Chances Are: an enjoyable second chance romance

Chances Are by Kellie Coates Gilbert is the first book in the Pacific Bay series. Allie Barrett keeps her mom’s words of wisdom close to her heart. Especially “Chances are, you never know what story might be in the very next chapter.” So after her divorce and receiving a letter that she has inherited her uncle’s home and fishing charter business,. she packs up her son and everything they own and makes the trek from Texas to the Oregon coast. Her high hopes for a fresh start are dashed when the cottage and boat need more work than she expected. But never afraid of hard work, Allie and Ryan set out to make the home livable and the boat seaworthy. As a friendship with Cam, a local widower, grows, her good-for-nothing ex-husband shows up. Will she be able to meet the challenges ahead of her? 

Many of the reviews complained that Chances Are was taken from the 1985 movie, Murphy's Romance. While I am aware of the movie, I have never seen the movie, so I can’t say whether this is true or not. A single mother starting over in a new town, meets with challenges and a new love is a common trope. Either way, I enjoyed this story. It’s a good, clean romance with a sweet ending. It was a nice break from the heavier stories I read recently. I enjoyed the small town friendly feel even with the common small town “enemies.” Although I must admit the “villains” of the story could have been more developed. However, I still enjoyed the story for Allie and Cam’s relationship. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. If you enjoy second chances with life and love, I recommend Chances Are. 

Chances Are is available in paperback and eBook