Review: On Second Thought

On Second Thought

By Kristan Higgins

Published: January 31, 2017

Ainsley O'Leary is so ready to get married—she's even found the engagement ring her boyfriend has stashed away. What she doesn't anticipate is for Eric to blindside her with a tactless breakup he chronicles in a blog…which (of course) goes viral. Devastated and humiliated, Ainsley turns to her half sister, Kate, who's already struggling after the sudden loss of her new husband. 

Kate has always been so poised, so self-assured, but Nathan's death shatters everything she thought she knew—including her husband—and sometimes the people who step up aren't the ones you expect. With seven years and a murky blended-family dynamic between them, Ainsley and Kate have never been overly close, but their shared sorrow dovetails their faltering worlds into one. 

Despite the lifetime of history between them, the sisters must learn to put their differences aside and open their hearts to the inevitable imperfection of family—and the possibility of one day finding love again.

My review:

Kate and Ainsley are half sisters but they don't have much of a relationship. Ainsley is the daughter of "the other woman". Kate's dad has never been faithful to her mom and although her parents got divorced (and he married Ainsley's mother), they got remarried after Ainsley's mother died. Things change though when Kate and her husband attend a party at Ainsley's house, celebrating that her boyfriend is cancer free. Ainsley is sure that Eric is about to propose on the night of the party. Instead a tragedy happens that brings Kate and Ainsley closer together even as it pushes her and Eric apart.

On Second Thought is a novel about sisters and family relationships as well as grieving the loss of a spouse and the loss of a relationship. I think the author does a good job of showing how both sisters have been affected by their parents' respective marriages, Ainsley in particular. Kate's mom was a piece of work. I didn't care for her at all. Their dad wasn't much better. It was good to see Kate and Ainsley reach out to each other and develop a better relationship. 

In addition to the family drama there is also some romance. That aspect of the novel didn't work quite as well for me in some ways (I'm purposefully being vague to avoid spoilers) though it did aid the characters' development. Overall  however I liked this book and thought it was a great followup to If You Only Knew. The main characters from that one make cameo appearances here as both books are set in the same town but you can read this book independently. I loved the focus on sisterhood and the development of both characters.  It was especially nice to see Ainsley grow. I hope Kristan Higgins hopes to write books like this. I will happily read them all! 

Note: I received an ARC for review purposes courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley