The book is full of heartwarming and uplifting story that beautifully captures the impact of kindness and connection. The little 24/7 supermarket owned by Mrs. Yeom serves as the nexus where several lives unknowingly influence each other—a slice of life in modern-day Seoul. Mrs. Yeom, a former teacher, runs the shop not just to keep busy in retirement but to support her community. When she offers a job to Dokgo, a formerly homeless man, his presence sparks change in the lives of those around him. While the story follows a predictable path, its emotional depth and well-developed characters make it a compelling read. At just over 300 pages, the book delivers a touching and inspiring story without overstaying its welcome.

When homeless Dok-go returns the purse belonging to Mrs. Yeom. A retired teacher who owns a convenience
store, she invites him to the store for a meal. When one of her employees leaves, she offers him a job at the store.
As he works at the store, Dok-go begins to recover lost memories His interactions with fellow employees and
customers will have a positive effect on their lives. Heartwarming story
#TheSecondChanceConvenienceStore #HarperPerennial #NetGalley

This book was everything I wanted it to be. Really one of those feel good little stories that moves pretty quickly. We follow the owner of Always Convenience, Mrs. Yeom, who takes a chance on a homeless man, Dokgo. He changes everything about her previously struggling convenience store for the better. I found all the characters to be loveable and really enjoyed how each chapter centered on one touched by either Always Convenience, Mrs. Yoem, or Dokgo.

In full American fashion, I was waiting for Dokgo to be some form of a grifter or for there to be a twist at the end, but it is nice to have a story about the goodness in humanity, especially when it can be difficult to see sometimes.

The Second Chance Convenience Store by Kim Ho-Yeon tells the story of Mrs. Yeom who owns a convenience store and by chance befriends a homeless man, Dokgo. He ends up working the store for the night shift and changing lives, including his own.

I recommend this book for fans of general and multicultural fiction. I enjoy Korean translated fiction, it often leaves me smiling and more content with humanity. This book delivers in every way for an entertaining read that touches your heart.

Thank you Harper Perennial and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute little read! It reminds me so much of some translated books I have read and it was great

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It has truly earned its five-star rating in my eyes. Healing fiction is gaining popularity worldwide, and I’m thrilled to see translated versions making their way to English-speaking audiences. This particular book transported me back to the real, vibrant people I encountered while living in a small town in Korea. It's so authentic and emotionally resonant. I can hardly wait to purchase a physical copy so I can annotate it and soak in every detail. If you’re on the fence about reading it, let this be your sign to dive in! You won’t regret it! :)

The Second Chance Convenience Store
By: Kim Ho-Yeon

I loved this story from the beginning. I was smiling the entire time I was reading. It’s such a heartwarming story.

Dok-go’s life really changes when he finds a wallet which belongs to Mrs. Yeom. She gives him a chance to have a better life by working at her store. Dok-go has no memory of his life before he became homeless. We do learn about his past, which is so interesting. I really loved how Mrs.Yeom was so sweet to him and not judgy. She truly was a sweet person.

I loved all the characters in the book except for Mrs.Yeoms son, he such a brat.


“When Bob Dylan was young, his grandmother told him that happiness isn’t on the road to anything. She said happiness is the road. And that we should be kind because everyone’s fighting a hard battle.”

It’s a really moving story. We can all learn to be kind and not so judgmental. This is a book I know I will read again. I will be buying a psychical copy of this book. The minute I saw the cover, I knew I needed to read it.


Thank you so much NetGalley, Kim and, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the eARC!

Publication Date: June 17 2025
Rating: ✨✨✨✨✨

#TheSecondChanceConvenienceStore #NetGalley

(Actual: 4.75⭐, rounded up) Absolutely adored this one! I read so much translated literature with magical realism elements woven in (which I also love!) that I sometimes come to just expect it to be there by default— that said, I thoroughly enjoyed how THE SECOND CHANCE CONVENIENCE STORE is grounded in actual reality, but is still just as wholesome and magical all the same. While one could argue the plot is a bit a thin and predictable (of which I do not argue with), the journey was still fun and I found the characters to all be very lovable and easy to root for. This book could easily be adapted into a mini-series or even a [short] film in my opinion, so I highly recommend it to everyone, but most especially all my "slice-of-life" genre & translated lit lovers!

