Footsteps of the Past

Second Chances, Book 2

By: Felice Stevens

Narrated by: Denis Lambert

Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

It was like in the movies: Their eyes met from across the room, and they fell in love. Nine years later, Chess and André are the envy of all their friends. But this is real life...and things are never what they seem.

Still, waters run deep - the better to hide Chess’s ugly past. He’s worked hard to bury the troubled teen he once was and is living a life he never imagined possible. André’s love is a gift that makes him believe in second chances, and Chess is grateful for it every day. The only thing he wants is what André finds impossible to give: his time. Six months apart might be the breaking point, even for Chess.

One horrible night changed André’s life forever. Formerly a party boy of the Hamptons social scene, André buries himself in work for years until he meets Chess and learns to enjoy the simple things. He’s tired of being away from home all the time and ready to step down from his role as CEO of the family business, no matter how they try and pull him back in. But old habits die hard...and so do memories.

Photos from the past and present surface, shocking Chess and André out of their carefully constructed dream life. They are forced to face the unthinkable: the love they thought would last a lifetime may be on the brink of falling apart. Secrets are exposed, opening a Pandora’s box both men hoped would stay locked forever. Now Chess and André face the hardest question: Do you ever really know the person you’re living with?

©2021 Felice Stevens (P)2021 Felice Stevens

Hmmmm

I liked Chess and Andre. But I didn't care for the secrets or the fact that they had been together for 9 years before they told each other their secrets. Further, I hated Chess' hypocrisy regarding wanting Andre's secrets but keeping his own. I also hated the multiple times he could have addressed the issue but didn't. It was sooo frustrating!!!

Enjoyable!

4.25 Stars!

I wasn't sure how Felice Stevens would tackle a book with an established couple, especially one that was supposed to be #RelationshipGoals for their group of friends, but I shouldn't have doubted her.

Chess and Andre have been together for 9 years and on the surface, they're the perfect couple, but they both have secrets that they've been keeping from each other and in Chess's case, from his tight-knit group of friends, too.

I loved Chess to bits. Rising from a troubled childhood and adolescence to become a resilient, strong, sweet, mature man. Yes, he kept his past from his friends and Andre, but his reasons were very valid. I was a bit annoyed at how he didn't want to rock the boat, so to speak, for fear of losing Andre, but it was understandable in the long run. Unfortunately, I couldn't warm up to Andre until the last portion of the book. His inability to stand up to his mother when he was nearly 50 years old, how he allowed her to keep him away for so long from Chess, the way the drunken kiss he engaged with a stranger was swept under a rug and not really addressed because of Chess's fear, didn't particularly endear Andre to me. He did get better in the last, let's say 30% of the book, and he totally won me over during the engagement dinner. Despite my misgivings over Andre, the chemistry and love Andre and Chess shared were undeniable and made the read worthwhile.

I loved that Elliot, Win, Spencer, and Wolf again had a lot of page-time and those little teasers for Spencer and Wolf's book have me salivating for it! This month is going to feel eternal! I also loved Henry and Bianca, Andre's siblings, they were awesome. I hated Andre's mother and Kyle, his ex, with a passion, and while I think that Chess forgave her too easily, but it was perfectly in character for him.

Footsteps of the Past was emotional, enthralling, captivating, and despite me not being fully invested in the main couple until the end, I wanted the HEA for Chess, who totally deserved it. Very recommendable!

While I got the ARC, I also bought the audiobook, and let me tell you, Dennis Lambert totally knocked it off the park. He gave all the characters distinctive voices and brought them to life for me. I can't wait to listen to him narrate Beautiful Mistakes!

