When Ben Wilder is given a second chance he focuses on the one thing he’s always been good at: running. After walking on to the University of Florida Track and Field team he begins to quickly move up the national rankings, paving a path towards the NCAA Championships. Everything is going the way he planned, until the day he bumps into Casey Taylor.

New to Gainesville, and focused on her first year out of medical school, Casey is initially hesitant to let Ben into her life. But the truth is she’s worried about letting a guy near the one thing she loves most: her daughter, Emma. After one fun and fateful night Casey can no longer bury her feelings behind these excuses, and takes a chance on a guy she is slowly falling for.

Casey’s relationship with Ben starts to gradually build into a love that she has never felt before. But more importantly, Emma has taken a particular liking to Ben. As they all spend more time together Ben is forced to confront painful memories when he starts to notice something hauntingly familiar in Emma’s eyes.

After a local journalist uncovers the secret of Ben’s past their lives begin to converge on a single promise that Ben Wilder has long since made: to never give up…no matter what.

3.5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book which for me was very much unexpected. The blurb is very promising and well I usually have bad luck, if there is a good blurb then I am usually really am disappointed with the book but with this book it isn’t the case. I do have one complaint but I’ll get to that later.

At 24 years of age Ben Wilder has experienced more than his share of heartbreak and pain. I personally wouldn’t call it a second chance at life but more that he uses his heartache and pain to be one of the best runners that the University of Florida has ever seen. His concentration and focus leaves him very little time to be sociable that is until he meets Casey.

Casey Taylor is a doctor second and a single mum first. To a beautiful five year old daughter, Emma. Ben worked hard to get a date with Casey. I really liked them together. Casey is his second chance. And he knows how precious life can be.

The book is well written and the first 60% flew by it waned a bit in the middle and then it picked up again. Even the running jargon didn’t bother me at all. There is a twist to the story that I really didn’t expect and that was the icing on the cake.

There were some things that bothered me.

What happened to Emma’s father?

What about a reconciliation with the doctor?

But I’m a bit peeved with the ending of the book. Although it stopped at 98% I felt as if there was something missing unless there will be a second book?