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The Single Mom's Second Chance: An African American Romance Novel
She could use a shoulder to lean on…
Facing the fight of her life after a cancer diagnosis, widow Roz Martin is forced to ask her estranged brother-in-law to help care for her children. Being there for his nieces and nephew is a no-brainer for gym owner Paul Stephens. But being there for the woman who’d betrayed him by marrying his half brother is hard. Especially when he discovers the feelings he once had for Roz never died…
From Harlequin Special Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.
Discover more true-to-life stories in the Sweet Briar Sweetheart series.
All books are stand-alone but were published in the following
1. How to Steal a Lawman’s Heart
2. The Waitress’s Secret
3. The Rancher and the City Girl
4. Winning Charlotte Back
5. The Rancher’s Return
6. A Baby Between Friends
7. The Single Mom’s Second Chance
Facing the fight of her life after a cancer diagnosis, widow Roz Martin is forced to ask her estranged brother-in-law to help care for her children. Being there for his nieces and nephew is a no-brainer for gym owner Paul Stephens. But being there for the woman who’d betrayed him by marrying his half brother is hard. Especially when he discovers the feelings he once had for Roz never died…
From Harlequin Special Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.
Discover more true-to-life stories in the Sweet Briar Sweetheart series.
All books are stand-alone but were published in the following
1. How to Steal a Lawman’s Heart
2. The Waitress’s Secret
3. The Rancher and the City Girl
4. Winning Charlotte Back
5. The Rancher’s Return
6. A Baby Between Friends
7. The Single Mom’s Second Chance
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published July 21, 2020
23 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Kathy Douglass
120 books68 followersKathy is a born reader who as a child always had her nose in a book. That love of reading grew with her. She often would finish one book and immediately pick up another. She went from reading Bobbsey Twins to long, lush romance novels. One day she stumbled upon the Shining by Stephen King and was hooked. She turned her back on romance and became a serious Stephen King fan, reading every word he wrote. When she caught herself checking under the bed and looking in the closet for monsters or worse, she knew it was time to put down the horror stories and pick up the romance novels.
Her return to romance novels was short lived. She’d started law school and soon her reading was limited to legal opinions. Then one happy day her younger sister handed her a Harlequin romance. They were just what the doctor ordered. The books were short enough to read in a week and still get her required reading done. Best of all she knew there would be a happy ending and she wouldn’t have to search her room before she went to bed each night.
When her first child was born, she stopped practicing law to become a stay at home mom. Her second child followed nineteen months later. With two little ones in the house, reading suddenly became limited to Dr. Seuss and other children’s books. Any free time was spent trying to catch up on sleep or laundry.
All too soon her kids were attending pre-school two hours a day. She spent those few precious renewing her relationship with romance novels. After a while she felt the urge to write a book of her own and she began writing the stories she wanted to read. She spent many years writing some really terrible books and learning her craft. In 2014, Kathy participated in Brenda Novak’s online auction to raise money for a cure for Diabetes. She was the highest bidder for a critique by editor, Charles Griemsman. He did not buy that book immediately, but requested another which became her first book in the Sweet Briar Sweethearts series.
Her return to romance novels was short lived. She’d started law school and soon her reading was limited to legal opinions. Then one happy day her younger sister handed her a Harlequin romance. They were just what the doctor ordered. The books were short enough to read in a week and still get her required reading done. Best of all she knew there would be a happy ending and she wouldn’t have to search her room before she went to bed each night.
When her first child was born, she stopped practicing law to become a stay at home mom. Her second child followed nineteen months later. With two little ones in the house, reading suddenly became limited to Dr. Seuss and other children’s books. Any free time was spent trying to catch up on sleep or laundry.
All too soon her kids were attending pre-school two hours a day. She spent those few precious renewing her relationship with romance novels. After a while she felt the urge to write a book of her own and she began writing the stories she wanted to read. She spent many years writing some really terrible books and learning her craft. In 2014, Kathy participated in Brenda Novak’s online auction to raise money for a cure for Diabetes. She was the highest bidder for a critique by editor, Charles Griemsman. He did not buy that book immediately, but requested another which became her first book in the Sweet Briar Sweethearts series.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 25, 2020
When widow Roz Martin is diagnosed with cancer, she has no-one to turn to.
