Een tweede kans

by Amanda Prowse

'Had je al gezien dat er een brief voor je is gekomen? Een echte, met de hand geschreven brief, uit Schotland? Ik ben zo benieuwd wat erin staat.' Kim zwaaide met de crèmekleurige envelop en legde hem op het aanrecht. 'Hij werd bezorgd toen je weg was. Als ik genoeg tijd had gehad had ik hem opengestoomd en gelezen.' Bea is 55 jaar oud, woont in Sydney en is weduwe. De gedachte dat ze moet accepteren dat ze waarschijnlijk de rest van haar leven alleen zal zijn, is moeilijk voor haar. Ze verdringt de gedachte door zich vol op haar werk te storten en haar eetcafé trekt veel gasten. Al is het alleen al om haar overheerlijke gebak. Maar als ze een brief uit Edinburgh ontvangt vertrekt ze toch naar het winterse Schotland. Is het een geheime liefde die haar trekt? Een liefde die ze lang geleden probeerde te vergeten?

Genres: Christmas, Ebooks, Romance, Fiction

324 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2015

About the author

Previous Book: 'Swimming to Lundy', published th August 2024'.

Latest Book: 'This One Life', published 7th January 2025.

Next Book: 'Ever After' published 7th August 2025.

Amanda Prowse is an International Bestselling author whose thirty-two novels, two non-fiction titles and ten novellas have been published in dozens of languages around the world. Published by Lake Union, Amanda is the most prolific writer of bestselling contemporary fiction in the UK today; her titles also consistently score the highest online review approval ratings across several genres. Her books, including the chart topping No.1 titles 'What Have I Done?', 'Perfect Daughter', 'My Husband's Wife', 'The Girl in the Corner' and ‘The Things I Know’ have sold millions of copies across the globe.

A popular TV and radio personality, Amanda has appeared on numerous shows where her views on family and social issues strike a chord with viewers. She also makes countless guest appearances on BBC national and independent Radio stations including LBC, Times Radio and Talk FM, where she is well known for her insightful observations and her infectious humour. Described by the Daily Mail as ‘The queen of family drama’ Amanda’s novel, 'A Mother's Story' won the coveted Sainsbury's eBook of the year Award and she has had two books selected as World Book Night titles, 'Perfect Daughter' in 2016 and 'The Boy Between' in 2022.

Amanda is a huge supporter of libraries and having become a proud ambassador for The Reading Agency, works tirelessly to promote reading, especially in disadvantaged areas. Amanda's ambition is to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night, great characters that ensure you take every step with them and tales that fill your head so you can't possibly read another book until the memory fades...

Praise for Amanda Prowse:

'A powerful and emotional work of fiction' - Piers Morgan

'Deeply moving and emotional, Amanda Prowse handles her explosive subjects with delicate skill' - Daily Mail

'Uplifting and positive, but you will still need a box of tissues' - Hello!

'A gut-wrenching and absolutely brilliant read' - The Irish Sun

'You'll fall in love with this...' - Cosmopolitan

'Deeply moving and eye opening. Powerful and emotional drama that packs a real punch.' - Heat

'Magical' - Now magazine

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having loved some previous books of Amanda Prowse I was looking forward to this one but I'm left feeling a bit disappointed. It's very short and perhaps that's half the problem as I didn't have enough time to get to know the characters. The main character Bea felt a bit too preachy for me to be honest, I think if she was my gran I would have knocked her over the balcony as no one could say anything to her without hearing a moral of the story or a lesson to live by. Just couldn't relate to this book at all which was a shame.

[Kylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very average read. You have Bea, the main character, widowed at 53, after a happy marriage. Her only son, Wyatt, came from a brief love affair when she was in her late teens, and the father never knew about him. Although she found companionship and a gentle kind of love with her husband, she never forgot the man who broke her heart.

So fairly standard as far as plot goes, which is all fine, as a mindless read. The real problem, however, was with Bea herself, and her experiences. She is 53 - and it is completely not feasible for a woman of that age at this time to have never sent an email before. To be so totally clueless about technology, was ridiculous. Set it 20 years earlier, and maybe that would work, but this was published in 2015. Not to mention that Bea was a business owner - and no, saying Peter took care of it all doesn't work either, as he would have gone through a period of decline before he passed away, and that was a year before when the book is set. There would have been emails and online banking and all sorts of normal everyday technology she would have had to do. To not be able to use a space bar properly and have words run together? Ridiculous.