If I could rate this book higher I would. This is one of my favorite books I have read this year. And I will even say it's made it to one of my favorite books in general. This is a little cozy read the writing style was so beautiful I love how every chapter intertwined with the next. Especially how every chapter was about a different character and you got to see their point of view of our main character till the very end when you get to find out finally the main characters' real story. I don't think I ever imagined a story with covid would become one of my favorite stories ever. But this is just such a real story about the good things in life and it gives you a warm feeling. This is honestly like my definition of what I want when I want to Cozy cute read definitely already recommending this one to a lot of people especially when it's like a story with multiple stories within it that link together into a whole story.

No magical realism here but a wonderful story about the people who work in Always Convenience Store. It’s a slice of their lives but a pivotal one, where a good deed leads them all to very interesting changes in their lives.

It’s a comfort read this book and I enjoyed it a lot. The book is aptly named and gives readers a clue of what happens in the story.

I was half expecting Dokga to be chaebol or celebrity. Hahaha.

I’m somewhat surprised to realize that I do want to reread this again in the future, when normally I do not with Korean fiction.

Thank you Harper Perennial for the advance copy.

I absolutely adored this book I’ve actually read it 5 times in the time I’ve had access to it I love it that much.

It’s a well written feel good story that starts out showing you that you should never judge a book by its cover or a person per se .

This book is full of so many different emotions and characters and was so well written I highly recommend picking up a copy and giving it a read.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial for the arc

It took me a while to get used to the format of The Second Chance Convenience Store, many characters but it is all in regards to the central character Dok-go.

Dok-go is a very likeable and social character.

The last several chapters of the book bothered me, hence the 3 star rating.

Not a very long book, approximately 208 pages. Already released in Korea, this is the edition translated to English. Publication date is June 17, 2025.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial Paperbacks for approving my request to read the advance read copy of The Second Chance Convenience Store in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this so much. I adored this so much. I think Kim Ho-Yeon wrote such a beautiful book that shows the everyday lives of these people and giving people second chances as they try to make their way through life. I loved this book so much

I really enjoyed this story! I think it rotated the characters and plotlines very well and we got a good look at many of the main characters backstories as well as random character stories dispersed throughout the novel based on how they interact with the Second Chance Convenience Store. I will definitely be recommending this book for sure!

I thought this book was so fun and cozy! I loved how low stakes it was and the cozy mystery in it. I especially loved how a few of the chapters showed how Dokgo affected the lives of the people going to the convenience store from their perspective. This book was a very sweet and enjoyable read. The translation is done beautifully! I highly recommend checking this book out on June 17 when it's released in the US!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow. This is not normally something I would read but I really loved the blurb and thought “why not?” IM SO GLAD I READ THIS. It was so heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time and just SO GOOD.

The Second Chance Convenience Store by Ho-Yeon Kim is a mixed first- and third-person, multi-POV Korean contemporary novel. It follows Mrs. Yeom, who runs a struggling convenience store in Seoul, and Dokgo, a homeless man battling alcohol addiction. When Dokgo returns Mrs. Yeom’s lost wallet, she offers him daily lunch boxes, then a job, sparking a profound transformation in both their lives.

The cover beautifully captures the cozy tone, showcasing the vibrant yet muted palette and hinting at the characters' dynamic and the story’s heartwarming themes.

Each chapter delves into a different character’s perspective, showing how lives intertwine and evolve as Mrs. Yeom supports Dokgo. Initially met with skepticism due to his homelessness, Dokgo gradually earns the community’s respect by working hard and forming meaningful connections. From helping the elderly with groceries to mentoring a struggling teenager, his journey highlights themes of redemption, compassion, and the power of community.

