This book was really cute, for what it was.

I liked that the story was whimsical and it was an easy read in-between some heavier stories. Ultimately, I don't seeing this leaving a lasting impression for me, though.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thea's life has imploded, but a convenient piece of mail arrives and an inheritance could possibly turn things around for her. A predictable story line, yes, but half the fun was seeing how the "will they/won't they" formula played out.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine Books) for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I love books about starting over, especially when they are about women older than 20. Since I am now in an older demographic, I find the allure and dream of inheriting a house/property and starting a new life in a new location enticing.
I loved watching Thea's new life unfold for her, the little cottage, the old bookshop with the very Heathcliff like owner.
This was a satisfying read for me and I now want to look for more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for granting me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Love the premise of this book! Separated woman inherits a free lodge and ends up working in the small town bookstore. That all sounds great, but the book did not live up to my expectations.

It is considered a romantic book, but I did not believe the chemistry between the characters. It felt very forced, and there wasn’t anything that happened to really tie them together.

The male lead, Edward, is not a desirable dude. I understand the trope of the quiet brooding guy who has never found love and pushes people away. This is a common trope, but Edward is not a likable version. He literally won’t speak to anyone in his family and slept with every single one of his brother’s exs, girlfriends, and wives! Hated him as a love interested, and my feelings for Thea weren’t that much better.

The start of the book was there and they idea was great, just felt lackluster and underwhelming.

It may be slightly morbid of me, but I love when a book begins at a character's rock bottom and the reader follows along as they pull themselves from despair. Does that sound weird? Probably. But there is just something so hopeful about a redemption story. Add a bookstore to the setting? Perfection. Thea Mottram has been let go from her job and her husband left her for one of her friends (basically the definition of rock bottom, is it not?). She decides to escape to small coastal town after her uncle in Scotland passes away and leaves her his home. Enter the bookshop owner, Edward, to whom Thea wants to sell her uncle's book collection. Thea's early interactions with Edward were somewhat cringeworthy, and I would have preferred if their banter included a little bit of flirtation *wink* but it just felt a little flat. The highlights of this story were Thea, the coastal town setting (adored it), and the character development. I do wish the romance had more substance and depth, and I could have done without a sexist love interest (Edward, no thank you). Overall, this was a fun, unique read that left a little bit to be desired.

It was a fun read with likable characters and funny moments. I would say it was a slow burn but once they get there it was believable and they were good together.
The real romance did not even start until the second half of the book. This book is full of humor, relatable, flawed characters.

Thea has had it with crying. She lost her job and her husband Chris left her for her good friend so when she learns she has inherited a house, she decides it will be a welcomed change from her sad life. She is looking forward to Scotland and a chance for new beginnings. She wrangles a job at a secondhand bookstore even though Edward is grouchy and makes it a practice of not hiring women. She loves the job and the people she meets. She refuses to put up with her grumpy boss and it is not long before he realizes what a fine person she is. I loved this book. The setting is well done. I felt like I was sitting in the bookstore enjoying the books, lounging at the Shed and the beach, and sitting in the various pubs and restaurants soaking in the atmosphere. It is fun to see Edward and Thea’s relationship evolve and to see Thea get over her life with Chris. Great story, great characters.

I can see a lot of patrons enjoying this book. One thing that I really liked was that the main couple gets together earlier in the book and there is no associated drama of an impending breakup or misunderstanding. Instead, you see them adjust to their new life as a couple. I found that unique and much preferred over stories that get couples together at the very end or get them together only to rip them apart and then join them together again at the very end. I felt that the middle of the story dragged a little bit. We were too much inside the head of the main protagonist and things got repetitive.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. Let me start with the things I liked about this book. I really enjoyed the heroine being in her 40s. It was refreshing. I absolutely loved the Scottish setting. The secondary characters were great as well. The main characters, Thea and Edward, weren't bad but they were really bland. In fact, so much of this book was pretty bland. Most of the time I felt sad reading this book. Everything seemed so depressing. Even after the big romantic reveal I felt a bit confused because of how the main character seemed not sure she was really even into this guy. I don't know, something about it just didn't work for me.

"Charming" and "cozy" are two words that immediately come to mind for this novel set on the Scottish coast. Throw in some "posh" men, a bookstore, and a cottage and you get why. This is a quick, feel-good romance that is perfect to snuggle up with...which I recommend you do! Thanks NetGalley and publishers for providing an advance copy for review.

Overall, this was a fun, enjoyable read. I liked Thea, but I wasn't as fond of Edward. There wasn't as much character development as I'd expected. I enjoyed the humor throughout. There was more swearing than I expected, based on the description. I liked the bookshop angle.

She's lost her job. Her husband is sleeping with her friends. And, yesterday was Valentine's Day. Thea Hamilton Mottram's year is off to a shaky start. Then, she gets a letter. It seems her great-uncle has left her a house near the Scottish coast. She doesn't have a job, so what else does she have better to do than to head there and check it out? Off she heads to Baldochrie, a (fictional) town near Dumfries. There, she finds out that not only has her uncle left her his home, but also his collection of rare books. Thankfully, there's a bookseller in town, but he's quite the grump. Also, the local laird has his eye on her house, as it was once part of his estate. And, of course, the bookseller and the laird are good-looking and estranged brothers. The bookseller happens to need a clerk, but he doesn't hire girls. Oh well, he never did before.

