When Evelyn’s husband dies, the discovery of a letter means that she must reevaluate her whole marriage. Unable to bear the thought of Christmas at home, she impulsively decides to book a coach trip to the Isle of Wight to see if she can unravel some secrets from the past.

This is the lovely story of how Evelyn comes to terms with the past and steps into a new future; of how she sheds her brittle exterior and opens up to new friends; of how she comes to terms with grief and finds new hope. The author skilfully weaves the past and present together and gradually reveals Evelyn’s family history as the story progresses. I found this to be an easy but very enjoyable read. Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I chose this book because it was very different from my usual choices.it certainly was different, I liked the humour and the story, but wasn't keen on the main character, I wish I had liked her more, I understand why she was like she was, but I just couldn't take to her, However the book was good, and well written, and not a bad read.

Three women, strangers until they meet on a holiday trip.. each are running away from their life as they know it. Tears, laughter, angst and friendship. But each has a chance to change their lives and learn a lot about themselves, if only they have enough courage to hold on and enjoy the ride. Thank you Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, the Head of Zeus for this delightful book. The comments and review are my honest opinion.

Evelyn is recently widowed wheb she discovers secrets about her husband's life. Not wishing to spend Christmas with her sister and family, she books a trip away. The coach trip to the Isle of Wight has ups and downs , perhaps more downs ! Evelyn slowly thaws with a couple of women on the trip and all their secrets are gradually revealed. This is a book about friendship, relationships and grief. Emotions are dealt with realistically and the women support each other and open up to each other in a heart warming way. A great and thought provoking read
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review


https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5059261219

Well this is a book about my mother, or so it feels. Though I doubt I’ll tell her that. But I found several parallels in the attitude and situation of the main character so in many ways was glad that this worked out as it did. This suggests to me that the book was well written, with believable characters and of course it’s so refreshing to have older female characters who can just get on with stuff, even if they drive each other nuts as they do so. I’m glad that there are a number of books appearing with older women who aren’t hopeless and feeble and this is a good example of the genre. I liked the humour, the warmth and the structure to the book, so that not all the secrets came out at once but throughout the book. The characters of Cynthia and Joy were really good and I adored Liam. Again, great to see so many believable characters throughout.
The closing scene where she got the plaque taken down was a glorious tribute to women no longer feeling they have to put up with shit male behaviour and it made me cheer out loud. Lots to like here.

I seem to be an odd one out here, but this really struggled to hold my attention. Wanted more. but it just didnt quite meet my expectations.

This was delightful. I have been searching for a heartwarming story that wasn't trite or syrupy and this was the perfect fit. Believable and characters you love, unless you are soulless and bitter this story will move you and make you cherish those you love.

What a brilliant book. It was life affirming, funny, witty, positive and the friendship shone through. It dealt with loss, grief, anger, adultery and much much more. I loved it was set on the Isle of wight as I’m reading here on holiday. I would really recommend this book to anyone just wanting a good read. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I would never have guessed this was a debut novel as everything feels like it’s been honed over many years. The storyline, the characters, the themes, they all seem so well accomplished.

Evelyn immediately reminded me of my dear late Nan. Not that she took up spontaneous trips to deal with her husband’s lies, but there was just something comforting and familiar about her that leapt off the page and gave me a big hug. It really gave me a chance to remember my Nan which was unexpected but lovely.

I didn’t initially connect with Cynthia or Joy. I felt Cynthia was too brash and too in-your-face, and I felt Joy was a bit of a wet weekend. However, as the story got going, they both came out of their shells and showed off their vulnerability, and by the end, I couldn’t split the trio up. Whilst all ladies of a certain age and seemingly very similar, between them, they portray a variety of complex emotions.

There’s a small, but important, supporting cast including Liam, Sarah, Carol and Alan - but as good as they are, none of them held my attention for long. For me, this was a three women powerhouse.

I did think it was going to be a very nice, sweet story about an old lady who decides to go on holiday. But it’s more involved than that. Yes it’s a story about an old lady travelling, but there’s so many layers. There’s sadness and loss and grief, loneliness and friendship, love and hate. It’s a very clear story about what to hold on to and what to let go and what to move on from.

It’s got a very powerful undertone of loss. The loss of spouses, children, relatives, friends and strangers. But it’s not morbid or disheartening in any way. It’s because of this loss that we learn to appreciate what we have.

It didn’t end exactly how I thought it would; it went in a different direction which was still a satisfying and pleasing ending.

It’s such a gorgeous book to read, and one I possibly wouldn’t have picked to read myself, but I’m glad I got the chance. It’s very similar, in my opinion, to Josie Lloyd’s “The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club”. That’s not to say the plots are the same, but they’re both stories of womanhood and female friendship and loneliness, and how even the worst of times can bring out the best in people.

It is very sweet, but vengeful, funny and sad, entertaining and enjoyable. It proves you’re never too old to start again and go on an adventure. It’s a quick read, perfect for cold winter evenings with a mug of something hot.

This appealed because I like Hazel Prior's books and I could definitely see similarities. I enjoyed it a lot and it had a greater depth than had expected when I began the first few pages. Sometimes feel good stories are just what you need. Thanks to Netgalley.

Tender, touching and refreshingly real, a definite must-read!

I am completely surprised to find out that this is the author's debut book, the quality of the writing and the beautifully poignant story say that there will be many many books to come from this talented author and after reading and loving this I can't wait to read any which will follow.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first came into this book, I liked the sound of it and the cover is pretty, but nothing jumped out at me to say that this was going to be as wonderful as it was. It's pretty unassuming like a beautiful songbird sitting in a corner, you don't know how beautifully they can sing until they put themselves into the spotlight and this is just the same. You don't realise how much you will enjoy it until you start reading.

