REVIEW:

I’m anxious to share with you The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter. I have enjoyed every book I read by her and this one wasn’t any different. She writes clean and interesting romance books. I know that I am going to be entertained when I pick up one of her books. I hope you will be too.

This book is about a Bookshop and those of us who love books are often drawn to a good story about a book store. I don’t know about you but if there is a library or book store mentioned in the title, I always take a look and most often it goes on my want to read list. I couldn’t resist this one because it was also by Denise Hunter. I didn’t even read the synopsis. 

This bookshop was owned by Shelby Thatcher’s Gram who has just passed away. Gram is doing a little matchmaking from the other side. She has left 49% of the shop to Gray Briggs who is Shelby’s ex who broke her heart. She promised herself she would never speak to him again. Now, they have to work together because Shelby does not want to lose her Gram’s shop. This is just scratching the surface of the story. There is so much more going on. Once you open this book, you will be hooked and will not be able to walk away from it.

I love small towns for all the good and the bad. There is definitely some bad going on in this town and it will make you mad. You will probably be rooting for Gray but like me be wondering how in the world this will all work out. Love often will find a way. I just wasn’t sure how. 

I loved the characters in this book. They are the kind of people you would want in your own family or circle of friends. I was sad that Gram was gone, but she made her voice heard throughout the book. Shelby’s dad and brother were good guys who butted heads for years. A lot of wrongs were righted in this book and peace was brought for some. I will let you read it to know exactly who, what, when, where and why. It is so worth it!

If you love a good family story and one that takes place around a Bookshop, then this might just be the book you need to read on your next free weekend. I think The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter definitely deserves a top spot on your nightstand.

Until next time…Happy Reading!

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from #Netgalley and #Thomas Nelson. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

SYNOPSIS:

She inherits the bookshop of her dreams . . . But she has to run it with the ex she vowed never to speak with again. “Book lovers, book clubs, and anyone who’s ever dreamed of owning a bookstore will adore this cleverly interwoven story” (Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shelterwood). Full of fall vibes, The Second Story Bookshop is perfect for fans of Debbie Macomber and Gilmore Girls.

Shelby Thatcher adores working in the charming small-town bookshop her grandmother opened years ago. Since high school, she’s helped Gram turn the shop into a community hub for book lovers in the lakeside town of Grandville, NC. When her beloved grandma passes away, Shelby inherits the bookstore. But to her shock, Gram leaves half ownership to Gray Briggs, the man who broke Shelby’s heart years ago.

Grandville residents have been vilifying Gray as long as he can remember. After graduating high school, he couldn’t skip town fast enough, even though it meant leaving the girl he’d fallen deeply in love with and alienating her family once and for all. Now he’s back, the beneficiary of his elderly friend’s will. Facing the town’s animosity is difficult, but seeing Shelby again is sheer torture. No one could ever stir his heart the way she did.

As the adversaries are forced to work together, Gram’s beyond-the-grave scheme is working–Shelby’s old feelings for Gray begin to resurface. But the problems that destroyed their relationship before still remain, and a new one surfaces–one that threatens Gram’s beloved bookshop. Is their love doomed to fail again, or will they find a way to make it work this time around?

If you’re looking for an enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance set in a cozy lakeside bookshop brimming with healing, heart, and Southern charm, The Second Story Bookshop is your perfect, feel-good escape. Let Shelby and Gray’s tender journey remind you that sometimes the path back to love starts at the front step of a bookstore.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denise Hunter is the internationally-published bestselling author of more than forty novels, three of which have been adapted into Hallmark movies. She has appeared on the The 700 Club and been featured in Southern Living and Woman’s World.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town love stories, peopled with layered characters who have real-life issues. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books.

In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling, drinking chai lattes, hiking, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband raised three boys and are currently enjoying an empty nest and four beautiful grandchildren.

You can learn more about Denise through her website.