Or that's what she thinks— until she finds that her brother-in-law. He accepts, after all Roz is family and her kids need someone else to be there for them while Roz fights.
Can Paul step up to the challenge?
Or will the feelings that he has always had for Roz be too overpowering?
I felt for everyone in this book, but especially for Roz and her kids. I was wondering if Roz would pull through and the writing certainly kept me guessing.
My only criticism would be that I wish the diagnosis chosen wasn't cancer, as this is too often the case with books where there's an illness, it just seemed a predictable choice as cancer is the chosen diagnosis in many books.
There are so many conditions that could leave a person fighting for their life if complications arose and if something else was the health issue it would go a long way to raising awareness.
How about MS or ALS or Spinal Muscular Atrophy or something Roz was born with like Cerebral Palsy or Spina Bifida? Just to change the diagnosis and make her fight and the story a little different.
But the way the plot played out was good.
The Single Mom's Second Chance is a quick and engaging book about fighting for what and who you want. It's about conflicting loyalties and choosing between what's right and maybe not so much. It shows the dilemmas we can be faced with when someone we value falls gravely ill. And the lives at stake, whether that's an adult's or child's life.
This is the first I have reviewed in the series, amd I look forward to more.
Thanks to Kathy Douglass and publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
4 stars.
Or that's what she thinks— until she finds that her brother-in-law. He accepts, after all Roz is family and her kids need someone else to be there for them while Roz fights.
Can Paul step up to the challenge?
Or will the feelings that he has always had for Roz be too overpowering?
I felt for everyone in this book, but especially for Roz and her kids. I was wondering if Roz would pull through and the writing certainly kept me guessing.
My only criticism would be that I wish the diagnosis chosen wasn't cancer, as this is too often the case with books where there's an illness, it just seemed a predictable choice as cancer is the chosen diagnosis in many books.
There are so many conditions that could leave a person fighting for their life if complications arose and if something else was the health issue it would go a long way to raising awareness.
How about MS or ALS or Spinal Muscular Atrophy or something Roz was born with like Cerebral Palsy or Spina Bifida? Just to change the diagnosis and make her fight and the story a little different.
But the way the plot played out was good.
The Single Mom's Second Chance is a quick and engaging book about fighting for what and who you want. It's about conflicting loyalties and choosing between what's right and maybe not so much. It shows the dilemmas we can be faced with when someone we value falls gravely ill. And the lives at stake, whether that's an adult's or child's life.
This is the first I have reviewed in the series, amd I look forward to more.
Thanks to Kathy Douglass and publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
4 stars.
July 7, 2020
She picked his brother, they have been coldly distant for years, and now, she needs his help with her children as she fights cancer. I spotted the blurb on this one and I had to leap in with both feet. Between a second chance at romance and a widowed heroine fighting for her very life and trying to hold together her family. She seemed as tough as it gets and I wanted her story.
The Single Mom's Second Chance is the seventh book in the Sweet Briar Sweethearts series. I chose this one out of order and had no trouble jumping in. I think the setting as well as brief glimpses of past stories is the loose connection a reader can anticipate.
The story opens with Roz Martin nervously approaching her brother-in-law, Paul Stephens, for the biggest favor of her life. He has hated her since she married his half-brother even though she saw how it was when he went away from college and slowly drifted away from her. Paul is a busy, successful businessman so what she is asking of him is huge, but he is the only one she can turn to. She never stopped caring and can only hope that she can survive the cancer and being near Paul once again.
Paul is shocked when the woman who turned to his brother after he had such huge plans and dreams for them together stands before him and begs him to come to her home and look after his nieces and nephew while she undergoes cancer treatment. They have done their best to avoid each other for years, but this shock makes him let go of some of the anger and hurt. He only has one answer to give and will be fighting his feelings the whole time.
The Single Mom's Second Chance had all the markings of a story full of emotion and angst. It is also something of a gamble to center a romance around a situation like a heroine undergoing cancer treatments. The author deftly rode the line between drudging along too heavily and flitting across the emotions and physical ailments too lightly. There are descriptions of a mom and her kids who have barely started healing from the loss of her husband and their dad, now they face the cancer treatments and the reunion with Paul. Each element was acknowledged and the hardships were not ignored or glossed over. Roz struggles with illness, frustration over her weakness, her kids fears, and even her looks. The kids act out or withdraw. Friends were there for them as was Paul. Paul was a pillar, but he had to figure it all out even while jiving the past with where they are at now so they can be at peace. Like I said, it had reality, but didn't become morose.
As to the romance, I thought the cancer gave them a good excuse to come together and keep things less personal, but at the same time, they could actually talk now like they never had in the past. It would be easy to say miscommunication was at the heart and get frustrated with them both, but the truth was, it was complicated. For one, they were very young. But, for another, they both brought family baggage to the table that played a huge role. Roz interpreted Paul's less than frequent contact and claims of being busy as abandonment and losing interest in her because she grew up an orphan child in her aunt's house knowing the aunt didn't want her and felt obligated. After Roz decided to interpret Paul's busyness at college as feeling obligated and not caring, her choice to go to his half-brother who never liked Paul and was the golden boy to their dad was a knife to the gut. So, beyond the cancer, they had a lot to iron out. I appreciated how the author brought the romance along steadily and left it more of a sweet slow burn. It suited the story.
All in all, I through this one was a fabulous book and I would definitely like to read more of the author's Sweet Briar stories. She puts heart, real life situations, and a lovely community all into her contemporary romances that I can definitely recommend.
I received this book from Harlequin via Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
The Single Mom's Second Chance is the seventh book in the Sweet Briar Sweethearts series. I chose this one out of order and had no trouble jumping in. I think the setting as well as brief glimpses of past stories is the loose connection a reader can anticipate.
The story opens with Roz Martin nervously approaching her brother-in-law, Paul Stephens, for the biggest favor of her life. He has hated her since she married his half-brother even though she saw how it was when he went away from college and slowly drifted away from her. Paul is a busy, successful businessman so what she is asking of him is huge, but he is the only one she can turn to. She never stopped caring and can only hope that she can survive the cancer and being near Paul once again.
Paul is shocked when the woman who turned to his brother after he had such huge plans and dreams for them together stands before him and begs him to come to her home and look after his nieces and nephew while she undergoes cancer treatment. They have done their best to avoid each other for years, but this shock makes him let go of some of the anger and hurt. He only has one answer to give and will be fighting his feelings the whole time.
The Single Mom's Second Chance had all the markings of a story full of emotion and angst. It is also something of a gamble to center a romance around a situation like a heroine undergoing cancer treatments. The author deftly rode the line between drudging along too heavily and flitting across the emotions and physical ailments too lightly. There are descriptions of a mom and her kids who have barely started healing from the loss of her husband and their dad, now they face the cancer treatments and the reunion with Paul. Each element was acknowledged and the hardships were not ignored or glossed over. Roz struggles with illness, frustration over her weakness, her kids fears, and even her looks. The kids act out or withdraw. Friends were there for them as was Paul. Paul was a pillar, but he had to figure it all out even while jiving the past with where they are at now so they can be at peace. Like I said, it had reality, but didn't become morose.
As to the romance, I thought the cancer gave them a good excuse to come together and keep things less personal, but at the same time, they could actually talk now like they never had in the past. It would be easy to say miscommunication was at the heart and get frustrated with them both, but the truth was, it was complicated. For one, they were very young. But, for another, they both brought family baggage to the table that played a huge role. Roz interpreted Paul's less than frequent contact and claims of being busy as abandonment and losing interest in her because she grew up an orphan child in her aunt's house knowing the aunt didn't want her and felt obligated. After Roz decided to interpret Paul's busyness at college as feeling obligated and not caring, her choice to go to his half-brother who never liked Paul and was the golden boy to their dad was a knife to the gut. So, beyond the cancer, they had a lot to iron out. I appreciated how the author brought the romance along steadily and left it more of a sweet slow burn. It suited the story.
All in all, I through this one was a fabulous book and I would definitely like to read more of the author's Sweet Briar stories. She puts heart, real life situations, and a lovely community all into her contemporary romances that I can definitely recommend.
I received this book from Harlequin via Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.
