ARC Review: Second Chance at the Orchard Inn by Heather McGovern

Chef Aurora Shipley spent years slicing, dicing, and chopping her way up the ladder of L.A.'s competitive restaurant scene, but when her sisters needed her help, she dropped everything to return home to Texas. With her family’s Orchard Inn now on its feet, it's time for Aurora to head back to the big city. At least there, she won’t keep running into ex-boyfriend Jude Jones or her high school bully Erica, who now needs Aurora and her wedding planning business to throw the celebration of her dreams. Will Aurora let the past go long enough to send the bride off without a hitch and ignore her traitorous heart urging her to stay and try again with Jude?

As a teenager, Jude Jones foolishly listened to his father and let Aurora Shipley slip away. In the intervening years, the sweet, shy girl grew into a stunning, capable, confident woman, and her reappearance is messing with Jude's focus, which should be on expanding Jones' Family Herbs. He broke Aurora's heart once, and she broke his, too. This time will Jude be strong enough to fight for her—for them—and a future together?

What a wonderful second chance romance. I will say it didn't even feel like a second chance it felt more like they were on a pause. The story really showed how much these two really cared about each other. I think they both worked so hard with such long hours because they couldn't move on. 

I really loved Jude even though I felt he allowed his father to push his buttons way too much. I understand that happening when he was eighteen but now as an adult it's not a good look. His father isn't a character I ever got into and even at the end didn't really like him. I did like his sisters. They seem like the kids are all tight. Love how his sister came out to him and Jude wondering why he hadn't even noticed his sisters' feelings. It was a cute moment. 

You'll also enjoy Aurora and her sisters. They have gotten even closer as time has gone by. I like that for them. They have had a bumpy road that they needed to get through. It's sweet how much they want their sister to stay with them. They understand that her career is important to her, so they try so hard not to pressure her. 

It's fun watching both Jude and Aurora need space from their families and ending up together talking though their feelings about said families only to become closer with each other. You want nothing but good things for them. I will say that the story moved slightly slowly but that could be because you didn't have the excitement of a new relationship. One of the things I both loved and hated about the story is all I wanted was pie after reading the story. I still want pie. If you like sweet small-town romance, you'll really enjoy this series. 

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