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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a cute second chance romance. There was a touch of mystery to the book also. I listened to this book on audio and I enjoyed the narration. Kim Churchill did a fantastic job.
Gray’s father committed and was sentenced to a crime when he was just a boy. He has been bullied ever since.
Shelby and Gray fall for each other. He leaves town without even discussing it with her. When her Gram dies she leaves her bookshop to the two of them. Could Gram be playing matchmaker?
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio. All opinions are my own.
Gray’s father committed and was sentenced to a crime when he was just a boy. He has been bullied ever since.
Shelby and Gray fall for each other. He leaves town without even discussing it with her. When her Gram dies she leaves her bookshop to the two of them. Could Gram be playing matchmaker?
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson & NetGalley for the ALC to listen & review. All thoughts are my own.
RECAP: Shelby Thatcher is shocked to inherit only half of her grandmother’s beloved bookshop, while the other half goes to Gray Briggs, the man who broke her heart. Years after fleeing Granville, Gray returns to face the town’s scorn & the woman he never forgot. As they’re forced to work together, old feelings resurface, but past wounds & a new threat to the shop test whether love can truly get a second chance.
REVIEW: As the synopsis implies, we got a second chance romance here, folks. I see this as a light read, perfect for its 10/7/25 pub date. However, I found Shelby to be immature & borderline aggravating at times. There's also a hint of insta-love, but given it started when they were in high school, I just couldn't tell if it was instant or just young love. I also hated Granville, because the town and its people are a character all their own. I come from a small town, but if it was anything like Granville, I'd high tail it out of there - it was such a toxic, small minded community at times. But anyways... Other than that, it was an OK read, probably could have been a tad shorter. Not my typical genre, but I can see this working for someone who does like this genre, especially with the trope described.
RECAP: Shelby Thatcher is shocked to inherit only half of her grandmother’s beloved bookshop, while the other half goes to Gray Briggs, the man who broke her heart. Years after fleeing Granville, Gray returns to face the town’s scorn & the woman he never forgot. As they’re forced to work together, old feelings resurface, but past wounds & a new threat to the shop test whether love can truly get a second chance.
REVIEW: As the synopsis implies, we got a second chance romance here, folks. I see this as a light read, perfect for its 10/7/25 pub date. However, I found Shelby to be immature & borderline aggravating at times. There's also a hint of insta-love, but given it started when they were in high school, I just couldn't tell if it was instant or just young love. I also hated Granville, because the town and its people are a character all their own. I come from a small town, but if it was anything like Granville, I'd high tail it out of there - it was such a toxic, small minded community at times. But anyways... Other than that, it was an OK read, probably could have been a tad shorter. Not my typical genre, but I can see this working for someone who does like this genre, especially with the trope described.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sweet, wholesome, and full of heart—The Second Story Bookshop is a cozy second-chance romance. Shelby inherits her grandmother’s beloved bookshop… but only half of it. The other half? Belongs to her ex, Gray Briggs—the love of her life she hasn’t seen in years. The tension is real, the emotions run deep, and the challenges that tore them apart before haven’t gone away. Add in a new threat to the bookshop, and you’ve got a layered, tender story about love, loss, and finding your way back.
This is a closed-door romance with strong family dynamics, a dash of small-town charm, and just the right amount of emotional depth. Perfect for fans of clean, feel-good love stories with a bit of angst and a lot of heart.
The narration was wonderful!
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Sweet, wholesome, and full of heart—The Second Story Bookshop is a cozy second-chance romance. Shelby inherits her grandmother’s beloved bookshop… but only half of it. The other half? Belongs to her ex, Gray Briggs—the love of her life she hasn’t seen in years. The tension is real, the emotions run deep, and the challenges that tore them apart before haven’t gone away. Add in a new threat to the bookshop, and you’ve got a layered, tender story about love, loss, and finding your way back.
This is a closed-door romance with strong family dynamics, a dash of small-town charm, and just the right amount of emotional depth. Perfect for fans of clean, feel-good love stories with a bit of angst and a lot of heart.
The narration was wonderful!
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Fiction for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I loved this believable cozy, small town, second chance romance that sucked me in from the beginning.
Shelby Thatcher inherits her beloved Grams bookshop but her Gram left shocking news in her will. Shelby inherits 51% of the bookshop and to everyone’s shock the boy who broke her heart, Gray Briggs 49%. What could go wrong? What could go right? 😊
This story takes you through heartbreak, healing and redemption. This is my first novel by Denise Hunter and will not be my last. The Second Story Bookshop was a refreshing story for me and I savored it.
Thank you Denise Hunter, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio 🎧 for my NetGalley ALC.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Denise Hunter’s The Second Story Bookshop is a charming and heartwarming tale set in a small town, centered around second chances—both in love and in life. If you’re a fan of sweet romances with emotional depth, this one hits all the right notes. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to this book early.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
The second story bookshop
Denise Hunter
October 7th 2025
Contemporary Christian romance
Second chance
Town drama
Dual timeline
No spice
Shelby inherits her beloved grandma’s bookshop after her passing. To her surprise her grandma also left 49% of the ownership to her high school boyfriend Gray Briggs. While the two of them try to work out the bookstore, the town is rallying against Gray, trying to find ways to get him to leave. The story is broken into two timelines, one present and one from the past. Unraveling the past, figuring out why things are the way they are. Grams plan from the grave to push Shelby and Gray back together seems to be working. Gray just needs to survive to the end.
