So much love and affection for this book, which was gorgeously written, had just the right amount of romance that had me shivering, and dealt with various relationships in a poignant manner. ( )

The biggest issue for me in this romance was besides there not being that much romance to really sink my teeth into, I ended up disliking one of the story-lines in this book. One of my friends who adores romance has one rule that she never breaks. She hates reading romance books when a spouse either dies during the book or has died before the book. That's because she hates how the authors always either change the backstory of the spouse (ie all of a sudden they had a secret life and didn't really love the wife/husband as initially thought) or she hates how fast an author has them getting over that death. I tend to not mind it that much. Until now. Now I think I may have to add that rule to my romance reads cause I was a bit incensed while reading this book this past weekend.

"On Second Thought" has half sisters Kate and Ainsley having to deal with sudden changes to their lives. For Kate, she gets hit with sudden widowhood to man (Nathan) that she has only been married to for four months. For Ainsely, it's realizing (and God one wonders how she just realizes it) that the man (Eric) she has devoted herself to for almost 12 years is a self absorbed asshat that dumps her in order to figure out his journey. FYI, these are not spoilers, this shows up in the synopsis for the book.

Now per usual when there are multiple characters, there tends to be one that I like more than the other. For me, it was Ainsley this time through. Ainsely reminded me a bit of me honestly. She has to deal with the most surreal upbringing ever (will not go into it here in the review) and due to that has an overwhelming need to belong. Even though a blind man could see that Eric was not about a damn thing she still kept hanging on since he kept telling her that one day they would get married and have kids. It doesn't help that she adores his family and they adore her. I have to say that all the parts with Eric are rage inducing and they will make you laugh, but also make you wish he was a real life person so that you could knee him over and over again in his crotch.

I initially liked Kate's story. I can't imagine being married such a short time and losing your husband like that. But though Higgins goes a different way in showcasing Ainsley's storyline, I don't know why she went for the old you don't know who your husband really is because reasons. I won't go into them here, but I had a hard time not rolling my eyes. I rather have seen Kate interact more at her therapy group since it reminded me no lie of "Go On" and I loved that show on NBC.

If there had been more of that I would have loved it. Instead we get an entirely outrageous story-line resolution for Kate that I had a hard time with. I maybe coughed "BS" a few times and went happily reading Ainsley's parts.

Higgins does a great job rounding off the other characters in this book. Kate's mother and Ainsley's stepmother was a hot mess. I mean seriously. I would love it if someone made this into a movie or tv show cause I was just floored by these people.

Kate and Ainsley's dad though was not present very much in the book, but you get why when you read the whole story. Kate and Ainsely's brother though was missing a lot, and I didn't get a good sense of him or his family besides the fact he and his wife are doctors and she's African American. I would have loved another perspective in this book from him. It would have maybe rounded it off a bit more for me.

We also get the specter of Nathan (sorry dude, I have nothing good or bad to say about you) and the asshatery of Eric (I swear to you all I have dated this idiot in real life) and also Ainsley's boss who was written very well too.

I loved the writing cause like I said I was cracking up a lot while reading this book and also shrieking. I shrieked a few times. I can't say that I cried once though. Maybe if we spent more time with Kate and Nathan and oh yeah if Kate's storyline didn't take that left turn for me I would have cared more, but instead I just shrugged and went on my way.

I wish I had my book in front of me to add in some hilarious quotes from the book. But I unfortunately left it at home. Honestly just read the sections when Ainsley starts to realize what a nightmare she has been dating for years. I was snort laughing.

The flow was a bit off due to switching to Kate and then Ainsley's POV. I also didn't like how Higgins ended the book and with us finding out about Ainsley via Kate's final POV. I would have liked it if both sisters got their own goodbye to us readers. And as I said before, Ainsley's chapters were so funny to me that things didn't flow back and forth between Ainsley and Kate very well after about the 50 percent mark to me.

The setting of the book is some suburb in New York. I have never heard of it and am too lazy to see if it exists. There is some discussion of Brooklyn a lot though.

The ending of the book ends with Kate and once again I wasn't buying her storyline resolution. I did love how things ended with Ainsley though. ( )

On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins is a sad but witty, heartbreaking yet uplifting novel about two sisters whose bond is strengthened after they experience life altering events.