Then there is the big song and dance made about being an unwed mother in Australia. We are talking about the early 1980s here - would it have been completely acceptable? No, of course not. But the references made to other unwed mothers all refer to the attitudes and practices that stopped by the mid-70s. Her parents might have felt that way, but they were not indicative of the prevailing attitudes.

Other characters didn't fare too much better. Wyatt was flat out a jerk, and Flora's whole storyline suited a character at least 2-3 years older. It is almost ironic that the characters were at times so thinly written, when inanimate objects and decor were over explained, and not in a way that added anything.

It wasn't awful, it just didn't work for me, because once the things above started bugging me, they affected everything I read.

[Lyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Amanda Prowse book.
I enjoyed the storyline, however, I felt the protagonist, Bea, who is 53 acted like a woman in her 70's. She is also supposed to be a successful business woman, however, she had never sent an email, is clueless about technology and is very emotional.
This contrast of personality traits made it difficult to believe in her.
While I found the story difficult to believe, it was an enjoyable one.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty ordinary writing style, overly and unnecessarily explanatory although well meaning. Pretty meh tale. But it's ok and I finished it. Also: 53 is simply not as old as the author implies. She had the poor woman doing morning stretches and having completely grey hair, describing someone closer to their seventies than in their early 50s.

[Audrey Haylins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m afraid Prowse has lost all credibility with this book by creating a 50-something leading lady who has no clue how to send an email, calls Facebook ‘Chapterface’ and has never heard of Instagram. Seriously? My first reaction was to check the Copyright, thinking maybe I’d picked up a really old title, but no, it was published in 2015!

Okay, so the freshly widowed Bea is described as a self-confessed ‘technophobe’, but honestly, the very idea of an otherwise modern woman being so out of touch with basic 21st century modes of communication is not just unconvincing but vaguely insulting as well. Has she been hiding under a rock? Just landed from the moon? No, she’s an intelligent and capable small business owner living in a major metropolis. Hmm ...

So it was goodbye to Bea, at less than a quarter way through. Am annoyed I wasted time reading even that far. Did she eventually get to grips with that mouse? Who knows? Who cares? Time to move on.

[Jas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cheesy and predictable.

[Fay Flude · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this charming book on audio and was absolutely swept away by the narration of Federay Holmes.
The story is set in Surrey Hills, New South Wales, so the Australian accent is imperative but the story does also move to Edinburgh and then Federay switches accents to good effect.
I found her voice mesmerising and the dialogue between Flora and her gran Bea very engaging.
This is a tale of first and true love but also the love that takes care of us.
Bea loses her much older husband Peter to illness and I found the sad opening very touching, in that Bea is so appreciative of the time she had with him and all he did for her and her son Wyatt, even though Peter knew she could never love him as much as Wyatt's father and first love John.
Apart from the sadness at the beginning, this is mostly a heart-warming and, in places, a funny read but it does also touch on the shame of having a child as a teenager, and out of wedlock.
I thoroughly enjoy tales of the emotional connections we make with others throughout our lives and had much admiration for Bea, living on her own at such a tender age and giving birth and raising her only child without a family to support her.
She is a strong, capable character with a lot of love to give, lots of clear headed sensible advice but also flawed (like us all!) Her relationship with granddaughter Flora blossoms as they spend more time together in the Reservoir Street Kitchens, the cafe Bea owns. Flora is not happy at home and her parents are not happy with her either. She is struggling with friendships, growing up and has got caught up in a crowd of peers that leads her to make unwise decisions. Flora is funny and forthright and it is refreshing to read about a grandparent helping a young person find their way.
As a result of a set of emails to the Christmas Cafe in Scotland, assisted by Flora because Bea is a technophobe, the pair end up having a holiday in Edinburgh.
What happens there is a little predictable in some ways, and a little unbelievable in others, but totally necessary to the plot which is about families uniting, memories leading us back to special people and places and ultimately a happily ever after.
The story is not fast moving. I think its strength is in the languid descriptions of people, of love, of places and of feelings with a good sense of dialogue pulling this together.
If you want to find out what happened to Bea's first love Dr John Brody, whether eccentric Mr Geraldi, a customer at the Reservoir Street kitchens, cheers up at Christmas, and what happened after Flora and Bea return from Scotland read the book and fall back in love with being in love!

[Sandra Mistretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a warm, slow paced ,thoughtful story of a troubled family who is trying to work out their differences. The family lives in New South Wales, which is little known to me. I can't remember any books that I have read which are based there.

