Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Second Chance
AUTHOR: Barbara Elsborg
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 119 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 10, 2020
BLURB:
Ryder’s on the company bonding trip from hell, five days of competitive cycling with competitive colleagues and an even more competitive boss. Faced with yet another vertical climb, he ignores his uninvited, insistent inner cheerleader. No, he cannot keep up, and what’s more, he’s had enough. And the weather appears to agree he should stop, when sun turns in an instant to thick fog.
Callan’s at Whittaker’s Auction House to bid on fae land that his werewolf pack need as their new home, when an unsuspecting human stumbles through the door. Ryder is out of breath, out of luck, way out of his depth—and apparently the newest item on the auctioneer’s block. Unexpectedly tempting, if Callan had the money.
As the bidding heats up and Ryder proves dangerously irresistible to the assembled supernatural creatures, the situation grows more and more precarious. When Callan interferes, he puts his pack’s future in peril. Despite knowing how devious faeries can be, desperation makes Callan accept a deal, a chance to win the land for his pack and a future with Ryder. But it’s a risk. Possibly a deadly one.
This is not ‘just another Valentine’s story’, it’s a Barbara Elsborg Valentine’s story (ish). So don’t expect the usual sonnets and flowers and Cupids, but do expect the unexpected – vampires, weres, witches and warlocks. Oh, and a vengeful fae. Things are not quite as they may seem. You have been warned!
REVIEW:
This story begins fairly innocuously – with a super annoying team “bonding” trip for Ryder and his work colleagues. He’s not enjoying it at all. He’s got this inner monologue going on that gets a bit annoying to be honest. But more on that later. When he just can’t keep up on the trail, he falls further behind and when the support van passes him up, he is in a dilemma,. But he decided to go on and ends up being thrown from his bike in bad weather and it seems he’s stumbled into someplace he doesn’t recognize and something he’s never seen.
Callan is a werewolf with a broken heart, but he’s been sent on a mission by his father and alpha to bid on some land that his pack needs. However, there is a faery that he seems to have some unfinished business with that doesn’t want to play fair. The wild card in this game is Ryder. He has no clue what is going on or why/how he’s stumbled into this auction or how he comes to be up for bid. But Callan feels overwhelmingly protective of this fragile human that has stumbled into something that he can’t escape from.
I’m not talking about any more of the plot, because it would ruin the story for the reader. Suffice to say that Callan and Ryder have a lot to overcome if they are ever going to figure out a way to be together. Help comes from different quarters and both Callan and Ryder are surprised and somewhat confused by what has happened. A lot of additional obstacles are thrown in their way, but it’s fun to watch them deal with the chaos.
I never know just what to expect from a Barbara Elsborg fantasy story and this one is no exception. Although I guessed one of the twists fairly early on, there were still a lot of surprises in store as I read on. Ryder annoyed me a bit at first with all the inner dialogue, but eventually all became clear. There are a number of laugh out loud moments as Ryder is a wonderfully snarky and clever character. Callan is as sympathetic a character as they come. Who can resist a brokenhearted werewolf who just might be coming back to life. I enjoyed the visit to the supernatural auction as well as the take on werewolves and other creatures. Peripherally there is a Valentine’s Day tie-in so this is a very entertaining tale for this week. If you feel that the story starts off a little bit slowly, I would encourage you to carry on. It’s definitely worth it 🙂
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: