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Second Chance Books
A girl must choose between the future she'd envisioned for herself and the beautiful reality of a secondhand bookstore her first love calls home in this heartfelt contemporary romance that explores the power of love, literature, and community when it comes to changing and saving lives.
Only three things stand in the way of the life Nell had always envisioned for herself: a bookstore, its book club, and the boy of her dreams.
When Nell's brother-in-law walks out on her pregnant sister, it falls on Nell's shoulders to cover their mountain of bills. To do so, she must convince the owner of a secondhand bookstore to sell his property so she can earn a commission.
But when she visits the store, two unexpected things happen: the owner offers her a job sorting the shelves—extra income!—and her childhood crush, Thomas Whelan, turns out to be the only other employee there. Only a fool would turn that opportunity down.
When Thomas reveals he needs help with his love life, it seems all too perfect: get an in with Tom by helping him prepare for his dates, recruit him towards her cause of convincing their boss to sell, get paid, and live happily ever after.
Except the more time she spends with Tom, the more she gets attached: to him, to the bookstore that soon might not even exist, and its customers.
Set in a small town in the throes of gentrification, Second Chance Books is a novel that explores the power of love, literature, and community when it comes to changing and saving lives.
* * *
“We are, all of us, the result of a long history of someone, somewhere, loving another and choosing to act on it. Love, after all, is more than a feeling. It's a choice.”
Second Chance Books is a feel-good cozy romance with lots of heart. It features:
- Slow burn romance
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Found family
- Dual POV
- A bookstore in a small town
"This was such an adorable and cozy story! It has everything that will warm up your heart -- the cutest found family, a sweet romance with childhood friends, a strong sisterly bond and well developed characters." — Paola (5-star Goodreads review)
""Second Chance Books" is a heartwarming romance novel that explores the power of forgiveness, selflessness and faith in Love. With its endearing characters and narrative depth, this book captivated me from beginning to end. [...] The author does a commendable job of crafting complex and relatable characters." — Clay (5-star Goodreads review)
Only three things stand in the way of the life Nell had always envisioned for herself: a bookstore, its book club, and the boy of her dreams.
When Nell's brother-in-law walks out on her pregnant sister, it falls on Nell's shoulders to cover their mountain of bills. To do so, she must convince the owner of a secondhand bookstore to sell his property so she can earn a commission.
But when she visits the store, two unexpected things happen: the owner offers her a job sorting the shelves—extra income!—and her childhood crush, Thomas Whelan, turns out to be the only other employee there. Only a fool would turn that opportunity down.
When Thomas reveals he needs help with his love life, it seems all too perfect: get an in with Tom by helping him prepare for his dates, recruit him towards her cause of convincing their boss to sell, get paid, and live happily ever after.
Except the more time she spends with Tom, the more she gets attached: to him, to the bookstore that soon might not even exist, and its customers.
Set in a small town in the throes of gentrification, Second Chance Books is a novel that explores the power of love, literature, and community when it comes to changing and saving lives.
* * *
“We are, all of us, the result of a long history of someone, somewhere, loving another and choosing to act on it. Love, after all, is more than a feeling. It's a choice.”
Second Chance Books is a feel-good cozy romance with lots of heart. It features:
- Slow burn romance
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Found family
- Dual POV
- A bookstore in a small town
"This was such an adorable and cozy story! It has everything that will warm up your heart -- the cutest found family, a sweet romance with childhood friends, a strong sisterly bond and well developed characters." — Paola (5-star Goodreads review)
""Second Chance Books" is a heartwarming romance novel that explores the power of forgiveness, selflessness and faith in Love. With its endearing characters and narrative depth, this book captivated me from beginning to end. [...] The author does a commendable job of crafting complex and relatable characters." — Clay (5-star Goodreads review)
286 pages, Paperback
First published November 13, 2023
31 people are currently reading
584 people want to read
About the author
Carina Gaskell
6 books93 followersCarina Gaskell writes multicultural romance novels led by Filipina characters. She believes that romance is political, from who gets their Happy Ever After to how they get it and why. She seeks to explore the intersections of love, art, culture, and politics in her work, and publishes independently as praxis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
August 5, 2025
Actual rating: 4.5
I don't know if I've just been really depressed lately, but this is honestly a book I didn't know I needed! It was so cozy and romantic and heartfelt, I loved all the characters so much, and the setting just feels so beautiful and well-realized despite being a fictional location. This felt like a warm hug especially with the found family aspect, but that's not to say there wasn't any real conflict or stakes here because there definitely were. Despite my having with some structural issues in the middle, I can't deny that I had a good time reading this book. Gaskell is an astonishing talent and I am excited to read more of her work in the future! Definitely a hidden gem that deserves more attention and praise.
I don't know if I've just been really depressed lately, but this is honestly a book I didn't know I needed! It was so cozy and romantic and heartfelt, I loved all the characters so much, and the setting just feels so beautiful and well-realized despite being a fictional location. This felt like a warm hug especially with the found family aspect, but that's not to say there wasn't any real conflict or stakes here because there definitely were. Despite my having with some structural issues in the middle, I can't deny that I had a good time reading this book. Gaskell is an astonishing talent and I am excited to read more of her work in the future! Definitely a hidden gem that deserves more attention and praise.
December 8, 2023
"her smile lights up her face; i'm seized by a desire to do anything to keep it there."
note; this review was long overdue i'm so sorry😭
this book was adorable. i really loved carina's writing, the characters, and, oh my god the bookstore setting was EVERYTHING.
i am a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, nell & tom were the cutest. i really loved nell, and her protective nature for her family, i just want to give her a big hug, and tom is a cinnamon roll i love him.
my favourite thing about this book, is the bookstore itself, it brought people together during hard times, and is just overall the best thing. my man roger deserves a mention, this guy was the sweetest guy ever bro, i was shedding TEARS for this man.
as always i want to thank the author, Carina Gaskell, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!🫶
October 15, 2023
⋆ ˚｡⋆ ୨୧ ˚┊: Second chance books .┊
“It pains me to know that she sees herself that way. I always thought she was wonderful: a real clever girl, smart and cool and artsy. So much smarter than I will ever be.”
“I wish there was something that I could do, some way to show her the way I saw her.”
“Any time,” I say, when what I really mean is, always.
“𝙉𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮. The nickname goes straight to my head.”
“Her smile lights up her face; I’m seized by a desire to do anything to keep it there.”
“She makes everything better.”
🍂 — review :
This book felt like such a warm hug to read. The characters, the setting, the found family…it was beautifully written.
It’s the perfect book for autumn—the cosy vibes, the old bookstore setting…I mean, what more could you want?
Nell and Tom (the two main characters) were so cute and I found myself rooting for them since the beginning. I loved how she was the one who coached him during the practice dates and Tom’s golden retriever personality was everything. I adored the way Nell spoke about her love for literature and romance books, I am sure a lot of readers will find themselves relating to her and her story. They are both so Iris coded, “𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠'𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐈 𝐚𝐦.”
Also, I feel like Roger needs a mention in this review because he was genuinely so sweet and the father figure in the found family that I found myself adoring. The way he cared for Tom and instantly extended that towards Nell…the found family in this book definitely made me sob. I’m such a sucker for the found family trope in books and it was written beautifully in this book.
rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
author — Carina Gaskell
tropes — Mixed media, found family, dual pov, practice dates, bookstore setting, work place romance, childhood friends to lovers
view — double, first person
type — stand-alone
I received this arc in exchange for an honest review !
“It pains me to know that she sees herself that way. I always thought she was wonderful: a real clever girl, smart and cool and artsy. So much smarter than I will ever be.”
“I wish there was something that I could do, some way to show her the way I saw her.”
“Any time,” I say, when what I really mean is, always.
“𝙉𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮. The nickname goes straight to my head.”
“Her smile lights up her face; I’m seized by a desire to do anything to keep it there.”
“She makes everything better.”
🍂 — review :
This book felt like such a warm hug to read. The characters, the setting, the found family…it was beautifully written.
It’s the perfect book for autumn—the cosy vibes, the old bookstore setting…I mean, what more could you want?
Nell and Tom (the two main characters) were so cute and I found myself rooting for them since the beginning. I loved how she was the one who coached him during the practice dates and Tom’s golden retriever personality was everything. I adored the way Nell spoke about her love for literature and romance books, I am sure a lot of readers will find themselves relating to her and her story. They are both so Iris coded, “𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠'𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧, 𝐈 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐈 𝐚𝐦.”
Also, I feel like Roger needs a mention in this review because he was genuinely so sweet and the father figure in the found family that I found myself adoring. The way he cared for Tom and instantly extended that towards Nell…the found family in this book definitely made me sob. I’m such a sucker for the found family trope in books and it was written beautifully in this book.
rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
author — Carina Gaskell
tropes — Mixed media, found family, dual pov, practice dates, bookstore setting, work place romance, childhood friends to lovers
view — double, first person
type — stand-alone
I received this arc in exchange for an honest review !
October 5, 2023
“𝘐 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.”
When I started reading this book, I didn't expect anything from it. I thought it would be one of those cute romances where boy meets girl, girl meets boy and things like that (which I love, don't get me wrong). But as you get deeper into the reading, you realize that's not what the book is about in the first place. It's about how even when things are bad, you can find friends, a family that will be there for you, and love you without asking for anything in return.
“𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦’𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘰: 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵.”
I love how Tom and Nellie's relationship was built on friendship first and foremost. How each was there for the other, ready to support. They were so sweet, young, and real. And the fact that he wrote his first song about her, and she wrote her novel about him 🥹
“𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤.”
“𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯.” ✨
“𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶—𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘥—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
I loved the side characters and how they fit into the story. But still, Roger and the bookstore deserve special mention. How that place became not just a home for books, but for the people in whose lives Roger's appearance saved them.
“𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘯.”
