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pagesplotsandpints 's review for:
The Bookshop of Second Chances
by Jackie Fraser
Read Completed 4/7/23 | I finished this, which I wasn't sure I was going to do at about 15% - 20%. I switched to another book and hated that one so I stopped and eventually came back to this. It wasn't bad enough to quit but it just wasn't good enough to fall in love with. The synopsis directly calls this out for fans of EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER, which I loved, but this book just didn't quite have the charm as EVVIE.
Things I liked:
- "mature" FMC. Thea is in her 40s and starting over after she found out her husband was sleeping with her best friend. It's a nice break from characters in their 20s because sometimes it's frustrating
- grumpy x sunshine romance trope
- Scotland setting
- bookshop setting
- supportive best friend (that I would have liked to see more)
- drawing out some of the tension
Things I didn't like:
- Edward was a bit too grumpy in a closed off way instead of a cute banter way. Thea was self-proclaimed funny, and she was, but that charm just didn't happen on the page enough for me to fall in love with either character
- I never really GOT the romance. I can 100% see these two falling in love but I feel like we didn't get to SEE half of it despite being the audience of the book.... I didn't mind that it took a while but once it was starting to happen, they didn't really give into it. It was still holding back for a long, long time. I LIKED that Thea was holding back for herself and not for someone else. She wanted to make sure it was right timing wise and right feelings wise.
- Once they did get together, Edward was a little too pushy. Thea handled it well but there was a lot of worry that wasn't really the third act break-up, thankfully, but also I wish it was because it was just sort of a lot of meandering that didn't feel like the plot was moving
This was very character-driven, which I like! A lot of romances really are and I have no problem with that. But sometimes the plot just wasn't doing anything at all. The love story is supposed to be part of the main plot (along with Thea just living her own life apart from her marriage) and I just felt like it didn't develop enough for me to really believe it.
The weird thing about this book was that it was too much like real life. I could totally see all of this happening, exactly as written, to an actual person. But sometimes actual real life doesn't make a good book. There needed to be just a bit more chemistry, a bit more plot, a bit more conflict, a bit more resolution. The book was ending and I was like... that's it?? It just needed a bit more of everything.
I actually really think this would be a great movie. A lot of things that didn't come off the page could really light up the screen with body language, stolen glances (I mean, that's not even on the page), fun moments getting to know each other. This book just didn't make me FEEL anything. I'm not upset that I finished it because it wasn't "bad enough" to DNF, but I can't imagine recommending it because I just didn't get any emotion from it.
Things I liked:
- "mature" FMC. Thea is in her 40s and starting over after she found out her husband was sleeping with her best friend. It's a nice break from characters in their 20s because sometimes it's frustrating
- grumpy x sunshine romance trope
- Scotland setting
- bookshop setting
- supportive best friend (that I would have liked to see more)
- drawing out some of the tension
Things I didn't like:
- Edward was a bit too grumpy in a closed off way instead of a cute banter way. Thea was self-proclaimed funny, and she was, but that charm just didn't happen on the page enough for me to fall in love with either character
- I never really GOT the romance. I can 100% see these two falling in love but I feel like we didn't get to SEE half of it despite being the audience of the book.... I didn't mind that it took a while but once it was starting to happen, they didn't really give into it. It was still holding back for a long, long time. I LIKED that Thea was holding back for herself and not for someone else. She wanted to make sure it was right timing wise and right feelings wise.
- Once they did get together, Edward was a little too pushy. Thea handled it well but there was a lot of worry that wasn't really the third act break-up, thankfully, but also I wish it was because it was just sort of a lot of meandering that didn't feel like the plot was moving
This was very character-driven, which I like! A lot of romances really are and I have no problem with that. But sometimes the plot just wasn't doing anything at all. The love story is supposed to be part of the main plot (along with Thea just living her own life apart from her marriage) and I just felt like it didn't develop enough for me to really believe it.
The weird thing about this book was that it was too much like real life. I could totally see all of this happening, exactly as written, to an actual person. But sometimes actual real life doesn't make a good book. There needed to be just a bit more chemistry, a bit more plot, a bit more conflict, a bit more resolution. The book was ending and I was like... that's it?? It just needed a bit more of everything.
I actually really think this would be a great movie. A lot of things that didn't come off the page could really light up the screen with body language, stolen glances (I mean, that's not even on the page), fun moments getting to know each other. This book just didn't make me FEEL anything. I'm not upset that I finished it because it wasn't "bad enough" to DNF, but I can't imagine recommending it because I just didn't get any emotion from it.