I got completely swept up in Jackie Fraser’s The Bookshop of Second Chances. I enjoyed the British humor, the frank and blunt conversations, and the characters who were unique and interesting. ~ Slick – Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Synopsis:
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.
I got completely swept up in Jackie Fraser’s The Bookshop of Second Chances. While this book is definitely women’s fiction, it does have a very, very s-l-o-w burn romance with off the page sex scenes. I enjoyed the British humor, the frank and blunt conversations, and the characters who were unique and interesting.
Being downsized from her job and then receiving a text message from her husband who meant to send it to his lover (who was also Thea’s friend), Thea Mottram’s life has been turned upside down. Thea moved out, got her own place and mourned the loss of her 20+ year relationship. She didn’t explode, she didn’t beg him to try and save their marriage, she felt that at 38 she was past the point of begging someone to be with her. When her great uncle leaves her a house in a small town in Scotland, she decides to go and check it out and decide what to do with the house, its content, and get away from the gossip that surrounds her. I liked Thea, I felt that her reaction to the end of her marriage was typical for the length of time she was in it and the fact that her whole life changed in a short time. Thea was at that point in her life where she basically said, “f*ck it” to the world and set out to figure her next step.
Thea soon meets two men, brothers, Charles Maltravers who happens to be Lord Hollinshaw and his older brother Edward, who chose to renounce his title; they don’t get on at all, but both want something from Thea. Charles wants the house from her as it belonged to the original Hollinshaw estate and Edward who owns a rare and used bookshop wants the rare and first edition books that her uncle left her in the estate.
It would be easy to think of this as some strange romance triangle but that isn’t it at all. First off Thea isn’t interested in pursuing a romantic relationship, Edward is a bit of a curmudgeon that most of the town doesn’t like and he doesn’t care. He likes his shop, his books, but he doesn’t lack for female companionship without emotional attachment, and Charles has two ex-wives, two children, and is too “posh” for Thea’s taste not that she’s remotely interested.
Thea soon finds herself settling into her new home and the town of Baldochrie even making several new friends, but she needs something to keep her busy and when he finds out Edward’s employee is leaving and despite his objections talks him in to giving her a job. For months they form this strange friendship, sharing stories, discussing books, and growing closer. I loved watching their relationship change and it was interesting to watch. Their banter was smart and often funny, the way Thea picks apart Edward’s unconventional relationships making him question his reason of them and essentially leading him to revaluate his life was intriguing. I appreciated that even after they became more than friends, Thea was thinking ahead, playing life smart by making sure she was secure on her own, but also going all in with Edward after a particularly strange visit from her soon to be ex-husband.
I enjoyed the pace of this book, some might find it slow but it kept my attention as each interaction was integral piece of their burgeoning relationship. Witty, smart, and completely engaging, I thoroughly enjoyed The Bookshop of Second Chances.
4 stars