The story was a light read, and I liked it so much. Thank you, Carina Gaskell, for the opportunity to be one of the people who received an ARC 🫶🏼
When I started reading this book, I didn't expect anything from it. I thought it would be one of those cute romances where boy meets girl, girl meets boy and things like that (which I love, don't get me wrong). But as you get deeper into the reading, you realize that's not what the book is about in the first place. It's about how even when things are bad, you can find friends, a family that will be there for you, and love you without asking for anything in return.
“𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦’𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘸𝘰: 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘵.”
I love how Tom and Nellie's relationship was built on friendship first and foremost. How each was there for the other, ready to support. They were so sweet, young, and real. And the fact that he wrote his first song about her, and she wrote her novel about him 🥹
“𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤.”
“𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐’𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯.” ✨
“𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶—𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘥—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”
I loved the side characters and how they fit into the story. But still, Roger and the bookstore deserve special mention. How that place became not just a home for books, but for the people in whose lives Roger's appearance saved them.
“𝘓𝘦𝘵’𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘯.”
The story was a light read, and I liked it so much. Thank you, Carina Gaskell, for the opportunity to be one of the people who received an ARC 🫶🏼
August 10, 2024
2,5 * (beware: LONG review 💀) – I hate to be the person that gives a pretty unknown self-published book a low rating, but alas… I just did not enjoy this. 🙁 On paper, this book has everything I should love, but unfortunately the execution just didn’t work for me.
ESTRANGED CHILDHOOD FRIENDS:
Nell and Tom were friends for a couple of months as children. Now, 7 years later, they meet again and pick things up as if they weren’t estranged for almost a decade. I’m sorry. I don’t care how close you were as kids; you are basically *STRANGERS* at this point! Even if they’d been best friends for a decade in the past (which they weren’t! They literally only knew each other for a pretty short period of time), it’d still be weird to act as if no time had passed. But Nell and Tom immediately started acting as if they were still super close:
➤ Clamping their hands over each other’s mouths to shut the other up (Nell literally did this on their 1st conversation, like???? That is so strange??? Also, she says her skin “burned” where it touched his lips, because of course it did… 🙄)
➤ Tom immediately gives his phone and password to Nell and trusts her to text the girl he likes (mind you, they met 5 MINUTES prior!!!! There’s no way in hell you’re trusting this person with your phone like that! 😭🤚🏻)
➤ Nell gets *JEALOUS* that there’s a girl in Tom’s life… Mind you, she started talking to him just minutes earlier, and before that they were friends as kids for only a couple of months and never spoke to each other again for almost a decade… Jealousy in this instance is INSANE, I’m sorry 🥴.
It was just so JARRING to see these 2 people act as if they hadn’t been estranged for nearly a decade! And the author just didn’t do a good job developing their friendship throughout the rest of the book. She just assumed that, if they were friends as kids for a couple of months, we didn’t need to see them reconnect. Relying on their past friendship to carry to present day just didn’t work at all.
PRACTICE DATES:
The moment they meet, Nell decides to help Tom get the girl he likes (Paulina). I don’t know why this happens. Nell likes romance books, sure, but it is never established that she’s particularly good at setting people up or carrying conversations. She literally says “I’m just not good (…) with people. (…) If I’m any good with either of you, that’s by chance, not out of an inherent skill or social savvy.”………… 😑😑😑 It was honestly annoying how the book kept trying to convince me their little arrangement made sense, and how Tom kept reiterating that he trusts Nell’s judgment and expertise, when it’s literally established she has NONE.
So… Yeah. There is no reason for Nell to help Tom with his love life, but they decide she’s the perfect person for the job. Sure. If you say so, I guess… 😐👍🏻 As for Tom’s side of the deal, he’s supposed to… tell Nell… how he feels about Paulina… to help Nell write a book for her university project… or something???? It’s honestly just ridiculous, and even the characters have trouble making it sound serious: “I help you prepare for your dates with Paulina, you share your... boyish insights on romance.” 🥴🥴🥴 Yeah, alright girl. 🤣 She literally forgets about this project and barely ever mentions it throughout the book, which I’m honestly not mad about, because this sounds kinda dumb.
Moving on to their “love lessons”. The first thing Nell does is take Tom’s phone to text Paulina it was nice to see her, and Tom literally says Nell is “really good at this”… 😐 They then have a “practice conversation” where all they do is say “How are you?” / “Good and you?” and ask what the other person is doing for work, and then Nell tells Tom: “You see how it’s just a back-and-forth, right? Like ping-pong.”… 😐😐 When Nell tells him to ask Paulina to meet up, he says “I would have never thought to do what you told me to.”… 😐😐😐❓❓❓❓❓❓❓
I’m sorry, but is Tom a child? Is he a robot? An alien? I understand being socially awkward and anxious (I am, too!), but come on… This man literally needed help to have the most *basic* conversations ever, and then acted as if Nell had just done something otherworldly by telling him to ask his crush “How are you? How’s work?”… 🙄 During their first “love lessons”, Tom was written as if he was an alien learning how to talk to humans for the first time. It was weird.
Their other love lessons were never show on page! 🤪🤪🤪 I like the idea of practice dates, but these were literally just telling instead of showing — we just breezed through MULTIPLE of their “love lessons” without actually seeing them. We were told in a couple of paragraphs that they did a LOT of activities together (watch a bunch of movies, analyze romcoms, share playlists, study notes about kdramas and Ghibli movies, etc.), but we never saw them, which SUCKS because 1) it’d be fun to see, and 2) it would help develop their romance, which definitely needed development…
ROMANCE:
This is supposed to be a friends-to-lovers story, but the author 100% relied on their past friendship (which only lasted a handful of months, almost a decade ago, and was BARELY even shown on page). In the present, they’re basically strangers, and yet the author doesn’t waste much time rebuilding their friendship, and instead chooses to jump straight into the romance, which means their romance has no foundations.
The moment they meet Nell is immediately feeling warm, thinking “God, he’s so hot when he talks philosophically at me” (cringe, btw), wondering what it’d be like to kiss him... Tom is quick to start tucking her hair behind her ear, petting her head, thinking he’d do anything to keep her smiling… All of this in the 1st 4 days after they meet, by the way. 🙄
There was literally no basis for their romance, other than the fact that Nell had a crush on him when they were kids (which, btw, is kind of pathetic, because they only knew each other for just a couple of months, and it’s been 7 years since she last heard from him… What the fuck do you mean your feelings didn’t falter after almost A DECADE? 🥴🥴🥴). At some point Nell literally admits her love for him is just based on her past crush: “A love which I’m certain is just my twelve-year-old self being nostalgic.”, and yet the author didn’t think of… idk… DEVELOPING IT IN THE *PRESENT*????????? 🙄
Anyways. This thing draaaaaaaaags for absolutely NO reason. Everyone around them keeps insisting they should date, and acting shocked when they learn they’re not together, and it just got repetitive and boring. 🥱
Nell’s reason to drag this romance was the following: she kept insisting she could never ever EVER be happy, because both her mum and her sister had problems in their love lives. I understand having little hope when it comes to your love life (girl, SAME), but pleeeease. Nell’s self-pitying monologues became repetitive, and self-sabotaging herself at the end for no reason other than “mum and sis had bad love lives, so I guess I need to have a bad love life too! 🤪” was just STUPID. Just stop being dramatic and go…
Tom’s reasons to drag the romance were a bit more… slimy. At the start of the book he wants to date Paulina, and Nell helps him. He quickly realizes he doesn’t like Paulina, and likes Nell, but, for some reason, he doesn’t break it off with Paulina???? It was honestly kinda horrible how he kept stringing poor Paulina along, knowing damn well he liked someone else. And the book still painted him as a great guy??? Hmmmm idk about that…
CHARACTERS:
Nell was a little annoying. Her self-pitying antics about how she couldn’t have a happily ever after just because some people in her family also didn’t have one made me roll my eyes, at a certain point. 🥱 Her constantly comparing herself to Paulina was also very infuriating. Yes, she acknowledged that her envy of Paulina was bad and not very #feminist of her (which I appreciate!), but it didn’t make her statements and comparisons to Paulina any less *2012 INLOG*, if you know what I mean. 😬
Nell’s POV was also bogged down by long monologues that were completely unnecessary to the story and sometimes disrupted scenes or conversations. Even though I agreed with what she was saying, I really didn’t need a Feminism 101 aside about why romance as a genre should be respected, and how people invalidate things women enjoy, and how boys are praised for sleeping around while girls are shamed, and how girls are expected to be physically attractive, but can’t be aware of it, otherwise they’re arrogant, etc etc etc. These interruptions just felt clunky.
Tom was… strange. At first, as I already mentioned, he was written as incapable and unaware of how speak to other human beings. He then became slimy for stringing Paulina along while knowing full well he liked Nell. 😬 Overall, however, Tom was just written as a Perfet Book Boyfriend™. Think of any cute line you’ve ever read in a fanfiction or romance book, and Tom has said something similar:
➤ “I’m struck by this inexplicable feeling—like I want to squish her cheeks and go to war for her at the same time.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “Someone out there will see you and he’ll become the luckiest guy on Earth.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ He unnecessarily drives 2 hours every day to take her home after work when she could just take the bus… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “She’s the last thing I think of when I go to bed, and the first when I wake up in the morning.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ He is always noticing little things about Nell (something Nell conveniently thought was a trait of a great romantic partner) and he’s “overcome by fondness for her” just by looking at her … Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “I love when you talk books to me.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “She’s the last thing I think of when I go to bed, and the first when I wake up in the morning.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “Her smile lights up her face; I’m seized by a desire to do anything to keep it there.”; “Every time she laughs it’s like the sun turns up a little brighter, and all I can think about is wanting to kiss her, to taste her laughter, sweet like honey in my mouth.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
There are SO MANY of these! And I’m not saying they’re bad! I’m just saying that, since Tom and Nell’s romance wasn’t very well developed, these felt unwarranted. Also, there were soooo many of these lines that this genuinely started feeling like a parody. 🥴 Like, “let’s just pick some generic popular swoon-worthy lines that will look good on a tiktok”! I just couldn’t take them seriously anymore. 🥴
PLOT:
The main plot line (other than Tom and Nell’s “love lessons” that we never really get to see) is about them making a documentary for the book club at the bookstore they work at. This felt a little stale because they’d interview someone, the interviewed would say something #deep about how much the book club means to them, and Nell would feel guilty she’s secretly working to close the bookstore. Rinse and repeat. Thankfully, they only interviewed a handful of people.