This is a cozy, uplifting tale that humanizes the homeless and celebrates the transformative impact of kindness.

4.5 stars
thank you Harper Perennial and Paperbacks

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Second Chance Convenience Store by Ho-Yeon Kim is a mixed first and third person multi-POV Korean contemporary novel. Mrs. Yeon runs a small convenience store in Seoul and is struggling to remain profitable. When she loses her wallet, it’s found by Dokgo, a homeless man who is struggling with alcohol addiction. Instead of grabbing her wallet and forgetting about him, Mrs. Yeom brings him to her store and gives him a lunch box every day and, eventually, gives him a job.

I rarely comment on covers, but I’m going to comment on this one. The cover does everything I think a cover is supposed to do: it tells me that the tone is going to be cozy, it gives me two characters and an idea of their dynamic, and it’s a beautiful piece of art that tells me the sort of story I can expect. I love how vibrant and colorful it is while still being slightly muted in its color palette.

Every chapter follows a different character as their lives slowly shift after Mrs. Yeom meets Dokgo. Some characters leave the convenience store and others stay in Mrs. Yeom’s employment and have a chance to see Dokgo grow and his positive impact on the community. There are a lot of assumptions of Dokgo initially because he was homeless, but opinions change as they see him trying hard and changing himself when he receives food, clean clothes, and a place to live.

Tone-wise, this is more cozy and at its heart, it is a story about community and how everyone in the community deserves a space and love and care. I loved watching Dokgo create good relationships with the elderly in his new neighborhood and carrying their purchases to walk them home as well as him trying to mentor a teenager who needs more positive influences. It’s a heart-warming tale that humanizes the homeless.

I would recommend this to fans of cozier contemporary and readers looking for a contemporary focusing on character relationships and with a slower pacing that is also a short read.

I enjoyed this collection of interconnected stories about the workers and patrons of Always Convenience. Like some similar translated literature from Korea and Japan, the book centers on a single location, and this one explores the second chances that people connected to the store are able to get. This book was slightly different from others I've read in the same vein because it featured a lot more character growth from the central character, Dokgo, who undergoes a great transformation throughout the string of stories.

What could have made this a 5-star review for me would have been if the book were slightly less preachy, particularly in the first part of the story. The author overdid it a little with the religious undertones and one of the characters came off as having a bit of a savior complex, so I was worried I wasn't going to enjoy the book. However, the religious leanings and preachiness toned down through the remainder of the book, and I am glad I finished to find out what happened to Dokgo.

Thanks very much to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a sweetly written warm hug of a book.

A homeless man returns a wallet and the owner, an elderly woman who owns a convenience store, gives him food as a reward. She tells him to stop by and get food when he needs, which already made me fall in love with her. But when he protects the store from some bad guys she offers him a job on a whim. This is met with concern from others as he is an intimidating homeless alcoholic who doesn’t seem to remember a thing from his past. As the book progresses we see him learn how to be a member of society again and how he and the surrounding neighbors affect one another in deep and intricately connected ways.

Eventually the owner’s good for nothing son tries to dig up dirt on Dok-Go and we get to the meat of the mystery - but this isn’t a “what happened to him??” mystery/thriller type of book. Instead we learn about who he is and why he wound up where he was in a way that’s more heartbreaking in its humanity and emotion.

You may guess the mystery before the end, but i think the journey and lessons are definitely more important than the end.

This is a book about people and connection and how we affect others. It’s less mystery and more slice of life, but it all fit together very well. I loved the differing viewpoints and how his chapter ties it all up in the end.

Lovely light book to read with a well-contained story that will leave you feeling warm in your heart and giving more consideration to each of your interactions with others. Would be a great palette cleanser book if you’re in between heavy-subject matter books.

I received an ARC of this book for my honest review, but all thoughts are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity.