Jess has run away from a domestic situation and leaves nearly everything she owns behind. Her journey takes her to Wales, where she takes refuge in her small tent in a cemetery. The elements are harsh, and Jess finds an empty house with electricity still on and she respectfully moves in. All is well, until the owner of the house finds her.
Her discovery, and the kindness of the owner result in Jess finding an unaccountable friendship and happiness, as together they restore the house. Jess and Gethin's friendship is exactly what each needs to heal from their past relationships, and their self-doubt keeps the pages turning. An utterly charming book, though you will find yourself wanting them to get on with it!
The book will be published September 26, 2023, by Random House. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Jess is a woman on the run, constantly starting over after relationships go bad. Gethan is a man who is also starting over, who has purchased a large house that will need fixing up. When the two meet they become good friends, helping each other out in ways no one else can. Will they ever be more than friends or is Jess too damaged to move on? This is a lovely little story about friendship and trust and how to move on when you think your life is just about over.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC. All opinions expressed are my own. This post contains minor spoilers.

This is certainly the most original introduction between love interests I've ever read. What would you do if you found a random woman squatting in your new house? If you're Gethin, you invite her to stay and fall in love over the next year. Easy, right?

The characters in this novel were all really interesting to me. We have Jess, who's kind of a free spirit finally looking to settle down; Gethin, the golden retriever sweetheart going through a divorce; and an array of side characters ranging from creepy ex-boyfriend to local television star ex-wife. I loved all their backstories and how they interacted with one another.

The romance was obviously my favorite part. It was definitely a slow build, but it was worth it. One thing I really enjoyed about it was how both Jess and Gethin had to work past their past relationships in order to be with each other. Usually only one character has to, but in this case they both had growing to do and they helped each other, which always makes me squeal and giggle into a pillow.

If I was in a book club, I would pick this for my month. I recommend this book to anyone looking for romance with life lessons inside.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dell publishing for this ARC in exchange for my review.
3.5 stars
The pros-this was a quick read and I actually enjoyed the overall story. Also the setting was nice and a lot of the characters I found to be quite special .
The cons-I’m not sure if the author is from Wales or if it’s just her style of writing but the dialogue was very hard to read. There were countless ellipsis’ (…) and lots of sentences that ended as questions. This being said there was A LOT of dialogue in this book and all the characters spoke this way. I found it took me out of the story a bit, which is unfortunate.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, but I didn’t love the writing style., which is reflective in my overall rating of this book.

In The Beginning of Everything Jess is living in an empty house she has found while trying to start over after leaving an abusive relationship. The house ends up being bought by Gethin who discovers here then and instead of kicking her out he offers her a place to stay in exchange for helping him fix the house up. Jess decides to stay and begins to form new relationships including a friendship with Gethin that borders on more if she can move on from her past hurts. While I did enjoy this story and liked both of the main characters there were times it was slow moving and some parts that felt like they could of been left out completely. I would rate this 3-3.5 stars but would recommend it for sure for anyone looking for a second chance at love and starting over when you think it may be too late. I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Jess has a heavy backstory after surviving an abusive relationship and finding herself staying in empty homes while she is without shelter. Gethin meets her at one of his properties and gives her the opportunity to help him renovate the place. Along the way they find themselves falling in love. The path is a slow one, given Jess' trauma, but Gethin is a good person and eventually they find their way. This was such a sweet book with memorable characters you cannot help but root for. The setup was a bit unbelievable but just let yourself become absorbed in the story and you won't even notice it. Thanks to Jackie Fraser, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Dell, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A beautiful heartwarming story. Jess is a survivor from an abusive relationship. She is homeless and stays in abandoned houses. One house was not abandoned and the owner discovers Jess. He actually lets her stay and she can help him renovate the house. This was a sweet love story, developing slowly. The characters are in their 40’s, not the usual mid twenties we read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This books didn’t really keep my attention and I was not able to finish it. I had high hopes as it reminded me of another book I read and really liked.

This was such a tender love story between two 40-somethings about the power of starting over. Jess is broken. Gethin is the nicest, the most generous, the most thoughtful human. These two become friends while making a home. They renovate, decorate, cook together, have dance parties in the living room, go to day trips to nearby Welsh castles. While mutual attraction is there, Jess is overly cautious due to past trauma. But Gethin is patient.

The dialog flows easily. It was a breath of fresh air to read about people in their 40s taking a second chance at love.

I enjoyed this comforting story.

I really enjoyed that this book was a romance for people in their 40s/50s as it had more of a realistic feel (and also shows that starting over and finding love again at middle age is possible).
Jess flees an abusive relationship and finds herself adrift with just a backpack of belongings and a tent to sleep in. She finds an empty house and breaks in to live. What a shock she's in for when Gethin walks into the kitchen one morning. Instead of being furious, he asks her to move in. What follows is a slow burn romance, from room mates to friends to lovers to not friends. I was rooting for their relationship but found Jess to be kind of unlikable.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC.

I liked that the main characters are a little older, in their mid and late forties.

Jess has left a bad relationship and ends up in this house that's been closed for sale, after spending some time camping in a cemetery. She does have a job but not enough money for a place of her own.

Gethin ends up buying the house and finds Jess there with her things and quickly understands what's going on.

Parts I liked: that Jess and Gethin go from sharing a house, to friends, to more.
Parts I had a problem with: that Gethin was so trusting and just let Jess stay there.