This book had a lot of things going on. The townspeople, oohhh the townspeople had me fuming. This book deals with a lot of issues about mob mentality against someone for their family's wrongdoing. I had some issues with the way the main character decided that it was okay to have a boyfriend in each timeline and her feelings for Gray developing at the same time. Gray really seemed to be such a good person, and it was hard to see how things happened to him in such an unfair manner. Things did work out in the end, but I wish that it wasn't until the very last bit that things were better for Gray. It is a spice free book full of feelings, lots of feelings. Overall, it was a very town drama lead book. It was enjoyable for the most part and everything worked out in the end. The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing each character to life and making it so that it felt like each voice was a real person.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for providing me with an alc copy to listen and review honestly.
Denise Hunter
October 7th 2025
Contemporary Christian romance
Second chance
Town drama
Dual timeline
No spice
Shelby inherits her beloved grandma’s bookshop after her passing. To her surprise her grandma also left 49% of the ownership to her high school boyfriend Gray Briggs. While the two of them try to work out the bookstore, the town is rallying against Gray, trying to find ways to get him to leave. The story is broken into two timelines, one present and one from the past. Unraveling the past, figuring out why things are the way they are. Grams plan from the grave to push Shelby and Gray back together seems to be working. Gray just needs to survive to the end.
This book had a lot of things going on. The townspeople, oohhh the townspeople had me fuming. This book deals with a lot of issues about mob mentality against someone for their family's wrongdoing. I had some issues with the way the main character decided that it was okay to have a boyfriend in each timeline and her feelings for Gray developing at the same time. Gray really seemed to be such a good person, and it was hard to see how things happened to him in such an unfair manner. Things did work out in the end, but I wish that it wasn't until the very last bit that things were better for Gray. It is a spice free book full of feelings, lots of feelings. Overall, it was a very town drama lead book. It was enjoyable for the most part and everything worked out in the end. The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing each character to life and making it so that it felt like each voice was a real person.
Thank you to Thomas Nelson Fiction and Netgalley for providing me with an alc copy to listen and review honestly.
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received this ALC courtesy of NetGalley. I enjoyed this book for the first 30ish percent. Then it veered heavily down the road of aspiring to be a movie Candace Cameron-Bure would star in. For me that is not the vibe. The conflict between the main characters was ridiculous and seemed selfish on the FMCs part especially carrying on all those years later. Also the whole town behaving the way they did? And the incident that lead to the climax? Ok then…
The audiobook narrator did a great job voicing every character but I wish they had also had a male narrator. I think it would have given more to the book.
Overall if you enjoy hallmark movies and things like that you would enjoy this.
The audiobook narrator did a great job voicing every character but I wish they had also had a male narrator. I think it would have given more to the book.
Overall if you enjoy hallmark movies and things like that you would enjoy this.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Denise Hunter, Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio and NetGalley for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
Denise Hunter writes in a warm, gentle tone that’s a little different from what I usually pick up. There’s something quietly comforting about this book. The setting, cosy bookshop tucked into a small town, felt like slipping into a fuzzy jumper on a rainy day. It’s a slow-burn second chance romance, full of soft tension and emotional depth.
It’s the kind of story that doesn’t demand too much from you but still sneaks its way into your heart. And I have to give a nod to the narration, it suited the tone perfectly. If you’re into character-driven stories with themes of forgiveness, grief, and love rekindled, I think this one is worth giving a chance…
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
When Shelby’s grandmother dies, she knows she will inherit the bookstore she’s been working at since high school. What she didn’t expect was to work alongside the boy who broke her heart in high school.
Have you ever had a time where it seems like everything is going wrong? The characters in this book keep getting hit with heartache, but also have some really sweet moments of hope and friendship. I enjoyed the dual timeline and watching Shelby and Gray repair the mistakes of their past.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the book for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you ever had a time where it seems like everything is going wrong? The characters in this book keep getting hit with heartache, but also have some really sweet moments of hope and friendship. I enjoyed the dual timeline and watching Shelby and Gray repair the mistakes of their past.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the book for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book had the kind of pace I usually struggle with, but here it worked. The slower unfolding let me settle into both timelines without feeling lost or rushed. I liked how the past and present were layered, not just for style but to show how the characters had changed — or hadn’t.
The romance stood out. It didn’t shout or try too hard. It was patient, built through shared spaces and unspoken tension. What I liked most is that it felt earned, not just thrown in. The emotion had weight, and the connection between them made sense even when things were uncertain.
I wouldn’t call this a story full of twists or shocks, but that’s not what I was looking for. It left space for reflection, for silence even — and that made the emotional parts land differently. Some books rush to say everything. This one didn’t, and I appreciated that.