• A Second Chance

  • The Chronicles of St Mary's, Book 3
  • By: Jodi Taylor
  • Narrated by: Zara Ramm
  • Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (4,032 ratings)

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A Second Chance  By  cover art

A Second Chance

By: Jodi Taylor
Narrated by: Zara Ramm
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Publisher's summary

The third book in the best-selling Chronicles of St Mary's series which follows a group of tea-soaked disaster magnets as they hurtle their way around History. If you love Jasper Fforde or Ben Aaronovitch, you won't be able to resist Jodi Taylor.

History happens all around you. And, occasionally, to you.

I could have been a bomb-disposal expert, or a volunteer for the Mars mission, or a firefighter, something safe and sensible. But, no, I had to be an historian.

It began well. A successful assignment to 17th century Cambridge to meet Isaac Newton, and another to witness the historic events at The Gates of Grief. So far so good.

But then came the long-awaited jump to the Trojan War that changed everything. And for Max, nothing will ever be the same again.

With the bloody Battle of Agincourt playing out around her, Max risks everything on one last desperate gamble to save a life and learns the true meaning of a second chance.

©2014 Jodi Taylor (P)2014 Audible Studios

Critic reviews

"Ramm deftly takes listeners through Taylor's temporal shifts, emphasizing Max's dry wit and sense of the ridiculous.... Ramm's smooth voice pivots to a tone of regret and loss as Max confronts the consequences of dabbling in time. Ramm portrays Max's complex nature in all its flawed humanity." ( AudioFile)

Featured Article: The 25 Best Time Travel Listens to Take You on an Unforgettable Journey


Time travel is one of science fiction's most popular subgenres. Fans are drawn to its infinite possibilities, offering a glimpse into past cultures, societies, and pivotal events while exploring big what if? questions. What if you knew what would happen next in your life? What if you could go back and change history? What if you did change history? With this guide, you're sure to find an exciting audiobook to transport you to the perfect place in another time.

What listeners say about A Second Chance

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
  • MJ
  • 09-06-14

This series is just gettihg better and better.

Any additional comments?

This series is fast becoming one of my favorites. I love the lead character, Max, for her snarky humor, and she is surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters at St. Mary's. There's humor, adventure, history (some interesting re-tellings and speculations) and romance.

Do yourself a favor and don't start with this book--go back to the first in the series, Just One Damned Thing After Another, and get to know these people from the beginning. You won't be sorry.

Zara Ramm does a wonderful job of narration--I will look for other books that she reads just to hear her interpretation of them.

Highly recommended! I can't wait for the next one, which is due out in print in January 2015. I'm hoping the Audible version won't be far behind.

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

No one can get enough of Dr 'Max' Maxwell

Where does A Second Chance rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Outstanding storyline & the narration is {pun intended} pitch-perfect. Zara Ramm IS Max; you can hear how much she loves her character as she bring her to life time & time again.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Second Chance?

The great cheese roll. I'd like to get my hands on one of those 'I survived' tee shirts. They could write 'duck' on the rear and make it an instant best seller. Followed by the 'Smurf' episode. I listened to both more than once as I started laughing so hard I could not concentrate initially.

Which character – as performed by Zara Ramm – was your favorite?

Max - hands down.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I actually walked totally out of my way several times to get more listening time in. This needs to be a movie.

Any additional comments?

I THINK I purchased the first book, 'Just One Damned Thing After Another' during a special sale. It made such an impression on me that I wanted to hear more from & about Max. I already have book 6 on pre-order and starting to mildly panic as I am already starting Book 4 and it's only been a little over two weeks since I first met Max and the quirky crew at St Mary's. Max is such an identifiable and wonderful character; you just want her to be your friend/boss.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A series well worth reading

Let me start off by saying that I loved the first two books in the series. So, I was a little disappointed that this book didn't thrill me as much as the others. It started off very slow for me and I actually got a bit bored with all the details about Troy (but then, I'm not a history buff). This book just had a different feel to it and I missed the feel of the first two. The second half of the book picked up considerably for me (hence 4 stars instead of 3). I don't like some of the choices Ms. Taylor made and given the end am not sure why she made them in the first place. It was all a bit too heart-wrenching for me and then totally shocking come the final chapters. Regardless, I am still looking forward to reading the next book to see where the storyline goes. I adore these characters and the audio narration by Zara Ramm. I hope book 4 comes out in audio sooner rather than later.

