Second Chance Girl: Happily Inc. Book #2 by Susan Mallery

    When going through a hard time, there are books that can help you get through it.  Sometimes that book is a mystery.  Other times it is a thriller.  Sometimes what you need is a light and easy book you know will have a happy ending.  Second Chance Girl is that book.

    Carol Lund doesn’t think she’s anything special.  She used to when she was a child.  Her family told her she was.  The world has told her something different.

    As an adult, Carol doesn’t feel as good as others around her.  All her friends and her sister, Violet, are creative.  She is not.  Instead, she is the caretaker of exotic animals at the Happily Inc Animal Preserve.  Her work is not glamorous, but she loves it.

    Mathias Mitchell is an artist who lives near Carol.  Happily Inc is a wedding town, which Mathias takes full advantage of.  He picks up bridesmaids, has a one-night stand, and then is done with them.  This reputation is what makes Carol believe Mathias would never fall for a woman like her.

    Little does Carol know, Mathias has been watching her for some time.

    Carol is not the only one in a man’s sights.  Violet is too, although not nearly as pleasant a situation.

    Violet is being accused of trying to steal from an elderly woman in England.  Ulrich Sherwood, the Duke of Somerbroke, is certain she is the reason items are missing from his home, Battenberg Park.  His grandmother has been sending packages to Violet, making Ulrich believe that is where the missing items are going.  In the U.S. for business, Ulrich decides to confront Violet and force her to face the consequences of her actions.

    If only Ulrich had spoken to his grandmother first.  He would have found out there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for the missing items.  Also, he would have learned the only things Violet receives are buttons, which she pays for.

    However, had Ulrich consulted his grandmother first, he never would have met Violet.  He wouldn’t have had a car accident because of a giraffe.  And he wouldn’t have fallen in love.

Giraffe/Artwork by Kate Dorsey

    In many ways I enjoyed Violet and Ulrich’s story more than Carol and Mathias’.  I think that’s because the story with Violet and Ulrich was straight forward.  It was simple, while Carol and Mathias’ relationship had family dynamics to deal with.

    Having read the first book in the Happily Inc series, I knew about the conflict in the Mitchell family.  The difficulties Mathias and his brothers face.  What I did not know was how much of a part their mother plays into the problem.  It seemed it was only their father who created the conflict.

    In this book, their mother Elaine shows up without notice and drops her dog off with Mathias for him to take care of for a month.  No asking him ahead of time to see if he will be able to care for the dog.  She just shows up, not caring how invasive this is, or the fact Mathias works in glasswork.  Not exactly the best medium to work in when a dog unexpectedly shows up at the door.  Maybe if he had to time to prepare for its arrival it would be different.  But he didn’t, and his mother acts like it is no big deal when the dog, Sophie, breaks some of his work.

    When Elaine returns to town, it is with her husband Ceallach, the man at the center of the conflict. 

    Ceallach has always been awful to his sons.  Ignoring the noncreative sons, and browbeating and being abusive to the artists.  No matter how badly Ceallach treats his sons, Elaine stands up for him.  Never does she stand up for her boys.  At least not in their presence.  It’s no wonder, with this behavior, that once a big family secret was revealed, the family fell apart.

    I was really happy to see Mathias and his brothers take on Ceallach.  Especially after he took over the charity auction held to get a giraffe herd for the preserve.  Still, there is far more to hash out in the Mitchell family.  I look forward to seeing it happen.