This was my first romance by TJ Alexander, and I absolutely loved it. I don't read as much contemporary romance these days, and I was honestly so relieved to have the comfort and familiarity of third-person POV (I struggle with the shift to first-person POV in contemporaries!). This centers main characters in their late thirties/nearing forty (!), with a trans main character returning to his ultra-conservative Floridian hometown during a career crisis and a newly single dad navigating life post-divorce with his four year-old. These two have a long history with one another, having grown up as inseparable childhood friends before becoming more in high school, and the nuanced balance between deep familiarity and rediscovery was so well done. Each is making significant assumptions about the other and what they want (relatable and realistic, sigh), and each is navigating particularly thorny personal and family conflicts on the side. I deeply appreciate how each character has an independent conflict to resolve before negotiating a relationship, and that even when they could veer into codependency, they ultimately lean on a larger network of support (fantastic parents, caring and supportive exes, great BFFs, and even new friends). This feels like a love letter to elder millennials and queer folks discovering themselves later in life (Nick!!), and I highly recommend.

I am lowkey shocked that I waited this long to read a TJ Alexander book. I loved literally everything about it. It's set in Florida and whew it's really set IN FLORIDA. The main characters are childhood best friends and former high school sweethearts. Eli has come back to Florida to spend time with his parents for Christmas (and after his life in NYC kinda imploding) and hasn't seen Nick in years (before he transitioned). Nick is a divorced dad, and perhaps the sweetest man on earth. There is SO MUCH to love about this book including complicated and realistic family relationships and the absolute scorching beauty of queer love.

my heart! loved the older MC rep, diversity, and realistic character dynamics!

Another hit by TJ Alexander! This was such a cute queer second chance romance. Exactly what my heart needed right now. I loved the queerness of it, the characters. Again with the funny humor that made me actually laugh and smile so wide. Lately, most of Alexanders books are able to make me laugh, they are great at their humor filled books.

As someone living in a red state, the mention of the flags/etc in Florida made me laugh/cry because its relatable in my state as well.

I wish that Nick's queerness was talked about more. Initially it was mentioned that he was demi, and this is probably the first time I've read a book with a character that thinks they are demi (I need to find more books). And while I know that not everyone has/wants labels, but I still wanted more exploration or inner thoughts about it from Nick.

Overall loved the representation of a trans relationship, enby, queer, and allyship. I loved how cute Eli's parents were to retake photos from when Eli was a kid. The miscommunication was a little annoying, and I would have liked a little more in the book of them being together but otherwise I LOVED THIS.

Title: Second Chances in New Port Stephen
Author: T.J. Alexander
Genre: Romance
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: December 5, 2023

I received a complimentary eARC from Simon & Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Funny • Nostalgic • Warm

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Eli Ward hasn’t been back to his suffocating hometown of New Port Stephen, Florida, in ages. Post-transition and sober, he’s a completely different person from the one who left years ago. But when a scandal threatens his career as a TV writer and comedian, he has no choice but to return home for the holidays. He can only hope he’ll survive his boisterous, loving, but often misguided family and hide the fact that his dream of comedy success has become a nightmare.

Just when he thinks this trip couldn’t get any worse, Eli bumps into his high school ex, Nick Wu, who’s somehow hotter than ever. Divorced and in his forties, Nick’s world revolves around his father, his daughter, and his job. But even a busy life can’t keep him from being intrigued by the reappearance of Eli.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Second Chances in New Port Stephen is the third book I've read from T.J. Alexander and they are an author I will continue to read for simple pleasure. Each of their books offers me something different and contain underrepresented characters. This one with a holiday twist.

Told from the POVs of Nick and Eli, this middle-aged, interracial, second-chance romance was an absolute delight. The character development is fantastic and the moments with Zoe were so sweet and wholesome. It was also encouraging to see the evolution of Eli's family from start to end.

Despite touching on the current anti-trans legislation and growing anti-trans sentiment in Florida, the author manages to keep the narrative lighthearted, even while tackling some serious topics. I greatly appreciated the honest exploration of sobriety as an ongoing process. There are also some hard (and necessary) conversations throughout the book.

Although it is set during the holiday period, it could easily be read at any point of the year. The festive season doesn't play a crucial role in the plot and its easy to forget it is even set during that timeframe.

Second Chances in New Port Stephen was such a refreshing way to kick of Pride month. The conversations in T.J. Alexander's books are relevant and informative, I always come away having learned something. I am looking forward to reading their latest release Triple Sec and whatever else they write in the future.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• second-chance romance
• queer romance
• mid-life romance

⚠️ CW: sexual content, transphobia, alcoholism, death, death of parent, car accident, anti-Asian racism, divorce, cursing, xenophobia, outing

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I've concluded that I need to stop worrying so much about what the future holds. I want to be happy when I can be."