Take Two by TB Markinson & Miranda MacLeod

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The details…

  • Title: Take Two
  • Authors: TB Markinson & Miranda MacLeod, Self-Published Indie Authors 
  • Publication date: June 1, 2022
  • Available formats: ebook 
  • File size: 2392 KB
  • Print length: 188 pages
  • Genre: romantic fiction 
  • Trope: second-chance romance, celebrity, small town/hometown romance, holiday, Pride 

The blurb from the publisher…

They were the perfect couple until pride got in the way…

Gina Mitchells has a problem. The assistant professor is in charge of her college’s Pride festival committee, and the celebrity grand marshal they’d painstakingly recruited has just blown up the internet with a major scandal. Messing up the festival could ruin her chance to be approved for tenure. There’s exactly one famous person Gina knows who could save the day as a last-minute replacement.

The problem? The woman is Gina’s ex-girlfriend, and to say the relationship did not end well is an understatement.

Sophia Rossi has starred in so many squeaky-clean holiday romances since moving to Hollywood that everyone calls her the Queen of Christmas. An important new contract has her filming in a quaint New England town, but there’s a catch. It’s Sophia’s hometown, and surviving a month with her meddling, relationship-obsessed mother and sisters might be too much for Sophia’s sanity to bear.

When Gina reappears in Sophia’s life with a proposition, Sophia has one of her own. It’s a match made in heaven, if only they can get over their past heartbreak long enough to convince everyone they’ve rekindled their old spark. But can this fake relationship lead them to a second chance at love?

My thoughts…

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who regularly reads my reviews, but Markinson and MacLeod have done it again. Take Two is a pure delight. This writing duo is like a well-oiled machine; they have exactly what it takes to produce hit after hit. Their talent and creativity seems to have no end.

As always, Markinson and MacLeod capture the right balance of tension, drama and humor in their storytelling. Readers quickly fall into a comfortable pace. They are easily able to gobble up the words and enjoy this heartwarming second-chance romance. The plot is absolutely entertaining and the characters are beyond charming. By all measures and standards, this writing team can definitely make another tick mark in the success column.

Markinson and MacLeod have always been known for strong characters, and Take Two is no different. The character work is well-done. Gina and Sophia are rich, compelling characters; readers are drawn to them. Most essentially though, they are dynamically layered with believably flawed facets to their personalities, giving them a very relatable and human appeal. Readers are pulled into the backstories and the relationship history. The obstacles and roadblocks come off as real because they understand Gina and Sophia’s fears and desires. Most importantly though, readers appreciate the choices these two make. They have a clear sense of who these women are and what they truly want, which is a second chance, and that’s a romance readers always like to cheer on.

Setting and theme play an important part in this story as well. It’s subtly work it into the plot and the storytelling benefits from its effective use. Readers aren’t distracted by it; they’re charmed by it. It’s just another sign of Markinson and MacLeod’s talent. They know how to slide all the key elements into place to create the most enchanting rom-com. Readers are left with an uplifting, sweet romance that makes the heart smile.

Final remarks…

This is a quick and easy read. The characters are charming and the story is delightful. Everything just works. I highly recommend picking it up. It’s a feel-good, second-chance story readers can get behind and enjoy.

Strengths…

  • Well-written 
  • Entertaining
  • Charming 
  • Heartwarming 

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Connect with the authors…

Side note…

This book is part of the I Heart SapphFic Pride Collection, which contains eight standalone books from some of the top authors in sapphic fiction today. Each author in the collection is donating a portion of their preorder royalties to a charity of their choice. Each book promises a Pride theme and a happy ending. The collection is being organized by I Heart SapphFic. If you would like more information about the collection and how to order, click here.

More about the I Heart SapphFic website…

I Heart SapphFic is a place for authors and readers of sapphic fiction to come together to celebrate and chat about books. The link to I Heart SapphFic’s website can be found here. I Heart SapphFic can also be found on Twitterand Instagram.

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