I have to say that despite Evelyn being a good 40+ years older than myself, I saw a little of myself in her, I can't explain why or in what way but something in the way she thinks, her manner even her way of expressing herself and her borderline rude/insulting comments made me grimace thinking 'Oh, my god this is me! ' Eeek!
But put that aside and you have a woman who finds a unique way of dealing with loss and devasting unearthed secrets.

I really liked this book, written in first person the whole journey is laid out through Evelyn's eyes, and we get a deep understanding of her as a person and not just as a character all from her intimate thoughts throughout and I really liked that. I am very fussy when it comes to the first-person narrative some just don't sit well with me and some I can't get into at all yet this one hit all the right marks, it covers all the bases; emotion, humour, and insight into the story and friendship.

I loved the friendship aspect of the story, it's actually rather refreshing to read a book that isn't solely about romance, this has a lot of serious issues written within what is essentially a humous and poignant story of life after death, secret, discovery and friendship. I am pleasantly surprised at how uplifting this book is, despite the main plot of a woman grieving over the death of her husband and finding a world-shattering secret this is pretty light-hearted and very moving.
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@chicksroguesandscandals

I loved this book. After finding a diamond ring that would be too small for her in her late husband's jacket Evelyn is devastated. She finds an address in the Iske of White and decides to book a coach trip there to investigate.
The coach trip is a Christmas one and Evelyn is not a woman who mixes well socially. She meets another two women on the coach who embrace her into their company and Evelyn grudgingly accepts.
When they arrive at the hotel everything is not as they expect, in fact its chaos.
I was not expecting the book to have the twists and turns like it did. I loved the fact that they all got stuck in to make the best of things over Christmas. Laughter, heartache and new friendships with a mystery thrown in. A really good read.

This story is told from the first-person perspective of our main character, Evelyn. What I enjoyed most about this book was the fact that the seriousness of the issues were mixed with plenty of moments of joy and there were scatterings of humour throughout. The three main characters are all women of a certain age (70+) but despite that, or maybe because of it, they all want change in their lives.

I loved learning about their innermost secrets and desires. It was so entertaining to read about them growing as individuals and as friends. I was so pleased that these women found their strength in and from each other while learning a few things about themselves and some lessons along the way. This was a very moving and poignant story of grief, friendship, marriage, and moving forward.

The book surprised me in that it wasn't the fluffy read I was expecting, but it did get very uplifting as I read on and I loved the fact that it showed you are never too old to start over or make new friends. What a wonderful debut and I look forward to Kate Galley's sophomore release next year, The Golden Girls Road Trip.

This story was definitely one of a kind, having the power to evoke so many feelings, that I’m sure I won’t have felt the same way about it as the last reader, nor the next, so I can only recommend that you read The Second Chance Holiday Club for yourself and see where your journey leads you!

What a wonderfully warm and heartwarming story!

The writing was lovely and flowed well, the story really took me along with it and I miss the characters now that I have finished

This was a refreshing change of pace from my usual reads. The main characters are three elderly women with their own secrets and problems. They end up on a bus trip for various reasons and end up connecting and helping each other. It was sweet and heartfelt. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Three women who embark on a coach trip to really find themselves through the maze of secrets. Is anything ever how it appears? But this book shows the strength of female solidarity and female strength. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Three quite different elderly women are thrown together when they embark on a Christmas coach trip to The Isle of White. When they are dropped at the hotel it soon becomes obvious that it isn't the hotel that they had booked from the brochure and the welcome was anything but warm. The hotel was scruffy and cold with very few staff, they were told that the other hotel had double booked and this was their only option. The company that they had booked with didn't want to know and the only saving grace was the young man who was helping out and the coach driver, who tried to look on the bright side. The three women soon realised that they would have to work together and try to salvage Christmas even though it wasn't what they wanted or had expected. I soon warmed to the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed the read

Evelyn was an older character and it seemed unfair that she had to discover what she did.
Her husband found dead in a vehicle in another part of the county with ring in his pocket
and a cryptic letter addressed to a woman on the Isle of Wight. Her marriage to Tony has
been devoid of any deep feeling for a long time, and they had just got into a rut with Tony
ruling the roost most of the time, using Evelyn's money for his own advancement.

Evelyn decides to pursue her own investigation and their follows a hilarious journey to a
run down hotel on the Isle of Wight in the company of a tour group - including ladies as
dysfunctional as any you could find but all finding comfort and solace in each other. Evelyn
was set in her ways, did not like to mix, was very particular what she did and how she did
things which were very annoying to read about until you realized that most ladies of her age
were like that. (Made me very keen to be otherwise as I am in the same age category as her!!!!)

The story was sad and funny. Discovering the truth of Tony's infidelity which went back decades
his long relationship with the other woman, Evelyn making amends in the way she knew how which was
wonderful and peace coming to both Evelyn and the other woman's daughter who was resentful, angry
and wary at the beginning was a good ending for all.

Very character driven, very descriptive of the Isle of Wight as well and the courage of three
women to overcome odds in their personal lives.

The Second Chance Holiday Club by Kate Galley far exceeded my expectations. This was an author that I was not familiar with, but the book description peaked my curiosity. The three main ladies each have a story to tell. They meet up on a Christmas holiday trip. Although they are different in every way, they come together and develop an affinity for each other. The other sub characters help weave the story together and they too are like able. I highLy recommend this book. I had to stay up very late last night to finish it and that’s the sign of a good book.