A second chance for old friendships! (Second Chance - Jane Green)

Member Name: kingfisher111

Product:	Second Chance - Jane Green
Date:	09/05/09 (258 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: very enjoyable read

Disadvantages: none

I'd read a couple of books by Jane Green which I had hugely enjoyed so I was really looking forward to reading Second Chance and I was not disappointed! It was a hugely enjoyable read from the very first page based on a group of characters that it was really easy to get to know!

The story centres on a group of people who were all friends while they were growing up but have since lost touch. The sudden and tragic death of one of them throws them all back together again at his memorial service and gives them a 'second chance' to renew their friendships. What they discover is, that even though they have not seen each other for years, the thing that makes them friends in the first place is the same thing that draws them back together again!

Of course a lot has changed for all of them in the intervening years. Holly is in a loveless marriage, married to the pompous and overbearing Marcus; Saffron has found moderate fame as an actress but is deeply in love with someone she cannot have; Paul has married the lovely Anna and although very content with each other they are struggling to have children; and Olivia is still on her own but is about to face a life changing event. The friends are all very much surprised by how much they start to rely on each other, more so than on their more recent friends and family.

It is the sort of novel that is really well crafted - focusing on different characters and their stories at various points but also bringing them together as a group at other times. All of the characters are extremely believeable and likeable and they feel very much like people you might know and care about. I also like the fact that they are all approaching the age of forty as it's an age group that I can relate to!!

The dilemmas each of the characters faced were very moving. The sorts of things they were going through are very much the sort of things that you might be advising your own best friend about. Well I say that although I have to admit that I don't actually have any friends who are Hollywood actresses. I particularly felt moved following Holly's story mainly because Marcus sort of reminded me of my former brother in law who treated my sister the same way that Marcus treated Holly! I'm actually going to lend my sister the book so I shall wait to see what she thinks!

Second Chance is an incredibly readable book that had me hooked from the very first few pages. I like Jane Green's style which is not too taxing but she can still tell a good story. The way the story moved between the past and the present was very well managed and I liked the fact that at the end we were transported quite a few months into the future so I was able to see how it all ended up for them.

I really liked this book. It's a story about friendship and the lasting endurance of some friendships. It was told in a chatty style which at times was quite humourous but at other times was quite moving - it was just the right mix for me! On the strength of this and her other books I have read, I will definitely be on the look out for more Jane Green novels.

At the moment the paperback is available on Amazon for £4.99.

Summary: Entertaining to the last page