Bad things seem to come in threes for Thea Mottram – she has been let go from her job without any notice, she finds out her husband of twenty years has been sleeping with one of her friends, AND he’s told her he loves the other woman more. When Thea is sorting through all of her belongings on Valentine’s Day, she finds a letter saying that a distant great uncle has passed away and has left her his house and extensive antique book collection (which may be worth a hefty amount of money) in Scotland. A few weeks later, she finds herself traveling from Sussex to the quaint little cottage to sort out his things, and a fortnight trip turns into months where Thea is falling in love with the town and its people, and doesn’t quite want to leave. There’s also a particular fellow, Edward Maltravers, owner of the local bookstore and local grump, who Thea can’t help but be drawn to. The townspeople tell her to stay away, but she needs a job and wants to work in the store. But Edward has a hiring policy – no women – and that’s for a specific reason – they always fall in love with him, or vice versa. Will Thea be the one to break the cycle, or is it inevitable that these two are destined for love?

I think my favorite aspect of this book was the character of Thea herself. Although the past few months had been an emotional rollercoaster, she is incredibly independent and doesn't let the opinions of others influence her thoughts or decisions. When the town warns her to stay away from Edward because of his demeanor and his past, she still proceeds to apply for the job at his bookstore and spend time with him to form her own opinions and find out the facts for herself. When Edward tries to convince her that his brother, Charles, has ulterior motives when asking her to dinner, she goes to the meal and makes her intentions abundantly clear. She isn't devoid of emotion - she actually feels quite deeply - but she's straightforward and direct and completely in control of her own destiny. I loved to see her progression throughout the novel. Thea also falls in love with the town on Baldochrie during her stay. What was supposed to be a two-week journey to sort our her great-uncle's things - make plans to sell the house, appraise the extensive book collection, wrap things up and be back in Sussex to start her new life as a single woman - became a permanent stay content with her surroundings and happy with the way things turned out. From the job with moody yet curious Edward at the bookstore to the best coffee at a local cafe to forming bonds with townspeople, Thea knows she shouldn't stay but just can't bring herself to leave. The seasons change and the house up for sale, but she isn't mad about it. It was a very quiet book that felt slow-paced but with a quick passage of time. For the most part I enjoyed Thea and Edward's dynamic - it's a bit of a light pessimist/optimist grumpy/sunshine scenario, and sometimes Edward's jealous was a little extreme but he didn't quite know how to process his feelings, and kind of detested himself for falling for Thea in the first place. I will say, things were a <em>bit</em> awkward when they did finally get together, and Edward was much too pushy for my taste, wanting things to progress at a faster pace. Thea always stuck her ground, and never agreed to anything she wasn't comfortable with, but I just felt Edward was talking marriage a lot sooner than the idea would have been on Thea's mind, especially since she was still married (yet separated).

Overall, I find this book enjoyable, but not incredibly memorable. I'm certainly glad I gave it a chance, and will be interested to see what comes on Jackie Fraser's writing in the future. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I'm a huge fan of stories based in the UK and this didn't disappoint. I became so comfortable with the characters that I felt they were part of my life. I didn't want the story to end. The story had some many things that can happen in a person's life and how they deal with it. There are some many directions the story goes that it keeps you on the edge of your seat to know what's happening next. Can't wait to read whatever the author has next!

I'm a sucker for a well-done life-reset love story, and this is a prime example of why.
We meet Thea as her life hits the lowest of the lows and follow along as she finds a way to enjoy life and a new chance at love after an inheritance takes her to a little town in Scotland. I really liked Thea's character and her attitude towards things. She's a really relatable character that is easy to like. That the grumpy love interest owns an antiquarian/second-hand bookshop is just icing on the cake.
A great, light read with the perfect amount of drama, good fun, slow-burn romance, and book talk sprinkled in for even better enjoyment.

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the early read!

