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Something New
How do you recover from loss and heartbreaking disappointment? Gwen never thought she’d be raising her three young grandchildren alone as a single parent. One minute she’s looking forward to early retirement and traveling with her husband. The next, her whole life is irrevocably changed. Now she’s drowning in financial worries, doubts about her ability to care for her grandkids, and sheer exhaustion. She desperately needs to do . . . something. Then she discovers the charming Second Chance Shop. Its quirky, warm-hearted owner Madeline needs a friend almost as badly as Gwen does—and offers a job just when Gwen needs it most. All that would be more than enough change for Gwen, but life seems insistent on growth and more growth—something the gardener in her would appreciate, except that it’s so painful. Nonetheless, she is determined to deal with her ongoing grief and to weed out her self-doubts and fear, so she can build a new future for her and her grandkids. When a handsome—and younger—single dad mistakes her for someone who might be interested in romance of all things, she has to laugh. He is so barking up the wrong tree. Or is he? Can Gwen find the bravery, strength, and renewed optimism to let herself hope for—and pursue—something new? If you enjoy emotionally compelling stories about family relationships, women’s friendships, romance for women over forty, and the pets who bring us so much joy, you’re going to love USA Today bestselling author Ev Bishop’s The Second Chance Shop, a brand-new small-town contemporary romance series about overcoming heartbreak, starting over later in life, and finding home again. . . .
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 12, 2021
8 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Ev Bishop
35 books161 followersEv Bishop is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author, who believes in the power of fiction to transform lives, knowing we both lose ourselves—and find ourselves!—in good stories.
Best known for her small-town contemporary romance series, River’s Sigh B & B, readers describe her books as “full of humor, love and wisdom,” set in places “where breathtaking scenery and the magic of love are the best medicine for the soul.”
In addition to writing novels—her favorite length of story because she always has so much she wants to fit in!—Ev was a columnist with the Terrace Standard for almost twenty years and is a prolific scribbler of . . . other things. Her articles, essays, short stories, and poems appear in a variety of publications, and she also writes under the pen name Toni Sheridan.
When Ev’s nose isn’t in a book or her fingers aren’t on her keyboard, you’ll find her with her family and dogs or playing outside, usually at the lake or in the middle of a forest somewhere.
She loves any and all garden-related talk and work, cooking (and eating!), and making all sorts of random things—especially out of upcycled or reclaimed items.
For more information, visit Ev’s website at https://evbishop.com. You can also connect with Ev on Twitter @Ev_Bishop, or follow her on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEvBishop, but the best way to keep in the loop re: current works, upcoming books and events, and other fun tidbits is to subscribe to her newsletter at: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
She looks forward to hearing from you!
Fall in love with books by Ev Bishop today:
RIVER’S SIGH B & B SERIES
Wedding Bands
Hooked
Spoons
Hook, Line & Sinker
Silver Bells
Reeling
One to Keep
The Catch
SOUL SISTERS AT CEDAR MOUNTAIN LODGE
Christmas Sisters – perma-FREE prologue book
Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim
Christmas Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
Christmas Hope by Violet Howe
Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop
Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson
STANDALONES
Bigger Things
A Sharla Brown Christmas
WRITING AS TONI SHERIDAN
The Present
Drummer Boy
Best known for her small-town contemporary romance series, River’s Sigh B & B, readers describe her books as “full of humor, love and wisdom,” set in places “where breathtaking scenery and the magic of love are the best medicine for the soul.”
In addition to writing novels—her favorite length of story because she always has so much she wants to fit in!—Ev was a columnist with the Terrace Standard for almost twenty years and is a prolific scribbler of . . . other things. Her articles, essays, short stories, and poems appear in a variety of publications, and she also writes under the pen name Toni Sheridan.
When Ev’s nose isn’t in a book or her fingers aren’t on her keyboard, you’ll find her with her family and dogs or playing outside, usually at the lake or in the middle of a forest somewhere.