At thirty-nine, Kate O'Leary has finally come to terms with her single status so she is somewhat bemused and wary when Nathan Coburn asks for her phone number. Convinced she'll never hear from the handsome architect, she is pleasantly surprised to find herself in a whirlwind relationship. Married just a few months after they begin dating, Kate is barely used to being a wife when she is widowed after a tragic accident.

Unlike Kate, her thirty-three year old half-sister, Ainsley has been with her boyfriend, Eric Fisher, since college. Ainsley has been anxiously awaiting for Eric to pop the question and after discovering an engagement ring, she is chomping at the bit for his proposal now that he is fully recovered from testicular cancer. So imagine her surprise, when Eric asks unceremoniously dumps her then publicly humiliates her on his blog. With no place to go, Ainsley temporarily moves in with Kate which turns out to be a huge blessing in disguise for both women.

Kate's struggle to grieve Nathan's loss is surprisingly complicated since they were only together such a short time. She treasures her precious few memories of them as a couple but she cannot help but wonder if she would have been better off never marrying him since he died so soon after their life together begins. After hearing other people's memories of the man she is just realizing she barely knows, Kate begins questioning their entire relationship. It certainly does not help that Kate's friends from her single days are not exactly supportive although she is pleasantly surprised by the one person who does make an effort to be there for her.

Ainsley first comes across as an empty-headed ninny but behind her unfailingly cheerful and positive facade, she is unexpectedly intuitive and insightful. She certainly has blinders on about her self-absorbed, selfish boyfriend and even after Eric uses their break up to find his fifteen minutes of fame, she still wants to reconcile with him. Which is why Ainsley is a little confused when she begins to notice her uptight, seemingly emotionless boss is an attractive man with a surprising amount of depth.

Between their age difference and their complicated family dynamics, Kate and Ainsley were never overly close even though they genuinely care about one another. Kate is quite shocked at how much she appreciates Ainsley once she moves in with her. Although some of their interactions are somewhat awkward due to Ainsely's uncanny ability to put her foot in her month, Kate appreciates her sister's emotional support. Equally surprising is Ainsley's no nonsense advice as she gently coerces Kate to return to "normal" life. Both sisters discover new and surprising things about one another and to the delight of both women, they finally close the gap in their once distant relationship.

On Second Thought is an emotional novel of love, loss and new beginnings. The characters are beautifully developed with relatable flaws and true to life issues to overcome. The touching storyline will resonate with anyone who has experienced a break up or loss of someone they love. Kristan Higgins deftly balances the more sorrowful elements of the plot with wry humor, witty banter and laugh out loud scenes. Fans of contemporary women's fiction are going to laugh, cry and ultimately rejoice as Ainsley and Kate forge a close bond while helping one another recover from their personal tragedies. A poignant, yet heartwarming novel that will touch reader's hearts and linger in their minds long after the last page is turned.
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This was my first Kristan Higgins book and now I'm on the hunt for more! I absolutely loved this book! The relationship between the sisters was so perfectly done. I enjoyed every minute of it. I felt like Kate was closest to who I am now and Ainsley is someone I hope to one day become. Excellent book. There were a few times when I thought, "Please don't take this story line where I think you're going to take it." and then SURPRISE! Kristan didn't. The more I read, the more I didn't want the book to ever end. Some books grab me and I feel like I've personally connected with the characters and this was definitely one of those books. ( )

This book was alright. It did make me laugh in a spot or two, which had me bump the rating up from 2 stars to 3.

Ainsley's character irritated me most of all, I think. She just seemed too happy, too naive. Though there is some nice growth from her toward the end of the book.

Jonathan's character has a strange, Sheldonesque quality to him, which I found difficult to find as endearing as Ainsley ended up feeling.

Daniel the Hot Firefighter was probably the sweetest of all the male characters in the book. His character has a nice evolution from playboy to family man.

I'm not quite sure how I felt about Kate. She seemed needy and detached all at once and quite unsure of herself.

The story itself just felt like lifestyles of the rich and famous filler, mixed in with a tiny bit of soap opera. Readable, but nothing too special.

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