Second Time Around ~ Review

Second Time Around

By Melody Carlson

Malloy Farrell's youngest has just married and left home, leaving Mallory the chance to visit Portside, Oregon, and see the tourist knick-knack shop her late grandmother left her. With every intention of selling the old shop, Mallory instead does a 180 and decides to give the old shop a makeover and repurpose it as a home decor shop. 

Of course, her childhood crush Grayson Matthews has absolutely nothing to do with her decision to put down roots in the small town that was a second home to her while growing up. But when her plans start to go mostly great she starts to relax a little, except for the secret she's hiding in her living quarters. A secret that could ruin everything.

As with all of Melody Carlson's books, this is a sweet read. Yes, there are problems, but such is life. But sometimes you just want a feel-good book, one that you know the author always manages at the end to leave you with a smile on your face. Yes, there are difficulties and a few tense situations that could ruin everything, but this all comes together to present a believable and relatable reading experience. This is a second-chance story, and who hasn't wondered what if I had done such-n-such instead? Well, Mallory gets just such a chance to chase a long-held dream. This a lovely read, perfect after a long day at work.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but to provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

 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?