Second Time Around

Second Time Around by Melody Carlson: Book Review

About the book:

Title: Second Time Around

Author: Melody Carlson

Release Date: March 7, 2023

Genre: Contemporary Christian Romance

Who doesn’t love a second chance?

When empty nester Mallory Farrell inherits her grandmother’s run-down tourist shop in Seaport, Oregon, it seems the only sensible thing to do is to sell it. But when her former secret crush, Grayson Matthews, wants to buy the property in order to complete his plans to redevelop the funky town’s business district into a soulless, cookie-cutter outdoor mall, Mallory digs in her heels and decides to renovate the property herself.

With a lot of hard work and a little bit of help, Mallory makes incredible progress turning the store into an eclectic home décor shop called Romancing the Home–all while trying to ignore the depressing and decrepit apartment she’s living in on the second floor. When the shop catches the eye of a popular renovation TV show producer, Mallory is thrilled–until it becomes clear that her apartment is to be part of the segment as well.

She’s tempted to abandon her dreams and the town under a cloud of shame. But perhaps there’s more to Grayson than meets the eye. Can he swallow his pride, change his plans, and help Mallory romance her own home–and possibly her life?

Book Review:

This book was a lot of fun. Mallory has the advantage of being a bit older and even though she makes an impulsive decision to renovate her grandmother’s shop, she’s not the frivolous type. Her romance had the slow burn that I hoped for, and the deeply developed descriptions around the town and the shop made me feel like I was right there alongside Mallory. The occasional conflict built tension but wasn’t overwhelming and allowed the story to sort of meander the way a person might browse through Mallory’s store. This was an enjoyable read that gave me a chance to sit with the characters and not feel the constant stress and tension of a high-action story, which is exactly what I needed. I received a copy of this book from RevellReads. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.