Thea's life has crashed and burned. Her husband of almost 20 years is found to be cheating on her and her world takes a nose dive. Now what? When an unexpected chance to move to Scotland comes up, she decides it's her chance to clear her head and find a new purpose in her life. To pass the time, she is able to find wok at a bookshop in town, run by a grumpy Scotsman. Her anonymity is refreshing and the people are loving and welcome. Soon her anonymity fades as she makes close friends and comes to love this sleepy town. The decision to sell or stay weighs heavy on her. Such a cute story. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and wouldn't mind re-visiting them or some similar in the future. Makes me want to visit this pretend little town!

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book had a lot of promise. I was hooked from the get-go, in love with a woman starting over in a Scottish country lodge surrounded by old books.

And then... romance.

With a grouchy bookshop owner who'd passed up the chance to be a Lord and made a habit of sleeping with his brother's lady friends. I wish the story hadn't needed Thea to end up with Edward... because Edward ended up verging Creepy Stalker before, and after, he and Thea ended up an item.

It was... a bit unsettling, unfortunately. And I'd have rather just read about Thea.

(Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest and original review.)

This is a lovely book that felt right for a time that is stressful and full of uncertainty, the perfect comfort read. Recommended!

I requested this book because I adored Evvie Drake Starts Over, and the blurb specifically mentioned The Bookshop of Second Chances is “perfect” for fans of Evvie Drake.

This novel did not deliver on its promise.

The prose was dry and detached. The characters are flat. The middle is soggier than an abandoned bowl of cereal. I slogged my way through the entire novel, hoping that it would improve. However, even when I reached the inevitable Happily Ever After, I still felt ambivalent about Thea, Edward, and Charles.

The book begins with the tired cliché of an unfaithful husband who gets caught. The wounded wife calmly agrees to an uncomplicated divorce after 20+ years of marriage and gracefully bows out to let the new mistress (of course, a once dear friend) MOVE INTO HER HOME. Now, she has absolutely no place to live.

Thea crashes on her politically-correct obligatory POC friend’s couch and barely dares to return to her own home to pick up her items. Conveniently, on the dinner table lies an arbitrary letter from a long-long uncle’s estate conveniently sharing that Thea has inherited a fabulous cottage in Scotland with a lord as a next-door neighbor, whose brother is a gorgeous local bookshop owner.

As an avid Romance and Women’s Fiction reader, many passages in this book were insulting. Edward, the bookshop owner, initially refuses to hire “girls” because either he or they can’t help themselves from falling in love. I can’t roll my eyes enough.
Many of Thea’s character choices were made only to advance the plot as quickly as possible. The characters aren’t developed enough to make the reader think about them beyond reading the last word of the novel.

In contrast, Evvie Drake was written with finesse. It presented characters who were 3-dimensional, raw, sloppy, flawed, and relatable. The Bookshop of Second Chances lacks in these areas and ultimately falls flat. Other than the mature characters, there’s no real comparison to the two novels. I felt misled by the blurb.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

Really enjoyed reading this book.. You know those books where the main characters are unbelievably beautiful, even if they are enemies, they can't keep their hands off each other and there is not a strong storyline besides the relationship. This book was NOT that! The real romance did not even start until the second half of the book. This book is full of humor, relatable, flawed characters and a build up to the relationship. The one thing that I think could have been done better is the ending. I felt it was very abrupt. I had to look twice to make sure that I had actually reached the end of the book and not inadvertently missed something. Still worth the read!

I really enjoyed this book. I especially liked how the main characters are not in their twenties. I need more books where the main characters are "older". I will definitely read more by this author

The Bookshop of Second chances landed on my TBR list at just the perfect time. After reading a horrid, dark book, I needed something light, upbeat and fun to read. It certainly delivered on those things, plus added in a bit romance and a bookshop, which are always bonuses for me! I enjoyed traveling through Scotland with Thea as she rediscovered herself. And, really grew to like despicable, “grumpy” Ed. One thing I would have preferred was less profanity. It was used so casually, and often used the Lord’s name in vain, which is offensive to me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a sweet romance that gives you all the feels and hope for the future. Thea has just moved to our inherited house after separating from her husband of 20 years and finds that love it still possible. Super fun and flirty read.

