Giveaway, Interview & Review: Second Chance Boyfriend: Monica Murphy

Lost. That one single word best describes my life at this very moment. I lost the last games of the season and both my team and my coach blame me. I lost the last two months because I drowned in my own despair like a complete loser. And I lost the only girl who ever mattered because I was afraid being with me would destroy her.

But now I realize how truly lost I am without her. She has become my story…and even though she acts like she’s moved on, I know she still thinks about me just as much as I think about her. She’s beautiful, sweet—and so damn vulnerable, all I want to do is help her. Be there for her.

Love her…

If only I could convince Fable to give me a second chance. Then I wouldn’t feel so lost anymore, and neither would she. We could be found together.

Forever.

5+ Hearts 

**ARC provided by author for an honest review**

*PLEASE NOTE: if you have not read One Week Girlfriend, book 1 in this series, this review may contain spoilers for you! 

I know we have a rating system, with the highest number of hearts I can give a book is 5. But I can't stick to that with this book. So, I created my own system for this one and am giving it 10 hearts! YES, it is THAT good!!

The whole time I was reading this book, I had a smile on my face. Well, pretty much the whole time. There were a few moments that didn't warrant a smile. But, let's just say, by the time I finished,my face hurt from smiling so much!! So, as you might have guessed, there are a lot of happy moments, steamy moments and just down right sappy moments in this book that made the wait more than worth it!!

Monica promised us a whole lot more smexy in this book...and boy oh boy did she deliver! I LOVED all the moments between Drew and Fable. Although, I have to say, my fave would have to be Strip True Confessions. That was HAWT! They had a lot of time to make up for in this book and believe me,they worked really hard to catch up on all the nookie they missed. 

Oh and how I loved all the MARSHMALLOW and FABLE poems. There is even a Drew one thrown in there for us. They inspired me to write my own Marshmallow one. Corny I know, but I was in a love haze after finishing SCB!

And let me address the wicked witch aka Adele. She is even more off her rocker then in the last book. She lets her true crazy shine through in this book. And we even get a chapter from her POV, just so we can see how truly sick she is. And as Forrest Gump would say "And that's all I have to say about that!"

Things are not all butterflies and rainbows for Drew and Fable. They do still both have issues. And they do get in the way at times for them. Neither has ever truly been in a real relationship, so they are learning as they go. And after the way Drew left Fable at the end of OWG, well I do believe he has some ass kissing to do! 

But all the ups and downs, doubts and insecurities are worth it in the end. Because Drew and Fable do get their HEA, just as Monica promised us they would. 

Interview

Alexis: I am extremely curious to know how did you come up with the name Fable?

Fable Maguire has been rattling around in my brain since 2009. I even started writing a (terrible) YA that has never seen the light of day with Fable in it. Honestly, I’m not sure where or how I came up with the name Fable but I like the meaning behind it. As in, a fable is a myth, a fairy tale. That theme runs through both books you know, especially SCB…

Becky: You have brought a whole new meaning to the word Marshmallow. I can’t look at them now without thinking of Drew and Fable. How did you come up with that as their rescue word?

I wrote an entire blog post about that randomness (go here to read it). It truly was random. I didn’t mean for it to become such a thing. And I totally love that it’s become a symbol for them. I ran with the marshmallow theme and it’s used throughout Second Chance Boyfriend. Boy, did I have to get creative.

Alexis- I was scared when you introduced Colin. Did you already know the role he would play in Fable's life when you originally formed his character?

I did…I knew he only wanted to help Fable and wasn’t necessarily interested in her that way. But he didn’t like Drew coming around either so that’s why he instigated a few things. What did surprise me is the character of Jen. She became so much bigger than I originally set out for her to be. In fact, she’s named after a reader who won a contest. And now…I’m dying to write Colin and Jen’s story!

Alexis- Some of the scenes are so emotionally charged that I had to stop, breathe and pull myself together in order to finish reading it. Did this happen often to you while writing it? If yes, what scene was the hardest to write?