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser is the story of a woman’s desperate determination to find a new direction in her life. Nothing is going well for Thea Mottram. she was let go from her job with no notice and then, her husband of nearly twenty years has decided to leave her for one of her closest friends. It is an understatement to say that Thea has been left bewildered and completely lost. A surprise letter which informs her that her great uncle has passed away and left her his home and his worldly possessions, including an extensive antique book collection. She heads to the Scottish coast and immediately falls in love with the quaint cottage and the nearby village of Baldochrie, where the locals are warm, quirky, and inviting. The only person who she doesn’t quite win over is the local bookshop owner, Edward Maltravers. His gruff attitude tests Thea’s patience and they are soon engaged in a battle of wills. Thea soon finds the bickering with Edward thrilling and exciting, she begins to find a courage and direction she has been missing. Will she ever leave the Scottish village?
From the opening chapter to the final pages, I fell in love with Thea and Edward. Their bickering made me laugh and smile. I eagerly read as I waited to see if they would finally acknowledge their sexual tension and act on it. Do they? You’ll have to read it to find out. It is a great book about second chances at life and love even when you think you are beyond the need or desire. It was funny and while the language may be a bit crude for some, it reminded me of British television. One of my favorite parts is when Thea explains how she found out that her husband was cheating on her. It was definitely an “oh my!” moment. I especially loved the descriptions about the bookshop and the various books on the shelves. There were moments when Edward and Thea talked about books, some I was familiar with and others I wasn’t. I was intrigued enough to make a list to look up when I finished. Overall, The Bookshop of Second Chances is a great book with relatable characters filled with humor and drama. I highly recommend The Bookshop of Second Chances.

The Bookshop of Second Chances will be available on May 4, 2021 in paperback, eBook and audiobook.

This one has lots of good things going for it, including the Scottish setting and a main character you can't help but root for as she starts over. I liked it but found parts of the story just a bit too slow for my liking. Overall it was a nice distraction from some heavier reads. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5

This follows a middle aged woman Thea who's recent 20 year marriage has ended and is about to get divorced when she comes into an inheritance of her uncle's place in rural Scotland. She decides to head to the village to check out the house and figure out her next steps in her journey.

This was a cute, light-hearted read. A nice plus to read a romance of a 40+ woman as opposed to the usual 20 something finding themselves. I found this one to be a quick sweet read that veered slightly more towards woman fiction than romance which is how I prefer these kind of reads.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just “eh” for me. It was a super slow burn, that never really paid off. It is far too long IMO (448 pages!). The goodreads synopsis says it’s perfect for fans of Evvie Drake Starts Over, which I loved, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

The descriptions of the rural town in Scotland where the book is set were lovely to picture and Thea was a very charming character who upheld a positive attitude amidst all that was going wrong in her life. There just wasn’t a lot of substance to this story and I couldn’t get on board with Thea’s new love interest, Edward, and the storyline of his life and choices he made prior to meeting Thea. Their relationship just never felt authentic to me.

Overall, this is a very light read about a middle aged woman starting over in a little Scottish town and having a second chance at romance. If that sounds up your alley, check it out! Maybe it’s for you, even if it wasn’t for me!

Thank you to Random House, NetGalley, and Ballantine Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books/Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the debut novel by Jackie Fraser. 4 stars for a feel-good read!

Thea just had the proverbial rug pulled out from underneath her - her husband of almost 20 years left her for one of her friends and she just lost her job. Then she finds out that a distant uncle died and left her his home and antique book collection in Scotland. She packs her bags and heads to the coast to go through the house and make some decisions on what to do with her life. Once there, she finds she loves the area and the people and finds herself making new friends. and even gets a job at the local secondhand bookstore - however, she can't quite win over Edward, the owner, who definitely comes with his own baggage.

This was just a good book to curl up with and escape into a different world. I loved the pictures in my mind of the bookstore and the Shed - so cozy and comforting. I also liked that the author made Thea a bit older than the typical rom-com character - she's in her mid-40s with all the insecurities and baggage that come along with starting over at that age. Plus, everyone deserves a second chance! Can't wait to read more from this author!

