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    On Second Thought
    On Second Thought
    On Second Thought
    Audiobook13 hours

    On Second Thought

    Written by Kristan Higgins

    Narrated by Xe Sands and Amy Rubinate

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Following in the footsteps of her critically acclaimed novel If You Only Knew, multi-bestselling author Kristan Higgins returns with a pitch-perfect look at the affection-and the acrimony-that binds sisters together. Ainsley O'Leary is so ready to get married-she's even found the engagement ring her boyfriend has stashed away. What she doesn't anticipate is for Eric to blindside her with a tactless breakup he chronicles in a blog-which (of course) goes viral. Devastated and humiliated, Ainsley turns to her half-sister, Kate, who's already struggling after the sudden loss of her new husband. Kate has always been so poised, so self-assured, but Nathan's death shatters everything she thought she knew-including her husband-and sometimes the people who step up aren't the ones you expect. With seven years and a murky blended-family dynamic between them, Ainsley and Kate have never been overly close, but their shared sorrow dovetails their faltering worlds into one. Despite the lifetime of history between them, the sisters must learn to put their differences aside and open their hearts to the inevitable imperfection of family-and the possibility of one day finding love again.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateJan 31, 2017
    ISBN9781501938375
    On Second Thought
    Author

    Kristan Higgins

    Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA TODAY bestselling author whose books have been translated into more than twenty languages. She has received dozens of awards and accolades, including starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, The New York Journal of Books and Kirkus. Kristan lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband, two atypically affectionate children, a neurotic rescue mutt and an occasionally friendly cat.

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    Reviews for On Second Thought

    4.5/5

    84 ratings7 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the sisters becoming closer. Basically the family dynamics were great.
    • 5/5
      Made me cry more than I like. But the story and characters were too good to put down. Loved this story.
    • 5/5
      On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins is a sad but witty, heartbreaking yet uplifting novel about two sisters whose bond is strengthened after they experience life altering events.

      At thirty-nine, Kate O'Leary has finally come to terms with her single status so she is somewhat bemused and wary when Nathan Coburn asks for her phone number. Convinced she'll never hear from the handsome architect, she is pleasantly surprised to find herself in a whirlwind relationship. Married just a few months after they begin dating, Kate is barely used to being a wife when she is widowed after a tragic accident.

      Unlike Kate, her thirty-three year old half-sister, Ainsley has been with her boyfriend, Eric Fisher, since college. Ainsley has been anxiously awaiting for Eric to pop the question and after discovering an engagement ring, she is chomping at the bit for his proposal now that he is fully recovered from testicular cancer. So imagine her surprise, when Eric asks unceremoniously dumps her then publicly humiliates her on his blog. With no place to go, Ainsley temporarily moves in with Kate which turns out to be a huge blessing in disguise for both women.

      Kate's struggle to grieve Nathan's loss is surprisingly complicated since they were only together such a short time. She treasures her precious few memories of them as a couple but she cannot help but wonder if she would have been better off never marrying him since he died so soon after their life together begins. After hearing other people's memories of the man she is just realizing she barely knows, Kate begins questioning their entire relationship. It certainly does not help that Kate's friends from her single days are not exactly supportive although she is pleasantly surprised by the one person who does make an effort to be there for her.

      Ainsley first comes across as an empty-headed ninny but behind her unfailingly cheerful and positive facade, she is unexpectedly intuitive and insightful. She certainly has blinders on about her self-absorbed, selfish boyfriend and even after Eric uses their break up to find his fifteen minutes of fame, she still wants to reconcile with him. Which is why Ainsley is a little confused when she begins to notice her uptight, seemingly emotionless boss is an attractive man with a surprising amount of depth.

      Between their age difference and their complicated family dynamics, Kate and Ainsley were never overly close even though they genuinely care about one another. Kate is quite shocked at how much she appreciates Ainsley once she moves in with her. Although some of their interactions are somewhat awkward due to Ainsely's uncanny ability to put her foot in her month, Kate appreciates her sister's emotional support. Equally surprising is Ainsley's no nonsense advice as she gently coerces Kate to return to "normal" life. Both sisters discover new and surprising things about one another and to the delight of both women, they finally close the gap in their once distant relationship.