Super cute ending.

Language and explicit scenes.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I feel like the best way to describe this book is that it feels like one you would find in a secondhand shop that’s been read so many times the edges of the pages are soft.

It’s a very slow and low-angst buildup, even when the topics are difficult and sad there’s still a sense of safety and comfort overlying the whole thing. I felt cozy while reading it! I loved watching their friendship grow and also thought it was hilarious how completely easily they coexisted while also being the most painfully awkward with each other in a way that was almost (but not quite) unbearable. They both tried so hard and were so terrible at communicating with each other specifically and it was sad and also funny. I loved them both so much.

When Jess Cavendish leaves her abusive relationship, she finds herself in a small, uninhabited home. She quietly makes herself comfortable but lives cautiously. When the homeowner arrives, he is surprisingly kind and welcoming to her. Over the course of their cohabitating, the two begin to fall for one another. I found this story a bit too slow for me to care about the development of their relationship. I did not find Jess to be a compelling character, but was rooting for the relationship nonetheless.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Can’t say I’ve ever thought that homelessness and romance could end up in the same book, but here we are.
If I had to describe this book it would be a quiet contemporary. Jess is quiet and wants to live in the shadows now that she’s escaped her toxic past. And Gethin isn’t her knight in shining armor, he too is seeking solace after his long term relationship ended. Their ease with each other develops over time, it felt like a real relationship blooming and not something hot and heavy.
I enjoyed this book and I’ll be recommending it to my friends. Thank you!

Jess is currently without a home and is starting over in her life as she is leaving a bad relationship. She has friends whom she calls and does check-ins with, but she is currently without a home. This option is better than her recent past life. She comes across an unoccupied house and knows she has to leave soon as it has been recently sold.

Gethin is the man who bought the house that Jess is currently staying in. He wants to fix up this house and one day, he enters the home and Jess makes a run for it. He leaves a note for her and the note says it is okay for her to stay and he would like to have a conversation with her. His offer for her to stay is genuine and he definitely would like to help give her a second chance in life. He even buys her food and a bed for the house.

Both Gethin and Jess' relationship grows and they open up with one another. Jess is curious about why he is being so nice to her without expecting anything back. He didn't treat her like a charity case and treated her like a human being. Gethin believes in giving 2nd chances because that's all you need sometimes.

As a reader, you learn about why Gethin is the way he is and you can tell that he has a good heart.

The overall story was okay, but I didn't enjoy reading the story. I found the reading to be really dry and slow and I felt like I could skip some paragraphs and get what was going on.

I would have DNF'd this book, especially after this book made negative comments about fashion students. Being a fashion designer myself, I found this very rude and unnecessary to make comments about fashion students or those aspired to become a fashion designer. There was about a page about a page long on my ereader and there was absolutely no need to write unpleasant comments about someone's interest. This author categorized all fashion students to be neurotic and exhausting when I think we are not at all. If anything, we are spontaneous and creative human beings who know how to have a good time because we are THAT creative.

Unfortunately, this author is an author I will not recommend or read again because it left a really bad taste in my mouth.

This book was not your typical strangers to lovers story and had dynamic character developments. As the reader, the same reaction was felt as Jess about Gethin's welcoming response to her breaking into his home. But as you continue to learn more about the characters, it is easier to understand both Jess and Gethin's perspectives, reactions and hesitations. Some parts about their personal history are not explained until later in the book, which is why it might take a little longer for the reader to bond with the characters. Overall a sweet story that discusses sensitive topics in a calm and loving manner.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but I will definitely be checking out the others.

Jess has left an abusive relationship and ends up staying in a vacant house until the owner, Gethin, shows up one day. After he assesses that she has done no harm to the house, he surprisingly offers for her stay. She is taken back by this kindness, but offers to help with renovations in exchange for staying. Soon this translates into a friendship and what appears to be much more. Jess is not sure that she is worthy of love or opening her heart again.

The characters are heartfelt and relatable. What a lovely story about starting over, friendship, healing, hope and love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random
House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced digital copy of this book.

I enjoyed the idea of this book though it seemed a tad unrealistic that someone would allow a stranger who was camping in their empty house to stay with him. It was cute though, watching them become friends and more. If you like slow burn it’s a good one to read with an interesting concept!

This books felt like a warm hug. I absolutely loved it and I am looking forward to more from this author.

I love the fact that I related to this book. I had an experience where my friend ran away from her boy friend because he was abusive. I felt really connected to the MC. My friend struggled to trust any man in her life and really relied on me and her family. Gethin was so open to Jess and it felt so comfortable. I didn't know if Jess would ever feel comfortable again.

I am so happy with the ending of the book

When I read the premise, I thought it was an interesting story to explore but when I got into it I was not able to suspend disbelief. I found I was a bit skeptical about a new homeowner simply accepting the squatter living in their home. I hoped this would be explained better but it was not really addressed. White privilege, pretty privilege... at least acknowledge that this is not a likely scenario.

Because I had a hard time accepting the premise at the beginning I was not able to fully get into this book however I did enjoy the characters. I really like the older, experienced characters in romance novels and this book did this well.

Overall, The Bookshop of Second Chances was a better reading experience for me and I look forward to anything else Jackie Fraser publishes!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing access to an advanced reader's copy of this book.