I felt so guilty about The Bookshop of Second Chances that I finally bought my own copy. Because I had so many other books to read, Jackie Fraser’s charming debut novel was sitting on a table with a bookmark stuck at chapter four. I finally picked it up again over the weekend, and I read it in one day. The bookshop setting in Scotland is wonderful. But, it’s the characters, especially Thea Hamilton Mottram, who bring life to this novel, Thea with her delightful sense of humor.

Thea’s life isn’t exactly on track when readers meet her. She’s having a bad month. At forty-three, she lost her job three weeks before she notices a phone picture no one wants to see, her husband with one of her friends in a compromising position. So, she moves out so he can move on. Fortunately, it’s just about then that she learns she’s inherited a house from her Great-uncle Andrew, a lodge in the far reaches of Scotland. He left it to her because the few times he met her she was “intent on reading rather than talking, which has always been my own preference”.

Uncle Andrew’s lawyer reveals he has a vast library, and Thea knows she might want to sell some of the books, so he recommends Fortescue’s Books, although he doesn’t necessarily recommend Edward Maltravers, the owner, who has a reputation as a grump. But, Thea can make anyone laugh, even a grump. And, this grump just happens to be good-looking and taller than the tall Thea.

It doesn’t take long for Thea to grow to love the lodge. And, the people of Baldochrie are kind and friendly. Thea befriends several of them as she continues to extend her stay longer than she planned. Finally, when she decides she may stay for a few more months, she applies for a job as a sales assistant at Fortescue’s. But, Edward has a lot of rules, including “Remember, No Girls.” That just makes Thea more eager to work at the bookshop, where she knows she’ll be able to push Edward’s buttons. Maybe not quite as much as his brother does. Edward has a long-standing feud with him. But, Thea’s confident she can win an argument or two with the grumpy store owner.

As I said, I love the characters, especially Thea. Edward says once that she has an “Untapped capacity for contentment”. It’s a joy to read about a mature woman finding her way despite the end of her marriage. Even when Thea is most unsure of herself, she’s still filled with joy. She finds moments to appreciate life, and her joy brings out unexpected matching feelings in Edward. Even then, though, he can’t quite accept those changes, and he fights back.

At the library, we classify The Bookshop of Second Chances as a romance. And, it is. But, it’s so much more with its interesting characters, exotic setting, and that wonderful bookstore. You can read it for any of those reasons. But, if you finish it, I think it will be because of Thea, a mature woman moving past her losses and disappointments, a woman with an “Untapped capacity for contentment.”

The Bookshop of Second Chances by Jackie Fraser. Ballantine Books, 2021. ISBN 9780593355657 (paperback), 438p.

FTC Full Disclosure – Library book, and then I bought a copy.