Book 738: Another Chance with Love (Chances #2) – Blake Allwood

I kept going with Allwood’s books because I wasn’t totally put off by the less-than-stellar copy editing and I had nothing more pressing to read. Plus start a series = finish a series 😀

Surprisingly, I enjoyed this one more than I enjoyed the first book in Allwood’s Chances series, Love by Chance. This is surprising because he veered very close to over-complicating things with the mystery/thriller addition again, but somehow managed to bring it back with some great minor characters who had their own plot lines but really supported the overall plot.

The book is written with alternating narrators between Trevor, newly out bisexual unexpectedly saddled with a child from a drunken one-night-stand with his best friend, and Peter, ex-fiancé of Martin from the first book who is an up-and-coming architect. Because of this I didn’t realize Peter was the same Peter until part of the way through chapter 2 and literally jumped (like that weird jump in place thing you do when someone surprises you) and made Tim laugh. For some reason I found these two much easier to identify with than the previous two.

Honestly, the most compelling story line for me was that of Peter’s mother who was trying to make amends for destroying his last relationship with Martin. It is what brought Peter and Trevor together, but honestly it stood on its own. That and any interactions with Trevor’s son (Liam?) was just perfectly adorable and so familial that my heart melted a little each time.

Like the last two works I read by Allwood this one could use another round or two of copy editing and proofreading. On one page a person’s name is spelled differently twice [“Dr. Lacie’s” (Loc. 271) and “Dr. Lacey” (Loc. 275). And honestly after finding that so soon in the book I decided to ignore them and just reiterate without highlighting every one of them that Allwood needs to revisit his contracts with the numerous editors listed in the frontmatter.

I mentioned it when I reviewed Romantic Renovations that after having started Love By Chance that I’d already figured out Allwood’s identifying thing in his books. And it was present in this one too:

Again, I knew I had a cum kink, and apparently, so did Peter, who was kissing me with great gusto. (Loc. 2,026)

Whether it’s having this not-so-kinky kink or denying having it, a cum kink has been mentioned in all three of his books that I read. I wonder if it’ll appear in the next one too? Don’t worry, if it does I will inform you.

Recommendation: This is another middle-of-the-road MM romance. It’s not extraordinary and it’s not bad, it’s a nice easy read with a couple of decent sex scenes and characters you enjoy when you’re with them but won’t necessarily remember a week after. All I see is potential, but until Allwood works with a better editing team he’s going to stay mediocre.

Opening Line: “‘Lisa, how the hell am I supposed to raise a baby?’ I asked with as much incredulity as I could muster.”

Closing Line: “I hugged her back. ‘Truer words were never spoken.'” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Other Books in Chances

• Love by Chance (#1)
• Taking a Chance for Love (#3)