Just a note- be sure to read the series in order and don't start from the middle. It really won't do the books justice.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

New favorite author found!

Love this series this book was even better than the first one couldnt wait to read the second one finished the third one in a week ( which is a record for me) preordered the fourth one.
Sent to Troy her long awaited destinations causes her to make a everlasting life changing decision.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I love this series!

This is a great series. If you have listened to the previous books, you will like this one as well. It has all of the really dark bits, the really funny bits, the craziness that is St Mary's. This one ended in a way that I'm not sure I like, but I believe that the next one will be amazing and will totally make up for it. Let me be clear, it wasn't badly written, it just went in a direction I wasn't prepared for. It is still Jodi Taylor writing a great story and Zara Ramm narrating in her most excellent and awesome way. Looking forward to starting the next one right away!

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Could not follow

What disappointed you about A Second Chance?

Taylor's jumping all over between past and present and different parallel time lines without any reason (did not have to be logical or possible) left me lost and very disappointing because I enjoyed books 1&2 and looked forward to the whole series.

Please someone tell me she gets back on tract so I can read the rest.

Has A Second Chance turned you off from other books in this genre?

Probably

What about Zara Ramm’s performance did you like?

Everything she is Max.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

One of the best of this series

I love The Chronicles of St. Mary's. Funny, well written and very smart. This is one of my favorite installments. Doesn't matter if you're a teen or an oldster .... you will have a great listening experience!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Darker and stranger entry in the series

This book starts with the fall of Troy described in graphic detail (with more detail thrown in later) and there are other violent interludes. It also becomes very weird with some kind of alternate timelines. I guess Taylor needed more ways to throw conflict into Max's life. I still enjoyed it, especially the narration by Zara Ramm. It ends in a cliffhanger so I have no choice but to go on to the next book.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A very good addition to the St Mary's series

First of all, read the stories in sequence. This is number three, after Just One Damned Thing and A Symphony of Echoes. There are also 3 very "short stories" that are fun and just add to the quick trips through time that can be read pretty much any time. There is too much prior "history" that you will need to understand to truly enjoy this installment.

I did like the book, but the story is a little disappointing. Although Jodi Taylor's flowing and descriptive writing continues beautifully in A Second Chance, the story seemed to jump around a bit (literally and figuratively!). As one reviewer states, the author can't make up her mind as to the type of story she wants to write. But don't get me wrong, I still recommend it as a must listen in the series.

As we follow the adventures of St. Mary's, we find the H&H in another fantastic point in history (The Trojan wars). Unfortunately, as the story unfolds and as the jumps are made, I did not really like the progression of the love story between Max and Leon. It seems to me the author can't decide if the romance should carry on and for how long. However Max does experience the same conflict within herself and her commitment to Leon. The stolen moments between the two leave the reader wanting. Also, the position Max takes in one major event depicts her unyielding adherence to the law of jumping through history damn the emotional consequences. I found it unbelievable. But admittedly that is likely because I selfishly wanted a different result to the confrontation between Max and Chief Ferrell. In the end, there are some unexpected twists, and the book pulls at a few heartstrings. I will definitely keep me reading this series.

There are introductions of new characters, one of which is Prof. Peterson. I felt his back story needed more explanation and development. Some events at St. Mary's, like the blue historians were head scratchers, but most of the high-jinx of the crazy historians and residents bring forth Taylor's dry wit and humor at which she is so talented. I will never tire of her pure mastery of the English language and ability to draw a vivid picture for the reader of what each place in time could have truly been like. She has strong structure and pacing in the story as told in the first person. That for me is tantamount to the small story flaws in this case.

The narration by Zara Ramm, as in the other installments, is superb and adds immensely to the story. So, overall, a four star rating instead of three.

Very well worth a read, especially for St. Mary's followers.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Did anyone notice a change at chapter 16

What did you love best about A Second Chance?

I have enjoyed the first three books in this series and hope it continues for a long while. I love the combination of adventure and humor with a little romance.

What does Zara Ramm bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think Zara Ramm is a wonderful reader and I have enjoyed listening to her on the first two books and the first 15 chapters of this book, but as I was driving in my car today we switched to chapter 16 and to my ear there was a different reader. The voice was off and the cadence was different. I am still in chapter 16 so I do not know if this continues but I am interested to know if anyone else has experienced this, since I have not seen another reader credited and no one else has mentioned it.

Any additional comments?

I love this series and Zara Ramm and I hope she continues to read, voice act, not sure what the right word is, but she adds to the experience for me.

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