Rating: 4.5
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 1st person
Series: Second Chance School #1
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Main tropes: hurt / comfort, opposites attract, mental health
He looks back again then, no sign of honey or gold left. It won’t be fully dark for hours yet, so I don’t know why there are so many stars in his eyes.
Second Song was an absolutely stunning and moving story with bruised and battered characters that will steal your heart!
Con Riley had me hooked right from the beginning, starting the story over the edge of a cliff, literally. Rowan, with his arms full of a lamb that he didn’t want to let go of, and Liam trying to bring them both to safety. I’m not sure if it can be called a meet-cute, but it was certainly a memorable and dramatic first meeting.
The chemistry between Rowan and Liam was instant and intense, and I liked how they didn’t resist the pull and attraction between them. They were both bruised from the past, Liam after being medically discharged from the army, carrying a lot of guilt over the last mission that ended his career. Rowan also had his own trauma that he was trying to outrun instead of working through, and he came across as very fragile and insecure at the beginning of the story. Both Liam and Rowan had quite a lot to overcome, and their character growth and development was fantastic – I loved to see them starting to heal and thrive throughout the story!
There was so much support and understanding between Rowan and Liam, and seeing them together made my heart happy. They didn’t hide their feelings for each other, Liam rushing back from his job sites just to spend a couple of stolen hours before Rowan had to work, and Rowan finding various excurses to check on Liam throughout the day. They were adorable and totally smitten with each other!
Second Song was a beautifully written and emotional story, and a fantastic start to a new series! I can’t wait to go back to Cornwall and this school full of second chances, patience and love.
“I got to walk away, Row. And this?”
He steers me off the path and between bushes where he drops a bombshell.
“It’s the very first time I’ve felt grateful.”
Book links:
Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph
The Secret Librarian 