Bea was a single mother to her son Wyatt before she married an older man named Peter. Peter had never been a father and he struggled to understand his stepson. He paid for Wyatt to attend an expensive boarding school which Wyatt enjoyed, but also resented Peter for sending him away from home.

Peter recently passed away and Bea misses him, although she couldn't love him as much as he loved her, because she still loved Wyatt's father back in the U K.

Wyatt and his wife Sarah didn't contact Bea as often as she hoped and their relationship felt strained. When their thirteen year old daughter Flora came to stay with Bea because she was getting in trouble at school, Bea was thrilled to have her, but balancing the troubled relationships between Flora's parents and her was complicated.

Bea was 53, but the author makes her sound much older than I felt at that age. She is active and runs a cafe, but she doesn't know anything about technology, which was difficult for me to believe for someone that age, because I am in my seventies and I am fairly knowledgeable with this. She didn't even know how to send an email! I drive an electric vehicle which has a computerized dash and follow routes for my job which I map out on Google maps each week.

Bea seemed set in her ways and afraid to try new things, which also made her seem like a much older woman. She was uncomfortable using a cell phone.Yet, the author also describes her as a free spirit who is ready for love again after being widowed. It was confusing to me.

Still, I enjoyed her and Flora together. Poor Flora was going through so much being a new teenager and feeling like she had no friends. She was befriended by two girls who were getting her into trouble at school.

[Khim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Een pracht van een boek. Karakters van Bea en Flora komen echt tot leven. De karakters van Kim en Kait ook, de rest blijft een beetje oppervlakkig. Jammer, want dan was het verhaal mooier en gevoeliger geweest. Bea heeft een restaurant in Australië die ze runt met Kim en Kait. Haar man Petert is een jaar geleden overleden en Bea zit nog in de rouw. Op een dag krijgt Bea een handgeschreven brief uit Schotland en start met Alex van wie ze denkt dat deze een vrouw is een e-mail correspondentie. Ze deelt grappige vrouwelijke probleempjes aan een man. Dit is wel een grappig stuk om te lezen. Ook Alex is zijn man verloren. Dit blijkt later in het verhaal anders in elkaar te zitten.

Dan komt Flora, het kleinkind van Bea bij logeren. Zij heeft problemen met haar ouders, Wyatt haar zoon komt Flora brengen en laat weten dat hij veel problemen met Flora heeft. Bea vangt haar op en langzaam maar zeker lees je wat er zich in het gezin af speelt.

Bea is toch wel nieuwsgierig wie Alex nou is en komt via Kim erachter dat het een man is. Bea twijfelt maar besluit toch naar Schotland af te reizen en neemt Flora mee die weer naar Bea komt omdat de boel thuis weer is geëscaleerd. Wyatt en Sarah gaan dan naar Bali. Ze besluiten er een leuke tijd te van te maken in Schotland als ze Alex toch gaan bezoeken.

Daar komt de waarheid naar boven over het leven die Bea in Schotland heeft gehad en haar verloren liefde, de vader van Wyatt.

Het is wel jammer dat het laatste stuk een beetje snel is. Hierin mis ik wat diepgang. Maar desalniettemin is het een pracht van een verhaal. Alles komt weer op z'n pootjes terecht.

De beschrijvingen van Australië, Schotland, de restaurant gasten en belevenissen van Bea en Flora zijn heel herkenbaar. Je kunt je inleven in de personages. Zeker een aanrader en ben zeker van plan om meer boeken van Amanda Prowse te gaan lezen.

[Pippa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
My first Amada Prowse read was “How to fall in love again” which I thought was wonderful so happily downloaded 3 more titles from this author, “I won’t be home for Christmas” which was good but not as good, “A little love” which I have yet to read and this one “The second chances cafe” (originally published as “The Christmas cafe”) which I did find rather strange.

In view of the year of publication and the age of the author I felt that Bea was more like a woman in her 70’s than her 50’s and the whole thing was about 20 years out of kilter with society. I didn’t much care for her son who seemed very immature, reacting more like a teenager about the circumstances of his birth, than a man with a teenager daughter of his own.

The book lacked much emotional depth until the closing few chapters. As for the love of her life? Although she was 19 this was her first boyfriend (okay strict religious parents may be a plausible reason) and the man she gave her virginity to but surely in time, she would have seen this for what it was teenage infatuation, all too common with your “first”. Yes it is painful at the time, but it isn’t love, it is part of growing up. I’m not suggesting that losing someone you truly love can’t cause heartache that lasts for decades, I just don’t feel this situation was one of those.

