Cover Image: The Second Chance Hotel

The Second Chance Hotel

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is the first book I have read by this author. It was an enjoyable read with a familiar premise. The central character, April, is coming off the end of her marriage after she fails to become pregnant and is tossed aside for another woman. In desperation, and searching for a second chance she returns to a holiday park on the coast of Cornwall where she spent a happy summer long ago. Only this time she is the owner of the holiday park and it is much more run down than she remembered. In the course of fixing up the park she meets a series of people all looking for their own second chance. While I enjoyed the book I never really connected with the characters. The ending was as I predicted making it a nice, easy read. I will try a few more books by the author.

Was this review helpful?

i have been looking for a different light hearted read form the heavier books i have beed reading lately and this hit the spot exactly.
Based around April Statham who at 35 finds herself newly single and starting again.
To do something completely different she invests in a chalet park in Cornwall that she used to visit as a child .
The chalet park is run down and ramshackle. and along with her handyman Cillian they work hard to get it open.
Will it be a new shot at love between the two of them? will April snuggle to let herself love again?
The lovely setting and characters transformed me into being at the lovely cornish coast .
Loved this read !
Many thanks #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this and escape for an afternoon
#TheSecondChanceHotel

Was this review helpful?

Sadly I struggled to finish this one. It had all the ingredients for a great read....but somehow just didn't hold my attention

Was this review helpful?

I had a hard time getting it into the story, I couldn't feel the characters

I never felt a strong connection between Celian and April, there was too much drama for my liking and that was the main element that I felt that really took the strength and power of the main characters. they spend so much time arguing and that kind of diminished the feelings and emotions of love.

I was looking forward to reading the story of Celian and April I felt like there was so much potential in this story, but I never got to that point, I still feel like something was missing, like the conflict was more important in the story than the characters falling in love.

this book was not for me but that doesn't mean it is not for you, I encourage you to read it and come with your own conclusions.

I'm looking forward to reading more by Rachel Dove.

Was this review helpful?

Some interesting characters who meld together well. Set in a beautiful part of England which makes you feel cheerful!

Was this review helpful?

Great read about starting life over after a bad romance. Reviving a chalet park and finding new love in the process. Great summer read!

Was this review helpful?

This book is a sweet beach read and I really enjoyed reading it. It's all about second chances and that it's never too late to find happiness. The second change hotel is not just a second chance for April but for some other characters that were also hoping for a happier life to come. It takes place in Cornwall UK in a beach chalet hotel. April Statham is 35 and has psco and she can't have kids. She got divorced and found out that her ex husband was getting married again. When she saw that Shady Pines was for sale she didn't hesitated to buy it. It was her chance of a new life. Once there, she had to renovate the chalets before the season starts and that's when she meets Cillian, a single dad of a little girl and a handyman. He starts working for her in exchange of payment and a chalet to live with his daughter. April also meets Martha, a widow that lives in one of the chalets. Together they all try to find happiness while fixing up the place. I really like how they all find happiness and how the story goes. It's a sweet and easy to read story.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Was this review helpful?

I find myself in a quandary as I can't relate to the main character in this book. She is somehow vague. Just as I think I know her, she floats away.

I get the divorce and the running away. But for a person who keeps saying she is broke, she buys a lot of Stuff.
And Cillian- well - the hot handyman is just too cliched and his temper is problematic. He is so reminiscent of the Gamekeeper that I can't see him any other way. Even his relationships with April and Madge slips away in my reader's mind.
And then 'Hotel'. This is a Chalet Park. No hotel in sight.
And just what hotel job did April do? Again hints but nothing clear.

And then adding... into the mix as an excuse for an inability to conceive, when most medical texts say that properly treated it isn't. Or if hers was so bad that it was, why not a hysterectomy and get rid of the symptoms?

So the storyline slips away from me too.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely story that keeps you interested right through until the end. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

Was this review helpful?

This book is what is usually described as chick-lit. It is set on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall, where a disparate group of people all end up at a chalet park. The characters are the new owner, the handyman and his young daughter, and a long-term resident. The story is about them finding themselves, and love, again. Very readable.

Was this review helpful?

Sweet, charming, and fun lighthearted book. April desperately needs a do-over in her life so she buys the Shady Pines Chalet, a place that reminds her of happier times, with the goal of fixing it up and making it profitable. She meets several new people who eventually become fixtures in her life, including Cillian, a man who has his own issues to contend with. I adored the setting and the characters and the hopeful, can-do attitude and spirit of this book. I love a book that says it's never too late to seek out your happiness.

Was this review helpful?