What a cute story. I've read several books about women starting over in life, usually after a breakup, but they're almost all in their twenties. It was great to read about a grown woman in her forties who has to start over. Thankfully, she's given a house in Scotland, so she goes up there to get it ready to sell and provide some money for her new life. Since she's low on cash, she gets a part time job in a local bookstore. I loved reading about the small town and how everyone in interconnected. If you're looking for a cute, feel good story, this is the one for you.

I received this book complimentary from NetGalley but all opinions are my own.
This was cute! I don’t know that I would reread and it’s not on my top recommendations list but Thea and Edward were charming. I love the setting of a Scottish bookstore. I’d love to fall in love in a bookshop. It was just the right amount of slow burn and action. I enjoyed this.

This is a quick read that is character driven. I read an early. copy ffor Netgalley for review. The title
Intrigued me, but it was less than hoped for. I finished the book, but I would have liked more about the bookstore and setting. This is something to read on a chilly afternoon while cuddled under an Afghan.

Jackie Fraser's book was the best I've read in months. This bittersweet novel about a middle aged woman who deals with an unfaithful husband and friend, discovery of family history transcends the usual Scottish village tale. Filled with humor, the idiosyncrasies of friendship and then love, set in a well described rare bookshop is the most satisfying read of this autumn.

Heart-warming book with enjoyable characters and predictable plot-line. A great quick, cozy read that meets your expectations and provides a satisfying ending.

One of my bucket-list items is to man a bookshop in Wigtown, so of course the setting of The Bookshop of Second Chances is what drew me to this novel. I knew I was going to enjoy it right then. And the characters and Thea and Edward's banter only enhanced the experience.
A beautiful love story of second chances not only at love but with family as well.
Want to be immersed in Scotland and rare books and bookish banter? Hurry up and read this book!

Thea's year is not going well (can't we all relate in 2020?) First, she loses her job, then finds out her husband of 20+ years is having an affair with one of her best friends. After coming home to a letter from a solicitor, Thea discovers that a long lost Uncle has left her a bookshop in Scotland. Thea packs her things, and heads over there with the intention of only staying for a few weeks, however, as time passes, she finds herself having no reason to go home and decides to stay in Scotland to start a new chapter of her life.

While I certainly had high hopes for the premise of the book, it left a lot to be desired for me. Specifically one of the characters, Edward. The reader, which I would assume will mostly female, is asked to not only read a story where one of the male characters is offensive to women, but also to like him. He's verbally abusive to Thea and women and also specifically states several times that he discriminates against women, and doesn't hire them. Yeah, no thanks. I'm not ok with reading a story like that, and also being asked to accept that men are just like that. Other than, that the story was sweet, but I had a hard time overlooking that aspect of the story.
Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my review and honest opinion.
This review will be available to view on Goodreads 10/29/2020

Thea’s having a bad month. She finds out her husband is cheating on her and leaving her! Her uncle has passed away, and he left her his house and book collection in Scotland. She heads there to start a new life. There she meets the Maltravers brothers who may change the course of her life as she knows it.
This book is really great. The writing makes you feel like you are there in the Scottish Village. I wanted to go visit and be a part of the story. As a book lover, Thea’s life is one of envy with the unlimited access to beautiful stories. This is such a creative book with amazing character depth. It’s a feel good story, and it’s a very sweet, light read! I highly recommend it!

Such a cute and fun read! Perfect distraction in life right now. Really enjoyable characters and story and hard to put down!

Completely charming and a refreshing change from the typical 20-something romance. A recommended purchase for collections where light WF and contemporary romances are popular.

This was enjoyable, although it has a lot of competition in the "bookshop romances set in Europe" genre that is VERY popular. Thea and Edward were good characters, fun tropes, good writing, but something about it fell a little flat to me.

Overall, good but not great.