Rating: 4
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 1st person
Series: Second Chance School #2
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Tropes / tags: past hurt, co-workers, hurt / comfort
Forget that smart black suit. Forget the beard that is so much neater than mine. His gaze has a wild edge, and wildness has always done it for me.
It conjures cliffs and tors and moorland.
Second Shot was another beautiful and emotional story from Con Riley!
Hayden and Rae both had some heavy pasts, and I loved the way they connected. Hayden was a total cinnamon roll character, taking care of everyone even if it cost him, and just an absolute sweetheart. He and Rae both tugged hard at my heartstring, and their story was emotional, beautiful and raw. I mean, how could I not fall in love with a man who works with refugee children and use his sketchpad to turn them into superheroes?
Neither Hayden or Rae were looking for a relationship, but after spending time together they both found it difficult to resist the pull between them. Busy with life and looming deadlines, they tried to carve out as much time together as possible, and inevitable falling deeper for each other along the way. It was a tender and a bit of a slow burn romance that had me rooting hard for these two to find a way to be together.
I always love Con Riley’s writing and how vivid it is, and I had no issues at all to imagine Hayden in the forest, a gentle giant with burrs in his beard and trembling hands. No wonder Rae was itching to draw him… It was easy to get intrigued by these lost and hurt characters and their journeys, their pasts slowly unfolding while finding a place to put down roots and starting to heal.
Second Shot was a fantastic follow up to Second Song, and a story full of past hurt, healing and love. I love the characters, setting and storytelling so far in this series, and it is wonderful to see the student’s progress and how they get to learn in a way that works for them. I can’t wait for more stories in the series, and the chance to go back to Glynn Harber and Cornwall again!
My heart doesn’t only thunder all over again. It swells, close to exploding, as I guess his real reason to be grateful.
Because he ended up right here with me.
Book links:
Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph
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