I loved this book! It felt like the most comfortable pair of pajamas I owned. I wish I could reread it for the first time.

I enjoyed this light, second-chance romance set in a small village in Scotland. Books, Scotland, how could you go wrong?

Thea discovers that her husband is having an affair with one of her best friends right around the same time as a house is left to her after her Uncle's death. Needing to get away, she travels to the cottage and decides to stay for the summer. She gets a job working for a man who actually has a sign that reminds him not to hire women!

The main characters are not new adults, which brings some insight and experience into the story. They've all dealt with life, its losses and still have enough time to look forward to a future. Just what that future looks like will be determined, if they just let it happen.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

Thea Mottram nee Hamilton has just found out that she lost her job and her husband of 15 years has been cheating on her with a good friend. Her ex hubby gets the house and the girl, and Thea is left to figure out what to do next and where to go. She finds out that her great uncle has left her an inheritance and a home in a tiny town in Scotland. With no where else to go, Thea sets out to Scotland to try to pick up the pieces of her life. Thea meets the locals including the surly bookstore owner, Edward and his brother Charles. Charles and Edward are engaged in a decades long dispute. Charles would like to buy Thea's newly inherited house. Thea convinces the surly Edward to hire her on as an employee in his antique bookshop.

I loved this book. Literally could not put it down. Thea and Edward had great chemistry. I literally laughed out loud at some of the dialog. I found Thea to be utterly charming, although at times frustrating at how she allowed her ex to steamroll her. I would say there is an element of romance to the novel, although this is more a novel of starting over and figuring one's self out. I enjoyed seeing the characters develop over the novel. The bookshop, the location (tiny town in Scotland) all contributed to this great read. Really looking forward to whatever Ms. Fraser writes next. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

3 stars

The Bookshop of Second Chances is a delightful slice-of-life story that will delight anyone who has ever longed to escape to the Scottish countryside.

Any book with the word "bookshop" in the title is one that I will immediately pick up. This was the first time, however, that I had read about a romance in a rare books shop. It was certainly an interesting setting with all sorts of literary name-drops littering the pages!

It is a simple enough story - woman goes to find herself after a breakup and falls in love with her new town and a particular man living here. It's not trying to be any more than it and I appreciated the simplicity since I was reading this during a particularly stressful week. Did I wish that it had gone a little deeper on everything? Yes. Did I really thoroughly enjoy it? Absolutely! It is the epitome of a summer read and I think that there are many people out there who will find great joy in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

The Bookshop of Second Chances plus a fun light romcom read. Perfect for the beach reads that will be coming up.
Thea receives a text from her husband Chris that was suppose to go to someone else. Thea then inherits a house from her great uncle and she decides this is the perfect time to make a change so she heads to the country to see what she got. There she meets the disgruntled Edward that owns a local bookstore and will appraise the book collection included in the inheritance. Edward has a history in the town of being the rudest man in town. Edward’s assistance is going to college so Edward is looking for a new helper and Thea wants to apply but Edwards policy is No Women can apply. Let’s see how that works for the snarky Thea who doesn’t
Thank you NetGalley and Simon Schuster UK for an advanced copy of this Rom Com.
#Netgalley #SimonSchusterUK

I had somewhat mixed feelings about this book.  I absolutely loved the setting - a bookshop in Scotland and I also really liked the main character, Thea.  I also love a good second chance romance. So why mixed feelings?  I honestly just wasn't the biggest fan of her second chance guy.  I guess he was supposed to be a cute grumpy type, but for some reason, it just didn't work for me this time even though it normally does.  I also thought the pacing was slow at times and found myself skimming quite a bit.  It was still a nice read overall but it just didn't fully captivate me the way I expected it to.

This is a likable story and I enjoyed that the main characters were in their 40's. Thea is finding her way after she is devastated by finding out her husband of 20 years has been having an affair with her "friend" and this was also after being laid off from her job. When she finds out she has inherited a home in Scotland she plans on staying for two weeks to get things in order to sell but once there life has other plans for her.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Thanks to Ballantine/Random House and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Bookshop of Second Chances.

