the ARC!

<i>Worth Waiting For</i> is a cute second chance sapphic romance. It asks the question can we begin again after so much has passed?

Peyton and Hanna had a disastrous break up near the end of high school when the pressure of attending colleges across the country eventually tore them apart. Now they are both working at the same aquarium and Peyton is realizing she never really stopped loving Hanna. While Peyton works through her feelings about being left behind she has to decide if she wants Hanna in her life now. After some miscommunication, and reluctance to face the past we see our characters working through past hurts.

If you like second chance romances I would give this a read. It was enjoyable while also holding space for our characters complicated emotions. Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 rounded up to 4/5 Stars

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I received this book as a gift from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A big thank you to the author!

This is a timeless tale of high school sweethearts torn apart by the prospect of attending different colleges across the country. Nearly a decade after their breakup, Peyton and Hanna still seem unable to move on. The story unfolds across two timelines—past and present—giving us a glimpse into how they met and fell in love almost instantly. As their senior year approaches, their relationship starts to unravel, ultimately leading to their breakup. Ten years later, they cross paths again while working at an aquarium. Old patterns begin to resurface, and it looks like another heartbreak may be looming.

At first, I found the book a bit slow and felt that the characters could have displayed more emotional depth. Some members of the friend group felt unnecessary and could have been better used to explore the initial awkwardness Hanna and Peyton faced when they reunited after all those years. The last 30% of the book definitely packed more of an emotional punch, but sadly, the earlier sections felt somewhat shallow, focusing too much on their physical attraction, which made it harder to grasp the full weight of their past heartbreak. Nevertheless, it was a quick and enjoyable read. I finished it in two days, making it a perfect choice for a summer read!

P.S. I didn't realize this book features recurring characters from the author's previous novel, but I didn't feel that reading it was necessary to enjoy this one.

Worth Waiting For is a sapphic, second chance romance that revolves around our protagonist Peyton Reiley, a surfer and marine biologist, living her best single life.

When Peyton shows up for a work meeting, the last person she expects to see is her high school ex Hanna, who left her heartbroken almost trnn years ago. The storyline follows Peyton and Hanna as they navigate being around each other after so long, as well as flicking back to how they fell in love and apart.

This had me very reminiscent of my first love, the awkwardness of it all and the joys of trying to navigate a queer relationship whilst living with family. It had me smiling at the highs, shaking my kindlen during any miscommunication and heartbroken at the lows. I loved all of the minor characters included and it was good to see how they supported our lovely duo during both past and present.

At times, the miscommunication between Hanna and Peyton felt unnecessary and I would have liked to see some more development in Peyton during the present timeline - after 9 years you'd think communication would improve just a tad - but it was a satisfying conclusion.

I'd definitely suggest picking this up for a holiday read this spring/summer. Every time they went surfing I wished I was reading from a beach abroad.

This would appeal to YA and Adult readers interested in romance books, specifically lgbt romances.

While the time spent wallowing in miscommunication made me quite annoyed, when they got over it, their connection was very cute. They had me smiling at my kindle quite a few times, with a pretty entertaining plot.
While not my favorite tropes, I still enjoyed it!

I have not read One Last Summer by the same author so I do not have the player background of Peyton from that book, but I think that is ok since this book works as a standalone. I liked the easy read of Worth Waiting For even if I was a bit frustrated at time that Peyton and Hanna needed 10 years to get all miscommunication solved so they could get back together. The back and forth between the then and now works, and you root for them to finally get their well deserved second chance. It is a really slow burn but I would say that works in this book.

This is a story set to the tune of do you ever really get over your first love, especially when they return nearly 10 years later from a late-teen breakup with unresolved issues.

This is set in the same universe as the story ‘one last summer’, a story I have not read but is very easy to read as a standalone.

Payton a carefree, surfer, marine biologist living her one night stand life turns up to work and her ex Hanna has started working in the same aquarium and back living in their old town. Payton struggles with her feelings and with Hanna who broke Paytons heart seems to have her own hidden reasons for returning after nearly 10 years of silence.

This was a cute, easy story with a small bit of drama mixed in. I think although you do jump back into the past it is just to set the narrative of then vs now and it is all from Paytons perspective but it is worth remembering we are not the same people we were in high school and all the characters are generally good people.

I would recommend when this comes out in March and thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an opportunity to read. Will definitely go read the sister book now!