Super charming and sweet slice of life romcom set in the Scilly Isles off the coast of Cornwall in south west England.

I adored the setting and the isle of Stark served as the third main character in this thoughtful romance between Lily and Sam. Sam has built a retreat on his family’s Isle of Stark and is single handedly looking after the first customer, Lily. She’s an overworked career woman who has been sent on holiday by her staff. While on the island there’s an event (no spoilers here) that makes Lily re-evaluate her priorities.

Both Lily and Sam have complicated back stories, and some challenges to face between their very very different lives. This is not a second chance romance as the title implies, but rather, it’s a second chance at life and happiness for both of them. It’s British, so low key and understated, with plenty of family issues, and a fade to black.

They communicate so well, sharing secrets and fears and it’s wonderful to see Lily opening up to Sam. A spot of skinny dipping and some alone time made all the difference 😉

A perfect holiday read - light but not insubstantial. I’m off to read Philippa’s backlist! Thank you NetGalley, Random House and Philippa for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book is much more than a romantic holiday read, I felt a deep connection with the characters and found the whole story incredibly moving. Phillipa Ashley has a real knack of getting under the skin of her characters, from Lily in her 30s to 17 year old Morven. The Scilly Isles play a key role in this book, they’re on my list of places to go to now. The beautiful descriptions of the islands and travelling between them, and the changing weather, give a real feel for life over there. I highly recommend this book.

A successful workaholic who’s close to burnout. A blissful deserted island. A hot, sexy man - all ripped muscles - with a broken heart. What’s not to love? Second Chance Summer by Phillips Ashley is the perfect Summer read … light and frothy romance.

Fabulous story, loved every page. Great setting, you got the feel of the coastal area and I felt I was on holiday with them. Loved the characters, almost ‘Doc Martin’ feel. Twists and turns of the plot keeping you on your toes. Only issue felt that the romance could have started earlier! But certainly read this one everyone I’m sure will love.

This is a beautiful read. Lily lives for her work, she created the Livy loves website selling other people’s pieces of art and crafts; however she is heard making a rude comment on air about another parson and needs to get away from all the negativity going on. She ends up on the Channel Island of Stark.
When the sun finally comes out, it is the most beautiful place she has ever seen. Lily is the first guest of Sam and his new holiday lets business. After a few days there is a terrible accident and Lily and Sam nearly die. All the events they share bring them closer together.
When she returns to London she needs to look into her work life balance to give her more time to spend on Stark Island which she loves almost as much as Sam.
This is an amazing feel good read; I loved it from the start to the beautiful conclusion.

I so enjoyed this book. The descriptions of the islands are outstanding, and will make you want to take a trip immediately. The characters are very real and very believable, and the storyline is great if a little predictable. The main character, Lily, is a strong independent woman, with her own thriving business. What’s not to like?

Lily isn’t as much driven, as completely immersed in work. Since her sister died, she felt the need to be successful – and she is very successful - almost to the exclusion of everything else. When she collapses on the floor in the office her PA is insistent that she needs a break, and arranges for her to have a break on one of the Scilly Islands in a very new resort which is in the process of being set up by the owner. When Lily arrives after a horrendous journey in the most awful weather, she just wants to turn around and go back to ‘civilisation’ – especially when she realises that the wifi and all communication is practically non-existent on the Island where she is staying. Slowly, with the improvement in the weather, and the handsome owner of the Island, Lily starts to fall in love with the Islands and the resort. It makes her re-evaluate her priorities and realise what is important.

A very well written book, which would make an excellent summer read, and leave you on a high.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6506724800

A lovely summer read. My first read by Philippa but it's not my last. A book that you can read in one or two sittings. Lovely characters, so grab a cuppa and ice cream and set aside your plans because you won't want to put the book down x

This is a lovely feel good book which I am sure will be a big hit, particularly with summer holiday season around the corner.