      On Second Thought is an emotional novel of love, loss and new beginnings. The characters are beautifully developed with relatable flaws and true to life issues to overcome. The touching storyline will resonate with anyone who has experienced a break up or loss of someone they love. Kristan Higgins deftly balances the more sorrowful elements of the plot with wry humor, witty banter and laugh out loud scenes. Fans of contemporary women's fiction are going to laugh, cry and ultimately rejoice as Ainsley and Kate forge a close bond while helping one another recover from their personal tragedies. A poignant, yet heartwarming novel that will touch reader's hearts and linger in their minds long after the last page is turned.
    • 4/5
      Ainsley O'Leary is so ready to get married—she's even found the engagement ring her boyfriend has stashed away. What she doesn't anticipate is for Eric to blindside her with a tactless breakup he chronicles in a blog…which (of course) goes viral. Devastated and humiliated, Ainsley turns to her half sister, Kate, who's already struggling after the sudden loss of her new husband. Kate has always been so poised, so self-assured, but Nathan's death shatters everything she thought she knew—including her husband—and sometimes the people who step up aren't the ones you expect. With seven years and a murky blended-family dynamic between them, Ainsley and Kate have never been overly close, but their shared sorrow dovetails their faltering worlds into one. Despite the lifetime of history between them, the sisters must learn to put their differences aside and open their hearts to the inevitable imperfection of family—and the possibility of one day finding love again.(retrieved from Amazon Wed, 28 Sep 2016Higgins always has well-developed characters and incorporates humor into her romance novels. This novel is no exception, following two sisters as they navigate the dating scene after each one loses their partner. Another great read from Kristan Higgens.
    • 4/5
      Had I been checking past reviews or paying attention to publishers, I might not have picked up this book, which I liked quite a bit. My past experience with this author was less than stellar, but this, though a romance, and a HQN at that, hence the publisher comment, was a pleasant diversion. I actually passed it by on the shelf twice, because I'm not really keen on reading about widowhood, but at the very last minute added it to my stack of books. The alternating story, about two sisters, one suddenly widowed (96 days into her marriage) and one suddenly (and publicly on a blog) dumped after 11 years of being with her guy, was entertaining. I'll look for more by this author.
    • 5/5
      This is Ms. Higgins second book set in Cambry-on-Hudson, again told in alternating first person voices as was If You Only Knew. Kate has been married a little over three months and is in her late thirties. She had given up on men and children when she met Nathan and married him in a whirlwind courtship. Her half-sister Ainsley has been living with her significant other, Eric, for eleven years. They have gone through a battle with testicular cancer and Ainsley is hoping that Eric is finally going to give her the engagement ring that they've always talked about. Instead, Nathan is killed in a freak accident, Eric dumps Ainsley, and she moves in with Kate. The two women must deal with their new circumstances and continue to live their lives amidst great sadness and change.I liked both women very much. Kate is more reserved, happy in her career as a professional photographer while Ainsley is outgoing and friendly to everyone. They both are very "Real" in every sense of the word. Their actions and what they say is always perfect for the circumstances they find themselves and Kristin Higgins never goes over the top with what are very sensitive issues. Every character shines (even Madeleine) and I enjoyed every minute of this wonderful story.
    • 5/5
      ReviewHave you ever read a book that you just knew right from the very beginning you would be best of friends with these characters if they were only real? This is how I felt once I was about 25% done with this book.This book was almost everything I love in a book - it was filled with realistic characters, realistic situations, some happiness (at the end) and a lot of sad...the one thing, and an important thing, it was lacking was humor. Not that there was totally none, but it just wasn't there in big enough doses to make this a 5-star rated book. But this was definitely a 4.5 star book.I read to escape the realities and traumas of everyday life -this book just left me dazed through most of it. The love of the sisters for each other was plain to see (again, once you have read about 25 to 50% of the book) …but the heart-aches just took a bit too much out of me and out of this book.I did love how things did take a turn with the sister’s and their feelings and actions towards each other developed.Getting to the 'happily-ever-after’ was almost too painful to get to and didn't last long enough to satisfy me or to make up for all the other trauma. I am glad that each did find their HEA even if one was a little iffy and not very traditional in the romantic novel sense.Seeing two such smart women mess up their lives for one worthless man and one that was less than forthcoming, was astounding to me.What is even odder for me is even with all that said, I could not put this book down -even though it was a painful journey through the sister’s lives, it was fascinating and so well written that I can look beyond my own petty problems with this book and see that the author was trying to tell us - that we as women are so much more than just being a shadow to the men in our lives. We shouldn't forgive lying out of hand, we need to have a spine...and I'm happy to say that each of these women did learn this lesson. It was a difficult and rocky path, but they learned.Most of Ms Higgins other novels may have the sadness, frustrations, and problems of everyday life that this one had, but they also usually include a good dose of humor. Yes, the humor is mostly the self-depreciating kind, but it is humor nonetheless. You need to really look closely to see the humor interspersed with the pain in this book.It really was a satisfying read for me, even with the issues I had with it.*ARC supplied by publisher