A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances cover art

A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances

Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances

By: Steph Vizard
Narrated by: Alexis van Maanen
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $28.53

Buy Now for $28.53

About this listen

What happens when the man who broke your heart reappears just before your wedding?

The new romantic comedy from award-winning author Steph Vizard for fans of Beth O'Leary, Mhairi McFarlane and Lizzy Dent.


To Do List

1. Replace decapitated groom cake topper

2. Complete twenty-page questionnaire for second-choice celebrant

3. Break family curse

4. Ignore ex-boyfriend / current client

Rebecca, a super-smart consultant, is determined to defy the family marriage curse, which claims no woman marries their first fiance, and prove that Matt is The One.

Although the wedding planning lurches from one disaster to the next and she has to steer a major work project before the big day, Rebecca is sure she can stay on top of things. That is until Alex – the ex who dramatically broke her heart at Oxford University – reappears in the boardroom as her new client. How dare he still be as infuriatingly clever and hot as before? And since when did he start wearing shirts with collars?

As Rebecca's past and present collide, she realises her choices can't be resolved with a trusty pros and cons list. Before she makes it down the aisle, she'll have to finally come to terms with the age-old question: head or heart?

Praise for A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances

'Get ready to feel deeply and fall in love hard. A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances is as smart as it is swoony.' Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus

'Charmingly brilliant and brilliantly charming' Jodi McAlister

'A fun, perfectly executed romcom that plays cleverly with the idea of missed connections and what-ifs ... Vizard's characters are intelligent thirty-somethings whose personalities work against the stereotype of the emotionally naive or unstable female protagonist so often seen in coming-of-age romances. Readers who enjoy multilayered plots that extend beyond the novel's central relationship will enjoy the triumph of friendship in Vizard's sophomore novel ... Readers of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez and Mhairi McFarlane will be swept away by A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances, an Australian romcom that deserves the bestseller status of its international counterparts.' Books+Publishing

'I haven't been this gripped by a love triangle since Mark Darcy and Daniel Cleaver. Smart, sweet and oh so satisfying' Karina May, author of That Island Feeling

'Steph Vizard once again pulls off a highwire high concept mash-up of delectable romance tropes - love triangle, second chance, A CURSE - and grounds it with deeply human, loveable characters. Think Richard Curtis, via Melbourne, with a dash of Oxford glamour and lens-flared young love. This is a sparkling, cinematic and satisfying modern romance, deftly written.' Clare Fletcher

'A standout. Sharp, witty and utterly charming, I devoured this in one day. An absolute joy to read, from the first page to the last. Perfect for fans of Mhairi McFarlane' Jessica Seaborn, author of Isn't It Nice We Both Hate the Same Things

'Warm, witty, and delightfully romantic. A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances will tug at your heart and leave a soft lump in your throat. With whip-smart dialogue, tender moments, and an ending that truly feels earned, Steph Vizard knows exactly how to keep readers turning pages well past bedtime. Curl up, and enjoy every heartfelt twist.' Holly Brunnbauer, author of What Did I Miss?

Contemporary Family Life Genre Fiction Romantic Comedy Women's Fiction Romance Heartfelt Comedy
All stars
Most relevant
A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances by Steph Vizard

I attended the book launch of Steph Vizard's second novel, A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances. I hadn't read Steph's first novel, but I requested A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances on NetGalley based on the beautiful cover art, and because I'd read quite a few 'heavy' books recently, I thought it was time for something a bit lighter.

Steph said during the book launch that she wanted to write a book for the smart girls she knows, and she's achieved that with A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances. This is a warm book; the alternating timelines effectively develop both the story and the characters' tension. The conflict between characters was realistic, with family dynamics and parental expectations heightening the emotional stakes for Rebecca.

I enjoyed the female relationships (best friends, mothers, sisters, nieces), and how they evolved and developed throughout the story, from university friends to new mothers to businesswomen, possibly even more so than the love triangle. The blurb says "perfect for fans of Beth O'Leary, Mhairi McFarlane and Sally Thorne" and I have to admit I've not read any of those authors, so I can't comment on that but; I will say that A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances will appeal to people who enjoy books by Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, or Helen Fielding. All the authors I've enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for the ARC in exchange for my review. A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances by Steph Vizard is out now.

Thumbs up. I liked it.

Body count = 0. Unless we are counting relationships.

RomCom with family dynamics

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.