The Summer of Taking Chances by Lynne Shelby

ABOUT THE BOOK

Would you take the second chance you’ve always dreamed of?

It’s been ten years since Emma Stevens last laid eyes on Jake Murray. When he left the small seaside village of South Quay to chase the limelight, Emma’s dreams left with him.

Now Emma is content living a quiet and uneventful life in South Quay. It’s far from the life she imagined, but at least her job at the local hotel has helped heal her broken heart.

But when Jake returns home for the summer to escape the spotlight, Emma’s feelings quickly come flooding back. There’s clearly a connection between them, but Jake has damaged her heart once already – will she ever be able to give him a second chance?

MY REVIEW

Emma Stevens is happy in her hometown of South Quay. She’s an Event Assistant at the local hotel and amateur actor in the South Quay Players. But her life is about to change by the arrival of famous actor and former best friend, Jake Murray. Who is she kidding? He was her first love, but he didn’t reciprocate the feeling 10 years ago at the young age of seventeen. When he decides to vacation in South Quay after his breakup with his Hollywood girlfriend, he wants to be friends, but can Emma go down that road again?

First of all, I do not like Jake. He is an arrogant asshat who thinks he’s better than everyone else. In fact, I really don’t see the chemistry between him and Emma. Jake seems so cold and nonchalant about everything, especially his constant condescension of amateur dramatics which is something dear to Emma’s heart. Personally, I would be waving goodbye at the start. However, Emma apparently sees something in him. Eventually, he does start to change for the better, but is it too little too late? Emma has her own issues of taking responsibility for her own actions, but she is a good friend to Lizzie with her surprising news and an avid supporter of her community. In addition, there are a number of interesting supporting characters such as Lizzie and Noah as well as the South Quay Players who are integral to the story.

Overall, this is a good story, but I felt there was more love and romance between Lizzie and Noah than there was with Emma and Jake, the main characters. The author has a good writing style and an interesting plotline, but I just didn’t feel moved by it.

Thank you to Ms. Shelby for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynne Shelby writes contemporary women’s fiction/romance. Her debut novel, French Kissing, was published when it won a national writing competition. She has worked at a variety of jobs from stable girl to child actors’ chaperone to legal administrator but now writes full time. When not writing or reading, Lynne can usually be found at the theatre watching a musical, or exploring a foreign city – Paris, New York, Rome, Copenhagen, Seattle, Athens – writer’s notebook, camera and sketchbook in hand. She lives in London with her husband and has three adult children who live nearby.