I received my copy of this eBook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[b:Girls Night|512407|Girls Night|Stef Ann Holm|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1332175170s/512407.jpg|500384] was a decent distraction, fairly quick and honestly predictable yet sweet at the same time.

Jillene McDermott is a young widow with two precocious matchmaking preteen daughters, a faithful dog, and the proud owner of her late husband's floundering coffee shop and a mountain of debt. Vince Tremonti is a True Crime Author who's come home to escape the feelings of guilt that are plaguing him about his current tale. How they come together - first by chance and then an impromptu dinner by the matchmaking daughters - was sweet, yet predictable in this Small Town Romance all about (like the series titles) a second chance. This, to me as a single mom, sounded like it was going to be a great read! I can't relate to the widow aspect, but I can relate to a mom who has to try to find a way to make ends meet sometimes eating PB&J as a staple and definitely trying to stretch every last penny. Unfortunately, I just couldn't relate to her children...



Can you tell me what preteen wants to share a bath? With their mother or otherwise? Cause I don't know of any. In fact, that was the age where I remember becoming more and more secretive and less willing to share anything myself. They all at once seemed too old and too young to be whom [a:Stef Ann Holm|130220|Stef Ann Holm|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/f_50x66-6a03a5c12233c941481992b82eea8d23.png] was trying to portray them to be.

Actually everyone in this novel was kind of conflicting to me - they just didn't fit their ages, but then, I also had to take in to account that there was a lot going (romance wise) with the subplot of Al Tremonti (Vince's father) and Ianella Sofrone. Sometimes I think you could almost pick father for son and change the names and their impressions on life and the world around them would have been similar. I think this also comes from the year in the book. - 2002. Every pop culture reference was hugely dated! I think that was part of the downfall to the test of time for it.



Too much going on, too dated, characters whose behaviours were incongruous to their ages... I really wanted to love this, but the tale wound up being mediocre. The blurb in the back for the next in the series felt a little better, maybe I will check that one out and see if the characterization is improved. I'm not giving up on the author - I'm pretty sure I've read something else of her's and enjoyed it, this one just didn't hit the mark for me.

3 stars for a quick distraction that was cute regardless of its flaws. ( )

This was a cute book. I particularly liked the sweet romance between Al and Ianella. They were precious. Vince and Jillene definitely had nice sexual tension, but I thought she was rather forgiving of the way he'd come on strong and then just disappear without a word or explanation. I thought the subplot of the serial killer/true crime novel was creative and well done.

It had me laughing in a few spots, enjoying the sizzle, but I wouldn't say I fell head over heels for the characters. So all in all, a cute book and a good read. ( )

good book with a happy ending. i thought it would be a bit sappy with the deceased father and two children but it was reaaly good