Second Chance (Paperback)

~ Jane Green (Author) "Hopefully," he looks around the room and attempts a smile, "this time will be the last time, hopefully this will be successful..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, Holly Mac, Tom Fitzgerald (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Green (Swapping Lives, The Other Woman) injects a topical note into an otherwise paint-by-numbers work. After a terrorist attack on an Amtrak train kills 39-year-old Tom, his death serves as the catalyst for changes in the lives of four estranged schoolmates he left behind in England. Reuniting at Tom's memorial service are Holly, a former free spirit uncomfortably forced into becoming a suburban matron by her workaholic, social-climbing husband; Olivia, a lonely director of an animal shelter; Paul, a writer whose blissful marriage with his fashionable wife is marred by their inability to conceive; and Saffron, a recovering alcoholic actress secretly involved with a married Hollywood megastar. Tom's death reignites their friendship, causes them to reevaluate their lives and sends them marching toward a concluding warm fuzzy. Green's writing is competent, though her characters feel more like embodiments of their problems than actual people. There are few surprises, but the fairy tale ending should appease Green's many fans.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Green, author of chick-lit favorites Swapping Lives (2006) and The Other Woman (2005), explores the way one man's death affects the lives of his friends. Tom Fitzgerald, a Brit living in the States, is only 39 when he kisses his wife and children good-bye and boards a doomed train. In the wake of his death, his friends, some of whom haven't seen in each other in nearly two decades, come together to remember him. Despite one night of passion, Holly and Tom remained best friends, and she thinks she is content with her picture-perfect life despite a lack of love for her husband until she reconnects with Tom's charismatic, introspective younger brother. Olivia takes a chance on a man Tom set her up with shortly before he died. An actress in L.A., Saffron has fallen in love with one of Hollywood's sexiest stars, but she is growing tired of waiting for him to leave his loveless marriage. Paul and Anna couldn't love each other more, but her inability to conceive a child mars their happy marriage. Peopled with her trademark likable, sympathetic characters, Green's latest is sure to have wide appeal. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Plume (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452289440
• ISBN-13: 978-0452289444
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (103 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,327 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 'The Big Chill' 2007 Style, August 13, 2007

By	W. Carol "dog lover" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Second Chance (Hardcover)

In the iconic 80s movie "The Big Chill," former college friends meet at the unexpected funeral of one of their own...and their bittersweet reunion uncovers unexpected truths and vulnerabilities.

"Second Chance" starts with the exact same premise. A group of seemingly disparate adults in their 30s gathers to mourn a dear friend, Tom, unexpectedly killed in a terrorist attack (fictional, but scary)in New York. The friends gather in Britain for Tom's "hometown" memorial and a reunion. One friend, Saffron, is a grade B Hollywood actress with two big secrets to hide. Another, Holly, is married to a high-level lawyer and absolutely miserable, despite her two beautiful children. Olivia seems happy on the outside; she's an animal rescuer, but her longtime relationship has just collapsed. Paul seems the luckiest and happiest, married to a drop-dead gorgeous Scandinavian Internet entrepeneur, Anna, but they are unable to have children despite many IV attempts. And then there is Will, younger brother of Tom, who is still the perpetual hippie.

As all these friends gather, they find they still love one another, but must accept the realities of their adult lives. It becomes clear in short order that Tom was the catalyst who, all these years, kept them together by an invisible thread; although none of them really kept in touch, Tom kept in touch with them all. And it is upon him that many of their hopes and dreams have rested, in complete fantasy.

Jane Green has come far beyond her "chick lit" stage. This is a thoughtful book, maybe a bit cliched, but still well worth reading. It's a fast and interesting read, but meaningful as well. Recommended.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, very touching and different, July 11, 2007

By	D. Desimone "ReadAholic" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Second Chance (Hardcover)

This book is not the typical Jane Green book but I thought it was so touching and differnt. I love that as I get older Jane Greens books get more mature. I have seen the comments about it not being the typical Chic Lit books but I would give this one a chance. I thought it was just a good story of stregth and overcoming challenges.

I never cry when I read and this book got to my heart. I cried like a baby.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An unengaging read, November 16, 2007

By	Janice (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Second Chance (Hardcover)

Jane Green's "Second Chance" focused on the lives of a few schoolmates who were brought together when they found out that one of their friends Tom, had died in a terrorist attack. Holly is a mother of two, married to a controlling husband, Saffron, a Hollywood actress having affair with one of the hottest actors in L.A., Olivia, who recently broke up with her long-time boyfriend, and Paul, who has been trying to have a baby with his wife. These friends has never keep in touch with each other but were reunited after Tom's death. In addition, Tom's death made them reexamine the lives they have chosen as well as the decisions they made.

I have always been a fan of Jane Green but this one was not her typical work. "Second Chance" is not a very engaging read as at times, I feel that the author was bouncing from one character to the other. The writing was so-so and mostly, the storyline was just uninteresting. It was hard for me to grasp the idea of how a few people who lost touch over the years were able to reveal their deepest and darkest secrets to one another. This was a disappointing read for me.