A heartwarming second-chance romance with autism rep

     From debut author Maggie North comes a story about a marriage-in-crisis, but also about self-discovery. For those looking for a fun romance with deep themes, Rules for Second Chances is the romance book to add to your TBR!
     Liz Lewis has tried everything to be what people want, but she’s always been labeled different in the boisterous world of wilderness expeditions. Her marriage to popular adventure guide Tobin Renner-Lewis is a sinkhole of toxic positivity where she’s the only one saying no. When she gets mistaken for a server at her own thirtieth birthday party, Liz vows to stop playing a minor character in her own life. The (incredibly well-researched and scientific) plan? A crash course in confidence . . . via an improv comedy class. The catch? She’s terrible at it, and the only person willing to practice with her is a certain extroverted wilderness guide who seems dead set on saving their marriage. But as Liz and Tobin get closer again, she’s forced to confront all the reasons they didn’t work the first time, along with her growing suspicion that her social awkwardness might mean something deeper. Liz must learn improv’s most important lesson—“Yes, and”—or she’ll have to choose between the love she always wanted and the dreams that got away.
     What a wonderful debut novel! Part romance and part women’s fiction, this book packs a punch when it comes to humor and emotions, even if it is a bit lacking in the steam department.
     While I did get frustrated in the beginning with some of Liz’s decisions and her reasonings behind trying to change herself, I ultimately grew to love her character growth and how she learned to be honest with those around her and herself.
     I am also a sucker for a good marriage-in-crisis book so I definitely got a bit teary-eyed at the end of this book! The way that Liz and Tobin just loved each other and tried to support what the other one needed despite hitting a rough patch in their marriage was so heartwarming to read about. 
     I found the incorporation of improv into a version of couples counseling to be fascinating and thought that it was an interesting detail that made this book stand out from other marriage-in-crisis/second chance romance books I’ve read.
     While I am not autistic, I really appreciated the autism rep in this book and the insight into what one person’s experiences pre-diagnosis was like. Seeing Liz try to embrace her quirks and differences and view her autism as an advantage in a neurotypical world was very inspiring to see.
     If you’re looking for a debut book that has a lot of character development and autism rep, then I definitely recommend this one!

*I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press in exchange for my honest opinion.

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