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Heartfelt, honest, and threaded with humor, Second Set Chances challenges us to consider what happens when the life we’re living clashes with the one we secretly dream of. Will Rachael settle for the comfort of her desert mirage, or will she risk it all for a shot at true happiness?

Second Set Chances is an instantly relatable story that takes the reader through an emotional roller coaster. All of the Phish content is a bonus, but the real win is following Rachael's tale about uncertainty, confusion, adventure, and of course, love.

Brian Weinstein, host of Attendance Bias podcast

For four tumultuous years, Rachael and her husband, Jason, have seesawed between her small-town life in Pennsylvania and his roots in South Korea. Exhausted by the upheaval and yearning for stability, she pins her hopes on a fresh start in Las Vegas. But weeks before the big move, a Phish concert weekend—her happiest escape—brings her face-to-face with a long-lost college crush. The chance encounter feels like a cosmic nudge, but she’s determined to focus on the new life she’s painstakingly planned.

Las Vegas, however, proves anything but the clean slate she imagined. Struggling in her marriage and suffocated by the desert heat, Rachael finds herself seeking solace in Phish concerts, where the vibrant chaos of music and her resurfaced connection with her crush offer fleeting glimpses of joy. Torn between loyalty to the life she’s built and the magnetic pull of what might have been, Rachael straddles two worlds, making a tangled mess of both.

Heartfelt, honest, and threaded with humor, Second Set Chances challenges us to consider what happens when the life we’re living clashes with the one we secretly dream of. Will she settle for the comfort of her desert mirage, or will she risk it all for a shot at true happiness?

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"Immensely readable, Second Set Chances perfectly captures what many of us are confronted with at midlife: questioning who we have been and the choices we have made. Placing that questioning inside the colorful, rich Phish universe helps the story come to life in a way that is engaging and unique. A great read for dedicated phans and those to whom this world remains a mystery."

-Megan Glionna - Writer, Podcaster, Teacher, Phish Phan

What readers are saying about Second Set Chances:

Good Reads Review

It's a hell of a ride!
It's quite unputdownable, very, very real & you find yourself cheering the author on, to explore more, deeper, to get closer to understanding herself.
4.5 stars
Good Reads Review

Second Set Chances reads like a well developed piece of literacy fiction. The writing style, flow, and overall composition feel seamless in a way that lets you get lost in the story of the author's life.
4 stars
Amazon Review

Magical and transformative. So grateful for this depiction and for Rachel's whimsical & heartfelt honesty in our need for new beginnings. Her fear, courage, and love is palpable throughout!
5 stars
Good Reads Review

The love of the band seems a bit unhealthy. I felt a lot of the details were inappropriate. If I was an elementary school teacher, I wouldn't be talking that much about drugs, sex, and using swear words so liberally for no reason.
2 stars
Good Reads Review

I was hooked from chapter one.

This is one of those books I just couldn’t put down. Part of that, of course, is that I’m a phan—and Rachel Wesley does an incredible job capturing the unique, deeply familiar world of what we swear is not a cult (but… maybe kind of is?). If you’re also in this not-a-cult, this is your book too.

But beyond the scene and the winks to those of us in it, Second Set Chances is a heartfelt, relatable story about those times in life when you know you need change—and how hard it is to face that truth and find your way forward. Rachel balances insight, humor, and emotional honesty so beautifully. Highly recommend.
5 stars
Good Reads Review

Bold and honest, and very relatable (to me). As a book lover and Phish fan, I am happy to belong to the niche audience that will (likely) enjoy this book the most. It was so fun to read exactly what I too experience at a Phish show and keeps me coming back for more. The community and shared joy was pervasive throughout and balanced nicely with the heavier elements. Rachael is a great story-teller and I look forward to reading more!
4 stars

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Amazon Review

Second Set Chances is a beautifully written, deeply engaging memoir that pulled me in from the very first page. Rachael Wesley’s storytelling is honest, raw, and full of heart, making it easy to connect with her journey regardless of your background.
5 stars