Second Chance at the Orchard Inn
by Heather McGovern
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: June 6, 2023
Reviewed by PJ
A charming second-chance romance about a big city chef whose return home to help run her family's wedding planning business means reuniting with the man who broke her heart.
Chef Aurora Shipley spent years slicing, dicing, and chopping her way up the ladder of L.A.'s competitive restaurant scene, but when her sisters needed her help, she dropped everything to return home to Texas. With her family’s Orchard Inn now on its feet, it's time for Aurora to head back to the big city. At least there, she won’t keep running into ex-boyfriend Jude Jones or her high school bully Erica, who now needs Aurora and her wedding planning business to throw the celebration of her dreams. Will Aurora let the past go long enough to send the bride off without a hitch and ignore her traitorous heart urging her to stay and try again with Jude?
As a teenager, Jude Jones foolishly listened to his father and let Aurora Shipley slip away. In the intervening years, the sweet, shy girl grew into a stunning, capable, confident woman, and her reappearance is messing with Jude's focus, which should be on expanding Jones' Family Herbs. He broke Aurora's heart once, and she broke his, too. This time will Jude be strong enough to fight for her—for them—and a future together?
PJ's Thoughts:
It's been about six years since I've read a book by Heather McGovern. I wasn't sure she was still writing (I checked periodically) but remembering how much I enjoyed her Honeywilde series, I was eager to accept when given the opportunity to review her newest book, Second Chance at the Orchard Inn. It did not disappoint.
I enjoy a good second-chance reunion romance and this one kept me smiling pretty much from beginning to end. It's about relationships among siblings, with parents, and with that high school sweetheart who broke your heart (it went both ways). It's about finding your path in life and opening yourself to opportunities you never considered. It's about growth, acceptance, forgiveness, and realizing that sometimes it's necessary to spread our wings in faraway places in order to discover what fills our souls is waiting in our own backyard.
McGovern has filled this book with relatable characters I'd love to spend time with, a romantic arc that made me laugh, sigh, and cheer, and enough delicious food to have me reaching for a box of tissues. The farm-to-table goodness in this book hit all my happy spots and left me wishing that Lavender was an actual restaurant because if it was? Well, you better believe I'd be booking a ticket to Fredericksburg, TX tout de suite.
Second Chance at the Orchard Inn rolled across my mind like the favorite Hallmark movie it should be. If you're looking for a summer read with authentic, relatable characters, humor, charm, second chances, romance, and families you'd love to spend more time with, pick up a copy of this second book in Heather McGovern's Orchard Inn series. It has my enthusiastic recommendation.
If you prefer to read a series in order, book one, Something Blue is currently a Kindle e-book deal at $2.99. I don't know how long that price will last so I'd recommend jumping on it now. I started with book two and didn't experience any confusion but immediately downloaded the first book once I had finished the second. These sisters have me hooked.
Have you read any of Heather McGovern's books?
Do you enjoy farm-to-table dining? How adventurous are you with food?
What's the last book you read that you'd like to see turned into a movie?
One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, June 11 will receive a print copy of Second Chance at the Orchard Inn (which also includes the novella, Only Home With You by Jeannie Chin - from another series I thoroughly enjoyed).
*U.S. only
*Must be 18
This story sounds captivating. I haven't read books by this author. I would like to experience farm-to-table dining. I am careful about food and I don't experiment. A book that would be a great movie is Coronation Year.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Coronation Year would make a great film.
DeleteThis is a new to me author. I do like farm to table food. I am not as adventurous about cooking as I once was. Cooking for only one is a pain and does not generally make for adventure. But, I do take chances and fix things that are almost like recipes, but more like I want them....I know all that makes no sense.....sorry. Thanks for the review. You have made the book sound terrific and I live not too far from Fredericksburg and I happen to know that is a lovely place. As for a movie, Amanda Quick's The Bride Wore White. In fact, that whole series, set in 1930's California would be marvelous films.
ReplyDeleteNo, that makes perfect sense, Annette! I do the same to recipes. And I also agree about the Quick series.
DeleteA new to me author. I’m going to download the first book!! Love second chance romances. It’s always a plus when you see a dog on the cover, what a sucker I am!
ReplyDeleteLOL! You're not alone in the dog on the cover love, Shari. That's how I first discovered Kristan Higgins.
DeleteNew to me author. Love farm-to-table. Somewhat adventurous with food.
ReplyDeletedenise
I don't recall having read Heather McGovern before, but this sounds good! As for farm-to-table, I'm a big fan of good food, which I imagine this can work quite well with! As for recent read that would make a good movie? I think Beth Bolden's football series would be amazing--the romance would be fantastic, but also hot guys playing football, inspiring locker room speeches, incredible on-the-field plays... it would be super fun!
ReplyDelete--flchen1
Heather is a new to me author.
ReplyDeleteFarm to table is a favorite. We grow much of our food in the summer and supplement that with trips to the farmer's market. Nothing is better than the first picking of a particular crop. As for adventurous, I will try pretty much anything once. I was never a picky eater and three years in the Peace Corps brought many interesting foods my way. I did manage to try all I was offered and thankfully wasn't offered some of the ones I knew I couldn't handle (like tree grubs the size of my thumb).
I have read quite a few that would make good movies. Any of Sheila Roberts' books would make good movies. Her Moonlight Harbor books would make a great series. Her Christmas books are perfect for Hallmark's seasonal programing.
I have a love-hate opinion on books to movies. I hate it when the story doesn't follow the book as closely as I think it should, but I do usually enjoy the movie.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read her before, I do love finding new authors and their books! Not very adventurous in my eating. Don't usually like movies that come from books, the books are always better.
ReplyDeletemarthalawson8@gmail.com
I haven't read any of her books before. Never tried to farm to table dining but I would be open to trying it. Not sure if I would call myself adventurous but I do like trying new foods and recipes. As for turning books into a movie, I am not usually a fan. The book is usually so much better.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds vg. I have not read this author and Floating Twigs I think would make a good movie or any of Jeannie Moon's Compass or Forever Love Story books. I am not adventurous with my food.
ReplyDelete