What if the world didn't want you to go straight? Out on parole after almost ten years in prison, Emet First is repairing his shattered life. He has friends, a job, and his first date in a decade. The young woman, Mercedes Finch, is lovely but wounded. When her deranged brother learns about Emet's past, he will stop at nothing to destroy him--and suddenly Emet has everything to lose.

I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.

 The cover is honestly what drew me into this book. It just seems so inviting to read. With this story we are taken into the life of Emet which isn't much of a life to tell but it is enough to where we see him get a second chance in life. 

Emet committed a crime and works in a bakery with Eden Rose the owner. Emet is really good at using his hands to bake scones and other delicious goods. So when he meets a woman named Mercedes Finch he believes his life is going to be good even though he is worried about her not liking him and his past. After a first date of confessions Mercedes brother Clay has it out for Emet and will stop at nothing to make sure Emet is out of her life and that Mercedes stays at home. Now the romance in the book wasn't really there and Emet and Mercedes never moved past the first date by that I mean they never got together for a second date even though it is mentioned later on. With the things that are going on with Mercedes brother and his craziness the timeline seems to play out over a short period of time. It wasn't like a week later this happens or a month later this happened it was just so fast with all the drama from the brother. It just moved to fast for me. 

Now there was a lot of description with the food which was okay being as it is the Serve You Right Cafe but I wanted more from the main characters. We also get to know a bit more about Eden Rose and how she came to be working at the Serve You Right Cafe. 

Another neat thing I enjoyed in the book was how Eden would write sayings or ideas on the wall and have her customers write what they thought on there. It is something that you get to see a lot of creative minds come up with something for the people to see.

I have to say my favorite characters in the book were the homeless couple. Their charm and wittiness was just perfect and gave us some humor with them. 

I did find Emet trying to turn his life around and even seeing the good when things were going downhill for him towards the end was perfect. It just goes to show some people can get a second chance in life and it could just happen in a coffee shop. :) But he didn't grow enough and maybe that is because he had only been out a month. I am torn between a three wine glass rating and a four wine glass rating. This is more of a relaxing read so I am going to give this a four rating. 

 

2.5 stars, just okay, the relationship between the two characters was rushed and unconvincing.

I love a good second chance at love story as much as the next reader. I’m the rose colored glasses, heart on her sleeve sort who believes everyone deserves a chance at happiness, even if it takes him a few tries to get there, which is the premise of Charlie Cochrane’s newest release, Second Helpings.

Stuart Collins is still grieving the loss of his partner, having a difficult time thinking about moving on after Mark’s unexpected death, let alone acting on the idea of finding someone new. But watching his father picking up the pieces after his mother’s death gives Stuart some reason to think it might be time to try and live again. Trying is easy. Turns out it’s the succeeding that’s the challenge, and each small step Stuart takes is one big tug at the heartstrings. His lack of motivation, let alone success in moving on, stems from the fact that Mark was the love of Stuart’s life, his perfect partner in every way, and it’s an issue the author puts to good use to create the angst in the story.

Paul Franklin is in a relationship. It’s too bad, really, that his boyfriend doesn’t know it. Paul is carrying on a one sided, long-distance romance with a man who can’t even be bothered to call, email, or text every once in awhile to reassure Paul he’s still alive. When Paul discovers his mother is dating Stuart’s father, he decides it’s time to vet the senior Collins via the son to make sure she’s not going to end up with another loser like his own father was—a pattern Paul himself seems to have fallen into when choosing men—and this is where the crux of the story begins, the point where Charlie Cochrane begins to weave in the various speed bumps these two men face on the road to togetherness.

Second Helpings isn’t quite an enemies-to-lovers story, though Stuart and Paul certainly don’t get off on the right foot with each other. They both manage to say things that touch exposed nerves, yet still they abide the gravitational pull that keeps bringing them together. Stuart is ready to start over again with someone new, and it’s Paul who trips his libido. Paul has read all the signs of his lover’s silence and interpreted it to mean he’s a single man again. Stuart’s easy on the eyes and a nice guy when he’s not elevating Mark to sainthood. And, that’s the plot of this book in a few simple sentences. Second Helpings is an uncomplicated book with a lot of heart.

Having read more than a few Charlie Cochrane books over the years, I can say with certainty that this short novel is delivered in her dependable style—fluid and effortless prose, with characters by whom I was immediately engaged. If I had any qualms at all with Second Helpings, it’s only in the fact this particular storyline, the essence of it, has been done before, though not always as well as Charlie Cochrane does it. Consider Second Helpings comfort food for the romantic soul: a sweet, read-it-in-one recipe, a relatively angst-free love story between two men who need each other more than they could’ve imagined. If you’re looking for a book that will make for an effortlessly entertaining summer read, this book is precisely that.

3.5 stars

Review to come 7/24