A review by sahanac
The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser

funny hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

 Despite how little I respected the male protagonist (damn, what a way to start a review, huh), I did really like this book. I loved the premise of Thea having to start over in her 40s, and I love an idyllic little Scottish town to do that in, with fun side characters that each got their own brief moment in the sun so we could see that they were not merely 2D and meant to root for Thea. I know it's unrealistic, but the way everyone just kept saying how lovely Thea was all the time - it made me so happy for her after everything she went through with her husband, Chris. And the Chris situation really struck me - married for 20 years (or thereabouts), and have your husband cheat on you?? With your friend?? 

I listened to this one, so maybe the audiobook helped, but Thea's voice was so clear and present for me, that it made everything I didn't like about the book feel like she was just a friend of mine that I loved dearly and disagreed with in her taste and decision-making, but didn't make me love her less. I liked that she was an adult (even if some of her...peers in the novel did not behave as such). As to the things I didn't like: the set up for Edward, the love interest and resident curmudgeon and his drama with his brother Charles. I think it all had potential to be very well set up, but instead it became this childish thing that really was so silly and hard to respect for both characters. I won’t get into it really, but it was a bizarre choice for a character parallel. There were so many other options to do Edward's backstory, and the route chosen was not good. But I liked Thea so much that It Didn't Matter to me :)