A Smart Girl’s Guide to Second Chances by Steph Vizard review – A beautiful and relatable romantic comedy
The romantic comedy I didn’t know I needed.
A Smart Girl’s Guide to Second Chances by Steph Vizard: Key details
- Publish date: 18 June 2026
- Genre: Romantic comedy
- Publisher: Aria
- Available formats: Paperback, audio and ebook
- Series/standalone: Standalone
- Length: 320 pages
Blurb: Rebecca, a super-smart consultant, is determined to defy the family marriage curse, which claims no woman marries their first fiancé, 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, and she’ll have to finally come to terms with the age-old question: head or heart?
A Smart Girl’s Guide to Second Chances by Steph Vizard: The review
Oh, how I needed this book! After some heavy thrillers and dystopian fiction this month, I was in desperate need of something light. A Smart Girl’s Guide to Second Chances turned out to be the perfect choice. Beautifully written, funny and utterly compelling, this is a must-read rom-com about love, life and the one that got away.
Rebecca is engaged to the wonderful and charming Matt. But she’s cursed. Or so she believes anyway; it seems the women in her family never end up marrying their first fiancé. But she’s determined to buck the trend. And then Alex, her whirlwind college romance turns up and throws everything on its head.
This isn’t the type of cliché romance story you think it’s going to be; as the title says, Rebecca is a Smart Girl, and she’s not going to throw away a perfectly good fiance for someone she briefly dated in her 20s. Right? It’s a plot that’ll certainly keep you guessing, and I’ll admit that at times, I was rooting for both Matt and Alex. There’s no villain here. Everyone has a heart, and they’re brilliantly written.
There’s more to this book than just a love story, too. Rebecca’s complicated relationship with her parents is often at the forefront, and Vizard expertly deals with themes of grief, work/life balance, living up to familial expectations and a whole lot more. I loved the entire cast of characters here, with even those who had only a small role to play in Rebecca’s story feeling fleshed-out and real.
If you’re a fan of rom-coms and need something light but full of heart to read, don’t hesitate to pick up A Smart Girl’s Guide to Second Chances. This is a beautiful book that’s both easy to read but carries the type of story you won’t forget in a hurry.
Is A Smart Girl’s Guide to Second Chances for you?
- FOR FANS OF: Lovely, heartwarming rom-coms
- EXPECT: Well-written characters, a plot that will genuinely keep you guessing, relatable situations
- READ IF YOU LIKE: Beth O’Leary, Lucy Vine, Lizzy Dent, Libby Page
Thank you @ariafiction and @squadpod2021 for my copy of the book.
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