In conclusion a rather disappointing read.

[weaverannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amanda Prowse beschrijft in haar boeken meestal een vrouwenleven en dan iemand met de nodige problemen. Ditmaal is het de 55-jarige Bea (dat is al bijna hoogbejaard, als je dit boek leest), die weduwe wordt. Ze hield van haar man Peter, maar haar grote liefde was de man, van wie ze op jonge leeftijd zwanger raakte. Ze heeft hem dat nooit verteld, want hij bleek getrouwd te zijn en al twee kinderen te hebben
Ze is hem nooit vergeten.
Ze voedt haar zoon Wyatt alleen op. Haar ouders hebben haar de deur uitgezet en ze kan maar met moeite aan de kost komen. Peter redde haar van dit armoedige leven.
Nu runt ze een restaurantje, geholpen door Kim en Tait. Haar zoon en zijn vrouw Sarah ziet ze weinig. Het wringt een beetje in die relatie. Dan brengt Wyatt zijn tienerdochter Flora bij Bea. Ze is niet meer te hanteren en gaat met verkeerde vrienden om. Bea probeert de gemoederen wat te bedaren en Flora blijft even bij haar. Dan besluiten ze samen vlak voor kerst naar Schotland te gaan, waar de eerste liefde van Bea woont of woonde. Ze heeft een brief gekregen van een restauranthouder in Edinburgh, die een forum op internet onderhoudt van restauranteigenaars en Bea uitnodigt daaraan deel te nemen. De brief komt van ene Alex en Bea denkt, dat dat een vrouw is. Dat blijkt niet helemaal zo te zijn.
Snel lezend zomerboek.

[lenisvea`s Bücherwelt (Sandra Berghaus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

€ 10,00 [D], € 10,30 [A]
Erschienen am 02.10.2017
336 Seiten, Broschur
Übersetzt von: Anja Mehrmann
ISBN: 978-3-492-31156-4

Ich küss dich, wenn die Schneeflocken tanzen.
Als ihr Mann stirbt, ist Bea nach dreißig Jahren Ehe wieder allein. Für immer, so denkt sie. Ihren Schmerz bekämpft sie, indem sie sich in die Arbeit stürzt, und bald ist ihr Café bekannt für den besten Karottenkuchen von Sydney. Aber dann, kurz vor Weihnachten, lockt eine Brieffreundschaft Bea nach Schottland. Der glitzernde Lichterzauber und die tanzenden Schneeflocken führen sie unvermittelt zurück in die Vergangenheit und zu einer heimlichen Liebe – die sie vor langer Zeit zu vergessen versuchte.

Meine Meinung:

Ich habe vor einiger Zeit mit großer Begeisterung Auf Zehenspitzen berühre ich den Himmel gelesen und mich nun sehr gefreut, dass ein neues Buch der Autorin erschienen ist. Freundlicherweise wurde mir das Ebook von Netgalley zur Verfügung gestellt.

Der Einstieg ist mir dank des flüssigen Schreibstils der Autorin sehr leicht gefallen. Man lernt Bea und ihre Familie kennen. Nach dem Tod ihres Mannes musste sie ihr Leben neu ordnen und fängt auch eine Brieffreundschaft an, die sie vor kurz vor Weihnachten nach Schottland lockt, aber nicht nur diese.

Mir haben die Charaktere in diesem Roman sehr gut gefallen, vor allem Bea hatte es mir angetan. Es hat einfach Spass gemacht, sie in ihrem Leben ein wenig zu begleiten. Auch fand ich es schön, dass ihre Enkeltochter Flora sie bei diesem Neuanfang begleitet hat, die wiederum altersbedingt Probleme mit ihren Eltern hatte.

Es hat auch sehr gut gepasst, diesen Roman jetzt in der Winterzeit zu lesen, es ist ein richtiges Wohlfühlbuch für ein Wochenende auf dem Sofa.

Alles in allem hat mir dieser Roman sehr gut gefallen und kann eine klare Kauf- und Leseempfehlung geben. Gerade in der kalten Jahreszeit lässt es sich sehr gut lesen, aber ansonsten kann man es auch das ganze Jahr lesen. Ich bewerte das Buch mit sehr guten 4,5 Sternen.

