Second Chances

By: Lincoln Cole

Narrated by: Sarah Carleton

Length: 5 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's Summary

Nichole is caught in a tough position, juggling too many responsibilities as her world falls apart around her. When her mother turns up missing while performing an errand, Nichole is left picking up the pieces of her shattered life and taking care of her younger siblings. She isn't sure where she can turn to for help and she is facing a lot of harsh realities about how life works.

Richard wants to help Nichole through this heartbreaking situation, but he discovers that he's been doing the right things for the wrong reasons for a long time. Everything begins to fall apart as he realizes he's swept problems under the rug for so long he might no longer be able to fix them.

Can they overcome their own prejudices and get a second chance?

Second Chances is a contemporary novel set in middle America that delves into social issues people deal with on a regular basis. It features a strong female protagonist standing up to the world and pushing back against commonplace wrongs.

©2015 Lincoln Cole (P)2016 Lincoln Cole

Wonderful story!

I loved this story! So bittersweet and real! I felt their heartache! Lincoln Cole.....Wow!! Good job!!

Good story but not the Cole's best

I received a free copy of this book in audio format from the author in exchange for an honest review.

A widow, mother of four, starts a fight to get one of her sons accepted in a better school. The problem is that he is black. Shortly after, this woman will disappear without leaving any trace and all responsibilities will fall upon Nichole, the oldest daughter. She just got accepted as an intern at a very important law firm, and she is good what she does, but without her mother she will have to drop from school and start a new job. She does not want to leave her internship because there is something her boss may do for her.

After listening to 'Ripples through Time' and 'UAV' I had great expectations about this book. We meet a family that, by bad luck and conventionalism, does not have an easy life. The struggles they find are real. At the beginning I had the feeling that I was listening to book from an older time, since the racism situation is not something I am used to, at least where I live. But I guess that this could be true in many other places, and it is really unfair that somebody should be judged by their color of their skin.

This is a story about racism, but also about transformation. At first I thought the main subject was going to be the search for Nichole's mother, but I was wrong. This book is about Richard, her boss, and how unfair situations towards minorities affect him or not. There are three people who trigger this change in Richard, and here is where the book did not fill my expectations. I felt that those three stories were not balanced. Nichole's part gets a lot of focus, making us think that it will be the main story. Then there are other two characters, Richard's brother and a homeless boy. I felt the part about the boy too long and dragging. It was like a story inside a story, but since this boy was so suddenly introduced, I did not care much for him nor for his long story.

Richard's changes were expected but they were so sudden that it felt almost unreal. He changed in question of minutes from being a judgmental jerk to somebody with great empathy and able to go great lengths for others less fortunate than him. It was so perfect that it did not feel realistic.

What really disappointed me was the narration. Sarah Carleton's narration and interpretation skills need a lot of improvement. For an unknown reason all voices sounded the same except for a secondary character who has not more than five lines. I guess Carleton needed to support the text mentioning the heavy accent of this character, but why then did she not made any difference between the rest of characters, men, women, kids? There was a clear noise floor on the recording, and from time to time there were some mouth noises. Carleton could have also given more air at the end of chapters so that the beginning of the next did not feel so sudden.

I enjoyed the book, but for this kind of style I would rather recommend 'Ripples through Time'. Better written and with more charismatic characters.

Second Chances:

I found the story to be one of growing to know yourself, the things that are truly important in life. Family, friends and people that really care. We all need help and understanding at some point in our life.

Second Chances

Any additional comments?

I received a free audio book in exchange for an honest review.

Having listened to Lincoln Cole's books before, I was expecting something really good, and I did receive something amazing. This isn't the normal type of novel that I read, or listen to, but it was brilliant. Seeing the novel from Nicole and Richard's perspectives made it so much deeper and personal and brilliant and I'm so glad I read this novel.

Well Crafted Story With Real World Situations

I grew up in lily white Iowa, so I don't realize the situations some families face. When the story started at what appears to be a bigoted, white school district I am afraid I won't enjoy this book at all. But I kept listening and was sucked into the story, the author knows how to tell a story. The narrator does a masterful job of just the right amount of inflection for the various characters. It's only as I write this review that I realize how similar my own life was to the characters in the story. My dad died before I turned five, my mother had a nervous breakdown and became an alcoholic. Mom remarried when I was nine and stopped drinking with the help of my stepdad. My stepdad didn't know how to deal with the frustrations of his business, and often unloaded on me for small infractions. I too miss him, even though he was rough on me. Great story, don't miss it.

Better the second time!

I knew it was a great story but Sarah Carleton brought the emotions to life

Lots of emotion in this well-told story

What did you love best about Second Chances?

I loved the way the characters all had flaws but worked really hard to overcome them.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Second Chances?

Probably when the secretary berates Richard for being so stubborn.

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

She brings a lot more emotion than even the book has on its own, and considering how emotional the content is that is saying a lot!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Something about how everyone deserves to get a second chance.

Moving and touching story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yeah, I definitely would recommend it because it was really touching in the way it handled issues between people. I like the way the characters interacted with one another.

What did you like best about this story?

There was a lot of emotion here that I didn't expect when I first started, particularly toward the end.

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

She handled the important scenes perfectly and really made me feel for the characters.

Who was the most memorable character of Second Chances and why?

Richard because he changes so much in the story. I didn't know what to think of him at first, but by the end he does the right thing.

Any additional comments?

Great story to listen to!

Heartfelt and meaningful

Would you listen to Second Chances again? Why?

I didn't really expect there to be so much emotion in this story. I would definitely listen again because I'm sure there were parts I missed that are important to what happened.

What other book might you compare Second Chances to, and why?

Anything by Nicholas Sparks, or anyone who adds a lot of emotion to their story. It was kind of unique.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Probably when Ben was going through his life and how he got where he is. That scene made me really sad.

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

Yeah. It isn't too long, but it has a lot in it that makes it unique.