Review & Giveaway - - Second Chance at the Orchard Inn

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

Heather McGovern Winner

The randomly chosen winner of a digital copy of

A Moment of Bliss by Heather McGovern is:

Pamela Devereux

Congratulations, Pamela!

Please send your email address to us at:

theromancedish (at) gmail (dot) com

Today's Special - - Heather McGovern

It's my pleasure to welcome debut author Heather McGovern to the Dish today. I first met Heather at a regional romance conference a few years ago (you may not be familiar with her face but you've probably drooled over photos of her gorgeous shoes here more than once) and have been following her journey to publication with anticipation since then. Today, all her hard work comes to fruition with the publication of A Moment of Bliss, the first book in her debut Honeywilde series, about siblings struggling to keep a family inn afloat in the beautiful and soul-stirring mountains of western North Carolina.

Heather has a BS in Biology from the College of Charleston. She lives in the beautiful Upstate of South Carolina with her husband and son where she has a corporate job by day and writes sexy, heart-tugging romances by night. And she likes glitter. Lots of glitter! 

Welcome, Heather! Congratulations on today’s release of your debut novel, A Moment of Bliss. How will you be celebrating this milestone? 

Thank you! I have no idea! I think my husband is taking me to dinner tonight. Tomorrow, I'll have lunch with a couple of local writer friends. I celebrated a lot at RWA in San Diego, so today's events will be low key in comparison.

What’s been the most exciting part of your debut journey? The most challenging? The most surprising? 

Finally being able to share my stories with readers is easily the most exciting. I know how attached I am to certain books, what they mean to me. If I can reach just one reader and bring them the kind of joy romance has brought me, I’ll consider myself a success. The challenging part is balancing the promotional part of writing with the actual writing. I’m surprised, daily, by how many helpful people there are out there. I’ve had so many questions, and still do, but there are tons of other authors, bloggers, readers, librarians, editors, artists, etc. who are eager to share their experience and knowledge. I’m humbled by the romance community’s generosity.

I’m fascinated by the following statement from your bio: “Mild mannered corporate employee by day, glitter throwing author by night, Heather McGovern grew up thinking she'd either be a swamp wading herpetologist - frog scientist to be exact - or Wonder Woman.” What roles (if any) do frogs and superheroes play in your life today? 

I still love frogs and Wonder Woman! J I majored in Biology in college, and my love of nature persists. Nowadays, my relationship with amphibians and reptiles is relegated to catching them in our yard and doing impromptu show and tell for my son. I like to think he's amazed and impressed that his mother can not only catch a frog, but remember its scientific name. I also collect frogs - the cute kind you buy at gift shops. There are little frogs all over my house and yard. As for superheroes, I remain a huge fangirl. Captain America, X-Men, Deadpool, Wonder Woman – I go see these movies opening weekend and I’ve been known to wear the occasional superhero themed dress to writer conferences.

They say we always remember our first. What book (or

author) was your gateway into the world of romance fiction? Who do you enjoy reading today? 

The very first romance I picked up was Sabrina Jefferies' One Night With A Prince. That beautiful red cover jumped off the center circular at Barnes & Noble and landed in my hands. My life hasn't been the same since. I devoured romance after that, especially historical. Then I found contemporary romance, and knew I had stories to share. I still love to read Sabrina Jefferies and Lisa Kleypas. I love JR Ward and Tessa Bailey, and I love to read my friends' novels.

The chef at your Honeywilde Inn turns out some drool-worthy treats, such as the Pumpkin Pleasure cookies you alluded to in your post. Are you a baker? Do you have a signature dish? Will you be sharing any of the Honeywilde Inn recipes with readers? 

My mother is the exceptional chef in our family. My love of food mostly comes from eating her creations. I do love to bake though, particularly in the fall and winter. I make some Killer Chocolate Brownies (that’s what I call them), Makers Mark Bourbon Balls, Monkey Bread…okay, now I’m hungry. I'll definitely be sharing recipes with readers.

Where can readers find you online? 

I’m on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The best place is my website: www.heathermcgovernnovels.com

What’s next? 

Next up is Devlin Bradley’s book. A DATE WITH DESIRE comes out December 20^th! The story of Dev and Anna holds a special place in my heart. I can’t wait!

Thanks so much for visiting with us, Heather! Would you like to ask our readers a question today?

Thank you for having me!

You’ve read about how much I love fall. What’s your favorite season of the year? Or your favorite holiday, and why? From the commenters, I’ll randomly draw one name to receive an Enthrill code for a free copy of A MOMENT OF BLISS.

Nestled in the lush green mountains of North Carolina, the Honeywilde Inn will be a romantic’s dream getaway—if only the Bradley siblings can keep it running. It will take a combination of hard work, good luck, and the kind of love that dreams are made of…
 
Roark Bradley is no stranger to responsibility. Growing up, he practically raised his younger siblings while his parents threw themselves into working the inn—and arguing with each other. Determined to make the Honeywilde shine once more, Roark jumps at the chance to conduct business with a no-nonsense event planner who approaches him about celebrity nuptials that could put the inn back on the map. If only it wasn’t so tempting to discuss some no-strings attached pleasure with her instead…
 
Madison Kline is done with weddings—at least personally. Her own youthful mistake is a well-guarded secret, and one she refuses to repeat. But as she and bold, broad-shouldered Roark work together to make a rock star couple’s wedding a reality, she finds herself wishing romance didn’t feel like a four-letter word. Can either of them surrender their hard-won independence and workaholic ways for something sweeter—and even more rewarding?...