She loves any and all garden-related talk and work, cooking (and eating!), and making all sorts of random things—especially out of upcycled or reclaimed items.
For more information, visit Ev’s website at https://evbishop.com. You can also connect with Ev on Twitter @Ev_Bishop, or follow her on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEvBishop, but the best way to keep in the loop re: current works, upcoming books and events, and other fun tidbits is to subscribe to her newsletter at: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
She looks forward to hearing from you!
Fall in love with books by Ev Bishop today:
RIVER’S SIGH B & B SERIES
Wedding Bands
Hooked
Spoons
Hook, Line & Sinker
Silver Bells
Reeling
One to Keep
The Catch
SOUL SISTERS AT CEDAR MOUNTAIN LODGE
Christmas Sisters – perma-FREE prologue book
Christmas Kisses by Judith Keim
Christmas Wishes by Tammy L. Grace
Christmas Hope by Violet Howe
Christmas Dreams by Ev Bishop
Christmas Rings by Tess Thompson
STANDALONES
Bigger Things
A Sharla Brown Christmas
WRITING AS TONI SHERIDAN
The Present
Drummer Boy
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 13, 2021
I received an advance copy of this book and I give my review freely and happily!
I’m a huge fan of Ev Bishops work, her story’s are always so beautiful and easy to read, the depth of each character is intense and you really find yourself getting involved and attached. Ev writes her stories in such a way that you will never forget them and maybe a song will come on the radio that you heard as you were reading and from now on that song will always bring you back in to the story. I read most of this book sitting on a make shift pier on Loch Ness Scotland, the Loch was so peaceful and the book was so grounding. Thank you Ev for all your beautiful stories Xxx
We meet Gwen in the first book of this series and it’s clear to see that she is suffering with some trauma and she comes across as meek and timid but in this second installment of the second chance shop series we find out that’s she fierce Mama bear who was left widowed and then caring for her 3 adorable grandchildren while her addict daughter Lilly was away doing who knows what?
Daniel is a recently divorced father of two, while looking for his second chance after a shady marriage buys the house that is joined to Gwen’s. Daniel being 10 younger than Gwen is almost thunder struck when he first lays eyes on her and he doesn’t beat around the bush in letting her know but Gwen has a busy schedule and doesn’t feel she has time to pursue a love life. Daniel is kind and gentle and is not blind to fact that Gwen is hot under the collar for him.
Gwen has three grandchildren, the oldest girl (pillar) is soccer mad and is dealing with some bullying from the mean girls, Gwen helps pillar to find and except herself for exactly who she is and in return Gwen also finds the courage to face down her own bully.
I loved this book because I could find so many quotes in it that I wish I had had access to when my own daughter was being bullied, most of them are so powerful and would really make you look inside a reflect.
Of course Madeline was also in this book and she helped to play a role in Gwen’s growth, Madeline is my absolute hero! I’m all about second chances myself and over coming trauma so intense that it could knock the wind out of your sails forever!
I’m a huge fan of Ev Bishops work, her story’s are always so beautiful and easy to read, the depth of each character is intense and you really find yourself getting involved and attached. Ev writes her stories in such a way that you will never forget them and maybe a song will come on the radio that you heard as you were reading and from now on that song will always bring you back in to the story. I read most of this book sitting on a make shift pier on Loch Ness Scotland, the Loch was so peaceful and the book was so grounding. Thank you Ev for all your beautiful stories Xxx
We meet Gwen in the first book of this series and it’s clear to see that she is suffering with some trauma and she comes across as meek and timid but in this second installment of the second chance shop series we find out that’s she fierce Mama bear who was left widowed and then caring for her 3 adorable grandchildren while her addict daughter Lilly was away doing who knows what?
Daniel is a recently divorced father of two, while looking for his second chance after a shady marriage buys the house that is joined to Gwen’s. Daniel being 10 younger than Gwen is almost thunder struck when he first lays eyes on her and he doesn’t beat around the bush in letting her know but Gwen has a busy schedule and doesn’t feel she has time to pursue a love life. Daniel is kind and gentle and is not blind to fact that Gwen is hot under the collar for him.