This was a fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only downfall is that as an American, some of the descriptive language was unfamiliar to me. While I'm relatively well-versed in English-English (as opposed to American English), there were some phrases that eluded me. Googling them took me out of the story for a bit. Not a big deal, because I was very invested in it. Thea is a strong character who does not let her husband's betrayal define her. At times, she might have been a little too nice to him. However, sometimes it's better to just get out of a bad situation than to wallow in it. I really enjoyed Edward's evolution and the positive effect Thea had on the people she met in her new home village.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

The Bookshop of Second Chances sounded like everything I like in a book: a quaint, quiet village in Scotland, a middle aged woman down in luck/love, a budding romance, and a new lease on life. While it had all of the elements that make up a wonderful read, in my opinion, it completely fell flat for me. Thea just wasn't the most charismatic character to me. She was uninteresting and bland to me. And Edward was so unlikable to me, as a reader, and most of the supporting characters in the book didn't like him either! The premise had promise, but then it took so long to get to the point, that I lost interest before I could really get into it.

I wanted to like this book, I really did, but in the end...I just didn't.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Netgalley, I was chosen to be an early reviewer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ When Thea’s life is upended due to her husband leaving her for her friend and being made redundant at her job, a letter arrives, which brings the most needed changes to her life. She has been informed that she is inheriting her Great Uncle Andrew’s house and inheritance in Scotland. Will this be the change she needs with moving forward with her life? This heartfelt book will have you turning the pages to find out. Jackie Fraser will sweep you away to Scotland to live vicariously though Thea. This book explores love, loss, friendships,and second chances. Great topics for book club discussions! Be sure to add it to your TBR list!

Jakie Fraser has done an amazing job with her debut novel!! This was a cute, charming unputdownable novel and readers who loved Evie Drake Starts Over would totally enjoy this one! The story is set in around countryside Scotland coast with lords and big mansions and dreamy neighborhood!!

Thea is starting over after being separated from her husband who has been cheating on her with her friend. She inherits a Scottish countryside lodge from her estranged uncle and visits the place in hope of selling it. She encounters a handsome but arrogant bookseller named Edward, who is also a posh lord. She takes up a temporary job at his bookshop and their slow burn romance is adorable!!

This was a 5 star read for me and I would highly recommend this debut book to a romcom fan or anyone who is looking for a cute charming read set in beautiful Scotland!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine books for the gifted galley in exchange of my honest review!

Starting over when it’s all your idea is one thing, but quite another when you find out your husband of 18 years has been having an affair. While life isn’t turning out quite like Thea planned, an inheritance from a long lost relative is about to change everything. I love the idea of starting over in a small countryside town with a bookstore. This story doesn’t disappoint. It has lovely side characters and main characters you root for. I would definitely give Jackie Fraser’s next book a chance!

I absolutely loved this book. I found the characters to be fun and relatable, and I thought the storyline was the perfect blend of sweet and endearing. I thought the plot was well-paced and easy to follow, but I also felt like there were some surprises thrown in to keep this from being a generic fiction book. As a reader, I could really identify with the characters in the story, and I loved that I could see myself making the same decisions as they did at times. I think this is a great story that will speak to a lot of readers!

This is a wonderful escape that was fun, touching, and as cozy as a cuppa in front of the fireplace. Women’s fiction usually has me wishing for a stronger romance subplot, but this one had enough to keep me happy even though it was not enough to be categorized as a romance novel.

I absolutely loved the setting in a small Scottish town, which added to this book’s charm. Add in a bookshop as a pivotal location and it could hardly get better. Except for the private little beach hut which takes it into perfection territory.

I was also pleased to read a story featuring a mature woman in her forties. Despite her current run of bad luck, she is fun and smart and likable. I greatly enjoyed her interactions and growing friendships with the people she meets in Scotland. This book also has some major cha-chings for anyone who fancies the inclusion of a manor and a younger brother who is the lord because the grouchy older brother gave up the title. The brothers have interesting dynamics that add much to the book.

Although the main characters face real issues, this book never feels too unsettling or painful. If you have ever daydreamed about moving to a small town and working in a bookshop owned by a gorgeous grouch who is much softer on the inside than he lets on, this is one you must read. I also recommend this for anyone looking for cozy and feel-good Women’s Fiction.

This was a cute and enjoyable book from start to finish. Thea is great, strong character and I admired her resilience even when she was going through so much emotionally with a loss of husband who cheated and the loss of job. She decided to start over in Scotland. She finds a bookshop she loves but the owner, Edward is anything but inviting to her when she tries to sell her uncle's book collection. Edward and Thea fight all the time, each has their own walls and angst. Does understanding come? Do the walls come down? You will have to read to find out!

This was a surprisingly good book by Jackie Fraser even though this kind of story has been told before. Fraser puts her own spin on it and it is enjoyable and a break from thrillers. I would definitely read another book from this author in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jackie Fraser and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/4/21

*Wont buy for HS library, but would if I was an adult buyer.*

So, I got this title as an ARC from NetGalley. And I’d like to explain the rating of 4, first of all. I’d have given this book a 5 but for one thing: the structure of the chapters/pacing of the writing. I rarely felt like a thought or storyline or conversation or character arc was completed before I was moved on to the next thing. So, while I adored the plot, the characters, the development of the story, the broody leading man, the secondary and tertiary characters, and the setting entirely, I didn’t love the experience of reading the book as much as I could have. The transitions are just really choppy and uncomfortable.

Also, if I’m being honest, I don’t get the draw of the MC. She is a good vehicle for the story, but she does not engender caring feelings in me, which I don’t quite understand. But it’s a good read, nonetheless. 🤓💜📚