Short Take Reviews: That Second Chance, That Forever Girl, That Secret Crush

I've seen Meghan Quinn's books around for a long time but never felt led to pick them up. Many seemed to fall into the zany/slapstick humor side of romance which just isn't my thing. But when I came across her Getting Lucky series I was immediately interested. They seemed to be more my style - contemporary romance without the heavy rom-com aspect. There's still plenty of humor, but there's also a solid story that's character-focused with a big helping of family in a small town setting. These really hit the spot! So here are my short and sweet thoughts on the first three books in the Getting Lucky series.

    

THAT SECOND CHANCE by Meghan Quinn | 4 STARS

That Second Chance was the perfect mix of funny and heartfelt, sweet and sexy. I was pulled in from the very start because Quinn created two main characters that were so incredibly likable. Ren had come to the small town of Port Snow to start a new life. It started with a bang when she had to be rescued by Griffin on her first day there as she’s driving into town. I loved the way these two danced around each other at first. Ren was clearly interested and tried her best to let that be known. And poor Griffin, though obviously interested himself, had experienced a loss that made him hesitant to move forward. I loved the easy way this story flowed. It was clear these two belonged together and even though there were some hiccups along the way, it was low-angst and drama-free. Griffin was just such a good man – kind, compassionate, generous with his time – and it was refreshing to read about a hero who wasn’t cocky or overly alpha and was just genuinely a good guy. The small town of Port Snow, Maine felt almost like another character in the story and I finished this one already interested in returning for more.

THAT FOREVER GIRL by Meghan Quinn | 4 STARS

Rogan was something of an enigma in the first book in this series (That Second Chance) so I was excited to get his story. And what a story it was. As his back story unfolded, from both his perspective and Harper’s, over the course of the book, I became heartsick over what had happened to him in the past and they way it altered him and the course of his life. His relationship with Harper, his lifelong friend and high school/college sweetheart, had ended badly and now that she is back in Port Snow he is forced to deal with his past and how it shaped him. I loved that while Harper tried to protect her heart, she never denied that she was still very much in love with Rogan. Harper’s return was the impetus Rogan needed to let go of the anger and the bitterness he harbored. When he decided to pursue Harper and rekindle their romance, he really pulled out all the stops! This guy knew how to make some romantic gestures. This was such a heartfelt second-chance romance with two characters who truly felt like soulmates. I enjoy how involved the whole Knightly clan is in the lives of everyone in the family (they’re total meddlers). Once again, I was totally charmed by Port Snow and all who live there.

THAT SECRET CRUSH by Meghan Quinn | 3.5 STARS 

While I enjoyed this third entry in the Getting Lucky series, it wasn’t as strong as the previous two books for me and didn’t have the same sexy-sweet emotional pull. Reid had experienced a big career setback a couple years previously and took a serious punch to his self-confidence. While that was understandable, he tended to wallow in his feelings of failure and self-loathing and it got old. On the other hand, Eve was a rock star. She was a woman who knew her own worth and was not willing to settle. She was mature and faced things head on. She was dealt a pretty hard hand in life but, unlike Reid, she rose to the occasion and became stronger for it. The patience she had with Reid was impressive because with the way he ran hot and cold with her I wouldn’t have blamed her for cutting her losses and walking away. Oh, and Eve’s brother and the demands he made were so out of line. I really wanted to give him a swift kick. Thankfully, between Eve’s ability to focus on the positive and work for what she wanted, and the amazing Knightly family, this ended up being an enjoyable story, even when I wasn’t fully on board with Reid. 

Have you read any of these books?