Gwen has three grandchildren, the oldest girl (pillar) is soccer mad and is dealing with some bullying from the mean girls, Gwen helps pillar to find and except herself for exactly who she is and in return Gwen also finds the courage to face down her own bully.
I loved this book because I could find so many quotes in it that I wish I had had access to when my own daughter was being bullied, most of them are so powerful and would really make you look inside a reflect.
Of course Madeline was also in this book and she helped to play a role in Gwen’s growth, Madeline is my absolute hero! I’m all about second chances myself and over coming trauma so intense that it could knock the wind out of your sails forever!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2021
Irresistible love story!
Gwen is the consummate caregiver - involved mom with three grown children, hands-on grandma to three (while their mother, her daughter, is getting her life together), and doting daughter for her aging yet still spry father. Somewhere along the way, probably around the time her husband of thirty years passed away, she forget to prioritize taking care of herself.
Daniel was blindsided by his (now-ex) wife's double life, so he's starting over with his two children by purchasing the other half of Gwen's duplex. He's instantly smitten with the still-young grandma but he allows her to set the pace of their friendship as their five children form their own strong connections.
I loved that Gwen is portrayed as a youthful, active woman who isn't letting her years slow her down. She still dominates the soccer field and has a knack for creating beauty everywhere she goes. I adored Daniel, especially his quiet confidence as well as not hesitating to pursue a woman ten years older.
I also really respected the several scenes that focused on the issue of mean girls and bullying. The thorn in Gwen's side was handled beautifully by Daniel, and Gwen's mama bear was perfectly frank yet restrained when confronting its generational repercussions.
The beauty in this author's story is in all the heart-to-heart conversations that show a rare emotional intelligence in every generation of these characters. Gwen may be the second of the four generations of her family that she's focusing on, but she shows that she can learn from every one of them while still having a thing or two to teach them.
This is a heartwarming story that will make you believe in the strength of families and the importance of second chances for everyone. Gwen and Daniel's HEA was adorable and I loved the hints about the unexpected direction that the next book will take. I highly recommend this romance as well as the series. You're in for a real treat. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Gwen is the consummate caregiver - involved mom with three grown children, hands-on grandma to three (while their mother, her daughter, is getting her life together), and doting daughter for her aging yet still spry father. Somewhere along the way, probably around the time her husband of thirty years passed away, she forget to prioritize taking care of herself.
Daniel was blindsided by his (now-ex) wife's double life, so he's starting over with his two children by purchasing the other half of Gwen's duplex. He's instantly smitten with the still-young grandma but he allows her to set the pace of their friendship as their five children form their own strong connections.
I loved that Gwen is portrayed as a youthful, active woman who isn't letting her years slow her down. She still dominates the soccer field and has a knack for creating beauty everywhere she goes. I adored Daniel, especially his quiet confidence as well as not hesitating to pursue a woman ten years older.
I also really respected the several scenes that focused on the issue of mean girls and bullying. The thorn in Gwen's side was handled beautifully by Daniel, and Gwen's mama bear was perfectly frank yet restrained when confronting its generational repercussions.
The beauty in this author's story is in all the heart-to-heart conversations that show a rare emotional intelligence in every generation of these characters. Gwen may be the second of the four generations of her family that she's focusing on, but she shows that she can learn from every one of them while still having a thing or two to teach them.