The main character is Lily who runs her own business. She’s over worked herself to make it a success but also to escape the grief of losing her elder and much beloved sister. Her PA and her brother in law insist she take a break and she ends up on a retreat in the Scilly Isles. It’s run by the gruff Sam, it’s in the middle of nowhere, the retreat isn’t even finished, and there’s no wifi or phone signal. Lily immediately wants to head back home to London. But an incident shortly after she arrives makes her reassess her life and whether she has her priorities all wrong. And can the gruff Sam (who is suffering his own grief), his family and the community on the islands help Lily to find herself again.

The story is as predictable as you might expect and it moves along incredibly quickly, particularly at the beginning - the characters change much more in two days than would happen in normal life. But normal life isn’t what most readers would want from this type of book. It is escapist and the images Philippa Ashley conjures of that part of the world make me want to travel there immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! What an amazing setting. I really enjoyed the detail and getting some sense of what it's like to live in such a remote place. I liked Lily and Sam and all the supporting characters. Perhaps there could have been more in the way of romance, but otherwise, a good read. I enjoyed Lily's personal journey. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read several books by this author and all of them are great. This transported me to a place I've never been but which has always been on my wishlist. Highly ecommended

actually it was a sweet book that dealing with grief, trauma and mcs' flaws but i was expecting a bit more romance than this, i dnf at 56% and still they're go in and out abt their business more maybe slowly falling for each other but im too lazy to find out how it ends.

As with other Phillipa Ashley books, I found this to be an enjoyable romance perfect for reading by the pool or beach.

We follow Lily who is an overstimulated workaholic as she arrives a a remote retreat on the Scilly Isles and has to adjust to a newer, slower pace of life.

I initially struggled with Lily - I found her technology obsessed, workaholic ways just a bit annoying but as the book went on, I enjoyed seeing her character develop and she became a character I enjoyed reading about.

The author does a fantastic job at really painting the scene and there are beautiful descriptions of the location which helped me to really picture myself there.

This book is enjoyable, sweet and easy to read with great characters.

A self-made driven business woman Lily is persuaded to take a much needed rest and recuperation break. She lands on a remote island in the Isles of Scilly where she meets Sam . Not all initially goes to plan but both main characters find eventual solace in each other. Beautiful setting and the ruggedness and remoteness of the location comes shining through
An excellent summer read

Another enjoyable book by Phillipa. A stunning location (when not foggy), great characters, and people looking at what they need to do differently to make them happy. Loved curling up with the book for an escape to the islands.

Another entertaining story from Phillipa Ashley. A great cast of characters, all so believable and in the beautiful settings of the Isles of Scilly. I loved the way the tension was maintained right to the end.

Escapism at its best as told by the wonderful Phillipa Ashley. Love her books and this one didn’t disappoint.
Liz finds herself on a remote retreat in scilly isles , but slowing down isn’t her she’s chomping to get back to reality and her business, until she meets Sam.
Great story great location all in all a great read.

I’ve read and enjoyed Phillipa Ashley’s books and this one is no exception. Set in the beautiful Isles of Scilly, the story of Lily and Sam is, in many ways, a meeting of opposites. Lily is a driven executive suffering from burnout and stress. Sam, who has different problems, has a half built retreat where Lily has been sent to recover. A perfect summer read.

Great book, really loved the characters and the setting. Reading this made me feel I was there with them, the description of the island was brilliant. Definitely recommend this book for an easy summer romance read.

Lily Harper runs her own company selling arts and crafts. She's burning out working nonstop, so she heads to the island of Stark for two weeks' rest. She is the first guest as the cottages are being renovated for the summer holidays.
Sam is getting the island ready for the holiday makers. His brother Nate is in America but has left his daughter, Morven, in Sam's care.
Things get off to a shaky start for Lily and Sam, but it's not long before there is an attraction.
The location sounds idyllic. I would love to go to Tresco.
This is a perfect summer read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Uk for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A wonderful book and a great advert for the Isles of Scilly! You can't help but fall in love with both the people and the islands. Beautifully written and a delight to read.