I like a good small town romance and this one was cute. I loved the reunited family feels in this book so it was disappointing when another tragic thing happens that ruins it. I almost stopped reading because of it. Sometimes I felt like it was almost too descriptive if that’s even possible. It felt like a lot of repeating dialogue and character thoughts. Also, the timeline felt a little sudden for falling in love again after such tragic loss but it also gives us all hope that love can and will come again after heartbreak. Also love the rally of support and love from people who are not blood-related. Overall, nice story.

The Art of Starting Over by Heidi McLaughlin is a tender second-chance love story about a family navigating loss. I was particularly impressed by Hayden’s patience and care while helping his son grieve. I also appreciated how he and Devorah prioritized their children as they adjusted to new family dynamics.

That said, the premise didn’t feel particularly original—if you’ve seen *Hope Floats*, you’ll recognize this plot. While Devorah’s journey of reconnecting with her father added depth, her character was frustratingly passive for much of the book. I wanted her to find her strength much sooner.

If you enjoy small-town romances with a gentle, introspective feel, this is a sweet and heartfelt read.

⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars

This storyline is full of feel good second chances set in a small town setting (one of my favorite tropes to read). Oyster Bay sounds like the kind of place I’d love to live in. this was an easy/flowing evening read that I read over the course of a few evenings.

Thank you Net Galley, Heidi McLaughlin, and Montlake Publishing for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this quick read about second chance love and discovering oneself and strengthening relationships. The main characters were easy to enjoy and the small town feel was very comforting.

Honestly, the best part about this was that it was relatively short.

I've read a couple of contemporary romance books that reminded me of a cheesy, badly written hallmark movie, but this is the epitome of them. Which makes more sense to me now that I've learned this is the author of Forever My Girl and I found every single thing about that film cheesy and bordering on unbearable. I'd have enjoyed more background and build up before things fell apart for Devorah 2 pages in. We just weren't given enough to connect with her or care what was happening to her.

I didn't like Devorah, almost off the bat. She was a complete wet-wipe. There was absolutely no substance to her character and it didn't improve as the story went on. The same could be said for Hayden. I found him only a tiny bit more tolerable. Everyone else was just background noise. I do get that with 'fluffy, feel good romances' like this, the author isn't focusing on developing side characters until their own book, but they were so underdeveloped, they may as well not have been in the book at all.

The one thing I didn't mind were the flashbacks, but they ultimately weren't exciting enough to save the story for me.

This book offers an engaging friends-to-lovers plot that definitely holds promise. The chemistry between the main characters is palpable, and the witty banter between them had me smiling throughout the story. The emotional depth as they navigate the fallout of the wife's betrayal by her husband, who cheats with her best friend, adds an interesting layer to their evolving relationship. The pacing and the way the characters support each other in their moments of vulnerability made for an emotional yet uplifting read.

However, despite the solid connection between the two leads, the book falters in certain aspects, particularly during the love scenes. While I appreciate that the author was aiming for a steamy moment to match the developing romance, the descriptive nature of these scenes felt uncomfortable and out of place. Rather than enhancing the romance, it distracted from the story, making it harder to stay immersed in the emotional connection that had been so beautifully built earlier on.

In the end, while I enjoyed the friendship-to-romance transformation and the overall journey, the jarring intimacy scenes left me feeling disconnected from the otherwise strong foundation. A fun read, but one that could’ve benefited from a bit more subtlety in its depiction of romance.

too cheesy and cliche. Has every single cliche trope in this book. I think it was a copycat book, it was boring and nothing special at all. I wasted time

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

"𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗺. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀, 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁, 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲."


❁ Single parents
❁ Found family
❁ He falls first
❁ Second chance romance
❁ Best friends little sister
❁ Small town

4⭐


I read Heidi McLaughlin's The Art of Starting Over for the first time, and I found it to be a pleasant read overall. The narrative centres on two characters, Hayden and Devorah, who have both experienced life-altering situations. As the story progresses, we watch them deal with their grief and the difficulties of beginning afresh
after they move back to their hometown with their young children.

There is so much more to this book than a romance about second chances. It discusses real-life problems, complicated familial ties, catastrophes, and, ultimately, unconditional love.

The suffering and sorrow that characterised Devorah and Hayden's tale ultimately led to their reconciliation.

I believe it's a profound, emotional, and lovely read if you can get beyond the writing style, which is definitely one you have to get used to because it felt incredibly long—like I've read a 400-page book.

Its realism caught my attention because I used to always find myself reading clichéd, adorable romances, which, don't get me wrong, are fantastic if you're in the mood for them. However, I valued this novel's realism.

The found family was really wonderfully written; I was taken aback by one particular scene, which moved me to tears since it touched a deep-seated feeling in me. I will very certainly read more of this author's writing.

If you love character driven romances with emotional depth, and a bit of serendipity, this one's for you!

[Thank you to Netgalley and Montlake for providing an ARC of this book.]


𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵, 𝗶𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂.

Another comfort read from Heidi! I just always know what I will get out of her books and can fall into them with that expectation and know I'm going to finish with my hart warmed. Her books are like a warm blanket to me and something I will always reach for and pick up.

Devorah and Hayden had feelings for each other in high school but never turned into an official relationship. After she catches her husband cheating with her best friend, she heads home. Hayden has also just returned, a year in from the death of his wife. Both of them have 9 year olds.
The kids were one of the parts of the book I enjoyed. Devorah spent much of her time crying, and Hayden spent his pining for her. I don't know that I found it realistic - his wife died tragically, and he moved home because things turned sour with her family, but sure, immediately fall for your high school crush.
This book took me longer to get through than it should have. Parts felt very slow, but other aspects of the story felt rushed. I found the writing style to be a bit choppy. Not the book for me.

4 Stars for this second chance romance.

My heart broke for Devorah I wanted her best friend to hurt the way she made Devorah hurt. Don't even get me started on her slime-ball husband. Then there's Hayden, not only is he a hunk, he's a good man with all the right values. This is a heart wrenching but also a heartwarming story and a very slow burn. I did find it quite repetitive at times ... yes, we got it the first two times something was stated.

When Devorah caught her husband cheating with her best friend, she took her 9-year-old daughter and went home to Oyster Bay. She needed the security of her family and her childhood home. She was devastated when her best friend posted a video online about stealing her husband. Now she had to put up with everyone staring at her and gossiping about her ... in her hometown. Hayden's wife died 6 months ago and he needs to get away from his life, as they lived on her family's property. So he moves home to Oyster Bay as he needs help with his 9-year-old son and his parents would love to have their son and grandson closer. Hayden was shocked to see his high school crush was back in their hometown .. and they are both single. He's not going to let her get away a second time.

I received a copy courtesy of Montlake through NetGalley.

I was really excited for this story, but unfortunately it missed the mark for me. The main characters seemed one dimensional and predictable.

Devorah and Hayden both left Oyster Bay after high school. Hayden returned home after his wife passed away. Devorah returned home after her husband cheated on her. Now both are single parents raising a young child.
…
Oyster Bay is a small-town community packed with gossipmongers, childhood friends, and a large support group.
…
Hayden and Devorah dated in high school. He kept her a secret from her brother and father for fear of destroying his relationship with both. She’s the regret he had. Now that they are both back in OB Hayden gets a second chance to fix it.
…
Every good book starts with a concept. While most readers enjoy small-town second chance romances I for one can skip the small-town trope. Heidi McLaughlin tends to put too much emphasis on the day-to-day activities where I prefer to leave most of that to my imagination. The more I read small-town romances the more I grow to dislike them. The minute details of how to complete a task has been a huge factor for not enjoying this book. Writing style matters and while Heidi McLaughlin isn’t a bad writer she’s just not the desired writer I need to keep me invested in the story. The last time I read a Heidi McLaughlin book was in 2016. I thought I’d rekindle my interest in reading a more current book thinking with time the writing style would change. Unfortunately, what once interested me or captured my attention has changed over the years. Writing style is more important than the content or tropes. While this story is sweet and written well it’s not warranting my undivided attention.

The Art of Starting Over by Heidi McLaughlin is a heartfelt story about second chances, healing, and rediscovery. Devorah Campbell, reeling from her husband’s affair with her best friend, returns to her small hometown with her daughter to heal. There, she reconnects with Hayden McKenna, her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush, who is also navigating the challenges of single fatherhood. As they support each other through their personal struggles, old sparks reignite, leading to a deep emotional journey. McLaughlin beautifully explores the power of love and starting over, making this a perfect read for fans of contemporary romance.

Thank you to Heidi McLaughlin, Montlake and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book had me hooked from page 1! It starts off right off the bat with the life altering event between Devorah and her husband (and her bestfriend!) where Devorah is quickly forced to decide how to handle this betrayal and blindside. Just as we are getting to see her story unfold we are introduced to Hayden and his story of moving back home with his son after the tragic loss of his wife only 6 months earlier.

Of course, these two have a steamy past and when they reconnect we are given glimpses of their time together as teenagers before their lives went in seperate directions.

As a (nearly) 40 year old, I LOVED that this book was dealing with real life struggles that can be seen at this stage in our life. It can be hard to find romance books that aren't written about 18-25 year olds so this was so refreshing! Heidi McLaughlin's writing style is so easy to follow and sucks you in from the beginning - I will be recommending this book to a lot of my friends and bookclub patrons!

Amazing story!!!
I loved everything about it!
This is a second chance romance story about two characters who were secretly in love with each other during high school but the timing didn’t work out. By the time Hayden decided to do something about it, Devorah was already with Chad.
Fast forward 20 years and Devorah is back home with her daughter after being humiliated by her husband having a one year affair with her best friend and that best friend posting it on social media with it going viral. Hayden is also back home with his son after the recent passing of his wife.
It’s all about timing….

These two characters along with the supporting characters were easy to fall in love with and the story was well written.

Highly recommend!!!

The Art of Starting Over by Heidi McLaughlin is the first book I've read by this author, and overall, it was an enjoyable experience. The story follows Devorah and Hayden, two characters who have both faced life-altering events. They return to their hometown with their young children, and as the plot unfolds, we see them navigating their grief and the challenges of starting over.

One aspect of the book I found a bit repetitive was the frequent reminders of what happened to Devorah, the female lead. While these events are central to her character, the constant revisiting felt unnecessary. As a reader, you’re unlikely to forget such pivotal moments, so this repetition could have been reduced.

Despite this, the book offers a heartfelt exploration of personal growth, healing, and second chances. The chemistry between Devorah and Hayden is palpable, and I appreciated how the author portrayed their journey of rediscovery, both individually and together.

The book also touches on themes like infidelity, the loss of a spouse, and the death of a parent, so if any of these topics are triggering, it’s worth keeping in mind.

I enjoyed this read but I did take a star off because the book is the EXACT same plot as Hope Floats, the movie. She finds her husband is cheating on her and shocking, with her best friend. The betrayal and broken heart. Brothers best friend, single parent romance in a charming small town. Second chance relationship as an adult with her father. It’s a very sweet story!

Unfortunately, I really didn’t like the writing style in this book. The premise sounded great and I love a second chance romance, but I just couldn’t get invested in this one. Things moved too quickly and the characters didn’t feel fully developed.

Thank you so much for the ARC, I’m really gutted I didn’t enjoy it more!

The Art of Starting Over by Heidi McLaughlin was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story.