Hallie Reads: a second chance to remember

11 November 2026

a second chance to remember | book review + giveaway

about the book

From bestselling author Leslie Gould comes a warm and lighthearted Amish romance where an unlikely correspondence opens the door to a second chance at love.

After losing her beloved husband, Grace Conley is certain her heart will never heal. The Mennonite mother of three pours herself into raising her children, managing her Ohio farm, tending her late husband’s beehives, and fostering her small honey business. Romance feels like a chapter ended–until a letter arrives that changes everything.

Through her husband’s old beekeepers’ circle letter, Grace connects with Michael Stoll, an Amish widower from Lancaster County she’s never met. His words mirror her own grief, and their phone conversations become the highlight of her week. Michael’s quiet strength and devotion to his three children stir something that Grace thought she’d buried forever. But doubts creep in about their religious differences and lingering grief. Will a leap of faith help Grace and Michael discover that love can come twice in a lifetime?

“Gould expertly builds the relationship between her leads, blending gently comedic moments with emotional depth. . . . This charms.”–Publishers Weekly on The Shop Down the Lane

A sweet second chance romance and perfect book club pick for fans of Beverly Lewis, Wanda Brunstetter, Amy Clipston, Beth Wiseman, and Amish fiction with big-hearted widowed and single parent characters set in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

publisher: bethany house publishers

release date: november 17, 2026

other books in the series

the shop down the lane

when they met again

review

mid-book review // pg. 57

(my apologies! between busyness at work and feeling under the weather, i'm behind on reading. a full review will be posted upon my completion of a second chance to remember.)

i do love a good letter romance!

after losing their spouses, grace conley and michael stoll are doing the best they can to survive day-to-day. unexpectedly, a beekeeping circle letter offers them a connection, helping them to process their grief and find a second chance...

already, i'm so interested to see how this romance plays out. grace and michael (and their multiple kids) live in different communities, and it's clear they have some hurdles to overcome, thanks to their grief and parental duties. i want to find out what brings them together. their romance is sure to have some emotional ups and downs, and i'm hopeful they'll find some moments of healing along the way, too.

i received a complimentary copy from the author and/or publisher. i was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions i have expressed are my own.

about the author

Leslie Gould is a Christy Award-winning and #1 bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including multiple Amish fiction series. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and an MFA in creative writing. She enjoys church history, research trips, and hiking in the Pacific Northwest. She and her husband live in Portland, Oregon, and have four adult children and two grandchildren. Learn more at LeslieGould.com.

giveaway

(1) winner will receive a $25 Bookshop.org gift card and a print copy of each book in the series: The Shop Down the Lane, When They Met Again, and A Second Chance to Remember!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight November 9, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on November 16, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

tour schedule

justread publicity tours