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A review by theespressoedition
The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
My number one content warning for this book pretty much sums up the plot: infidelity. Yikes.
I understood the beginning: our protagonist finds out her husband has been cheating on her for quite some time with her best friend, so she packs up her things and escapes to another city where her dead uncle left her a house. Understandable.
I understood some of the middle: she meets a grumpy bookshop owner and convinces him to let her work at the store, despite his "no women" policy (which... ew??). They become the best of friends and everyone else can see they're into each other, even if neither of them realizes it.
This is where things get weird: we find out that the grump has had a vendetta against his brother and has slept with every woman his brother has ever been with. I repeat... EW. At that point, I'd have some serious red flags and wouldn't want to even be friends with the person, let alone begin to develop feelings.
From there, the whole book went downhill and I couldn't wait for it to come to an end. There was so much cheating and scandal and drama that felt unnecessary in what could have been a sweet story about a quaint bookshop in a nice little country town in Scotland.
I understood the beginning: our protagonist finds out her husband has been cheating on her for quite some time with her best friend, so she packs up her things and escapes to another city where her dead uncle left her a house. Understandable.
I understood some of the middle: she meets a grumpy bookshop owner and convinces him to let her work at the store, despite his "no women" policy (which... ew??). They become the best of friends and everyone else can see they're into each other, even if neither of them realizes it.
This is where things get weird: we find out that the grump has had a vendetta against his brother and has slept with every woman his brother has ever been with. I repeat... EW. At that point, I'd have some serious red flags and wouldn't want to even be friends with the person, let alone begin to develop feelings.
From there, the whole book went downhill and I couldn't wait for it to come to an end. There was so much cheating and scandal and drama that felt unnecessary in what could have been a sweet story about a quaint bookshop in a nice little country town in Scotland.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Misogyny
Minor: Infertility