July 25, 2020
100% enjoyed this read! I want to say this is the best of the Sweet Briar series yet. The very real issue that the heroine finds herself in, paired with a 'we might not have the chance to get this right again' premise with the hero, plus the added second chance, small town living trope is my exact catnip. I ate this up in an afternoon and I think anyone who gives this book a few hours to visit Sweet Briar will enjoy it as well.
An added note that a) i'm loving a tad softer Charlotte and b) I don't generally like children in novels but they aren't used as a plot device here and they're ADORABLE. They just love their mom and they're worried for her and want her to be happy and I just love that.
An added note that a) i'm loving a tad softer Charlotte and b) I don't generally like children in novels but they aren't used as a plot device here and they're ADORABLE. They just love their mom and they're worried for her and want her to be happy and I just love that.
July 30, 2020
What an excellent heart-tingling in all the right places kind of book! Roz had a hard life as a child, ended up marrying the brother of her childhood sweetheart and now she has been diagnosed with cancer. A widow with three children she has no one else to call on except her brother-in-law, Paul Martin. Paul reluctantly leaves his prosperous fitness center empire behind to go to Sweet Briar to help Roz as she undergoes treatment and hopefully recovers. This book touched me in all of the right ways. With a theme of forgiveness and second chances, it was well-written with charming characters. Little Suzanne, a precocious six year old, is totally besotted with her Uncle Paul as he helps her to overcome her fears about her mommy’s future. Nathaniel, a mature eleven year old, is happy to have the help with his mom and sisters and needs the role model that Paul provides. Roz and Paul have a long way on a separate journey to go before there is even the possibility that they can get together again. This is a totally clean read, which is always a real bonus to me. Fans of romance that is uplifting will enjoy this book. Even if you are like me and have not read any of the other Sweet Briar books, you will definitely find something to enjoy in this one: love, hope, laughter, and even a few tears.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
July 31, 2020
Kathy Douglass has penned a hopeful, heartfelt and emotional small town romance with her latest novel, The Single Mom’s Second Chance.
Roz Martin has endured her fair share of heartbreak in the last few years. Her fireman husband died in a tragic accident on the job and she has just been diagnosed with cervical cancer. With three young kids to look after, Roz realizes that she is going to need help and the only person she can ask to come to her aid is the last person in the world she wants anything to do with: her brother in law, gym owner Paul Stephens. Roz and Martin had met before she’d met her husband when they were teenagers, but when their fledgling relationship had fizzled out when Paul had gone to college, Roz had found herself drawn to his half brother instead. Since then, their relationship has been strained to say the least, but with nobody else turn to, Roz asks Paul to step in and help her out in the coming months.
Paul was shocked to his core when Roz had turned up at the gym unannounced and asked to see him. Although he has never forgotten the acrimonious end of their relationship, now that Roz needs his help, he is going to let bygones be bygones and do his utmost to ensure that he does everything he can for Roz and his three nephews and nieces. Moving town and into Roz’s house means that he will be spending a lot of time with the woman he has never quite managed to put behind him…and falling in love with her all over again.
Brought together by fate in the most unexpected of ways, Paul and Roz’s feelings for one another quickly intensify. Will this be the second chance they’ve been waiting for for so long? Or will they find themselves torn asunder once more just when they’d found each other again?
A poignant, dramatic and heart-warming contemporary romance about new beginnings, healing from the past and the power of love, Kathy Douglass’ The Single Mom’s Second Chance is a moving and captivating read that, despite it being about a woman diagnosed with cancer, is not a sad book, but one that is uplifting, enjoyable and wonderfully romantic. Roz and Paul are two terrific characters readers will be cheering for on their journey to their happy ever after.
Kathy Douglass’ The Single Mom’s Second Chance was the first book of hers I read, but it certainly won’t be my last.
Roz Martin has endured her fair share of heartbreak in the last few years. Her fireman husband died in a tragic accident on the job and she has just been diagnosed with cervical cancer. With three young kids to look after, Roz realizes that she is going to need help and the only person she can ask to come to her aid is the last person in the world she wants anything to do with: her brother in law, gym owner Paul Stephens. Roz and Martin had met before she’d met her husband when they were teenagers, but when their fledgling relationship had fizzled out when Paul had gone to college, Roz had found herself drawn to his half brother instead. Since then, their relationship has been strained to say the least, but with nobody else turn to, Roz asks Paul to step in and help her out in the coming months.
Paul was shocked to his core when Roz had turned up at the gym unannounced and asked to see him. Although he has never forgotten the acrimonious end of their relationship, now that Roz needs his help, he is going to let bygones be bygones and do his utmost to ensure that he does everything he can for Roz and his three nephews and nieces. Moving town and into Roz’s house means that he will be spending a lot of time with the woman he has never quite managed to put behind him…and falling in love with her all over again.
Brought together by fate in the most unexpected of ways, Paul and Roz’s feelings for one another quickly intensify. Will this be the second chance they’ve been waiting for for so long? Or will they find themselves torn asunder once more just when they’d found each other again?
A poignant, dramatic and heart-warming contemporary romance about new beginnings, healing from the past and the power of love, Kathy Douglass’ The Single Mom’s Second Chance is a moving and captivating read that, despite it being about a woman diagnosed with cancer, is not a sad book, but one that is uplifting, enjoyable and wonderfully romantic. Roz and Paul are two terrific characters readers will be cheering for on their journey to their happy ever after.
Kathy Douglass’ The Single Mom’s Second Chance was the first book of hers I read, but it certainly won’t be my last.
March 28, 2021
God must think that Rosalyn Martin is a badass because he keep throwing her harships since she was young. First, she became an orphan, then a widow and now she's just been diagnosed with cancer. Worried she won't be able to care for her children during chemo, Roz don't see an other choice than ask help to a man she haven't spoken to in years : her brother-in-law and former high school sweetheart.
It's been 12 years but Paul Stephens is still pissed that Roz chose his brother. But the day she comes to his gym to ask for help, he can't refuse. Is there's a chance for a second chance romance between their past history, the illness and Roz's youngest who's not taking the news well at all?
I was curious to see how the story would work with the cancer element and I think the author did a good work waiting for the heroine to be in remission before a love relationship could start. My trouble with the romance is that while I could see affection and fondness between Paul and Roz, I never quite felt them falling or being in love, not the HEA kind anwyay. Or could it be because I wasn't a fan of the hero? I found him insensitive at times and he had some sexist view (for example, when he doesn't want his nieces helping him and his nephew renovate a room because a construction zone is not a place for girls). Little Suzanne was a sweet kid who brought heartwrenching moment.
The Single Mom's Second Chance is in the Sweet Briar Sweethearts seried but can be read as a standalone.
It's been 12 years but Paul Stephens is still pissed that Roz chose his brother. But the day she comes to his gym to ask for help, he can't refuse. Is there's a chance for a second chance romance between their past history, the illness and Roz's youngest who's not taking the news well at all?
I was curious to see how the story would work with the cancer element and I think the author did a good work waiting for the heroine to be in remission before a love relationship could start. My trouble with the romance is that while I could see affection and fondness between Paul and Roz, I never quite felt them falling or being in love, not the HEA kind anwyay. Or could it be because I wasn't a fan of the hero? I found him insensitive at times and he had some sexist view (for example, when he doesn't want his nieces helping him and his nephew renovate a room because a construction zone is not a place for girls). Little Suzanne was a sweet kid who brought heartwrenching moment.
The Single Mom's Second Chance is in the Sweet Briar Sweethearts seried but can be read as a standalone.
July 21, 2020
Roz Martin, is a widowed mother of three and has just found out she has cancer. She has no where to turn but to her brother in law Paul Stephens for help with her children while she battles surgery and chemotherapy. He is the last person she wants to turn to, but she has no choice. Will he help her even if she is the one person he hates?
Paul Stephens is facing a woman whom he was in love with long ago. The same woman who betrayed him and married his half brother. Now she needs help with her children as she battles cancer. Will he turn his back on her when she needs him the most?
Paul leaves his job and his home to move into Roz’s house and help look after not only her but her three children. The more they are together, the less they want to be apart. When Roz has surgery and recovers, will Paul leave her and the children and go back to his bachelor life?
This was such a heartwarming story of love, loss and friendship. Kathy Douglass is a brilliant writer and you can’t help but fall in love with each of the characters as the story develops. This is a fabulous book to curl up with!
Thank you so much to the author Kathy Douglass, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review. It was fabulous! All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.
Paul Stephens is facing a woman whom he was in love with long ago. The same woman who betrayed him and married his half brother. Now she needs help with her children as she battles cancer. Will he turn his back on her when she needs him the most?
Paul leaves his job and his home to move into Roz’s house and help look after not only her but her three children. The more they are together, the less they want to be apart. When Roz has surgery and recovers, will Paul leave her and the children and go back to his bachelor life?
This was such a heartwarming story of love, loss and friendship. Kathy Douglass is a brilliant writer and you can’t help but fall in love with each of the characters as the story develops. This is a fabulous book to curl up with!
Thank you so much to the author Kathy Douglass, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review. It was fabulous! All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.
September 29, 2020
When single mother Roz Martin is diagnosed with cancer, she knows she’s going to need help taking care of her kids. There’s only one man she can think of asking, even if it stirs up the history that was never quite settled between them – her late husband’s brother, Paul Stephens.
The Single Mom’s Second Chance is an emotional, family-oriented romance story with a lot of heart. Roz’s cancer is wrenching, but well handled in the story. Realities of her diagnosis and treatment are faced, but with care and delicacy, not any traumatic lingering on details that some readers might find uncomfortable or triggering. (That said, it is frank about some cancer realities, and readers who are sensitive to such subjects may wish to steer clear of Roz’s story.) After a bit of a rocky start, the development of Roz and Paul’s romantic relationship is honest and heart-warming, and further deepening the story is the familial interaction between not only Roz and her kids, but Paul and the kids as well. Through the story, they really grow to be a family. The Single Mom’s Second Chance is a sweet, poignant second-chance romance. Also, though the book is the seventh in the author’s Sweet Briar Sweethearts series, and other series characters make appearances, it is definitely not necessary to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this tale.
The Single Mom’s Second Chance is an emotional, family-oriented romance story with a lot of heart. Roz’s cancer is wrenching, but well handled in the story. Realities of her diagnosis and treatment are faced, but with care and delicacy, not any traumatic lingering on details that some readers might find uncomfortable or triggering. (That said, it is frank about some cancer realities, and readers who are sensitive to such subjects may wish to steer clear of Roz’s story.) After a bit of a rocky start, the development of Roz and Paul’s romantic relationship is honest and heart-warming, and further deepening the story is the familial interaction between not only Roz and her kids, but Paul and the kids as well. Through the story, they really grow to be a family. The Single Mom’s Second Chance is a sweet, poignant second-chance romance. Also, though the book is the seventh in the author’s Sweet Briar Sweethearts series, and other series characters make appearances, it is definitely not necessary to have read the other books in the series to enjoy this tale.
July 30, 2020
The Single Mom's Second Chance has some of my favorite romance tropes. I love a good second chance romance, and when you combine that with a small-town story, I'm in. That said, I struggled with this one a bit, but not because the book isn't good. It is really good, but Roz's cancer diagnosis hit me on a very personal level. I knew from the blurb to expect it, but I didn't expect it to hit me quite like it did. I suppose reading this just as I'm allowing myself a first sigh of relief on the heels of my husbands thankfully successful cancer treatment took a bigger toll than I thought. So, yes, that element was hard on me, but at the same time, the story kept me turning pages, and my heart went out to these characters. It's an emotional and compelling romance, and it was very easy to get lost in, so harder than I expected but so worth it. This is my first read in the Sweet Briar Sweethearts series, but it won't be my last. I was a little worried about being lost this far into the series, but that wasn't a problem at all.
August 25, 2020
First, thank you to both NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Single Mom's Second Chance is a very sweet and slow burn second chance romance novel. The book's main character Roz Martin been diagnosed with cancer, and she has three young children to care for that she knows she will not be able to do it alone. Roz must ask the one person who doesn't think will ever come to her aid, her ex-boyfriend, who also happened to have been her brother in law.
Many years ago Paul loved Roz with all his heart but a misunderstanding leads her to marry his older half brother. Paul doesn't want anything to do with us, that is until Roz tells him she has cancer and needs his help to take care of his nieces and nephew. But is Paul ready to forgive Roz for betraying him?
Together they learn to navigate this disease and be able to make sure that the children are doing well. Together they learn the truth of this pass and come back together.
Things I loved about the book:
I loved how Paul was there for Roz and the kids
I enjoyed reading a book that had a huge focus on the kids
It was more of a sweet romance and not a sexual romance since there was no sex throughout the book.
Trigger Warning for anyone who has taken care of someone with a serious illness.
The Single Mom's Second Chance is a very sweet and slow burn second chance romance novel. The book's main character Roz Martin been diagnosed with cancer, and she has three young children to care for that she knows she will not be able to do it alone. Roz must ask the one person who doesn't think will ever come to her aid, her ex-boyfriend, who also happened to have been her brother in law.
Many years ago Paul loved Roz with all his heart but a misunderstanding leads her to marry his older half brother. Paul doesn't want anything to do with us, that is until Roz tells him she has cancer and needs his help to take care of his nieces and nephew. But is Paul ready to forgive Roz for betraying him?
Together they learn to navigate this disease and be able to make sure that the children are doing well. Together they learn the truth of this pass and come back together.
Things I loved about the book:
I loved how Paul was there for Roz and the kids
I enjoyed reading a book that had a huge focus on the kids
It was more of a sweet romance and not a sexual romance since there was no sex throughout the book.
Trigger Warning for anyone who has taken care of someone with a serious illness.
August 8, 2020
Everyone deserves a second chance!
Such was the case with Paul and Roz. Battling a debilitating illness Roz seeks help from her former lover now brother-in- law with her three children who are also his nieces and nephew! Paul provides the help Roz needs with the kids and herself and they find themselves falling back in love with each other if they ever stopped loving each other in the first place. Turns out their love and support of one another is just what everyone needs to move forward as a family. I liked Paul and Roz's story very much.
Such was the case with Paul and Roz. Battling a debilitating illness Roz seeks help from her former lover now brother-in- law with her three children who are also his nieces and nephew! Paul provides the help Roz needs with the kids and herself and they find themselves falling back in love with each other if they ever stopped loving each other in the first place. Turns out their love and support of one another is just what everyone needs to move forward as a family. I liked Paul and Roz's story very much.
October 16, 2021
Four and a half stars
The Single Mom’s Second Chance by Kathy Douglass is the seventh in her Sweet Briar series, and is about Roz Martin who reluctantly asks her high school sweetheart for help during her battle with cancer. Paul Stephens agrees immediately, though it takes time for Roz and Paul to come to terms with their complicated and at times painful history, and then be able to look forward and not back as they spend time together.
Kathy Douglass writes Roz and Paul and her kids with realism and heart, and this story is beautifully done.
The Single Mom’s Second Chance by Kathy Douglass is the seventh in her Sweet Briar series, and is about Roz Martin who reluctantly asks her high school sweetheart for help during her battle with cancer. Paul Stephens agrees immediately, though it takes time for Roz and Paul to come to terms with their complicated and at times painful history, and then be able to look forward and not back as they spend time together.
Kathy Douglass writes Roz and Paul and her kids with realism and heart, and this story is beautifully done.
June 27, 2020
I loved the care and compassion of these characters, and having a gorgeous person show up and do all the domestic duties is excellent wish fulfillment. But these two had a misunderstanding that could have been solved by a simple conversation, and it took too long for that to happen. I lost interest.
I do like the author’s writing style, it’s surprisingly low-angst for a book about cancer.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I do like the author’s writing style, it’s surprisingly low-angst for a book about cancer.
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 23, 2020
A Second Chance Romance. 🥰
I love to read about second chance romances and this one didn’t disappoint! Despite Paul’s feelings towards Roz, when she needed him, he didn’t hesitate! I loved how he stepped in and took care of Roz and the kids, of course, with Nathanials’s help! I loved both of the girls, especially Suzanne! It didn’t take Paul long to realize what he had with Roz and the kids! I’m glad they both received their second chance! Kudos, Kathy! 💜
I love to read about second chance romances and this one didn’t disappoint! Despite Paul’s feelings towards Roz, when she needed him, he didn’t hesitate! I loved how he stepped in and took care of Roz and the kids, of course, with Nathanials’s help! I loved both of the girls, especially Suzanne! It didn’t take Paul long to realize what he had with Roz and the kids! I’m glad they both received their second chance! Kudos, Kathy! 💜
July 27, 2020
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I hadn’t read any Kathy Douglass before, but I was intrigued by The Single Mom’s Second Chance, particularly how it would handle the sometimes controversial concept of in-laws in love (something that doesn’t bother me as long as there’s no cheating) and the inciting incident of a cancer diagnosis.