You know, I was just in the flow of writing so no, I didn’t have to stop because of an emotional scene. I will confess the hardest scene to write though—the very last one. Holy crap, I wanted to get that just right. I didn’t want to disappoint the readers (I really hope I don’t disappoint anyone! Ack!) and I wanted it to be perfect yet real. I wrote that final line and no joke, I literally burst out crying. Happy tears but still. Perhaps I was an emotional wreck, holding it in the entire time I wrote it and only cried at the end? I’m not sure. Hmmm. Now you have me thinking. *winks*

Becky: You promised there would be a lot more smexy in SCB, which you totally delivered on! I personally loved Strip True Confessions. What was your favorite steamy scene to write?

Oh, there are a lot of fun steamy scenes in SCB but my favorite is when Fable shows up at Drew’s apartment after she sends him the text saying she hopes he’s naked. That is probably the steamiest scene in the entire book. Though I do love strip true confessions too. That was Fable’s way to get Drew to open up a bit more.

Alexis: I love how you kept Fable fiercely independent when she could have easily used Drew as a financial resource. He would have gladly helped her yet she always stood her ground as an independent woman. Why was that important to you as a writer for her character to be independent?

From the moment Fable walked onto the page she was fiercely independent and she refused to take any crap from anyone. I didn’t want to deviate from that whatsoever so I knew Drew’s offer that he would take care of her financially would only make her want to do it on her own even more.

I felt her taking him up on the offer wouldn’t be true to her character. She wanted to. It would’ve been so easy to just say yes and let him take care of everything. But she knew it wasn’t the right thing. I think I had Drew call Fable the noble barmaid in One Week Girlfriend. I like that word associated with her. Noble. It fits. (stubborn does too LOL)

Becky: Okay, it is time to talk about the step-monster AKA Adele. I don't want to give anything away here but i am dying to know, how did you come to the decision of how you handled things with her? Do you think it provided Drew with the closure he needed?

Here’s where my fly by the seat of my pants, so-called plotting is revealed—when I started the book, I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with Adele. I can’t go into too much without revealing the plot but I did know she would do what she did to Drew’s father and that whole mess. The ending came to me (no joke) about halfway through the writing of SCB—and I was like oh, YES. I knew it would offer Drew + Fable the closure they needed (though there are unanswered questions still, aren’t there?) and I have a feeling readers will be pleased. I hope.

Alexis: At one point in the book we get a surprise POV from an unexpected character. What made you decide to give his or her POV?

I thought it might be fun to delve into that POV for a short while. In the end, it made me feel a little sorry for her. Just a teeny bit. Oh, and I love the quote by Oscar Wilde I found for the beginning of that chapter. Fits it/her perfectly: The truth is rarely pure and never simple.

Becky: SCB wrapped things up nicely for Drew and Fable. Do you see any future books in this series for maybe another character, say maybe Owen? Or Colin?

Yes, I would love to write a book exploring Colin and Jen’s story. There’s depth there, and longing and guilt. I could have so much fun with them.

And Owen, I am dying to write his book. I would put a few years on him, of course. I already know what I want to do with him somewhat. *rubs hands together* I adore Owen. He’s awesome.

Alexis: Is there even a tiny chance readers will get more Drew and Fable in the future? Or am I just having a case of wishful thinking..

Listen never say never. I wrapped SCB up with a pretty neat little bow but that doesn’t mean we can’t go back and revisit them. I miss them. I enjoy spending time in their world. I love being in their heads, especially Drew’s. I’m such a sucker for him. Sigh…

Becky: last question. I know music plays an important role to so many authors while writing. If you had to pick one song to sum up SCB, what would it be?

Wanted by Hunter Hayes. That song is just perfect for Drew + Fable! Though I do have an entire Spotify playlist I shared on my blog a few weeks ago. You can check it out here.

Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to answer our questions!! ❤

And thank you so much for having me! I really enjoyed answering them!

Monica Murphy writes books with boys and kissing in them. She also likes to read books with boys and kissing in them. Writer of new adult contemporary romance-ish stuff. Mom and wife. Native Californian.

Website: http://www.monicamurphyauthor.com/# 

Blog: http://missmonicamurphy.blogspot.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MsMonicaMurphy 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MonicaMurphyauthor 

Facebook Drew + Fable: http://www.facebook.com/SGHolster/posts/509631945744684#!/DrewAndFableOfficial?fref=ts

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5934418.Monica_Murphy  

SECOND CHANCE BOYFRIEND Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17316075-second-chance-boyfriend?ac=1

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Monica-Murphy/e/B00AVPYIGG

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