Rules for Second Chances

Aspiring Autistic Author Accomplishes Astounding Act of Adoration. Ok, so that was a very painful and forced alliteration by an Autistic reviewer that actually gives an idea of what this book may be like for at least some non-Autistic readers.

Personally, I found that most of this book worked quite well - it does in fact have the far-too-common tacked on baby-in-epilogue that always leaves a sour "aftertaste" for me when the book never really mentioned even wanting kids in its overall story, but other than this quibble the book actually does work well as a story of both finding oneself and rediscovering the love one had for one's partner along the way. But part of what made it work so well - if perhaps a *touch* stereotypically - is that North worked in so many real-world examples of what life as an Autistic in the corporate world can truly be like at times, particularly as it relates to understanding others and working to be understood by them.

The emphasis on improv comedy and its "Yes, and" philosophy is a driving force in the overall narrative here and yes, perhaps is very nearly a crutch/ preachy at times about the philosophy and its purported benefits, but again, within the overall structure of the story as told... eh, *every* such story has some overarching narrative device, this one simply happens to be improv.

Overall this was a solid debut effort in the romance space, and absolutely leaves me wanting to see more from this author - which is the number one (or maybe two, after sales of this book itself) goal of any debut book. So in that regard, it did its job quite well indeed. And for those looking for "diverse reads", again, here's a neurodiverse author for you to give a shot!

Very much recommended.

I just finished Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North and here are my thoughts.


Liz is tired of being overlooked and everyone she works with views her as different. She isn't fun loving and outgoing like her husband and she feels like an extra in her own life. She decides to try improv classes to improve not only her work life, but the marriage her stubborn husband refuses to give up on.

The improv is supposed to help Liz become more confident but the more she gets into doing it, the more it is becoming obvious to her that there is more going on with her social awkwardness than she really knew. Can she and Tobin get their marriage back on track and connect in a way that makes their marriage fulfilling for both of them?

Firstly, I am happy this book highlights autism in the MC. It's always great when authors make their books inclusive but they have to be knowledgeable about the inclusivity they are writing about and as a mother of 2 asd children and a wife of an asd man, I felt the author did a pretty good job of portraying autism the correct way and in a delicate manner.

It was easy to adore Liz. I have spent almost a decade with a man just like her and I can see how difficult the social anxieties can be for a person especially when they are undiagnosed. I am the outgoing partner so I can understand the complexities of what Tobin was going through as well. It was really something to watch them both trying to tackle the obstacles in their way of making their marriage work and the fact Torbin didn't let it all slip away, which would have been easier for him, was really the best part of the book for me.

I thought the book was really well written and I very much enjoyed the plot of the book. It's not a traditional romance read so if you are looking for something fluffy, this isn't it. The book covers some pretty heavy topics and isn't lighthearted. I did feel the pace was a touch off. I listened to and read the paperback arc and sometimes felt the story wasn't moving quickly enough to the pace it had set but all in all I actually enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

The narrator was excellent and set a really great tone for the book. If you are looking for a second chance romance book that is outside the norm, give this one a go! You won't be sorry

4 stars thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my paperback and alc gifted copies!

Out now

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