Customer Reviews

Second Time Around: A Christian Romance Novel (The Lewis Legacy Series, Book Two)

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Second Time Around's storyline has a great mixture of forgiveness, persistence, friendship, hope, and most of all love. Mrs. Durgin did a great job demonstrating that to have a true romance between a man and a woman, God must be in COMPLETE control. This book reminded me that God uses things that happen in our life that we view as "bad" to bring us to a place that we will be more open to hearing His voice. You will not regret purchasing this book, in fact, you'll be anxiously awaiting the next one! If you haven't read Mrs. Durgin's Awakening which is the first book in this series, you should seriously consider making that purchase as well.

After loving her first book "Awakening," I could not wait to read her second book, "Second Time Around." Ms Durgin is a master of characters feel so real, you would expect to run into them on the street. I am thankful for her courage to tackle tough issues without ever crossing the line. Her books are full of emotion, romance, and of course, humor! I cannot wait for the next book!

JoAnn Durgin treats readers to another romance-filled adventure involving the Team Work Crew first met in her novel, Awakening. Second Time Around, book two in the Lewis Legacy Series, introduces Marc and Natalie Thompson, newlyweds immediately plunged into a medical crisis leaving Natalie with little memory of Marc as her handsome, wedded husband.

This book held particular interest for me since my daughter had suffered injury from an automobile accident and did not recognize her husband either for many months. As can be imagined, such a scenario creates multiple challenges. Issues of faith and trust further complicated these challenges for Marc and Natalie until they each let God work His miracles.

"God will take care of your wife" the old man in the Emergency Room waiting area told Marc, but believing this proves daunting for hard-driving Marc. Even though the hurdles are many, Marc is nevertheless passionate about maintaining his marriage, regaining his wife's love and making good his second chance. They both learn God is faithful even to those of little faith.

This writer has crafted a well-written Christian romance that will absolutely keep you turning the pages! I look forward to the next book in this exciting series.

Marc's not the only ball player here - JoAnn Durgin knocks it out of the ballpark with her newest book. After "Awakening" I couldn't wait for this book to come out and she did not disappoint! It has tender yet exciting romance, humor, and action as it teaches us God's forgiveness, as well as how we can forgive ourselves and others. It truly shows us how to "Let go and let God." It also brings back Sam and Lexa and the TeamWork crew. The only negative: I read it so fast, now I am back impatiently awaiting "Twin Hearts."

After reading the first book "Awakening", I could not wait for the second one, (I bought this book without reading anything first). And I was not disappointed by this new author. Now the long wait for the third book in the series. This is so beautifully written and the lesson was so awesome. When we get out of the way, when there is nothing left, God can work, and when He is in control and when He blesses, no sorrow will be added. The story is about Natalie that lost her memory after an accident. They had to court again; they had to know each other again after they had been married for 2 months! What a journey! Marc, the husband was learning patience that you can't belief it! The very tender, sweet romance (with a lot of passion...) between husband and wife was amazing. And you read more of the characters in the first book Sam and Lexa. My best book so far for 2011 and I read a lot each month.

With her second book, Second Time Around, JoAnn Durgin has another best seller on her hands!

Second Time Around is the story of Marc and Natalie Thompson. It is the story of a love that is nearly lost due to a tragic accident, of a husband who fights for the life, and then for the love, of his bride. It is the story of a new love that is stronger - a "three cord strand" kind of love that cannot be broken. What a beautiful parallel between Marc and Natalie's story and the story of God's love for us - how He fought for our very lives because of His love for us. And His love for us is always stronger than a "three cord strand."

Ms. Durgin developed the characters of Marc and Natalie with such in-depth facets that they are our friends by the end of the first chapter and we are just as afraid for Natalie as Marc is. Oops - don't want to give anything away there! By the end of the book, it almost feels as if they are family and we want to know what happens to them in the coming months and years.

With characters so well written and scenery so exquisitely detailed that we are there, Second Time Around will hold you captive from page one to the end.

Marc Thompson is a successful businessman with a beautiful new wife, and seemingly everything going for him. But he is haunted by his relationship with his now-deceased Dad with whom he never felt good enough. He puts those unsettling inadequacies to the back of his mind while cultivating a take-charge approach to his life. Above all else, he wants to be in control.
But life's events soon spin out of control when his new bride, Natalie, suffers a serious fall. Her resulting head injury inflicts a life-changing situation: Natalie cannot remember her new husband. Married only a few months, Marc is devastated, especially when a routine test shows an unexpected complication. Questioning his faith in a God he had only recently discovered, Marc struggles with not only this upheaval in his life, but how to win Natalie's love back--for the second time around. His efforts are thwarted when a surprising and unwelcome discovery heightens Natalie's distrust of him.
Marc looks to God for help, as well as to Natalie's friends from a mission group who pull out all the stops to bring Natalie's memory back, as well as her love for her husband. Time is of the essence for Natalie's recovery, as well as for Marc's healing from the ghosts that haunt his past.
Second Time Around is the sequel to Awakening, a romance story involving the head of the mission group known as TeamWork, a Christian organization similar to Habitat for Humanity. The reader becomes re-acquainted with the main characters in Awakening, as well as several other characters from that romance story. This sequel is a delightful reunion with these old friends.
An enjoyable, contemporary romance that satisfies the romantic heart! Can't wait for the next installment in this series.

Normally I don't read romances, but JoAnn's books captivated me. I really enjoyed reading both Awakening and Second Time Around (and stayed up way too late several nights because I simply could not put either book down). I must say, however, that Second Time Around is my favorite -- the steps that Marc takes to prove his unconditional love for Natalie are truly remarkable. Both books have everything you want in a story, i.e. drama, romance and humor with Christianity intertwined throughout. I can't wait to read her next book, Twin Hearts.

I'm new to the reviewing scene (and have been an avid Christian romance reader for years). Let me tell you, I've picked a real winner for my first book rewiew. Hard to believe this is only JoAnn Durgin's second book. Her books are lengthy, but they're not boring by any stretch of the imagination. She had me captivated from the first page and never let up. I lost sleep, but it was well worth it. This story truly resonates with warmth, humor, and the type of love we can only hope to have in our own lives. It's not unrealistic, however. Marc Thompson's quest to win back the heart of his bride, Natalie, after a terrifying fall, is nothing short of heroic. He's real, he's sympathetic, and you have to feel for the guy as he does everything he can to court her again (thus the wonderful and perfect title for this particular book). Ms. Durgin crafts her words so well that we also feel Natalie's confusion and her mixed emotions. She knows she loves her husband but doesn't remember him. Not an enviable position. But this author knows how to pull on all the right heartstrings. I love the inclusion in the second half of the book with Sam and Lexa Lewis and the TeamWork crew. It's a beautiful thing to see how these friends rally around their fellow TeamWork friends and lend their emotional and spiritual support. The teasing between Sam Lewis and Marc Thompson is hysterical and just so real! JoAnn Durgin has crafted a romance I'll always remember, and no doubt will read many times. I highly recommend this book and am anxious for the next one; it can't come soon enough!

Second Time Around is a sweet falling-in-love again romance. I especially love the theme of friendship woven within Second Time Around -- how friends are there in times of need to help in both practical and emotionally and spiritually supportive ways. Falling in love again isn't easy for Marc and Natalie, the novel's main characters, because retrograde amnesia has stolen all of Natalie's memories of Marc, her husband of just a few months. Their journey back to trusting each other again is at times heartbreaking and humorous.