Nell’s job at the real estate agency felt kind of ridiculous, and I didn’t care about it. Her job at the bookstore was also bizarre, because the owner literally insisted that this random ass girl needed to work there, agreed to give her a lot of money just because, and literally decided to let her inherit half of his stuff when he dies…???? He’s known this girl for like, 2 weeks… be for real 😭.
The 3rd act conflict is something you could see since the 7% mark of the book, so it was anticlimactic (and also made the romance drag for even LONGER, which was infuriating).
The ending was sweet and lowkey made me kind of emotional for this bookstore I didn’t care at all about for the entire book lol, so there’s that.
ESTRANGED CHILDHOOD FRIENDS:
Nell and Tom were friends for a couple of months as children. Now, 7 years later, they meet again and pick things up as if they weren’t estranged for almost a decade. I’m sorry. I don’t care how close you were as kids; you are basically *STRANGERS* at this point! Even if they’d been best friends for a decade in the past (which they weren’t! They literally only knew each other for a pretty short period of time), it’d still be weird to act as if no time had passed. But Nell and Tom immediately started acting as if they were still super close:
➤ Clamping their hands over each other’s mouths to shut the other up (Nell literally did this on their 1st conversation, like???? That is so strange??? Also, she says her skin “burned” where it touched his lips, because of course it did… 🙄)
➤ Tom immediately gives his phone and password to Nell and trusts her to text the girl he likes (mind you, they met 5 MINUTES prior!!!! There’s no way in hell you’re trusting this person with your phone like that! 😭🤚🏻)
➤ Nell gets *JEALOUS* that there’s a girl in Tom’s life… Mind you, she started talking to him just minutes earlier, and before that they were friends as kids for only a couple of months and never spoke to each other again for almost a decade… Jealousy in this instance is INSANE, I’m sorry 🥴.
It was just so JARRING to see these 2 people act as if they hadn’t been estranged for nearly a decade! And the author just didn’t do a good job developing their friendship throughout the rest of the book. She just assumed that, if they were friends as kids for a couple of months, we didn’t need to see them reconnect. Relying on their past friendship to carry to present day just didn’t work at all.
PRACTICE DATES:
The moment they meet, Nell decides to help Tom get the girl he likes (Paulina). I don’t know why this happens. Nell likes romance books, sure, but it is never established that she’s particularly good at setting people up or carrying conversations. She literally says “I’m just not good (…) with people. (…) If I’m any good with either of you, that’s by chance, not out of an inherent skill or social savvy.”………… 😑😑😑 It was honestly annoying how the book kept trying to convince me their little arrangement made sense, and how Tom kept reiterating that he trusts Nell’s judgment and expertise, when it’s literally established she has NONE.
So… Yeah. There is no reason for Nell to help Tom with his love life, but they decide she’s the perfect person for the job. Sure. If you say so, I guess… 😐👍🏻 As for Tom’s side of the deal, he’s supposed to… tell Nell… how he feels about Paulina… to help Nell write a book for her university project… or something???? It’s honestly just ridiculous, and even the characters have trouble making it sound serious: “I help you prepare for your dates with Paulina, you share your... boyish insights on romance.” 🥴🥴🥴 Yeah, alright girl. 🤣 She literally forgets about this project and barely ever mentions it throughout the book, which I’m honestly not mad about, because this sounds kinda dumb.
Moving on to their “love lessons”. The first thing Nell does is take Tom’s phone to text Paulina it was nice to see her, and Tom literally says Nell is “really good at this”… 😐 They then have a “practice conversation” where all they do is say “How are you?” / “Good and you?” and ask what the other person is doing for work, and then Nell tells Tom: “You see how it’s just a back-and-forth, right? Like ping-pong.”… 😐😐 When Nell tells him to ask Paulina to meet up, he says “I would have never thought to do what you told me to.”… 😐😐😐❓❓❓❓❓❓❓
I’m sorry, but is Tom a child? Is he a robot? An alien? I understand being socially awkward and anxious (I am, too!), but come on… This man literally needed help to have the most *basic* conversations ever, and then acted as if Nell had just done something otherworldly by telling him to ask his crush “How are you? How’s work?”… 🙄 During their first “love lessons”, Tom was written as if he was an alien learning how to talk to humans for the first time. It was weird.
Their other love lessons were never show on page! 🤪🤪🤪 I like the idea of practice dates, but these were literally just telling instead of showing — we just breezed through MULTIPLE of their “love lessons” without actually seeing them. We were told in a couple of paragraphs that they did a LOT of activities together (watch a bunch of movies, analyze romcoms, share playlists, study notes about kdramas and Ghibli movies, etc.), but we never saw them, which SUCKS because 1) it’d be fun to see, and 2) it would help develop their romance, which definitely needed development…
ROMANCE:
This is supposed to be a friends-to-lovers story, but the author 100% relied on their past friendship (which only lasted a handful of months, almost a decade ago, and was BARELY even shown on page). In the present, they’re basically strangers, and yet the author doesn’t waste much time rebuilding their friendship, and instead chooses to jump straight into the romance, which means their romance has no foundations.
The moment they meet Nell is immediately feeling warm, thinking “God, he’s so hot when he talks philosophically at me” (cringe, btw), wondering what it’d be like to kiss him... Tom is quick to start tucking her hair behind her ear, petting her head, thinking he’d do anything to keep her smiling… All of this in the 1st 4 days after they meet, by the way. 🙄
There was literally no basis for their romance, other than the fact that Nell had a crush on him when they were kids (which, btw, is kind of pathetic, because they only knew each other for just a couple of months, and it’s been 7 years since she last heard from him… What the fuck do you mean your feelings didn’t falter after almost A DECADE? 🥴🥴🥴). At some point Nell literally admits her love for him is just based on her past crush: “A love which I’m certain is just my twelve-year-old self being nostalgic.”, and yet the author didn’t think of… idk… DEVELOPING IT IN THE *PRESENT*????????? 🙄
Anyways. This thing draaaaaaaaags for absolutely NO reason. Everyone around them keeps insisting they should date, and acting shocked when they learn they’re not together, and it just got repetitive and boring. 🥱
Nell’s reason to drag this romance was the following: she kept insisting she could never ever EVER be happy, because both her mum and her sister had problems in their love lives. I understand having little hope when it comes to your love life (girl, SAME), but pleeeease. Nell’s self-pitying monologues became repetitive, and self-sabotaging herself at the end for no reason other than “mum and sis had bad love lives, so I guess I need to have a bad love life too! 🤪” was just STUPID. Just stop being dramatic and go…
Tom’s reasons to drag the romance were a bit more… slimy. At the start of the book he wants to date Paulina, and Nell helps him. He quickly realizes he doesn’t like Paulina, and likes Nell, but, for some reason, he doesn’t break it off with Paulina???? It was honestly kinda horrible how he kept stringing poor Paulina along, knowing damn well he liked someone else. And the book still painted him as a great guy??? Hmmmm idk about that…
CHARACTERS:
Nell was a little annoying. Her self-pitying antics about how she couldn’t have a happily ever after just because some people in her family also didn’t have one made me roll my eyes, at a certain point. 🥱 Her constantly comparing herself to Paulina was also very infuriating. Yes, she acknowledged that her envy of Paulina was bad and not very #feminist of her (which I appreciate!), but it didn’t make her statements and comparisons to Paulina any less *2012 INLOG*, if you know what I mean. 😬
Nell’s POV was also bogged down by long monologues that were completely unnecessary to the story and sometimes disrupted scenes or conversations. Even though I agreed with what she was saying, I really didn’t need a Feminism 101 aside about why romance as a genre should be respected, and how people invalidate things women enjoy, and how boys are praised for sleeping around while girls are shamed, and how girls are expected to be physically attractive, but can’t be aware of it, otherwise they’re arrogant, etc etc etc. These interruptions just felt clunky.
Tom was… strange. At first, as I already mentioned, he was written as incapable and unaware of how speak to other human beings. He then became slimy for stringing Paulina along while knowing full well he liked Nell. 😬 Overall, however, Tom was just written as a Perfet Book Boyfriend™. Think of any cute line you’ve ever read in a fanfiction or romance book, and Tom has said something similar:
➤ “I’m struck by this inexplicable feeling—like I want to squish her cheeks and go to war for her at the same time.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “Someone out there will see you and he’ll become the luckiest guy on Earth.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ He unnecessarily drives 2 hours every day to take her home after work when she could just take the bus… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “She’s the last thing I think of when I go to bed, and the first when I wake up in the morning.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ He is always noticing little things about Nell (something Nell conveniently thought was a trait of a great romantic partner) and he’s “overcome by fondness for her” just by looking at her … Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “I love when you talk books to me.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “She’s the last thing I think of when I go to bed, and the first when I wake up in the morning.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
➤ “Her smile lights up her face; I’m seized by a desire to do anything to keep it there.”; “Every time she laughs it’s like the sun turns up a little brighter, and all I can think about is wanting to kiss her, to taste her laughter, sweet like honey in my mouth.”… Perfet Book Boyfriend™.
There are SO MANY of these! And I’m not saying they’re bad! I’m just saying that, since Tom and Nell’s romance wasn’t very well developed, these felt unwarranted. Also, there were soooo many of these lines that this genuinely started feeling like a parody. 🥴 Like, “let’s just pick some generic popular swoon-worthy lines that will look good on a tiktok”! I just couldn’t take them seriously anymore. 🥴
PLOT:
The main plot line (other than Tom and Nell’s “love lessons” that we never really get to see) is about them making a documentary for the book club at the bookstore they work at. This felt a little stale because they’d interview someone, the interviewed would say something #deep about how much the book club means to them, and Nell would feel guilty she’s secretly working to close the bookstore. Rinse and repeat. Thankfully, they only interviewed a handful of people.
