This was a dnf for me. I had a hard time getting into it. The writing was very descriptive but also somehow not descriptive enough? I just didn’t enjoy it all that much


Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own.

What a fun read! I love that it was a post-divorce story but never felt too heavy. Most of the time romantic relationship drama in books bores me but not the case this time. The brothers’ strained relationship was super toxic and kind of dragged this down for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair review of this book.

When I see that a book takes place in Scotland, it’s an easy decision to pick it up. This book did not disappoint! The characters are well developed and their storylines evoked real emotions for me. I loved Edward’s character- I mean, who doesn’t love a good grump!

I have recommended this to several friends and I bought a copy for my mom, who is from Scotland. I really enjoyed this book and would read again!

The romance in this book is at a slow simmer for the first half and really kicks into gear in the second. So push through if it's not grabbing you right away.

Thea is a sympathetic heroine. Her husband has left her for her friend and she has conveniently also inherited a cozy house in Scotland at the same time. She gets a job at the local bookshop while trying to figure out what to do with her life next. She meets the grumpy and much in need of a therapist shop owner, Edward. A friendship grows and complicated emotional turmoil ensues.

This is a high emotional drama between two very damaged people who are, luckily, both very self aware. They know they can do and be better versions of themselves, together. You will root for them.

I'm rating a 4. I could've used some more descriptive love scenes and less emotionally charged dialogue in the bedroom. It would've been great to get a couple chapters from Edward's POV too (he's kind of a mysterious Mr. Darcy type. You never know what he's really thinking).

It was a very dramatic read and hard to put down once it kicked into gear. It will give you all those teenage first love tingles.

This book was, unfortunately, not for me. I immediately wanted to pick it up after reading the story description; a more mature main character who works at a bookshop in Scotland. What's not to love? Let's start with the things I enjoyed about this story: the bookstore and coastal Scotland setting, a grumpy love interest, and the rebuilding-your-life and friendship themes. On the other hand, I found the writing to be very flat and one-dimensional. It was almost like reading diary entries. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, which almost made me DNF the book all together. I didn't really buy into some of the characters and their existing relationships (i.e. Edward and Charles), and I thought the romance was slapped together with no real chemistry, development, or reasoning. It just wasn't believable. Some of the profanity took away from the story. I'm not religious and swear like a sailor but the over-usage of "Jesus Christ" and "Christ" was just completely unnecessary and distracted from the rest of the dialogue. Speaking of dialogue, most scenes read like you were listening into a phone conversation with two of the most dull people imaginable. After finishing a scene, I'd ask myself, "Why did that matter? Why was that included in the story?" It all felt half-baked and generally unpleasant.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine Books for the ARC!

I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book. I wasn’t super interested in Thea’s story and Edward was very unlikeable. The premise sounded cute but it just wasn’t for me. I stuck through as long as I did because the writing was good.

Give me all of the books about bookshops, please and thank you. This was such a fun read! It's incredibly charming, and I really enjoyed the main characters and their relationship.

What an uplifting book! A romance between a 40-somthing heroine (Thea) and her book-shop-owner boss (Edward). But, wait. I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's how it starts. Thea loses her job and her husband of 20 years (he leaves her for one of her good friends!) at practically the same instant. As she is crying (she cried a lot at the beginning of the book but don't let that put you off) and sinking into a deep depression, news arrives that a childless great uncle in Scotland has died, leaving her his cottage and his enormous collection of first editions. Why? Because Thea once told him that she'd rather read than almost anything else. So, she journeys up to "visit" her inheritance--to sell everything because, as a result of the divorce, she is poor. But she is seduced by the picturesque Scottish village, makes friends with the locals, including the owner (Edward) of an antiquarian book store. Romance? Yes. And it unfolds in the loveliest way. There's something with Edward's younger brother (now a laird) but I won't spoil it for you). I will tell you that I was sad when I finished the book and, indeed, I read the last chapters rather more slowly than necessary.