This book was perfection from start to finish.
April has fled from her old life to Lizard point, somewhere that has always brought her comfort...but as she embarks on her new life and getting her holiday park up and running, she can't begin to imagine how quickly her life can change. She soon meets Cillian, Martha and Judith, all of whom quickly become ingrained into her new life.

The main character April is so likeable and relatable, it is actually refreshing to read the tale from a woman who is struggling with insecurities as many of us do I'm sure.
And Cillian... well, what is there not to love about him? He too has his demons to conquer, but he is a gentleman through and through, and the love he shows for his daughter Orla is heartwarming.

This book is refreshing, heartwarming... just beautiful, I didn't want the story to end!.

Was this review helpful?

Shady Pines Chalet Park may be a dump, but it’s a dump far away from April’s ex and his new fiancee. Best of all, the deal includes, Cillian, a handyman determined to help restore the park> The fact that he’s easy on the eyes is just a plus. But is April looking for love on the rebound or do she and Cillian have the chance to form something lasting?

Was this review helpful?

What can I say about this book. It is about love ,starting over and second chances. I liked the chemistry between the two Main characters. But I expected more and I cannot describe what more is. Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for the chance to read om netgalley. Despite years of interacting with Rachel this is her first book ive read…shocker!

I have sat on the sofa wrapped up as clearly our summer has been and gone and devoured this book. I loved it.

Charming,sweet,heartwarming and uplifting.

Loved Cillian…can i have one of him please? I could relate to him as a single parent. But also to April as someone whos been hurt and needing a new chapter in her life

A tale of new beginnings,fresh starts,hope and love.

This is the perfect antidote to rainy days in lockdown.

I look forward to reading more of her books .

Was this review helpful?

After a disastrous marriage breakup, April Statham returns to Cornwall, having hastily purchased the now dilapidated Shady Pines Chalet Park, where she once spent an idyllic summer as a child. The reality of the purchase is far removed from April's dreams and much work is needed before the holiday park can reopen for the summer. When Cillian O'Leary, and his small daughter, Orla, need a more secure home, April is happy to give over one of the chalets in return for Cillian's handyman skills around the park.

What then follows is a delightful story about the trials and tribulations of preparing to open a new business, and April's constant worry about her stretched finances, and whether the enterprise will be successful. The added inclusion of Cillian and Orla, with all their problems, adds an interesting dimension, and I enjoyed watching how the friendship between Cillian, Orla and April developed as the story progressed. The 'will they, won't they aspect of April and Cillian's burgeoning relationship adds a little bit of romantic interest to the story. However, it's not all about romance, I especially enjoyed meeting Maggie, a feisty octogenarian, who lives at the Chalet Park all year round and who fiercely guards her own sad secrets.

With an idyllic Cornish setting, interesting characters who very soon feel as comfortable as friends, a smattering of sweet romance, The Second Chance Hotel is a light and easy summer read.

Was this review helpful?

April is the new owner of Shady Pines - perfect holiday retreat. New business, new her, what could possibly go wrong an what are the odds of her old problems catching up with her.

If you haven't been in the position of being a woman who can't conceive and are unable to have the child you want, I think it may be difficult to comprehend just how much it influences their emotional well-being and responses to certain situations. It's easy to put April aside and label her as dramatic, highly-strung and too invested. Unfortunately it also means, especially in this case, that the people around her are unable to feel empathy, thereby making her feel as if she has failed in some way.

Running away and starting a completely new life is a scary thing to do, but it also saves her from the constant criticism she is experiencing. The worn down chalet park she decided to buy was an attempt to grab a piece of nostalgia. Apparently it comes with a grumpy old woman and an odd-jobs man with more baggage than the lost and found department at an airport.

It's a romance, which has amusing moments at times, but is overall a story about realising when one door closes another one will always open somewhere for you.

Dove very much combines the serious with the fun with this read. Her characters are dealing with the kinds of issues that can break hearts, break up relationships and sometimes bring people to the brink. It's that element of realism that gives this story something readers they can relate to, whilst simultaneously giving them some escapism.

Was this review helpful?

This was a delightful, feel good story, based in Cornwall my favourite County. Lovely characters with believable storylines that made this a book for optimists. Brilliant conclusion.

Was this review helpful?

Wonderful escape read whilst I enjoyed the sunshine in the garden. Three storylines delicately woven into the plot. The three main characters have all had their hearts bashed around in various ways and I don’t want to spoil it but it will want to make you go to stay at the Second Chance Hotel and see the two trolls on the slide!

For anyone who ever went on holiday in a chalet as a child, this will bring back lovely memories

Was this review helpful?

A light and easy read. The setting is magical. This was a wonderful way to escape for a few hours.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Was this review helpful?