And it works well on both counts. The story is fairly low-angst, but does delve into the issues at hand with enough care that the diagnosis never feels like it was done lightly. It leads Roz and Paul to reckon with their feelings for one another, and whether things can still work between them, in spite of what happened in the past.
And of course, there’s the kids. I loved seeing the role they played in the story and shaping Roz and Paul’s more mature romance.
This was a nice sweet read, full of hope and the power of second chances. And with a picturesque small-town setting, it’s sure to delight fans of small-town romance.
I hadn’t read any Kathy Douglass before, but I was intrigued by The Single Mom’s Second Chance, particularly how it would handle the sometimes controversial concept of in-laws in love (something that doesn’t bother me as long as there’s no cheating) and the inciting incident of a cancer diagnosis.
And it works well on both counts. The story is fairly low-angst, but does delve into the issues at hand with enough care that the diagnosis never feels like it was done lightly. It leads Roz and Paul to reckon with their feelings for one another, and whether things can still work between them, in spite of what happened in the past.
And of course, there’s the kids. I loved seeing the role they played in the story and shaping Roz and Paul’s more mature romance.
This was a nice sweet read, full of hope and the power of second chances. And with a picturesque small-town setting, it’s sure to delight fans of small-town romance.
October 20, 2020
Roz Martin Knows the meaning of loss, she's been on the receiving end of loss since the early age of 12. Asking for help as she faces yet another loss. Will she win or lose? My first read by Ms. Douglass will be purchasing or downloading and reading her other works.
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August 1, 2020Categories
Contemporary Romance, African American Romance, Small Town & Rural Fiction, Family Life Fiction
Miniseries
Sweet Briar Sweethearts (Book #7)
Contemporary Romance, African American Romance, Small Town & Rural Fiction, Family Life Fiction
Miniseries
Sweet Briar Sweethearts (Book #7)
June 16, 2020
My first foray into this author and it was a great introduction. Roz and Paul were teen sweethearts until he went off to college. Roz felt alone especially after her aunt died and found comfort in Paul's brother Terrance. When Paul finds out he felt betrayed and was never close to his brother and Roz ever again. Fast forward twelve years later Terrance has passed away and Roz finds out she has cancer and will need surgery and is worried how she will be able to take care of her three children. She ask's Paul to help her with the children and so begin them reconnecting. I love how the author was able to write about a serious subject matter but yet weave the romance level in so well. Arc giving by netgalley.
August 5, 2020
Talented author, Kathy D ouglass welcomes readers back to Sweet Briar, North Carolina for a look into the life of a family whose world is rocked by a devastating diagnosis of cancer. The heroine, Roz Martin, widowed wife and mother of three children, is in a fight for her life. Not only is she fighting for her life, but also for her three school-aged children. While she goes through the various stages of cancer treatments and hospitalization, who will take care of her children? Enter Paul Stephens, Roz’s brother-in-law and the hero of the story, who willingly steps in to care for his nephew and nieces. Problem solved, right? Not so fast. Paul and Roz have history, and it is messy. You will have to read the story to discover the unpleasant circumstances that contribute to the unyielding emotional wall that stands between Paul and Roz . They appear to be “poster children” for making second chance love unattainable.
THE SINGLE MOM’S SECOND CHANCE is an enjoyable and sweet read, and I recommend it for your reading pleasure. Although it is the seventh book of the Sweet Briar Sweethearts series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Check out all the books; you won’t be sorry.
THE SINGLE MOM’S SECOND CHANCE is an enjoyable and sweet read, and I recommend it for your reading pleasure. Although it is the seventh book of the Sweet Briar Sweethearts series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Check out all the books; you won’t be sorry.
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