A single woman accepts a drink from a handsome, charming man at a cocktail party—and terror replaces the tedium of her once ordinary life as the manager of a Smithsonian museum store in Washington, D.C. The drugged champagne is a one-way ticket across an international landscape to an isolated life controlled and scripted by her aloof, wealthy, enigmatic—but surprisingly benevolent—captor.Why her? SECOND CHANCES is Lindsay Talbot’s narrative story as she adapts to a life of shocking truths, heart-breaking loss, and the potential for a future that comes at a price she isn’t sure she can pay. MARCH 2024 - FROM THE 'READERS' FAVORITE' WEBSITE - 5 STAR REVIEWS 1. Author Rita M Boehm has crafted a strong narrative to take us through Lindsay Talbot's arduous journey, plunging readers into the depths of her despair and resilience with a great sense of balance and emotional arc. The well-written narrative unfolds with suspense and tension as Lindsay confronts the harsh realities of her situation while clinging to the hope of escape and redemption, and the psychological attention to detail is second to none. Boehm's portrayal of Lindsay's emotional turmoil and her quest for freedom is both poignant and riveting, with stellar dialogue and strong atmospheric choices to heighten the mood. Second Chances is a compelling exploration of survival and sacrifice that I would certainly recommend for women's fiction readers everywhere. 2. Author Rita M. Boehm has created an intense and riveting romance novel that will leave you breathless. With a sumptuous bouquet of colors, tastes, smells, and sounds, all the senses are stimulated by an intriguing narrative and intense dialogue. Written in the first-person, the reader is privy to the absolute kaleidoscope of emotions of the protagonist. 3. ... a story of intrigue and suspense as we watch a most relatable woman in the most unrelatable circumstances. With vivid descriptions of the geography and cultures of the lands visited, Boehm masters a cinematic vision. Boehm's writing is fluid and captivating with a flair for sensitivity. There is enough international intrigue and life-and-death circumstances to appeal to an action lover while keeping enough emotion and passion to fulfill the demands of a cozy romance. An amazing read! Hers was a quiet life, a mundane existence spent managing a Smithsonian museum store in Washington D.C. and sharing an apartment with Minnie -- her calico cat, best friend and confidant. The invitation to the opening of an art gallery is a welcome change to her predictable life. Once there, and feeling a bit out of her element, she accepts a drink from a handsome man -- a James Bond lookalike -- British accent and all. One glass of champagne -- and her life is forever changed. She awakes in a strange bed far from home. Her tropical-island prison is filled with every luxury, her captor sparing no expense to provide for her care. Somehow, Minnie is also a part of her surreal, Alice in Wonderland existence. Everything is provided for her - everything except her freedom -- except answers to her questions. Forced to assume a new identity, Lindsay Talbot lives an uneasy life, terrified of the man who controls her world but attracted to him, as well. Lindsay's adventures will take her across the world, from Mexico to Saudi Arabia, and then on to Australia and the revelation that shocks her to her core. Nothing is ever as it seems.