#BlogTour: Second Chance Romance by Carol Mason

For this blog tour, we’re looking at . For this blog tour, we’re looking at Second Chance Romance by Carol Mason.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (Hardcover.app / BookHype.com / TheStoryGraph.com / Goodreads.com):

Nothing Technically Wrong, Yet Much Many Won’t Like. In my review of Mason’s earlier book, Between You And Me, three years ago last month, I noted that Mason managed to craft a tale “with particulars that I’d never seen done quite this way before, and that is always something I seek out and love to find”. That remains true in this tale, seemingly her first attempt at a more lighthearted romcom after several books more in the domestic thriller/ women’s fiction space.

And while the particulars are at least somewhat new – while also being a hodgepodge of other ideas and characterizations well known in the romance space in varying forms – it also becomes quite clear that Mason is new to writing within this particular space, as she has the basic formula down quite well… and yet, there is much here that those looking for a truly mindless and hilarious “beach reach” romcom won’t find here at all.

To be clear, this book absolutely has its moments of hilarity. It also has at least habanero level spiciness… in a form that many will consider potentially offputting (but is also well known in *ahem* “certain video circles” *ahem* to be quite popular therein). And the book’s locations, in coastal California, Santorini, and even the historic areas of Athens (Greece, to be clear, vs Athens, GA, home of my beloved University of Georgia Bulldogs) are shown well… yet don’t seem to “hit” quite as well as others within the space. It also has moments of stone-cold seriousness, including when we find out our male lead’s “deep dark secret” – and here is yet another point that will be divisive for some, but which I felt was handled in a very realistic manner.

Indeed, perhaps one of the more difficult aspects of this tale is that throughout, it can never really decide if it wants to be a romcom or a “serious women’s fiction” type tale… and sadly, the combination of both comes across as disjointed enough to detract from each, rather than enhance each.

This is a book with no actual objective-ish reasons to deduct stars or not recommend, and yet it is still a difficult book to classify and really find an audience that will clearly love it – which is a shame, because Mason has shown herself to be a talented storyteller in prior efforts, and even here shows quite a bit of that talent… in fits and spurts.

So read the book for yourself and see if you can help me sort it out.

Recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: Second Chance Romance by Carol Mason”

#BookReview: The Golden Gate by Amy Chua

More Noir Than Thriller. This is a *great* detective story set in pre-D-Day 1944 San Francisco that truly reads as more of a noir than an actual thriller. There is quite a bit of mystery and intrigue, but very few murders or even action sequences and really a rather lot of mind games and misdirection. So while it has bone-chilling moments, I really wouldn’t market this thing as a “thriller”. Beyond that, though, truly a superb book that combines history that many likely didn’t know (I know *I* didn’t, and American History is one of my stronger non-degree-oriented knowledge sets) with a *just* real enough story that you could believe it could have actually happened, if you were not 100% aware as you’re reading it that it is, in fact, historical fiction. Thus, it actually ranks as one of the *stronger* historical fiction tales around – and particularly noteworthy for a debut (in fiction anyway) author. While there is an element of “white guy bad” here, there is also a crucial *good* white guy, which brings enough of a balance to avoid any allegations of *blatant* racism, even as both the story itself and the author’s note at the back reveal that there is quite a bit of anti-white animus animating the story. But as this is primarily a story of non-white characters and their struggles during the Japanese Internment Camp era of US History, along with a dose of international intrigue with the addition of several more non-white characters from another prominent region outside of the US but significant during the era (and since), it isn’t so truly blatant or pervasive as to really mar the story at all. Indeed, it is only after finishing the book, and particularly while reading the author’s note, that the anti-white sentiment is *really* noticeable. So yet again, kudos for hiding in plain site with that one. Overall, this is truly a rather strong (fiction) debut, and it will be interesting to see what the author can do in this space with any sophomore effort. Very much recommended.

This review of The Golden Gate by Amy Chua was originally written on October 5, 2023.