The Second Story Bookshop + Giveaway

She inherits the bookshop of her dreams . . . But she has to run it with the ex she vowed never to speak with again.

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 Granville, 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.

Granville 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?

My Review:

A Second Chance Romance set in a bookish backdrop? Yes please! Even though Shelby and Gray’s love story includes a…gasp…dreaded love triangle! I almost gave up before the story really started but it’s Denise Hunter and if I can’t trust her with my fragile LT resistant heart, who can I trust? And truly, as far as love triangles go this one wasn’t as angsty as it could have been. I could explain why but then I’d be sharing spoilers so…guess you’ll have to trust me just the way I had to trust the author.

Poignant and tender and steeped in emotion, this novel brought on all the feels, from fuming to swooning and everything in between. Kept me invested right through to the end. A high school romance gone terribly wrong and Shelby’s been nursing some significant resentment ever since. Meanwhile, Gray has been trapped in his regrets. Their coming together once again results in an explosion of mixed emotions and the opportunity to finally come to terms with the past.

Hunter explores the complex issue of bullying – both then and now – with stomach churning precision. Gah! I felt for Gray and everything he had to endure. I appreciated the snippets of storytelling from their past that set the stage for the present. It explained so much and helped me feel sympathetic to both hero and heroine. And I love the way Gram’s gentle support reaches out to both of them after her death. Such a wonderful legacy of love!

I enjoyed listening to the audio edition of ‘The Second Story Bookshop’ narrated by Kim Churchill. I felt like she had a good grasp of the characters’ personalities which carried over into her performance, making me appreciate them, and their story, all the more.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson, Zondervan Fiction Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this book.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS BOOK DOESN’T RELEASE UNTIL OCTOBER 7 SO THERE WILL BE A BIT OF A WAIT TO CLAIM YOUR WIN!

US – ebook edition

Canada – available ebook or audible — winner’s choice

International – ebook copy if you have a US Kindle account.

If you would like a chance to win a copy of The Second Story Bookshop,  leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoread AT yahoo DOT ca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it’s easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Saturday August 9 2025

30 thoughts on “The Second Story Bookshop + Giveaway”

  6. A love triangle, say it isn’t so?! I also have this as an audio from Net Galley and plan to listen to it soonish…I have several others with release dates before it. Great review, like you, I DO trust Denise, so I am sure it will be great! cilydav at hotmail dot com

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  8. Thanks for the review, Kav! Love triangles aren’t my favorite either, but I always enjoy Denise Hunter’s books, so throw my name in the entry box.

    whthomas13 at yahoo dot com

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  9. I’m looking forward to this one! It’s already on hold for me on Libby so no need to enter me in this one. Thanks for the review. Sandy

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    1. Whoa — your library gets new books on their Libby waaaayyy earlier than mine. Books have to be released before they even order them. So excited for you to read this one. Happy Reading, Sandy!

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