Velvet to my Ears

5 Huge Stars
Audio
Narrator:Mr. Denis Lambert

How can an audio build you up and gut you at the same time? Mr. Lambert has a sultry voice that's like velvet to your ears. This brilliant production perfectly complimented Felice’s steaming and tender romance. I eagerly anticipated book two of her Second Chance Series. After listening to the wonderful production of The List, I knew I was going to be in for quite the treat. Andres' silky and authoritative voice perfectly fit his bigger than life personality. Chess had a sweet negativity about him which worked wonderfully against the stronger tones of Andre. It was wonderful to hear Chess’s friends from The List make a reappearance, and the portrayal of the smarmy lawyer Kyle was spot on! The rapid dialogue between the furious mother and outraged son was riveting. The dinner from Hell to the romantic banters between the MCS was wonderfully executed. I highly recommend this audio and I know I will listen to it again! For now, I have to patiently wait for the next story in this fantastic series. Happy listening!

Story-line
Felice once again writes a tender, heartwarming story with genuine and unique characters. The men are far from perfect, and that is what always pulls me into one of her novels. I feel a true connection, and the MCs always leave a mark on my heart. Chess is a gentle and unassuming professor, who has been in a stable and loving relationship for the past nine years. He has a great support group of friends he met in school, and they are a constant source of amusement, as the reader will learn about their at times complex interactions. Chess is the love of Andre’s life. Poor Andre has so much burden on his shoulders. After the passing of his beloved father, Andre is acting as CEO of their thriving, and huge family business. I really ached for Andre, as all he wants is to slow down, and spend time with Chess. The last assignment kept them apart for 6 months and, despite his mother’s nagging and demands, Andre is never going to have that happen again! Both men have secrets they never shared. Chess, especially, has a dark and horrific childhood that he hides not only from Andre, but from himself. Pressures from work, challenging family dynamics, and a devious attorney threaten to fracture the loving relationship that Chess and Andre have forged. In true Felice form, be prepared for some perfectly crafted angst and a hard journey to reach the ultimate goal of happiness.

My Absolute Favorite Book by Felice Stevens!

I absolutely love this series and can’t wait for the third book. This book is excellent and is my favorite by Felice Stevens. I’m always leery about a new narrator, but pleasantly surprised and very happy with this one. Highly recommend!

Great narration and entertaining story

After reading the blurb of "Footsteps of the Past", I was very curious about the audio book. In addition, I was curious about Denis Lambert, because I did not know this narrator yet.
To say it right away: The audio book has captivated me from the beginning. On the one hand, this was due to the wonderful and fluid writing style of the author and the entertaining story. On the other hand, it was due to the narrator, who really had it in him to inspire the listener with his voice and his performance.

Andre and Chess have been together for 9 years and seem like an absolute dream couple to the outside world. But all that glitters is not gold and both carry secrets from the past. What happens when these come to light?
I took Chess into my heart right from the start. He is an incredibly strong and very likable character, yet so full of self-doubt about his past. I could well understand why he had reservations about putting his cards on the table for Andre.
I had my difficulties with Andre in the beginning. He seems to genuinely love Chess, but I had doubts about how seriously he really takes his relationship with Chess. After all, he was too quick to dismiss the photo of him kissing another man, in my opinion. Yes, he wasn't in bed with the other man, but still he should have been in control. He also didn't have enough assertiveness with his mother for my taste, especially when it came to the situation with Kyle. But of course, that's what made the story interesting and I slowly started to understand and like Andre.

The story captivated me and was suspenseful and I listened to the audiobook in just two days. It was very emotional, heartwarming, exciting and entertaining and besides the authentically portrayed main characters, there were interesting side characters. In particular, Chess's friend Wolf intrigued me and I'm really looking forward to listening to his and Spencer's story in "Beautiful Mistakes."

The audiobook was incredibly well narrated by Denis Lambert. It absolutely blew me away and I will be on the lookout for more audiobooks that he reads. Denis gave the characters different voices and you could hear the emotions of the protagonists very well. He has a very pleasant, almost velvety voice that is very easy to listen to over a long period of time. And again, his voice for Wolf somehow fascinated me. I already can't wait to hear Wolf's story.

Highly recommended!