Nell’s job at the real estate agency felt kind of ridiculous, and I didn’t care about it. Her job at the bookstore was also bizarre, because the owner literally insisted that this random ass girl needed to work there, agreed to give her a lot of money just because, and literally decided to let her inherit half of his stuff when he dies…???? He’s known this girl for like, 2 weeks… be for real 😭.
The 3rd act conflict is something you could see since the 7% mark of the book, so it was anticlimactic (and also made the romance drag for even LONGER, which was infuriating).
The ending was sweet and lowkey made me kind of emotional for this bookstore I didn’t care at all about for the entire book lol, so there’s that.
September 27, 2023
3.5/5
I really like this book, it’s about childhood friends who meet again years later in a bookstore! The whole book is cute. Carina did a great job at creating these characters and making you care for them. (Roger has my whole heart btw.) Nell and Tom were awkwardly adorable and I was so happy when they ended up together.
But to me it isn’t much more than that. It was a nice romance read but I didn’t really connect with it. Despite the fact that this book was incredibly fast paced I had a bit of trouble with it towards the end.
I would still definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for the most adorable romance read where they want to connect with the characters and love them as much as I did. I genuinely think Carina is a very talented author and I would like to read more of their books!
I received this arc in exchange for my honest review!
I really like this book, it’s about childhood friends who meet again years later in a bookstore! The whole book is cute. Carina did a great job at creating these characters and making you care for them. (Roger has my whole heart btw.) Nell and Tom were awkwardly adorable and I was so happy when they ended up together.
But to me it isn’t much more than that. It was a nice romance read but I didn’t really connect with it. Despite the fact that this book was incredibly fast paced I had a bit of trouble with it towards the end.
I would still definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for the most adorable romance read where they want to connect with the characters and love them as much as I did. I genuinely think Carina is a very talented author and I would like to read more of their books!
I received this arc in exchange for my honest review!
November 2, 2023
This was such a fun and cute read. I adore the side characters, especially Roger!! That man deserves the world. I LOVE him 🥹
But Tom stole the show. I will pick cinnamon roll men over badass men every single time. Tom is so stinkin cute. I love him so much. And Nelly is a sweetheart.
I will never get enough of the friends to lovers trope. The moment they realize it’s more than friendship just hits every time 🫶🏼
The epilogue made me so happy. Nelly and Tom deserve all the happiness 🩷
I want to thank Carina Gaskell for sending me the ARC. I really enjoyed it!
But Tom stole the show. I will pick cinnamon roll men over badass men every single time. Tom is so stinkin cute. I love him so much. And Nelly is a sweetheart.
I will never get enough of the friends to lovers trope. The moment they realize it’s more than friendship just hits every time 🫶🏼
The epilogue made me so happy. Nelly and Tom deserve all the happiness 🩷
I want to thank Carina Gaskell for sending me the ARC. I really enjoyed it!
September 22, 2023
received an arc of this book and two chapters in, I WAS IN LOVE!
the story is written so well, the characters are amazing! i usually am not a huge fan of all the extra side characters but this book did each and every side character so well!
the romance was so subtle in the start but the intensity of it by the end was amazing! i loved tommy and nelly, both of them were so adorable and also so relatable being in their early twenties!
tommy is the perfect book boyfriend, also kate and nelly’s relationship was super super heartwarming! it’s always nice to see touching sister relationships!
excited to read more of this author’s work!
the story is written so well, the characters are amazing! i usually am not a huge fan of all the extra side characters but this book did each and every side character so well!
the romance was so subtle in the start but the intensity of it by the end was amazing! i loved tommy and nelly, both of them were so adorable and also so relatable being in their early twenties!
tommy is the perfect book boyfriend, also kate and nelly’s relationship was super super heartwarming! it’s always nice to see touching sister relationships!
excited to read more of this author’s work!
October 3, 2023
★ ★ ★ ★.5
this was so CUTE. i loved tom & nelly, and i LOVED roger. throw in found family, and i’m sold. tom has my heart - so pure and adorable. he didn’t even have to try to be a fav character of mine. i also liked nelly. i found her reasons valid for not believing in love after finding out more about her past. she’s definitely been through so much, but it kinda made me upset about the things she said to tom after he confessed, he didn’t deserve that. the fact he wrote his first song about her & she a novel about him 😭 overall, it was a sweet read 🫶🏻
thank you to carina for this ARC!!
this was so CUTE. i loved tom & nelly, and i LOVED roger. throw in found family, and i’m sold. tom has my heart - so pure and adorable. he didn’t even have to try to be a fav character of mine. i also liked nelly. i found her reasons valid for not believing in love after finding out more about her past. she’s definitely been through so much, but it kinda made me upset about the things she said to tom after he confessed, he didn’t deserve that. the fact he wrote his first song about her & she a novel about him 😭 overall, it was a sweet read 🫶🏻
thank you to carina for this ARC!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2023
'Kilig - the giddiness or the exhilaration you feel from a romantic experience.'
This was such an adorable and cozy story! It has everything that will warm up your heart -- the cutest found family, a sweet romance with childhood friends, a strong sisterly bond and well developed characters.
The writing is insanely easy, I literally flew through the book! Even though the story is fast paced, the romance developed in a way that made perfect sense. Tom is adorable and his respect and love for Nell are evident from his actions from the very first chapters!
It's not only a love story between Nell and Tom, it also talks about many important topics regarding books (especially romantic ones), romance, families and friendships. I underlined so many whole paragraphs because of this and the heartwarming found family could easily make you cry. Also, there's only kissing and some insinuation, so if you don't like smut, this is perfect for you!
Highly recommend to every romance lover but also to every bookworm and book lover out there, as well as everyone who loves new authors with a huge amount of potential!
A huge thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book!
This was such an adorable and cozy story! It has everything that will warm up your heart -- the cutest found family, a sweet romance with childhood friends, a strong sisterly bond and well developed characters.
The writing is insanely easy, I literally flew through the book! Even though the story is fast paced, the romance developed in a way that made perfect sense. Tom is adorable and his respect and love for Nell are evident from his actions from the very first chapters!
It's not only a love story between Nell and Tom, it also talks about many important topics regarding books (especially romantic ones), romance, families and friendships. I underlined so many whole paragraphs because of this and the heartwarming found family could easily make you cry. Also, there's only kissing and some insinuation, so if you don't like smut, this is perfect for you!
Highly recommend to every romance lover but also to every bookworm and book lover out there, as well as everyone who loves new authors with a huge amount of potential!
A huge thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book!
October 28, 2023
This was SO wholesome 🥹 hands down a 5 star read for me!! I read this book in two sittings! Instantly hooked, and the chapters all flowed so well — I just couldn’t put it down! I loved each of the characters, and the community and love behind the bookstore just tugged at my heart strings! It was BEAUTIFUL! Thank you so much to the author for reaching out with a copy to read in exchange for my honest review.
September 23, 2023
“We are, all of us, the result of a long history of someone, somewhere, loving another and choosing to act on it. Love, after all, is more than a feeling. It's a choice. And I have been so lucky to have been blessed by your respective choices to love me, to love this store, and to show it by showing up every Thursday the past how many years for book club.”
—
She said “friends-to-lovers-found-family-slow-burn-healthy-female-friendships-POC-cast” and she DELIVERED!
Second Chance Books wasn’t perfect by any means, but I think it did an incredible job at trying to be exactly what it wanted to be — a realistic love story. Parts of it were definitely cheesy, but isn’t that what real life relationships are? Sometimes, we do get our little cliches, and how lucky are we when they happen! There were moments where I thought, “hmmm, this is going a little too fast/too slow.” but every relationship is different, so I think Tom and Nell’s story played out exactly as it should’ve.
Definitely not a book that would make everyone cry, but it did make me cry and feel so grateful and lucky to be in love and to be loved. I saw myself in Nell one too many times. Her opening herself up to love made me feel like I let go of a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding, similar to what I (and everyone else afraid of being vulnerable!) went through in real life.
If you need something to remind you of the goodness of love and how amazing it is that love is so so real, definitely pick up a copy of Second Chance Books. 🩵
Let this book be your sign to take a risk.
Thank you for my ARC, Carina!! So excited for your next stories.
Read alike list:
• One Day In December by Josie Silver
• Breathless by Jennifer Niven
• One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
—
She said “friends-to-lovers-found-family-slow-burn-healthy-female-friendships-POC-cast” and she DELIVERED!
Second Chance Books wasn’t perfect by any means, but I think it did an incredible job at trying to be exactly what it wanted to be — a realistic love story. Parts of it were definitely cheesy, but isn’t that what real life relationships are? Sometimes, we do get our little cliches, and how lucky are we when they happen! There were moments where I thought, “hmmm, this is going a little too fast/too slow.” but every relationship is different, so I think Tom and Nell’s story played out exactly as it should’ve.
Definitely not a book that would make everyone cry, but it did make me cry and feel so grateful and lucky to be in love and to be loved. I saw myself in Nell one too many times. Her opening herself up to love made me feel like I let go of a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding, similar to what I (and everyone else afraid of being vulnerable!) went through in real life.
If you need something to remind you of the goodness of love and how amazing it is that love is so so real, definitely pick up a copy of Second Chance Books. 🩵
Let this book be your sign to take a risk.
Thank you for my ARC, Carina!! So excited for your next stories.
Read alike list:
• One Day In December by Josie Silver
• Breathless by Jennifer Niven
• One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
December 31, 2023
ੈ✩‧₊˚ second chance books ੈ✩‧₊˚ carina gaskell ੈ✩‧₊˚
3★ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ❝of course i love her. nothing else makes sense until i accept that.❞ ੈ✩‧₊˚
genres: romance
tropes: friends to lovers
plot: 3★
world building: 3★
main characters: 3★
side characters: 3★
writing: 3★
pacing: 2★
ending: 3★
emotional impact: 3★
originality: 3★
romance: 4★
overall enjoyment: 3★
happy ending: yes
overall review:
‧₊˚i liked this book- i felt like it was well written and had a great premise. i did have a few minor issues but overall a good book and i would recommend. nell and tom had such a good character dynamic and i felt like their romance was plausible and flowed nicely. nell and tom were such black cat and her golden retriever boy vibe and i loved it. now while the main characters were great, i felt as though the side characters were a bit underdeveloped. another minor thing was the pacing- it was up and down throughout the novel which is why this took me so long to read- as soon as the pacing got slow i had to put the book down. i loved nell’s character but i felt that she was a poorly written autistic character- if it was mentioned she was autistic her character would’ve been fine. all that being said this was well written just not for me, didnt really connect with the characters. felt like an outsider looking in more than i felt immersed in the book. i would definitely recommend if you like cozy, rom-coms with found family and friends to lovers trope! i really appreciate being sent the arc for this and the author is such a sweetheart. i would def read her future works as well!!
spice rating: ♡♡
3★ ੈ✩‧₊˚ ❝of course i love her. nothing else makes sense until i accept that.❞ ੈ✩‧₊˚
genres: romance
tropes: friends to lovers
plot: 3★
world building: 3★
main characters: 3★
side characters: 3★
writing: 3★
pacing: 2★
ending: 3★
emotional impact: 3★
originality: 3★
romance: 4★
overall enjoyment: 3★
happy ending: yes
overall review:
‧₊˚i liked this book- i felt like it was well written and had a great premise. i did have a few minor issues but overall a good book and i would recommend. nell and tom had such a good character dynamic and i felt like their romance was plausible and flowed nicely. nell and tom were such black cat and her golden retriever boy vibe and i loved it. now while the main characters were great, i felt as though the side characters were a bit underdeveloped. another minor thing was the pacing- it was up and down throughout the novel which is why this took me so long to read- as soon as the pacing got slow i had to put the book down. i loved nell’s character but i felt that she was a poorly written autistic character- if it was mentioned she was autistic her character would’ve been fine. all that being said this was well written just not for me, didnt really connect with the characters. felt like an outsider looking in more than i felt immersed in the book. i would definitely recommend if you like cozy, rom-coms with found family and friends to lovers trope! i really appreciate being sent the arc for this and the author is such a sweetheart. i would def read her future works as well!!
spice rating: ♡♡
October 2, 2023
4.5⭐️
thank you to the author for sending me an arc of this book!!
wow wow wow, I absolutely loved this book sm 🥹 it was so cozy and it felt like a warm hug, it was the perfect mix of romance but also dealing with family dynamics and friendships and community ❤️🩹
Nell…my sweet baby girl, she was the definition of selflessness. She sacrificed so much, always put her needs and wants to the side for those around her and seeing her get her happy ending was so compelling. I loved her for her insecurities, for her strength, and for her growth ❤️
Tom… THE STANDARD!!!! I won’t lie, he did frustrate me at times but he turned out to be the sweetest ever! He was so different than any other mmc I’ve read about and that was so refreshing for me 🥹 I loved his shyness, his dedication to the bookstore and seeing him get through his past trauma 💓
I have to say that with both of these characters, there were times that I really liked them and other times where I didn’t like them at all. I think they both made choices that frustrated me and made me angry but in the end, I think that’s part of the book. The complexity of being a human, of feeling so many things, of forgiveness, of friendship ❤️🩹
at its core, this book is about love and its power and not just romantic love but love of all kinds!! It shows you the love of sisters, parents, partners, old friends, etc. also, THE FOUND FAMILYYY💘💘
this book isn’t five stars because I’m just not the biggest fan of slow burn. I can handle it but this was SLOW!! I also think the ending could have been better, maybe an extended epilogue or something to show us more of how they end up! But other than that, absolutely love!!!
again, thank you to the author for the arc!! 💗
thank you to the author for sending me an arc of this book!!
wow wow wow, I absolutely loved this book sm 🥹 it was so cozy and it felt like a warm hug, it was the perfect mix of romance but also dealing with family dynamics and friendships and community ❤️🩹
Nell…my sweet baby girl, she was the definition of selflessness. She sacrificed so much, always put her needs and wants to the side for those around her and seeing her get her happy ending was so compelling. I loved her for her insecurities, for her strength, and for her growth ❤️
Tom… THE STANDARD!!!! I won’t lie, he did frustrate me at times but he turned out to be the sweetest ever! He was so different than any other mmc I’ve read about and that was so refreshing for me 🥹 I loved his shyness, his dedication to the bookstore and seeing him get through his past trauma 💓
I have to say that with both of these characters, there were times that I really liked them and other times where I didn’t like them at all. I think they both made choices that frustrated me and made me angry but in the end, I think that’s part of the book. The complexity of being a human, of feeling so many things, of forgiveness, of friendship ❤️🩹
at its core, this book is about love and its power and not just romantic love but love of all kinds!! It shows you the love of sisters, parents, partners, old friends, etc. also, THE FOUND FAMILYYY💘💘
this book isn’t five stars because I’m just not the biggest fan of slow burn. I can handle it but this was SLOW!! I also think the ending could have been better, maybe an extended epilogue or something to show us more of how they end up! But other than that, absolutely love!!!
again, thank you to the author for the arc!! 💗
October 2, 2023
My first ever ARC and I'm soooo grateful!!!
"Second Chance Books" by Carina Gaskell is a heartwarming story about Nell, who tries to save her family's finances by convincing a bookstore owner to sell his shop. Unexpectedly, she gets a job at the store and reunites with her childhood crush, Thomas. Nell helps Thomas with his love life, but things get complicated as she grows attached to him and the bookstore. The book explores love, books, and community in a changing small town, making it a touching and enjoyable read.
I really had a hard time connecting with the book, maybe because I'm looking for that extra "umph" in a story. Maybe this book was just not for me. But the book was nicely written by the author and it's very easy to follow through the book. It was a love and hate experience reading it. I'm still thankful though for giving me a chance to read it first hand before it will be officially released.
"Second Chance Books" by Carina Gaskell is a heartwarming story about Nell, who tries to save her family's finances by convincing a bookstore owner to sell his shop. Unexpectedly, she gets a job at the store and reunites with her childhood crush, Thomas. Nell helps Thomas with his love life, but things get complicated as she grows attached to him and the bookstore. The book explores love, books, and community in a changing small town, making it a touching and enjoyable read.
I really had a hard time connecting with the book, maybe because I'm looking for that extra "umph" in a story. Maybe this book was just not for me. But the book was nicely written by the author and it's very easy to follow through the book. It was a love and hate experience reading it. I'm still thankful though for giving me a chance to read it first hand before it will be officially released.
October 1, 2023
first of all, thank u carina for the arc!
enjoyed reading this darling of a book. it was written well, it had these lines/scenes that i adored! i loved the found family and the different types of love in this book.
the pacing was a little on and off for me, there were times it was slow– but we certainly made it through. the fictional setting & map was also a bit of new to me considering this one is wholly a contemporary romance but it's fine it wasn't a big of a deal lol
nell though, she was explained as bi and autistic. and it was certainly mentioned that she liked both boys and girls but for the autistic part i'm not so sure? she was rather mean at times and impulsive (just wished it was written properly)
i have this love and hate for nell, other times i somehow relate to her struggles & trauma then other times i am suddenly annoyed by her actions but OH GOD, i love love the side characters so much! i adored roger and the gang! i love how everyone got the ending they deserved.
overall, i am happy to read this book. it wasn't perfect but it was definitely a good read.
enjoyed reading this darling of a book. it was written well, it had these lines/scenes that i adored! i loved the found family and the different types of love in this book.
the pacing was a little on and off for me, there were times it was slow– but we certainly made it through. the fictional setting & map was also a bit of new to me considering this one is wholly a contemporary romance but it's fine it wasn't a big of a deal lol
nell though, she was explained as bi and autistic. and it was certainly mentioned that she liked both boys and girls but for the autistic part i'm not so sure? she was rather mean at times and impulsive (just wished it was written properly)
i have this love and hate for nell, other times i somehow relate to her struggles & trauma then other times i am suddenly annoyed by her actions but OH GOD, i love love the side characters so much! i adored roger and the gang! i love how everyone got the ending they deserved.
overall, i am happy to read this book. it wasn't perfect but it was definitely a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2023
ꕥ 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 ★★★★ ꕥ
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝑰 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖—𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏, 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒅—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”
✎ Nelly is a girl who was torn to her duty and to her heart. She can only pick one: stay in the bookstore and the book club, which she learned to love and adore, or fulfill her initial intentions and stay true to her pitch, which will keep her and her pregnant sister under a roof. Set in the small town of Cerulea, Nell learns that love takes different forms and that like books, people also deserves second chances to make things work, even her.
This book hit close to home –from the Filipino references down to the misplaced trauma response and avoidance, and nailed it with the familial obligations. As human beings we seek love, to love and receive it back but love comes in different forms, it can be all consuming, tiring, and needy but still warm, comforting, and assuring. To think of ourselves not worthy of love is to deprive others of the chance to love you. Love in fiction can look beautiful but there is only so much books can teach you. To love is neither living up nor going beyond expectations but showing up even when times are tough. And that I think is more beautiful.
Huge thanks to Carina Gaskell for sending me an ARC of this book. I love the familiar feeling it gives. If I compare it to a Filipino food it will be like Sinigang, warm, tangy, and feels like a hug of someone close to you.
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝑰 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖—𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏, 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒂𝒅—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”
✎ Nelly is a girl who was torn to her duty and to her heart. She can only pick one: stay in the bookstore and the book club, which she learned to love and adore, or fulfill her initial intentions and stay true to her pitch, which will keep her and her pregnant sister under a roof. Set in the small town of Cerulea, Nell learns that love takes different forms and that like books, people also deserves second chances to make things work, even her.
