Sometimes the safest life is also the one keeping you from discovering what else might be waiting for you. *My Chance to Fly* takes that idea all the way to Bavaria, with one missing bird setting something much bigger into motion. I knew Una was going on a journey to find answers, but I was curious about what she might find along the way that she wasn't looking for at all.
My Chance to Fly by Samantha Tonge
Genres: Contemporary Fiction

A BRAND NEW sparkling, uplifting story about love, friendship and learning to spread your wings from Samantha Tonge✨🦋 Perfect for fans of Shari Low, Faith Hogan and Evie Woods!

Una Lowe lives a perfectly edited life in London. Other than her best friend, she’s careful about who she lets in. Emotional complications are just that – complicated. That is, until she rescues a rare white swallow… who might have just flown in to change her life.

Because, when her beloved swallow fails to return from migration one year, Una’s world crumbles. But a viral social media campaign brings a miraculous response from a man in Bavaria named Konrad, who claims the bird has also visited him.

Which leads him to invite Una to his picturesque village for the chance to see their shared feathered friend together.

Stepping out of her comfort zone, Una flies to Germany. Amidst snow-dusted streets, local festivals, and Konrad’s undeniable charm, Una’s protective walls begin to fall down.

But when the complication she’s avoided her whole life comes for her, she’s forced to confront her deepest fears. As autumn turns to winter, and inspired by the tiny, brave bird that brought them together, Una must decide if she is finally ready to risk her heart.

Is the only way to know if you can fly to face a possibility of falling…?

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I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

My Chance to Fly was such an uplifting read, although there were a few emotional moments that caught me off guard. Una’s story is really about what can happen when someone who has spent years keeping her life carefully controlled finally takes a chance on something completely outside her comfort zone.

Una doesn’t let many people get close to her. She has her best friend, her routines, and a life that feels manageable because she knows what to expect from it. Then she rescues a bird, becomes attached to it, and everything changes when the bird fails to return after migrating. Social media gets involved, posts about the missing bird begin spreading, and suddenly Una finds herself traveling to Bavaria to meet Konrad and hopefully find the bird she has been worrying about.

I loved the idea that a bird could be the thing that finally gets Una on a plane and out into the world. She isn’t suddenly fearless once she arrives in Germany either. She still has the same worries and insecurities she brought with her, but now she’s in a place where her normal routines can’t protect her from everything.

Bavaria was one of my favorite parts of the book. I could picture Una wandering through the local markets and slowly getting to know the people around her. Sue Moorcroft Tonge made the setting feel warm and welcoming without turning it into some perfect little postcard where everyone’s problems magically disappear.

Watching Una begin to form connections was even better. She has spent so much time keeping people at a safe distance that opening herself up to friendship, community, and possibly love is a huge change for her. I liked that those relationships weren’t simply there to rescue Una from her old life. She had to confront the reasons she’d built those walls in the first place and decide for herself whether she still needed them.

I also couldn’t miss the connection between Una and the bird she travels so far to find. Migration means leaving what is familiar, traveling somewhere unknown, and trusting yourself to make the journey. Una is doing much the same thing, even if she doesn’t have wings to carry her there. I thought that parallel worked beautifully without taking over the story.

The supporting characters brought plenty of warmth and humor, and I especially enjoyed seeing Una slowly realize that she could have a community instead of handling everything alone. The conflicts between the characters were generally handled like adults actually talking to each other, which I appreciated.

A few things worked themselves out a little more neatly than I expected, and there were moments when I could see where the story was heading. Neither bothered me enough to take away from how much I enjoyed watching Una change. Her growth didn’t come from someone telling her to be braver. It came from getting on that plane, facing what frightened her, and discovering for herself what she was capable of doing.

I think that’s what I’ll remember most about Una. She didn’t need to become a completely different woman. She just needed enough courage to find out what could happen when she stopped letting fear make every decision for her.