Second Chance - Jane Green

I like reading a bit of a chick lit from time to time and as I've read and enjoyed quite a few novels by Jane Green, 'Second Chance' seemed the ideal book to take with me for my recent short break. The book is based around a group of (late) thirty-somethings who knew each other from school and are reunited after twenty years by the death of one of their other school friends (Tom). After meeting up, the group stay in touch and the novel focuses on the different issues that each individual is dealing with at the time. I have to admit that this book definitely met the criteria for easy holiday reading, as I read it from cover to cover over two ...  Read the complete review

I must admit, I usually steer well clear of any sort of 'chick-lit' and will not read anything that I deem to fall under this umbrella under any circumstances. However, sitting around the other day, I picked up this book just to have a brief glance at the first chapter, and found myself curious. This curiosity prompted me to continue reading, and I have to say I actually enjoyed what I read. Jane Green is a well recognised author of many books. Second Chance revolves around a reunion of sorts, as a group of friends reconvene following the death of a mutual friend. The four friends discuss their lives, and as details come out and alcohol lowers barriers, they ...  Read the complete review

I really enjoy Jane Green's books, and so was thrilled to spot 'Second Chance' in a charity shop a couple of weeks ago at the bargain price of £2! Green's style is easy to read, and I particularly like the way she develops her characters, building a huge amount of empathy and enabling the reader to really get into the story. This book is no exception. Second Chance tells the tale of four thirty-something old school friends whose lives have drifted apart, but are brought back together by the death of another mutual friend, Tom in a train accident. Holly Mac is a married mother of two who doesn't realise she is dis-satisfied with her grown-up life ...  Read the complete review

This is the first Jane Green book I have ever read and I must say, if her other books are like this then I don't think I'll be trying them! The book follows the story of 4 old friends who are thrown back together in tragic circumstances after years of not seeing each other. On the outside, all of their lives look quite glossy and perfect but when you go deeper, actually most of them are very unhappy (at least about something in their lives). When I read the blurb for the book, which basically says what I have written above, I thought it had the potential to be very good. Actually, it was terrible. The writing itself isn't great, and ...  Read the complete review

'Second Chance' is the latest novel from chick-lit author Jane Green. I am a big fan of Jane Green. I particularly love 'Babyville' and 'Jemima J'. I was, therefore, thrilled to see this new Jane Green novel in paperback last time I was shopping in Tesco. My husband declared that I 'had been good' [!] and popped it in the trolley as a treat for me. It was priced at £3.84. I spent that follwing evening swiftly finishing off the book I had been reading and then settled down to enjoy... 'Second Chance' follows the lives of four old school friends who are reunited after twenty years when their friend Tom dies suddenly in an accident. They've ...  Read the complete review