This book hit close to home –from the Filipino references down to the misplaced trauma response and avoidance, and nailed it with the familial obligations. As human beings we seek love, to love and receive it back but love comes in different forms, it can be all consuming, tiring, and needy but still warm, comforting, and assuring. To think of ourselves not worthy of love is to deprive others of the chance to love you. Love in fiction can look beautiful but there is only so much books can teach you. To love is neither living up nor going beyond expectations but showing up even when times are tough. And that I think is more beautiful.
Huge thanks to Carina Gaskell for sending me an ARC of this book. I love the familiar feeling it gives. If I compare it to a Filipino food it will be like Sinigang, warm, tangy, and feels like a hug of someone close to you.
October 6, 2024
2.75⭐️
I thought the bookstore setting in a small town was cute! This romance book follows Nell and Tom and is dual pov. Nell has had a huge crush on Tom for the longest time.
Nell was tasked with convincing the owner of the bookstore to sell his property but it becomes difficult for her when she is offered a job there and starts forming close relationships with the people there. I thought it was interesting seeing how it played out.
The romance felt a bit rushed to me. I also didn’t connect with the characters but I did like the found family aspect. It was sweet🥹🫶🏻
Thank you Carina Gaskell for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review!
I thought the bookstore setting in a small town was cute! This romance book follows Nell and Tom and is dual pov. Nell has had a huge crush on Tom for the longest time.
Nell was tasked with convincing the owner of the bookstore to sell his property but it becomes difficult for her when she is offered a job there and starts forming close relationships with the people there. I thought it was interesting seeing how it played out.
The romance felt a bit rushed to me. I also didn’t connect with the characters but I did like the found family aspect. It was sweet🥹🫶🏻
Thank you Carina Gaskell for the opportunity to read the book in exchange for an honest review!
October 8, 2023
4 out of 5 stars.
Received this as an ARC from the author, and I'm quite satisfied with the book. I read the blurb and was expecting a cozy romance read, and I did get that while reading the book. So if you like reading books that give off that warm fuzzy feeling, I recommend grabbing this one. If you're expecting a romance book with complicated plots then this is not for you. It's a simple feel-good read, and this is just one of those comforting books you can unwind to after a long day at work.
World-building-wise, it's not as intricate, but it gives a good backdrop for the plot. To be exact, the whole purpose of the author adding the setting/map of Cerulea is just to add to the cozy vibe of the book. I mean this is not a fantasy novel, so don't expect too much of the world-building here.
Another take is that there are some cultural references sprinkled throughout the book. If given another chance for a new perspective, I would like for the author to explore this side more. It would've been good to see the rich Filipino culture embedded more in the sisters. I think exploring this side might have given the sisters more depth as characters in the book.
Overall though it's a good read. It's very comforting. Reading this is like getting a warm hug after having a good cry. So if you're in the mood for a laidback read, then this one might be for you.
Received this as an ARC from the author, and I'm quite satisfied with the book. I read the blurb and was expecting a cozy romance read, and I did get that while reading the book. So if you like reading books that give off that warm fuzzy feeling, I recommend grabbing this one. If you're expecting a romance book with complicated plots then this is not for you. It's a simple feel-good read, and this is just one of those comforting books you can unwind to after a long day at work.
World-building-wise, it's not as intricate, but it gives a good backdrop for the plot. To be exact, the whole purpose of the author adding the setting/map of Cerulea is just to add to the cozy vibe of the book. I mean this is not a fantasy novel, so don't expect too much of the world-building here.
Another take is that there are some cultural references sprinkled throughout the book. If given another chance for a new perspective, I would like for the author to explore this side more. It would've been good to see the rich Filipino culture embedded more in the sisters. I think exploring this side might have given the sisters more depth as characters in the book.
Overall though it's a good read. It's very comforting. Reading this is like getting a warm hug after having a good cry. So if you're in the mood for a laidback read, then this one might be for you.
November 6, 2023
RAAAAAAAAA
I've been suspecting for a while that I may have outgrown this type of fuzzy fluffy romance, maybe because I'm slowly (and unfortunately) approaching my twenties, but this book confirms that the genre still has me in a chokehold.
This book is so reminiscent of the innocence and charm of early 2000s rom-coms, and strangely even has this kind of fairytale aspect to it. And I'm normally an enemies-to-lovers girl, but this is my exception. The way these characters fall in love and talk about each other makes me giggle. Giggles are the best way to measure how good a romance is. I don't make the rules.
**Thanks to the wonderful author for sending me a digital copy to review! I had a blast reading!
I've been suspecting for a while that I may have outgrown this type of fuzzy fluffy romance, maybe because I'm slowly (and unfortunately) approaching my twenties, but this book confirms that the genre still has me in a chokehold.
This book is so reminiscent of the innocence and charm of early 2000s rom-coms, and strangely even has this kind of fairytale aspect to it. And I'm normally an enemies-to-lovers girl, but this is my exception. The way these characters fall in love and talk about each other makes me giggle. Giggles are the best way to measure how good a romance is. I don't make the rules.
**Thanks to the wonderful author for sending me a digital copy to review! I had a blast reading!
August 30, 2024
Hot diggity damn this book could’ve been a five-star if it didn’t get so h0rny at the end 😭😭😭
August 28, 2025
4.5 ☆ realmente fue muy cute
November 17, 2024
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Second Chance Books by Carina Gaskell is the October Book of the Month for Kindle Buddies PH, and I’m excited to share my reviews as I journey through the chapters with my reading team. Here’s what I thought about the book on my four weeks of reading!
Week 1: Chapters 1 to 12
From the very beginning, we meet a protagonist willing to do whatever it takes to survive for her family, even if it means betraying friends and colleagues. The pacing of the book is brisk, especially during the interviews with members of the Second Chance Books Club. One standout moment for me was the chapter featuring Mildred. It provided a fascinating glimpse into Roger’s life as a young married man and introduced us to the brain of the SCB: Cecilia, Roger's wife.
Week 2: Chapters 13 to 25
In these chapters, the characters continue to evolve. Tom is becoming increasingly aware of his feelings for Nell, realizing that his heart is no longer with Paulina. Meanwhile, Nell remains in denial, continually pushing Tom away. Their dynamic adds an intriguing layer of tension to the story.
Week 3: Chapters 26 to 37
“You shouldn’t string someone along just because you can’t make up your mind.” This line resonated with me as we delve deeper into the story.
The beautiful stories shared by the SCB book club members are the highlights of the chapters. It’s hard not to fall for Roger—he truly is the man! But Carina, why must you put my beloved Roger through this?
Week 4: Chapters 38 to Epilogue
As we reach the final chapters, true feelings and intentions come to light. Carina masterfully evokes a whirlwind of emotions: happiness, sadness, and betrayal.
I’m relieved that all the characters, including Nell’s sister and her friend Daphne, find their happy endings.
Epilogue was cute. Kilig scenes are good!
Character Thoughts:
Nell: A character many Filipinos can relate to.
Roger: A truly selfless man.
Cecilia: A queen in her own right.
Tom: A lost cause in the realm of romance. But at least he was able to win Nelle.
Verdict:
Overall, Second Chance Books is a light read that I could easily finish in one sitting. I appreciate following the structured reading timeline with my group. I did feel some events towards the end felt a bit rushed and some scenes unnececssary. Tom is an endearing character, while Nell embodies the qualities of a protagonist readers can look up to. This story beautifully explores themes of found family, rekindled friendships, and love.
I’m giving this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars!
originally posted on https://kawaiimemos.wixsite.com/my-si...
Second Chance Books by Carina Gaskell is the October Book of the Month for Kindle Buddies PH, and I’m excited to share my reviews as I journey through the chapters with my reading team. Here’s what I thought about the book on my four weeks of reading!
Week 1: Chapters 1 to 12
From the very beginning, we meet a protagonist willing to do whatever it takes to survive for her family, even if it means betraying friends and colleagues. The pacing of the book is brisk, especially during the interviews with members of the Second Chance Books Club. One standout moment for me was the chapter featuring Mildred. It provided a fascinating glimpse into Roger’s life as a young married man and introduced us to the brain of the SCB: Cecilia, Roger's wife.
Week 2: Chapters 13 to 25
In these chapters, the characters continue to evolve. Tom is becoming increasingly aware of his feelings for Nell, realizing that his heart is no longer with Paulina. Meanwhile, Nell remains in denial, continually pushing Tom away. Their dynamic adds an intriguing layer of tension to the story.
Week 3: Chapters 26 to 37
“You shouldn’t string someone along just because you can’t make up your mind.” This line resonated with me as we delve deeper into the story.
The beautiful stories shared by the SCB book club members are the highlights of the chapters. It’s hard not to fall for Roger—he truly is the man! But Carina, why must you put my beloved Roger through this?
Week 4: Chapters 38 to Epilogue
As we reach the final chapters, true feelings and intentions come to light. Carina masterfully evokes a whirlwind of emotions: happiness, sadness, and betrayal.
I’m relieved that all the characters, including Nell’s sister and her friend Daphne, find their happy endings.
Epilogue was cute. Kilig scenes are good!
Character Thoughts:
Nell: A character many Filipinos can relate to.
Roger: A truly selfless man.
Cecilia: A queen in her own right.
Tom: A lost cause in the realm of romance. But at least he was able to win Nelle.
Verdict:
Overall, Second Chance Books is a light read that I could easily finish in one sitting. I appreciate following the structured reading timeline with my group. I did feel some events towards the end felt a bit rushed and some scenes unnececssary. Tom is an endearing character, while Nell embodies the qualities of a protagonist readers can look up to. This story beautifully explores themes of found family, rekindled friendships, and love.
I’m giving this book a solid 4 out of 5 stars!
originally posted on https://kawaiimemos.wixsite.com/my-si...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2023
"𝐌𝐚𝐦𝐚, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨."
Forced to financially support her pregnant sister, Nell needs to convince the owner of the bookshop, Second Chance Books, to sell his business in order to earn the commission. This is a more difficult task than expected as she discovers her childhood friend she hasn't seen in years works there and that the store's dedicated book club is beloved by many.
Second Chance Books is a story about childhood friends who stumble upon each other years later. This book makes me want to join a book club in my neighborhood! I loved reading about how joining the bookstore's weekly book club positively affected each of the member's lives. Their stories were very heartfelt and it really brought the book store to life. It enforced the constant message of the book that love is given freely not earned.
The romance between Tom and Nell is slow burn. I wished their relationship developed sooner and we got to see more of them as a couple. Tom is such a cinnamon roll with his awkwardness. I wasn't a fan of Nell's deception, but her and Tom's friendship was very sweet to read.
Thank you Carina for gifting me this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! I loved reading about a Filipino FMC. This was such a cute read and I'm so excited to see what you write next! 🤍
Forced to financially support her pregnant sister, Nell needs to convince the owner of the bookshop, Second Chance Books, to sell his business in order to earn the commission. This is a more difficult task than expected as she discovers her childhood friend she hasn't seen in years works there and that the store's dedicated book club is beloved by many.
Second Chance Books is a story about childhood friends who stumble upon each other years later. This book makes me want to join a book club in my neighborhood! I loved reading about how joining the bookstore's weekly book club positively affected each of the member's lives. Their stories were very heartfelt and it really brought the book store to life. It enforced the constant message of the book that love is given freely not earned.
The romance between Tom and Nell is slow burn. I wished their relationship developed sooner and we got to see more of them as a couple. Tom is such a cinnamon roll with his awkwardness. I wasn't a fan of Nell's deception, but her and Tom's friendship was very sweet to read.
Thank you Carina for gifting me this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review! I loved reading about a Filipino FMC. This was such a cute read and I'm so excited to see what you write next! 🤍
October 2, 2023
SECOND CHANCE BOOKS REVIEW 📚
Thank you Carina for this ARC of Second Chance Books in exchange of my honest review. 😊
3.5/5! 🌟🌟🌟.⭐️
This book feels like a warm cup of coffee. It’s like a crossover of Gilmore girls x Flipped x Emily Henry’s Book lovers! It’s my first romance book written by a Filipino author and I love how the author includes little details of the culture and its translations as well!
I love the bookstore setting that’s why i was super excited to read this book! The second chance bookstore community is so lovely and I wish there’s something like that in real life. 🥹 I love how i got to learn the history of the bookstore and also the book club!
I gave it 3.5 out of 5 because I feel like it’s super short, like I want more of Nell and Tom. Honestly, I was more invested in the side characters than the main characters and I feel like the ending was a bit rushed. But overall, it was a very light and good read. This book is well written considering this is Carina’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more of her works!
I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a light romance read. 😊
Thank you Carina for this ARC of Second Chance Books in exchange of my honest review. 😊
3.5/5! 🌟🌟🌟.⭐️
This book feels like a warm cup of coffee. It’s like a crossover of Gilmore girls x Flipped x Emily Henry’s Book lovers! It’s my first romance book written by a Filipino author and I love how the author includes little details of the culture and its translations as well!
I love the bookstore setting that’s why i was super excited to read this book! The second chance bookstore community is so lovely and I wish there’s something like that in real life. 🥹 I love how i got to learn the history of the bookstore and also the book club!
I gave it 3.5 out of 5 because I feel like it’s super short, like I want more of Nell and Tom. Honestly, I was more invested in the side characters than the main characters and I feel like the ending was a bit rushed. But overall, it was a very light and good read. This book is well written considering this is Carina’s debut novel and I can’t wait to read more of her works!
I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a light romance read. 😊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2023
"i like the poem you read,"
"probably because you read it."
firstly i’ve to say that i’m writing this review while listening to sweet nothing by taylor because i think it’s one of those songs that just perfectly fits the vibes of this book!
this book the definition of warm and cozy why? because in its simplicity it welcomes u into its world and among its characters who make u feel part of a family <3 and what a family i would say 🫶🏻
i truly loved each character, a special mention to roger ❤️🩹 we all need a roger in our life 💌
and what can i say about tom and nell? they where simply them in their sweet nothing with the fears and problems, they where just so real to me 🫶🏻 and personally the way tom talked about nell 🤏🏻🤏🏻.
“She's too beautiful, and I'm just a man.”
4.5✨
"probably because you read it."
firstly i’ve to say that i’m writing this review while listening to sweet nothing by taylor because i think it’s one of those songs that just perfectly fits the vibes of this book!
this book the definition of warm and cozy why? because in its simplicity it welcomes u into its world and among its characters who make u feel part of a family <3 and what a family i would say 🫶🏻
i truly loved each character, a special mention to roger ❤️🩹 we all need a roger in our life 💌
and what can i say about tom and nell? they where simply them in their sweet nothing with the fears and problems, they where just so real to me 🫶🏻 and personally the way tom talked about nell 🤏🏻🤏🏻.
“She's too beautiful, and I'm just a man.”
4.5✨
October 17, 2023
I had the privilege of reading an advance copy (ARC) of Second Chance Books, and I must express my heartfelt gratitude to the Ms. Carina for this opportunity. This book takes readers on a poignant and thought-provoking journey.
Second Chance Books artfully combines the childhood friends to lovers trope with a setting that is universally adored and warms the heart of everyone: a charming bookstore. Who can resist the allure of such a place?
The heart of the story is undeniably genuine and wholesome. The characters, especially Nell, are a testament to the power of positivity. Nell's infectious optimism is not only inspiring but also contagious. It's a reminder that even in the face of life's challenges, hope can prevail.
As I read about Tom's interactions with Paulina, I couldn't help but root for Nell. It's a testament to the author's skill that these characters feel like real people, and their dilemmas tug at your heartstrings.
And then there's Roger. We all need a Roger in our lives—someone who cares, understands, and supports us unconditionally. His character adds depth and warmth to the narrative, making the story even more relatable.
One of the most endearing aspects of the book is the strong bond among the book club members. Their unwavering support for one another is a testament to the power of friendship. It's a reminder that in this story and, hopefully, in real life, we can find communities that lift us up and stand by our side.
Bonus: The author adds a lot of Filipino cuisine such as tinola, adobo, menudo, kare kare and many more. This makes me crave my Mom’s dishes while reading it haha.
It’s a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 for me.
Second Chance Books artfully combines the childhood friends to lovers trope with a setting that is universally adored and warms the heart of everyone: a charming bookstore. Who can resist the allure of such a place?
The heart of the story is undeniably genuine and wholesome. The characters, especially Nell, are a testament to the power of positivity. Nell's infectious optimism is not only inspiring but also contagious. It's a reminder that even in the face of life's challenges, hope can prevail.
As I read about Tom's interactions with Paulina, I couldn't help but root for Nell. It's a testament to the author's skill that these characters feel like real people, and their dilemmas tug at your heartstrings.
And then there's Roger. We all need a Roger in our lives—someone who cares, understands, and supports us unconditionally. His character adds depth and warmth to the narrative, making the story even more relatable.
One of the most endearing aspects of the book is the strong bond among the book club members. Their unwavering support for one another is a testament to the power of friendship. It's a reminder that in this story and, hopefully, in real life, we can find communities that lift us up and stand by our side.
Bonus: The author adds a lot of Filipino cuisine such as tinola, adobo, menudo, kare kare and many more. This makes me crave my Mom’s dishes while reading it haha.
It’s a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2025
(3.25★)
tom and nell used to be childhood best friends until one of them moved away and now they haven’t seen each other in years.
fate has a way to bring people back together because nell gets the assignment to make the owner of “second chance books” sell his store to nell’s boss. when nell arrives at the cute little bookstore, she finds herself accepting a job the owner roger (my fav character) gives her, but more importantly she discovers that her only colleague is thomas whelan aka tom, her childhood best friend that she secretly had the biggest crush on back then.
the book was a bit slow in the beginning and i had a little trouble getting through the first thirty percent but after that when you got to know the characters a lot better and when the story really unfolded, i thoroughly enjoyed it. this book was so found family coded and that’s my favorite trope so i loved that.
even tho nell made me want to scream in my pillow because she was so stubborn, i related a lot to her and her beliefs on love. that’s why i’m so glad that tom (and roger) could show her love is indeed always worth it. and tom was so cinnamon roll coded, i loved him. his nervousness was adorable and also very relatable and the way he was with nell melted my heart.
all in all a good book with lovely characters that deserve the world, i would def recommend reading if you’re looking for a childhood best friends to lovers romance book where she falls first but he falls harder that also takes place in a cute little bookstore.
also thank you so so much carina for providing the e-arc, i really enjoyed reading ur book <3
tom and nell used to be childhood best friends until one of them moved away and now they haven’t seen each other in years.
fate has a way to bring people back together because nell gets the assignment to make the owner of “second chance books” sell his store to nell’s boss. when nell arrives at the cute little bookstore, she finds herself accepting a job the owner roger (my fav character) gives her, but more importantly she discovers that her only colleague is thomas whelan aka tom, her childhood best friend that she secretly had the biggest crush on back then.
the book was a bit slow in the beginning and i had a little trouble getting through the first thirty percent but after that when you got to know the characters a lot better and when the story really unfolded, i thoroughly enjoyed it. this book was so found family coded and that’s my favorite trope so i loved that.
even tho nell made me want to scream in my pillow because she was so stubborn, i related a lot to her and her beliefs on love. that’s why i’m so glad that tom (and roger) could show her love is indeed always worth it. and tom was so cinnamon roll coded, i loved him. his nervousness was adorable and also very relatable and the way he was with nell melted my heart.
all in all a good book with lovely characters that deserve the world, i would def recommend reading if you’re looking for a childhood best friends to lovers romance book where she falls first but he falls harder that also takes place in a cute little bookstore.
also thank you so so much carina for providing the e-arc, i really enjoyed reading ur book <3
November 19, 2023
I first want to say thank you to Carina for sending me a digital copy of her book in return for a review!
This was a very cute, easy read. I adored the setting of the bookstore and the overall plot of Nell wanting to sell then save the bookstore. The “found family” trope is what makes this a sweet read.
The slow burn was very slow. There was quite a bit of miscommunication between Nell and Tom. I would’ve loved to see their relationship flourish a bit more, but the miscommunication really kept them apart of the majority of the book. Nell also said some really hurtful things to Tom, which broke my heart for him. I think their friendship was really special and I am a SUCKER for friends to lovers, so I was waiting for their romance to take off, but there’s only a small glimpse of it at the end and it felt rushed. Nell went from never been kissed to kissing Tom for the first time and sleeping with him in the same scene, which to me just felt very rushed. Maybe less Paulina, more Nell to bring them together more?
The side characters are wonderful, I loved Roger so much, and the town/setting is cozy and well described. I think this could be a great beach read or for those who prefer slower/closed door romances! It was also well written and easy to digest.
This was a very cute, easy read. I adored the setting of the bookstore and the overall plot of Nell wanting to sell then save the bookstore. The “found family” trope is what makes this a sweet read.
The slow burn was very slow. There was quite a bit of miscommunication between Nell and Tom. I would’ve loved to see their relationship flourish a bit more, but the miscommunication really kept them apart of the majority of the book. Nell also said some really hurtful things to Tom, which broke my heart for him. I think their friendship was really special and I am a SUCKER for friends to lovers, so I was waiting for their romance to take off, but there’s only a small glimpse of it at the end and it felt rushed. Nell went from never been kissed to kissing Tom for the first time and sleeping with him in the same scene, which to me just felt very rushed. Maybe less Paulina, more Nell to bring them together more?
The side characters are wonderful, I loved Roger so much, and the town/setting is cozy and well described. I think this could be a great beach read or for those who prefer slower/closed door romances! It was also well written and easy to digest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 1, 2023
Hace poco me animé comenzar a solicitar “Arcs” (Advanced Reader Copies) y agradezco mucho las oportunidades de los autores que me han confiado sus libros para dar mi opinión. En este caso, gracias a Carina Gaskell por confiar en mí.
En esta historia nos encontramos con Nell y Tom, quienes se conocen desde la adolescencia y crearon una amistad en su propia burbuja, pero por circunstancias de la vida, se separaron y se han vuelto a ver después de 5 años en la librería que trabaja Tom, donde deben tomar decisiones sobre el amor y la vida.
Eleanor (Nell) ha tenido un camino difícil en la vida, tanto monetario como familiar, y quien se ha rendido a cualquier oportunidad de un final feliz en el amor.
Tom se ha alejado de su familia para encontrar respaldo en Roger, quien es el dueño de una librería de libros de segunda mano y lo ha tomado bajo su tutela.
En esta historia podemos ver cómo ambos pelean por lo que sienten para no arruinar la amistad que tenían de pequeños y la que están retomando ahora. Sin embargo, Nell lo tiene difícil, ya que vió una oportunidad monetaria en su actual trabajo y su jefa en una corredora de propiedades la está presionando para que consiga que Roger y Tom vendan la librería, pero no contaba con que se enamoraría del lugar, de los miembros del club de lectura, de Roger y, por sobre todo de Tom.
Mi opinión:
Me encantó la dinámica que tienen los personajes, tanto principales como secundarios, donde todos se tratan como familia y se ayudan a sobrellevar las piedras en el camino.
Me encantó el cambio en donde podemos ver a la personaje principal femenina siendo la que guarda el secreto y rompe el corazón del interés amoroso. Me pareció que el desarrollo de ambos personajes, si bien fue muy “slow burn”, se desarrolló en los tiempos correctos, siendo que ambos nunca habían estado en una relación y no sabían cómo hacerlo, ambos tomando decisiones en el calor del momento, siendo un total reflejo el carácter inmaduro de ambos, lo cual es completamente cierto considerando sus edades y sus circunstancias de vida.
La única crítica que tengo es que siento que el drama se desarrolló muy rápido en 50 páginas. Era un drama tras otro y no podía descansar de uno cuando venía el siguiente, sin embargo me mantuvo al borde para saber la resolución.
Esta historia no es solo sobre un romance que renace entre dos amigos de infancia, si no cómo aprender a caminar por la vida sin miedo al fracaso.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I recently decided to start requesting “Arcs” (Advanced Reader Copies) and I greatly appreciate the opportunities of authors who have entrusted me with their books to give my opinion. In this case, thanks to Carina Gaskell for trusting me.
In this story we meet Nell and Tom, who have known each other since adolescence and created a friendship in their own bubble, but due to life circumstances, they separated and now they are seeing each other again after 5 years in the bookstore where Tom works, where they must make decisions about love and life.
Eleanor (Nell) has had a difficult path in life, both monetary and familial, and who has given up on any chance at a happy ending in love.
Tom has moved away from his family to find support in Roger, who owns a second-hand bookstore and has taken him under his wing.
In this story we can see how they both fight for what they feel so as not to ruin the friendship they had as children and the one they are resuming now. However, Nell has a difficult time, since she saw a monetary opportunity in her current job and her boss at a real estate company is pressuring her to get Roger and Tom to sell the bookstore, but she did not expect that she would fall in love with the place, from the members of the book club, from Roger and, above all, from Tom.
My opinion:
I loved the dynamic that the characters have, both main and secondary, where everyone treats each other like family and helps each other overcome the obstacles along the way.
I loved the change where we get to see the main female character being the one who keeps the secret and breaks the love interest's heart. It seemed to me that the development of both characters, although it was very "slow burn", developed at the right times, being that both had never been in a relationship and did not know how to do it, both making decisions in the heat of the moment, being a total reflection of the immature character of both, which is completely true considering their ages and life circumstances.
The only criticism I have is that I feel the drama unfolded too quickly in 50 pages. It was one drama after another and I couldn't take a break from one when the next came, yet it kept me on edge to know the resolution.
This story is not only about a romance that is reborn between two childhood friends, but also about how to learn to walk through life without fear of failure.
En esta historia nos encontramos con Nell y Tom, quienes se conocen desde la adolescencia y crearon una amistad en su propia burbuja, pero por circunstancias de la vida, se separaron y se han vuelto a ver después de 5 años en la librería que trabaja Tom, donde deben tomar decisiones sobre el amor y la vida.
Eleanor (Nell) ha tenido un camino difícil en la vida, tanto monetario como familiar, y quien se ha rendido a cualquier oportunidad de un final feliz en el amor.
Tom se ha alejado de su familia para encontrar respaldo en Roger, quien es el dueño de una librería de libros de segunda mano y lo ha tomado bajo su tutela.
En esta historia podemos ver cómo ambos pelean por lo que sienten para no arruinar la amistad que tenían de pequeños y la que están retomando ahora. Sin embargo, Nell lo tiene difícil, ya que vió una oportunidad monetaria en su actual trabajo y su jefa en una corredora de propiedades la está presionando para que consiga que Roger y Tom vendan la librería, pero no contaba con que se enamoraría del lugar, de los miembros del club de lectura, de Roger y, por sobre todo de Tom.
Mi opinión:
Me encantó la dinámica que tienen los personajes, tanto principales como secundarios, donde todos se tratan como familia y se ayudan a sobrellevar las piedras en el camino.
Me encantó el cambio en donde podemos ver a la personaje principal femenina siendo la que guarda el secreto y rompe el corazón del interés amoroso. Me pareció que el desarrollo de ambos personajes, si bien fue muy “slow burn”, se desarrolló en los tiempos correctos, siendo que ambos nunca habían estado en una relación y no sabían cómo hacerlo, ambos tomando decisiones en el calor del momento, siendo un total reflejo el carácter inmaduro de ambos, lo cual es completamente cierto considerando sus edades y sus circunstancias de vida.
La única crítica que tengo es que siento que el drama se desarrolló muy rápido en 50 páginas. Era un drama tras otro y no podía descansar de uno cuando venía el siguiente, sin embargo me mantuvo al borde para saber la resolución.
Esta historia no es solo sobre un romance que renace entre dos amigos de infancia, si no cómo aprender a caminar por la vida sin miedo al fracaso.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I recently decided to start requesting “Arcs” (Advanced Reader Copies) and I greatly appreciate the opportunities of authors who have entrusted me with their books to give my opinion. In this case, thanks to Carina Gaskell for trusting me.
In this story we meet Nell and Tom, who have known each other since adolescence and created a friendship in their own bubble, but due to life circumstances, they separated and now they are seeing each other again after 5 years in the bookstore where Tom works, where they must make decisions about love and life.
Eleanor (Nell) has had a difficult path in life, both monetary and familial, and who has given up on any chance at a happy ending in love.
Tom has moved away from his family to find support in Roger, who owns a second-hand bookstore and has taken him under his wing.
In this story we can see how they both fight for what they feel so as not to ruin the friendship they had as children and the one they are resuming now. However, Nell has a difficult time, since she saw a monetary opportunity in her current job and her boss at a real estate company is pressuring her to get Roger and Tom to sell the bookstore, but she did not expect that she would fall in love with the place, from the members of the book club, from Roger and, above all, from Tom.
My opinion:
I loved the dynamic that the characters have, both main and secondary, where everyone treats each other like family and helps each other overcome the obstacles along the way.
I loved the change where we get to see the main female character being the one who keeps the secret and breaks the love interest's heart. It seemed to me that the development of both characters, although it was very "slow burn", developed at the right times, being that both had never been in a relationship and did not know how to do it, both making decisions in the heat of the moment, being a total reflection of the immature character of both, which is completely true considering their ages and life circumstances.
The only criticism I have is that I feel the drama unfolded too quickly in 50 pages. It was one drama after another and I couldn't take a break from one when the next came, yet it kept me on edge to know the resolution.
This story is not only about a romance that is reborn between two childhood friends, but also about how to learn to walk through life without fear of failure.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews