Great story - Poor Sound Quality in book 1

The first books audio almost made me not finish this book. Thankfully it got better in book 2 or 3. The stories were fun and I'm going to look for more by the author. But I am hoping for a different narrator.

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good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

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Okay Oveall

Title: Second Chance Romance Box Set: Jaded, Justified, Judged
Author: Ali Parker
Format: Audio
Narrator: Hannah Pralle
Genre: Romance, Small Town
Standalone: Yes (the version I'm reading includes all three novellas in this book
Part of a Series: Second Chance Romance Books 1 to 3
Steam Level: Slow burn
3/5

This series is okay. Overall the stories were okay. Fun but annoying. I liked each story but the characters had some neuroses that drove me nuts. But I loved their friendship and their love and support for each other. I listened to the first book in April 2024 but didn't finish the last two until January 2025 - which I guess says something.

Book 1: Jaded
Tropes: Sports (Basketball)
POV: Carrie, Jake
Steam Level: Slow Burn
3.5/4
3.5/5

I was debating between giving this book three stars or four. Ultimately I settled on 3.5. Overall it's okay. The series name is deceiving as it's not a second chance with a previous partner but just a second chance at love entirely Carrie moves from big city New York to small-town Maine after she finds her fiancée cheating on her the day before their wedding. Hurt and betrayed she's determined to find herself before opening herself up to someone else. When she meets a sexy man at the grocery store she's intrigued but wary. When she keeps running into him her friends urge her to take a chance on him. But he too has baggage from his past. Will he be willing to open himself up to her? Her to him?

This book was fine. I kept listening but wasn't too invested. Carrie's friends are mix of personalities that balance each other out. I would have liked an epilogue. Hoping we'll see more of this couple in the rest of the books in the series.

Book 2: Justified
Genre: Romance, Reverse Age Gap, Best Friend’s Brother
POV: Lisa, Marc
Steam Level: Toasty at times
3.5/5

Justified is the second book in the Second Chance Romance Lisa and Marc met in the first book of this series but didn’t start a relationship despite both being interested in each other. Justified is their story. It was okay. I didn’t like Lisa very much and some of both of their behaviors were immature and, at times, hurtful. When Lisa and Marc were together it was explosive and toasty. I like the friends group that Lisa has. The characters witty, sometimes snarky but always there for each other.

Book 3: Judged
Genre: Romance, small town
POV: Sicily , Drake
Steam Level: slow burn to steamy
4/5

Judged is the final book in the Second Chance Romance series. Each book is a standalone with interconnected characters. Each story is unique to each character. Judged focuses on Sicily and Drake. While liked this book I also had issues with it. While i understand and can relate to Sicily ’s negative self-talk it got old quick. Drake’s secret was obvious and predictable but still fun.

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Mispronunciation police

What did you like best about Second Chance Romance Box Set: Jaded - Justified - Judged? What did you like least?

I liked the stories although I should have read them rather than listened on Audible.

Any additional comments?

The stories were well written and it was easy to become invested in the three girl's stories. The stories were only diminished by the narration. The narrator mispronounced several words and even a name. The first book sounded like it was recorded in a bathroom. When the narrator raised her voice in the first few chapters, there was an extremely obvious echo that my ear could not get rid of after that. It was distracting every time the narrator said "Lick did" "like did" "look did" instead of licked, liked, looked.

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Three great friends. Three good Stories

1. Jaded/Justified/Judged -Ali Parker
Jaded. The story was sweet kind of the typical love sucks so why bother type of story and then the stereotypical fate brought us together and after a week of knowing each other, we’re now in love type of situation but other than that the situations, the banter between other characters, while a little too much focus on them and not enough on the main characters, was very original and very funny at times. I love the friendship between the 3 women and I’m anxious to see how their stories end. Even though this was a dual POV, I didn’t feel like we learned enough about Jake. He was just kind of there and really kind of boring. He’s not an alpha, just really complacent. Ava, you learn right away that she was in love, and she was hurt but that hurt made her more than a little insecure; understandably. Jake, really had no personality... he wasn’t an alpha, a joker, a nerd.. he wasn’t grumpy or anything. He was just kind of there. It wasn’t until the end when he just kind of decided this was what he wanted that he became more appealing as a leading male character.

Justified. Lisa and Marc’s story, I felt a little more for. It was a little more heart wrenching. Both of them dealing with the actions of their parents and trying hard not to repeat them. Both of them using sex to avoid getting their hearts broken. The ultimate question during the book was, will they be able to put that aside to take a chance on each other? It was interesting to see how that unfolded and what their friends did to provide support.

Judged. Alright.. Cicely and Drake’s story had me in my feelings for the entire five hours. As someone who has struggled with her weight and has constantly talked down to herself and thought no one would want me because of my size, I was right there with her the entire time. I felt her pain, her regret. I’ve never related to a female character more. It only takes the love of a strong man and the will to make change for you to see your true beauty. Though the story was sweet, it felt incomplete. For example.. what happened with the ____ at the building next door? What happened to the other characters involved in that situation? It directly affected the main characters however it was not mentioned again. So I feel like I’m just hanging there with all these questions. Will we ever find out?

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Story awesome, narration good, audio quality horrible!

The stories were awesome and completely different from each other (which is good when it comes to some siblings/friends series). The narrator was good when it comes to telling the story and her performance of it. The only bad thing was audio quality was bad. I could hear an echo and you could clearly tell when takes were changed. Overall worth the credit!!

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