This is a cute book and a good fit for someone looking for a light, entertaining read. People who are middle-aged or going through a divorce or similar life change will likely connect with this book. The physical descriptions of Scotland will also likely appeal to readers who are interested in history. Overall, I found this book charming, but I was not overly invested in the plot or any of the characters. I also felt that it read as very long for the material; it felt easy to see where things were going before they actually happened in the book, which made it uneven to read and stay focused on.

The love of the highlands ran deep for me throughout this book. I couldn't identify with why but we've all wanted to run away from our lives at one point or another and Fraser really captured the ideal of what that adventure would look like. I was surprisingly delighted to find that Thea, while having gone through a ton, wasn't overly whiny or unlikable. She was grieving and angry and that was okay.
The plot of this book isn't a mystery and it lands exactly the way i wanted it to. This is going on the recommend list for anyone looking to have an adventure while still at their desk.

This is another one of those stories where the protagonist unexpectedly inherits a house/shop/parcel of land. In this case, it's a house in rural Scotland. The timing is perfect, because her life has kind of imploded. As the title indicates, there IS a shop in town, with a curmudgeonly owner. And it's here that Thea gets a second chance to reinvent her life.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was cute! nothing spectacular but definitely heartwarming and sweet...I enjoyed it but not sure I would go out of my way to recommend.

This was a really cute read. It honestly felt like a hallmark movie in book form. Thea’s life is falling apart, she’s lost her job, her husband and doesn’t know what she wants to do with herself, when she finds out she’s inherited an old property in Scotland. Picking up her life and moving gives Thea the happiness she never expected to find.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Give me a setting in Scotland, a used bookstore, a little romance thrown in and I am in reading world heaven. The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser is a delightful, easy read that did not disappoint. Thea inherits a cottage from an uncle that she barely knew ( I really have to get more involved with ancestry.com LOL) Good timing because her husband Chris (affectionately known as the bastard) has been found out cheating with Thea's friend. Best friend Xanthe helps Thea set herself up in Scotland and she ends up getting a job at a used bookstore. Enter Edward....a seriously grumpy loner that really has no time for anything other than superficial relationships.

While there is not a lot of "chemistry" between the two... it is obvious there is something there. Maybe it is just timing. They have a roller coaster of a relationship and this books really gives out a lot of feels. I enjoyed the mature approach in this book regarding age, wisdom and life outlook. It was refreshing not to be once again reading about wandering women in their 20's.

Cosy reading at its best. Enjoy it with a cup of tea and a rainy day.

A feel-good second chance romance with realistically flawed characters. After Thea loses her job and longtime marriage to her cheating husband, she decides to go to a small village in Scotland where she unexpectedly inherited a cottage from a great uncle. His collection of rare books sends her to the local bookshop where she meets Edward. Although he's socially awkward and most people call him grumpy, they develop a friendship when Edward hires her as his assistant. While she originally planned just to stay for the summer, this small village starts to feel more and more like home.
I love Thea's character. No matter what grumpy comment Edward makes, she always has a comeback to make him smile. The dynamic between these two relatable characters is great. This story made me want to drop everything and find a small town Scottish bookshop to work in. I look forward to reading more by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to Ballantine books for the free book.

I received a complimentary copy of Book Shop of Second Chances from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I really loved this story! With an easily relatable heroine, believable plot, and interesting events (including a reluctant love interest), what was not to like?! Great book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! It is the most entertaining piece of women's fiction/romance I have read in a long time. Not only would I read another book by this author, I will seek out future publications by Jackie Fraser. In fact, I hope she revisits this cast of characters.
Thea's situation immediately grabbed my interest. Her husband just dumped her because he's having an affair with one of her friends, she lost her job, and her great uncle died leaving her a house in Scotland. Off to Scotland she goes to put her deceased uncle's affairs in order and to deal with her own situation. She makes new friends and gets a little job in a bookstore. The owner, who has a reputation for being a grouch, becomes one of her new buddies.
I would like to personally thank the author for writing a book about a middle aged female central character whose life does not revolve around children and/or grandchildren. By choice. She does not have children. She did not want children, and this is not why her marriage failed. I think many authors are afraid of alienating the majority of middle aged female readers whose lives are child-focused. Thea is also not a ravenous career woman. She is the type of character I have rarely seen in women's fiction. She's an average woman who just happens not to have children.
The supporting cast is also filled with interesting personalities. Edward and his brother throw in a bunch of twists and surprises. I also love that one of Thea's best friends is named Xanthe.
The dialogue in this novel is completely believable and amusing. Narration from Thea's POV is so effective, I could feel her discomfort, embarrassment, awkwardness, etc. Some of her predicaments were laugh out loud funny. I cannot remember the last time I actually laughed while reading a book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

T H E B O O K S H O P O F S E C O N D C H A N C E S by Jackie Fraser

📖📖📖📖

👏🏻 Bravo 👏🏻 to author Jackie Fraser for this heart string pulling debut novel!

