📚Second Chance Christmas by Lori Wilde is the twelfth book in the Twilight Texas series. However, it works well on its own. Having experienced the author’s work in the past with Christmas at Twilight, I eagerly jumped at the chance to read the latest installment in the Twilight, Texas series.
New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde returns to Twilight, Texas, with a love story filled with the magic of the season, about a couple who discover an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve-Eve. I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
Title: Second Chance Christmas
Author(s): Lori Wilde
Series: Twilight, Texas #12
Published by Avon on October 26, 2021
Pages: 384
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audible
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It’s Christmastime in Twilight, TX. The lights are twinkling, carols are being sung, and the cookies are baking. And this year, best friends Joel and Jana discover a shocking surprise: as they are organizing the living Nativity, they find a sweet little baby in the manger with a note saying the mother will return...soon.
Jana tucks the infant into her arms, and she and Joel make the impulsive decision to take the baby home. Jana is spontaneous, Joel is a planner, but they agree that it’s better to care for this precious bundle for the holidays, in hopes that the mother really will come back by New Year’s.
As the days pass, the pair begins to fall in love with the child and they’re also forced to face facts: their relationship goes far deeper than friendship. As the spirit of Christmas—and the magic of Twilight, TX—takes over, this unlikely couple must open up to the feelings they’ve been hiding from each other all along.
This installment gives us Joel McGregor and Jenna Gerard’s story. Jenna moved to Twilight seven years ago. She was nineteen years old when she made the move. Since then, she made a life for herself in this quaint little town. Despite the residents embracing her, she didn’t allow anyone to get too close. The few friends she gained during this time never saw the real Jenna, the woman behind the tattoos. Joel grew up in Twilight and had his share of hurts in the past. He longed for that someone special and knew he had found it in Jenna. If only he could break down the barriers she built around her heart. Chock full of emotions and brimming with the Christmas spirit 📚Second Chance Christmas kept me reading into wee hours of the night.
The story began with Joel and Jenna overseeing the towns live nativity scene and preparing to take the animals back to the farm when the night was over. While preparing to round up the animals, Jana discovered a baby named Gabriel abandoned in the manger. Fearing that the baby would become a statistic in the foster care system, she convinced Joel to help her take care of the baby. Their only reassurance that the mother would return was the note written on the baby’s diaper. In working together to take care of the baby, Jana and Joel grew closer. Soon, their feelings for each other intensified.
I enjoyed this adorable, friends to lovers Christmas romance. Jana and Joel’s journey to happily ever after faced many obstacles, with fear has the biggest one of all. I loved how patient Joel was with her. She built walls so thick and high it would seem not even a bulldozer could tear them down. However, Joel’s with his patience and positive approach to life proved stronger than any bulldozer. Bit by bit he broke down her defenses and soon she trusted him enough to reveal her vulnerabilities.
Jana was a caring and thoughtful person, but her lack of faith in her ability to love kept her from forming lasting relationships. However, her interactions with Gabriel revealed her capacity to love. She acts tough to cover up her insecurities, but beneath that layer of toughness lay a broken soul.
The romance developed nicely, and the aspects of the story in relation to baby Gabriel gripped my heart. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters, but Jana and Joel earned a special place in my heart.
I had a wonderful time coming back to the series. 📚Second Chance Christmas was a delightful story of second chances. A second chance to make up for mistakes from the past. It left me smiling and eager to go back and read the other books in the series. Perfect for fans of warmhearted Christmas stories with a small town vibe.
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I am always on the lookout for a sweet Christmas read and I do enjoy the charm that this author writes in her holiday themed books.
Happy to see it be such a fun read for you
I love the sound of this book. I love Romance Christmas stories. So I’ll keep this book in mind for the HoHoHoRAT 😉
That sounds so good. Thanks for the great review.
I love both Christmas and second chance romances. Thanks Nadene
I’m sorry I’ve been awol for awhile but I was diagnosed with an inner ear disorder that causes dizziness it sucks! I’m seeing a specialist but not until the end of the month.
I have read a few from this series. I love the holiday door!
Liking the sound of this one. I normally have a pile of Christmassy novels waiting to be read at this time of year but there’s not a single one sitting on my bedside cabinet let alone on my Pile To Be Read. Another casualty of Covid I’m afraid, I just haven’t been able to scour the charity shops as I normally do this time of year.
What a festive cover, I love it. Sounds like a lovely read. Great review.