It moved slowly at times. It uses the plot found in a lot of rom coms. Infidelity, rich relative, and cranky man in the new location.

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser is contemporary fiction. Thea Mottram is having a bad month. She’s been let go from her office job with no notice—and to make matters even worse, her husband of nearly twenty years has decided to leave her for one of her friends. Bewildered and completely lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But when she learns that a distant great uncle in Scotland has passed away, leaving her his home and a hefty antique book collection, she decides to leave Sussex for a few weeks. Escaping to a small coastal town where no one knows her seems to be exactly what she needs. Almost instantly, Thea becomes enamored with the quaint cottage, comforted by its cozy rooms and lovely but neglected garden. The locals in nearby Baldochrie are just as warm, quirky, and inviting. The only person she can’t seem to win over is bookshop owner Edward Maltravers, to whom she hopes to sell her uncle’s book collection. His gruff attitude—fueled by an infamous, long-standing feud with his brother, a local lord—tests Thea’s patience. But bickering with Edward proves oddly refreshing and exciting, leading Thea to develop feelings she hasn’t experienced in a long time. As she follows a thrilling yet terrifying impulse to stay in Scotland indefinitely, Thea realizes that her new life may quickly become just as complicated as the one she was running from.

The Bookshop of Second Chances is a story that I was not sure about in the beginning. I was not sure what category or sub category to label it is, and as I became invested in Thea's life it did really matter to me anymore. Thea had a rough month, getting fired for any reason is hard and then having a marriage split that includes friend and home division on top of it is horrific. I could understand the emotional and mental crisis Thea was going through- wondering what went wrong and what could possibly come next. I think that the fact that I am in the same age range as the main characters made it much easier to picture myself in their shoes, and empathize with the feelings that these kind of life changes bring on. I also liked that while there is romance there, and it certainly helped Thea move forward, it was not the key to what helped her see her worth and find her place. I liked reading alone as she made friends, and figured out how to move forward. I liked how she continued to try and make things better for those around her without compromising her own values or needs. When waves of trouble hit she dealt with it (got some good cries in because we all deserve that) and then pivoted and adjusted. I am not sure that I could have been so calm and collected as Thea given the same circumstances, although her worries lined what perfectly with what I think I would have been thinking in her place. I will be thinking about these characters for a while now.

The Bookshop of Second Chances is a story that took a minute to grab me, but now after finishing it will not let go.

The Bookshop of Second Chances will have you feeling all the emotions a book should have. This is Jackie Fraser’s debut novel and I am proud I found a new author. The Scottish setting is an added bonus!

I loved this quirky book that followed 40 year olds and took place in Scotland. This was a breathe of fresh air and was so different than a lot of the books that I have been reading recently. This book was raw, badass, and was not fluffy in any sense of the word. I loved the strong female lead! I do wish this had some more likable characters tho, very few of them had any redeeming qualities… but honestly that’s real life!

This book was a predictable book-themed romance that fans of the genre will enjoy. A divorcee visits the house she just inherited, intent on quickly selling and getting on with picking up the pieces of her broken heart. Then she meets a cantankerous bookseller and a lord, and she finds she can't think of a reason to leave. As she is welcomed into the small Scottish town, eventually helping to revitalize the bookshop, she finds herself able to love again. While it doesn't break new ground, this fairly quick read will satisfy fans of the genre.

3 happily ever after stars for this second chance romance set in Scotland and starring a woman who escapes her old life and two-timing husband for a run down inheritance and a part-time bookstore job.

I liked Thea a lot, and sympathized with her anger and disorientation after discovering that her husband has been cheating with her best friend. Edward, the grumpy bookstore owner was less appealing to me, and I found myself frustrated with his long running grudge against his family.

I think this book will be an appealing summer read for fans of contemporary romance.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Love, love, LOVE this book! Read it in a day and was sad to see it finished. Thea is a forty-something woman whose life has recently fallen in the toilet. She was down-sized at her job and recently found out her husband has been having a four-year affair with her best friend. Out of the blue Thea learns that her great Uncle Andrew has left her his lodge house in the wilds of Scotland. Once she arrives, with best friend Xanthe in tow, and sees the lodge she decides to stay for a while - at least to go through her Uncle's things and make the lodge suitable for sale. It is in a beautiful location on the outskirts of Baldochrie so Thea makes sure to spend time exploring the area and visiting Scotland's famous castles. The town is small, but welcoming and Thea soon makes friends and even finds a job at Fortescue's, the local bookstore. The store is run by Edward Maltravars, estranged brother to Charles, who is the actual Lord of Hollinshaw House, next door to Thea's. Edward is known about town as a curmudgeon among other less savory things, despite being close to Thea's age. As she gets to know him she finds they share a good sense of humor as well as a love for all things literary. Thea's old life then rears its ugly head and she must make some serious choices. Fans of Jenny Colgan and Sophie Kinsella will adore this book as will anyone who enjoys a great, light read. Thea's sharp wit and her ability to call it like she sees it make her a fascinating protagonist.. This is Jackie Frasier's first book. I look forward to reading her next one! Thanks so much to NetGalley for the chance to read the ARC.

I have read this book twice now and I have to say it was even better the second time. I liked it so much that I changed my 4-star to a 5-star review. I rarely give books a 5-star and never to an author I have never read before.

Obviously, I loved this book. It is a romance, but more than that it is a description of a woman’s recovery after having life kick her in the teeth. As the description says, Thea loses her job and her husband (the rat bastard) in a matter of weeks.

What she doesn’t know is that it will turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to her.

She inherits a house from a great-uncle that she has only met four times. She can’t understand why it was left to her instead of a closer family member. Her uncle explains why in the will.

And this is why I love this book. It has the best lines in it. I could have done an entire review of just great lines. I won’t, but I will include this one.
Uncle Andrew states he left the house to Thea “whom I have only met on four occasions, but who each time was intent on reading rather than talking, which has always been my own preference.”

Since I feel the same way, this really appealed to me.

Anyway, she meets a man who’s a “right arse.” Everyone says so, even him. Fortunately, she just finds him amusing. Of course, she falls for him. I’m not giving anything away. It’s a romance after all, right?

There is no great mystery or secrets to be discovered. This is a book about relationships and is hysterically funny in places. I did have to Google a few terms because I am from the United States and this book is very British. I didn’t always get the slang.

I just have to say, “brown sauce” does not sound at all appealing.

I’ve already recommended this book to friends and my local librarian. It is truly a fun book to read.

This book was sent to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I really was looking forward to this one as the premise seemed really great and the setting so quaint. Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me but I appreciate the opportunity to review.

What I liked about this book: The setting in this book is cute. I liked the residents of the Scottish town and the images of Thea’s new home and village. Overall, the premise of the story was intriguing. (And the cover is adorable!)

What didn’t work for me: I struggled with so much in this book. The pace was too slow and the banter was really awkward and didn't flow well. I also didn’t care for the relationship between Thea and Edward as it honestly seemed toxic.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved so much about The Bookshop of Second Chances. I love that Thea is in her 40s -- it made her so relatable. I loved how she was never bored. And this book had everything I enjoy in romantic fiction -- starting over, a small town in Scotland, a bookshop and inheriting an old house from a relative. My only quibble was that I felt a bit bogged down in the middle. I loved the dialogue and the building up towards a new relationship but maybe that could have been shortened. If you like Katie Fforde, check this one out!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one. As a librarian, I’m a sucker for bookish novels but the characters in this one just fell flat for me. It has some funny moments, and the romance was okay, but overall not the best I’ve read.

This was sweet, charming and very readable. It felt like a great gentle romcom read. I liked the main characters and their romance, plus the bookshop setting. Will definitely recommend.