This is a heartwarming story that will make you believe in the strength of families and the importance of second chances for everyone. Gwen and Daniel's HEA was adorable and I loved the hints about the unexpected direction that the next book will take. I highly recommend this romance as well as the series. You're in for a real treat. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
October 11, 2021
Marvelous! Smashing! Where to even start? It's obvious, I loved Gwen and Daniel's story so much. Something New, it's another gem created, upscaled by Ev Bishop. I've enjoyed every minute spent in Greenridge with all this small town beauty, with people I fell in love in the previous books, again. Oh, well, not everyone of them. I mean, not that I loved everyone. I felt more than sorry for some certain people because of their lack of really doing something new about their lives, right? I adore Gwen -she's a strong, brave, giving, caring and loving to the fullest sense wise woman past her prime? I don't think so that description is true. She is NOT past anything. I have to admit I've been dawdling over Daniel, but you'll agree when you read their story. And then there is a bunch of kids, wonderful normal kids that are grieving and having problems like everyone else, add some pets to this chaos and have fun! I'd say it's a balance of the life. After sad, bitter soulsearching moments must be a time for sun, fun and laughter, and that's what makes this story so amazing.
I have to say that more than some lines hit home in hard and soft ways both but it's not about me, it was that first time ever I felt author's almost physical pressence throughout all the story reassuring me that everything is going to be okay. Loved it the most.
I have to say that more than some lines hit home in hard and soft ways both but it's not about me, it was that first time ever I felt author's almost physical pressence throughout all the story reassuring me that everything is going to be okay. Loved it the most.
September 26, 2021
5 stars
I received a free copy of the clean Greenridge, Canada small town contemporary romance Something New: The Second Chance Shop, Book 2 by Ev Bishop and this review was given freely.
The Second Chance Shop: Where businesses sprout up, friendships blossom, and romances flourish.
This is an older woman/younger man romance but also a testimony to Faith, Love and Friendship containing some irony and a good dose of Fate but also containing the tougher underlying topics of drug addiction, embezzlement, childhood abandonment, divorce, bullying and caring for an aging parent.
A note of humor and whimsy is provided through the colorful, friendly, and energetic The Second Chance Shop owner Madeline, who has a knack for both identifying those who need help and a seemingly endless ability to provide what is needed to promote healing.
This sequel can be read as a standalone but is best if read in series order as there is a short review of book one’s plot and a small “time” overlap before it continues with the expansion of The Second Chance Shop’s family and the store’s new offerings.
Fifty-year-old widow Gwen Arrunda and new Greenridge resident, forty year old single dad Daniel find themselves co-owners of a new half double home where the adults bond over gardening, Adult Wine Hour, and childcare; while her grandchildren and his children bond over soccer as well as their desire for both stability and pets.
I received a free copy of the clean Greenridge, Canada small town contemporary romance Something New: The Second Chance Shop, Book 2 by Ev Bishop and this review was given freely.
The Second Chance Shop: Where businesses sprout up, friendships blossom, and romances flourish.
This is an older woman/younger man romance but also a testimony to Faith, Love and Friendship containing some irony and a good dose of Fate but also containing the tougher underlying topics of drug addiction, embezzlement, childhood abandonment, divorce, bullying and caring for an aging parent.
A note of humor and whimsy is provided through the colorful, friendly, and energetic The Second Chance Shop owner Madeline, who has a knack for both identifying those who need help and a seemingly endless ability to provide what is needed to promote healing.
This sequel can be read as a standalone but is best if read in series order as there is a short review of book one’s plot and a small “time” overlap before it continues with the expansion of The Second Chance Shop’s family and the store’s new offerings.
Fifty-year-old widow Gwen Arrunda and new Greenridge resident, forty year old single dad Daniel find themselves co-owners of a new half double home where the adults bond over gardening, Adult Wine Hour, and childcare; while her grandchildren and his children bond over soccer as well as their desire for both stability and pets.
October 6, 2021
Prepare to be drawn in from the first page. Yet another charmer from Ev Bishop. Something New is Gwen and Daniel's story and it's so sweet! It's filled with all of the ups and downs of a very real and current life. The characters are so easy to fall in love with and pull for, I read this book in one sitting and was so happy with the end. So tuck in and prepare to fall in love!
October 26, 2021
Loved going back to Second Chance Shop, love the characters and the setting is so spectacular and it’s growing ! I wish I had one of these in my town ! Can’t wait to see what happens next !
