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I Loved Writing This Book
Second Chances follows a newly divorced woman and a lonely auto shop owner as they discover that love, forgiveness, and family can still surprise them later in life. What inspired you to center Second Chances on characters who have already lived full, complicated lives?
Henry is the dad of Josh the MMC from my second book, Cutting Losses, and I fell in love with him when writing that book, so much so that I wanted him to have his own love story, complete with a happy ending. And, for Henry, that meant a woman who would appreciate him and who he would allow himself to be vulnerable enough to take a chance on falling in love with her. I loved writing this book because the characters are fully mature. Because they’re not in their 30s, they bring so much more depth to the page. But just because they’re mature doesn’t mean that they don’t also carry the same insecurities that plague younger people.
Henry carries decades of regret and unresolved history. How did you approach balancing his past with his present-day romance with Charlotte?
Henry was kind of the adage that “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, because as much as he is interested in Charlotte and pursuing a romance with her, the ties to his past yank him back every now and then. The challenge was balancing him breaking free of those ties while also having him remain true to the kind and caring man he is. Even though he’s been hurt, he still finds the grace to forgive and understand, and part of that is thanks to Charlotte.
Beverley, South Dakota feels like a character in its own right. What drew you to a small-town setting for this story?
I grew up in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. Your teacher was also your track coach. Your mechanic was your best friend’s dad. I like the sense of community that comes from knowing your neighbors. Mostly, I wanted to illustrate to people who didn’t grow up in a small town what is was like. I live in Brooklyn, NY, and I want to show the big city world what small town life is like, but also vice versa, when I write about NYC in my books.
The novel blends romance with family drama. How did you decide how much of Henry and Charlotte’s wider family lives to include?
Since I write a series, most of the people included have already been the main characters of previous books or are going to be. There are some exceptions, like the character Ruth, who has never had her own book but has had a chapter (so far) in all of my books. She is brash and outspoken and provides some comic relief or works as the chorus in a Greek tragedy. I want to keep hearing from her! That being said, anyone who has a chapter always is essential to the book and moving the current story forward!
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After decades spent putting everyone else first, Charlotte Berg is finally free to discover who she really is. Newly divorced at fifty, she leaves Iowa behind for a fresh start in the charming South Dakota town of Beverley, determined to build a life on her own terms—not fall in love again.
Henry Livingston knows all about heartbreak. From a humiliating first love to a marriage that ended in abandonment, he’s spent years convincing himself love simply wasn’t meant for him. But when the vibrant, irresistible Charlotte walks into his world, Henry finds himself wanting something he thought he’d lost forever: a second chance.
Their connection is immediate. Their chemistry undeniable. But complicated pasts refuse to stay buried. Ex-spouses, family pressures, long-hidden secrets, and unresolved heartbreak threaten the fragile happiness they’re beginning to build together.
Can two people who sacrificed their dreams for everyone else finally choose themselves—and each other?
Filled with emotional depth, mature romance, family drama, and the warmth of small-town life, Second Chances is a moving story about rediscovering love when you least expect it.
Restoration
Restoration is a literary family drama about Daniel Calder, a man returning to Ithaca after spending twenty-one years in prison for a crime committed when he was fifteen, and Chrystal, the sister whose life was shattered by the same violent night. The novel follows Daniel as he tries to rebuild a life through work, friendship, routine, and the painful act of being known again. At the same time, Chrystal is forced to face the brother she has kept at a distance, the trauma she has survived, and the family history that never stayed neatly buried.
I was surprised by how patient the book is. This is not a story that rushes toward forgiveness or tries to make healing look clean. I appreciated that. Daniel’s return is built out of small, ordinary moments: eating in a diner, learning a phone, choosing food, riding a bike, sitting in a room that is finally his. Those scenes carry real weight because the author understands that freedom is not just a door opening. It’s learning how to live without asking permission for every breath. I found that deeply moving.
I also admired the way the novel gives Chrystal her full space. She’s not written as an obstacle to Daniel’s redemption, and that matters. Her anger, fear, distance, and curiosity all feel earned. The author makes room for both siblings without forcing the reader to pick a side too easily. That is one of the book’s strongest choices. The story keeps circling the idea of restoration, not as a return to what once was, but as the slow work of making something useful and honest from what remains. The furniture work with Marco becomes more than a job. It becomes the book’s clearest metaphor, and it fits because it is practical, physical, and humble.
There are moments when the novel’s emotional detail asks the reader to slow down and sit with discomfort, and I think that will be its greatest strength for the right audience. Readers who enjoy fast plots may find its pace measured, but those who like character-driven literary fiction, family dramas, and stories about trauma, accountability, and second chances will find a lot to hold onto here. I would recommend Restoration to readers who appreciate quiet, serious novels about damaged people trying to live gently without pretending the past can be erased.
Pages: 396