[Lyn Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book; refreshing with some loveable, if predictable characters. Bea however was, like her granddaughter, selfish and deceitful which made some of the plot implausible.
A couple of times I found myself questioning the author’s research about location details, however I enjoyed the location shift.
The ending fell together a little too easily for me. I felt like a section was missing for Wyatt to meet and accept his father. The way this was written in the book didn’t align to Wyatt’s character for me. He seemed too serious and had been hurt so much by his mother to simply accept his father quickly.
A complex read that I enjoyed, and left me reflecting on the experience the next day.

[kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bea is a happily married café owner in Sydney, slightly estranged from her son, Wyatt. The story opens when her husband dies — inviting back feelings for Wyatt’s father, John, who she hasn’t seen since before Wyatt’s birth. She travels to Edinburgh with her granddaughter, Flora, on invitation of another café owner.

The rest of the plot is easy enough to guess. This was enjoyable, but it could’ve done with about half of the adjectives and it’s *very* descriptive. I know what both Bea and Flora were wearing at any point in time, and the author talked in great detail about the interior of every room they entered.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful deeply moving story set in both Sydney & Edinburgh is a delight.

Can you find true love twice?

Bea doesn't believe in second chances. A widow at 53, she buries her grief in hard work, and soon the deli she runs in Sydney's Surry Hills has a reputation for the best ever carrot cake....!!

but then an email from a cafe owner in Edinburgh leads her to take trip to Scotland in the depths of Winter. There, transported back to a secret past - and a secret love - that she long ago tried to forget.....

[Read with Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dit boekje staat al weer een tijdje in mijn boekenkast en aangezien ik dit jaar alle boeken uit mijn boekenkast die er voor 1 januari 2018 al stonden wil lezen of weg wil doen... was dit een leuke om tussendoor op te pakken.
Het verhaal is echt wel heel leuk alleen de eerste helft duurde wat mij betreft te lang (toen wilde ik hem bijna wegleggen) en de tweede helft leek een beetje afgeraffeld.. een combinatie van beide was prettiger geweest.
Het is er voor mij eentje die niet blijft, ik geef hem lekker weg aan een vriendin die er misschien ook nog plezier aan beleeft..

[Smitha Vasudevan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Bea's much loved husband passes away, she finds solace in small things. Her cafe that houses her salvaged antiques, the house that she lovingly brought to life, her grand daughter Flora. When Flora seeks refuge with her, away from her parents and her teenage angst, life opens for them. A chance trip, a fortunate meeting, life brings back the joy and love that was cruelly denied to her years ago. Well written, if largely predictable story.

[Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot stress enough how much I absolutely adored this book! Absolutely gives you all of the feels! I adore bea as a character and so glad she got the ending she deserved! I love her development in relationship in others, also love how it was based in Edinburgh (one of my favourite cities ever!), I love how much she gained throughout the story, love the characters....I love this story and could read it all again! Absolutely beautiful book, excited to read more from this author!

[Mrs L · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Focusing on Bea and her family, her losses and experiences. We meet Flora upon the death of her husband, and almost work backwards from there finding out about her one true love, the father of her son and the family she left behind.
Based in both Australia and Edingburgh, this is an easy to read, quite Christmasssy book about what family is.

[Joyce Rigg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author and is clearly not for me. It would be loved, I think, by any girl aged between eleven and sixteen. Until I saw how many books this author had written I assumed it was her first, maybe it was. Such unrealistic, overly dramatic reactions to almost anything was very wearing but I am sure it will be a favourite for every female teenager.

[Kylie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book does get a bit corny and sentimental - it is a lovely story. Bea has just lost her husband and feels as though she is losing her son too. Can past secrets be brought into the open and old wounds healed?

[Penny Rundle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dreadful! I don’t want to give it even 1 star. Cliche story, sentimental, preachy and so predictable. I should have given up, but skimmed instead, which wasn’t difficult since it was so repetitious. My advice? Don’t waste your time.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very gripping story, it was funny also very sad loved it

[Kate Bevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely easy read with delightful characters.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never see the twist coming in these books until it is revealed! Books by Amanda Prowse all keep me pretty hooked.
It’s better than any soap opera I’ve ever watched. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple light read but had the tears flowing frequently.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. Good summer beach read.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just this story. A beautiful love story.

[Claire Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by Amanda. X

[Jenna Dutton · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's that time of year again... where I read very easy festive reads instead of complex topics!! 😆