--- title: "Book Notes: A Christmas-Season Sequel" description: What's more fun than a sequel to a novel you've enjoyed? A sequel set at Christmastime! Barb Szyszkiewicz reviews Chasing a Second Chance by Catholicmom.com contributor Lisa Lawmaster Hess. --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/12/17/book-notes-a-christmas-season-sequel#) # Book Notes: A Christmas-Season Sequel Dec 17, 2015 12:00:47 PM  |  by [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) [![Book-Notes-720-x-340-dark-gold-outline-and-medium-blue-pen-_-Notes-light-blue-702x336](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Book-Notes-720-x-340-dark-gold-outline-and-medium-blue-pen-_-Notes-light-blue-702x336-235.png?width=702&height=336&name=Book-Notes-720-x-340-dark-gold-outline-and-medium-blue-pen-_-Notes-light-blue-702x336-235.png)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/Book-Notes-720-x-340-dark-gold-outline-and-medium-blue-pen-_-Notes-light-blue-702x336-235.png) What's more fun than a sequel to a novel you've enjoyed? A sequel set at Christmastime! Catholicmom.com contributor Lisa Lawmaster Hess has published a sequel to ***[Casting the First Stone](http://catholicmom.com/2015/07/22/book-notes-casting-the-first-stone/)***, which I reviewed earlier this year. ***[![chasing a second chance](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/chasing-a-second-chance-267x400.jpg?width=267&height=400&name=chasing-a-second-chance-267x400.jpg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/chasing-a-second-chance.jpg)Chasing a Second Chance*** follows the teenage Charli, her mother Marita and stepmother Angel as Christmas approaches. All three are looking forward to second chances. Charli seeks a do-over in her complicated relationship with her dad, who'd been an absentee father for most of her life; Marita is on the verge of a new romance and battling her own fears regarding faith and relationships; Angel's complicated pregnancy complicates her dreams of a picture-perfect family holiday. Lisa's background in counseling and working with children shows in her sensitive treatment of family dynamics. Each character undergoes a personal transformation throughout the course of the novel, but it remains obvious that, for all three of them, there will be more growth to come. Unlike many Christmas books, this is a full-length novel at 276 pages--just the right length for a lazy afternoon with a warm blanket and an even warmer mug of coffee! This book is available on **[Kindle](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B018DFEO8M/catholicmom)** and in **[paperback](http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/1519547714/catholicmom%20print)**, and your purchase of the novel through any of the affiliate links in this post supports the work we do at CatholicMom.com at no extra cost to you! **Be sure to check out [our Book Notes archive](http://catholicmom.com/category/book-notes/).** *Copyright 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz* ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F17%2Fbook-notes-a-christmas-season-sequel%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F17%2Fbook-notes-a-christmas-season-sequel%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F17%2Fbook-notes-a-christmas-season-sequel%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Book%20Notes%3A%20A%20Christmas-Season%20Sequel) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F17%2Fbook-notes-a-christmas-season-sequel%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2F2015%2F12%2F17%2Fbook-notes-a-christmas-season-sequel%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/BSzyszkiewicz%202022.jpg) ### [Barb Szyszkiewicz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/barb-szyszkiewicz-ofs) Barb Szyszkiewicz, senior editor at [CatholicMom.com](http://catholicmom.com), is a wife, mom of 3 young adults, and a Secular Franciscan. Barb enjoys writing, cooking, and reading, and is a music minister at her parish. Find her blog at [FranciscanMom](http://franciscanmom.com) and her family’s favorite recipes with nutrition information at [Cook and Count](http://cookandcount.wordpress.com). Barb is the author of *[The Handy Little Guide to Prayer](https://amzn.to/2LQB2oL)* and * [The Handy Little Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours](https://amzn.to/3wbDB8k)*, available from Our Sunday Visitor. ## Related Blog Articles [ Book Notes: "Charlotte's Honor" by Ellen Gable Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2018/10/30/book-notes-charlottes-honor-by-ellen-gable/) [ Book Notes: Casting the First Stone Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/07/22/book-notes-casting-the-first-stone) [ Book Notes: "Mary's Way" Encourages Praying Moms Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2016/08/30/book-notes-marys-way-encourages-praying-moms) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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