Second Chance

De: Jay Northcote

Narrado por: Hamish Long

Everyone deserves a second chance.

Nate and his teenage daughter need a fresh start, so they move back to the village where he grew up. Nate’s transgender and not used to disclosing his history, so it’s hard living where people knew him before.

When Nate reconnects with Jack - his best friend from school and unrequited crush - his feelings return as strong as ever.

Jack’s returned home to get his life in order after an addiction to alcohol caused him to lose everything: his job, his driver’s licence, and nearly his life.

He’s living with his parents, which is less than ideal, but rekindling his friendship with Nate - or Nat as Jack once knew him - is an unexpected benefit of being back home. Jack is amazed by Nate’s transformation, and can’t deny his attraction. Trying for more than friendship might ruin what they already have, but the chemistry between them is undeniable.

Doubting his feelings are reciprocated, Nate fears he’s risking heartbreak. Jack’s reluctance to tell his parents about their relationship only reinforces Nate’s misgivings. With both their hearts on the line and their happiness at stake, Jack needs to make things right, and Nate has to be prepared to give him a second chance.

This story is a stand-alone and has a satisfying, happy ending.

©2018 Jay Northcote (P)2020 Jay Northcote

Beautiful

This one has always been one of my favorites of Jay Northcote's! It is just a gorgeous novel...lovely main characters who are struggling...and the plotline is resonating and brilliant. Hamish Long is quickly becoming a favored narrator of mine as well. He does a great job here!

The Right Time

Second Chance by Jay Northcote is a beautiful and, at times, heart wrenching tale of second chances, self-discovery, and the acceptance that comes with the courage to choose your destiny. A side benefit, Second Chance is educational, allowing one to enlighten themselves about the transgender process, free of the clinical mumbo jumbo. It is a reconnection with a twist that melts your heart. Oh, and these guys are in their mid-forties which is absolutely refreshing!

Returning home for vastly different reason, two men, besties in youth, Nate and Jack reconnect on a much deeper level than was possible in youth. Nate’s unrequited love for Jack in their younger years separated them in adulthood. Jack absolutely loved Nate back in the day, but Nate was Nat which presented challenges for Jack as a young gay lad.

Jack finds Nate attractive both emotionally and physically. However, his inner demons create a rift between them. Nate has had time to resolve his internal conflict and is comfortable with being himself. Jack is supportive of Nate’s transition, correcting those that misuse pronouns, but makes his share of mistakes along the way. As the world questions their path it is refreshing to see that their struggles primarily revolve around everyday life.

Love comes in a variety of packages and no matter what form it presents itself in it is a treasure to behold. Teenage Nate and Jack weren’t right for each other but the adults they have become are perfect, with all their scars and flaws. There is family acceptance with Nate’s daughter Cass and mother Sue; their family dinners together and crisis management precipitate a sense of normalcy that sheds the unwelcome tension. Jack’s family takes some time and pressure to understand, but in the end they want their son to be happy.

The romance and sexy times between Nate and Jack are superbly written. As Nate teaches the intricacies of their bonding, Jack eats them up both literally and figuratively. I was captivated, learning and growing every step of the way. Jack is an outstanding, inventive, and compassionate lover and partner. Chuckle moment – forties and caught making out in the backseat of mom’s car.

Hamish Long does a superb job of conveying the heartfelt feelings. Narrating the range of emotions this story presents must have been a challenge, but one tackled with seeming ease. Let’s not discount his accent, understandable to this American white boy and it took me to places I long to visit.

Overall, Second Chance is low on angsty drama. The focus being a second chance romance that finds its time in life. Nate and Jack have some pretty heavy things in their past showing their strength and resolve. Their reconnection is just in time for them to enjoy what each has been missing.

Second chances are fantastic

I liked this story a lot. Jack and Nat were best friends growing up. They were inseparable. Nat always had a little crush on Jack, but since Jack was gay, that wouldn't work out.

The two reconnect by chance years later, except that Nat is now Nate - and Jack finds him very attractive.

The men begin to spend time together, rekindling their relationship with a rather distant spin. After becoming friends with benefits, they quickly realize that their feelings for one another are strong.

Nat wants to move forward with Jack in a more committed way, but Jack's family isn't as open minded as they should be. This makes Jack feel like he has to hide the relationship from people.

The realization, feelings, characters and representation are great in this book. I really appreciated the way Nat explained his transition to Jack. It was thorough, comfortable and sweet.

These two are great together. The narrator was also fantastic!

Beautiful

4 Blue Roses
4 Blue Flames

Narrator Hamish Long delicately and so beautifully delivered a whirlwind of emotions contained in titanium box meant to survive forever among the stars. He captured the emotions and drama without real effort as the author wrote such pure truthful content. His voices accentuated the mannerisms or personalities of the characters and it was good enough for me to distinguish between them, especially the before and after transition voices of Nate.

This audiobook is so much more than just A meets B. I experienced it at a much deeper level than an ordinary romance. For me, it was about the truthful reflection of my own deeper or should I say hidden life’s story. The emotional shock I felt opened floodgates of feelings. I packed that shit neatly away and then this listen ripped it all open with a bloody wheel spanner or what the fuck ever.

The author captured word for word so known to me and so willfully ignored by myself. The struggle and internal war to survive within a body which is foreign to you daily.

I definitely recommend this audiobook. It’s stunning! Listeners will appreciate learning what it is and how it feels to live in a body that transitions from female to male, and especially for those who wonder what the sex is like afterward.

Happy Listening

A Great Listen

This is one of my most recommended books with a transgender character. I loved it when it came out in 2018 and I’ve been eagerly anticipating the audio. I really enjoyed Hamish Long’s narration of Nate and Jack’s story. He did a really great job of bringing these characters to life for me. He definitely did justice to this love story. As the title suggests it’s a second-chance romance for two childhood friends who reconnect again later in life. Jack runs into Nate, once known to him as Nat, in the town they both grew up in. Nate and Jack rekindle their friendship, and begin to explore sexual one as well. Nate had been in love with Jack back when they were kids, but Jack was gay and Nate was still Nat then. I enjoyed their chemistry and and how their sexual relationship unfolded. Jack had never been with a transgender person in the past, and I liked how open Nate and Jack were on navigating those differences and preferences. It wasn’t skirted over, or ignored in the story, rather it was part of the evolving relationship. It felt very authentic and was very sexy. Listening to this audio made me remember why I loved this story so much. I definitely recommended this listen, or read!