Second Time's a Charm

Sometimes I love an author's second book so much more than their first that it's like two different people wrote them. It doesn't necessarily mean it's the second book the author's written, but it's the second of theirs I've read, and for some mystical magical reason, it hits me in a way the author's other book didn't. I don't know what alchemy and dark magic goes into the subjective business of having a book grab you vs. not, but it's also why I'm always loathe to give up on authors, even if I read a book from them and am like "nahhh." Because you never know if that second book of theirs will be the one that gets you. You never know if that first one was a fluke.

Everybody listen to the wise murder princess

Recently, I've been having a lot of "Second Time's a Charm" experiences, most notably with Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman, a book I totally loved. (Giffily enthusiastic review here.) Taken, Bowman's first book, just wasn't for me. Vengeance Road almost felt like it was written explicitly for me, with its tough, half-Mexican heroine with a heart full of murder, grit, and vengeance, its cute cowboy brothers, its sucker punch plot twists, and its Western setting. I'm really glad I read VR and can wholeheartedly and unequivocally recommend it.

Two rootin' tootin' pistols up

 Then there's Vampire Academy, a series opener I liked but didn't, you know, wet my pants over or anything. I finished it, and a year went by and then I was like, huh, these VA series paperbacks have been redesigned nicely and are a good price. Let's check them out. So I read Frostbite, book two in the series...and fell straight down the rabbit hole. I read the entire series in five or so straight days of madness. And then I launched myself straight into Bloodlines, and now Richelle Mead is an auto-buy author.

This is why I try so hard to separate books from their authors, and why I really like a whole bunch of authors whose books I didn't particularly love. I still love my neighborhood cafe and their excellent sandwiches even though I never order their brownies because they suck, but damn, those sandwiches, man. They are some great sandwiches. (Yay for metaphors that slightly a little bit almost work woo!)

THIS IS WHY WE'RE NOT THE VOLTURI JANE

Other "Second Chance Authors" who turned out to be very successful for me:

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, a DNF for me, and Pawn, which I super enjoyed

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios, which was meh for me, and I'll Meet You There, WHICH IS SHEER HEARTBREAKING PERFECTION GO READ IT NOW

don't eat me

Have you ever had that "Second Chance Author" experience? Which books were they?