This book follows Thea, a middle aged woman whose life was just turned upside down. Thea runs away to a tiny town in Scotland when she learns she inherited land (and more) from a distant great uncle.
- Thea is a witty, sarcastic character who can also be emotional about what she’s going through
- Thea finds herself working with a bit of a grump, Edward & they end up spending copious amounts of time together.
- I’m a sucker for romantic comedy movies and books & The Bookshop of Second Chances didn’t disappoint
- This is a well written, full of emotion & sarcasm (my favorite combination) book set in a town Scotland that I would love to visit and take it the scenery & the people.
- Mark your calendars for May 4, 2021 & grab yourself a copy, you won’t regret it 🥰

•Thanks to @netgalley & Ballantine Books for a free ARC in exchange for my completely honest & original review

•Thanks to Hurricane Sally for granting me the time to finish this book in a quick manner. Can always count on hurricanes, am I right? On a real note - very thankful that my family fared well in the storm when many others didn’t. Prayers to those affected by Sally 🙏🏻

•Thanks to @amazonkindle for being a wonderful hurricane buddy, ya girl couldn’t have read this book without it & no lights.

QOTD - what book do you have your calendar marked for release day??

#beansbooknook #bookstagram #advancedreadingcopy #netgalleybooks #ballantinebooks #thebookshopofsecondchances

Happy Valentines Day! Thea Mottram loses her job and learns her husband of nearly twenty years Has been having an affair for the last several years with one of her best friends and now wants a divorce. She leaves her home and all her memories behind when she learns a distant relative In Scotland has left his home and book collection To her, his only relative. Desperate to find some distance, she heads to the small village of Baldochrie on the wild coast of Scotland. Once there, the lovely little cottage becomes a haven and she learns to love the anonymity. Thinking she will stay a few weeks and sort out the antique book collection for sale her plans rapidly change. She takes a job at a local bookstore and finds herself in an emotional tug of war between two curmudgeonly brothers jumping from one emotional fire into another.
You’ll fall in love with the folks in this lovely little Scottish village and root for Thea to find some happiness. She’s funny, charming, and has a razor sharp sense of humor. She’s trying to find some sense of balance in this middle aged emotional mess she’s found herself in. Great little story. Wonderful characters.
3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for my comments.

Heya,

I stayed up all night just so I could finish this book. I really enjoyed it. I think it’s because I’m an avid reader that I really love books about bookstores. I loved the love interest, although felt like he was a bit emotionally immature for his age. That’s the other thing, I really enjoyed reading a book about a main character who isn’t 25 with a hot body, the best hair, and her whole life ahead of her to find love.

I also loved that time passes in the book and you can really see the character arcs. However, I felt like the time jumps weren’t strong enough. They seemed to be thrown in, and some of the true emotional growth is glazed over.

I would give this book 3.5 stars! I did really enjoy it and feel like the romance was just as great as the setting. How amazing would it be to go to Scotland and talk long walks, hang on the beach at the book’s Shed, and own such expensive and rare novels from Classics around the world?

An enjoyable read for a cool fall day. Thea is a likeable character. There are some issues for me with how nonchalant she is regarding Edward's past. That seems unbelievable considering her own past. But overall still a good read.

This book was given to me as an ARC via the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I finished this book and I liked some parts of it but sadly didn't love it like I thought I would.
The setting of Scotland and a bookshop was so lovely and the premise of a divorcee finding love again was one I don't see much in literature so I was curious to read it however the amount of cursing in the book was extremely off putting and felt out of character for the type of novel it was. The other issue is the characterization of Thea. In the book Thea constantly put herself down and said she was ugly , trying to pass it off as a joke or made comments or had thoughts that she wasn't worthy of love or didn't think the positive things being said about her could possibly be true. It was uncomfortable and heartbreaking to read and sends a message I don’t think the author intended for a character getting a second chance at love. I look forward to more from the author nevertheless.

Thank you Netgalley for this book!

The beginning of this book had me chuckling a bit, but then it started drifting to a far away land and I just got lost. Not in a good way. The characters are flat and I couldn't connect with any of them.
I literally rolled my eyes 20% into the book after I read, "No girls allowed!" When the main character inquires about a job opening at the local bookstore. When she asks why he won't hire girls, the owner says, "because they fall in love with me or I fall in love with them." *Cringe*
There isn't a lot of witty banter or chemistry between the two main characters and I just felt....bored.

This book felt like a bowl of plain popcorn. No salt, no butter, no carmel cheese mix, just plain popcorn. Like you keep eating it because it's there, but there isn't much flavor.
I can appreciate the book for what it is, but it wasn't for me.

I received a ARC copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book just fizzled in my eyes. It was a lot longer than it needed to be and slow paced. The whole reason Edward coming into Thea's life to help sell her uncle's vast collection of first edition books. After he agrees to help her, that is the last time we hear about the books. I also wonder if outside Edward, there isn't anyone left in town that could fill her in on her uncle's life. She doesn't even think until months later to even visit his grave. There are missed opportunities throughout the entire book flush out the characters but she just does not take them. I personally found both brothers, Edward and Charles, unlikeable and I am not sure I even liked Thea. Without giving away spoilers, my suggestion would be skip this book.

This was a cute book with really lovable main characters! I thoroughly enjoyed it very much. A cute and a fast read with an emotional punch. A great book, overall! Highly recommended!

Thea, the British heroine of "The Bookshop of Second Chances," doesn't pretend to be something she's not. She's a 40-something woman who just lost her job and her marriage within a week. When a distant relative leaves her a small house in Scotland, there's nothing to stop her from moving in and trying to start over. The book unfolds pleasantly enough from there, as Thea discovers her great-uncle also left behind a valuable book collection and as she meets the inhabitants of the small town nearby. Sometimes you go out to eat to try something exotic; other times you are really in the mood for a big bowl of mac and cheese. This is a mac and cheese kind of novel. Somewhat predictable, but also satisfying and homey.

Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for giving me a free digital galley in exchange for feedback.

Here it is, readers. The perfect escape.

Thea recently lost her job. Also, she recently found out that her husband was having an affair with her friend. While Thea is at her old house, moving out her most important possessions so that her husband’s new girlfriend can move in, she gets a letter. A great-uncle she didn’t know well has passed away, and left her his beautiful old home full of antiquarian books, in a small town in Scotland full of quirky secondary characters.

Everything about this story was just what I wanted it to be, and of COURSE there are two brothers, the wealthy lord and the cantankerous bookshop proprietor, both handsome, both appealing and difficult in their own unique ways, and each hating the other. Will Thea find a second chance for a better life? Is a second, better love possible for Thea? You can probably make a really good guess at the answers to both of those questions, but read the novel anyway, because the writing, characters, and plot are well executed and the whole thing is just a delightful escape.. It’s like good comfort food, a big pan of macaroni and cheese made by your favorite aunt.

I liked it so much that I decided to read everything else Jackie Fraser has written - frustratingly, it turns out that this is her first novel. Well, I’ll read everything else starting now.

I want to first thank Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read an eARC of The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser.

This story gave me instant Evvie Drake Starts Over Feels and is impossible not to adore!

Thea, an overly direct, intelligent and extremely relatable 44-year-old woman is extremely down on her luck. She starts her year by losing her job, to then only find out her husband has been cheating on her with one of her friends. Just as her world is being turned upside down, she inherits a house with an amazing book collection and a large sum of money from her great uncle who has passed. Thea uses this opportunity to see what else life might have to offer. She travels to Baldochrie, Scotland to see the house and falls in love with the small Scottish town instantly. But what is a cute Scottish town without a Scottish boy, or should I say man. Edward.

Edward is best described as a lovable grump, and maybe not even so lovable at first and more of just a grump. No longer believing in love and relationships, with a dysfunctional sex life to say the least, between family drama and a bleak outlook on life, he spends his day hidden away in his secondhand bookshop. That is until Thea wonders in and a friendship begins to slowly blossom.

Together, Thea and Edward slowly realize they are both deserving of happiness and second chances, even if at times their fears and self-doubts get in the way.

Fraser is such a talented writer and has created two extremely lovable and relatable characters in Thea and Edward. My only complaint is I would have loved to see more chemistry between the two with some witty banter, a few sparks and some elements that made their growing love more believable.

This book hits stores on 5/4/2021 and should absolutely be on your TBR.