#BookReview ‘The Bookshop Of Second Chances’ by Jackie Fraser

About the book…

Set in a charming little Scottish town, The Bookshop of Second Chances is an uplifting story of fresh starts and new beginnings by a hugely talented debut author.

Thea’s having a bad month. Not only has she been made redundant, she’s also discovered her husband of nearly twenty years is sleeping with one of her friends. And he’s not sorry – he’s leaving.

Bewildered and lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But, when she learns the great-uncle she barely knew has died and left her his huge collection of second-hand books and a house in the Scottish Lowlands, she seems to have been offered a second chance.

Running away to a little town where no one knows her seems like exactly what Thea needs. But when she meets the aristocratic Maltravers brothers – grumpy bookshop owner Edward and his estranged brother Charles, Lord Hollinshaw – her new life quickly becomes just as complicated as the life she was running from…

My thanks to the ever awesome Sara-Jaye (BookMinxSJV On Twitter)from Team Books And The City at Simon And Schuster UK for my gifted review copy of ‘The Bookshop Of Second Chances’ by Jackie Fraser!

Available in e-book, audiobook and paperback, this glorious debut novel arrived at exactly the right time, it is just a delightful and purposeful summer read that perfectly wiles away a Sunday with no particular place to go.

I genuinely resented anything that made me put this cracking debut down, so invested was I in Thea’s story. She was such a strong woman because she was intrinsically strong-she didn’t fall to pieces after the most devastating betrayal imaginable, thanks to friends like the incredible Xanthe and Jenny. They support her not only to keep her dignity in the division of co-owned furniture, they let her know that in the post break-up arena , they will have her back (see for example, a pretty hilarious text exchange about the dinner party from hell, I was roaring!)

They say that troubles come in 3’s, and for Thea that is so true as she loses, simultaneously, her husband and best friend, and then is made redundant. Clarity and opportunity beckon as she receives a solicitor’s letter bequeathing her a home and a potential source of income-the only downside, she needs to go from Sussex to a tiny village in Scotland to claim her Uncle Andrew’s inheritance.

With nothing to lose, she packs up a van, and, accompanied by Xanthe, she takes charge of the keys to The Lodge, a building on the estate belonging to one of two brothers, Charles Maltravers. The other, Edward, a curmudgeonly sort who makes it a policy not to hire girls in his bookshop , has made his mission never to speak to Charles again due to past indiscretions on both parts.

Charles has put in a lot of effort to reclaim the sold off family estate and The Lodge is the last piece of the puzzle to claim, so from the off Thea is on her guard. She has been left her uncle’s estate because, in the will, it states she only met him 4 times and on each occasion preferred books to conversation! Totally in love with this as honestly, I can totally relate to this! The huge library that she inherits is in need of valuing and who should run the local bookshop?

Yep, curmudgeonly Edward!

He warns her that he is a grumpy sort, doesn’t like women as they have a habit of falling in love with him-a broken and defeated Thea who is getting back up on her feet is completely immune to the charms of any man and with her in-depth knowledge, and love of books, sets about getting a job there to cover her expenses whilst working out what to do next.

I loved how fierce Thea was, how she embraced life in the town and got to know all the customers at the shop, and how her love of books became her saving grace, the thing which got her through the most painful period of her life. The layers of her personality are slowly revealed, she behaves with dignity despite her ex, Chris and ex-friend Susanna putting her in a situation which could have robbed her of it. She is hilarious, strong and unashamedly herself, and what I loved so much about the story is that she doesn’t start out as someone in need of rescuing, yes, she looks to rebuild her life but she remains determined to set boundaries for herself.

So often in books, there are skipped bits about relationship break ups, and here, they aren’t glossed over . It’s things you don’t often think about, such as when dividing up their photos, who takes the wedding album?

Thea heading off to Scotland isn’t her licking her wounds, or running away, she isn’t destroyed to be built up again. Rather, without her other half, she becomes more essentially herself, and she is a fine person to get to know. And the men in the town, as well as the main characters of Ed and Charles aren’t the archetypal male characters in a romance novel, they are complex creatures with a part to play that is not merely an adjunct to Thea’s recovery .

As a debut, I thought it was an absolute stand out, it is difficult for writers to make readers care about, and invest in their characters, too often it is assumed that a reader is coming into a world within a book’s pages where they will care. But what Jackie does here is create an entirely plausible narrative, with engaging characters, a strong plot and sense of location that acts as the background for some pretty unforgettable people . I was genuinely sad, yet satisfied at the conclusion, because it was over, but over so authentically, so true to the story. I loved it!

The second chances weren’t just limited to Thea, there were second chances for others to take a shot at and also it echoes the possibility of hope, of reconciliation, and of finding love again.

About the author…

Hello, I’m Jackie, and The Bookshop of Second Chances is my first published novel.

I’ve been writing for a long time, and I’ve written lots of books, mostly to amuse myself. Writing is the only thing I like as much as reading, and both have brought me a lot of pleasure.

I live in Hampshire with my boyfriend and our very elderly cat. When I’m not reading, writing or editing (my day job) you might find me climbing over gates to look at stone circles, taking photographs of rusty things, or poking about in antique shops.

Twitter @muninnherself @TeamBATC @simonschusterUK