Adolescent wounds vs very grown-up attraction. Toss in a small boy and mix well My name is Margaret Fisher. I agreed to be the guardian of my best friend’s little boy should anything happen to her and her husband. Charlie is my godson and I love him to pieces. When I was called into the attorney’s office after their tragic deaths, I thought I knew what to expect.Then Cole Lassiter walked in like … expect.Then Cole Lassiter walked in like he owned the place. My first thought was how amazing he looked after all these years. My second was shock. What was he doing here? I hadn’t seen him since high school when he’d broken my heart.
What is the attorney saying? We’re to be co-guardians of Charlie?
Nonononono.
This cannot be happening. It will not end well.
Then again, I’ve been mistaken before…
~This story was originally published as Jackson Hole Valentine (as noted on the copyright page) It was updated (WOW-has technology changed in eight years!) as well as some of the writing was tightened. What hasn’t changed is this is a heartwarming story that you’re absolutely going to love!~
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In this fifth novel in the Jackson Hole sequence, the focus is on Margaret (Meg) Fisher and Cole Lassiter, who were high school sweethearts who broke up. Meg, who currently lives in Nebraska and works as a physical therapist, returns to Jackson Hole to take over guardianship of Charlie, the six-year-old son of her friends Janae and Ty, both killed in an auto accident. But Janae and Ty also named Cole as a guardian, and neither Meg nor Cole knew about the other. Both are shocked by the shared custody, which also requires living in Jackson Hole (Cole lives in Texas) until the school year is over. While Cole is wealthy and can easily afford to relocate, Meg cannot afford to move to Jackson Hole. The temporary solution is for Cole to buy a large house and Meg and Charlie move in.
Complications abound. Meg and Cole blame the other person for their high school breakup. Cole just had knee surgery and needs Meg’s help with his rehabilitation. And most ominously, Cole had an affair with Janae while she and Ty had broken up, and Cole suspects he is Charlie’s genetic father. If he can get proof, Cole plans to file for sole custody, leaving Meg out of the picture. Can Meg and Cole work through their issues?
As in the previous novels, Mary Karen and Travis (Meg’s older brother) are presented here again as a married couple, although they were not married in books 1 and 2, and their wedding is skipped over. More disconcerting, in the current book (#5), Kate and Joel are not dating nor married, but their relationship was the focus of the previous novel, (#4). If Second Chance Family is read as a standalone novel, these inconsistencies wouldn’t affect the reader but may bother a reader of the Jackson Hole series.
I enjoyed this novel, as it is written in the typical engaging Cindy Kirk style. However, the out of order sequencing bothered me, dropping my rating to a 4.5. But 4.5 rounds up to a 5-star review.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing the book.
Another sweet, small town romance that is a pretty quick read. Once I picked it up, I read straight through until I reached the last page. This one concentrates on Cole and Meg’s second chance at romance.
I am always a sucker for a book with a sweet kid, and single parents. I thought Charlie’s scenes added a lot to the book. The sadness, trauma, and other difficulties he experienced tied into a number of similar issues that both Cole and Meg had experienced.
I also liked that the hostility between Cole and Meg did not last for the majority of the book. I dislike those books were the couple is angry with one another until the very last chapter and then everything becomes suddenly perfect.
We got to follow the path as Cole and Meg started to unwind the mistakes of the past. I just wish there had been a bit more dialogue in the scene Meg had with Ed.
Another enjoyable visit to Jackson Hole with a couple of twists and turns before Cole and Meg get to their HEA.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
This is a very good book. It has some steam, and a lot of bonding with Charlie, the son of Meg’s best friend and her husband who have died in a car accident. Cole and Meg have been left the guardianship of Charlie, but past broken love between them creates a lot of turmoil and trust issues. Of course, there is an HEA. This is right on par with Cindy’s other books.
“I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.”
From the first page I could not put this sweet story down. Both Cole and Margaret have been mad at the other for many years since high school. Each feeling their heart was broken by the other. So when their friends died in a car accident and they were each named to have custody of Margaret’s godson neither of them were very happy. I loved reading how their story came together as they rekindled what was once lost. I highly recommend this sweet romance as two people are brought back together by fate and learn to find a love they never lost. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
A great addition to the series. Meg and Cole have a past that leads to problems taking care of their friends child Charlie. They have to find a way to work together to provide a home and a family after his parents pass away.
WOW – this story was something else – second chance to forgiveness. This story is about Cole, Margaret, and Charlie. It starts of by being at Jackson Holes attorney’s office and Charlie with Lexi, the social worker. Margaret is there to meet with Ryan for the reading of the will that Janae, her best friend, and Charlies mom, had left behind. She knew that she was going to be the guardian to Charlie but didn’t understand why they were waiting for another person to come. Well that other person was someone who broke her heart 15 years ago, Cole. He had just had surgery when Janae and her husband Ty had been in the accident that took their lives, but spared Charlie. Although the story is somewhat sad because of a child being left alone, it also brings a lot of forgiveness and understanding of one couple toward a deceased friend. I loved it. Cindy never disappoints with her small-town stories, and I can’t wait to read the next one!
When two very separate individuals are granted joint custody of a boy whose parents they both loved, things get messy. But leave it up to Meg and Cole to figure out how to make it all work.
I am a fan of the Jackson Hole series because each book can be read on its own or as part of the series. The characters from one book appear in the next and everyone grows and develops.
I had an ARC from the publisher, but that didn’t change what I said in my review!
