The Bookshop of Second Chances: A Novel
May 2021 · Sold by Ballantine Books
4.7star
3 reviews
Ebook
448
Pages
family_home
Eligible
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About this ebook
A woman desperate to turn a new page heads to the Scottish coast and finds herself locked in a battle of wills with an infuriatingly aloof bookseller in this utterly heartwarming debut, perfect for readers of Evvie Drake Starts Over.
“Humor and charm abound. . . . [This] love story hits the spot.”—Publishers Weekly
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.
“Humor and charm abound. . . . [This] love story hits the spot.”—Publishers Weekly
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.
Ratings and reviews
4.7
3 reviews
Chelsea Taylor
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April 21, 2021
Any book with the word Bookshop in the title peaks my interest, and I'm so glad I picked this one up. What a sweet and enjoyable romance! Set mainly in Scotland, Thea has just split from her husband of many years after finding out he's been having an affair with her friend for years. A great uncle she didnt know too well passes and leaves her his home and money as she's his last living relative. She quickly leaves her home in Sussex and travels to Scotland.to sort it out. While she only intended to stay a few weeks, she ends up enjoying herself so much she stays on. She gets a job with Edward, the owner of an antique bookshop. Its interesting that she's even hired as Edwards first rule of business is No Girls. We watch Thea fall in love with the town and Edward while mending the parts of them both that need healed along the way. Though things are getting better, were still not close to international travel for pleasure anytime soon, so reading books set in places vastly different than mine is such a fun way to "see" other places at the moment. The author does such a good job of describing the area, the shop, the land, etc you can truly see where this is happening. The characters are also so well rounded and described its easy to feel involved in their story and truly root for their HEA. One of the best parts is Thea is middle aged, and truly acts like it. She doesn't try to be anyone but who she is and accepts she may not be a perfect twenty year old anymore. However, she still has so much to offer and is worthy of love. She doesn't accept less than she's worth and she is.only with Edward because he respects her as he should and treats her with kindness and respect. Its refreshing to see a strong, smart, and independent woman who is with a man because he adds to her life and not because she's desperate and takes the first thing that comes along. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you Ballantine Books, Jackie Fraser, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Jackie Fraser is a freelance editor and writer. She's worked for AA Publishing, Watkins, the Good Food Guide, and various self-published writers of fiction, travel and food guides, and self-help books. She reads a lot (no, really), in multiple genres, and is fascinated by the Bronze Age. She likes vintage clothes, antique fairs, and photography. She likes cats.
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