I loved being transported to the lowlands in Scotland in this book!

Thea is having a rough month - she lost her job and her husband of 20 years is leaving her... But when she finds out a distant great uncle left her his home and antique book collection in Scotland she decides to head up there and after a few weeks decides to stay the summer. She starts working at a local bookshop and tensions arise...

I enjoyed the bookshop aspect of the book and that the main characters were older. Unfortunately this book was about 100 pages too long and the middle slightly dragged on.

I really wanted to like this book but it was just too slow for me. It took me a long time to get into it and it never really caught my interest. I liked the development of the characters and the overall story line. Thank you to netgalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballentine for the DRC but all thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This unfortunately is a DNF at 50% for me.

This had so many elements I was excited for. A Scottish romance, taking place at a bookstore. Older MCs finding love. There was plenty of dry humor, but as we got deeper into the story I just could not get invested in the MC or her love interest.

(SPOILERS)

The LI has a history of sleeping with his brother's female friends, for the purpose of revenge, and after a while, it just seems mean and juvenile. He also is just hooking up with these women which is fine, all consenting adults but he speaks so demeaningly about them. I tried to move on when he called one of his female friends a bitch but I just can't. There are a lot of things I can let go of, but I just can't root for Thea to end up with him especially after how her husband treated her. Edward is not a grump he's just disrespectful to women.

This one just wasn't for me.

And so, the journey begins....

Thea's journey begins when she loses her job and finds out that her husband was having an affair with her friend. Having endured that shocker, she learns that she has inherited a home from her great uncle in Scotland. So off she goes, to get some time away, to heal, to cope with the shock of betrayal and to go through her uncle’s things. There she must decide will she sell the home, or will she keep it?

What was meant to be a short trip, lasts longer as she slowly becomes a member of the community and decides to get a job. Not any old job, but a job in a bookstore owned by Edward Maltravers, a gruff and grumpy man known for his long-standing feud with his brother.

Journeys....We all know we are going on them when we pick up a romance book. We pretty much know how it is going to end - it is the getting there that matters! Thea is shocked and hurt, needing time away but finds a community. Edward has never gotten close to others and has his own baggage.

There were times I thought Thea was too nice, especially to her cheating husband. I would not be letting him keep the house. I would have thrown him out, telling him to go live with what's her name while I burned his clothes in the front yard...but I digress...Thea is too nice and too understanding.

Is this book a little cliché? A scorned woman falling for the town rogue. Perhaps, but it is enjoyable, and I liked their banter. This is a great hang-out-on-the-couch and spend the day reading type of book. It's not too heavy, it’s not too sappy, it deals with real life issues, the characters are likeable, and the setting is wonderful. Plus, the title is very apt. Both characters are getting second chances in this book.

My only complaint is that their relationship did not smolder or have an heat to it. This is not a bodice ripper but I would expect there to be a little more angst here. I really enjoyed their friendship but missed the yearning and lust. But even without feeling those things, I found the book to be very enjoyable.


Thank you to Random House Publishing- Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

If you’re looking for main characters 40+ and a second chance at life, you might enjoy The Bookshop of Second Chances.

Thea is having a rough time; she lost her job and found out her husband has been cheating on her with one of her friends. But then she finds out her late great uncle has left her his house and an antique book collection. Everyone in town comes to love her, except the bookshop owner Edward. Edward is known as the town grump and for having a feud with his brother Charles. Will sparks fly between Thea and Edward? Or is he really just the town grump?

This book started out really intriguing for me, slowed down in the middle and peaked my interest again. I enjoyed that the characters were older, but I definitely wouldn’t have been as nice as Thea was on some occasions. I’m not sure I ever really felt the chemistry between Thea and Edward as I’m not sure Thea was in the right headspace for chemistry with someone. The story line was definitely different but it made an interesting story!