Like the other Jackson Hole stories this one is heartwarming, lovely and sweet. Meg and Cole are amazing and what can I say about little Charlie, he is the sweetest boy ever. I love this story as much as the first ones. I’m never disappointed with this stories. I enjoy reading this book and can’t wait for the next one. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it.
I enjoyed Second Chance Family. It reminded me of how often we could avoid so much heartbreak and problems by speaking up when something hurts us. It also brought to the forefront how our perception of a situation, however flawed, governs our actions. It was clear from the beginning that Meg and Cole belonged together, and it was wonderful to see them find their way back to one another. I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it. Cindy Kirk does it again. Margaret Fisher, Travis’ sister, and Cole Lassiter came back to town thinking they would each get custody of Charlie. Janae, Margaret’s best friend, and Ty left Charlie orphaned after a horrible car wreck. They forgot to mention that they would share custody of Charlie and would need to stay in Jackson Hole for at least 6 months or forfeit their custody.
This plan came with a plethora of hitches. The biggest hitch is that Cole and Margaret know each other. They tried to make a go of a relationship in high school but it ended terribly due to mistakes on both their parts. Despite being separated for so long, there is still a connection between the two. They both also notice that Charlie needs both of them to start heading towards his new normal. Another hitch is a secret that Cole is hiding that could tear this new family apart before it gels.
You’ll throughly enjoy this up and down rollercoaster ride. Will these to get it together for Charlie’s sake? It’s worth the read to find out. As always, all the a Jackson Hole characters are around throwing parties and gossiping. I always love that part the best. The good thing about a series, you get to hear from characters you already know. Cindy is one of the best with making you love a little town and everyone in it.
Ty and Janae have lost their lives in a tragic car crash. Their son Charlie lived. Before they died Ty and Janae asked both Meg and Cole, separately, if they would take care of Charlie if something happened. They didn’t know that they are supposed to raise him as co-parents. There are stipulations to keeping Charlie. Cole just had knee surgery, so Charlie and Meg stay with him. They start adding sex into their relationship, they talk about the past, they talk about Charlie and some difficulties he is having in first grade. Cole gets some news he doesn’t tell Meg about, then she learns the news. Cole explains himself, and asks Meg a very important question. The epilogue is Valentine’s Day, and a special party.
I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
When two people who loved each other as teens, come face-to-face as co-guardians to the beloved child of their best friends, their explosive chemistry ignites. To start with, the past baggage brought by each character to the inferno does not lead to a positive relationship. As the co-guardians try to find civil solutions to care for a boy grieving his parents, the slow simmer of forgotten love reignites. Can the little boy help two people find love again and become his new family? And can the three find solace with each other to heal from their shared grief. An emotional ride of love, grief, and healing with the help of small-town friends…what Kirk does best.
I was given an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for an honest review.
Second Chance Family is the fifth in the Jackson Hole series but can be read as a stand alone. This is a story of a second chance at a first love in which miscommunications are explained, misconceptions are corrected and hearts are healed. Cole and Meg fell in love in high school but outside influences and family tragedies caused the two to go their separate ways. Now years later, they are both named co-guardian of their best friend’s little boy after the parents are killed in an accident. Meg and Cole must learn to put their attitudes and past behind them in order to help Charlie and grow as a family. This is a wonderfully written story filled with laughs, tears, a little bit of anger and a lot of heart. The characters and story are realistic, engaging and entertaining with a natural flow to the conclusion.
I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher but all thoughts and feelings are my own.
This is the fourth book in the Jackson Hole series that are reissues of some of Cindy Kirk’s RX for Love series. Margaret Fisher and Cole Lassiter are surprised to find out that they were both named guardians to their recently deceased friends’ child Charlie. Of course, they were each other’s first in High School and the relationship ended disastrously due to various misunderstandings. Now they are living together dealing with a grieving child and and their attraction. This is a nice second chance romance with two likable main characters. I received an ARC of this book from the author for my honest review.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from the publisher and am voluntarily reviewing it. Cute addition to the Jackson Hole series. The background on Cole and Meg is a sweet one that keeps you hoping for a happy ending for their sake and Charlie’s sake.
Margaret Fisher arrives at attorney Ryan Harcourt’s office believing she needs to sign guardianship paperwork. Her child hood friend Janae and her husband Ty had named her to take care of their son Charlie in their will. Margaret is surprised when Cole Lassiter joins the meeting and shocked when she learns she must share custody of Charlie with Cole—the man who broke her heart in high school.
Second Chance Family is a story of new beginnings. Both Cole and Margaret are challenged to put aside their feelings to do what’s right for Charlie. They dated secretly in high school and both of them still held bad feelings over their breakup. Even though there was chemistry between Cole and Margaret–each believed the worst about each other.
Margaret and Cole are strong characters—but they are not perfect which makes them relatable. Both of them had difficult childhoods; Margaret’s parents died in a car crash and Cole’s father died and his mother left him and his brother. Loved the conversations—some were emotionally charges and others were brutally honest– between the couple as they figured out how to put aside their feelings and co-parent six year old Charlie.
Trust is an important issue between the couple. Margaret and Cole view the reasons behind their breakup very differently. Cindy Kirk does a fabulous job adding pieces to this puzzle bit by bit to allow the couple to understand what really happened. Loved that Margaret and Cole learned to listen and rely on each other as the novel progressed. The author did not make it easy for Margaret, Cole and Charlie; as there are several emotional roadblocks that need to be resolved before they could truly become a family.
.Second Chance Family has all the feels—it’s an emotional story of loss, grief, love , forgiveness and new beginnings. I highly recommend this feel good story which tugs at your heartstrings!