October 13, 2021
Ev Bishop has skillfully created a charming and lovely woman with a giving personality that I found to be absolutely captivating. She’s generous to a fault, adores her grandchildren (and her gorgeous gardens) and she’s a welcoming neighbor when a divorcee with many of the same challenges moves into the other side of her duplex with his 2 children. Gwen’s friendship with Daniel is just what the two of them need because they are willing listeners who share their struggles, their kid’s adventures and their long days with each other. But Gwen is overwhelmed, weighed down by bills, guilt over her daughter’s continuing drug habit and the abandonment of the children. She is so busy taking care of her family’s day to day needs that she’s lost sight of her own happiness in the craziness that is her new reality. Every mature woman will relate to her struggles and will be encouraged by her personal growth and her emotional healing during this story. I love that The Second Chance Shop is a character all in itself. It’s one of the most charming places on the planet and how I wish it existed in real life. This story is beautifully written with a small town, family driven, personal growth theme that will certainly appeal to a myriad of readers and I highly recommend it as well as the first book in the series. I read a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions expressed in my voluntary review are completely my own.
October 11, 2021
What a wonderful sequel to Something Old. There are several reasons the title just fits perfectly and I want each reader to figure it out. Ev Bishop is giving us another chance to indulge in the magic of the Second Chance Shop and it’s lovely proprietor, Madeline. She brings out several other characters in this book; some so lovable they feel like good friends and some you just love to thoroughly dislike. Although this is basically a romance, Ms Bishop touches on a few subjects that plague society. She brings in drug abuse, absent parents, and bullying.
To my delight, I did discover there will be a third book.
I recommend this easy to read but delightful book. Ms Bishop can cover some tense scenes with such an easy hand.
I read this book as an ARC and wish to thank Ev Bishop and the publishers for the opportunity. The ideas in this review are solely my own.
To my delight, I did discover there will be a third book.
I recommend this easy to read but delightful book. Ms Bishop can cover some tense scenes with such an easy hand.
I read this book as an ARC and wish to thank Ev Bishop and the publishers for the opportunity. The ideas in this review are solely my own.
October 9, 2021
Something New is a sweet, heartwarming, older woman/younger man romance. I love spunky, soccer grandma Gwen. She is raising here daughter's children, worried about her finances and exhausted. Daniel, 10 years younger and a single dad, is Gwen's new neighbor in the other half of the duplex. The kids bond over soccer and a desire for pets. The adults form a fast friendship over adult hour. Daniel is interested in Gwen but allows her to dictate the bounds of their friendship. This heartwarming story of love and friendship emphasizes the strength in families and the importance of second changes. It also discusses addiction and bullying. I could not put it down.
October 25, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Something New. This story delves into some challenges that will resonate with many readers. We come alongside Gwen and Daniel who are both struggling in their current circumstances. Ev Bishop’s characters always have relatable life problems to overcome: problems that require resilience, tenacity, trust and hope. We have the pleasure of taking this quest for joy and self-discovery with them. As the story unfolds, you will be happy to check in on Madeleine and Grant from the first book in the series and even get a hint at what we can expect in the next instalment. Hope we won’t have to wait too long!
November 20, 2021
This book was so good! I am a big fan of Ev Bishop she writes characters that are so real they have their traumas and issues like us all and you can identify and enjoy spending time as you read. Gwen and Daniel both are in a place where when they become neighbors they both get what they need from the other. They deal with bullying in such a great way . I Love this series and cannot wait for more.
October 7, 2023
An excellent read
What a great story about disappointment, loss and the power of love. A sweet, clean read with great depth of characters and a believable story line I had trouble putting down.
What a great story about disappointment, loss and the power of love. A sweet, clean read with great depth of characters and a believable story line I had trouble putting down.
July 1, 2023
Love this author!
July 10, 2024
Amazing book, book two in the series and I am looking forward to book 3
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews